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“Remind me again why I’m letting you lead the way? And why we didn’t just apparate?”
Alicia looked at her best friend, brow quirked. She knew that he was distracted given everything that had been happening with his family so when he had shown up at her home in Liverpool two days after Christmas, she had just gone along with the declaration that they were going to grab her scarf and jacket because they were going to London. That had been that morning, it was now dark out by a few hours and Alicia was pretty sure Fred had gotten them completely lost.
“Don’t you trust me, Bug?”
Well, he at least seemed amused at..whatever was going on in that mind of his.
“I know you too well to ever fully trust you in the lead of something. I swear if you are planning some prank on me, you’re carrying me back to the station.”
The threat was half joking, but depending on how much more walking Fred inflicted on her, Alicia very well might hold him to it.
“I would never do such a thing as get you lost for the fun of it!”
“No, of course not. That’s why you don’t let the person who grew up two hours by train from Muggle London lead the way or show her the map.”
It was official. This was all a ploy. Fred was purposefully trying to get Alicia lost, she could tell by the way he just grinned at her comment. Though it was better than the ranting that had been going on earlier about Percy and how he hadn’t even asked his father how he was despite Mr. Weasley just getting out of St. Mungos. Chances were Fred was just trying to distract himself and escape the family drama for a few hours and well, he knew Alicia was keen to avoid her own family when possible.
“Oh ye of little faith! OH COME ALL YE FAITHFUL!”
“Fred Weasley, stop scaring the alleycats!”
And just like that, Fred switched into terrible carolling and Alicia jumped at him to cover his mouth. No need to cause eardrums to bleed. Beyond some odd looks, the pair went unnoticed and it was back to the seemingly pointless wandering of Alicia and Fred, turning down streets and Alicia feeling like she was losing the ability to know left from right.
“Okay. Maybe we’re lost.”
“You don’t say.”
Sending a look to Fred, Alicia rubbed her arms as it was dark out, it was cold and there was snow.
“Wait, this way!”
And then her hand was grabbed and Fred was dragging Alicia down another seeming dead end alley only to come across a little canal with houseboats, lights twinkling like stars. Feeling Fred rub her arms to warm her up, Alicia shook her head, dark curls brushing her face as she leaned back.
“A nice view doesn’t get you out of giving me a piggyback ride to the station if we’re going back by train.”
The response she got was a laugh and the Chaser just leaned back against her best friend. Might as well enjoy the view now that they were there.