Ethereal ✭Fred Weasley✭

41.

Dumbledore decided to hold a form of a funeral for Cedric Diggory. His body had been taken by his parents but that didn't stop the Headmaster from hanging dark tapestries in the Great Hall and saying a few words to honour the Hogwarts champion. Sophia made sure she was out of the hospital wing for this and attended the speech, making sure to stand beside Harry in a form of comfort for him. It shocked everyone when Dumbledore shamelessly admitted that Cedric was murdered by Lord Voldemort and Sophia could tell that this was going to cause controversy. But for the sake of his memory, it would be wrong to keep his unfortunate cause of death a secret from those who knew him best.

Sophia packed up her trunk in her dormitory and made her way down to the Entrance Hall where everyone was saying their final goodbyes for the year. She winced slightly when she made it to the bottom of the stairs, feeling the strain in her sides that hadn't been a problem before. Considering she was thrown into a deep chest while she was unconscious, she was surprised she hadn't broken any bones from the impact. But she did have one big bruise on the side of her torso from when she hit the ground of the chest, as well as the scrapes on her cheek and hands.

"You'll come to The Burrow this summer right?" George questioned her as she stopped to stand in between him and Fred.

"If my dad lets me," she sighed. "But I somehow don't think he'll be letting me go too far these holidays."

The twin boys exchanged a look over the top of the small girl's head, knowing full well how her Father first reacted to her state after Crouch's capture. George analysed the look Fred had on his face and decided to wander off to bid Angelina goodbye. Fred took the moment of alone time to turn his frame fully to face Sophia to which she noticed and turned to do the same with a curious look.

"You feelin' better then?" he started off, gazing over the white patch that covered the graze on her cheek.

"Yeah, just a few aches and pains. Pomfrey's potion works like a charm," she nodded with a smile. Fred mirrored her expression before looking deeply into her eyes. He didn't want to scare her as she didn't know the full details of her capture by Barty Crouch Jr. ,but he was extremely worried about her. He hadn't heard what Remus had said to Mr and Mrs Weasley and he wished they had maybe discussed it with him as it was obviously to do with Sophia. Fred felt a sudden urge to snatch her up right now and hide her away from anyone that was now interested in her. The act of Death Eater saying that the most feared man in recent times was interested in his girlfriend was a wake up call.

"Stay safe," Fred said plainly, but his eyes said otherwise. "Please."

Sophia didn't know why he was saying this but nodded wordlessly, pursing her lips together at Fred's intense look. He reached out and pulled her into his chest, her being the right height to lean his chin on top of her head. Sophia happily wrapped her arms around his middle and didn't want to think about why he was suddenly so worried. She knew she was in for a sort of whirlwind when she got home to her dad and she just wanted to leave that for when it happens. Seeing Fred over the summer was something she wanted badly but knew the chances were slim, resulting in her enjoying his company while she can.

Arriving back home with her dad was like walking into detention. Although she didn't have to write lines, what Remus had in mind was much worse in her opinion. He sat her down at their rustic dining room table and looked seriously at her through his tired looking eyes. Their house wasn't any different. It still reminded Sophia of the Shrieking Shack with its dirty curtains and dusty-covered furniture. Remus hadn't obviously spent much of his time cleaning while she was away at school.

"You're... you're not going to like me very much this summer I'm afraid," Remus started with what looked like a sympathetic smile. "Just know that it's for your safety."