SONG OF THE CHAPTER -
see you again • tyler, the creator
Weeks passed, and although they had their share of sneaky visits and longing glances, nobody had a clue about the relationship Fred Weasley and Adalinda Malfoy were blossoming. This included her brother and her boyfriend. Fred had also found a way to hide it from his partner in crime, George. Though Addy held a guilt about her secret love with the forbidden boy, it dissipated greatly as Adrian's actions grew angrier and more harsh towards her. Now, when he walked in the room, she cowered. When his temper got too bad, he usually took it out on her. He was loose with his tongue, rough when he touched her, and no more loving than her father had been to her when she was young.
The snow was beginning to stick to the ground as they walked to Hogsmeade. November was drawing to a close, and Christmas and the Yule Ball were fast approaching. Adalinda was surrounded by her group of daunting boys. They followed her closely as she walked, noticing the distance between her and Adrian. None of them dared to bring it up. The whole school seemed to be on their way to the village. The group of six stuck close to the front, eager to have some excitement in their lives. Addy had changed into boots, retiring her statement shoes for the winter. She pulled her jacket closer to her body as she walked, trying to keep out the cold winter air.
As the heart of the small cluster of buildings came into view, they picked up their pace. Soon, the entrance of the village was littered with students. Adalinda made her way to The Three Broomsticks, smiling at the thought of her favourite place. The warm whoosh of air hit them strong in the face as they entered. It was a relief to be out of the harsh cold that nature had become. Each of the six retired into the seats of a booth after ordering a butterbeer. They made mindless chatter as they sipped on their glasses, enjoying their break from the castle. In a couple booths before them, Addy noticed Fred Weasley sitting with his brother and Lee Jordan. He gave her a barely noticeable smile when he caught her eyes.
Time passed, and the crowd around the Slytherin girl diminished. It was left with her and Adrian. They barely spoke to each other, only looking at each other when they accidentally caught eyes. The liquid in the girls cup was dwindling as the day went forward. "So," the boy before her started. She looked to him. "I wanted to know if you would like to go to the Yule Ball with me?" He asked, slowly. His gaze burned into her. She let her hands dance over the handle of the mug.
"Yeah, I'd love to." A small smile pressed her lips. He returned it. He leaned over and kissed her, but it didn't last long.
"I'm gonna go check out Honeydukes, did you want to come?" He asked. She stayed silent as her stare drifted behind him and back to the ginger. She didn't look for long, in fear of being caught.
"No, I think I'll stay here. Maybe have another butterbeer before I have to go back." She told him. He gave a slight nod, unsure if she was being truthful. "I have to go to Dervish and Bangs after, and then stop to pick up something for Draco for Christmas. Don't bother waiting around for me, I'll probably be a while." She said as he stood.
"Are you sure? I don't mind." She gave him a nod. "Addy?" He asked again, harder. He wanted a verbal answer.
"I'm sure, I'll see you back at the castle." Guilt had become her, knowing why she truly didn't want him to stay. He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek, making cold run through her veins.
"Okay, see you later, then." He walked off and out of the pub. She waited a few minutes as she overheard the twins from afar.
"I have to go shopping for Christmas, I better get that done." Fred told his brother.
"Brilliant, I'll come." George said.
"You can't, you git. I have to get something for you, too." George eyed him wearily.
"Right, well, Lee and I will leave you too it, then." George spoke as him and his friend made an exit. When both of their booths sat empty, they finally met each other's faces. They gave a nod to each other, and Adalinda removed herself from her seat. She walked out the doors, checking to see if any of her friends were around to see her. When she believed she was in the clear, she headed around the corner of the building and eventually behind it. Minutes later, Fred followed her path. He was also cautious of someone seeing him.
When he caught her standing there, waiting, he pulled her into a hug. She let her head rest on his chest as she wrapped her arms around the boy before her. She felt less disgusted at her actions and more comforted. In the few weeks they had been seeing each other, Fred had shown her what it was like to be truly happy. He placed a kiss to her forehead as they parted, leaving a darker tinge of rose on her already red cheeks. "I've missed you." He said, looking down at her. He was over a head taller than the girl before him.
"Me, too." She sighed, snaking her hand up to his neck. She pulled him down to meet her mouth which he accepted with ease. They moved together in time, allowing themselves to enjoy the moment they were spending together. They didn't know when they'd get another. Their noses touched as they drew away. "I have to go to the ball with Adrian." She stated. A twang of jealousy erupted into Fred's chest, but he knew.
"I understand."
"You better find someone, too. It'll make this seem even less plausible." She wanted to kiss him again, but she knew the conversation was far more important. "And I can't have you staring at me all night. I'll be trying not to look at you, either."
"Angelina?" He asked, running a thumb over her cheek. He wanted to make sure she was okay with whoever he took.
"Yeah," she grinned. "But you'll be meeting me in the room of requirement after." She reminded.
"I wouldn't want to be anywhere else." They shared another tender kiss, losing themselves in each other. Adalinda's fear shrunk the more days that passed. They were good at hiding their feelings. Despite infatuation in their eyes when they saw one another, nobody noticed it. Nobody was even suspicious of them. It may have been the complete illogical idea of a Malfoy dating a blood-traitor. "How'd you get him away from you?"
"I told him I was going to shop for Draco." She snorted. "As if he'd want to come along for that. Everybody hates Draco." He had to laugh.
"I did the same, Christmas is a good excuse." He smiled. Her eyes rested gently over his face. "I wish we didn't have to make excuses."
"Me, too, Freddie." She placed a kiss on his cheek. "Maybe when school is finished we won't have to hide it." She cringed at the mention. That was a long time away.
"Yeah? You think this'll last that long?" He had a smirk toying on his face. She could only laugh. As she did so, she thought back. When she got on the Hogwarts Express in September, she never expected to see herself stealing kisses from a Weasley boy. A blood-traitor, of all people. She scowled at the internal thought, hating her automatic use of the word. Still, as much as she didn't care about the differences in purity, the names were imbedded in her brain.
"I haven't felt anything like this before. I hope it lasts that long." She replied, letting her hands fall into his soft, red hair. "I don't want to let this feeling go." She could almost feel her fathers wrath as she did so. She closed her eyes as he pulled her into another embrace. "It's so different feeling safe when someone touches me." She muttered. Fred paused, waiting for her to continue.
"What do you mean?" She stayed silent. "He doesn't hit you, does he?"
"No, he's never really hit me. He's just a little rough with me sometimes." She answered, regretting bringing the topic up.
"I'll hex him! I'll knock him into next week if he lays a hand on you." Fred promised, taking her small hands in his. She watched as he laced their fingers, feeling comfort at the action. It was much nicer than how Adrian held them. You could tell Fred held emotion in the actions.
"Oh yeah? That wouldn't look suspicious or anything." She let a giggle fall from her lips. Fred swooned at the sound, feeling his heart beating against his rib cage. "You hexing my boyfriend would go over well."
"It might teach him a lesson." His lips fell to her forehead and held her captive. She melted into his touch. As she did, she felt more humane and grounded than she ever felt before. Still, she was nervous at the thought of being caught. If they were, all hell would break loose. She would be punished and it would put Fred in danger; she was too smitten to even think about the consequences.
"You don't have to teach him a lesson, Fred. I can get my groupies to do that for me." She joked.
"You have quite a lot of them, you know. Should I be jealous?" He joked, swiping a piece of loose hair from her face. She shook her head after he tucked it neatly behind her ear. "Or maybe I should feel honoured that you picked me."
"That's more like it." She looked up into his eyes and bit down on her lip. The whole situation felt like a dream to her. She was so infatuated with him, and she couldn't get him out of her head. "Kiss me again." He obeyed, pulling her in once again. "I wish it could last forever."
"We have the rest of our lives." Even at his attempt at consolation, she didn't believe this was true. With the dark times soon to arrive, she didn't know how much time they'd have together. With The Dark Lord's impending resurrection, her father would do whatever it took to keep her in line. He sighed at the look of uncertainty in her face. "When will I get to see you again?" She took in his face. The rosiness of his cheeks and the dirty cinnamon colour of his eyes. Cupid had stuck her hard with him. It seemed like yesterday they didn't speak, and now they were hiding, sharing kisses and their deepest feelings.
"In potions class." She knew what he meant, but she couldn't give him a good answer. In truth, she didn't know how many more excuses she could come up with to get her away from her friends.
"That's not what I meant."
"I don't know, Fred. I'm trying my best."
"I know you are, it's just hard when I want to spend every day with you." The cheeky smile gave way.
"Awfully forward, aren't you?" She replied, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Only when it comes to you."
"I have to go soon," she said solemnly. "I don't want to, but I have to." He gave a nod.
"Go get your Christmas shopping done. I'll be the one staring at you from an aisle over." He teased, pulling her into one last quick peck. The four kisses they shared behind the tattered old building seemed like nothing. They were gone as soon as they began, making them both crave for more. When they weren't allowed to be together, it made the romantic part so much more appealing.
"I'll see you soon." She promised, grabbing his hand and giving it a final squeeze.
"Until then." He squeezed it back. She gave a sad smile as she turned and walked back around the corner of the building, gazing for staring eyes. When she found nobody was paying attention to her, she emerged back into the street, disappearing into Honeydukes to buy her brother a Christmas gift.