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

13: BETH

"Weasley, I don't come to Hogsmeade, ever," Beth snapped, quite insulted by what Fred had just assumed, even though he was clearly joking. It was all he ever seemed to do. Sometimes, although she would never admit it to him, she actually liked it and found him funny. But sometimes she would rather just punch him in the mouth. "You'll have to sort us out for today."

It was far too quiet when in the presence of Fred Weasley. Beth looked up at him to see what he was doing, but he wasn't doing anything other than having pulled the most ridiculous, over-exaggerated shocked face she had ever seen. This was one of those times she wanted to punch him in the mouth.

"Oh, my," he gasped, offering his arm to her. She didn't take it. "This is completely, and utterly unacceptable, Miss Black. Now if you kindly take my arm. We've got a date to get through."

Beth glared at him. "I'll take your arm if you take back this being a date."

"Oh. Is it not?" he frowned. 

Beth stared up at him, but he didn't look away; he held her eye, and still had his arm out for her to take. She scanned his face, but clearly not for the reasons he thought judging by the quick flash of a smirk he'd tried to hide. 

"You have a booger," Beth commented, deciding not to smile due to her amusement. She would never hear the end of it from Fred if she were to. 

This was partially the reason Beth was so confused about Fred Weasley's sudden interest in her if not for the sole purpose of trying to dig up information on Sirius Black which she did not have - she knew just as much as everyone else. But she was a complete bore. She was mean. And there was every other girl at Hogwarts who would genuinely smile and laugh with Fred Weasley, so why would he go for a girl like her? A girl would rather threaten than admit. 

Oh god, she thought to herself. He's one of those guys. The 'you're not like the other girls' kind of guy.

Fred raised his eyebrows and covered half his face. "What? Do I really? Or is this some sick, twisted attempt of trying to make -"

"No, Weasley," Beth rolled her eyes. "Your nose is just incredibly red."

Fred lowered his hand and smiled down at her. His smile made her chest feel warm, which she chose to hate. Why couldn't it make her cringe and want to throw up?

"So is yours, love," he said softly, holding out his arm even more for her to take. "We'd better get inside then."

There was no denying that Zonko's Joke Shop was Fred Weasley's baby. Beth had never seen the boy beam so much at stuff that Beth would simply just turn her nose up at and never think of again, but the Weasley boy was seriously interested in the silliest stuff.

 Beth didn't bother hiding the fact that she didn't care about the things Fred held up for her to look at with a big grin on his face, but she couldn't ignore the fact that there was a fire igniting inside her chest and butterflies swarming through her stomach when she saw how happy he looked, and at his excitement, at his big smile, and even at the pure, innocence in his eyes despite the fact that everything else about the Prankster was not so innocent. 

And then there was the rattle of her bones shattering at the sight of Fred's pouted lip and the twinge of sadness in his eyes and in his voice when something was just out of his price range. Fred didn't admit that he couldn't afford it, at least not with words. A simple hmm as he examined things for a price, and the sigh as he put them back where he got them. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and take what he couldn't buy, and buy it for him, but she felt that he would feel insulted by the gesture, and she didn't want to hear the word date again.

But, it was almost Christmas. 

"I need to pee," said Beth, as Fred stared at a pile of brand-new dungbombs with his hand under his chin. 

He barely looked at her as he said, "there's a bathroom in the back . . ."

At least she knew he wasn't paying much attention to her as he browsed. It was the perfect moment.