Over the next few days, it was hard to focus on anything but Quidditch. The match was the next day. But I managed to keep up with my classes and my friends. In fact, I was on my way down to the Great Hall with Fred that very moment. George had run up ahead with Lee Jordan minutes ago, when Lee had mentioned something about running off to prank Snape.
"Yeah see you guys when you get out of detention in a few years! If you survive that long!" I'd called.
Since then it had been silent, aside from the occasional rumble of my stomach. We were uncomfortably late for breakfast. Fred had once again slept in far too late, which had ended in Lee and I beating him with pillows until he rolled out from under the covers and onto the floor. It had taken a few minutes before he had forgiven us.
"Nervous for the game tomorrow?" Fred asked, turning to me.
"Nah," I lied easily. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Well, you could fall off your broom, you could get hit by a bludger," Fred seemed to be growing a smirk as he continued. "You could get hit by a player, you could run into the goalposts, or the stands, you could faint which would also result in you falling off your broom and there's much more but the list is too long for me to go on."
"None of that'll happen. Why should I be nervous? We're facing Gryffindor," I shrugged, laughing at Fred's face when he realized, after a few seconds, that I'd insulted him, George, Harry and the rest of the team.
"Hey!"
I laughed once again and started chanting loudly. "Slytherin! Slytherin! Slytherin!"
We started bickering about the match, and which house was better, all the way to the Great Hall. By the time we had reached the doors our friendly bickering had resulted in each of us becoming very defensive about our houses and nearly reaching a very heated argument. I stopped and looked over at Fred.
"Fine. If you're going to be like that, I'll just sit all by myself at the Slytherin table," I started to strut of towards my house table, when Fred grabbed my hand and tugged, leading me toward the Gryffindor table.
"No, no. You'll come sit with us I think Melody," said Fred in a cunning voice that could've passed for Slytherin.
"Don't call me that!" I yelled, smacking him hard in the arm, but growing a smile that I wished would go away.
He only grinned and this time used both hands to try and tug me towards the Gryffindor table. I couldn't seem to scowl properly. My feet seemed to involuntarily be moving forward. He only grinned and continued to walk backwards.
That's when I realized everyone had stopped what they were doing, and started looking at us. Seconds after that I realized the position we were in; practically holding hands in the hall. I suppressed a blush. Fred seemed to realize as well, and we both averted our eyes to the floor and walked the rest of the way to where Harry sat.
I glared at eyes that met mine, and they all went back down to their food. I smirked. Fred and I sat next to each other at the Gryffindor and continued to bicker over Quidditch. Everyone started to join in, everyone but Hermione and Sadie.
"Ugh, boys and their Quidditch," Hermione groaned.
"Agreed," Sadie added, rolling her eyes.
"Hey!" Sydney said, as she and I turned to face Hermione and Sadie. "What was that?"
"I said boys and their...oh."
"Uh-huh. Do we look like boys to you?" I drawled slowly, looking both Hermione and Sadie in the eye.
"Well... what I meant was-" I cut her off only by raising an eyebrow.
"No," Hermione said rather bravely.
"That's what I thought," I said, my voice sickly sweet. "I think I'll just be going, then," I stood and turned to the doors. "But before I forget..." I waved my wand once, pointed towards Hermione and Sadie.
Their hair began to get shorter, their features became more boyish, and when they spoke their voices were deeper. They looked at each other in horror, and clutched their faces. I laughed at their reactions, whilst they glared at me.
"What is going on here?" a velvety voice sounded behind me.
I turned to find Professor Snape standing behind me. Ever since that one potions class where I'd decided to look like my father, he'd hated me. He hated me but he couldn't take points off his own house. He couldn't take points off a Slytherin, much less give them detention. He was helpless.
"Well you see Professor; these two girls thought Marshall and I were boys! It was very insulting you see, and I decided they needed to get what they deserved," I turned and smirked at Hermione and Sadie who still looked like boys.
"Miss Potter, I decide who gets punished and how. I am the Professor no?" he looked down on me, his black eyes holding no amusement.
"Yes sir. But-"
"No buts, Miss Potter. I will decide appropriately, who is punished. Miss Granger 10 points from Gryffindor for harassing another student."
"Professor, what about Sadie?" Hermione complained.
"I do not think Miss Bennett did any wrong," Snape drawled smoothly.
"Well what about our faces then?" Hermione and Sadie complained.
"Hm," Snape strutted off, his robes billowing behind him.
I laughed again at the expression the two wore. I walked away, leaving Sydney to be yelled at mercilessly by Hermione and Sadie. She glared at my retreating back. I was tucking my wand back into my robes when I heard a voice calling me back.
"Lily! Wait!" Fred called from behind me.
I swivelled around to watch him run to catch up with me. He ran over, and stopped before me. His long orange hair fell in front of his sea blue eyes and his lips were parted slightly as he panted.
"Like what you see?" he grinned and my hazel eyes snapped up to meet his blue ones.
I raised my eyebrows, looked over him once and tilted my head to the side. I pretended to be in deep thought, while stroking my chin, before shrugging.
"I guess."
Fred shook his head in amusement. He punched me lightly in the arm, and I punched him back, hard enough that he was tenderly rubbing his arm afterwards. I sniggered at his expression.
"I was wondering if you'd like to come with me to Hogsmeade," he said, letting his hand drop off his arm. "Of course we'd have to sneak over, but I'll show you the way and all."
"Sure. No need to show me the way, I've sneaked off there before."
"I wish that I could say I was surprised, Slytherin."
"I'd bet you do, Gryffindor," I grinned with narrowed eyes.
"Let's be going then," Fred lead me towards the door, and held them open when I walked through.
I walked through and waited for him to return to my side again. The walk to Hogsmade was silent. Though it wasn't and awkward silence. It was quite comfortable. I shivered and wished I'd brought warmer robes. The cool November air bit at me and I shivered again.
"Cold?" Fred looked at me concerned.
"No, not at all," I lied, forcing my body to relax.
"Yes you are. Here," Fred placed his winter cloak around my shoulders.
He remained in nothing but a white collared shirt. My ego took an immediate hit. My face flushed furiously and I practically ripped it off before he could have even felt the blistering cold. I forced it back into his hands.
"Fred," I groaned. "I don't need this."
"Fine. But come here," he rolled his eyes, shrugging the cloak back on.
I walked towards Fred and he wrapped his arm around me and held me at his side. It was quite a bit warmer, though I'd never admit that. I pressed lightly into his side as we walked like that the rest of the way to Hogsmade, and halfway through town. Fred, keeping his arm tightly around me, led me into the warmth of the three broomsticks and removed his arm from around me.
"Go sit. I'll get us butterbeer," Fred motioned to a small table in the corner. "Oh, and if anyone asks, you're not a first year."
I went and sat at the small table and looked around the quiet place. It was just the two of us, and some couple, too old to be in school, at the table furthest from us. I kept a weary eye out for snitching Ravenclaws, prefects (not that they'd dare sneak out to Hogsmeade), and Professors.
Fred made his way over minutes later two butterbeers in hand. He placed on in front of me, then sat across the table. I sipped my butterbeer and couldn't help but notice he hadn't touched his, and his eyes were still on me. He was staring. I willed myself not to turn red, when I was sure I wouldn't, I spoke.
"Take a picture. It'll last longer."
Fred, with a cunning grin, brought out a camera from pockets which he'd told me were exteded to fit various pranking tools, and took a picture. It spit out a picture of me laughing. The camera, enchanted to levitate, moved back and took another picture of the both of us and soon enough two copies of the picture appeared, one in my hand, on in Fred's.
The picture was of the two of us, Fred had gone to wave, and knocked his butterbeer over and I started laughing. It started over again and again.
Suddenly, I felt something cold on my leg. Fred's butterbeer was dripping of the table and through my robes. I cursed and stood up.
"Oh, Merlin! Lily, I'm so, so, sorry," Fred continued to apologize while I cast a simple drying charm on the table and my robes. It was mostly successful, the only remnants of the butterbeer was a small stain in the wood of the table and a dampness in my robes.
"It's okay Fred, wait here, I'll go get you a new butterbeer."
"No, I'll go," Fred stood hastily and ran over to the counter.
While Fred was gone I pulled out the picture of the two of us again and smiled. I watched as the photo replayed the picture of the scene repeatedly. When Fred got back with a new butterbeer, I stuffed the photo into the pocket of my robes and paid attention to the boy in front of me.
We were at The Three Broomsticks for a while before we stood and left. We'd lost track of time and had been talking and laughing for hours.
We walked back out into the cold November air and Fred pulled me into his side again. I snuggled into him as we started the trek back to the castle. The snow started to fall lightly, forming a thin white sheet on the ground.
I was unaware of the camera that followed behind us until we arrived at the castle and Fred handed me a picture of our retreating backs. His arm was wrapped around me as I was held by his side, my arms holding his. The snow fell around the two of us as we walked, and you could see the castle in the distance. I added this picture to my pocket as well as we entered the castle.
We entered the castle and were back in the warmth of the halls. As it always was, the kindness we'd shared in Hogsmeade was replaced with bickering in no time.