[1] Lemons into Lemonade ✓ | FRED WEASLEY

Chapter Six

Fred and George seemed to disappear into thin air, leaving as quickly as they'd come. By the time Lexy arrived, a few minutes later, Aubrey had been left alone with nothing but her bucket and shame for company. Lexy was very understanding compared to Angela, who chose to lecture Kenny as he wretched, even giving Aubrey a disapproving look as she hurried to the loo.

Due to the incident, when Lexy and Aubrey arrived late to the Great Hall, there was little food left, the once full plates stripped bare by the hoards of ravenous students. Still, maybe this was for the best: she wasn't sure she could stomach anything right now... literally.

"Are you okay, Aubs? We can go back to the loos if you need to, I really don't mind," The two girls took a seat, glancing at the leftovers of some strange stew, "I might have to go vomit too actually after seeing this food ... if you can even call it that."

"Thanks, hon, but I'm fine now, I think... What in Merlins' name even is this?" Aubrey asked, a boy next to her shrugging in response resuming his conversation, "You know what? I'm almost glad I'm too sick to eat because this looks weird. Guess there really is a silver lining to everything."

Lexy tentatively cut off a piece of blood red pudding and held it aloft on her fork, eyeing it up quizzically, "I never thought I'd be jealous of a girl who was just sick non-stop for the past hour yet here we are. Well, this event is all about magical cooperation, might as well try some. I honestly have no clue what this is but if it's as gross as its name, maybe it's best I don't know."

Aubrey rested her head on her hand, glancing over to the Gryffindor table where Kenny and Angela were still absent. She reckoned this probably wasn't down to Kenny still being sick though, Angela's lecture was most likely holding the couple up.

"Oh no!" Aubrey looked up with a start just in time to see Lexy's face falling, "Look over there! Roger's talking  ... no, flirting with that Beauxbatons girl next to him! Oh God, I can't watch..."

Slowly glancing over her shoulder, Aubrey scanned around before her eyes came to rest on Roger Davies who was indeed stuttering his way through a conversation with a stunningly beautiful blonde. Unsure of what to say, Aubrey turned back, shrugging nonchalantly, "I mean... she's cute and all but ... but maybe they're just friends."

"Cute?" Lexy stabbed her fork into the blood pudding, "She's... ethereal! Exquisite! You know what she looks like? One of those seductive spirits from a book, who no mortal can compare to," Her fork slipped from her grasp, clattering onto the plate as Lexy stubbornly folding her arms, "Okay, that settles it, I am over him, I've got no chance against her now."

"Sure you do! She could be a conceited bitch, for all we know!" Aubrey replied half-heartedly, "I bet she's got zero personality too and Roger already has that. He'll probably want to date someone dramatic and larger than life as an overcorrection ... like you."

Lexy pursed her lips as she considered this before her head broke into a vague nod. Slowly, she picked up her fork from the plate, wiped it down with her napkin before resuming eating, "I suppose you're right. Fine, I guess I'm not over him again."

"Great," Aubrey replied, gently resting her head on the table. 

Even though she wasn't angry, she still felt like such a naive fool; what the hell had compelled her to think the pranksters might actually help them?! Moreover, the realisation that George had seen her puking her guts out into an old flower pot was just setting in; the urge to crawl up into a ball and hide was almost overwhelming now. Overall, George probably thought she was a gullible idiot although better this than a nobody, at least he wouldn't forget her now.

" - let me introduce, for those who don't know them already -" Aubrey became vaguely aware that the room had suddenly fallen silent, rid of idle chatter. The only voice now was Dumbledore so she lifted her head off the table out of respect, "Mr Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."