Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 21 ⚡️

Vega waited until Professor McGonagall came down the table to where she, Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting. She took her schedule from the Head of Gryffindor House and looked down at the busy form, knowing that she wouldn't have a lot of free today, given the trajectory of classes. In a way, she was also appreciative that it would take her mind off of a lot of other things.

"Look at today!" Ron complained with a groan. "History of Magic, double Potions, Divination, and double Defence Against the Dark Arts... Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George would hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted..."

"Do mine ears deceive me?

Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

Vega's attention snapped at the sound of Fred's voice and she watched as he squeezed into between her and Harry while George simply sat down on the empty space next to Harry. Fred grinned down at Vega and she gave him a small smile in return.

"Look what we've got today," Ron said grumpily, shoving his schedule under Fred's nose, taking his attention away from Vega. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen,"

"Fair point, little bro," Fred said, scanning the column and Vega peered over with him to see what he was up to. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like,"

"Why's it cheap?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," George answered, now helping himself to a kipper and Vega gave the pair of twins a look.

"Cheers," Ron responded moodily, pocketing his schedule. "But I think I'll take the lessons,"

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," Hermione spoke up, eyeing Fred and George beadily. "You can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor notice board,"

"Says who?" George asked, looking astonished.

"Says me," Hermione replied. "And Ron,"

"Leave me out of it," Ron spoke hastily, causing Hermione to glare at him and to Fred and George to snigger at how the two of them weren't on the same page yet.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," Fred replied, thickly buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long,"

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" Hermione asked.

"Fifth year's O.W.L. year," George said.

"So?" Hermione responded.

"So, you've got your exams coming up, haven't you?" Fred said with satisfaction. "They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw. Except for my little Nova, of course,"

"Not here," Vega muttered hurriedly. "Not that name,"

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to O.W.L.s," George said happily. "Tears and tantrums... Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint..."

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, do you remember?" Fred said reminiscently.

"That's 'cause you put Bulbadox Powder in his pyjamas," George replied.

"Oh yeah," Fred said, grinning. "I'd forgotten..." Vega glanced toward him and he pulled at her nose lightly. "Hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it?"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," George said. "If you care about exam results anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our spirits up somehow,"