FRED HELPED WILLA IMMENSELY. He helped her cope with the death of her mother and with her new isolation from all of her Slytherin "friends". Honestly, were they even her friends to begin with? Willa had realized than any friendship you have to lie and change who you are for is no friendship at all.
That's why she loved being friends with the twins so much: she could be completely herself. The twins and Willa had been inseparable since they were born, aside from the incident last year when she was too far up Raven Wilkins' bum.
"What do you think about Harry being fourth champion?" Fred asked, leaning over the edge of the astronomy tower. The Goblet had spit out a fourth name: Harry Potter. Fred and Willa had now made up, but there was a new rift in the Weasley family: Ron was furious with Harry.
"I think someone is setting him up." Willa sighed, watching the leaves fall on the courtyard below. There was no way possible Harry had put his own name in the Goblet; not after what happened to Fred and George when they tried to sneak their name in. "I see how the rest of the family felt when we were fighting though." Willa chuckled, resting her chin in her hand. It was definitely awkward that Ron and Harry were feuding. Willa felt sorry for Hermione, who was caught directly in the middle.
Fred and Willa met regularly in the astronomy tower. They called it their "therapy" sessions. Willa always vented to Fred here; she felt slightly guilty for not letting George in on her secret, but she felt as if it was for his own safety. The less people who knew her paternity the better. Willa felt horrible that Fred had even been drug into it, but it was by chance and now he was involved.
"I wish sometimes I had been sorted into Gryffindor." Willa sighed, watching a group of Slytherin boys follow Raven across the courtyard below.
"Slytherin isn't all bad. They just have a bad reputation because of people like her." Fred nodded down to the girl who had a sly grin on her face as the boys crowded around her.
"I never thought I'd hear that come out of your mouth." Willa laughed.
"Hey, my best friend is Slytherin." He joked, ruffling up Willa's blonde hair.
"I thought George was your best friend." She giggled.
" 'sides George." Fred smiled.
The two set in peaceful silence for a moment. "So, who are you asking to the ball?" Fred asked.
"I was going to go with Blaise, but I assume that's down the drain." Willa laughed, tossing a pebble off the ledge.
"Blaise? Blaise Zabini?" Fred snarled his nose. "You can do better."
"Oh, come on. Let's hear who you have in mind." Willa playfully punched his shoulder.
"I thought about Angelina Johnson." Fred said quietly, looking off.
Willa stared at him for a second, making him sweat. "I approve. She's a nice girl." Willa rubbed his arm, "just don't like her in a quidditch match. Any other time, she's lovely." Fred smiled, happy to get his friend's approval. Willa did approve of Angelina; she was a sweet girl and a very good quidditch player.
As Willa and Fred walked back to their respected common rooms, a feeling of nausea crept up into Willa's stomach. She dreaded walking to the dungeons. She tried to stay focused on the ball. Maybe someone would ask her? She hoped so, because she was an outcast in Slytherin now.
"Hi." She said quietly as she entered the common room. Pansy had already taken Willa's spot next to Raven. Willa rolled her eyes.
"Problem, Bishop?" Pansy hissed.
"No, I just feel sorry for you. Raven's friends are disposable." Willa shrugged, sitting down next in an armchair and opening her book.
"Only if they're mudblood." Raven snickered, Panay laughed loudly.
Willa rolled her eyes again; she wasn't concerned with them or their blood status bull. She didn't care whether she was a mudblood, half, whatever. She had better grades than every person in this common room and was going to do something with her life other than be wed in arranged marriages and have incest children.
Willa could've said her thoughts out loud and caused a ruckus, but she chose not too. She was exhausted. Blaise came into the room and looked at Willa. Her heart fluttered a bit, the two has always flirted a bit and made out once after a quidditch match, but nothing serious. "Hi, Blaise." She said sweetly. Blaise turned his head from her direction and to Raven.
"Would you like to go to the ball with me?" He said smoothly. Willa's mouth fell open. Raven knew that Blaise and Willa had a thing, but that didn't matter now that Willa's blood status was revealed. Raven looked at Willa, savoring the ghost white expression on her face.
"I'd love too, Blaise." She smiled, kissing his cheek.
•
"I'm not going." Willa sighed, sitting at the Gryffindor table at dinner. She pretended to ignore Pansy and Raven laughing and staring at her. "I refuse to go by myself."
Fred, who had already asked Angelina, bit his lip. If he would've known, and he should've known looking back, that this was going to happen he would've took Willa - as a friend of course. George and Fred exchanged a look; the Yule ball was a once in a lifetime experience.
"Go with me." George shrugged, "we can have a good time."
"Yeah!" Fred smiled, "George doesn't have a date. At least you'll know you'll have fun." He shrugged.
Willa smiled at George, appreciating his offer. "Okay." She smiled, if anything her and George could have a good time as friends.
•
The night of the Yule Ball Willa got ready alone in her dorm. She waited until Raven and Pansy were done, she didn't want any interaction with them. She pulled her hair back and done her makeup, sliding into a pale pink gown and took a deep breath. She left the Slytherin house after the rest of the group, to meet George, Fred and Angelina at the entrance to the Great Hall.
Fred's breath caught in his throat when he seen Willa waiting for them. He almost froze in his spot; he had never seen Willa so cleaned up. Her dress was modest, she was back to normal Willa. It was a simple look, but stunning. She had never looked so beautiful. Fred had never thought of Willa in that light, but seeing her tonight made his thoughts change.
"Hi." Willa smiled. "You look beautiful." She complimented Angelina, who was slightly taken back. She smiled at Willa, seeing her true personality without Raven.
"So do you." Angelina smiled back. Willa took George's arm as they entered the great hall.
The dance went well, the champions dancing first. George and Willa had a wonderful time spinning around and acting goofy. Willa laughed as George swung her in the air, dancing next to Fred and Angelina.
Willa and George laughed and danced, spinning around and around. Willa's long pink gown flowing against her slender frame. Angelina caught Fred staring. She wrapped her arms around Fred's neck and pulled him close, close enough to whisper in his ear. "I think we have the wrong dates, love." She smiled warmly, she had a slight crush on George and from the way he was looking at Willa, he felt the same about her.
The Weird Sisters took the stage. The Great Hall be came a sweaty, dancing mess. The four jumped up and down together, Angelina and Willa truly enjoyed each other's company.
Suddenly, Raven took the stage. "Ahem." She said, catching the attention of all the crowd. "I would just like to congratulate Willa Bishop..." she held a glass of pumpkin juice in the air. From her voice, Willa knew it wasn't pumpkin juice. "For being the biggest liar and fraud in Hogwarts history." Willa's heart sank.
"You had us all fooled, Bishop. Mudblood." Willa spat.
"Enough, Raven." McGonagall hissed, pulling her by her arm off of stage. The whole room turned to look at Willa, who's eyes were full of tears. She knew she shouldn't have came.
Willa picked her up her gown and ran out of the room. George reached for her but she was gone. "Willa, wait!" Fred yelled, running after her. George went as well, but was pulled back by Angelina.
"Let Fred handle this." She whispered, "did you see the way he looked at her?"
George chuckled, but still watched as his twin and best friend ran out of the room. He knew Fred had a crush on Willa, but Fred would never admit it. Angelina was right, he needed to let Fred handle it.