A/N: Another Fratie one-shot. Hope you enjoy it! Read and review, as always!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything you recognize, including characters, plot points, settings, and scenes from the Harry Potter series, belong to JK Rowling.

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The Yule Ball was ridiculous.

It was stupid. Pointless. Lame. And severely overrated.

And I had been forced into attending.

The other girls were all excited about the Yule Ball. I didn't see why. Why…why on earth would anyone ever care about dancing? What's so great about it? Nothing, that's what.

My roommates were all giddy about the prospect of meeting some attractive Durmstrang boys. They were busying themselves with their hair and continuously squealing with delighted anticipation. Their dates were friends of theirs, but none of them were really excited about who they were going with. They just wanted to mix and mingle with someone new…that and they adored their dresses. They had spent ages getting ready—all dressed up in their robes—and pranced around moronically asking for my opinion about how they should do their hair and such. Lame.

The Quidditch girls—Angelina and Alicia—on the other hand, were more excited about their dates. Alicia was all aflutter having been asked to the ball by some ridiculously handsome older guy from Durmstrang. He didn't speak English very well, but he was attractive…and Alicia was a little shallow. Angelina, although clearly jealous of Alicia's success in having bagged a foreign boy, was absolutely ecstatic (although she'd never admit it) over having been asked to go with Fred Weasley.

Yes, that's right.

Fred.

Fred Weasley.

My Fred Weasley.

Fred Weasley had been my greatest friend since my first year at Hogwarts. I had met him on the train. At the time I was just a terrified first year without any idea of what to expect at school and without a single friend on the entire train. Fred was a cocky second year, known by almost the entire student body as prankster extraordinaire along with his duplicate, and equally mischievous brother, George.

The two of them stumbled into my compartment along with Lee Jordan—another second year—demanding that I allow them to sit with me. They were quite rude about it, shoving me out of the way after chucking a Dungbomb down the corridor amongst a fit of giggles…but by the time I was taking my seat on the four-legged stool to be sorted I found myself wishing to be placed in Gryffindor with my three new friends.

From that day on, Fred Weasley and I did everything together…save from classes. We played jokes on the other students, we snuck down to the kitchens late at night, and I even joined the Quidditch team he and George played on. We were inseparable.

Angelina Johnson was another member of the Gryffindor Quidditch team—a Chaser like me. She was the same age as the twins—now in sixth year—and a mutual friend of Fred and me. But never in a million years would I have guessed things would turn out this way. He wasn't supposed to ask her to the ball.

I was bitter beyond belief as I threw my dress robes on hastily. I wasn't like the other girls. I didn't need ages to stare at myself in the mirror, perfecting my hair and make up. I ran a brush through my hair, and spouted a quick spell to hold it curly and in place. My mascara and lip gloss went on rapidly and I shoved my feet into my shoes. The others took no notice of my frustration and tugged me down the stairs with them.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs, George was waiting there for me.

"Katie!" he said, stepping forward to greet me. "You're positively ravishing!" He ducked down and kissed the back of my hand. "Even with that unsightly scowl on your face, you still manage to brighten up the room with your beauty," he turned to Lee and Fred who were standing behind him and spoke under his breath. "She's in a mood. Anyone want to trade dates?"

I glared at him as the other two sniggered. George grinned widely and stuck his arm out for me.

"Shall we?"

I took his arm, gripping it much harder than necessary (causing him to squeal), as Angelina came down the stairs meeting up with Fred. I rolled my eyes and turned to George when Fred greeted her with a kiss to the back of the hand. "Disgusting," I muttered.

George laughed. "I think someone needs a little cheering up."

"Shut up, George," I muttered, staring at his bright orange tie and pumpkin coloured shirt. Cringe. At least the robes he was wearing over top were a simple black. "Why are you dressed for a Halloween party?"

He looked down at himself and grinned back at me. "Now Katie, that's not how you compliment someone. I think you're losing your touch."

"The only thing I'm losing is my patience," I retorted, "with you, and this night, and the entire effing Yule bloody Ball."

George cleared his throat and looked around at our mates with an anxious expression on his face.

"Seriously, anyone want to trade?"

I punched him in the arm and he straightened himself back up, plastering a sickly-sweet smile on his freckled face.

"I'm only joking, Kates. You're a delight," he said quickly.

"Wonderful," Lee assisted.

"Absolutely ravishing," Fred cut in.

I groaned and dropped my hold on George's arm, intending to escort myself to the ball.

"Wow, Kates," George said, stopping me before I got too far. "I never realized how scraggly your legs are."

I turned around to glare at him.

"Like chicken legs, almost," he said thoughtfully.

Fred and Lee laughed, along with Alicia and Angelina. George smirked at me and took hold of my hand firmly.

I scowled around at all of them and let George lead me out of the common room with the rest of the group. I knew I was going to be in for a long night.

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The night took a turn for the absolute worse about halfway through the ball. George and I had been having a mildly enjoyable time. I felt a little bad for being so unbelievably grumpy around him. It wasn't his fault his lousy brother asked stupid Angelina to the ball and not me. But still…I found it difficult to be anything but bitter as the night wore on.

So I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when George disappeared.

He was nowhere to be found as I searched through the entire Great Hall. I checked with Alicia and Lee to see if they had spotted him, but neither of them had spoken to him all night. I would have asked Fred and Angelina, but I was avoiding looking in their direction. I didn't need to see the two of them enjoying themselves when I was so miserable.

I was beginning to grow angry with him as the minutes went by. It was bad enough that I had to endure the stupid Yule Ball with all of the happy couples surrounding me. The air was so thick with affection that it nearly choked me to death just standing there in the room.

…okay, so I was a little over-dramatic.

But it was mildly traumatizing.

Without George there to at least help me look less of an idiot, I opted to flop myself down at a table with the twins' brother Ron and his best friend Harry Potter.

"You lot don't look like you're enjoying yourselves much," I pointed out, pulling up a chair next to Ron.

"Whose idea was it to have a ball anyway?" Ron asked bitterly. I wasn't sure if he was talking to me or Harry…perhaps neither.

"Where are your dates?" I asked the boys, glancing from one to the other. Judging by the look of Ron's robes, I wouldn't have been surprised if he told me he hadn't had a date to begin with.

Harry nodded toward the dance floor where I spotted one of the Patil twins flailing her arms around stupidly with a group of Durmstrang boys. I sniggered.

"Well this night is just loads of fun, isn't it?" I said, pushing a few loose strands of my dark hair away from my face. I guessed my holding spell was a little shoddy earlier in my bad mood.

Both Harry and Ron grunted. They weren't much for conversation.

"So…" I said, feeling increasingly awkward next to the two boys. Neither of them seemed very keen on talking to me. "What's eating you, Ron?" I asked, seeing his death glare.

I followed his gaze and spotted Hermione dancing happily with Quidditch star Viktor Krum. I sniggered again.

"Ah. Ickle Ronniekins has a thing for our resident brainiac, does he?" I teased.

Ron scoffed angrily at me. "Do not!"

"Whatever you say, Ron," I said with a roll of my eyes as Harry chuckled.

"George is waving you over, Katie," Ron said bitterly, and I turned to look in the direction he was nodding in.

"It's about time. I haven't seen him in ages," I grumbled. "Probably off hitting on one of those stinkin' Beauxbatons girls."

I pushed myself up from my seat and headed toward George—ignoring Ron's exclaim of "The Beauxbatons girls are not stinky!"—who was standing in the middle of the dance floor. I hurried toward him, ready to give him a piece of my mind for skipping out on me, but I stopped mid-sentence when I got close enough that he pulled me into his arms and started twirling me around.

"Fred?" I asked, as he dipped me low, holding my back tightly so I wouldn't fall. "What are you doing in George's clothes?"

Fred grinned at me, lifting me back up and spinning me violently outwards by the wrist. He caught me smoothly again as I hurtled back into his arms. If I hadn't been so bewildered I would have found it fun.

"Damn, I was betting you wouldn't be able to tell," he said with a laugh, his blue eyes sparkling with happiness and the ever-present mischief.

"Of course I can tell!" I said, and then added, "No one can pull off the orange quite like George…even you, Frederick."

Fred's following smirk was adorable and made my face light up and my heart jump into my throat. I hid the butterflies in my stomach easily, and smirked back at him.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised," Fred said with a laugh. "You've been following George and me around since you were eleven. If anyone can tell us apart it's you."

I scoffed and smacked him on the shoulder as our pace slowed down into a smooth step.

"I have not followed you around since I was eleven!" I protested.

Fred rolled his eyes. "Twelve, then."

I grinned at him, deciding there wasn't really any sense in arguing with him.

"So…you never answered my question," I pointed out.

"Which one was that, Kates?"

"Why are you wearing George's clothes?" I restated with a smirk.

"Oh that," Fred said with a shrug. "Ang was getting on my nerves."

I quirked my eyes at him in doubt.

"Seriously?"

He answered me with another shrug.

"Come on, Fred," I pressed. "What's going on?"

"That's a very good question, Kate," he said with a thoughtful look on his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Fred, would you stop dodging the question," I demanded.

"I'm not dodging anything," Fred insisted, faking a look of pure innocence.

"Freeeed," I drawled.

"Blimey, if I'd known you were going to be this annoying I wouldn't have traded George in the first place," he said.

"You traded?" I asked. "Why?"

"Katie, would you stop asking questions for just a minute?" he pleaded, looking up at the enchanted ceiling in frustration.

"I wouldn't have to keep asking if you'd give me a straight answer in the first place," I pointed out.

Fred sighed and twirled me away from him again. I caught a glance of his determined face before I spun back into his arms.

I didn't have time to react as I went twirling back to Fred's embrace. He caught me easily and pulled me tightly into his arms against his chest. Without a word he ducked his head quickly and pressed his lips to mine.

I was startled, but not enough not to kiss back. I threw my hands up into his hair and tangled my fingers in his red locks as his arms tugged me in closer to him. I tried to deepen the kiss, letting my tongue trace along his bottom lip…but I was stopped when I felt him smirk against my lips.

I let out a frustrated groan and pulled away from him.

"What?" I asked angrily. "What are you smiling for?"

He shook his head, laughing at me.

"I just never realized…after all these years trying to get you to shut up…and all along, that was all it would take," he said with a thoughtful look. The grin didn't fade.

I rolled my eyes at him, trying to contain the fluttery feeling in my stomach. My lips were still tingling from the contact only moments before.

"What was the kiss for, Fred?" I asked.

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"I promise I will if you give me an answer," I offered.

"Okay…you want to know the honest and complete truth?" Fred asked, glancing around the room as though he were about to tell me some deep, dark secret.

"It would be a nice change of pace," I told him.

He smirked and bent his head so his lips were grazing my ear. The proximity made me shiver, and I felt his smile against my skin as he spoke, holding me tight against his body.

"George was lying," he said. He pulled away from me and I gazed up at him with a confused expression. "You don't have chicken legs, Bell. Actually they're a little on the flabby side if you ask me."

I rolled my eyes in exasperation and elbowed him in the gut as he spun me around yet again.

"You're a downright monstrosity, you know that, Weasley?"

He grinned at me, dipping me low toward the ground, "And you wouldn't have it any other way," he said quietly.

He bent his head down and pressed his lips to mine once more, causing a flutter of butterflies to form in my stomach. I felt his smile against my lips again, but this time it didn't stop me from deepening the kiss. He lifted me back up again and I tangled my hands in his hair, desperately clinging myself to him.

We were full-on snogging in the middle of the Great Hall when an angry voice caught our attention.

"FRED WEASLEY!"

The two of us broke apart and snapped our eyes up to see all of our friends standing three feet away from us.

Fred grinned sheepishly.

"Hey Ang…funny story…"

She looked anything but amused.