for the one i love ; fred weasley

chapter 02

CARINA'S POV

I enter the castle after leaving the Boathouse, a relieved sigh escaping my lips. Third year, here we go. "Nina!" I hear the voice that I missed most over the summer calling my name. The boy tackles me in a hug, wrapping his arms around me tightly, making me laugh at the action. George has grown a lot during the summer. That's the first thing I notice, the second is his strength.

Prying myself off of his grip proves harder than last summer. No matter how much I push, I'm getting nowhere near where I need to be: out of his arms, "George! Mate, you have to let go! You're crushing me!" I shriek, pushing him off of me finally, a victorious smirk on his face. "What did I tell you about hugging me in public? You're gonna get me in trouble," I whisper harshly, pulling on his hand until we were hidden behind a wall. "Draco's here now, he can't know we're friends, if he tells my dad then -" he's going to beat me into oblivion. I stop myself before confessing everything. "- he'll get mad, and I hate that," I say simply. 

"Where is he anyway?" George asks, sticking his big head out the side of the wall to take a look at all of the first years entering the Great Hall. "I don't see him," I chuckle, pulling him back in by the shirt.

"He's with his new friends," Crabbe and Goyle, both of whom my father approves. I don't like those kids but I guess I'm fine with them hanging out if it means they are keeping Draco safe. Safe from my father's anger, that is. "He was kind of excited to meet Harry Potter... I guess we'll see how that goes," rumour has it Potter would be a Gryffindor because of his parents, and if that were to be the case then Draco won't want to hang out with him. I know that much.

Sadly, Draco still listens to our father way too much. I believe it's because my father has never gotten physical with him, and why would he? He has me to unload on. A couple of weeks before we were set to come back to class he punched me so hard I couldn't open my eye for a week. I told mum and Draco that I'd done it to myself with the corner of a table and they believed me. Dobby didn't, but he didn't say anything either, he just took care of me as much as he could without my father knowing. My bruises and scars usually make people think I'm clumsy or dumb, but I'm okay with it, as long as Draco doesn't have any.

That's what big sisters are for, anyway. "He's ignoring you then?" George asks, a playful smirk on his face. Draco would never do that to me. He may not come across as a sweet kid to others, but I know the real him. With me, he is kind and loving, and thankfully, that hasn't changed over the years. He's now eleven, and he's still my overprotective little brother.

I fake laugh, "Funny, Weasley!" Then smack his forehead jokingly, shaking my head. George chuckles, "Of course not! He's just trying to look cool, and I'm fine with it! Where's your worse half?" I ask when I realise Fred still hadn't come barging in to take George away from me and my Slytherinness.

"With Lee," ah, Lee Jordan. He is by far the funniest kid in our year - not bad looking at all either. His dark skin, his dreadlocks, his brown eyes... I've always wanted to make conversation but he's not fond of me or my family, so we've never talked for more than two seconds. I don't know his blood status, but honestly, I don't really care. "I think we should be heading in now..." George mumbles, a sad look on his face. At first, he used to try to get me to hang out in public but he then understood I couldn't do that. "Let's meet up at our spot, after bed time?" I chuckle, nodding with a small smile. "Wicked!" He exclaims, walking off, not before turning around and waving. "I missed you, C!"

My heart instantly grows warmer at his words but I say nothing in return. Instead I fix up my robes and walk into the Great Hall minutes after George did. Perfect, nobody saw us. I spot Fred and Lee sitting together at the Gryffindor table, George plops down next to his twin, already cracking a joke. As Fred gazes over at me, a glare sets on his face, which I returned without hesitation. Pillock. I look away, smiling when Adrian and I make eye contact. The boy instantly rises from his seat and rushes to my side, embracing me to his chest. "Nina! Why didn't you sit with us on the way over?" He frowns, sitting back down and bringing me down with him.