Before you (Fred Weasley)

CHAPTER 3

"Have you got everything?" Narcissa asked me as I grasped my trunk from the handle, The Hogwarts Express pulling up to the station.

"Yes" I replied, not taking my eyes off the approaching train. It wheeled closer and closer before coming to a complete stop. The young wizards and witches bade their parents goodbye before climbing onto the train.

"Write to us, maybe ask Draco to write too, he never does" Narcissa whispered to me pushing me gently towards the train.

I gave her a smile before following Draco on to the train. As we boarded, he turned towards me and narrowed his eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Um, following you to find a place to sit?"

"Yeah right, like I'll ever let you sit with the Slytherins. Go find someplace else Malvolio" He spat, before turning around and strutting to a different compartment, leaving me standing baffled with my luggage in hand.

Not knowing what to do, I turned in the opposite direction coming face to face with another student. His cheeks were flushed red and he wore a yellow scarf on his black blazer. He looked me in the eyes without saying anything. There were a few moments of awkward silence between the both of us before he broke it.

"Hi, I-I'm Cedric Diggory"

"I'm Alice Malvolio" I smiled.

"I haven't seen you here before, are you new?"

"Yea, I just transferred from Beauxbatons"

He nodded.

"D-do you want to come sit -"

"Hey Clumsy! Is that you?" A familiar voice called out from behind me and I turned to face Fred. I was sandwiched between both of the tall boys, my shoulders beginning to ache with the weight of the luggage.

"Hi Fred, or is it George?" I smirked.

He gasped dramatically, holding a hand to his heart.

"After all the time we spent together, you don't know who I am?"

"Oh of course I know you're..Fred" I made a wild guess.

"That earns you a point, want to come sit with me?"

"I'd like that Fred but could I maybe sit with people in my year to get to know them better?"

"I'll lead you to where Ron, Harry and Hermione are then, even though I'm much more fun to sit with" He said, motioning me to follow him.

I bade goodbye to Cedric and followed Fred. He pulled open a door to a compartment where Ron, Hermione and another boy who I recognised as the boy I saw in the top box at the match were sitting.

"Clumsy, meet Harry Potter, Harry Potter meet clumsy"

My eyes widened as I remembered who he was.

"Harry Potter?"

"Just Harry, nice to meet you, clumsy was it?" He smiled, I realised that he didn't want me to go on about how he was the chosen one.

"No, I'm Alice, ignore Fred" I smiled at him.

"Hey! After all the time we spent together-" Fred started again.

"Oh alright alright" I stopped him before he broke into a dramatic speech, earning a smirk from him.

"I'm going to Lee and George, see you at Hogwarts. And clumsy, you better be sorted into Gryffindor" He winked at me before leaving. Did he just wink at me?