authorsnote. this is an almost one-shot that i wrote as my take on the scene in GOF

where fred asks angelina to go to the yule ball with him. read, enjoy, and reviews are

much appreciated 3 silvetongue

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"Nice look, Ron...go well with your dress robes that will." Fred Weasley smirked at his

younger brother as he and his twin took a seat at the table around which Harry and

Hermione were gathered with their brother. Suppressing a snort as Ron gingerly felt at

his eyebrows, surveying the damage that his exploding snap card house had done, the

red-head stretched his legs out beneath the table, giving his twin unspoken consent to

ask their question.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George had subconsciously mimicked his brother's movement,

also stretching his legs as they surveyed their brother and his friends with identical eyes.

"No, he's off delivering a letter. Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred interjected sarcastically, rolling his

eyes at his younger brother's idiocy.

"Because we want to send a letter, you great stupid prat." As usual, George mimicked his

brother in not only actions but thoughts-- in this case, however, George voiced their thoughts.

Ron seemed to ignore the snub, instead starting in on a subject that had come up multiple

times over the summer

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?"

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you too," Fred said, waving his wand threateningly as George

smirked at their younger brother. They certainly weren't going to share that information with anyone,

particularly ickle Ronnie-kins. The two enjoyed Ron's nervous look for a moment before Fred asked,

"So....you two got dates for the ball yet?"

"Nope."

The twin's grins widened identically at the two younger boys' gloomy faces. "Well you'd better hurry up,

mate, or all the good ones will be gone," Fred continued with cheerful brutality, enjoying this moment of

torturing Ron.

"Who're you going with then," Ron exclaimed, obviously tried beyond his rather short patients. Ten to one

he'd asked someone and been turned down.

"Angelina," Fred answered promptly and unabashedly. They were good friends, not that he'd object to a little

more, and he'd been planning to go with her-- if he went at all --since the Yule Ball had been announced.

"What?" Ron was obviously taken aback, which would have stung Fred had he cared about that sort of thing

"You've already asked her?"

That took Fred aback. Come to think of it, he hadn't. "Good point" What was the worst she could do-- turn him

down? She wouldn't do that. Twisting slightly in his seat, Fred made a quick scan of the room, searching for the

young woman in question. He spotted her long, dark braids near the fire across the common room from him. Well,

nothing for it "Oi! Angelina," he called across the room, still completely unabashed.

She turned from where she was chatting with Alicia Spinnet to look at him. "What?"

"Want to come to the ball with me?" He smirked at her as she gave him an appraising look, hiding surprise at the fact

that she looked surprised. Was she going to turn him down?

"All right, then," she said after a moment. Fred grinned as she turned back to her conversation, catching the edge of her

smile as he let his eyes linger for a moment on her smooth movements, before turning back to his own group of observers.

"There you go. Piece of cake," he stated smugly to Harry and Ron. He didn't miss Hermione's look of reluctant amusement

as he hauled him self to his feet, yawning expansively as he did so. "We'd better use a school owl then, George, come on."

Without further ado, Fred led the way across the room and out through the portrait whole. Tucking his hands into his pockets,

Fred set a leisurely pace as he set off down the hall way, allowing his twin to catch up with him.

"You've been keeping secrets, brother." George was trying to seem affronted, but Fred could tell he wasn't patricularly bothered

by the fact that he had kept something from his twin. He gave a casual shrug, which his twin took as prompt to go on. "How long's

that potion been bubbling on the back burner?" Another shrug "Have you gone mute, brother?" Fred grinned, chuckling.

"I don't know, George, it just...kind of happened. I've been planning to go with her for a while. And I meant to tell you, I just never

got around to it. I mean, it's not like I'm leaving you dateless. Everyone knows you're going to end up with Alicia....Well, except you,"

he added thoughtfully. He flashed a broad grin at his twin and skipped his way up the owlery stairs.

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Angelina was aware of the moment the Weasley twins walked into the room. She was always aware of when the two were in the same room

as her-- it was something she had picked up over years of being friends with the two biggest pranksters in the school. The awareness had

only intensified with the development of her crush on Fred. She didn't turn around, she didn't go pink, and she didn't start shooting glances

in their direction, or at her reflection in the mirror. She continued her conversation with Alicia quite normally. But she was aware of the fact

that they were there. She could hear, during the momentary lulls in her talk during which they worked studiously on their homework, the near

identical voices of the twins. They were teasing their brother and Harry mercilessly, needling them about their dates to the dance. That was about

where she tuned their voices out, continuing her conversation with Alicia.

"So, Ang, what're you wearing to the ball?"

"I'm...not sure, actually." Angie shrugged, twirling her quill around her fingers and staring hard at it. "I don't know if I'm going to go," she added,

avoiding her best friend's eyes.

"Ah. He still hasn't asked then." Alicia shook her head, making a tsking noise with her tongue. "The prat needs to get his prio--"

"Oi! Angelina!"

"Speak of the devil," muttered Alicia.

Ang, turned to look at Fred, her eyebrows raised expectantly. This could be what she'd been waiting for, or it could be one of his typical

friendly questions. She wasn't sure what to expect. "What?"

"Want to go to the ball with me," he called across the room. She could help but feel a bit surprised. He really was asking her, a smirk on

his face. She knew that look-- he was certain she was going to say yes. And here she had been, worrying that he wouldn't ask her. Well,

two could play at that game.

She cast an appraising look over him, giving herself a moment of pretended thought. "All right, then," she finally called back, before turning

to Alicia with a grin.

"What was that about? For a minute, I thought you were going to say no!" Alicia's voice was puzzled and amused. Angelina shrugged.

"Oh, just a little pay-back. Prat knew I was going to say yes, so I let him wait a bit. S'good for him."

"Girl, you're terrible. Probably nearly gave him a heart attack." But Alicia was grinning, and Ang just laughed.

"Nah, it's good for him. Besides, it's not like I was actually going to say no."

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authorsnote2: well, i hope you enjoyed. again, reviews are appreciated. and let me know if you think i

should add another chapter.