Gred and Forge

He was right on time with three other Durmstrang students dressed in their thick blood red robes. They crossed the Great Hall excitedly as they chattered among themselves. I was nervous to meet these new people, I honestly had no clue what they were like and I only met Erik the other day. My nerves slightly suppressed some as I realized they brought a girl with them, but not by much.

“Hey Ella!” Erik yelled cheerfully walking faster to me with his posse behind following quickly. Politely I waved back, giving him a smile. I almost couldn’t believe I decided to do this alone, what was I thinking? I didn’t know any of these people at all.

Erik approached me, stepping to the side as his friends stood in front of me all smiling happily. The first to the left was as tall as Erik but more built and with short wavy hair sticking out from behind his ears. The next boy was shorter but still skinny with a very boyish face and light brown eye’s that danced with flecks of green. The girl was too my far right, she had her curly dirty blonde hair pulled into a pony tail showing off her heart shaped face and dark brown eyes that reminded me of Erik’s.

“These are my friends,” Erik extended a hand out to the three students in front of me.

They waved before the smaller boy slightly bowed and introduced himself, “I’m Markus Volinski.”

The others seemed to follow his lead and the wavy haired boy nodded, “Cyrus Franglisi,” He extended a large had towards me and I shook it gently.

Lastly I looked at the blonde girl, a waiting to hear her name. Before she could get a word out Erik gestured to her, “This is my younger sister, Mila Mikoviosk.” She smiled and murmured a quiet hello.

“I’m Emily Martens, but you guys can call me Ella if you want. Are you ready to get started?” I clapped my hands together in anticipation and they all agreed happily. With me in the lead, we all walked up the large staircase and out of the Great Hall officially starting the tour.

Two and a half hours later we walked back down from the Astrology Tower, concluding the tour of Hogwarts. My feet were killing me and I was beyond hungry as the lunch hour grew closer. By the time we walked back to the Great Hall we should be there in time for the start of lunch. Perfect.

“Okay, so that’s the whole castle!” I said cheerily, turning around and facing the equally tired Durmstrang students.

“Finally!” Markus exclaimed, plopping down on a wooden bench across the hall, “My legs are going to fall off if I have to valk anymore.”

I smiled as Erik rolled his eyes; Markus has been complaining for the past half hour and it was really starting to piss some of us off. “We just have to walk back to the Great Hall for lunch and that’s it. It’s too rainy out to show you the grounds.”

“I vas vondering vhen you vould mention lunch,” Cyrus replied happily, his expression lighting up.

“Vell let’s get going then!” Erik looked at me and smiled, “Show us the way Ella.”

Another hour past as I ate lunch with my dear friends at the Ravenclaw table, filling them in on my morning. Erik and his friends were some of the nicest people I’ve met. They were all funny and even though it was a tad awkward at first by the end of the tour we were all getting along like old friends. They had this chemistry between them all that reminded me of my friends. Cyrus was the quiet but funny one, Markus was clearly the perverted, over dramatic one, Erik was the loud and blunt one while his sister Mila kept them all sane.

I looked down at my watch as I drank the rest of my pumpkin juice, almost spitting it out as I noticed the time. Standing up I got out of my seat, almost tripping over my feet, I was going to be late.

“Hey, where are you going so suddenly?” Vanessa asked, pointing her fork at me accusingly.

“I have to meet Fred and Lee in the library and I’m going to be late!” Before they could get in another word, I hurried towards the exit, breaking into a run as soon as I made it into the foyer.

Out of breath I slowed into a walk once the library doors were in view giving me a chance to catch my breath before entering. I walked inside and the comforting silence greeted me. I surveyed the tables in the front wondering where Fred and Lee were sitting. Then I was reminded that I was meeting Fred and Lee and they wouldn’t be caught dead in the front of the library.

Winding my way around book shelves and chairs, I found my way in the back corner of the library where Fred and Lee were sitting on top of a table laughing at a book they had open.

“Well look who decided to show up” Lee stated, looking up from the book and closing it. Fred quickly glanced at me before looking away and getting off the table.

“Sorry, I spent longer than I intended at lunch,” I apologized, sitting down in one of overstuffed chairs, resting my feet on the armrest.

Fred just shrugged his shoulders, “Its okay I suppose, we all make mistakes sometimes.” I couldn’t help but notice the slight edge in his voice and it worried me.

“Yeah I know,” An awkward silence fell until I got out of the chair and looked at the two boys. “So who wants to go first?”

Lee’s face lit up as he got off the table, “Me!”

“What, no! I’m going first!” Fred retorted, pushing him out of the way.

I couldn’t help but laugh at their boyish ways. Getting up I grabbed Lee’s hand and sat him down in a chair. “Lee is going first because you were being mean to him Fred.”

“Oh please, you’ve got to be kidding me! I’m the one who thought of this,” Fred pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

I just gave him a devilish smirk and Lee laughed, “Better keep it down over there; we are in a library if you haven’t noticed.”

It only took a couple minutes before I finished Lee and moved on to Fred who has been waiting not so patiently. The whole time he had been complaining on when it was his turn.

“So Ella, have fun this morning? Erik’s friends everything you expected them to be?” He asked with an arrogant tone slightly present in his voice. I shrugged it off and continued massaging his shoulders.

“They were all very nice; he even has a sister here too. She was really shy.”

“Where all did you take them?” Lee asked curiously.

My hands moved to the base of his neck, “Just around the castle. I really wanted to show them the grounds too but it’s too crappy of a day out.”

“I reckon that’s not too bad though, your legs would have probably have fallen off if you walked the grounds as well.” Lee laughed and I just raised my eyebrows in agreement.

“You know, I think you guys should meet some of his friends, I think you would really get along with them.” Why not, you know? Erik’s friends are funny and like to joke around with each other and right in front of me is two of the three greatest pranksters at Hogwarts. It could work out.

I felt Fred tense from under me and he turned his head and looked at me. “You’ve got to be kidding right? The kid hates me.”

I was a bit taken back at his reaction; Erik didn’t seem to show any signs of disliking towards Fred. Actually it was more like Fred hated Erik. “He does not! What makes you think that?”

Fred rolled his eyes and turned back around, “Like you haven’t noticed. Oh wait, you probably haven’t since Erik and his friends are practically perfect in your eyes.”

With that comment being made I took my hands off of Fred’s back as Lee stood up, “I’m going to leave and let you two figure things out, thanks Ella.”

As Lee hurried away Fred stood up and faced me. "So, how was being alone with those Durmstrang boy's? Did you show them everything they wanted to see?" he asked hotly.
I was really starting to get fed up with his attitude. "Shut the hell up and stop being such a nosey git will you?"

He looked taken back by my response, "Stop being nosey? Sorry that I just wanted to know how my friends morning was, is that too personal for you?"

Rolling my eye's I crossed my arms over my chest. "Oh please, don't try and act innocent about the whole thing Fred. You are getting yourself worked up over nothing and it's really starting to get annoying."

"Well maybe it's because I care about you and didn't think you hanging around with a bunch of guys you didn't know with no one else around was a good idea. Who knows what they could have done to you!"

"Oh you are just pathetic!” I shouted, throwing my hands up.

"How am I pathetic!? Is caring considered being pathetic now because if it is I am just so sorry that nobody bothered to tell me!" He yelled back.

I felt the anger fire up in me even more as I looked at him, "I don't know what you're problem is but I think you need to get a reality check because last time I checked I can hang out with whoever I bloody well please!"

"Yeah, and has it ever occurred to you that hanging out with a group of boys you barely know makes you look like a slag? I think you are the one who needs the reality check darling."

I let out a groan of frustration and closed my eyes for a brief moment before I opened them again. "You know what Fred Weasley?! You need to stop being so protective of me, you are not my boyfriend!"

He fell silent and I took that as an opportunity to leave. Brushing by him I swore I heard him mutter "What if I want to be" but instead of staying around to see what else he had to yell at me about I continued walking out of the library.

Prior to entering the Ravenclaw common room I had planned to go straight to my dorm as the feeling of great grief had replaced the anger I had felt. Before I could even take three steps through the door Rue had already stopped me.

"Guess what! Guess what!" She squealed excitedly.

"What?" I replied sadly, not really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"Oliver asked me to study with him this week!" She clapped her hands in excitement as she jumped up and down, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. "Why are you not happy jumping with me?" She asked confused.

Letting out a deep breath I took a small step forward, "Fred's being a total arsehole and we just got in a fight."

Rue let out a small 'oh' as she walked next to me, "I'm sorry."

Shrugging I rolled my eyes, "I don't really want to talk about it, but I'm happy for you and Oliver. It sounds like good things are going to start happening for you two."

She smiled and nodded her head, “I hope so. We can talk tomorrow okay? I’ll let you take some time to think about things alone first. I know how much you like to do that.”

Before ascending up the staircase I looked at her and smiled, “Thanks Rue.”