39 | Fred and Lina's obvious plan
The next day Marley Macmillan was in the Gryffindor common room with Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. She had studied five minutes ago, but when the two girls showed up, she stopped. Still, she was tired enough and needed a break.
"How are you? Did you finally stopped studying?" friendly joked Alicia and both girls sat next to Marley on the sofa near the fireplace. The fifth-year girl spotted her brother Harry Potter with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger on a sofa in the other side of the room talking.
"Yes, because of you two." Marley retorted. "Do you have a date for the Yule Ball?"
"Not yet." Angelina pressed her big lips in thin line nervously. "I don't think I will go with someone. Maybe we can go alone as friends and have fun, but McGonagall wouldn't be really satisfied with that."
"Lina, we're not guilty that we are ugly and no one will invite us to the ball." exclaimed Marley and the three girls burst out in laughter. "The joke aside. In fact, why not invite us? I don't think we're that bad, I was just messing a while ago."
"Yes, why not?" shrugged shoulders Alicia with a secret smirk under her blank face. "I know first someone has to invite us to the ball, but Marley, is there someone that you want to go with?"
"You pretty well know who I want to go with." Marley almost rolled her eyes. Yesterday, McGonagall had called every Gryffindor student for a quick dance lesson in the Great Hall. The professor made Marley and George Weasley dance in front of the whole house because they were laughing at how awkward Ron was feeling when McGonagall told him to dance with her. Her feelings for the prankster and charming red-haired boy had become stronger but she knew he'll only break her heart. "But he wouldn't ask me and you know why. Maybe he'll ask you Ali, or another girl. But it won't be me."
"Why?" questioned Lina with a frown but something was urging her best friend to laugh out loud. Marley saw how the Weasley twins had just entered the common room and sat on the sofa where Harry, Ron and Hermione were. "Maybe he likes you, M. Stop thinking that he doesn't."
"He's a prankster, alright? He jokes all the time. I would believe him if he asks me to the ball, because he doesn't like any girls but just needs a girl to go to the Yule Ball with and we'll go as friends. But I don't think I will believe him if he tells me he likes me."
"You're making it too complicated, Marley!" called desperately Alicia, raising up her voice. "He'll either ask you or not. Okay, but what if he doesn't ask you, but someone else? What would you say?"
Marley paused for a moment. If George don't invite her, what if there was another boy who looked good and had nice personality, but he wasn't the boy she wanted to go with, what would she do? Would she agree or refuse? She might have agreed, simply because no one would have invited her, at least the person she wanted to go to the ball.
"Hey Marley!" the girl heard Fred's voice, calling her from the other side of the common room.
"We'll understand now, Ali." smirked Angelina and Marley saw with the corner of her eyes how her friends crossed their fingers as they were praying and hoping something will happen. But what? She was convinced Lina was hiding something from her for a while, but had no idea what it was.
"Yes, Weasley?"
"Will you come of the Yule ball with me?" he shouted. Fred didn't like her that way, neither did she. But they would probably just go as friends. Marley hesitated for a moment, but then decided nothing would hurt her if she goes with Fred. And without that, he looked just like George, so it would be pretty much the same. Even so, she could get a little more out of her friend about what he was doing with Lina, because she obviously didn't want to tell Marley.
"Yeah, sure." the girl replied. She couldn't see George's face but he didn't seem to pay attention at their little conversation. Fred just grinned and focused on his talk with Harry, Ron and Hermione. But something was off with George. He would have made a joke about that Fred asked Marley to the ball - but he did nothing this time.
"Did you just say yes to Fred?" exclaimed Alicia and she sounded surprised. But part of her voice revealed that it wasn't something shocking and she even expected that to happen. Wait, Alicia couldn't be in the strange thing between Fred and Lina, right? "But I thought you wanted to go with George."
"Yes, but I like Fred too." shrugged Marley and quickly took a glimpse of her Care of Magical Creatures notes on the roll parchment. "The Yule Ball was announced quickly after the First Task. If he wanted to go with me, he should've done it by now. There are less than two weeks until the ball. And I'm sure if I've said no to Fred, I'd go alone."
"You did the right thing." Lina stood by Marley's side, grin on her dark face. Yes, there was somthing wrong and Marley wasn't stupid. Now she was sure Fred asked her to the ball on a purpose and she decided to pretend nothing's going on to see how far they'd go and what kind of shitty plan they came up with.
But at this time, Marley didn't know it wasn't shitty at all.
***
The night of the Yule Ball has finally come. Marley and Hermione went into the common room three hours earlier to get ready, leaving Fred, George, and Harry to snowball at the courtyard. In the end, it turned out that George had invited Lina the week before the ball, and though Marley wanted to be happy for her friend, she was jealous because she wanted to go with George.
Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were everywhere. Marley, Lina and Hermione were already done with preparations over their dresses. They would wear formal robes and mildly, ugly robes during the first dance, and then they were allowed to take them off. Marley was wearing a baby pink and fluffy dress with many tulle and ballet slippers. The formal robe was also pink and quite fitting with her dress. Her hair was on soft and pleasant waves and there was a balm on her lips.
Hermione wore a glitter blue dress and a blue formal robe. Her hair, usually ruffled, has now come out with exquisite smooth curls. Lina was dressed in a purple dress and robe that accentuated her dark skin.
"You look stunning, girls." said sincerely the Fat Lady, while the girls were leaving the common room. "The boys you're going with, should be so lucky. Have fun!"
"Thank you!" replied Hermione, her cheeks red from the compliment. "Marley, you look like candy dream. That's so sweet."
"Oh, thanks Mione." smiled Marley. To be honest, she really liked her pinky tulle dress and how frivolous it was. "Now, tell us who is your partner, please."
"You just need to wait a little more." Hermione grinned widely and laughed. "Be patient, Miss Potter."
All three girls burst out laughing as they went down to the entrance hall. Fred and George had to wait for them there because at least that was what they had been told. Marley's stomach made a somersault and her muscles filled with cramps. She was pretty worried about going along to the ball, even though she was going with Fred as just good friends. And on top of that, as much as she loved Lina, she had to watch her all night with George, the boy she had fallen in love helplessly and couldn't stop her feelings. She knew perfectly well that he didn't like her that way. Still, it hurt.
GEORGE POV
George Weasley was nervous as hell. He had invited Angelina to the ball a week ago, but he wanted to go with Marley. Ever since its announcement. But Fred had done it, and he didn't even feel bad about his brother, even though he knew about his feelings for Marley. And George was planning to tell her tonight how he was really feeling about her, though it could end badly. He just wanted Marley to know it.
"You nervous, Georgie?" asked Fred. The Weasley twins were waiting in the entrance hall for the girls who had to appear any moment. George nervously switched his gaze from the staircase to his brother. Students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were entering the castle and heading for the Great Hall, where the Yule Ball will take place.
"Yes, I'm fine." he clenched his jaw and grinned. "You know, Freddie? I had this plans about Marley tonight but you fucking invited her and they ruined my whole life." the friendly sarcasm was spilling out of him as a waterfall, but Fred just smirked even more.
"Oh, Georgie, Georgie." he said somehow slowly and casually. "Your plans for Marley are your smallest problem. Even smaller than your dick. Anyway, don't worry about her now or your fucking sweet plans. You'll be grateful to me by the end of the night."
"What did you just say about my dick?" exclaimed offended George but he couldn't hide his smile and it shone on his face. Fred also laughed. "Don't even dare to offend my dick again, Fred. Because if mine is small, yours is too. We're twins. But why should I be grateful for you? That you asked the girl I wanted to go with?"
"You'll see." said Fred but he wasn't looking at George, but at the staircase with gleam in his brown eyes. "Now until she's yours, you'll be jealous at me because, bro, she looks stunning."
George also turned to see the girls, going down the stairs and yes, Fred was right. Marley was the most beautiful of all the three. And all the girls in Hogwarts. She was wearing a baby pink dress with tulle, her face looked even sweeter and her soft hair was falling on waves. Hermione was wearing glitter blue dress and quickly said goodbye to Lina and Marley, because the fourth-year probably saw her partner.
Lina was also pretty - with purple dress and robe, matching with her dark skin and hair. But Marley... Marley was just sweeter than candy-floss. Both girls smiled at the twins and walked in their direction.
"Hi, boys." waved Marley with hand, excitement in her sweet voice. George was totally paralysed and now he wished more than everything to be with her that night. But Fred obviously had other plans and wanted to ruin his night. Unless... Fred said he should be grateful to him by the end of the night but George wasn't on that opninion. He'd rather hit him with his Quidditch bat than thank him.
"You both look like fallen stars." Fred immediately started flirting and took Marley's hand. George did the same with Angelina's and the fourth of them headed for the Great Hall, but George noticed how Lina and Fred winked at each other.
And he was sure Marley saw it too.