unrequited requited love- fred weasley

Part 31

"Listen- I know it was unexpected," He begins, "And probably ridiculous, especially considering you don't even like me, and I'm so, so sorry if-" 

At that moment, Athena realized how stupid she was being all along. Watching Fred ramble, she realized, he's the one she wanted, more than anything. In fact, she wished she was the one to make the first move, and she wished she'd done it even sooner. 

In the midst of Fred's rambling, Athena goes up on her toes, pressing a kiss onto his lips and wrapping her arms around his neck for balance. 

Fred's hands go to her waist, and she feels him smile into the kiss, she pulls away, "I had to shut you up somehow," She jokes, referencing what he'd told her last night when they first kissed. The boy's eyes meet hers, and the same boyish grin that Athena loved appeared. 

"I like you, Fred, I always have." She admits, her heart racing even more as the words left her mouth. 

Fred grins cheekily, placing a finger to his chin, "Are you sure you aren't talking about my brother George? People tend to mix us up," He jokes, making Athena laugh and push him back jokingly. "I like you too Athena, so much. I feel stupid that it took me so long to tell you," He says shyly, making Athena blush even harder. 

Just in time, everyone begins to leave the Great Hall for the first class of the day. 

"See you later, Freddie?" Athena asks, Fred gives her a peck on the cheek, shooting her a wink. "Yes, later!" He exclaims, before running away mischievously. 

Athena lets a laugh escape her lips, bringing her hand to her cheek that Fred had just previously kissed, she smiled to herself- knowing he probably wasn't going to be up to any good, not that it mattered.

She was too happy to care.

***

Athena practically skipped to Transfiguration, nothing was able to bring the girl down right now. Isabella noticed her friend's new sudden happiness, and decided to ask, "What's got you so happy?" A smile forming on her face at her friend's happiness, "Fred likes me!" Athena squeals, "Fred Weasley actually likes me back!" She exclaims, part of her still unable to believe the words leaving her mouth. 

Isabella's smile extends, "Finally! Did he ask you to be his girlfriend?" She asks, making Athena look at her confused, "Uh- was he supposed to?" She says, raising an eyebrow. The Ravenclaw laughs, "I guess not, I mean unless you want him to. Some girls like it because it makes things more official." Athena shrugs, "I dunno, I thought this automatically meant we're dating." She didn't know he was supposed to formally ask, leaving her to wonder about the status of the two of them. 

Before Athena can talk any further, she feels a sudden twinge of guilt go through her stomach. Here she was, grinning ear to ear about her and Fred, while Isabella's boyfriend of over a year was in a coma, still unsure whether or not he'd wake up. 

"I'm sorry," Athena apologizes, "This isn't the time to be talking about this, especially when-" Isabella cuts her off, "It's fine," She says, her words coming off a little bit harsher than intended to. 

She looks at her friend sheepishly, "Erm- sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. It's just everyone has been walking on eggshells around me since Cedric got into his coma, I'm glad at least someone can talk to me regularly."

Athena smiles at her best friend, giving her hand a squeeze, before turning around to start our lesson. 

"By the way, totally called in back in the Yule Ball." A voice behind two says, making Athena startle. 

"Elliot!" 

***

By the time dinner had come around, Athena was practically starving. Apparently, Hermione did save her some food from breakfast, but she didn't see the girl after her conversation with Fred, so the food went to waste. 

Athena was currently in the middle of shoving a sandwich down her throat when George and Lee bombard her, taking a seat on either side of her. 

"We are very offended right now!" Lee shouts dramatically, "Yes! Especially me!" George cries out, "Liking my own twin, the one whom I shared a womb with! Liking him all these years and leaving me in the dark!" He belts out.

Athena looks at the two sheepishly, "I thought you guys knew, it wasn't like I did a good job of hiding it." She says, both of them fold their arms, tutting and giving disapproving noises. "Yes we did, but that is beside the point young lady!" Lee says, making Athena raise an eyebrow. 

"I'm literally a month older than you."

Suddenly a voice appears from behind them, "Would you stop harassing my girlfriend? You guys got what you wanted." Fred says, hearing him call Athena his girlfriend made a million butterflies appear in her stomach. 

"Girlfriend?" She asks, suddenly feeling giddy, a smile forming on her lips.

"Girlfriend." He says back, grinning from ear to ear, giving Athena all the confirmation she needed on whether or not they were officially together. 

Lee and George begin to make kissing noises, mimicking their two friends, "Oh, Freddie!" George shouts out, pretending to be Athena, "Kiss me, Athena!" Lee exclaims, mimicking Fred, which made Athena jab both of them in their stomachs. "Ouch!" Lee yelps, "Fred! Your girlfriend is violent," George whines, which makes both Fred and Athena laugh. 

Fred blushes at George calling Athena his girlfriend, a giddy feeling appearing in his stomach as well- which made Athena blush, knowing she wasn't the only one who still wasn't used to the title. 

"Damn right she is," He says to the two of them, before turning his attention to Athena. 

"You are okay that I didn't officially ask you to be my girlfriend right? When I told Lee and George they scolded me and-" Athena puts her hand over his, "No Freddie, I'm perfectly fine. I kind of assumed we were dating anyway." She says while smiling.

Fred clears his throat, "Anyways, I wanted to ask you on a date, a real one. All the time's Lee and George ran away in an attempt to leave us alone doesn't count." He says, making Athena laugh as she thought of all the times they would be at Hogsmead, walking around Zonkos, then Lee and George would suddenly fash out of the store, a desperate attempt to try and get either one of them to make a move. 

 "So, Hogsmead, next weekend, at 6 pm. I'd say look pretty, but you always do." He says smoothly. 

If it was possible, Athena's face managed to become even redder, she clears her throat and smiles, "You're on, Weasley."