Finding Yourself : Fred Weasley

6

     "Cedric he said people have died," I protest. On the way out of the Great Hall, he has been talking about how excited he is to enter the Triwizard Tournament. "I agree. You should leave it alone," Reno agrees with me. 
     "Yea but they aren't going to let anyone die now. That's why there's the age limit. Maybe you both should enter too. It would be a good thing for Hufflepuff," he suggests while smiling. "I won't be old enough. I don't turn 17 until December."   "I don't have any interest in participating in a sports organized event that takes away from our education," Reno protests. 
     His father is a theoretical physicist so he is big into education and getting a really good career. So it has kind of rubbed off on him and his grades are always his first priority. 
     Suddenly some of Cedric's other friends come over and start talking to him about the tournament. I back out of their way with Reno to give them space and soon he disappears from my sight and I can't seem to find him.
      I stand against the corridor wall as I wait for him. I watch the sea of students walking through to get to their own common rooms."What are we doing?" Reno asks. "Waiting on Cedric," I answer. Reno rolls his eyes. 
      "Who are you looking for?" Fred says as himself, George, Ron, Harry, and Hermione stop around me. I turn a light red. "Cedric," I say simply. "I think he left already," Hermione says while glancing around. I keep scanning the sea of faces for his. 
     "Are you joining the tournament, West?" Ron asks. I shake my head. "No. I'm not old enough. I don't turn 17 until December." "We don't turn 17 until April," George starts. "But we're going to figure out a way to enter," Fred finishes. "What about you Reynolds?" Ron asks Reno. He lightly scoffs. "Definitely not." 
      Draco Malfoy stops walking a few feet away from us with his friends. Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Blaise Zabini, Rayne Versace, and Pansy Parkinson. Draco is a tall Slytherin boy with snow-white hair and beautifully clear pale skin.
      "I thought I smelt something bad. It must be the mudblood stench," he says while scrunching up his face like he is smelling something bad.
      "Shove off Malfoy," Ron says annoyed. He looks at me for a second. "Two of them, no wonder the stench is so strong." I roll my eyes. "Although you wouldn't know if you are or not would you, West. I know though, you stink of a mudblood. That could just be the Muggle stench though," Malfoy says, growing more amused. I turn a light shade of pink.
      "What are you on about Malfoy?" Harry asks irritated. "You don't know? Wow, it looks like everyone keeps secrets from you lot. She doesn't know who her family is because her parents threw her away to some adoptive Muggle family," Malfoy says, his amusement growing.
     My face turns from a light pink to a deep crimson. How does he know I'm adopted?... Reno and Cedric are the only ones I've told... Well, apart from a few professors.
     "That isn't any of your business to be spreading around!" Reno says angerly. He knows how secretive I am about that. 
      "How do you know that?" I ask him, wishing everyone around would just disappear and forget about all this. "My father told me-" "Well you and your father can go shove off and mind your own business," Hermione says quickly. "No one asked for your opinion Mudblood! So shut your disgusting mouth or I'll shut it for you!" Versace shoots back. 
      "No one talked to you either- hey!" I am cut off when Fred and George suddenly both have their arms over my shoulders and start walking in the direction of the kitchen. 
       "What are you guys doing?!" I ask them while trying to get free from their hold. "Getting you away from that prick," Fred answers. "No, I want to know what else his father told him!" I say while trying to go back.
      "It doesn't matter," George starts. "He's just a prick and is trying to irritate you," Fred continues. "It does matter," I say finally getting free from them. I walk in front of them and stop to look at them.
      They both look at me. "My parents won't tell me anything about my real parents. For all, I know their dead. But I want to know who they are, and-" I stop talking, what am I doing? They don't need to know about this, I hardly know them. "Nevermind. You guys won't understand," I say while taking a couple steps backwards. 
     I glance over at Reno, Ron, Hermione and Harry who are all standing a couple of feet back from Fred and George, they were making their way over. Cedric is walking over with a couple of other Hufflepuff's, all of them talking with a smile. "I'll see you lot later," I say while walking away next to Cedric, who flashes me a kind smile. Reno quickly follows. 

     I sit on the floor in front of the couch and write a letter to my mom. Reno sits on the floor in front of the couch. Cedric sits next to me. 
      "You just have to ignore Malfoy, he doesn't know what he's talking about. He is just trying to cause trouble," Cedric says after me telling him about what Malfoy said.
        "It's not about him bothering me. It's that he knows I'm adopted, his father told him. What else does his father know? What if he knows who my real family is? It's also about the fact that he knows, half the school knows now because his big mouth can't keep shut," I say while not looking away from the paper as I write.
       "Even if he does know, you just said it, Charlie, he would spread it around the school and everyone would know. He and his family are bad people, you don't want to be mixed up in that crowd. And you especially don't want to owe them favours."  "You didn't hear how he was talking about her Ced. You would be steaming mad. Potter and the little Weasley had to drag me away from him," Reno says while shaking his head. 
      I think about what Cedric said and sigh. He's right. I don't want to be mixed up with them. And if I get any kind of information from them I will owe them. I can't imagine what they would want in return.
      "Yea I guess you're right," I say while folding up the letter. I'll finish it tomorrow. "I'm going to head off to bed," I say while standing. The two boys stand too. "I think I will too." I start to walk towards the girls' dormitory. "Night Ced, night Reno, see you tomorrow." I walk out before they can reply.   
     I walk over to where my trunk sits at the edge of my bed and change into my pyjamas quickly then take out my contacts before I quietly before lay down to try and clear my mind to sleep.