Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 33: Almost

If there was a time where Remus and Sarah didn't get along, it was those last couple weeks they spent at the Head-Quarters. She was upset from the fact he didn't let her in on the meetings anymore, and he was irritated that she kept coming back. Truth was, the other members were either silent or ignoring the feud, and it made her that much more mad, it made no sense. Tonks tried to play the mediator between them, it was always better after a couple minutes of her rationalizing, and Sarah was grateful for that.

Meanwhile, Hermione and Ron had been appointed Prefects during their fifth year, Molly was ecstatic for Ron, decided to throw a party in his honor, left at once for the kitchen to bake his favorites.

Molly entered the living room, carrying a letter in her hand. "Sarah dear, this came for you."

Sarah was writing a summer assignment in Alchemy, that she set down on the small table in front of her to take the letter from Molly. "Thank you," she turned it and saw the Hogwarts seal.

That was strange. She broke it and got out the letter, noticed also something else was inside the letter. Suddenly, she realized what it was.

"No," she mumbled bewildered, "Can't be."

Sarah turned the envelope upside down and a badge fell out, on a red setting, a carved banderole where the word 'Head-Girl' was engraved. She gasped loudly, quickly unfolding the letter to read it.

"What is it?" asked Fred curiously, setting his notebook down and getting up from his seat next to her. He peaked at the letter over her shoulder, started reading, "Miss McCauley, we are delighted to inform you that you have been appointed to the position of Head-Girl!"

She turned to him, completely speechless.

"McCauley! That's amazing!" Fred jumped up and hugged her tightly, while spinning around with her.

She gushed, wrapped her arms around him, too, and when he put her down, his gaze made her breath catch again. "I can't believe it," she marveled, looking down at the badge. "I thought it'd be Selena."

"Nonsense!" Fred beamed down at her, hands on her arms, "You were Prefect twice. Selena's good, she's not you, though. Don't tell George I said that."

Sarah smiled at that, "Does this supportive behavior mean your complete irritation of Head Boy and Head Girl has ceased?"

"We'll see how long it takes for you to piss me off," said Fred, conceited smirk on his face.

George, Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione all hurried to the living room after they heard shouting, all coming in at once and crashing into one another, "What happened? Did you kill him, Sarah?" asked George urgently.

After sending his twin a quizzical look, Fred said brightly, pointing at Sarah, "Guess who just received the most well deserved letter of all time?"

"I can't tell if you're doing it as a joke or if you mean it, Weasley," Sarah analyzed his face suspiciously. She never knew with him, when she let herself believe it was real, he'd turn it around, and when he meant it, she rarely accepted it. Now was no different.

"You'll never know," boasted Fred, in this particular way to intentionally stir up the exact reaction Sarah had: she rolled her eyes and flipped him off, and he grinned in satisfaction. Sarah looked down at it, she honestly didn't expect receiving it, just like she didn't expect to receive the Prefect letters last year and her fifth year. And although she'd hoped for 'Head-Girl', she wondered if what happened back in June might change something. Did it come to her in spite of that, or more like because of that?

She put it back in the envelope and smiled down at it, left upstairs to set it in her bag, heard a shriek from the kitchen, and something hitting the floor, sounding like metal. She made her way quickly downstairs on the kitchen, saw Molly standing next to a fallen oven tray, crumbs of scones all over the floor. She was shaking her hand and sniffing, Sarah quickly put two and two together, she directed Molly towards the faucet, turned it on and let her hand rest under cold water.