Broken and Fixed

3 - Hands

-Violet POV-

I skip lunch and hang out in the library to get started on that Merlin-cursed Charms essay. Halfway through, Lee comes in and spots me. He immediately comes over.

"Hey, Vi, are you not gonna eat?"

I set my quill down. "I need to get this essay done, Lee. Flitwick'll have my wand if I delay another day."

"Yeah, but Vi... You haven't eaten in a week."

"I've been eating at some meals, Lee," I snap. "Bugger off."

Lee looks slightly miffed. "Is this about your dad? Because he'd want you to eat."

I don't answer.

"Vi, c'mon. Eat a little bit. Please."

I turn away. "Leave me alone, Jordan."

-Fred POV-

During my free period, I lounge in a secret passage behind a wall in the Transfiguration classroom and practice changing an owl into opera glasses. In the span of ten minutes, I manage to conjure a feathery monocle, a spectacled owl, and too many peck and bite marks on my pale skin to count. How come Violet can do this so easily?

She was able to switch the owl to and back from opera glasses the quickest today, and even walked around the room with McGonagall, helping the struggling students. Once Vi spotted that I was among the ungifted, she stayed by me while Lee shot paper airplanes at a couple Slytherins near us from across the room. She helped me perfect the wand movement, clasping her hand over mine on my wand to show me how to wave it properly. When I made a joke about that she threw her head back and laughed harder than I've seen her do in awhile, since... Well, since the summer when her dad fell ill. But it melted my heart, seeing her light brown curls bounce in the afternoon light of the classroom.

She helped soothe my owl after he started getting fidgety from being Transfigured unsuccessfully so many times, and again she put her hand on mine to show me how. Her skin was so soft, like the silk pillow Malfoy probably rests his entitled bleached head on. My heart skipped a beat when she lingered a bit before getting up to chide Lee. I loved the feeling of her hand on mine. I loved the fact that she didn't put others down if they were struggling. I love Violet Turp-

I jolt out of my thoughts immediately. "What did I just say?" I whisper to myself.

My mind wanders back, and I realize I mean what I thought.

I love Violet Turpington.

"I love Violet Turpington," I whisper, a warm feeling flooding me as I accept the truth.

**Time skip brought to you by good ol' depression (and the fact that it's 1:28am and I'm a lazy bitch)**

At five after nine I leave the Prefects' Bathroom in a hurry (someone will be blamed for what is actually a strong Dungbomb) and stumble into the Potions classroom. George and Vi are already there, looking dismayed as Snape gives me the stink eye (no pun intended).

"Mister Weasley. I take it you never learned how to read a clock?" Snape seethes.

"I don't know what you're going on about, Professor. It looks like nine to me," I hold Snape's glare as out of the corner of my eye I see George nonverbally turning the clock back six minutes (even though Snape said no wands we both brought ours).

Snape snaps his attention to the rusty old grandfather clock in the corner of the dimly lit classroom. It clicks to nine as we watch. "See, Professor? Right on time."

Snape's venomous glare as he sends us to the Forbidden Forest is enough to kill a thousand Horcruxes.

-Violet POV-

As we set off towards the forest, an uneasy feeling ripples through my stomach. My tutoring session with Fred earlier today was rather unsettling, I think.

His hands underneath mine, my best friend and longtime crush. He was so gentle with the owl he was trying to Transfigure. He was the same way with those he cared about, especially his twin. I could think of no better person for George to have by his side as he learned to deal with his anxiety.

Fred had been there when Dad got sick. Even when I felt there was no reason to smile as Dad underwent treatment, Fred somehow made me laugh. He and George sent Dad a Hogwarts toilet seat that they'd engraved his name on. It lifted everyone's spirits as Dad did his chemotherapy. It's still hanging on the wall in the sitting room in London. Dad still looks at it whenever he's recovering from a particularly brutal treatment.

Fred didn't care about blood status, either. Just because he's pureblooded doesn't mean he's racist... (*cough* Smellfoy *cough*). He doesn't care that I'm half-blooded, or that Mum told me that a distant relative of mine had been a Dark witch, mingling with the likes of the Dark Lord himself, before she renounced her Dark Mark and mysteriously disappeared. Fred didn't care about any of that. He saw people for the good within them.

Suddenly I realize what I'm thinking. This isn't just some schoolgirl crushing-on-her-best-friend scenario anymore.

I'm actually in love with Fred Weasley.

-George POV-

The Forbidden Forest is dark. Snape's handed us off to Hagrid for our detention. I pull my hair in fear of what in bloody Merlin's name we're going to have to do.

"Wha' 'ave yeh three been doin' that made Professor Snape send yeh down 'ere of all places fer detention?" Hagrid greets us in front of a large rowan tree. Just like Percy's wand... I suddenly feel bile rising in my throat and force it back down. Now isn't the time, George. " 'Ey, George, e'erythin' alrigh'? Yeh've gon' pale."

I nod. "Yes, sir, Hagrid, everything's fine. Just something I ate at supper is all. Bit queasy, you know."

"Alrigh' then, if yeh say so, George. C'mon this way 'ere, yeh three. Aragog's needin' 'elp." As Hagrid turns and leads us deep into the woods, Fred gives me a long, hard stare. I wither internally but keep my face as straight as possible (*wink wonk*).

"Georgie... You didn't eat at supper. Why did you lie to Hagrid? You can tell me, you know that."

I shake my head. "Not now, Fred, Merlindammit we're going to the Acromantula lair. I hate spiders and you know it. Now come on, I don't want to lose Hagrid and Vi in these trees."

Fred gives me his trademark we'll-discuss-this-later glare and we follow behind the groundskeeper, who's chatting with Vi about Nifflers like they're old friends.

Turns out all we need to do at Aragog's is remove a fallen tree that's blocking the entrance to a tree hollow that a few of Aragog's brethren call home. Hagrid and I make quick work of removing the deceased tree's canopy, while Violet and Fred take their sweet time down by the roots. They appear to be talking more than anything, though the job is done before I can complain and we make our way out of the forest and back to school. I pretend not to notice when Vi stares at Fred with sparkling eyes as I trail behind them, however I can't help but squeal when my brother responds by slipping his hand in Vi's. They look back at me and smirk, and at that the three of us burst into giggles and hug on the castle grounds.

It's about time those two got together.

A/N Sorry about the crap chapter, it's a cheesyfiller... I have the entire outline of this story planned but because I'm so indecisive there's a chance I'll keep going back and adding things to previous chapters... But Violet and Fred finally got together! Yay!!!

I'm traveling soon, and also going through kind of a rough time right now, but I'm working on pt.4 for now. My aim is to try and publish at least one chapter a month, but we'll see how it goes. I promise I won't abandon this story, and if I take a break from it I'll be sure to post an update. Thanks for the continued support!