Out Of Time (Fred Weasley)

Chapter Thirty

Trigger Warning: Mention of Suicide, Depression and Eating Disorders Ahead

Umbridge's reign of terror only got worse, but Iris hadn't seemed to notice. She seemed to be in some sort of daze. Iris was doing remarkably well in class and her teachers kept on congratulating her. Things around her seemed to explode and Iris managed to narrowly miss the danger.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" A voice next to Iris said dreamily when she was sitting by the Black Lake one day causing Iris to nearly jump. Iris turned to see Luna Lovegood sitting there reading a copy of her father's magazine called the Quibbler upside down.

"I'm sorry if I startled you." Luna apologized, taking her eyes off the magazine.

"It's alright." Iris said watching the autumn leaves fly in the light breeze.

"I always loved the fall."

"And why is that?" Iris inquiried.

"Fall is so beautiful because as the tree shed their leaves it seems as though the leaves are dying, but in actuality they create a magnificent work of art through the changes of their colors into the most stunning of hues which is quite magical." Iris gapped at Luna dumbfounded.

"Er.... ok." She said doubtfully.

"I've seen you around with the Weasley twins. You three were inseparable, what happened?" Luna asked. Iris bit the inside of her cheek not knowing what to say.

"I kind of did something to protect them and they're mad at me for it." She replied quietly feeling the tears stinging her eyes.

"That sounds terribly lonesome." Luna said then added before leaving.

"They'll come around."

"I hope so, before it's too late." Iris thought, picking up a rock and skipping it across the black lake. She wiped her teary eyes,stood up and headed towards the Great Hall, but once she saw Fred with Alicia she turned around and left. Food no longer interested her and she was barely showing up for meals anymore, but no one seemed to notice.

Charlie tried to cheer her up with every letter he sent her, but the happiness was short lived.

Lonely and broken. That's how she felt. Days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months. Autumn turned into Winter. She had heard about Mr. Weasley's attack, but she didn't bother going to St Mungos with her brothers and the Weasleys to visit. When Christmas rolled around Sirius, Remus, Molly and Charlie all tried to get her to leave Hogwarts, but she refused.

Iris hadn't cracked a joke or pranked anyone in months that even McGonagall began to grow worried. She tried to talk to Iris during Christmas break, but Iris just drifted back into her daze. Iris barely challenged Umbridge anymore.

It had reached mid January when Iris suddenly had enough. She looked down at the notes in her hands. One was addressed to Harry, Remmy, Marlene, Theo and her parents.  The other to Fred. Iris felt the tears slip down the sides of her cheeks as she placed them in envelopes and put them on her nightstand beside her bed.

She took one last look around her dorm room before she headed down the stairs from Gryffindor tower. Iris walked across campus to the astronomy tower. She slowly climbed up the steps and made it to the top. Iris reached for the rail and climbed up onto the ledge. The cold January air blew against her face, blowing her hair in every direction. As she was about to let go someone grabbed onto her arm.

"Iris, what the bloody hell are you doing?" She turned to see Fred gripping her arm with a terrified expression on his face. Tears stung her eyes.