The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

III.XI

Immediately after leaving Dumbledore's office Electra began her manhunt.

The third year she'd scared into checking Gryffindor Tower had told her they weren't there. Fine. What a waste of energy walking up all those bloody steps, not to mention she missed the trick stair on the sixth floor stairwell and nearly re-broke her arm.

Next she ducked in front of the swinging pendulum in the Clock Tower, squinting down the lawn at where Care of Magical Creatures took place. Missed the mark again. Those students were far too tiny to be her classmates. She tried checking the dungeons. Nope, seventh year Potions was on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Cool. Herbology? Of course not. All seven green houses (minus Sprout's personal greenhouse, but she was definitely not venturing in there) were quiet.

Nothing seemed to be going Electra's way today. But of course, when she ventured to the absolute last place she could think they'd be, cursing the absence of the Marauder's Map the whole time, she finally found them.

"About time, Black," said George from where he lay on his back on the wooden landing of the Astronomy Tower, fiddling with something in his hand. "We've been waiting here for you since Charms."

Electra held up a hand, silently telling him to shut the fuck up while she caught her breath. Fred, obviously didn't get the memo. He gave her a once over from where he stood leaning against the metal railing. "You look dreadful."

"I just... scoured... the entire fucking castle... looking... for you two bozos," she practically wheezed through gasps of air.

"You didn't think to come here first?" asked George with a tilt of his head. "The one place we always meet?"

Electra manoeuvred her bag off her shoulder. "I thought... you still had class." She tossed her bag to the floor.

"Three O.W.L.s each," Fred reminded Electra with a wicked smirk.

"We're not as burdened by our class schedule as you," said George with a smirk just as devilish as his brother's.

"Works for us of course, we are using this year to—"

"Yes, yes, your market research... and all that," Electra cut off, still a bit breathless. "You told me already. At length."

"I'd offer you a Skiving Snackbox, but it doesn't seem you need one to get out of class," said Fred with a raised brow. "Where are you supposed to be now?"

She waved his question away. "I took care of it. Just... just tell me what the Charms homework is."

"Oh, there isn't any," said George, rolling onto his side.

Electra, who had already shucked her robe from her shoulders by the greenhouses, threw her robe to the ground. "That's just fucking fantastic!"

Electra tucked her right leg under herself, using that leg to guide her body into a cross-legged sitting position rather gracefully without having to use her arms. Thanks ballet. She ignored the look of awe coming from Fred as she fixed her skirt. "Having a rough day there, Viper?" he teased. She flashed him the middle finger.

"Well, don't count this as a wasted journey just yet," advised George.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, we've got even more bad news," warned Fred, pushing off the railing to move closer to her and his brother.

"Incredible," she muttered. Fred tried mimicking how she'd sat down, but ended up having to catch himself before crashing sideways into the floor. Electra bit her lips.

"Umbridge isn't letting us use magic in her class."

That knocked the bit of amusement from Fred's failure right out of her. "What?!"