Song Recommendation: 'Vegas Lights' By Panic At The Disco.
AN: please don't come for us mentioning things that were not around in the 1990s, this story is modern :)
"El, can I talk to you?"
Ellie and Bill had been chatting over by the drinks table Mrs Weasley had set up. Bill was being his usually flirty self, but Ellie wasn't really having it. She had her heart set on a different Weasley. However, she did enjoy the company of the oldest brother; she thought he was funny. But before they could continue their conversation, they heard Fred speak.
"Of course Bub," Ellie replies, grabbing his hand and saying goodbye to Bill.
Fred leads her outside, grabbing his father's car keys as they go.
"Fred what on earth are you doing," Ellie says, pure confusion evident in her tone as the boy unlocks his father's Ford Anglia, before opening the passenger door for her.
"We need privacy and dad said I can use the car for emergencies," he says before ushering Ellie in. He quickly jogs to the drivers side, hoping in. They both do their seat belts, before Fred starts the engine and they're off.
The drive is filled with slightly awkward silence, Ellie anxiously waiting for Fred to talk. When she realises he's not going to say anything, she sighs, before trying to enjoy the journey. She knew the boys had gotten in trouble for using the car before, but she'd never had the opportunity to go on a drive with them.
The blonde rolled her window fully down, letting the cool air fill the car. She shivered slightly, but the feeling was strangely refreshing. She decided to stick her head out of the window, looking down at the beautiful countryside, half hidden by the darkness of the night. The girl squealed as the wind whipped through her hair, truly enjoying the freeing sensation, letting all of her worries fly away with the wind. Fred looked over at her, smiling at her enjoyment, before he too rolled down his window, sticking one arm out of it, while the other carried on steering. The two kids felt completely transcendent, both of them screaming at the thrilling feeling, wishing it'd never end.
After about twenty minutes, Fred finally parks on the top of a rather large hill, before instantly getting out of the car. Ellie quickly follows, and they both sit down on the hood.
Ellie shivers, the cold of the night making contact with her skin yet again. Her cheeks were still rosy from the wind hitting her moments ago, however this new sensation wasn't nearly as pleasant. She hadn't been prepared for the boys spontaneous journey, so all she was wearing was a short slip dress and a pair of fishnet tights. Fred instantly notices, taking off his sweater for her, leaving him in a long sleeved button up.
"Thank you..." She mutters, before slipping the warm sweater over her head. "Why are we here?" Ellie says, truly confused, and a little worried.
"I- well-" Fred stutters out before pausing. Talking about his feelings and putting them into words was also difficult for the boy, as his love language was touch. However, he loved her so much he was willing to try his best. He sighs, knowing the conversation to come was not a fun one.
"Take your time Freddie, it's ok. You can talk to me about anything," The small girl encourages, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Well, I love you Ellie. I-I think you're perfect. I know you're hurting, and I'm hurting for you but I need to know what's happening between us..." Fred says, almost too quickly, while looking at the ground.
Talking about his feelings and putting them into words was also difficult for the boy, as his love language was touch. However, he loved her so much he was willing to try his best.
After a little while, the silence deafening the poor boy, he hears a little sniff. He looks up to see Ellie wiping her eyes, and he instantly feels bad for springing all this on her.
"Fred-" Ellie chokes out before pausing, her tears consuming her as she lets out a small sob, feeling truly guilty for not being able to commit to the boy.
"No no no El wait- don't cry- I didn't mean to-" Fred begins, before Ellie breaks into another sob.
"I'm sorry Freddie-" She whimpers out. Fred shushes her, saying she has nothing to apologise, but the sadness in his eyes and the tone of his voice suggests otherwise. The usually hyper boy was hurting, and it was her fault.
"-I know this is unfair on you. I-I just can't. I want to, but I can't. And I don't know when I will be able to. I don't want to weigh you down. M-maybe you should try and move o-"
Fred quickly shakes his head, knowing what she's going to say. "Ellie, d-don't say that, please" Fred says, beginning to tear up himself.
Ellie sighs, trying to compose herself before she talks again. This whole situation breaks her heart. She loves Fred, and deep down she has for years, so why is she holding back?
"Listen Freddie, I love you. I really do, and I do trust you. But, I'm scared. Draco-" She pauses as she sobs before trying to continue, letting her tears fall. Fred looks at her sadly, before linking their hands, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand supportively. "H-he did more than just hurt me physically. He made me feel worthless, and I won't get over that for a long time. I-if we want to try anything, we will have to move slow. I know it's not fair, but that's how it is. If you don't want to wait, that's ok love. It's up to you." Ellie sighs, her tears slowing down slightly, waiting for Fred to reply.
The boy thinks for a second, almost looking hesitant, which makes Ellie cry harder. She knows he doesn't have to wait, yet she hopes he will, her heart aching at the thought of him moving on.
Hearing her pain as he thinks of what to say panics the boy, realising it seems as though he is having second thoughts.
"Woah woah Ell, calm down darling it's ok, I'll wait as long as you need. But you know, I'll never hurt you like he did. You know that, right?" Fred almost pleads looking desperately at Ellie. He consistently has the fear that Ellie is afraid of him hurting her in the back of his head. The thought makes him feel sick, just knowing that Ellie could fear him like she fears Draco. However, she nods, before whispering that she knows he would never hurt her.
The pair both continue to cry, Fred a lot more controlled than the little blonde girl besides him, who was breaking down. She shifts closer to Fred, before moving in for a hug. She sobs into his shoulder as he wraps his arms around her, letting his tears fall into her hair.
Ellie looks up after a little while, raising her small hands to wipe a tear off of Fred cheek, before she leans in to kiss him slowly. Both of their tears fall as their lips are connecting, making the moment bitterly sweet. They pull apart, staring into each other's eyes before Fred leans back in for a longer, more passionate kiss. He's desperate not to let her go, because after this conversation, he doesn't know if he'll have another chance to kiss her.
The pair lay down, both looking up at the stars, still wrapped up in each other's arms, as Fred softly strokes the blondes silky locks. They sat like this for a while, Fred enjoying the peaceful feeling of clarity between the two, even if the news wasn't ideal. He knew Ellie was struggling, maybe worse then he had originally anticipated, so he was ok with them staying apart for as long as she needed. He realised that he really needed to keep a close eye on her in the future, as he was deeply concerned about what she admitted to feeling before.
But right now, they were content just enjoying their temporary closeness.
After a minute or two, Fred heard the girls breathing deepen, as he realised she'd fallen asleep. He knew she hadn't been sleeping well because of the nightmares, so he let her sleep, his heart swelling as she subconsciously snuggled closer to him.
Fred wishes he could let her sleep for as long as possible, but they needed to be back before twelve, so he could help George light the fireworks. So, at 11:20 pm, Fred hesitantly shook the blonde sleeping in his arms. She opened her eyes slowly, looking up to see Fred looking down at her adoringly. The girl slowly sat up, before apologizing to Fred for falling asleep.
"It's alright darling, I'm sorry I had to wake you, but we need to get back." Fred explained as Ellie nodded and they both stood up.
Before they could get back into the car, Ellie pulled Fred down to her level, before she stood up onto her tiptoes and kissed him one final time. The moment was one of sadness, both of them knowing the issues they faced. Fred wove his hands into Ellie's hair, deepening the kiss. They pulled apart seconds later, looking into each other's eyes in awe.
"I love you" Ellie whispers, still staring lovingly up at the tall boy.
"I love you too"
----
It wasn't long until the car was back and parked in the driveway, Ellie and Fred managing to sneak back in without their parents, or anybody else for that matter, even noticing. The couple walked forth, entering the burrow's front doors to the party still in full swing.
There was exactly 6 minutes and 23 seconds until midnight, New Year's eve ending closer than they had thought. This meant that as soon as they walked through the door, Fred rushed off, needing to sort his fireworks out.
The majority of them were tipsy now, Bill and Charlie gifting the group of youngsters with a bottle of fire whiskey. It went down a treat, the group becoming a happy, semi-drunk mess (Except for Saff of course, the Slytherin still not all that bothered after chucking her vodka just an hour previously.)
Speaking off Saffron, she was dancing along with the rest of her group, having a very lovely time. She'd just previously beat Harry in a round of 'Just Dance', earning 5 stars in her performance of Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne compared to his amateur 3. . . pathetic. She had also had a fond time hanging out with Rhianna and George, teaching the two wizards the cha cha slide, her favourite dance from the muggle world.
However, with only 7 minutes to go now– she found herself sitting down on the sofa, trying to catch her breath from the exciting evening she has had. It had been so much fun, a night away from love was perhaps something the girl needed most. Things with Cedric had never been more confusing, not to mention at breakfast today with Charlie catching her attention, it made things even more awkward than before.
However, the Slytherin must've not looked where she was going. As the young girl slumped down on the couch, she failed to realise that someone was already sitting there. And of course, because God was just so fucking brilliant, it had to be none other than Cedric himself. Her thighs accidentally pushed against his, causing her to look up.
"Oh. . . I'm sorry–" She murmured, running a hand through her brunette locks in a bit of a panic. Where exactly did these two stand?
Cedric too was a mess, looking up to her briefly before turning back to the can of cider within his hands. "It's okay. . . I've actually been wanting to talk to you."
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"No– not like oh as in it's a bad thing. . . more like oh as in it's a surprise. . . you know?"
"No.. I don't, actually." Cedric murmured, deadpanned. He took a sip of his drink, looking back up at her, merely unimpressed. "You seemed pretty comfy with your pet earlier on this morning."
"My pet?" Saff mumbled, before realizing the reference. Cedric was tracing back to the Quidditch World Cup, where the Slytherin had referred to Cho as Cedric's 'Pet' who kept following her around. It only took a single brain cell to realise that the Hufflepuff was referring to Charlie from breakfast this morning. "You're not jealous, are you?"
He shrugged, finishing the last gulp from his crinkled up can. "So what if I am?"
Saff froze, not believing what she was hearing. That innocent conversation with the older Weasley this morning, only consisting of playful banter, managed to make Cedric Diggory's blood boil. "You're kidding, right?"
"Nope."
"Oh my god–"
"What? You know I like you!"
"Oh really? Are you sure I knew that? Because by the way we've only just gotten closer to me because Cho hasn't been in the picture really says something."
"Really? Bringing up Cho? Way to be mature. . ."
"Oh you're one to talk, Diggory!" She huffed, turning to face him angrily. "You're the one who was too much of a fucking pussy and led on my best friend for months because you preferred me.. Me!"
Cedric fell silent, chucking his now empty can on the floor below them. "You were her best friend too, you know. You could've told her about us at any given moment."
It wasn't then until Saff gulped, a small pit forming within her stomach. Oh how she so badly wanted to fight back there and then, shift this entire mess onto the Hufflepuff and blame him for every mistake that led up to this moment in time. But she couldn't, because for what felt like the first time in a bloody long time: Saff Granger had to face the truth, that she was in the wrong. That her boy was right, and that she was equally as to blame for losing her childhood best friend.
"And what do you mean by us, exactly?" She murmured quietly, meeting the boy's gaze in a more sincere manner. Perhaps unloading on the other was a big mistake at this given moment of time, knowing that for the first time in months, the two had finally made some progression in their relationship.
"I think you know exactly what I mean." He mumbled back, slumping back on the sofa in the grumpiest of manners. Even when Hogwarts' golden boy was acting so moody, Saff still couldn't help but find him adorable. With his hair slightly messy from the hours of dancing, his oversized Ralph Lauren jumper now untucked from his chinos, and his scent smelling like a mixture of alcohol and that damned huckleberry cologne.
It was now the Slytherin's turn to shrug, slumping back into her seat awkwardly. Her cheeks were flushed with both awkwardness and embarrassment, not even daring to look at Cedric's cute flushed face in this given moment of time. "Okay. . . maybe I sorta like you too."
The confession made the older one grin, catching a quick glance with the girl as he tilted his head innocently. The way Saff mumbled it resembled that of an introverted teenage boy in the school yard, not daring to admit their feelings out loud. Cedric believed it made the entire situation even more sweet, knowing how much the brunette struggled with expressing how she felt. He knew this was a big thing for her.
As a few moments passed by, Saff caved in– looking back at Cedric for some sort of approval. Her brows furrowed, a grumpy expression now captured upon her face. "Well?! You know, leaving someone hanging like this is incredibly rude. You might've well responded with a 'k.' " she muttered, her cold personality seeking back through, it only made Cedric chuckle.
"I'll have a surprise for you in exactly–" He grins, looking over at the family TV which revealed there was now only 2 minutes and 14 seconds until midnight. "Two minutes and fourteen seconds."
And with that, the taller boy walked off, leaving the girl completely and utterly confused by what the fuck just happened. After months. . . no, years of helplessly crushing on one another, their stubborn asses finally gave in and expressed how they truly felt. There was no more playing guessing games anymore, no more awkward almost kisses or dumb arguments; because they both wanted this. The feelings were mutual, and in two minutes and fourteen seconds, Saff would be gifted with something special to prove it.
What a fucking evening, Saff was ready for the year to be over.
It seemed as though her wish was about to become true, the girl who was once in a daze over the boy that completely took over her life, now being dragged away into the front garden by Rhianna. Her thoughts were a complete jumble, realising that she hadn't told a single one of her friends what the fuck just happened on the sofa moments before.
She hadn't even taken into consideration what was happening now, realising that her swarm of friends were being led out of the comfy living room, into the pure wilderness of the British countryside, aka the Weasley front garden.
The anticipation was killing the poor girl, knowing Cedric had a 'surprise' but not knowing what it was. She was now standing with everyone, all huddled together in the snowy night, waiting for the countdown to begin. The girl stood right next to Cedric, looking up at his pale face as he looked up to the sky, eager for the fireworks to begin.
Ellie and Rhianna stood next to each other, their ice cold hands linked as they too eagerly awaited Fred and George's show. Ellie was slightly sad that her and Fred were separated, so she most likely wouldn't have a New Years kiss, but she was ok with it, knowing Fred would be excited to show off his cool fireworks.
Suddenly, the boys both fly off on their broomsticks, buzzing over everyone's head as they all crouch, not particularly wanting to join Nearly Headless Nick.
One of the smaller specks of light zooms around, whipping in front of Ellie and Rhianna's faces before it explodes, sending tiny sparkles all around them. They boys throw more fireworks about, bright flashes of purple and blue lighting up the sky beautifully.
The boys fly higher, throwing more of the pretty flames up into the air, high fiving as they pass each other. Ellie watches in awe, smiling to herself at how happy her boys look flying about, impressing everyone with the fireworks they'd concocted.
After a few minutes, the twins slowly begin to run out of their mini explosives. However the best is yet to come. Fred throws a large firework up into the air, as it flies it explodes into bright bursts of orange and red.
It doesn't end there though, the firework expands, slowly forming a large orange dragon, which looks angrily at the youngest Weasley boy who's stood on the ground next to Harry at the front of the group. The boy gulps nervously as the dragon approaches. It begins to speed up, heading straight for Ron as he screams, his voice cracking. He quickly begins to scramble, running away as the dragon chases him.
Everyone dies of laughter as Ron freaks out, the dragon chasing him as he frantically dashed around, trying to hide behind Rhianna, who quickly shoves him right into the dragon. Its mouth clamps down onto him, and he lets out a feminine shriek as he disappears in a puff of smoke, reappearing seconds later all sooty, as everyone laughs hysterically.
The twins calm down, still letting off a few smaller fireworks, knowing that the timer would begin soon.
"10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
The moment all happened so fast. . . The shorter girl didn't take her eyes off of the boy, Cedric also unable to break eye contact. The colourful light that shined upon them was truly beautiful, their features now tinted purple due to the ever changing hues from the twins' fireworks. The night sky sparkled, almost creating a spotlight for Hogwarts' newest couple. Without a moment of hesitation, Cedric's hands reached up, fingers grabbing a hold of Saff's chin and pulling her in, the taller boy bending down slightly so that she could reach. Their lips connected perfectly, the moment that had been so anticipated between the two now finally happening. It wasn't a dream. . . it wasn't a make believe scenario in each of their heads. . . it was real.
Fred and George zoomed over on their broomsticks, watching the kiss from a few metres up high. Cue the small fist bump that connected the two, the gingers looking awfully chuffed at themselves as they witnessed the stubborn cases of the school finally get together. "Wicked." they whispered to one another, before flying back on the ground and greeting Ellie and Rhianna. Malfoy immediately hugs George, congratulating him on his cool show. Fred jogs over to his girl, opting to kiss her cheek softly, not wanting to make a spectacle of their complex relationship.
"...So Saff, enjoy your snog" Fred asks bluntly, making everyone laugh.
----
The next morning was a rough one for everyone in the house, as they had all stayed up pretty late. Even Mr and Mrs Weasley had a wild night, getting a little drunk with the kids after the fireworks. What made it worse was that they actually had to get up today, seeing as they were heading back to Hogwarts later on.
The kids were all up, packed and ready to go by 9:00 am, much to their distaste. Molly was feeling a little emotional, not wanting to separate from her babies again. So, after breakfast, when they were all around the fireplace ready to go, she let a few tears escape.
She hugs her boys, before they say goodbye to their dad and brothers, as they use the floo powder to get back to Hogwarts. Fred is first, Ron and George following shortly. Next to go is Saff and Hermoine, waving goodbye to everyone. Everyone filters out, Ellie giving all the remaining Weasleys a hug. Before she can leave, Bill calls her back, kissing her cheek and telling her to write to him, especially if she has any trouble with Draco. She simply nods, before throwing down her floo powder while enunciating Hogwarts, as soon she's back in the Gryffindor common room, with everyone crowding around her, awaiting her arrival.
"Well, that was fun... bye" Saffron mutters, before stomping off back to the Slytherin dorms. She loved her friends, but she was glad to finally have some alone time after being with them for so long.
"Oh, ok then. Wanna go Ced?" Ellie asks, before the boy nods. They say their goodbye, before heading off.
"We'll see you at dinner tonight, right?" Ellie asks just as she's leaving. The Gryffindor's nod, before all separating, exhausted from the holidays.
----
The gang had a casual dinner, not many people were there as most students would be arriving on the Hogwarts express later that night and then all decided to get an early night, ready for their classes to begin.
The Gryffindor's all walk into the Great Hall for breakfast the next day, back in their uniforms. They see Ellie at the table with Saff and Cedric, looking awfully awkward as the two students across from her flirt relentlessly. Fred and George instantly walk over, sitting either side of her as the rest of the group walk up to the table.
"I'm so glad you're here... She's like a different person, it's weird" Ellie whispers to the twins, who instantly cringe as they see Saffron being flirty with the Hufflepuff boy. Seeing possibly the coldest person they know, being so smiley and happy with Hogwarts' golden boy was a unique sight.
Just as they all settle down for breakfast, they hear a familiar voice from their side. The whole gang turned around as they saw the raven haired girl who hasn't hung out with them in weeks, a small gasp emitting from them all.
"Hello! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas!" She chirped happily, immediately sitting in the empty spot next to Cedric.
Not only did both Saff and the boy opposite her freeze up at her action, so did the rest of the gang. It was obvious that these two stubborn love birds were finally an item, so seeing Cho weave her way in between them once again was shocking.. more so than usual.
"Ceddy!" She grinned, immediately giving the boy the biggest hug. "It's been too long... oh— hello Saff."
It came across much harsher than intended, Saff gulping at her action. I suppose the two still weren't on the best of terms from the drama before term, the Slytherin now twiddling her fingers awkwardly as her friends watched from afar.
The twins shouldn't be this excited, but here they were.. on the edge of their seats and their mouths gaped open.. god they've missed bitch fights.
"Cho. . . so lovely to see you." Saff murmured, trying to force an equally fake smile as the girl next to her boy.
The Ravenclaw nodded, turning her full attention back to the pretty brunette besides her. "Cedric, I was wondering if you wanted to spend some time with me in the courtyard after potions class? We have a lot of catching up to do."
The statement caused both the boy and his partner to just. . . stare at one another briefly. The tension in the air was most definitely awkward, Ellie and Rhianna nomming on pieces of toast together to ignore the drama happening next to them.
Cedric thought the best thing to do was play it off once again, to lie and make up some lame excuse so he could spend some alone time with Saff. He shook his head apologetically, a sympathetic smile appearing upon his face. "Actually, I have a lot of homework to catch up on—"
"Cedric and I are together." Saff interjected, cutting off the boy whilst also making the whole group fall dead silent.
The quietness was becoming too deafening, Rhianna and Ellie feeling even more awkward whilst the twins were at a loss for words, looking at one another in disbelief. Poor Cedric sat there, eyes panicked at the sight before him. No no no Saff. . . why did you say that?! He thought, the Hufflepuff wanting to go into a ball and cry.
Cho's stomach immediately dropped at the sentence, gaze snapping over to her ex-friend in a shocked manner. The news was quite frankly unbelievable, the girl immediately taking her arms off of the boy besides her.
"I'm sorry. . . what?"
"Together. We're together. Need me to spell it out for you?" She murmured sarcastically, head tilting innocently.
For the first time during this whole love scandal, Saffron Granger didn't back down. She was brave and held her ground, determined to get it clear into Cho's tiny brain that Cedric, the boy she liked, was now off of the table.
The girl's deep eyes stared back coldly, looking the Slytherin up and down. "I guess you got a lot more cosy over winter break than I thought you would.."
"Something like that." Saff replied, glancing over to a very petrified Cedric next to her. She almost felt sorry for starting drama on the first day back.. almost.
"I knew you were a cold person, Saff, but this is on a whole other level. . . even for you." She grunts, immediately standing up from the bench and strutting away from the group.
The seven. . . now six actually, stared blankly, eyes darting around each other's faces at what the bloody hell just happened. Perhaps the old Saff hadn't disappeared forever, as even though she still acted all soft around her boy, her ability to put up a fight was still clinging onto her.
"You okay, Saff?" Ellie asks, feeling like she just witnessed a murder before her very eyes.
"Yeah, never been better." She spoke casually, taking a bite out of her green apple that she picked up for her breakfast.
Cedric turned to look down at her, completely gobsmacked by what he just saw go down. Knowing that Cho was finally out of the picture. . . it felt like the biggest weight had been lifted up off of his shoulders. He's spent too many months trying to let her down easy, that she got completely the wrong idea about his feelings.
"You good, Ced?" Saff murmured, still chewing on her apple casually. All Cedric could do was grin, shaking his head knowingly.
"Like you said: Never better." He quoted. Perhaps this new year was going to be a good one after all..
Here's to the year to come.
—————————