The Unbreakable Vow: wisps of Black | Fred Weasley [1] ✔

3 - • Fred •

"Look at him," Fred said bitterly from the Gryffindor table. "He thinks she likes him. Look. The bloody nob sack."

Fred, George and Lee were watching Adrian Pucey speak with Beth at the Slytherin table. Adrian had his body turned to the side so that he was facing her, and he had that half-smirk on his face that the girls apparently found charming. Beth didn't appear too interested; she had a book opened flat on the table in front of her and she read it as she ate, occasionally nodding at whatever it was Adrian was saying.

"You'll have your chance, Fred," said George. "If she's not as dimwitted as she sounds, she'll fall for the Weasley charm in no time."

"What's this Weasley charm I keep hearing about?" Lee said as he helped himself to a toasted sandwich. "I'd like some. I'm having no luck with Alicia. I've asked her out twice already, and she said no each time. I've got until . . . when's the first match?"

"November, I think," George answered. "Fred, Black's looking at you."

Fred, who was reaching for an apple, quickly looked over at the Slytherins, but Beth Black was not looking at him when he spotted her. Adrian Pucey was still yammering in her ear. Fred wondered when he had asked her out, and how long Beth had left him waiting. Or if they were already going out . . .

Fred didn't stand a chance. He was done for. The Unbreakable Vow was stupid.

"I never thought I'd say this, George, but I think I'm about to die over a girl," Fred said in a voice higher than his own. "If this doesn't work then we're gonna have to tell her. She wouldn't want me to die on her hands, would she? We tell her about the vow and then she'll kiss me and say that she loves me and I'll get to live. She won't have to mean it. As bitter a girl as she . . . d'you think she'd save me that way?"

"Possibly," replied Lee, who was cutting into his toasted sandwich to remove the tomato. "I still think you should let it play through, though. See where it goes. Remember, you've still got a year and a half, even though I think that's way too long since I'm getting bored already. Tomato, George? Anyway, Fred, you could always kidnap her and hold her hostage and force her to do the vow."

"What a vile, odious idea," Fred replied as a joke, running his fingers along his jaw thoughtfully. "D'you think I should slip a Stink Pellet into her bag?"

"Yeah, 'cause that'll make her fall in love with you for sure," George encouraged him. "Let's talk about something else, the focus on her is getting boring."

The trio were interrupted by Oliver Wood who reminded Fred and George when they would be training. When he walked away, Fred and George reached into their bags to retrieve their enchanted straws, popped in wet paper, lifted the straws to their mouths with the end pointing at the back of Oliver's head, and spat as hard as they could.

They broke into laughter when Oliver jumped and shrieked, reaching back to wipe the back of his neck.

As the days passed, Fred found himself incapable of keeping the conversation going with Beth Black. In the classes they shared, George and Lee would shoo him off to sit beside her lonesome self, and she'd prod him in the knee with her wand and mutter hexes that sent his legs into uncontrollable vibration. It would shake so much that it'd hit the top of the desk and Fred would lean into the desk with his elbow and he'd make it look like he was using the palm of his hand to support his chin, even as confused little Professor Flitwick looked over and asked him what was the matter.

"You'd think a Charms teacher above all others would know what you've done with my legs, eh?" he'd winked at Beth, in return he was given her signature icy stare.

Later, he'd tried sending her a gift - really, he'd asked Hermione, Ginny, Alicia, Angelina and Katie if they had anything they didn't want - and sent it to her. It was a homework planner from Hermione, who found it was spare and when Fred explained he wanted a gift for a girl he fancied, she'd kindly given it to him after deciding she didn't need the spare.

He wrapped it to the best of his abilities and used one of the school owls to send it to her. She was in the grounds, thankfully, and he stood on the staircase to the Owlery and watched her down below, confusion overtaking her blank features. She didn't look around like he expected her to, but she did cringe away from the gift after reading Fred's name on it. He chuckled to himself; she thought it was a prank. He was tempted to send her one of the Stink Pellets but George and Lee hid them from him.

Beth was holding the homework planner in her hands and, as though she felt his eyes on her, looked up toward the Owlery. It was no use ducking, as he was about to do so, so he just lifted his arm and gave a nervous wave. He could hear her furious mutters from there and jumped as she threw the homework planner away, turned on her foot, and stomped off back up to the castle.

What a child, Fred thought to himself as he left the Owlery.

"She's such a child, you couldn't have given me anyone else, Lee?" Fred complained that evening at dinner. "She hates me - no - she loathes me. She can't stand me, but she's all right listening to that stupid Pukey who never makes any sense in what he says. Why her, Lee?"

"When you narrow it down in some ways, you'll see that you're a child, too," the dark-skinned boy rolled his eyes slightly.

"Why can't she be like Ginny is with Harry?" Fred ignored Lee. "She's blushing like mad whenever Harry's near her and you can hear her wee little heart racing from across the room."

"Save Beth's life," George shrugged carelessly, dipping over to eat a spoonful of mashed potato. He chewed ordinarily but slowed down at the glow in Fred's eyes. He stopped chewing. "What?" he asked, his mouthful of potato.

Fred suddenly grasped George by the shoulders and shook him with excitement. George's head lolled and he squeaked like a mouse each time he was shook.

"Uh oh, I can see the cogs in Fred's brain moving," Lee said.

"Brilliant, George, just brilliant!" Fred complimented, letting his twin brother go. Fred's face was red from happiness. George, who cottoned on to Fred's plan, slowly broke into a grin.

Lee was confused. "So, what's happening?"