𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 || 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘

➳ SIX

VI. TUTOR MEETING

When Wednesday morning, Ruth was nervous.

She knew this day was coming, and she hadn't felt nervous for the past few days, but as she walked out of the Great Hall after lunch, Ruth dreaded meeting her new tutor.

She was ok with new people. Shyness had never really been an issue for her. But the thought of waiting in the library to meet someone she didn't know, scared her.

"Good luck," Casper said as they paused before parting. "Don't give your tutor too hard of a time."

"Depends who it is," Ruth replied. "Enjoy History of Magic."

Ruth made her way towards the library, her bag feeling unnaturally light, making her feel as if she'd forgotten something. A quick check before entering the library assured her that she hadn't.

She did a quick lap around the library, trying not to look like a creep as she studied each person, seeing if they were in her Herbology class.

When she couldn't find anyone that could possibly be her tutor, Ruth sat down at a random table. She waited for a good 10 minutes, the idea of being forgotten slowly sinking in.

"Sorry I'm late," Fred Weasley appeared and slid into the seat next to Ruth, who looked very confused.

"You're my tutor?"

"Ouch," Fred commented. "And here I thought you enjoyed my company."

"I d- I just wasn't expecting you to show up," Ruth stuttered. "I didn't think you were good at school."

"These complements keep getting better and better, please continue," Fred drawled one. "You're right, I'm not the best at school, I've much better things to be doing. But I just be better than you if I'm the tutor here."

Ruth sighed. "Fine. You win."

Fred smirked triumphantly. "I just have two bits of advice for you- learn content from the book word-for-word, and use your bloody common sense."

Ruth raised an eyebrow. "That's all I need to do?"

"Yep," Fred popped the 'p' as he leaned back in his chair. "Worked for me."

"If that's all I need to know, why are we having tutor meetings? You could've just told me that in Herbology class," Ruth said.

Fred leaned back into the table with folded arms. "I might have blown up some mandrakes at the start of the year, and Sprout said I could do some tutoring to get out of detention," Fred explained. "This gives me extra marks for the N.E.W.Ts as well."

"Right," Ruth said. "So you get out of detention and get extra credit, while I still fail my Herbology exam?"

Fred clicked his tongue. "Not if you take my advice, and besides, I doubt you want to study during your time off class."

Ruth rolled her eyes as Fred closed her Herbology book, sending her a cheeky wink. "So we just meet her for an hour every Wednesday, report back to Sprout that everything's going well."

"And what do we do for that hour every week?" Ruth asked.

"Hang out," Fred said.

"Hang out?"

"Talk. Communicate. Chit chat. What people do," Fred explained dramatically.

"Well we have 34 minutes left," Ruth said, checking Fred's wrist for the time. "What do you want to communicate about?"

Fred hummed as he wracked his brain for an answer, as if Ruth had just asked him the hardest question in the world.

"What's your favourite colour?" Fred asked, after a minute of thinking.

Ruth raised her eyebrows. "That's the best you can come up with?"

Fred rolled his eyes. "Just answer the question."

Ruth smiled. "Orange."

Fred cocked an eyebrow, a smirk growing on his face. "I do hope you're not coming onto me, Ash," he said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Don't flatter yourself," Ruth said. "I mean the sunset orange. Not the carrot orange."

"You should be a professional compliment-giver," Fred said sarcastically. "You're so good at it."

"I'll consider it," Ruth said, giggling as Fred hid his face in his arms.

"Another question," Fred said, shooting into a straight seated position. "Why don't you hang around with Poppy and Katrina?"

Ruth didn't expect that question. "How'd you go from a favourite colour question to that?"

Fred looked away. "I guess there's bad blood then."

"There isn't," Ruth assured him, not sure if she believed herself or not. There's been many times where Ruth believed her sisters hated her, as she was never involved in their lives. "We just- don't fall into the same crowd."

"Right," Fred said. "We'd probably be friends if you did hang out with them."

"Yeah-" Ruth trailed off. That kinda hurt.

"Well Rue, it seems our time is up," Fred announced, checking his watch. "I shall see you this time next week."

"For a more productive lesson, I hope," Ruth said. When Fred sent her a knowing grin, she shook her head in amusement. "Bye then."

Fred left and Ruth stuffed her Herbology book, unused, back into her bag.

This situation was good for her social life, not for her future Herbology result.