welcome home ; open

[ALICIA SPINNET]

she could hardly believe this was happening.

she knew that something was different the moment she stepped into the great hall on that very first night and saw a woman clad in pink sitting at the high table with dumbledore and the others, but alicia had no idea what they were really in for. and as soon as that vile woman had dared to open her mouth and interrupt dumbledore in the midst of his welcoming speech, that had really been the final indicator. even the aging headmaster himself had been rather taken aback by the fact that he had been interrupted by her, but he had quickly masked any signs of concern by sitting himself back down in his chair and offering her a small smile, as if he was not at all threatened by her presence there. but alicia knew better, they all knew better. umbridge spoke of how hogwarts was making steps forward, but that she was there as a member of the ministry of magic to make sure that the young witches and wizards were being taught a cirriculm that had been approved by the ministry. and if that didn't outright say that she was there to mettle with things, alicia didn't know what did.

it would be a lie to say she wasn't concerned, especially after she had spent her very first defense against the dark arts lesson writing notes from a book, as if she was expected to learn the entire contents of the book before anything else. and that was another problem. based on what umbridge had told them that day, at the very start of their lesson, there would be no practical application of the magic they were reading about anyway. it was her final year at hogwarts, the year in which she was supposed to dread the amount of homework that she would be getting as she prepared to write her newts, and yet here she was copying things from a book like an elementary school girl. something wasn't right, most definitely. and well, after hearing about harry's first lesson....she was sure that things weren't going to get better anytime soon either.

but there was something that she still had, something that would bring her the greatest of joys aside from her transfiguration and charms classes...even as much as the singing that she did in secret. shifting her broomstick from where it lay on her shoulder, alicia looked around her, inhaling the morning air deeply into her lungs. there was nobody else around here, for most of the students were still asleep at this point, and the sun itself was still trying to wake as it poked it's head out from between the trees of the forbidden forest. but this was the time of morning that she liked the most, when she could come out here to the quidditch pitch and fly around, lost in thought. there was nothing to distract her, nothing to chatter endlessly in her ear or tell her that what harry had to say was a terrible lie. just....nothing. and she'd missed the game of quidditch terribly over the summer since there was no one around her that knew how to play the game.

as a small smile lit on her face, alicia mounted her broomstick and pushed off hard from the ground, feeling the familiar sensation of her body rushing up to meet the air as it left the ground far behind. oh yes, she'd missed flying so much. but with muggles living all around you, how do you explain that you're a witch riding around on a broomstick without the fear of pitchforks and torches? well, it just wasn't done, and so she savoured every free moment she could dedicate to her flying. a slight twist of her body and alicia was twirling through the air, flying at a steady pace, her arms slowly releasing the broomstick to be held out away from her body, as if she was embracing the cool chill of the morning air as it hit her face. yes, she was most definitely home.

tagged; anyone
music; part of that world - the little mermaid
comments; it's kinda meh, so i apologize

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[FRED WEASLEY]

Something strange was going on at Hogwart's, and it definitely wasn't going to benefit the students. Fred had caught on the second he heard that there was to be no magic performed during classes. How was he to learn to improve his own magic without practicing it? There were still many techniques, many spells to learn that couldn't be captured in a book. The new DADA professor was from the Ministry, which was enough of a sign alone not to like her. She was going to interfere. What he found most bothersome was that Dumbledore was allowing her to do so. He didn't like it, but he accepted it for the time being, so long as Dumbledore did. Besides, Fred knew better than anyone that he would be using magic during his last year at Hogwart's. He didn't care what Umbridge wanted. She was a tyrant in pink and he wasn't going to accommodate her wishes. Little did he know, however, that plan of action would soon lead to his dismissal from the Quidditch team.

He had been wandering the grounds, which was common for him in the beginning of a new term, though rare for him to be doing so by himself. George had been a tad under the weather lately and didn't want Fred tending to him despite Fred's effort to be by his brother's side. It was a weird feeling; walking around and having privacy, not being watched by anyone. He wasn't sure that he liked it much, mostly the part about not being able to talk with someone given the circumstances at school. It was obvious that he would have been poking fun at Umbridge with George at that moment. That's why he was happy to look up and notice a friend flying not too far from where he stood. Squinting to identify the flier, he released a small smile.

It was Alicia Spinnet. It felt incredible to see a friend for the first time after spending a summer in the burrow. He had missed her greatly, as he had missed many others as well. He had been particularly interested in Alicia, having gained interest in her very recently. He wasn't going to scrap the friendship that they had developed, but lately his focus had been moving on past a mere friendship. He also fancied Angelina, so he didn't want to push too far as hurting either of them for the other was not something he wanted to do. For now, though, he only had to worry about one of the two good friends.

Accio broom, he whispered before tucking the beloved piece of wood between his legs. In no time, he was lifted from the ground and headed for Alicia. He waited to be right behind her before speaking. Just couldn't have waited until practice, eh Spinnet? He chuckled and raised his broomstick higher as if to challenge her with more height. He grinned again; an inevitable reaction to the newly returned feeling of being in the air. Feels wicked, doesn't it? He had waited all summer to be where he sat at that time.

ooc: i thought your post was great! mine is much shorter, aha.

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[ALICIA SPINNET]

there was something surreal in the idea of being able to leap onto a broomstick and take off the way they did, something that made alicia just grin from ear to ear with happiness. there was nothing that could really replace the feeling of being so free and able to do what she desired, without walls or cages or anything of the sort to keep her earth bound. and really, this was the only way she could manage to escape from umbridge's reach without doing anything stupid. she'd heard all about harry's first lesson when he had returned to the gryffindor common room about a half hour previous, and she was sure that she wasn't going to like anything this woman did any better then harry and the others did. but what good would it do her to get into trouble and land in detention? angelina would skin her alive if she missed tryouts...

but alicia was so lost in thought at that moment that she didn't realize someone else had joined her in the open air of the quidditch pitch. only when she heard her surname used did she turn around, her face quickly spreading into a radiant smile. oh, how she adored the sound of his voice. fred never failed to make her laugh or smile, which she blamed solely on the fact that the two of them had been friends for nearly seven years. no, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that alicia harboured a secret crush on him, an unrequited love that would never come to blossom. after all, when angelina had agreed to go to the yule ball with him last year, she had been told that she was only going so she wouldn't go alone, but....in the end, she was fairly certain that angelina fancied him as well. and what kind of friend would she be if she said anything?

a lousy friend who was sure to end up with a broken heart...

a laugh sounded from her lips. "don't even start on me, weasley," she said, pulling her broom up to meet the height he challenged with his own. "if i had to stay in that castle another minute with that woman around, i was going to go batty." and it was true. by this point, fred would probably sympathize with her quite well, seeing as how they shared their classes. and by now, there was no doubt in her mind that he had heard about harry's plight as well, which meant that the wicked gears were already bound to be turning in his head. and if george wasn't around, that meant one of two things. either george was too sick to be around him, or he was working up a masterplan of his own. that seemed to be the way things worked with the twin. george was more of the planner, and fred was much more vocal, often the one who carried out the plans.

"i spent all summer wanting to come back," she confessed, hoping her cheeks wouldn't flush, giving him something else to tease her about. "it was rather lonely at home."

tagged - fred weasley!
music - stutter (avps)
comments - aw, they're so cute!

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[FRED WEASLEY]

He was laughing and with Alicia. This was what he looked forward to every summer. The friendships he had made through his six years at the greatest school in Europe were ones he would never let go of. There was something about being there that made him feel excitement. Not to mention that it was easy to be excited around Alicia. With a raised eyebrow, Fred replied to her in surreal shock. Me? Start anything? I haven't got a clue what you mean, he threw back with a taunting smile. He raised his broom further and began to pick up speed, enjoying the sensation that he had gone so long without. A few moments later, his tone was more serious..well..as close to serious as Fred ever got.

She spoke of Miss Dolores Umbridge, a madwoman from the Ministry who had come to supposedly improve the school. Everyone knew that things were going to be bad, but nobody said anything. After all, Dumbledore wanted the students to respect the witch, and the students wanted to respect Dumbledore. I know, he shrugged. Suppose Dumbledore knows what he's doing.. he suggested hesitantly. For the moment, he would keep quiet. For a small while, that'd do nothing but give him a chance to pay attention to what changes were made in the school. When she started to lose control, he would jump in. The woman's mad. It's not going to be fun with her around. George and I are going to whip something up straight away..just for her.. he said, smirking all the while.

It actually made him at ease to know that Alicia agreed with him, not that she was the only one, but it'd be easier to take the woman down with more against her. For whatever reason, McGonagall and the other professors just watched while she seemed to stick her nose where it didn't belong. It wasn't a pleasant thought, seeing so much happen to the beloved school, but they'd worry about that later. Right now, they were having fun and alone. They didn't have to fret over that stuff.

Picking up on the rosy color that began to fill Alicia's cheeks, Fred flew closer to her and gave her a light and friendly shove on her shoulder. I hear you, but we're here now, aren't we? He couldn't miss any signs she showed of being in thought. He noticed nearly everything about her, they had simply known each other for too long for him to overlook those parts of her character. We're almost done here.. he said, thinking aloud. His eyes slowly moved up to hers. Whaddaya think of that? Holding a conversation wasn't something Fred was very good at or comfortable with. He was good at finishing a thought, rather than coming up with his own. Being without his other half always left him with an awkward pit in his stomach whenever there was a slightest moment of silence.

ooc:aha i know<3 i'm so excited to be threading with you.

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[ALICIA SPINNET]

it would be a lie to say she hadn't missed the crazy antics of the weasley twins over the summer months that they had been seperated. those three months were ones of isolation for alicia, where she was not permitted to perform any kind of magic that might scare the neighbors despite the fact that she was legally old enough by wizarding standards to do so. her parents were always afraid that something would happen and that their daughter would be dragged away for some kind of experimentation by those who believed more in science over magic, and she supposed it was possible. it had taken quite a while for her parents to accept the fact that she was a witch...

alicia laughed. i think you know exactly what i mean, fred weasley," she smiled, winking at him as she leaned forward to race him with their familiar breakneck speeds. there was no caution when the gryffindor team hit the pitch, always flying as fast as their enchanted brooms would allow before they dared consider backing off. many times before they had all run into something, whether it was another player or a bludger that had been hit their way by the opposing team. it was something they subjected themselves to purely on their own accord, for the combined thrill of flying and bringing the quidditch cup to their house. but the laughter died in her eyes when the topic of umbridge proved to be a common feeling between them, causing the girl to nod. "we just have to trust dumbledore for now. i don't know that he'd let that horrible woman in here if he had a choice..."

the idea of pranking the woman was appealing, that she had to admit to herself. but alicia had no real gift for such arts like fred and george did, the mastermind and the one who carried out the deed between their two minds. she had to envy them on that front, for she'd have loved to have gotten the woman after hearing that she had sent harry from his first class. but then...her comments on half-breeds and muggleborns....well, needless to say those remarks had knawed at her nerves. and to know that she had looked right at alicia when she'd been making them...well, it hadn't exactly been her favourite defence against the dark arts lesson in the entire world. given the choice, she'd much rather have had professor lupin back. he might have been a werewolf, but at least she had learned something in his classes.

so lost in her thoughts was alicia that she jumped a little when fred nudged her shoulder, a gesture that did nothing to erase the blushing in her cheeks. "yeah, i suppose we are," she said softly. "i was trying not to think about it. i don't really know what to do with my life....i mean, i have decent grades for almost anything...but i want to do something real, you know?" the idea of graduating from hogwarts was a thought that both facinated and terrified the girl at the same time. it meant being able to go out into the world as someone who knew how to take care of herself, performing a kind of job that she would enjoy for years to come....but it also meant that the chances of seeing angelina and the boys would become rather slim. and that was perhaps the scariest thought of all, for alicia could not imagine her life without her best friends.

tagged; fred weasley
music; not alone - darren criss
comments; sorry this took me so long!

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[FRED WEASLEY]

Let me repeat myself with... I haven't got a clue what you mean, he smirked, matching her speed for the moment, wanting to talk more than wanting to try to stay ahead of her. With her, he felt like he could just pick up with her where they left off. They could go years without seeing one another, which would be unpleasant but possible, and then meet up and continue a casual conversation. He nodded in agreement as she mentioned Dumbledore and the reasoning behind his actions. She may have been his last hope.. He's never wronged us before.. his intentions have got to be important. I just wish they didn't involve her.. he said, thoughtfully. Fred could be a better DADA professor if he wanted to. There had to be a good reason for the position to be filled by such an indescribably horrid woman.

She wasn't very calm, Alicia, and he could tell. She was so thoughtful, so dense. There had to be a lot going on in her head and as much as he could easily see that, he wasn't the best at predicting what exactly it was that was bothering her. He figured it was a mixture of many different factors. He couldn't fix all of the problems, but he could ease her up a bit. It's gonna work out, you know that.. we're going to rid of anything that doesn't belong here. So far, Umbridge doesn't exactly fit in here. Nobody interferes with our seventh year. He didn't know what could be done, but he was certain that he wasn't the only one who wanted to do something about it. He had faith that others would rebel too. All they needed was a little organization, to rebel together. Everything would fall into place. He wasn't too concerned about it.

He chuckled when she jumped lightly. Teasing her was always fun because of how calmly she took it. She could take a joke and wasn't one of those boring up-tights. Don't fall off your broom. I'm a bit rusty with a wand, he said with obvious sarcasm. As if he hadn't used magic all summer, as if a simple Ascendio wouldn't be enough to stop her from falling. He understood her nervousness over what they were supposed to do with themselves. Fred and George already had their plan, but they did have to do some thinking to come up with it, so he knew where she was coming from when the thought of leaving Hogwart's was unpleasant. I suppose you've got a year to sort that out.. I could help you. George and I.. we'll figure out what your calling is, he said, a slight grin on his face. Alicia was smart. She'd find something to do with herself.

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