QUIET ,, fred w.

ix.

the ice had always been an easy escape for y/n. it was one of the many hobbies she participated in during the lonesome summers at hogwarts, but it was best to skate in the winter when the weather matched the nature of the sport. she felt skating—especially figure skating—was a good way to release the tension in her muscles and embrace any emotion she could drag out from her mind.

sometimes skating felt like floating. y/n could think, but she could also let herself go. it was a journey. every mark in the ice showed a memory from that journey, and trailed on to another journey. it was breathtaking.

"y/n?" a soft voice pierced the veil she had been so focused on. the girl finished off her spin, rounding around the ice court to come face to face with someone she had not spoken to in a long time.

"daphne?" the blonde girl skated her way into y/n's view, a sweet smile on her face. "I didn't know you skated," y/n commented, offering her a simple smile in return. it was almost awkward for her. seeing daphne after years of pining for her felt... odd; her heart felt odd.

the girl giggled and shook her head. "yeah, I took the time of learning during our summer break. I always saw you skating whenever we came down to hogsmeade," she explained honestly, "so I decided I would learn. I'm still a bit bruised." another soft chuckle echoed from daphne.

daphne was ill-prepared for the weather compared to y/n. whereas y/n wore a deep red scarf, black leggings, a fuzzy grey sweater, and scrunched-up leg warmers, daphne wore long socks beneath baggy jeans, and a light tee. it wasn't difficult to gather that the girl was chilly, especially beneath the flakes of snow. the arena was set outside, with only a few wooden fences lining the rims. there was no specific charm that either of them knew how to cast that would allow heat to radiate from one another.

before silence could engulf the two, y/n unraveled the scarf from her neck and handed it off to daphne. it was a simple message of care. the blonde reached for it gratefully, nodding her head in thanks. "keep it," y/n said.

daphne wrapped the scarf around her neck as y/n went back to her routine, falling into a nice bullet spin. the blonde watched her closely, her eyes glimmering with a quaint feeling of homeliness. "thanks," she murmured under her breath, a small smile catching its way onto her lips. the blonde started again, a little shaky as began her own skating journey.

y/n found her own eyes following the girl once more. it's as if she never got over her to begin with.

✦

"fred!" y/n shoved the twin off to the side, huffing as she hurried ahead of him. "that was all of ours, you know. to share! not to give off to someone random."

"it's harry!" fred protested, catching himself and falling back into step with her. a smirk crept its way onto his lips. "and besides, he needs it far more than either of us."

"rubbish." fred had given harry the marauder's map. it was a shared item—an item of secrecy; a promise of sort—and they had lent it to harry without offering y/n any warning. "it's as if I sold your left eye to stag," she huffed. "do either of you two ever use your noggins?!"

"I'd love to see that, mate," george snickered. y/n raised her fist, and george backed off. "joking! jeez, you've got a temper."

fred stuffed his hands into his pockets, shaking his head. "when does she not?"

"you two are horrid. you know, I'd much rather be spending my time with someone else right now," y/n said. the twins glanced at each other apprehensively. fred mouthed something to his brother. george shrugged loosely.

"who?" george asked, breaking eye contact first.

the girl kicked at a rock in the snow. the powder whipped around, the wind dragging it a few meters further. she sighed, "daphne," and dragged her teeth against her lower lip. the twins had been begging her to get over her for years. this summer, she finally showed some restraint.