Fred Weasley x Reader (slow and Steady)

Ch 41: Festering

After a couple days after we had gotten home from visiting Mr. Weasely, he had finally been allowed to return home. His wounds were still healing, but compared to how he looked previously, he looked a lot better. It still pained him to move parts of his arm, or bend over sometimes. As the days went on, his movements became less slow and painful, to more fluid. To be honest, it made me wish I had the formula for the healing salve already, maybe his recovery would have gone a lot faster. I didn't butcher myself about it too much, it would have its uses in the future for sure.

Before long, Christmas had arrived and Grimmauld Place was filled with bright lights and laughter, much like how it had been the summer before school. The order had come over to spend time with us over the Holidays, Hermione had as well a couple days afterwards after she had visited her parents. The house felt livelier, comparatively to the several days where it felt like a glooming presence was looming over everyone. This had been Mrs. Weasley's doing, she wanted desperately to get everyone back into the spirits again, wanted us to have a normal holiday as anyone could really.

Harry still seemed tense through the dinner as Mrs. Weasley passed out the gifts she had gotten everyone, knitted articles of clothing for each person, the same as every year. No one complained, they had loved them. Well, Ron had, poor boy felt like he looked like a bloody idiot wearing the furred vest that had the first letter of his name etched into it. Hermione attempted to persuade him, honestly, I've no idea whether or not it worked. She had her moments where she could persuade Ron, no matter how stubborn he had been. Lupin and the others didn't stay long, we had hoped to see the rest of the order but it had seemed that they had gotten pulled away due to business matters; when it had been asked why, they only shut it out that it was no concern, and should be kept under the rug anyhow. Sirius and Harry hung around each other a lot of the time during the holidays, he gave him in depth tours and talked about his family tree and its history, seeming as though he still hoped for the possibility of Harry coming and living with him for more than just this part of the year. It was easy to see, he yearned to take care of him, there had been a love he held for Harry, a love so deep. It was good for him to have someone like that.

Finally, not long after the New Years, the group of us bundled our things together, bracing ourselves for the mid winter chill, and whisked off back to school. Countless students filed into the halls with a hurried pace, all wanting so desperately to get inside and embrace the warmth. Many hung back and held each other as they greeted friends as they were reunited once more. The loud halls being as they always were, and they always would be. Loud laughters and shouts of different conversations bouncing off of one another. Everyone had a multitude of stories to tell one another about their breaks.

The hope we had over the break had been of the possibility of Umbridge being swept away by the rumored curse on the Defense Against the DarkArts classroom. Sadly, our hopes had faltered. Standing pointedly in the halls, her eyes scanning over every one of the students as we walked past. Waiting for even a single violation in her little notepad of rules. The dreading feeling had returned, the overbearing sense of nervousness riding on our shoulders. Many of the students swerved into different hallways when they noticed her, trying ever so desperately to get out of her sight. To be honest, I didn't blame them one bit. When she noticed our little group, her eyes narrowed, watching our movements. It seems she had still been upset about the little fight mishap before break. The twins, Harry, and Ron were still sadly banned from Quidditch, so I presumed she had assumed that now that they didn't have Quidditch, they'd try something else to either occupy our time that she disagreed with, or would enact revenge. I wouldn't have been surprised if the Twins had something cooked up for her, other than the small sweets we had used to get them off of our tails when practicing the defensive magic. They had been too quiet. Hermione had visibly been upset afterwards, constantly muttering the unfairness of it.