Brown Eyed Boy // Fred Weasley ( Rewriting )

6.

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The next day, Elizabeth entered the great hall, bracing herself for judgmental stares and whispered gossip. At her old school, incidents like the day before would have sparked weeks of speculation and gossip, with everyone eagerly discussing her every move. But to her surprise, here, students greeted her with smiles and friendly hellos, acting as if nothing was amiss. There were no pitying looks or hushed conversations about her; it felt strange to be in an environment where gossip didn't dominate social interactions.

"Bon matin!" she called out, as she approached her friends at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey, Eli!" Hermione replied, glancing up from her book for just a moment before diving back into her reading.

"Hey, little one!", George chimed in, squeezing onto the bench beside her, while Fred slid in on her other side and Lee plopped down directly across from her.

"Is it just me, or does everyone seem extra cheerful today?" Eli asked, her eyes darting around the bustling Great Hall, where students animatedly chatted in groups.

"Oh, you haven't heard, love?" Fred shot her a playful grin.

"Heard what?" Eli glanced between the twins, both of whom exchanged a look.

"We're throwing a party!" George declared, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Fred continued, "This Friday, in the Gryffindor common room."

"The first and best party of the year!" George added,

"To celebrate the start of the year!" Fred concluded with a wide, beaming smile. "And we were hoping you could whip up a mixtape for it," he added his tone earnest. 

"You've got a knack for this, and honestly, we've been stuck in a rut with the same old songs. It gets a bit boring after a while,"

"We need something fresh, like Muggle music," Lee chimed in, his eyes sparkling with ideas.

The group leaned in, all eyes on her, waiting for her answer. Eli couldn't help but break into a grin. "Of course! I'd love to!"In a spontaneous wave of excitement, the twins threw their arms around her, causing her to laugh out loud.

☆

"Hey," she greeted Malfoy as he strode into the potions classroom earlier than usual,  "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be making your grand entrance ten minutes late as usual?"

"Ha-ha!" he shot her a sidelong glare, but there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes as he settled into the seat beside her.

"You coming to the party on Friday?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

He shrugged, a nonchalant expression crossing his features. "A Gryffindor party hosted by the Weasley twins? Not exactly my cup of tea."

She rolled her eyes, leaning closer. "It'd be nice to have you there. I mean, it could be fun."

Malfoy turned to her, the skepticism in his gaze softening slightly as he noticed the sincerity in her eyes. 

"Are you feeling better?" he ventured, his voice hesitant, as if treading on thin ice.

Her posture faltered for a moment, but she straightened, keeping her chin up. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, a silent reassurance. "Yeah, I'm alright."

"Good," he replied, his expression turning slightly teasing. "Because you're a real ugly crier. I don't think I could stand another minute of that."

She scoffed, playfully elbowing him in the ribs. "Malfoy! I swear—"

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything, Miss Baudelaire and Mr. Malfoy..." Snape's voice cut through the air, dripping with his usual disdain. He stood at the front of the class, a heavy book in hand, his dark eyes piercing.

Both quickly shook their heads, murmuring apologies, their laughter bubbling just beneath the surface. As Snape returned to his reading, Eli and Malfoy exchanged a glance, struggling to suppress their giggles. 

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Elizabeth walked slowly toward her last class of the day, her anxiety mounting with each step. She knew she needed to explain to Sirius why she had reacted the way she did—or at least apologize—which was why she had decided to arrive a few minutes early. She stopped in front of the classroom, her gaze locked on the doorknob.

"Miss Baudelaire?" a voice called from behind her. She turned, forcing a nervous smile as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The man's expression softened. "You're quite early. Class doesn't start for another ten minutes, you know."

"I was hoping to talk about yesterday," she replied.

"Come in, let's chat inside," he said, unlocking the door and holding it open for her. "We'll have more privacy here." He placed his books on his desk and turned to her, a reassuring presence.

"I just wanted to apologize for my reaction yesterday. I disrupted the class, and I didn't mean to—" she stumbled over her words, her thoughts racing.

"Elizabeth," he said gently, and she fell silent, her hands trembling as her gaze dropped to the floor. "You don't need to explain yourself. If anyone should apologize, it's me. I didn't consider how some students might react to seeing their greatest fear, but I should have. I'm truly sorry you had to go through that, and you didn't disturb the class at all." 

His eyes were warm and full of concern; he had spent the night thinking about her, guilt weighing heavily on him. He had seen the same expression of terror painted on his face hundreds of times and had never thought a child could feel this much pain and horror.

"Never apologize for how you feel," he added firmly.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his, her heart warming at his kindness. She nodded, unable to find her voice.

"I'm always here to talk, and anything said within these walls stays between us," he continued, not waiting for a response, knowing from her expression that she understood.

"Thank you," she finally managed to whisper. Just then, the bell rang, cutting through the moment. She walked to an empty desk and tucked her bag beneath it.

"Oh, and enjoy yourself at the party. Don't overthink things too much," he added casually.She looked up in surprise. "How do you—"

He winked at her, then turned his attention to a group of students entering the classroom.

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