The next few days were one of the best ones for Rubi. Although she grew up the muggle way and did get to play with other kids, some part of her life was still locked up, but after being allowed to go to Hogwarts and being able to spend days at a Wizarding household with her friends, she felt super happy, feeling as if she finally had gained all the freedom.
It was another wonderful evening. Rubi was sitting upon the grass, admiring the colorful sky as the sun bid a farewell to the day once again. Her eyes twinkled as she gazed above her, letting out a sigh. She didn't realize it, but a new presence joined her.
"Hot chocolate?" Fred said, making the girl slightly jump.
Rubi eagerly nodded and took the cup. She took a sip before her face scrunched up in disgust and she spit it all out. Fred burst out laughing.
"You monster! How could you ruin such a sweet taste of paradise by adding... whatever you added?!" Rubi cried out, appalled.
"Love, I thought you would know by now to not accept anything to consume from me but clearly Miss. Black hasn't learnt her lesson." Fred said with a smirk. Although he pulled something out of his pocket, "Here's real chocolate." He said, placing the chocolate bar in Rubi's hand who looked at it suspiciously. "It's safe to eat, trust me." Fred seriously said, and Rubi nodded as the tone of his voice made her believe so.
Fred watched as Rubi took a bite, her eyes closing for a brief second as she savored the sweetness, before opening them and looking at the sky once again, placing her head on her knees. Fred loved to see the relaxed and content expression on the girl he harbored feelings for.
The breeze blew, sending a few strands over Rubi's face. Fred leaned forth and tucked them behind her ear, making the girl look at him. Rubina felt herself getting lost in those chocolate colored eyes.
It was just the two of them in a beautiful and calm place. It felt just right. Fred leaned forward slightly.
"I wanted to say that," He gulped, "I-"
"WATER FIGHT!" George yelled coming out of nowhere and drenching Rubi and Fred with water balloons.
"Oh no." Rubi said, standing up and groaning, "I hate wet clothes." Muttering under her breath, she went back into the Burrow, while Fred turned back to George with the deadliest glare.
"What was that for?!"
"It's called a prank, Fredrick-"
"I know that too!" Fred yelled, "But you just ruined the chance, I was going to tell her."
"Oh." George quietened down, looking guilty. "Sorry." Fred shook his head, kicking a pebble in frustration.
***
Later that same night, everyone was now asleep in their rooms. Everyone except the girls.
"So, let's just talk." Ginny said, earning a reply from Rubi who said,
"Well we already are since you wouldn't shut up and let us sleep, Ginevra."
"Well says the person that didn't let us sleep a few days ago for the same reason, Rubina."
"OK, you can stop by calling each other by your full first names please." Hermione said, exasperated.
"Well, what do you want to talk about?" Rubi asked, twirling a piece of her hair as she laid on her stomach on her mattress.
Ginny cracked a mischievous smile, "How about the fact that you fancy my brother?"
Rubi's head snapped up so fast she could have broken a bone, "What are you saying?" She asked, bewildered.
"I do have to side with Ginny on this one, you do have feelings for him. Perhaps you're just too oblivious but you both have something for one another-"
"Fine!" Rubi cuts across Hermione sharply, "Yes, I do fancy Fred!" The other two girls squealed. "But he doesn't like me like that, he never will. I'm just a friend to him, that's all." Rubi finished glumly, letting her head fall onto her pillow.
"Oh I'm not so sure about that. I think Fred does too, I've seen it." Hermione said, earning a nod of her head in agreement from Ginny.
"Yeah, don't provide me with false hope." Rubi muttered, turning to her side. "Goodnight."
The other two girls shared knowing looks but decided to go to sleep as well.
***
"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny said, as the three girls entered the kitchen, having been woken early to set out to the Quidditch World Cup.
They had retrieved Harry the day before, and given the Dursleys a nice surprise and Rubina Black didn't regret a second of it. Now as she walked into the kitchen, Rubi silently agreed with Ginny, not wanting to voice her thought out loud as she deemed it to be rude to the Weasleys, especially since they had been so kind.
"We've got a bit of a walk," said Arthur.
"Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?" Despite the tiredness, Rubi gently smiled at her cousin and his confused self.
"No, no, that's miles away," said Arthur, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup..."
"George!" said Molly sharply, and they all jumped.
"What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.
"What is that in your pocket?"
"Nothing!"
"Don't you lie to me!"
Molly pointed her wand at George's pocket and said, "Accio!"
Several small, brightly colored objects zoomed out of George's pocket; he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Molly's outstretched hand.
Rubi sucked in a breath, not wanting the twins' hard work to go to waste, and under the table she reached into Fred's pockets, Fred looked at her questioningly before realising what she was doing and turned back to his mother. Rubi extracted some of the toffees, gripping them tightly in her own pockets.
"We told you to destroy them!" said Molly furiously, holding up what were unmistakably more Ton-Tongue Toffees. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets, go on, both of you!"
It was an unpleasant scene; the twins had evidently been trying to smuggle as many toffees out of the house as possible, and it was only by using her Summoning Charm that Molly managed to find them all.
"Accio! Accio! Accio!" she shouted, and toffees zoomed out from all sorts of unlikely places, including the lining of George's jacket and the turn-ups of Fred's jeans.
"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouted at his mother as she threw the toffees away. Rubi couldn't help but feel bad for not being able to save everything.
"Oh a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieked. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"
All in all, the atmosphere was not very friendly as they took their departure. Molly was still glowering as she kissed Arthur on the cheek, though not nearly as much as the twins, who had each hoisted their rucksacks onto their backs and walked out without a word to her.
"Bye Mrs. Weasley - Uh - Molly!" Rubi said before jogging after the twins.
"Well, have a lovely time," said Molly, "and behave yourselves," she called after the twins' retreating backs, but they did not look back or answer.
Catching up to the twins, Rubi sighed, "You probably should have said bye."
Fred groaned, the expression of upset written across his face, but his eyes softened upon landing on the girl beside them. "But our toffees-"
"I know, I understand why you're mad. Oh!" Rubi said remembering the toffees she'd managed to hide, "Here's what I have." She said pulling out the toffees and secretly handing them over.
George's eyes widened in surprise, "You have some of them?"
Rubi nodded happily, her heart lifting seeing her friends look happier.
George smirked, leaning into his twin's ear, "I don't know why you haven't asked her out already, this one's amazing." To which Fred turned to look at his brother in mild surprise before narrowing his eyes.
"Why am I being left out? I want to know!"
George's lips turned into a devilish grin, sending Fred a look that said If you don't tell her anytime soon, I will making Fred slightly panic.
George slid an arm around his brother's shoulders "What I was telling dear Freddie over here, is that he needs to-" The next second Fred had him in a headlock, whilst giving a "Shut up!" to him, earning giggles from Rubina.
It was chilly and the moon was still out. Only a dull, greenish tinge along the horizon to their right showed that daybreak was drawing closer. They trudged down the dark, dank lane toward the village, the silence broken only by their footsteps. The sky lightened very slowly as they made their way through the village, its inky blackness diluting to the deepest blue.
Rubi was finding it difficult to keep up, so when a light bulb lit in her head, she turned her head towards the boy walking beside her, Fred. Putting on an innocent and sweet voice she said,
"Hey Freddie, could you please carry me?" She asked, batting her eyelashes.
Fred looked at her before turning away, and carrying on, "No."
Rubi's jaw fell open, appalled by his response before snapping out of it, and jogging up beside him.
"Please? It's so hard to walk, I think I'm going to collapse any second." She sighed, heaving a hand on her forehead, pretending she could barely stand, swaying on the spot.
"Fine." he grumbled, earning a wide grin from Rubi. Taking off the bag she was carrying, Rubi threw it at George who exclaimed with a "oof!" upon impact before muttering under his breath and taking Fred's bag too.
Fred kneeled down and Rubi climbed onto his back, her arms snaking around his front whilst she rested her head on his back. To be speaking truly, the two were enjoying the feel of closeness, and George only obliged to carrying Fred's bag in an attempt to bring his two friends closer.
Rubi inhaled and she sighed in content.
He smells like cinnamon, and fireworks.
She let her eyelids shut, only her ears listening to the world.
Although she didn't rest for long, since she decided to give Fred a break by getting off, seeing they were occasionally stumbling in rabbit holes as they began to climb Stoatshead Hill, or slipping on thick black tuffets of grass.
"Whew," panted Arthur, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his sweater. "Well, we've made good time - we've got ten minutes."
Hermione came over the crest of the hill last, clutching a stitch in her side.
"Now we just need the Portkey," said Arthur, replacing his glasses and squinting around at the ground. "It won't be big... Come on..."
They spread out, searching. They had only been at it for a couple of minutes, however, when a shout rent the still air.
"Over here, Arthur! Over here, son, we've got it."
Two tall figures were silhouetted against the starry sky on the other side of the hilltop.
"Amos!" said Arthur, smiling as he strode over to the man who had shouted. The rest of them followed.
Arthur was shaking hands with a ruddy-faced wizard with a scrubby brown beard, who was holding a moldy-looking old boot in his other hand.
"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," said Arthur. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"
Cedric Diggory was an extremely handsome boy of around seventeen. He was Captain and Seeker of the Hufflepuff House Quidditch team at Hogwarts. Rubi's face immediately lit up.
"Ced!" She greeted delightly, rushing forwards and embracing the Hufflepuff, who returned the hug.
"Hey Rubi, hi everyone." He said. Everybody said hi back except Fred and George, George merely nodding whilst Fred didn't even acknowledge his presence. They had never quite forgiven Cedric for beating their team, Gryffindor, in the first Quidditch match of the previous year. Although for Fred, his stomach was doing knots watching Rubi interact and be so close to Cedric.
Cedric and Rubi had decided to become friends after their date they'd had in February, occasionally talking if they passed in hallways, or studying in the library if they were both free. This had formed a good relationship between the two. The Hufflepuff, noticing the jealousy practically radiating off the ginger, slid an arm around Rubina's waist, making the girl look up at him questioningly. He only gave a wink with a smile in return.
"Long walk, Arthur?" Cedric's father asked. "Not too bad," said Arthur. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"
"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced? I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still... not complaining... Quidditch World Cup, wouldn't miss it for a sackful of Galleons - and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy..." Amos Diggory peered good-naturedly around at the three Weasley boys, Harry, Hermione, Rubina and Ginny. "All these yours, Arthur?"
"Oh no, only the redheads," said Arthur, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione Granger, friend of Ron's - and Rubina Black, also another friend-"
Amos Diggory blanched, "B-Black?" He breathed out with wide eyes.
"Now before you jump to conclusions, Sir, I'm not related to Sirius Black in any way. I'm a muggle-born, we just happen to have the same surnames." Rubi's stomach slightly twisted for having to say this, but to her relief, Amos had visibly relaxed.
Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly, "And this is another friend of Ron's Harry-"
"Merlin's beard," said Amos Diggory, his eyes widening once again. "Harry? Harry Potter?"
"Er - yeah," said Harry.
"Ced's talked about you, of course," said Amos Diggory. "Told us all about playing against you last year... I said to him, I said - Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will... You beat Harry Potter!"
Harry remained silent. Fred and George were both scowling again. Cedric looked slightly embarrassed, removing his hand from Rubi,
"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," he muttered. "I told you... It was an accident..."
"Yes, but you didn't fall off, did you?" roared Amos genially, slapping his son on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman... but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"
"Must be nearly time," said Arthur quickly, pulling out his watch again. "Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?"
"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," said Mr. Diggory. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"
"Not that I know of," said Arthur "Yes, it's a minute off... We'd better get ready..."
He looked around at Harry, Hermione and Rubi.
"You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all, a finger will do -"
With difficulty, owing to their bulky backpacks, the nine of them crowded around the old boot held out by Amos Diggory. They all stood there, in a tight circle, as a chill breeze swept over the hilltop. Nobody spoke.
"Three..." muttered Mr. Weasley, one eye still on his watch, "two... one..."
It happened immediately: Rubi felt as though a hook just behind her navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward. Her feet left the ground; she could feel George and Fred on either side of her, their shoulders banging into her's; they were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; her forefinger was stuck to the boot as though it was pulling him magnetically onward and then-
She fell face forwards onto something hard, which groaned a few seconds later. Opening her eyes, Rubi found herself on top of Fred who was staring back at her, their faces were now inches apart. The two looked at one another, neither making the effort to move until sudden coughing from a smirking George brought them back. Clearing her throat awkwardly, as a blush coated her cheeks, Rubi stood up brushing herself before offering a hand to Fred, who accepted and helped him to his feet.
"Sorry." She breathed out.
"Yeah, um... no problem." The ginger replied, his head down, rubbing the back of his neck, occasionally peeking a look at the metamorphmagus until he began glaring as George chucked Fred's bag at his face.
Arthur, Mr. Diggory, and Cedric were still standing, though looking very windswept; everybody else had fallen on the ground.
"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," said a voice.
Hello once again!
Posting after ages but I hope you liked the chapter. I sort of forgot I even had this chapter finished lol. How are you all doing?
Hope to be back with another one soon and take care!
-S.B.