[1] Lemons into Lemonade ✓ | FRED WEASLEY

Chapter Forty Three

Logic dictated that difficult emotions generally got better with time ... sadly, Fred had discovered an exception. Over the next few days, the meetings got progressively worse, the discomfort of Aubrey and George hanging over them like menacing storm clouds. A nasty chain reaction had developed every meeting: George withdrew from conversations with Aubrey so as not to hurt his brother, which would make her grow paranoid, leading to a very worried Fred and to top it all off, Lexy would often comment on it, making the whole thing a million times worse.

It seemed that when Aubrey and George were alone in the dorm together, they would simply avoid talking altogether, giving them time to think and dwell on the situation. Meanwhile, Lexy and Fred were carefully avoiding the topic, their time together in Hufflepuff having grown slightly quieter now that Lexy knew he wasn't her best friend. She still talked (it was Lexy after all) but the comfort she'd felt before had vanished. 

Still, it was becoming inevitable that communication was what it would take to solve the problem and allow them to actually focus on matters at hand so Fred decided to take a leap. The two were sitting on opposites sides of the table, working hard when Fred decided to suggest they try and solve this mess.

"Hey, Lexy."

"Yes, Aubrey," She replied without thinking before her eyes suddenly widened, "Oh, I'm so sorry ... would you I rather I call you ... your name?"

He glanced around to make sure nobody was listening, "For appearance's sake keep calling me Aubrey ... "

"Okay," Lexy nodded, waiting a few seconds before pressing her quill back on the paper.

"Lexy," She looked back up again, "Speaking of the real Aubrey ... I think we need to help her out."

Instantly, Lexy shook her head, "No, she won't like that, it's Aubrey. She can sort it out herself, this would just make her uncomfortable. Anyway, last time we directly intervened, she ended up vomited into a plant pot..."

"Yeah but in our defence ... we didn't know her then," Fred replied, guilt seeping in at the mention of this, "From the few months I've known Aubrey, when it came to George, it's always worked better if I helped her out. She sometimes gets a bit ... iffy about things like this, we can just give her a little push."

Lexy shook her head again, "I don't know, she might get over this on her own. When you guys gave her those pills, she'd forgiven you by supper."

With that, she smiled before returning to her work but Fred persisted, "Lexy, it's limiting the amount of work we've done. If George and Aubrey don't talk - our two long-term planners - then we'll never get anywhere," He lowered his voice, "And you'll never get Aubrey back into her body again."

Now, this, concerned Lexy, pausing her writing to ponder it, "I mean, all we've got so far is that Dumbledore is a judge so we can't kidnap him at the second task ... and she doesn't seem very happy. But I don't know, she'd be annoyed if we thought we were hurrying her along."

Fred considered this before saying, "Then we do it subtly, make them think it's on their own."

"How? If Aubrey wanted to talk, she probably would," Lexy sighed, "Crushes are delicate and this more than most."

"Well ... well, maybe she doesn't have to talk about the crush, we just have to get them to talk, full stop," Fred said, tilting back on his chair precariously as he thought, "Any ideas?"

"Me? Why would I have ideas?"

Fred shrugged, "I dunno, you figured out me and Aubrey were swapped, I assumed you were sort of a people's genius."

Lexy shook her head, "Oh my God, no, please don't spread that around, I don't need that good a reputation. You see, I just have plenty of free time and a wild imagination, I'm no genius..." She trailed off, her eyes widening, "Fre - AUBREY! Forget what I just said, all of it, I am the smartest person ALIVE!"