Photograph | fred weasley x fem reader

Chapter Two: The Sorting Ceremony

You'd taken the side closest to the window in the train compartment with the Weasley twins, and after wrestling your trunk into the storage and letting Pebbles out for a stretch, you collapsed onto the cushiony seat. You brushed 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, bustling London and began to speed through gorgeous green hills, passing shimmering lakes and towering willow trees. 

You folded your arms and rested them up on the window's edge, watching the beautiful outside world dance by. The twisting trees and sprawling lands reminded you of home. 

Suddenly, a loud, sudden fizzling pop bounced off the walls of the compartment. You snapped your head around to see the twins grinning proudly as sparkling golden light shimmered in the air above them, a small pile of something brightly coloured in their arms. 

They threw it all onto the table in front of you and both sat down into the seats opposite you. You stared at it for a moment and hesitantly leaned closer. 

"Are those- are those fireworks?" You asked quietly. 

Fred beamed. "You bet they are. Filibuster's Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat fireworks to be exact. All we need is a water bottle and this train will be a party," he explained with a smile. 

"Wow. That's really cool," you said, offering Fred a small smile back. 

"It is," George agreed. "Our little sister Ginny loves watching our Firework shows." 

Pebbles suddenly and silently jumped up onto the table. He investigated the fireworks with his shiny paw, his tail flicking up in the air. 

"Does your friend like fireworks?" Fred asked as he leaned forward and gently reached a hand out to Pebbles. Pebbles stopped rummaging through the brightly coloured packets and looked up at Fred, his big round eyes surveying him. After a second, he brushed his head into Fred's open palm. Pebbles meowed happily as Fred scratched him between the ears. 

"He does like fireworks, actually. He loves to sit on our windowsill and watch the colours on Guy Fawkes night. He's a bit deaf so the noise doesn't scare him," you said, watching Fred and Pebbles become acquainted. 

"He's lovely," said George, joining in and softly brushing Pebble's fur. 

"He doesn't normally warm up to people this quickly..." you thought aloud. "He must really trust you two." 

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 the twins. 

Charlie Weasley was in a different compartment with the other prefects—probably snogging one of them, according to Fred— 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.

Making friends had never, not once, come easy to you. You'd spent countless nights and hours dissecting and over-analysing every interaction you'd ever had, every word you'd said. You tried to get along with the kids in your little town, but it was hard. They all had their groups and their things and it never felt right to you. They were nice enough. But it always felt as though you were behind glass, watching them closely yet never truly a part of it. 

But after a few hours, it felt like you'd known the twins for years. Their laughter and their smiles and their fireworks made you feel utterly at ease. Though you still weren't sure if you should let your guard down completely, you found yourself, for the first time in years, happy with other people.