A Little Bit of Love and Laughter

"Em!" Roger cried, walking over to me after breakfast. "There you are! I've been looking all over-"

"What do you want?" I demanded. Violet was standing defensively to my left, and I could practically feel the twins glaring at him from across the Great Hall.

"I just thought I should explain about Fleur and me."

"There's nothing to explain. You cheated. It's over." I went to turn away, but he grabbed my wrist tightly.

He barked, "Don't you walk away from me!"

Fred and George sprinted over from the Gryffindor table, and Violet, hoping to prevent a violent breakout, had run off for help.

"Let her go," Fred growled, clenching his right hand in a fist over the wand in his pocket. George looked about ready to hold him back.

Roger's eyes darted back to me and he spat, "Got this idiot fighting your battles for you, eh, Em? Dunno if that's brave for a Gryffindor or just plain stupid."

"Shove off, Davies," George snarled, now stepping in to help Fred.

"Stay outta this, will you? It's between me and Emily."

I had remained rather quiet throughout, mainly to give myself the opportunity to come up with a plan, however poorly thought out it may be. I had decided that when Roger next looked away, I would whip out my wand with my left hand and cast the Jelly-Fingers curse at his hand, thus causing him to lose his tight grip on my wrist.

He was still in a glaring war against the twins, so I put my plan into action. I whisked my wand from my back pocket and as I began the incantation, I was cut off by Roger's counter.

"Expeliarmus!" My wand went flying, and I was left defenseless.

It was time for my Plan B, which was even more poorly thought out than was Plan A. I lifted my wrist up to my mouth and clenched my teeth against the skin of his hand. His immediate reaction had been to raise his other hand and slap me across the face, knocking me into the wall with sheer force and leaving the mark of his fingers on my cheek.

Fred quickly combated, his fist meeting Roger's nose with nearly twice the force of Roger's slap. It was as if none of the combatants remembered that they could fight with magic. Thoughtlessly watching the fight erupt, I slid down against the wall and pulled my knees to my chest, trying to choke back burning tears. Between Fred, who was clearly driven by sheer anger, and Roger, who was much more powerful in terms of brute strength, it was an evenly-matched fight.

The sound of cracking knuckles and breaking bones only ceased when Professors McGonagall and Flitwick entered the Hall, with Violet following closely behind, and pulled the boys off of each other. Plenty of damage had been done, judging by the blood covering their white shirts, and it was then that I realized my wrist was completely numb. Part of it had been from Roger's unbreakable grip, and the other part had been a result of it slamming into the wall. McGonagall and Flitwick walked the students of their respective houses to the Hospital Wing as Violet helped me up and walked with me behind.