𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 10

CHAPTER TEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH SHE VISITS HOGSMEADE

. . .

"Why on Earth are you still sat at the breakfast table." George Weasley asked, sitting down on the empty bench across from Elodie. Fred sat down next to him, and the French champion stared at them.

"Why, is there a training session you set up without telling me?" Elodie drink a sip of her coffee, offering either of the twins a piece of bacon from her plate, obviously not wanting them.

Fred took one, but George didn't, and so Elodie pushed the plate away. "No." Fred said, pausing as he ate his bite of food. Elodie breathed a sigh of relief before he could continue.

True to their word, the twins had been coaching Elodie on most evening for a while. It had lead up to the Saturday before the day of the first task, and it was fair to say that Elodie was looking forward to not having to constantly worry about it. 

Madame Maxime had told Elodie that she would be finding out more about the task that night - and whilst Elodie knew that she wasn't exactly doing so in a rule-permitting way, she was glad that her headmistress was doing so. Knowing what she would be going up against would put her at ease the tiniest bit more. 

"It's Hogsmeade day." Fred continued, and Elodie just stared at him. "Hogsmeade - you the know the village just down the road from here?" 

"Oh." Elodie nodded, remembering the small cluster of buildings she had seen from the window on one of the top floors of the school. "But why is it Hogsmeade day?" She asked.

The twins shook their heads, gently tugging the coffee cup out of Elodie's hand and pulling her to her feet. "We go down to the village and have fun." George explained.

"Now chop chop, go get your coat and we'll go." Fred smiled, and Elodie mirrored his expression, nodding and running off to the carriage. The twins waited there for a few minutes, and Elodie appeared about ten minutes later.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my hat and scarf." She apologised, and the twins glanced at each other, before Fred promptly tugged off his own scarf and George pulled of his hat. 

Elodie stood still as Fred wrapped the scarf around her neck and George tugged his hat down over her ears. "There." Fred smiled, and Elodie looked confused.

"But won't you be cold?" She asked, and instantly the two boys shook their heads, insisting that Elodie wore their hat and scarf. 

"Come on, we have Lee waiting for us at the Three Broomsticks - the inn." George explained, and Elodie nodded, letting the twins drag her through to the courtyard, and past Filch. 

The walk to Hogsmeade wasn't long - but it was long enough for Elodie's cheeks and nose to glow pink from the cold, and ask if the two twins were still fine with her borrowing their hat and scarf. 

Of course, they continuously told her it was fine, and it was no different as the twins pulled Elodie into a corner booth, where Lee Jordan was already waiting. "Hey." He greeted them, giving Elodie a smile, which she gladly returned.

"Reckon you're prepared?" Lee asked, Elodie hesitated. "I hope you are - I don't know if I've ever seen those two go to the library so much." 

"We got banned in third year - and Pince didn't even catch us once." George said. Elodie smirked slightly and the boy blushed. "We shouted one too many times, not one of our proudest moments."

"Got dragged out by the ear." Fred chimed in, having returned from the bar, four pitchers of butterbeer in his hands. "And Angelina Johnson was watching - we both fancied her."

"He still does." Lee jerked a thumb in George's direction, the boy taking a sip of his butterbeer to hide his cheeks, which seemed to be growing more red as each second past. And considering the temperature within the Three Broomsticks, Elodie could easily determine that it was not from the cold weather outdoors. 

"But back to my question." Lee said, taking control of the conversation once more. "Do you think you're ready for the first task?" He repeated, and Elodie fell silent.

She took a sip of her butterbeer, and using her thumb, carefully wiped the corner of her mouth, her fingertip brushing her bottom lip as she thought about it. Beside her, Fred choked on his sip of the sweet drink. 

"I think I am. Far more prepared than if I hadn't been practising for hours a day." Elodie smiled at the twins, the smile turning to a look of concern as he gaze landed on Fred, who had continued to choke on his butterbeer - but silently. 

It took a few slaps on the back from his twin to stop him from choking, and by the time he was alright, Lee had steered the topic away from the first task to Quidditch, and Elodie seemed a lot more comfortab;e with the change in topic.

"Do you play?" Fred asked, and Elodie nodded enthusiastically, a smile on her face. "What position?"

"Well I used to player as a beater, but then after a nasty incident with a bludger when I was fourteen, I've been playing chaser." Elodie shrugged, a smile on her face.

"What happened?" George asked, trying to subtly elbow his twin in the side - Fred, hadn't not taken the news lightly. In the sense that he was staring at Elodie like he had never seen her before. 

"I'm not sure I remember... I was chasing it and then it turned on me and before I could turn around it had hit me in the stomach and I was off my broom. Thankfully I only broke a few ribs and cracked my head open." Elodie mused, a smile on her face.

Fred still looked stupid, so Lee and George attempted to keep Elodie's attention away from their friend. And whilst Lee was talking to Elodie about her quidditch career, George elbowed him brother in the side, not so gently this time.

"Shut your gob, you gormless git." He hissed. "You were staring at her like she was made out of solid gold." 

"Maybe she is." Fred sighed, and George rolled his eyes, not holding back this time and straight up pushing his brother out of the booth, Fred falling to the ground with a bang. "Or maybe she isn't." He grumbled. 

But it didn't stop the smile from leaving his face, or dimming the slight glow that Elodie seemed to emit.

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