Lucy Weasley's mother, Audrey, had told her several times that if a guy seems like he's too good to be true, he probably is. Lucy had never really paid attention to her when she'd said this, thinking that she wasn't going to have any problem with guys. In her view, she wouldn't have anything to worry about when she got to Hogwarts; books and female friends were better, in her opinion.

So by the time she got to Hogwarts she had completely forgotten the instructions her mother had given her. Not that she really needed them until seventh year; most of her Hogwarts life up to that point was taken up with schoolwork and her female friends.

Lucy did have mild crushes on guys, but they never seemed to return her affections and she never ventured to hit on any of them or demonstrate her feelings in every way. Her Ravenclaw mind knew that if she didn't do anything the boy would never know she liked him, but she didn't think that being in a relationship with a guy (if it even amounted to that) was as anywhere near as important as finishing school and getting a good job after Hogwarts.

It was around sixth year that she found her beliefs shifting: she still wanted to get a good job, but a boyfriend would be nice too. Looking back, years later, she realized that this change was more a manifestation of being the only one of her friends who was single, and the only one of her family who was as well. Elaine, Rosalyn, Alicia, and Rolanda were all in relationships; Elaine with a girl, which might explain why her relationship was so happy: there was a lot of common ground between her and her girlfriend.

As an adult, she realized that she should just have ignored these feelings and focused solely on her schoolwork. Maybe if she had just waited until adulthood to find a guy the whole business with Roderick Grinderford wouldn't have happened.

*

Now that she was engaged, Lucy didn't like thinking of Roderick Grinderford. For one, her fiance was so much better than he was, and there was no need to compare. Second, thinking of him reminded her of how stupid she had been, how easily he had tricked her. If only she had asked around, maybe it wouldn't have happened.

She could still remember their conversation after she had found out, down by the boathouse, in front of the lake, at night. It was a romantic setting, with the lights from the castle reflecting off the surface of the lake, but neither of them were in the mood for romance.

Lucy was furious: at herself, at Roderick, and at her friends for not telling her the truth. She knew, deep within herself, that her friends hadn't really done anything wrong, that the blame for this fell squarely on her shoulders, and on Roderick's, but she didn't want to admit to herself that it was her fault.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked him coldly, drawing her cloak around herself; it was only March, and while the ground might have been magically thawed it didn't make the air any warmer.

All his charm, the very thing that had made her fall for him, was gone. At least he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"I-" he began, and then stopped.

"You what?" Lucy demanded. Any nervousness she had felt earlier about this conversation had vanished. All she wanted was answers - she was done with him anyways, so it wasn't like there was any pressure to try and save their relationship.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, hands at his sides, staring at the ground.

"Well I'm done," Lucy snapped, brushing past him to go back up to the castle. "You've had since October to tell me about this, and you didn't."

She didn't look back as she walked back up the castle, but as she didn't her any footsteps behind her she assumed that Roderick Grinderford, who a week before she had thought was the most wonderful guy ever, was still standing where she had left him, feeling guilty as hell. Or at least she hoped he was.