Pairing: Fred Weasley x Fem!Reader
Summary: After avoiding Fred for so long, (Y/N) finally has to face him again when they're paired up for a Potions assignment.
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"Are you still not going to talk to him?" Daphne asks me during lunch, the same way she has asked me every day for the past few weeks.
Ever since I told her about my little... moment with Fred, she hasn't stopped talking about it one way or another, even when I've asked her plenty of times not to. She seems to have become obsessed with the idea of him and I getting together because, according to her, we'd make "an oddly cute" couple, and also "because there is nothing interesting happening in my life and I want to live through you". I don't know what's gone wrong with her head; I have made it extremely clear that the kiss meant nothing to me, that it was just something that happened in the heat of the moment when I was dampened and terrified and he was the only one there giving me the slightest bit of comfort. Either she still doesn't get that, or she just doesn't want to. "For the last time, Daphne Greengrass," I say through gritted teeth. "No. And It's the last time I'll say it."
Daphne whines like a toddler. "But why? It's clear that he wants to talk to you!"
The kiss happened nearly two weeks ago. After I fled the scene, Fred made numerous attempts to approach me, but I would always find a way to cut the conversation short or avoid it at all costs. He seemed to finally get the hint because It's been a few days since his last attempt. The only one who hasn't gotten the hint yet is the girl sitting across from me. "He has his own life to worry about. I'm pretty sure he dropped it already, and so should you."
She pouts as I stab a piece of pork chop and chew on it. "How are you so sure if you haven't even talked to him about it yet? Maybe he doesn't want to make you uncomfortable and he's just waiting for you to reach out to him."
"Forget it, Daphne, there's nothing to talk about," I state firmly. "I made a stupid little mistake, that's all. It's not like I'm going to go ahead and do it again."
"I bet you want to, though," she mutters as she drinks from her cup.
Her voice is low, and she thinks she's sneaky, but I hear her. I refrain from saying anything else about it, though. It's no use trying to convince her otherwise.
Fortunately, Daphne does not bring him up for the remainder of our lunch, nor does she bring him up while we learn how to turn vinegar into wine during Charms, or when we're fighting not to fall asleep during History of Magic. I begin to think that maybe she's finally gotten the hint until we arrive at the Potions classroom.
Professor Snape places a small bubbling cauldron on top of his desk as we all walk in—Gryffindors on one side of the room and Slytherins on the other. Through the corner of my eye, I spot the unmistakable pair of redheaded twins, sitting two tables to my right, and I fight the urge to turn and see if one of them is looking. "Settle down, all of you," Professor Snape says in his usual dull voice. "Today, aside from your usual class, you will be placed in pairs for a special project. You will have to work with another student and brew the most powerful Truth Serum to ever exist—the Veritaserum. While it is very easy to sneak it into someone's pumpkin juice, the brewing process is long and complex. That is why you'll be working with a partner to make this potion. The longer its effect, the higher your grade."
A Gryffindor boy raises an arm and Snape turns to him with a sneer. "Does that mean we have to work on it through Spring break?"
"Unless you want to fail, then yes, you should start on the first day of Spring break."
Nearly every student in the classroom, including Daphne and I, groans in protest. Snape's lips curl up into a nasty smirk. "That's quite enough, I do not need to hear your whining. Get it done, or else you fail my class."
As students begin to look around for their desired partners, I link my arm with Daphne's. "It shouldn't be too hard once we combine our geniuses."
Daphne laughs and agrees. Professor Snape's eyes fall on us for a quick second before he adds, "I forgot to mention that this is not a friendship project. This time, I'll be assigning the pairings."
The class groans even louder than the first time. "Enough," Snape holds a hand up and we quiet down. "Perhaps when you learn to behave in my class I'll give you the privilege of choosing your partner, but right now you'll work with what I give you. Now..."
Snape taps the cauldron with the tip of his wand twice and two small pieces of paper fly out of the cauldron. He catches them mid-air and begins to read aloud. "Johnson, Angelina and Warrington, Cassius."
And then he does the same thing with the rest of the students. Daphne and I frown at each other once we hear her name being called alongside Alicia Spinnet but I guess it was expected that we'd be separated for this assignment from the beginning. The problem is, I realize as I scan the room, that there's no one else I'd like to work with, and the people who would be fairly tolerable are already paired up with someone else. This assignment is looking to be the worst of the year so far.
"Weasley, Fred and (Y/L/N), (Y/N)."
The absolute worst.
Daphne gasps quietly once she hears the names, her eyes on the brink of popping out. "Did he just..."
"Uh-huh," I can't construct a proper reaction. It feels like someone has just slapped me.
I make the mistake of looking over at Fred only to find that he's already staring at me. He shrugs innocently but he's clearly trying to hold back a smile while George is dying from laughter behind him. I glare at them and turn away. It can't be a coincidence that we ended up working together. I refuse to believe that life is this cruel. "I don't get it," I protest as we walk out of the classroom. "How in the bloody hell do I get paired up with the person I wanted to avoid the most?"
"Hey, look on the bright side," Daphne suggests, like there actually is a bright side. "At least you're not working with Crabbe or Goyle."
"You know, I think at this point I'd rather be working with either of them. At least they're tame."
"Yeah, and they'll probably be more concerned with trying to eat your lunch or something."
I laugh at her words but it is still not enough to distract me entirely from the situation. Because at the end of the day, I'm still paired up with Fred Weasley for an assignment I could do independently. "What have I possibly done to deserve something like this? There's no way that life would just pull something like this out of nowhere."
Daphne places a hand on my shoulder. "I did tell you to clear things out with him."
I sigh. "You did. Do you think I'm being punished for avoiding the situation?"
"I totally do," She nods. "Well that, or maybe it was just that Felix Felicis I drank in the morning taking effect,"
"True," I agree... and then I halt my steps. "Wait, what did you just say?"
She stops walking as well, blinking cluelessly. "Oh, remember that Felix Felicis I brewed months ago? Well, I drank some of it today to help me with the Transfiguration test and I guess I did a great job brewing it because I seem to keep getting good luck everywhere I go. Neat, right?"
"And you've also been crying about Fred and I not talking for weeks," I grab her by the collar of her shirt and she shrieks. People passing by shoot us odd looks but I'm too busy throwing daggers at her. "You were wishing for something like this to happen and of course, as soon as you drink a bit of Liquid Luck, it happens."
"Well..." She tries to think of something before she gives up. "Okay yeah, so maybe it was kind of my fault, but you know what? You'll thank me soon enough."
"Right now I want to murder you," I push her back and start walking away.
"Oh, hush, It's not that big of a deal," Daphne catches up. "So what if you have to work with him on a potion that takes too long to brew? So what if you have you spend your free time with him and—"
"Stop, stop, stop," I cover my ears. "I do not want to hear it!"
Daphne leans closer and lowers her voice. "Well, you better do something about that because I think he's waiting to talk to you."
I follow her eyes and turn to look at Fred, who is usually walking alongside George and Lee Jordan but now is on his own leaning against a wall, hands buried in his pockets. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he's staring at me and I have to turn away. "I guess I do have to talk to him at some point. There's no way out of this..."
She shakes her head slowly and I sigh. It takes every bit of me to turn back around and start walking towards him, but I do it. For the first time in what feels like so long I'm standing face-to-face with him; the two of us just stare at each other for a few moments. "Hi," Fred breaks the silence.
"Hi," I say flatly.
There's a slight flirtatious glint in his eyes all of a sudden. "So... we're all coupled up now, eh?"
I blink. "Can you not phrase it like that? Anyway, as you already know we have to work on this potion during our Spring break."
Fred nods slowly. "Right...?"
"So, that means that we'll have to meet outside of Hogwarts."
"You want me to come over to your house, then?" He wiggles his eyebrows.
I tense up. I could never consider asking him to come over to my house, not even jokingly. That place is cold and empty, and my family is not the most welcoming with families like Fred's. Even if I'm not fond of Fred, I would never want to put him through something like that. "Your house sounds like the better option, if you don't mind." I say.
Fred raises an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"Yes, why?"
He shrugs. "I just think that maybe my house won't be to your taste, that's all."
I roll my eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. As long as your family doesn't mind, I can stop by."
"They won't. Here—" Fred takes out a folded parchment paper and hands it to me. "Here's my address. I'll see you, then?"
"Yeah. Until then."
We walk away from each other and I'm feeling nauseous all of a sudden.
Bloody hell, I have no idea how I'll survive this...
***
The first day of Spring break arrives in the blink of an eye. Part of me is glad that I don't have to spend my day at the manor because I'd rather be anywhere else, even Fred Weasley's house. The other good thing is that, since I can finally use magic outside of school, I can simply apparate anywhere whenever I want. We decide to meet close to sunset, so around five thirty I gather everything I need and I get ready to disapparate from my house without the need to remind my parents where I'll be. I'm not even sure if they're still around (or if they even care) but I don't think of them as the horrible sensation of apparating begins. Everything twists and turns around me, including myself, until finally, I stand amid sunshine, peace, and fresh air. I take it all in once I regain my composure. The place is a beautiful meadow and in it, a few yards away from me, stands a very peculiar, very lopsided house. It's several stories high, with about four or five chimneys perched on top of its red roof, and a nice open yard at the entrance. I look around to make sure that there are no other houses around. This has to be it.
I walk toward it, careful not to bother the chickens wandering around the yard. There's a sign near the entrance that reads THE BURROW and that's how I'm certain that I'm in the right place. Fred specifically wrote that name down on the instructions.
Now that I know that I'm at Fred Weasley's house, I start getting a tad bit nervous. "Come on, (Y/N), you got this. You're just here to work on a school project, It's no big deal." After taking a few deep breaths, I finally find the courage to knock on the door. For the first few seconds, nothing happens, but soon I begin to hear faded footsteps coming from inside. They start sounding closer, and soon enough someone is opening the door. It's an older woman with lovely red hair, slightly shorter than me. I instantly know that I am staring down at Fred's mother. "Hello, dear. You must be (Y/N)," She greets me warmly and I nod with a courteous smile. "Oh, good, how wonderful that you've made it! Fred has talked so much about you these past few days."
"Has he?"
"Oh, yes—come in, come in!" Mrs. Weasley steps aside so I can cross the threshold. "And he wanted everything to look good before you arrived. It usually takes a lot to get him to do his chores, but this time he started on them without me even asking him, so I bet you're quite a special girl. Anyway, you set your stuff over there on the sofa, make yourself comfortable, and I'll fetch him. Dinner's almost ready so I hope you're hungry."
She gives me one final smile before she walks up the stairs while calling Fred's name, but my mind can only spiral around the things she was saying a moment ago. My face feels like It's boiling, and it shouldn't be, but the fact that his mom thinks that I'm a 'special girl' to him makes me...
Nope. No. No. You need to snap out of it, girl.
I focus my attention back on my surroundings. Everything is so different from my house... and yet, somehow, It's so much better. The living room is welcoming and cozy and homey. The smell of roast beef and potatoes fills the air, making my stomach grumble. I hadn't realized how hungry I was earlier. I sit down on the sofa and wait patiently for Mrs. Weasley to come back. I'm staring at the family clock, watching the golden hand with Fred's face on it pointing at the word HOME, until I hear quick footsteps coming down the stairs. I turn to look at Fred's real face this time. "I see you were able to get here without getting lost on the way," He says.
I pry my attention away from the fact that his hair is dripping wet and sticking to his forehead like he just got out of the shower. "I did not doubt myself for a moment. Shall we start working on the potion so we can get it over with?"
"Wow, you really don't want to be here, do you?" Fred chuckles. "We're not even going to wait for dinner first?"
I sigh. "I just don't think It's a good idea for me to stay too long."
"Because you kissed me." He doesn't say it like a question.
"Can you not say that so loud?" I shush him, making sure his mom is still out of sight, but his grin does not falter. I don't even want to imagine how red my face is. "But... yes, kind of."
"Well, I'm willing to look past it if you want me to," He says. "Unless there's another reason you don't want to stay?"
I furrow my eyebrows. "What other reason could there be?"
"I guess I thought that maybe you'd think my house isn't as nice as yours..."
I stare at him in disbelief. "You really have to stop assuming that I have some sort of superiority complex over you. And for your information, I think your house is lovely."
Fred looks surprised for a moment. "Really?"
"Yeah," I confirm. "I probably like it a lot more than mine."
He stares at me for a second but before either of us can say anything else, Mrs. Weasley comes back to the room. "Fred, why don't you show (Y/N) around the rest of the house? I'll call you all back here once the food is ready."
Fred turns to me. "You want to?"
I cannot bring myself to say no in front of his mother. "Sure,"
He starts his little house tour from the top floor, which happens to be where his younger brother, Ron, and his best friend, Harry Potter, stay. There are five floors in total but there's not much to see. It's mostly just the bedrooms, but the house is still larger than what I had envisioned. The family is much larger as well. "This is the second floor, and our last stop," Fred says once we take the last step. There are two bedroom doors on this floor level. "And this is mine and George's room. I'll let you get a sneak peek of our latest invention if you behave."
I roll my eyes as he opens the door. "Gee, what an honor."
Fred and George's bedroom is somehow almost exactly as I had imagined it—not that I've been spending time imagining what their room looks like. It's a simple room: it has two identical beds, each with a bedside table, a large wardrobe, some posters pasted around the walls, and a desk holding stuff... lots of different stuff. There is a particular lingering smell of gunpowder around and I cannot even begin to imagine the things that happen inside this walls. I step inside and glance at the mess on the desk. Amongst everything else, I see a briefcase with the words Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes engraved on the side sticking out from the rest of the things. I point toward it with a questioning look. "Ah," He clasps his hands together. "I see you've already spotted our products."
"Your products?"
"George and I invent joke products," Fred explains. "We've actually started testing them out at Hogwarts recently."
"Really, at Hogwarts? And you don't get in trouble for it?"
"Well, I didn't say that," Fred wags his finger practically on my face. He walks to the case and opens it; a bunch of bottles, vials, and boxes of all kinds jump out all at once and set themselves in front of us like a magic exhibition. "But anyway, we mostly just want feedback. We're planning to open our own joke shop after we graduate and we want everything to be right."
"Huh," I never would've guessed. When he mentioned their "inventions" I instantly assumed he was talking about crafts or something. I know Fred and George love to get under people's skin with their little pranks, but I never thought that they loved pranking so much they wanted to build a living around it. But then again, we've never been close, so all I know about them is what I've seen back at the castle, which I also tend to avoid.
As I go over the products in silence, my eyes get drawn to the sight of a small brown box. It doesn't have a label or a logo or any eye-catching design, but it has COMB-A-CHAMELEON handwritten on it and that's enough to get me intrigued. I look back at him, asking for his permission, and when he motions for me to go on with his hand, I grab it. Inside I can only find an ordinary-looking hairbrush, which throws me off because I was expecting something more, I don't know, magical? I guess my confusion is clear because Fred laughs lightly while I just keep staring. "Would you like to try it out?" He asks.
I look up at him warily, looking for any signs of malice, but all I can find is a redheaded boy who seems excited by the idea of me using one of his products. "I don't know if I should..."
"I can promise you that It's nothing too bad."
"You don't strike me as trustworthy when it comes to these things."
"Okay, fair enough," Fred admits. "But I'm telling the truth this time, I promise. Go ahead, try it."
I almost back down from it but I can't help feeling bad just thinking about it. Fred looks like a kid who attempted to make breakfast by himself and is waiting for his mom to eat it. So I grab the brush and, hesitantly, I start combing my hair. A few brushes are enough to do the trick. Soon enough, I feel some tugging happening around my head. The process lasts a few seconds and then I feel the weight of my hair go down, but it feels lighter. Fred rubs his chin while he stares at me. I have no idea how I look but he nods in approval. "Alright," He motions toward the mirror hanging from the door. "Go ahead and take a look."
When I turn to look, I gasp. I expect my hair, which I had let fall down my back in curls earlier, to look like a bird's nest by the time I'm done, but much to my surprise it is now pulled back into a nice long braid. "Fred," I run my fingers through it. "This is very impressive! And you guys came up with this from scratch?"
"Yup. Every single one of them." He sounds proud of himself and his brother. And he should be.
"What else do you have?"
"Oh, tons of stuff," He reaches and grabs another box, the same color but slightly bigger. This one says SKIVING SNACKBOX in big bold letters and when he opens it there's a ton of what looks like individually wrapped pieces of candy. Fred takes a single piece and removes the wrapping. One side is an orange color while the other one is purple. "This is our most tested product so far. When you eat the orange half of the candy you start to feel ill—nothing too bad, just enough to get you out of class—and then once you're finally out, you take the purple half and you feel better again, ready to enjoy your free time. Brilliant, I know."
"And you're aware that this leaves a horrible example for younger generations, right?"
"Yeah, we hope so," He rubs his palms together and it reminds me of a cheesy villainous moment. Then, he offers me the open candy in his hand. "Wanna try it out?"
I roll my eyes and push his hand away. "I can't believe that you and your brother are throwing your talent away by making... these."
"Wait, did I just hear a compliment in between all of that?" Fred leans close with a hand behind his ear, pretending to be bad at hearing.
My eyes roll for a second time because this boy just loves to make my eyes... nevermind. "All I'm saying is that maybe you should focus your attention on creating something more... useful?"
Fred pretends to look offended. "This is useful! Why spend so many hours in class when you can be using the time to do more important things, like playing games or sleeping?"
"Of course," I say sarcastically. "It's not like we need education or anything," I then spot a bigger box, this one a bright pink color, and point to it. "What's that?"
When he sees what I'm pointing at, he smirks at me. "Those are our WonderWitch products. They come in a variety; we have things like pimple vanishers to love potions."
I quirk a brow. "Love potions?"
"The best love potions around," He says, a hint of a smirk on his lips as he leans against his desk. "Although I don't think you really need one."
I nearly gape at him. "What do you mean?"
Fred shrugs. "I think Malfoy may already have the hots for you. I see the way he looks at you."
"Excuse me?!" In what world does Draco Malfoy like me? And in what world would I ever reciprocate those same feelings?
"I'm joking," Fred chuckles at my mortified expression. "But I'm sure there are guys at the school who are head over heels for you."
I scoff. "I doubt it."
He stares down at me, and I swear we're standing closer to each other than before. "I wouldn't."
I blink a few times. I want to say something back but I do not know what. What do you even say to that? Luckily, Mrs. Weasley's voice coming from downstairs, announcing that dinner is ready, fills in the blank space and I take the opportunity to close the subject. "We should go."
We exit the twins' bedroom but before we can head down the stairs, I halt my steps. "Wait," I point to the other door. "You never told me whose room that is."
Fred turns to look at it. "Oh," Something flashes across his expression and I'm unsure what it is. "No one's. Come on, Mom's waiting."
He keeps walking and, although I find his reaction odd, I follow him without saying anything else.
***
I have never been close to my family. Due to our differing ideals, my parents and I always end every single conversation with an argument, so we try to speak to each other as little as possible. My brother is kind of walking along the same path, unfortunately, and although he's a bit more tolerable, a lot of times it still feels like I'm talking to a wall. Dinner, specifically, has always been a horrible time, because I get to sit there and listen to them complain about muggle-borns, support the Ministry and its lies, praise my brother for following their footsteps, and criticize me for never wanting to be like them.
With the Weasleys, it feels completely different. It feels nice and comfortable, and the topic of blood status is not brought up once. Their dynamic feels so natural and like how a true family should be. Mrs. Weasley scolds her children every five minutes but you can tell that she loves them more than anything else. She also likes to insist on me grabbing more servings, and if my stomach was bottomless I'd probably eat every single thing on the table. Mr. Weasley is fascinated by my knowledge of the muggle world and how it functions, although It's mostly just things I've learned from Muggle Studies. Contrary to what I've always thought of her, Ginny is pretty cool. She and I share similar tastes and her impressions are hilarious and spot on. Ron is a bit awkward and is mostly just eating and talking to Harry Potter, who happens to be staying over for spring break, but now and then he asks me a question if he's interested enough in what I'm saying. The twins get in trouble several times, one of them being when they decided to sneak a fake spider into Ron's plate, which made him nearly faint. And although I've been acting like a total bitch to him for so long, Fred makes sure that I don't feel left out, often trying to include me in the conversation or playfully teasing me in a way. But I find that I don't mind it; It's the most fun I've had in a while.
After we're done with dinner, I am forced to decline Ginny's offer to go flying for a bit because we still have to work on the potion, which I had almost forgotten about by the time Mrs. Weasley brought in dessert, but I tell her that we can try and get together another time to do so. Fred and I head directly back to his room so we can get it over with. I'm surprised to discover that Fred works really well as a team when he actually commits to it. "Can I ask you a question?" I ask him while I add and stir Powdered Moonstone into the cauldron.
He thinks about it but not for long. "Only if I can ask one back."
Of course, there's always a catch with him. "Okay, whatever," I say defeatedly. "Whose room is the one across from yours?"
Fred sighs as his usual playful demeanor suddenly drops for a moment, but he tries to hide the fact that the question has any effect on him as he helps me slice Adder's Fork. "It's Percy's, my older brother," He finally answers. "He kind of doesn't live here anymore."
"Did something happen?" I ask without thinking. And then I realize how nosy I sounded. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked, It's none of my business—"
"No, I don't mind," He shakes his head. He's being genuine. "You know about the whole thing happening with Harry and the Ministry of Magic, right?"
"About You-Know-Who coming back and the Ministry feeding lies to everyone because they're cowards?"
Fred nods. "Pretty much. Well, Percy is siding with the Ministry because he's a git, and he and Dad had a very bad argument about it a few weeks ago. Then he just left and we haven't heard from him since."
"Oh, wow," I say with wide eyes. "That must've been hard for all of you."
"Especially for mom. She's cried every single day after he left."
There's a hint of sadness in his tone that I've never heard from him before and I can't shake away the uncomfortable feeling I get from it. I guess I've never thought of Fred Weasley as someone who gets sad now and then, who maybe even cries when he's upset, but at the end of the day, he's still human just like me. "I'm so sorry." I can't help but say.
"You don't have to be," Fred says, giving me a reassuring smile. "But anyway, now It's my turn," His tone changes drastically back to its typical self. "Why didn't you want me to visit your house? Because I saw how tense you got when I mentioned it."
"Simple," I slightly raise the heat on the cauldron after Fred drops the Adder's Fork into the mixture. "My family is not very pleasant to be around with."
"I guess I kind of figured. Are they...?"
"Blood supremacists? Yes," I answer. "The worst kind possible. That's why as soon as I graduate I want to find my own place and cut all ties with them immediately. They know I want to, and they don't care, either."
Fred remains silent for a moment while he adds the Jobberknoll Feathers. "I didn't know that."
I shrug. "I guess I've grown used to it. I've had to put up with them my whole life, but I'm glad I'll soon have the chance to go my own way."
"Another question," He says, almost like he's asking permission to do so, but he doesn't wait for me to answer. "Are your parents Death Eaters?"
The question stings, and I consider lying for a quick moment, but I slowly nod.
Fred's eyes grow big. "Bloody hell."
"Yup," I say. It's a conversation I don't want to have with anyone but he would've found out eventually. It's a shock he didn't know about it already. "That's why people tend to have a bad image of me once they find out. It's bad enough that I'm in Slytherin, people already think I'm a delinquent just by that alone. And that's why I rather just not talk about my family."
The room goes quiet for a second while I stir the potion clockwise. Then, Fred says, "Well, congrats. You've actually made me feel bad."
"What for?"
"Before getting to know you better, I didn't like you for the mere fact that I thought you were an uptight Slytherin, just because you seemed to dislike mine and George's pranks," He explains.
I chuckle, reminiscing about the ongoing war between both of our Houses and all the times Fred and George managed to piss us off. "Hey, I don't hold it against you. You're not the only one. Besides, I didn't like you either, so we're even."
Fred smirks. "Didn't?"
"I guess you're not... as bad as I thought," I confess, avoiding his eyes.
"Huh," He says. "I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said about me."
***
When I leave the Burrow, there's a hollow feeling in my chest. As soon as I'm greeted by the cold presence of my parents back at the manor, I realize how long I've always longed for something like what I experienced tonight. In a single day the Weasleys made me feel like I'd been a part of their family forever, something my own family has yet to accomplish.
The Easter break goes by way too slowly, and for me that's not necessarily a good thing. I spend a lot of alone time at the manor, although sometimes I meet up with Daphne, and on the second to last day, I go back to the Burrow one more time because there is still one important step to complete in the brewing process, which is to get the potion to absorb moonlight on the night of the full moon. But we manage to do it without trouble, although, by the time I'm back at the manor, there is something deep down still troubling me.
When we're finally back at Hogwarts, Fred finds me to test out the potion the day before we have to show it in class, and we go all the way up to the Astronomy Tower. "Okay," Fred says as soon as we are all settled in. "You got the good stuff?"
I grab my bag and take out the the vial of colorless liquid. It might as well be water, exactly as it should be. The two of us observe the Veritaserum with pride. I reach into the bag again and take out a glass dropper I'd borrowed from Daphne while he opens the vial. "So, who goes first?" Fred asks.
I purse my lips in thought. "What if we drink it at the same time and then we just take turns asking each other a question?"
"Nice. Rock paper scissors to see who gets to ask first?"
We tie for two rounds straight before he beats me with rock. I hand him the dropper and he squeezes some of the liquid into it. "Remember, three drops should be enough for it to work," I remind him.
He nods. He passes the dropper back to me when he's done and I take the three drops. There's no smell and no taste, either, which is better than it being disgusting. I wait for something to happen, any indication that the serum has started taking effect, but I don't feel any different. Fred seems to feel the same. "So... how do we know if It's working?"
"I don't know," I say. "Ask me a question, I guess."
"Uhh... what's your favorite color?"
"Seriously?" Fred holds his hands up in defense and I sigh and answer anyway. "Yellow."
He raises a brow, eyeing me carefully. "Is that true?"
"It is."
"Okay, then maybe It's working! Now you ask me something."
I try to think of something else, something that a guy like him usually lies about. "Did you do your homework during Spring break?"
"Absolutely not."
"What were you doing in the meantime?"
"George and I were busy perfecting some of our products," Fred answers. I don't even have to question if It's true. "Speaking of, who do you think is the cuter twin?"
"You, of course," I say, and then I cover my mouth, but It's too late. That's far from what I wanted to say but I guess the serum really is working now. Fred is grinning from ear to ear without a care in the world, and he's clearly enjoying this. Before he can say anything, I ask the first thing that comes to mind. "What do you really think about me?"
He blinks at me, taken aback, but he answers without stuttering. "Well, at first, I thought you were just another annoying, hateful Slytherin—cute, but hateful. But then I realized that you're probably the coolest girl I've ever met."
Fred looks like he just got out of a trance and he doesn't remember anything about the last few seconds. I smile in satisfaction. He thinks he has an advantage on this little "game" but he seems to forget that we're both in it. I can pull a secret from him just as easily. "Interesting," I comment. "You didn't mention thinking I was cute earlier."
"Are you trying to start something here?" He asks.
I shake my head. "I think you started it a long time ago."
"Okay, then," He folds his arms across his chest. "Do you regret kissing me that night?"
I try to stop myself from talking but It's useless. Don't answer him. "No. I don't think I ever did."
Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up shut up!
"I knew it," Fred says, stepping closer. My back makes contact with the nearest wall but neither of us pulls away. "I knew that wasn't for nothing."
I ignore the way his eyes move down to my lips. "Did you like it when I kissed you?"
"Yes. I still think about it to this day," He confesses shamelessly. "If you don't regret kissing me, does that mean that you have feelings for me?"
I have gotten to know more about Fred Weasley than I had ever imagined. I've been to his house, I've met his family, I've seen how he is outside of school... "I do," I tell him, locking my gaze with his. "I like you."
There's a brief moment of silence in which the two of us just stare at each other, indulging in what I just said. Maybe I wasn't thinking of confessing my feelings today but It's out now. I could Obliviate him so he forgets any of this ever happened but I... I don't want to. And I don't think he wants either with the way he wraps an arm around my waist and connects his lips with mine.
With his free hand, Fred brings me as close to him as humanly possible and tangles it in my hair. This kiss feels so different than the first one; I was cold, wet, terrified, and not in a good state of mind when we kissed that night, and he was not expecting me to do that. But this time we're both warm, needy, and desperate, and I'm tired of fighting it. I'm tired of fighting him. I want him. "Good," Fred pulls away, his voice breathless, and my heart jumps. "Because I like you, too."
I grab him by the tie and kiss him again, and he responds right away. He holds me like I'm the most precious thing to him, like he needs me more than anything, and it makes me want him even more. I tug at his hair and he groans softly, coaxing his tongue with mine as soon as I have access. We get so caught up in each other that I begin to forget where we are; my vision and all of my senses are invaded by a tall ginger boy who just couldn't leave me alone in the first place. And I'm so glad he didn't.
I pull away and Fred moves to kiss my cheek and then my jawline. My heart flutters in the best way. "How long have you liked me?" I ask him while I wrap my arms around his neck.
"I think I've been attracted to you for a long time but when you really had me in a chokehold was when you nearly succeeded in taking the Cup from us," Fred says. There's a small smirk tugging at his lips. "I was so impressed by you, and then when you kissed me..." He makes a gesture as if he's been shot through the heart. I fail to hold back my laughter. "I've been hooked ever since."
I bite my lip, playing with a strand of my hair. "Anything else you want to tell me?"
"Yes, actually, there is," I initially expect a joke or a silly comment, but once again Fred Weasley manages to take me by surprise. "If you ever need a place to stay after you graduate, do not hesitate to tell me because I'm sure mom would love to have you staying over."
My eyebrows raise and my eyes go wide. "What?"
He scratches the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just—you were talking about it the other day and I-I wanted you to have the option, you know, just in case..."
"Fred Weasley, are you messing with me?" I raise my fist, ready to hit his arm.
Fred grabs my wrist gently and lowers it out of sight. He's still smiling down at me like he's amused. "I swear that I will talk to my mom about it if you ever need me to. You can use Percy's room or mine and George's room if we move out."
That's the nicest thing anyone could ever do for me. I never thought anyone would; aside from Fred, Daphne is the only person who shows any concern over me. I know she would have no problem with me staying with her after graduation but I also know she's leaving immediately after to live in Paris. My eyes well up with tears but I fight to keep them in. "That would be nice," My voice is slightly shaky, but steady. "Thank you,"
A single tear escapes but Fred gently wipes it away. "You're very welcome."
He leans down to peck my lips. I grin in content. "Do you want to go get dinner?"
"Oh, you're inviting me out to eat?" He wiggles his eyebrows and I hit his arm playfully. I fight back a smile.
We gather our things and head down to the Great Hall. Fred holds my hand the entire way. I must admit that it feels nice to not fight back my feelings and just enjoy my alone times with Fred, even if It's something as simple as moving from one place to another. When we're approaching the large doors, I feel Fred's fingers abandoning mine. I look up at him and, once I see the look on his face, I realize why he does it: he thinks I don't want to be seen with him. And, yes, maybe if Fred Weasley went to grab my hand a few weeks ago I would probably bite it off but if he doesn't hold it now I will most definitely cry. When he's about to turn his head, I reach to grab his hand, seeing and feeling him jump under my touch. He stares at our linked hands like he cannot believe what he's seeing and—is that a blush tinting his cheeks? I crane my neck up and smile at him. After allowing myself to know him a little better, I've discovered that I love catching him off guard more than anything. It shows a whole different side of him, and It's very attractive.
We open the giant doors to the Great Hall after Fred recovers and we walk in. A few heads turn in our direction; some of them don't think anything interesting is going on so they go back to their plates, while others stare curiously. A few Gryffindors whisper while George and Lee Jordan smirk our way. The Slytherin table cannot help but be a bit more obvious, murmuring stuff to each other that I'm sure is nothing good and sneering at the both of us as Fred leans in close. "I think you're getting banned from Slytherin, but don't worry, I'm sure Gryffindor could take you in."
I chuckle as I roll my eyes. "They'll get over it. Anyway, I don't care what they say. Talk to you later?"
"Of course," Fred says.
I go to walk away but he grabs my chin and before I can ask him what he's doing he leans down to plant a quick kiss on my lips. He walks away, leaving me standing there frozen for a moment, and before he reaches his spot on the Gryffindor table he turns his head and winks at me. That bastard, I think as I shake my head. He did that on purpose!
When I finally reach my table I feel the daggers that my housemates are throwing at me piercing through my skull, but I focus on the beaming girl sitting across from me. I sigh as I grab my empty plate and begin serving myself. "Go on. Say whatever you have to say."
"I told you!" She bursts. "I told you there was something there, and I told you that he liked you, and I certainly knew that you were just acting stupid. You liked him, too! You stupid, stupid bitch—"
"No insults, please."
"But you are a stupid bitch, are you or are you not?"
"I can't say I'm not."
"Staining the name of Slytherin yet again, (L/N)?" Draco calls from the other side of the table. "You shouldn't even be carrying your family's last name. It's too big of an honor for a blood traitor like you."
A few Slytherin laugh in agreement. "Should she even be allowed to sit with us? I bet Weasley germs are spreading around our table already." Pansy Parkinson grimaces.
"Well, the Parkinson germs have been spreading for years, haven't they?" I snap back at her.
"Yeah, and no one's said anything about it," Daphne adds, shrugging innocently.
Pansy glares at the both of us but does not say anything else. When she turns back to her group, Daphne rolls her eyes. "The only con about all of this is that you have to put up with stuff like that."
"That's true," I agree. "But I honestly don't care."
I turn to look at the Gryffindor table, and automatically my eyes find Fred's figure. He's already looking in my direction and when our eyes meet we smile. Okay, yes, I do like him. I like him a lot.