I look in horror from the twin who had just grabbed my arm to the twin still being straddled by Katie Bell.
"Harri?" the twin who still has my arm asks. "What's going on?"
"I- uh-" I feel my face literally burn as I look from twin to twin. "I thought-"
Oh fuck, this is literally so embarrassing.
"George?" Katie says furiously to the boy she'd just been snogging. "What the hell?"
I am so embarrassed that all I can do is get the fuck out of here. I shrug Fred's hand off my arm and hurry across to the exit, my face flaming as I feel everyone's eyes on me.
How the fuck can I have not remembered he has a twin? But the truth is, in all the intensity of the night, I had completely forgotten that George existed.
I ignore the rising sound of rising laughter around me. I even ignore Fred calling my name. Well, at least I think it's Fred.
I do not stop until I reach the Entrance Hall and burst through the large front doors, breathing in the cool air with relief.
"Harri?"
I am too ashamed to turn around and look at him.
"Look, I assume you thought that was me sticking my tongue down Katie's throat?"
Slowly, I turn around to face Fred, and nod, trying so hard not to burst into a torrent of shameful tears.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I was just so angry-"
"Hey, it's fine, don't apologise." He grins, his hands stuffed in his trouser pockets. "I'm actually totally flattered at seeing you get jealous like that. It means I can't be that much of a lousy date."
"You're not a lousy date at all," I say quickly. "I was just telling you- George, that tonight has been the best night of my life."
Fred's face instantly lights up and he removes his hands from his pocket, taking a step closer to me. "And I expect George told you otherwise before sticking his tongue down Bell's throat?"
His eyes crinkle at the corners as I nod and he throws his head back and laughs.
"It's not funny!" I say forcefully, my cheeks flaming all over again at the horror of it all. "I called Katie Bell a skank in front of the whole school!"
"She'll get over it," Fred shrugs, now closing the gap to take my hands in his. "I'm just glad you weren't the one to jump on his lap thinking it were me - I don't think I'd ever get over that."
Despite everything, my heart skips a beat. I give his hands a squeeze and move closer to him.
"You just look so much alike," I confess. And, feeling as though I may as well get everything out in the open I say, "I didn't even know if it were you or George accompanying me to the ball until tonight."
"We knew that much," Fred chuckles, letting go of my hands to pull me into a hug. "And as we're being open and honest here, I should confess that we'd even placed bets on how long we could string it out for."
"You rotters!" I let go of him to smack his arm. "And I suppose that's why you let it slip? So you could win?"
"Nope, in fact I lose just by forfeiting the game."
"But then why did you?"
"Because I wanted you to know it was me who you were on a date with."
I blush, looking away. "Thank you," I murmur as another smile tugs hopelessly at my lips.
"And can I let you into another secret?" Fred says softly, his hand reaching out to tilt up my chin so I am forced to look in his eyes - eyes which are full of sincerity and something else.
I swallow, struggling to find my voice. "What?"
"See here?" He lets go of my chin and points a finger to the outer corner of his left eye, turning his face slightly so that I can see.
I look closer, and I can see that despite all his freckles, there is one that stands out: a freckle almost perfectly shaped like a love heart.
"This is something George doesn't have, and is probably the only reason our mother can tell us visually apart. Of course, my personality outshines George's, so that's a great tell tale sign also."
My heart fluttering, I reach up and touch it. And, as our eyes lock, the air stills.
This time I initiate the kiss, spontaneously reaching up on tiptoes to press my lips against his. He responds immediately, wrapping his arms tightly around me and pulling me against him, kissing me softly at first, but it quickly turns into something firey.
When, eventually, we break for air, we cannot stop smiling at one another, our chests simultaneously rising and falling at alarming rates.
"I really like you, Harri," he says hoarsely cupping my face in his hands. "Please say you don't want this to end after tonight."
"I don't," I confess, still breathless as I look up into his eyes. "I want this to be more than just one night."
His smile reaches his eyes, making them crease at the corners, and I feel a rush of heat flood through me, warming me from head to toe.
And he kisses me again, only this time sweetly, which is a good job too as Snape chooses that moment to burst out of the doors and threaten us with expulsion.
*****
The next morning I wake up with a huge smile on my face. I get dressed so fast, the anticipation of seeing Fred again making my whole body thrum with pleasure.
"Why are you up so early?" Pansy yawns grumpily as I brush past her bed, humming away to myself. "It's the freaking holidays."
"I'm hungry," I lie, as I carefully apply lipstick in the mirror. I pick up my brush and pull it through my hair, before placing my glasses on my face, relieved to be rid of the contact lenses.
"Liar," Pansy mumbles. "You just want to snog Weasley again."
My heart flutters at the memory of his lips upon mine.
"And what about you?" I enquire. "Are you not in a rush to kiss Draco again?"
Pansy scrunches up her nose in distaste. "Why would I be? The date's over now. Can't we just drop it and go back to how things were?"
"Oh." I turn away from the mirror to look at her. "Is that how Draco feels too?"
She visibly pales and then shrugs. "I don't know. I hope so. Look, I don't want to talk about it anymore."
Without another word, she lays back down, pulling the covers over her head.
How strange. I shrug.
I cannot help but feel disappointed when I go up to the Great Hall to discover that I'm the first one there for breakfast.
In fact, it's still a complete tip from last night's ball, and a loud snore draws my attention to the giant asleep face down on the teachers table.
Leaving Hagrid in peace, I wander back out into the Entrance Hall, wondering what to do now.
"Hey, beautiful."
I whirl around at the familiar voice, my heart soaring as a handsome Gryffindor makes his way down the marble staircase, a huge grin on face.
"Fred!" I race to meet him at the bottom of the stairs, and as soon as he gets to me, he lifts me off my feet and twirls me round. Laughing, I quickly check his left eye in case George is playing a prank on me. Yep, definitely my Fred.
"You're a sight for sore eyes," he murmurs as he tucks my hair behind my ear and places a kiss upon my forehead.
I'm literally melting into a puddle. "Do you want to do something today?"
"You read my mind," he chuckles, brushing his nose against mine as he cups a hand against my neck. "I couldn't sleep in, so I came down here hoping to bump into you. I missed you."
And even though it had only been a few hours, I missed him too.
"Do you have anything in mind?" I breathe, shivering as lips brush over mine.
"Plenty," he murmurs, our breathing now laboured.
And then we are kissing again, my body reacting instantly to his, loving the way his fingers are in my hair and his arm clamps me hard against his body.
When we break apart, he rests his forehead down on mine, both of us panting.
"Let's get out of here," Fred says at once, his brown eyes dark with desire.
I don't argue, and let him take me by the hand and lead me up the stairs making our way through the castle until eventually we come to a halt.
"Where's this?" I ask as Fred takes out his wand and taps on a door.
He grins at me. "Just an empty classroom. I thought we could do with the privacy."
"So we can kiss more?"
"So we can kiss, talk, whatever you like. Even play a game of Scrabble if you'd prefer."
My smile widens, and I follow him inside, where it is indeed just an empty classroom. Fred leads me to a desk and sits me upon it. With him standing between my legs, we resume our kissing.
I wrap my arms around his neck, my legs squeezing around his waist. Fred groans into my mouth and our kissing becomes more intense. I can hear the racing of our combined heartbeats as our hands roam everywhere.
I wonder if we'll ever stop, because I can't imagine wanting to do anything else other than kiss this gorgeous boy for the rest of time.
In the end, Fred breaks the kiss first, his breathing so laboured, it sounds as though he's just run a marathon.
"Shit, Harri, we've got to stop," he says hoarsely, his eyes dark with desire.
"Why?" I ask feeling a flood of disappointment.
"Because," he smirks, beckoning downwards, "things are getting a little out of control down there."
"Oh-" I feel my face heat as my eyes drop down to his crotch.
"And I'm assuming we're not ready to go there yet, given that you're only fifteen."
Yet. I beam.
But the thought of waiting six whole months until I can have more of him makes me want to cry.
"Perhaps we should just stick to Scrabble for the time being then?" I say coyly, my lips twitching up at the corners. "Or chess?"
"I'm sorry, it's my fault. I'm the one dragging you into empty classrooms and making out with you on desks. I just can't resist you."
And as though to prove his point he begins to kiss me again.
Almost immediately he stops and groans, literally tearing himself away from me.
"Sorry," he says driving his hands through his hair so that it flops back messily down over his head. "I'm not helping the cause here."
"I don't mind," I say quickly, "I like kissing you. I like kissing you a lot."
"I know, I can tell, and that's the problem." He looks at me, his expression a mixture of hunger and frustration.
"Look," he continues, reaching out to take my hand. "I should be treating you with more respect than this. How about we go and find some breakfast and then go for a walk? I want to do this right Harri, because I like you a lot."
A warmth spreads though me, and I am smiling so hard that I can barely see.
Instead of going back down to the Great Hall to see if the staff have pulled their fingers out yet, Fred steers us towards the kitchens.
"We may as well go straight to the source," he says, pushing open a door and leading me into a room full of house-elves slaving over hot stoves.
"Master Fred!" Squeals one of the house-elves I recognise to be Dobby. I scowl, still sore at him for hiding my post. "For what do we owe this pleasure?"
He bows so low, that his nose presses into the ground. When he rises, he finally notices me, his saucer like eyes widening even further. "And Miss Harriet Potter! What a pleasure! What an honor!"
He's about to bow again when Fred interrupts him. "Look, we couldn't get some hot coffee and warm pastries to take out could we? I've promised to treat this extra special lady like the queen she is, and where better place to start than with one of your fine continental breakfasts?"
"Right away, Master Fred! It will be an honor!"
Dobby claps his hands to get the kitchen's attention. "Everyone, stop what you're doing and prepare at once a continental breakfast for two - the honeymoon package."
He turns back to wink at us.
"Yeah, this is just our second date, but what the hey," Fred shrugs, grinning as he pulls me into his side and kisses the top of my head.
Blimey, by this point I'd agree to have his babies. But I don't say that, of course.
Instead, I smile up at him, feeling so bloody glad that my desperation for a date got me this beautiful man.
******