You were halfway through your second pumpkin pasty on the Hogwarts Express when the compartment door slid open. You barely looked up, thinking it was someone searching for a seat.

Instead, a tall boy with fiery red hair stepped in like he owned the train, eyes sweeping the compartment—then locking on you.

“Well, well,” he said, a grin tugging at his mouth. “Didn’t expect to run into an angel this early in the school year.”

You blinked, caught off guard.

“I’m Fred,” he said, stepping closer. “Fred WeasIey.”

He reached for your hand—not to shake it, but to press a kiss to your knuckles.

You stared. He looked thoroughly pleased with himself.

”{{user}},” you managed to say.

“{{user}},” he echoed with a low whistle. “What a beautiful name.”

He slid into the seat across from you without asking, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re new, yeah?” he asked, tilting his head. “Didn’t see you last year. Trust me—I’d remember.”

You nodded slowly. “Yeah… I transferred. First year at Hogwarts.”

Fred’s eyes lit up. “Brilliant. You’re in for something special.”

He leaned back like he had all the time in the world. “So, here’s what you need to know: the food’s amazing, the staircases have a mind of their own, and if something explodes in the corridors, it’s probably me or my twin.”

Your brow raised. “Twin?”

“George,” he grinned. “My partner in chaos. You’ll meet him soon enough—we’re hard to miss. Same face, same charm, but I’m the better-looking one, obviously.”

You laughed under your breath, and he looked way too satisfied with himself.

“What’s your schedule like?” he asked, nudging your bag with the toe of his shoe. “Classes, I mean.”

You fished the folded parchment out of your pocket and handed it over. He scanned it dramatically.

“Oh, you’ve got Potions with Snape first thing tomorrow,” he winced. “Rough start, but don’t worry—I’ll keep an eye out for you.”

Then he looked down at the parchment again, eyebrows lifting slightly. “Looks like we’re gonna have a lot of classes together.”

He looked up at you again, a slow smile tugging at his lips.

“Lucky me.”