Friendless » Fred Weasley

lxv. you can't keep blaming yourself

"You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened, Freddie." George looked at his brother, his face etched with concern. Fred hadn't been himself since Tori was attacked. He acted like pranking was a chore, he hardly smiled, he even paid attention in class. Yes, George knew there was something wrong too.

"It's my fault. I got into an argument with Tori. I said that terrible thing to her. I insisted on spying on her date. She stormed off to the library because of me. I don't see how that's hard to understand."

The last couple of months had been rough on everyone. Especially Tori's friends. There was a constant fear, glancing over shoulders. Some students even broke down crying while writing letters home, begging their parents to withdrawal them before they were attacked. Fred and George tried their best to keep the spirits high, but it was hard when they didn't want to laugh either. The lost of Tori was especially hard on them, since the three had practically done everything together for four years.

George sighed, taking a seat on Fred's bed. "I'm so stupid," Fred whispered. He was having one of his rougher days, where we nearly locked himself in the dormitory. George didn't blame him, it was exactly three months ago of that date that Tori, Hermione, and Penelope had been found outside the library frozen in time.

"And all because I was jealous." Cedric Diggory had checked up on the twins, making sure they're alright a few times since the attack. He knew how close Tori was to the twins and told them that's what she would have wanted. Fred honestly felt even more guilty for disliking the boy since he was nice to them.

George patted his twin on the arm. "Come on, mate. I know you like her but..." Fred shook his head, "It doesn't matter, Alright? She clearly doesn't feel the same way. And I don't care right now. Our...  best friend is lying in a hospital bed unable to hear or even know what's going on, and it's my fault."

George pursed his lips together into a thin line. Sometimes he hated how stubborn his brother was. He patted him on the shoulder and headed down to the common room, shaking his head at Lee. "He's not up for anything today."

Lee sighed, understanding. "Do you think I could talk to him? Crack up a few jokes?" George shook his head once more. "It's a bad day."

Angelina peered over the couch, not seeing the other Weasley twin with Lee. She sighed, getting up quickly and pushing through the two boys. "Merlin's beard, Angie..." Lee muttered, glaring after her. Angelina stormed up the boy's dormitory staircase, walking into their room to see Fred stare blankly at the ceiling.

"Get up." She told him, hitting him in the head with a pillow from Lee's bed. "C'mon. Get up. Seriously, Fred. You're acting like she's dead."

"Leave me alone, Angelina. You're not supposed to be in here."

"That's a stupid excuse. No. Get up." She grabbed his arm, yanking him upwards. "Come on, you know Tori would be kicking your arse if you were acting like this."

Fred sighed, running his fingers through his hair. Angelina took a seat in front of him. "You know I'm right. You can't just sit there and be all mopey."

"What do you want me to do, Angelina?"

"Visit Tori, read a book, get outside, and spend some time with your friends. We're all worried about you."

"I just feel so guilty." He whispered, leaning against the frame. Angelina nodded, "We all do, I've been up countless times thinking I should have stopped her from going, but you have to move on. She's going to be fine. The mandrakes are nearly finished. This has been hard on everyone, Fred. But we're all here to help you."

Fred slowly closed and opened his eyes, nodding. "Thanks, Angelina."

✧ ✦ ✧

"I don't see the point about talking to her. She's petrified for Godric's sake." Madam Pomfrey muttered, taking Fred's signed slip to be in the hospital wing.

"Don't be long now, the mandrakes are going to be moved in so we can start working." She told him, going over to check Penelope Clearwater's vitals.

Fred nodded weakly, going over to Tori's bed. She hadn't changed in the slightest since she had first been petrified. To Fred's surprise, Tori's little sister, Dove was sitting at her bedside.

The Slytherin girl glanced up at him, before back down at her sister. Fred sat opposite of her on the other side. He could see she kept glancing up at him as they sat there in silence.

"Are you Fred or George?" She asked quietly. Fred glanced up at her, surprised she was even talking to him. "Fred." He stated. Dove closed her eyes, nodding.

"You're the one in those pictures. In her room." She whispered. "The one on the brooms," Fred nodded, remembering the picture both him and George had given her their first Christmas together.

There was a silence when Dove spoke up again. "She looked happy." Fred looked up confused. "Yeah... I guess she was."

"You all make her seem to happy. I don't think she's ever been like that before." She reached for her sister's hand, holding it like a lost child. Fred nodded as the two sat in silence. Dove got up minutes later, whispering goodbye to her sister before glancing at Fred once more. She walked out of the room, leaving the boy alone.

"Hi, Tori," Fred said. He began talking to her in a hushed voice, not wanting to bother Madam Pomfrey. He filled her in on just small things, like how Professor Binns was practically going ballistic over the Chamber Of Secrets questions he was getting on the daily. Or how he and George found it difficult to get away with certain pranks, especially with the new teacher always have to be with you rule.

He talked to her until Madam Pomfrey kicked him out for dinner, but Fred felt a little bit better. He made his way to the Great Hall with a large group of cautious students and Professor Flitwick.

Everyone went to dinner, not suspecting the news Hogwarts would be closing. The Weasley wasn't expecting the news that their little sister, Ginny, was taken down into the chamber. And absolutely no one thought that Harry and Ron would save the school once again.

this chapter is kind of dramatic for some reason, but i honestly feel like this is this how people would act.

like harry and ron were like "oof our bestie is petrified, that sucks lol, let's go find some overgrown spiders."

and nah, that's ain't it