1: Trouble - Fred Weasley

20. pretty visitors

"I don't see why I should be embarrassed," she said, smiling despite herself.

"Then stop blushing so hard," he teased.

She rolled her eyes, and pushed him. "Piss off."

He took up her hand and gave it a final squeeze. "I'll see you later."

Inside the great hall, Imogen deliberately sat with her back to the other houses' benches. She knew that one glance at Fred would start her blushing all over again, and that was the last thing she needed sitting amongst Slytherin students. Not that there were many students left on the bench, seeing as breakfast was nearly done with. Imogen ate her cereal next to some fourth year girls, not paying them any attention.

On her way out, she did steal a glance at Fred, and did a double take. Fred, George, Ginny, even Harry and Ron were surrounding a red haired pair Imogen wasn't sure she'd seen before. She realised quickly that the woman must have been Fred's mother, and the man one of his other brothers, or cousins, maybe. Mrs Weasley looked kind. She was fawning over Harry as if he were her own, and Imogen felt a miserably familiar tug at her heart, and had to look away and leave the hall.

She sat next to Hetty in transfiguration, who was full of chatter about the ending of the triwizard tournament.

"I think I'll quite miss the beauxbatons students, and the durmstrangs. It's strange to think they'll be going after today. I would have loved to spend a few months at one of their schools."

Imogen agreed with her, though her mind was elsewhere. Once the triwizard tournament was over, the school year would be soon after. She hoped that Hetty's proposal of a summertime visit still stood. The thought of a few months without Fred pained her, though when Imogen thought about what their reunion sex after a couple of months would be like, she knew it wouldn't be all bad. What was it they said, absence makes the heart grow fonder? She hoped it was true.

It was a strange day, with the anticipation buzzing through the air. Even students who didn't really care about the tournament seemed to be getting excited; maybe just for it to be over. Apart from Mcgonagall, who conducted their lesson as usual, the teachers seemed happy to let them have a more relaxed day, and the workload was miniscule. Mostly, Imogen just chatted to Hetty. At the end of the day, the two girls went back to Hetty's dorm to get changed and put some makeup on.

It was a warm evening, and Imogen wore a flowery orange sundress, with her old black jacket and favourite boots. Her hair was probably in need of a wash, so Hetty plaited it for her. She felt like a little girl, sitting on the floor between her legs whilst Hetty pulled tightly at her scalp.

"You wimp," Hetty joked, when Imogen moaned that it hurt. "You should feel how my mum does it. This is gentle."

It was beautiful when she was finished, and Imogen thanked her. Arms linked, they made their way down to the quidditch pitch. Everyone seemed to be very on time today, and the crowd was heaving. There were adults amongst the crowd too, a lot of them at that. Reporters, and ministers, some parents too. Imogen's stomach gave a lurch when her eyes landed on a man in an immaculate purple suit, standing right ahead of her, his back turned. Why was Phineas Falker here to watch?

Of course, it made sense. She spotted a lot of his co-workers too, people she'd been introduced to by him, or else seen in the Prophet. She was watching him turn to Adrian Pucey and his father, stood next to him in a handsome grey waistcoat, when Hetty grabbed her arm.

"I think I see the others, they're sat over there."

Imogen followed her finger and spotted Fred and George sitting at the top row of the stands. They were surrounded by a crowd of students, no doubt placing bets. The only problem was that walking towards them would put them right in her fathers field of vision, which might mean she'd have to speak to him. And she wasn't sure she was brave enough to sit next to Fred in front of Phineas. One day, when she had it all figured out, she'd tell him she was with Fred, but she felt quite unprepared at the moment.