Photograph | fred weasley x reader

The Sorting Ceremony

You'd taken the side closest to the window in the little train compartment, and after wrestling your trunk into the storage and letting your cat out for a stretch, you collapsed onto the cushiony seat. You brushed a strand of your hair out of your eyes, tucking it behind your ear as you pulled your knees up to your chest.

After a while, the train left the outskirts of shiny London and sped through gorgeous green hills, passing shimmering lakes and towering willow trees. You smiled slightly as you took in the sprawling greenery, never having seen anything so beautiful before. Suddenly, a bright yellow spark appeared before your eyes, followed by a loud pop. You snapped your head around to see the twins grinning proudly, a small pile of what looked like tiny fireworks in their arms. They threw them onto the table in front of you, both sitting down dramatically in the seat opposite. You grinned and raised an eyebrow.

"Lunch?" you asked sarcastically.

Fred laughed and reached forward to grab a handful of the fireworks, then turned to his twin and shoved them against his mouth. "MMMM," Fred exclaimed loudly, "eat up, Georgie."

You laughed as they scrabbled around. The warmth of their company was a welcome distraction.

The train journey from King's Cross to Hogwarts was a gruelling nine hours, but it gave you time to settle in and get to know these strange boys. Charlie Weasley was in a different compartment with the other prefects—probably snogging one of them, according to George—Percy had yet to make an appearance, and their eldest brother, as you'd learned, was called Bill and was somewhere up front flaunting his Head Boy badge. He'd popped in at one point to check on the twins—to make sure they weren't misbehaving—and was just as welcoming and friendly as his younger brothers.

At first, you were nervous, not really knowing what to expect at Hogwarts, but after a few hours, it felt like you'd known the twins for years. You settled comfortably into the instant friendship that had sparked. They told you about their lives as part of a family of nine, and you'd laughed in shock at the sheer number of them.

"Honestly, it's a right pain. Bill's Head Boy and was a prefect, Charlie's a prefect too and is apparently the best seeker that Gryffindor have ever seen, and Godric knows what pricky Percy's gonna turn into," Fred commented, his mouth full of the crumbly peanut butter sandwich he'd packed.

George nodded, "thank Merlin's pants we're the best looking out of everyone. Mum's gonna expect us to follow in the prefect steps, but we'll be too busy with the ladies for that nonsense."

You snorted, shaking your head at the daft boy. "I'd give anything to have a family as big as yours. I've always, always wanted a brother," you said wistfully.

When the twins asked about your family, you shrugged lightly and looked down, fiddling with the thread of your knitted jumper.

"It's just me and Dad," you said quietly. The usual warmth you felt when talking about your father came mixed with a pang of homesickness. You remembered the light hearted jokes he'd made as you packed up your things, and the memory of his familiar smell and laughter brought a lump to your throat. You had only been gone a few hours, and it already felt like more. You made a mental note to write to him as soon as you got Sorted, perhaps you could borrow a school owl.

Fred leaned over to pat you lightly on the shoulder, and you looked up.

"You can have one of our brothers if you'd like. Maybe take Ron, he's our youngest and a right snotter," he said matter-of-factly.

You laughed loudly, doubling over as the boys continued to rat on each other. The day drifted away in the echoes of their laughter, and despite your initial nerves, you felt safe, wrapped up in this strange, chaotic, and comforting friendship.