Discovery

29.

I didn't make it very far before the twins ran after me and picked me up, dragging me back to the corridor.

They sat me down against the wall, and I covered my bloody nose with my hands.

Fred knelt in front of me and tried to pry my hands away, but I pulled away from him.

"What happened?" George asked.

Fred grabbed at my hands again.

"Nothing." I muttered.

But Fred was a lot stronger than me, so he finally managed to get my hands away from my face.

"Oh..." he muttered.

"What happened?" George asked again, more firm this time.

"None of your business." I snapped.

Fred said nothing.

"Who did this to you?" George questioned.

"No one."

"Ella!" he said warningly.

"It's not your problem." I said. "I got myself into something, and I will take care of it."

"It is our problem!" he replied, clearly getting frustrated. "You're like a sister to us! We want to protect you!"

"I can fight my own battles. I can handle Malfoy, honestly—"

"Malfoy did this?!" Fred said, finally coming out of his trance-like state.

"Oh— well— look it doesn't matter!"

"Yes it does!" the twins said in unison.

Fred pulled a handkerchief out of his robes and handed it to me.

"Go to Madam Pomfrey," he said sharply. "We'll take care of this."

"Don't get into trouble!" I groaned.

Before I could say anything else, they were running in the other direction.

***

The first task of the Tournament was approaching rapidly. Harry spent almost all his free time in the library, and Hermione often accompanied him.

Which left me alone. Well, not totally alone.

Ever since the Malfoy incident, the twins were spending more time with me. It was strange, and somewhat awkward, but it beat sitting alone in the common room all the time.

On the Saturday before the first task, it was a Hogsmeade weekend. Hermione and Harry invited me, but before I could accept their invitation, the twins swooped in and pulled me away.

"What was that about?" I asked, feeling frustrated.

"You're coming to Hogsmeade with us!" Fred announced.

"No I am not!"

"Yes, you are! It's part of the deal!" George replied simply.

"What deal?"

"We snuck you into Hogsmeade last year, so now you have to do our bidding." Fred grinned.

"That's not happening." I said firmly.

But somehow, I found myself in Zonko's with Fred, George, and Lee less than twenty minutes later.

"Why are we here?" I asked, glancing at some Hiccup Sweets. "You two own every item Zonko sells."

"We're not just buying," Fred said.

"We're researching." George finished.

I raised my eyebrows. Research wasn't part of the twins' regular vocabulary.