A/N: For Ten Topics Ten Drabbles Challenge. This is for Genre: Friendship counting at 271 words.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

A Brief Lapse

It was an accident; it slipped out of my mouth before I could slurp the words back and keep him from hearing. The careful ambience of the day broken by a stupid joke, which he started by the way. He starred at me, his eyes like ice, scrutinising my body, making me feel uncomfortable and practically naked.

"What?" he asked in an acidic tone I had never heard from him.

"It doesn't matter," I said standing up and grabbing my bag. This day was over; I needed to get home, or anywhere really to get away from Fred and his piercing eyes.

"Rose," Fred snapped and I reluctantly looked over at him. "Do you love him?" he added as calmly as he could. But that one word, love, ripped against my heart. Sometimes I did, sometimes it was much too hard too. I nodded though because I needed Fred to understand that it was consensual.

"Why?" he asked, a question I had absolutely no answer too.

"It felt right," I said because it did at the time.

"You know I just to protect you. I like that we share, but maybe keep things like that to yourself in future," Fred said standing up and coming over to hug me. It was a sweet hug, a friendly hug. Fred was my favourite cousin, I know we aren't supposed to play favourites, but he always looks out for me, unlike the rest of my cousins. So I sat back down and we continued talking, never mentioning again. Even though he never looked at Scorpius the same.