If I'm Lucky {Fred Weasley}

Reaching the Boiling Point

You know I'm always gonna love you from a distance,

Even if you're with some other guy,

But when you walk down the path of least resistance

You never gave me any chance to say goodbye

Fred's P.O.V.

It was late, and the only two people still up were Hermione and me. She was busy studying for her O.W.L.S., and I reread the Daily Prophet while waiting for Charlotte to return to the common room. Just as much rage burned inside me as it did the first time I read it. Huffing, I tossed it onto the coffee table, sat back against the couch, and watched as the embers burned in the fireplace, not even realizing that I was clenching my jaw.

"I'm going to bed now," Hermione informed, closing her book, "Maybe you should try to do the same."

"Charlotte isn't back yet. She wasn't at dinner either. It's not like her to not tell us where she's going."

She shrugged, "Cedric wasn't at dinner either. Maybe she's with him?"

My fists cleaned at the mention of Cedric's name. My tight skin turned my knuckles white.

Seeing this caused Hermione to sigh, "Charlotte's a big girl, Fred. I'm sure she can take care of herself, and she would want you to do the same by getting some sleep."

My eyes cut into hers, "No offence, Hermione, but you wouldn't understand."

She leaned forward and rested her book on her knees before giving me a knowing look, "I'm pretty sure I understand a lot more than you think."

I rolled my eyes, "Whatever."

"Fine then. Be brute for all I care," Hermione stood up and started to walk away, but she turned to me again, "Also, it's just an article. Don't let it get to you. You know how Rita is."

I just ignored her.

She walked off, and I sat alone for probably another hour when I finally heard the portrait door creak open.

Charlotte walked into the common room, wringing the ends of her wet hair in a towel, but they stayed soaked and dampened the shoulders of the shirt that she was wearing. I recognized it as one of Cedric's. I knew this because he used to wear it so much that he practically lived in the bloody thing. Her wet swimsuit bottoms underneath her shorts created a damp outline of her hips and bum. Some of the drops of water still lingered and reflected off her skin.

If not for the jealousy growing more vital inside me by the minute, I swear the sight of her this way made me want to push her against the wall and plant my lips right on hers to claim her as mine. Obviously, that would have been out of line, but the craving to get just one taste of her did nothing to stamp out this fire igniting me.

"Where were you?" I asked, trying to hide the bitterness in my voice.

Startled, she jumped back and held her chest. Since she had still been wringing the water out of her hair, she hadn't noticed that I was standing there until I spoke.

"Blimey! Are you mental? You scared the hell out of me. Honestly, Fred, with everything that goes on in this school, you ought not to sneak up on people like that," She giggled, trying to ease the rush of fear she had just experienced.

"I'm sorry," I told her earnestly, "I was just worried when I didn't see you at dinner tonight."

"Oh, I was just helping Cedric figure out the egg."