My Funny Valentine
Quidditch
The sun sliced through the room like a knife, painting the morning glow on my face. I had already been awake for about an hour or so and I was waiting for morning to completely break. I get up quietly, as to not disturb anybody, and make my way to the kitchen. I tip-toe my way down the hallway and down the stairs successfully undetected. I get to the kitchen and start to make a cup of coffee when I hear the wood floors creak behind me. I turn my head around, expecting to see Mrs. Weasley, but see Fred rubbing the sleep out of his eyes instead.
"What are you doing up?" We ask in unison. We both laugh and I continue to make coffee as Fred takes a seat at the table.
"You know I always wake up early."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot you wake up at an ungodly hour." He says with a yawn.
"Oh, ha ha. Then why are you up, Mr.?"
"I heard you walking down the hallway."
"Damn. I guess I'm not that much of a light stepper."
"It's not all your fault. This house is as old as Merlin himself, I'm sure we could hear a feather fall in this house."
"Good point. Want some coffee?"
"Sure. Seven sugars, please."
"Good lord, Fred! Do you just want me to give you diabetes?"
"Diabetes?" Of course, it's a muggle disease. You'd think I'd be used to being around wizard folk, and after all this time I'm still a little rusty.
"Oh, sorry, Fred. It's a muggle disease. I'm surprised you don't know about it, considering your father's obsessed with us. Anyway, it's a disease you get, sometimes it hereditary, when you eat too much sugar." I say whilst making him his diabetic coffee.
"Oh...then make it three sugars."
"That's better." I grin. I make my coffee, with only one sugar, then make his and sit across from him while handing him his cup. We sit in silence and sip our coffee until Fred finally brakes the silence.
"We're really glad you're here, Nat."
"I'm really glad I'm here, too. I've missed you guys so much. When I was at...'home', I felt like I was away from my real family. I felt like I was on a horrible vacation." He reaches over and grabs my hand and grins sympathetically. I look at Fred and he looks as if he's just realized something important.
"Blimey, Nat. This is going to be our seventh year!" I open my mouth and sit dumbfounded. I had totally forgotten. How could I forget that this is going to be my last year at Hogwarts?! I was suddenly filled with the feeling of doubt and paranoia. Will I still be friends with Fred and George? What will happen? Where will I go? "Don't worry, Nat. You'll still see me and George. We're going to open up a joke shop and you can work with us. And until you find a place of your own, you can stay with us." I smile in knowing that my best friend and I were so in-sync that he knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Fred, you know just what to say to make me feel better."
"Sure do." He says in a cocky tone while leaning back in his chair. I chuckle a little and get up to put my cup in the sink as Fred follows suit. "Hey, do you wanna go play some Quidditch?" My face lit up instantly. My mother would never let me play Quidditch at home because 'I made too much noise'.
"Of course! Just let me go get dressed!" We hurriedly, but quietly, ran up the stairs and into our rooms. I took off my pajamas and changed into an outfit I didn't mind getting dirty. I put my dark hair up into a perfect ponytail and quietly made my way out of my room. I close the door behind me and turn around to see Fred already dressed and waiting. I put my hand over my mouth to muffle a scream that came out to be a whimper.
"Scared you, Roberts?" He whispers with a smile. I shoot him a look that was playful but also a warning to not do that again.
"You're gonna get it, Weasley." I grin mischievously. We make our way down the stairs while pushing each other into the walls and stair railing, still not disturbing the house. Although, I did have to be wary of my laughter because it's like a mixture of a hyena and a seal. We get outside and walk to the garage where the brooms were.
"Watch out for the gnome holes, the filthy buggers." Fred says with a grimace.We get in the garage and Fred gets his broom.
"Which one can I use?"
"Hm...you probably want to use George's." He hands me George's broom and we get back out into the morning sun.
"What ball are we using?"
"Well, the majority of them make a lot of noise, so we're using this little one." He holds up a child's play ball with little green dinosaurs on it. I laugh as he hands me a club (I'm not normally a beater, but it's my second favourite opposite chaser) and I mount George's broom (AN: Oh, holy shit that sounds so bad.) and start to fly in circles. I get higher and higher and the cool crisp of the morning air makes me feel invincible. I stop and look and try to spot Fred.
"Oi! Fred! Where'd you go?" I wait for a reply and hear nothing. Where'd that fool go? I put my hand to cover the sun form my eyes and look around. I turn my head and hear a whush! come from behind me and an all too familiar laugh. "Fred! You almost made me fall off my broom!"
"Ah, but almost. So, no need to get all flustered." He smiles his infectious smile.
"Right, well. Shall we get on with the game then?"
"Alright. But I hope you know I'm going to TOTALLY kick your arse today." He grins
"Oh, ho-ho-ho. Wanna bet?" I grin back.
"Yeah, yeah I do." He says as his smile grows bigger and bigger by the moment.
"Okay. If you win I'll do your laundry for a week."
"Aw, come on, Nat." He whines.
"What?"
"We're not 13 anymore. The bets should be spicier than 'doing laundry'."
"Okay, then. I brought some muggle alcohol with me, and if you win, I'll share with you."
"...Deal."
"BUT...what do I get if I win?"
"Hm...I'll do whatever you want me to do for a year." My mind was quickly filled with all the embarrassing situations that I could put him in and I could see Fred quickly regret his bet.
"Deal." We shook hands and started the game.
The game was tied 17 to 17 and it was a pretty intense game. I had fallen off my broom twice, but thankfully both times I was relatively close to the ground. I had many bruises and grass stains to prove my part in the game, while Fred had maybe one or two little grass stains on the back of his shirt. We played for about 30 minutes until Mrs. Weasley called for us from the back door.
"Fred! Natalie! Breakfast is ready! Come in and wash up!"
"Just a second, mum! I'm about to win this!"
"Oh, really?" I yell and before Fred could say anything else, the ball whizzed past him and into the goal. Fred sat on his broom dumbfounded with his hands in his hair. "You were saying?" I grin as I glide up next to him.
"I lost to a girl." He says mindlessly.
"Yup. And you better get used to it, too" I smile smugly. "Now come on, we have to go wash up." We fly to ground level and hop off the brooms. I groan and grab my sore bottom with Fred laughing. "What's so funny, Weaslebee?"
"Your pain. I've been playing all summer and my bottom's fine." He says with a hint of arrogance and patting his butt.
"Oh, man. You've been playing all summer and I STILL beat you?! My poor, poor, dear Weasley boy." I pat him on his very tall head and he playfully shoves my hand away. "Awwwww, sombody's sad I beat them."
"I'll get you, Roberts. Just you wait." He smirks.
"Well, I can't wait forever, Freddie boy." I tease. Fred shoves me into the garage wall and puts the brooms and ball away in their proper place. "I wonder what your mum made for breakfast."
"Who knows. But whatever it is, it's gonna be good."
"What are you doing up?" We ask in unison. We both laugh and I continue to make coffee as Fred takes a seat at the table.
"You know I always wake up early."
"Oh, yeah. I forgot you wake up at an ungodly hour." He says with a yawn.
"Oh, ha ha. Then why are you up, Mr.?"
"I heard you walking down the hallway."
"Damn. I guess I'm not that much of a light stepper."
"It's not all your fault. This house is as old as Merlin himself, I'm sure we could hear a feather fall in this house."
"Good point. Want some coffee?"
"Sure. Seven sugars, please."
"Good lord, Fred! Do you just want me to give you diabetes?"
"Diabetes?" Of course, it's a muggle disease. You'd think I'd be used to being around wizard folk, and after all this time I'm still a little rusty.
"Oh, sorry, Fred. It's a muggle disease. I'm surprised you don't know about it, considering your father's obsessed with us. Anyway, it's a disease you get, sometimes it hereditary, when you eat too much sugar." I say whilst making him his diabetic coffee.
"Oh...then make it three sugars."
"That's better." I grin. I make my coffee, with only one sugar, then make his and sit across from him while handing him his cup. We sit in silence and sip our coffee until Fred finally brakes the silence.
"We're really glad you're here, Nat."
"I'm really glad I'm here, too. I've missed you guys so much. When I was at...'home', I felt like I was away from my real family. I felt like I was on a horrible vacation." He reaches over and grabs my hand and grins sympathetically. I look at Fred and he looks as if he's just realized something important.
"Blimey, Nat. This is going to be our seventh year!" I open my mouth and sit dumbfounded. I had totally forgotten. How could I forget that this is going to be my last year at Hogwarts?! I was suddenly filled with the feeling of doubt and paranoia. Will I still be friends with Fred and George? What will happen? Where will I go? "Don't worry, Nat. You'll still see me and George. We're going to open up a joke shop and you can work with us. And until you find a place of your own, you can stay with us." I smile in knowing that my best friend and I were so in-sync that he knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Fred, you know just what to say to make me feel better."
"Sure do." He says in a cocky tone while leaning back in his chair. I chuckle a little and get up to put my cup in the sink as Fred follows suit. "Hey, do you wanna go play some Quidditch?" My face lit up instantly. My mother would never let me play Quidditch at home because 'I made too much noise'.
"Of course! Just let me go get dressed!" We hurriedly, but quietly, ran up the stairs and into our rooms. I took off my pajamas and changed into an outfit I didn't mind getting dirty. I put my dark hair up into a perfect ponytail and quietly made my way out of my room. I close the door behind me and turn around to see Fred already dressed and waiting. I put my hand over my mouth to muffle a scream that came out to be a whimper.
"Scared you, Roberts?" He whispers with a smile. I shoot him a look that was playful but also a warning to not do that again.
"You're gonna get it, Weasley." I grin mischievously. We make our way down the stairs while pushing each other into the walls and stair railing, still not disturbing the house. Although, I did have to be wary of my laughter because it's like a mixture of a hyena and a seal. We get outside and walk to the garage where the brooms were.
"Watch out for the gnome holes, the filthy buggers." Fred says with a grimace.We get in the garage and Fred gets his broom.
"Which one can I use?"
"Hm...you probably want to use George's." He hands me George's broom and we get back out into the morning sun.
"What ball are we using?"
"Well, the majority of them make a lot of noise, so we're using this little one." He holds up a child's play ball with little green dinosaurs on it. I laugh as he hands me a club (I'm not normally a beater, but it's my second favourite opposite chaser) and I mount George's broom (AN: Oh, holy shit that sounds so bad.) and start to fly in circles. I get higher and higher and the cool crisp of the morning air makes me feel invincible. I stop and look and try to spot Fred.
"Oi! Fred! Where'd you go?" I wait for a reply and hear nothing. Where'd that fool go? I put my hand to cover the sun form my eyes and look around. I turn my head and hear a whush! come from behind me and an all too familiar laugh. "Fred! You almost made me fall off my broom!"
"Ah, but almost. So, no need to get all flustered." He smiles his infectious smile.
"Right, well. Shall we get on with the game then?"
"Alright. But I hope you know I'm going to TOTALLY kick your arse today." He grins
"Oh, ho-ho-ho. Wanna bet?" I grin back.
"Yeah, yeah I do." He says as his smile grows bigger and bigger by the moment.
"Okay. If you win I'll do your laundry for a week."
"Aw, come on, Nat." He whines.
"What?"
"We're not 13 anymore. The bets should be spicier than 'doing laundry'."
"Okay, then. I brought some muggle alcohol with me, and if you win, I'll share with you."
"...Deal."
"BUT...what do I get if I win?"
"Hm...I'll do whatever you want me to do for a year." My mind was quickly filled with all the embarrassing situations that I could put him in and I could see Fred quickly regret his bet.
"Deal." We shook hands and started the game.
The game was tied 17 to 17 and it was a pretty intense game. I had fallen off my broom twice, but thankfully both times I was relatively close to the ground. I had many bruises and grass stains to prove my part in the game, while Fred had maybe one or two little grass stains on the back of his shirt. We played for about 30 minutes until Mrs. Weasley called for us from the back door.
"Fred! Natalie! Breakfast is ready! Come in and wash up!"
"Just a second, mum! I'm about to win this!"
"Oh, really?" I yell and before Fred could say anything else, the ball whizzed past him and into the goal. Fred sat on his broom dumbfounded with his hands in his hair. "You were saying?" I grin as I glide up next to him.
"I lost to a girl." He says mindlessly.
"Yup. And you better get used to it, too" I smile smugly. "Now come on, we have to go wash up." We fly to ground level and hop off the brooms. I groan and grab my sore bottom with Fred laughing. "What's so funny, Weaslebee?"
"Your pain. I've been playing all summer and my bottom's fine." He says with a hint of arrogance and patting his butt.
"Oh, man. You've been playing all summer and I STILL beat you?! My poor, poor, dear Weasley boy." I pat him on his very tall head and he playfully shoves my hand away. "Awwwww, sombody's sad I beat them."
"I'll get you, Roberts. Just you wait." He smirks.
"Well, I can't wait forever, Freddie boy." I tease. Fred shoves me into the garage wall and puts the brooms and ball away in their proper place. "I wonder what your mum made for breakfast."
"Who knows. But whatever it is, it's gonna be good."