Fireworks for Yule (Fred Weasley x Reader)

Chapter 3: Forgive Me, Your Highness

Hermione shot Ron a look. You supposed she was still annoyed at him.

"You clearly don't seem to know me well, Ronald," she huffed, placing the gifts under the table.

"Open yours, then," you smiled to a perplexed Ron, and George scoffed to your left.

Ron frowned at you. "I'm leaving these for tomorrow."

You put on a singsong voice. "Oh Ronald, we all already know what's it going to be. Might as well put the jumper on now." Ron glared at you, which only made you laugh harder.

All of you started seeing more and more gifts arrive and would pass them down the table for each other, until breakfast was almost over.

That morning, you had offered to help give out gifts to the Hogwarts professors by request of Dumbledore. It was around noon—when you finished sending off the last parcel to Snape—when a certain redhead came barreling toward you, carrying a couple boxes marked in red ink.

Eyeing the boxes he was holding, you recognized the chicken scratch handwriting to be his own.

"Fred, you're back, h—" you said at the same time he crashed into you, pulling you into a massive hug with his free arm right outside the Potions room.

You made a little yelping sound, being entirely suffocated in one second. Talk about unnecessary.

"Right, Fred, whatever prank it is you're excited about, can we get out of the dungeons first?"

He let go of you, but wrapped one arm around your shoulder, tickling the back of your neck for a second and chuckling at the squirming motion you made, before leading you out of the dungeons like you were lost.

"What makes you think it's a prank?" Fred asked, not looking directly at you but leaning his mouth dangerously close to your ear.

"Can you stop that? And because you say that every time you and or George are planning some big prank stunt. You're extra nice and happy today." You shimmied away from his face.

He dramatically frowned at you as you stepped into the main corridor.

"Am I not allowed to be happy during the holiday season? It's Christmas Eve after all, darling."
The last word was spoken as he turned his head away from you to lead you to the library, the only quiet place even during the holiday break by law of Madam Pince.

You read the words on the box he was carrying under his other arm. "Right, so Fireworks for Yule Ball is just a holiday homework assignment?" You said in disbelief. "For a master trickster I thought you'd know better than to label things like that."

Fred rubbed at the back of your head so your hair messed up. You groaned.

"And here I was thinking my messy handwriting made it undetectable. You caught me," He still wasn't looking at you for some reason.

"Maybe for others, but not for me," you replied. You were far too used to helping correct Fred's essays for his messy handwriting to still be of any effect on you.

The library was far warmer than the corridors, by way of the three fireplaces on each end and the center. He led you to a closed off area where you wouldn't be disturbed, usually your favorite place to study.

You didn't really ask what Fred's prank plan was, learning from the past that it was for the best not to ask too many questions.
Fred released his arm and gently took your hand instead, making your heart jump as his thumb grazed your wrist and he sat you down.

"Wait here for a second, okay?" He said, and you were already picking up a random book that had been left on the table in front of you in an attempt to avoid his eyes when he disappeared.