Daisy Potter and the Wedding (Book 8, Harry Potter ff)

Chapter 30 - We Need to Talk About Floppy

"You're telling me I was fucking POSSESSED?"

"Yeah, I guess. Sorry, bro."

Fred was gaping at me as I lowered him into an armchair in the Gryffindor common room. He was still white in the face and a bit shaky, so I had to sling his arm over my shoulder and practically heave him all the way up here. I collapsed into the chair opposite him, panting as Terry and George exchanged a glance.

"That is insane." Terry said. "Floppy somehow got in here to possess Red to - what - sleep with you?"

"Seems that was his main goal, yes." I nodded.

George stared at Fred for a moment, then turned to me. "What the hell? What's going on lately? Red's getting possessed, Riddle's ghost is saving the day, and - what is under that plaster on your neck that you're refusing to take off?"

I glanced down, even though I couldn't see the plaster without a mirror.

"I dunno. Something's just telling me to keep it covered up."

"Just 'something'?" George scoffed. "Yeah, right - I'm betting it's some spooky shit. C'mere."

I nervously approached my boyfriend, fidgeting as I eyed his hands. When he reached for the plaster, I let him, but my brain was screaming at me to grab those wrists and force them away from me.

George sucked in a breath.

"What?" I said, throwing my hands up at him.

"Um... princess... it looks like - Hopper, wanna take a guess?"

Terry gasped as he came closer, his eyes widening. Fred craned his neck to see.

"Guys. Seriously. What?!"

The three boys all exchanged a glance. "Er, Softpaw? You've been bitten by a vampire."

I stared at Terry. "No I haven't. I'm always around you guys. Surely you'd have noticed? Surely I'D have noticed?"

"Not if someone made you forget, you wouldn't." Terry said shrewdly. "Plus, I've seen this plaster on you since... what... two days ago? Our first day back? I know we saw those little puncture wounds on you on the train, but these are way bigger - something's been getting to you frequently."

I shivered, reaching a hand up to my neck and feeling the circular wounds.

"You don't think it's anything to do with Floppy?" I said nervously.

"Don't think so. Demons don't drink blood - not like vampires do, anyway." Terry shook his head. "But we must have a weirdo in the school. We'll have to keep an eye out. And we are not to let Softpaw out of our sight." Terry announced to the twins, who nodded vigorously (Fred wincing and paling afterwards).

"We hardly ever do, anyway." George smirked.

"I'm not really that concerned about a rando vampire running around the castle." I said. "What I'm more worried about is that Freddie got possessed by Floppy. I really, REALLY do not want that to happen again."

"Like, how did he even do that?" Fred said anxiously. "Surely there's a limit on who he can possess - otherwise he would have possessed us all a long time ago. And how do we stop him?"

I knew what he was thinking. Something must have changed for Floppy to be able to get inside Fred's head like this.

"I think I know who to ask." I said slowly. Terry caught my eye and gave a small inclination of the head; he knew too.

"Who?" George asked.

I glanced around. The common room was just about empty by now, with only a few of our fellow seventh years in the corner who knew about my angel brothers anyway. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.