Moon Child [Fred Weasley]

3

The library was perhaps one of Teddy's favorite spots in the whole of Hogwarts. He enjoyed his time here immensely because it was situated away from the larger tables in the room and held bookcases encompassing it on two of four sides.

Some of Teddy's closer acquaintances had left about an hour ago. He wasn't particularly close with any of them— the only commonality between them being how they were both in the same Arithmacy class and that they all found Malfoy more childish than intimidating.

The sound of two sets of footsteps disrupted Teddy's blissful silence in his little section of the library and Teddy sighed, already knowing what was coming.

"Lupin." George Weasley greeted, a coy smile on his face.

"Weasley."

When Teddy looked up from that evening's choice of book, Teddy saw both the twins standing at the edge of the dark wood of the table.

"We got you something." Fred said as George handed Teddy a small cloth parcel tied at the top with some string.

Teddy frowned, lips pursed as he unbound the cord and tipped the contents of the bag into his palm.

"We figured now that you're going to be working with Freddie here, that we should offer you a peace offering." George said.

"Go on. I know how you like your sweets." Fred prompted. His smile broadened and he spoke like he was about to let Teddy in on a big secret. "They're cherry flavored."

Teddy considered the candies in his hands. He'd run out of his favorites-- lemon sherberts just two days ago and had been missing the familiar taste.

He shook his head.

"You almost had me convinced." He said, extending the truth a little farther than what it was. In reality, he knew he never would have eaten them let alone accepted anything from a Weasley.

"Oh, come on, mate." George said, letting his hands fall to his sides.

"It's not a prank." Fred chimed in.

"Then what's this?" Teddy asked, throwing the candies into the air above him. Not even a second later, they all erupted into little explosions, the sound of six or seven acute whiplike cracks echoing through the air.

"How in the name of Merlin did you ever figure that one out?" Fred said, truly dejected now. He pulled off his robe and cast it down on the back of the only other unoccupied chair at the table.

He sighed and slumped unceremoniously into the seat, undoing the first two buttons of his white collar and rolling up the sleeves to his elbows. His tie was already half askew and his long hair which had grown significantly over the summer draped over his ears at uneven rates. Somehow, he still managed to look put together.

"They were full of faults. Too round, too clear. They're rigged to explode when subjected to aggressive movement right? Chewing or... throwing." Teddy said. "You'd be better off hiding them in people's pockets and watching chaos unfold from a distance instead of trying to orchestrate it with those too-wide smiles and those too-prompting hands. Don't even think about it Weasley--"

Teddy broke off, lifting a brow as he caught Fred subtly trying to slip another exploding candy into his pocket.

Fred leaned back and raised his hands in surrender. "I was just taking your advice."

"And bloody good advice at that too, Lupin." George piped in, trading a look with his brother. "Blimey, where'd you learn all that from?"

Teddy went back to his book and flipped the page. He spoke, tone disinterested, without looking up. "What makes you think I can't figure all this out on my own?"