Harriet Potter 2

Kidnapped

When they landed with an audible pop, Harriet felt her new heels sinking straight into the ground. Throwing her arms around George for balance, she glanced down and realised she was standing on sand. With a flick of George's wand, her heels immediately stopped sinking.

Harriet glanced up, taking in their surroundings. The twins were many things, but they had never let her down. All the same, maybe she should have asked them where they were taking her before agreeing to this jaunt. For a moment Harriet pictured Severus' face pinched with irritation at her recklessness.

Ahead of them was a bonfire, surrounded by people their age, sipping beers, talking and dancing. Strangely, Harriet couldn't recognise any of the people by the fire. There was something decidedly odd about the scene that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It felt so familiar, and yet unfamiliar. Those didn't look like butterbeers.

Then her mouth widened in a surprised smile as the meaning of the scene dawned upon her. "Is this a muggle party?"

"We thought you might appreciate not being the chosen one for a change" Fred said gently. On her other side, George gave her a comforting squeeze.

Harriet felt a swell of giddiness rising up in her chest. For a few hours she could be just another girl. She could forget about Voldemort, the prophecy and-

"We got special permission from the Order" Fred added.

"You're allowed to drink too" George added, "but you're going to be checked over once we get back, that was the condition."

"How'd you get permission?" Harriet asked suspiciously, wondering how on earth they could get Order agreement for such an outing during such a dangerous time.

"Well like we told Dumbledore," Fred grinned "either they could give us permission or we could kidnap the chosen one and they could find out where we've taken you afterwards."

"You should have asked for a ransom- auctioned me off to the highest bidder " Harriet rejoined. "Who do you reckon has deeper pockets - Voldemort or Dumbledore?"

"Voldemort would've had Lucius bid for you and he's definitely got the deepest pockets" George replied.

"Not too late for that auction. Ready for life in the Malfoy mansion, eh Harri?" Fred offered with a grin.

Harriet shivered, as she remembered her encounter with the older Malfoy in the ministry.

George slid his arms beneath Harriet's legs, sweeping her into his arms and carrying her across the sand "now we've kidnapped the chosen one, what should we do with her, Freddie?"

Fred grinned wickedly "better to ask what we shouldn't do with her, Georgie."

"Come on" George said, depositing Harriet gently on a log by the bonfire, "Have a seat, I'll get us some drinks."

The bonfire blazed with warmth in the cool evening air sending sparks fizzling into fading sky.

Breathing in the smoky air, Harriet closed her eyes. When a hand slipped into hers, she kept her eyes closed, focusing on the feeling of his hand in hers. For a moment she imagined the snarky remark Severus might make. How he would scowl at the sand beneath his boots - no he would charm them of course, so that they remained pristine.

An arm slipped around her waist from her other side, and the illusion was broken. Harriet opened her eyes again, taking a sip of the foul tasting muggle beer, before laying her head on George's shoulder.

As darkness began to fall, the sound of the waves and the crackle of the fire were almost hypnotic. As the buzz of the beer began to steal over her, the twins regaled Harriet with stories about their store, and product ideas, until her cheeks ached from smiling,

Eventually Fred stood, dragging Harriet to her feet by the hand to join the dancing couples. Harriet rested her cheek against his chest and for a second she could almost imagine that it was Severus. When she looked up to meet his gaze, Fred's hazel eyes were warm with understanding.

Fred and George took turns twirling Harriet until she was dizzy. For a moment she felt reckless and free.

Suddenly she lost her balance, dragging the twins onto the ground with her.

For a few perfect minutes they lay side by side on the damp sand, looking up at the night sky in wordless contemplation.

———

When they apparated back into her room at Grimmauld Place, Harriet's hair was textured from the ocean breeze and Fred's leather jacket hung from her shoulders.

"Night Harri" Fred and George said in unison, before turning quickly to exit the room. Harriet found it odd that they were suddenly in such a hurry to leave.

"Your jacket-" Harriet called after their retreating figures.

"Keep it" Fred replied with a wink. Then almost instantly, they were gone.