A/N: I found this sitting in an old folder on my laptop and I figured I might as well finish it up and post it. Please read & review. Cheers!
Well I've got reservations
About so many things,
But not about you.
No, not about you.
--Wilco, "Reservations"
"Buck up, Fred-o," George said bracingly as the two twin brothers packed together their homemade fireworks in preparation for the coming day. "This was your idea."
"I'm aware of that, brother," Fred responded listlessly. "It's just that feeling that I'm forgetting something, you know."
"I don't see how," George said, looking around their messy room. "We've practiced the swamp charm about fifty million times, we've let the young'uns know we've got them covered while they sneak into Umbridge's office, we've said goodbye to all our closest friends, and now we're getting the fireworks set. I don't see how much more ready we could be. You're not getting cold feet, are you? There's nothing left at this place to care about anymore."
"I guess I'm just worried that you'll forget a pair of those flowered knickers you knicked from Alicia," he returned sarcastically.
"No sweat, my brother," George said grinning. "They're packed right next to the skiving snack boxes." He patted his trunk fondly. Fred shook his head and George considered him.
"Oh, come on, mate," he said seriously. "You'll see her again in less than a month. Tell her then."
"Excuse me?" Fred said, looking up. He was concerned that his brother could see that far into his thoughts.
"Katie, drongo," George said, rolling his eyes. "We all know you're mad over her and have yet to tell her such. That's what you're brooding about, isn't it?"
"Who're you calling drongo?" Fred asked, offended. "Anyway, yeah. That's really the only reservation I have about this whole thing."
George nodded. "So take my advice and tell her when her family visits the Burrow next month. No need to do it tonight."
Fred shook his head. "No," he said. "That's not what I meant. I've got reservations about everything right now except her. I have to tell her, George. Tonight. Before we take off."
George shrugged. "Do what you like, then," he said easily.
He paused. "You don't think I should? What—you…don't think I have a shot?"
George shook his head. "Look, Fred, I have no idea how Katie feels about you, alright? All I'm saying is that you don't need to create any more emotional baggage here than is necessary. Telling her is only going to make you—and her—more upset about this whole situation than you already are."
"I'm not upset about anything!" Fred snarled. "Like you said, this was my idea!"
"Yeah, but it was also your idea to let me know that you have reservations about everything in life except for Katie. That doesn't exactly speak of confidence, twin brother."
Fred furrowed his brows. "What'd you tell Alicia?" he asked defiantly.
George turned an interesting shade of red. "Hey, that's private, alright?"
"Right!" Fred shouted triumphantly. "There's no reason I shouldn't do the same thing for Katie."
"Well, yeah, except you don't know what Katie feels about you yet. She's our best mate, Fred-o."
"So…you don't think I should tell her, then?" Fred asked once more.
George shrugged. "Like I said, do as you like. But if it was me, and I was going to see her this soon from now, I wouldn't. Now, I'm going to bed. Big day tomorrow."
"Yeah," Fred said slowly. "G'night, Forge."
"Night, Gred."
Fred lay awake in his old trustworthy four poster bed. This would be the last night he spent in it. He wondered if he ought to have treated it better, refraining from the small explosions and remembering to at least pull the covers up once in a while instead of leaving it undone every day. He was not usually one for nostalgia, but over the course of many years she had made him that way. The quirky blonde was always pondering on the fate of dandelion fluff or the rodents they had transfigured into teacups in Transfiguration. He tried to push thoughts of her to the back of his mind, but it was no use. Almost everything in the castle was connected to her in some way.
Muggle Studies meant flour on her scrunched up nose as she sneezed into their cookie batter. Charms meant getting her to join him in detention by sending tickling charms her way during exams. The quidditch pitch meant her talking back to Wood and having to run extra laps. Potions meant her sarcastic running commentary on Snape's elegant figure and stunning person. The secret corridors meant hiding behind them and waiting for her to turn the corner so he could hex her and give her pimples spelling out various rude words across her forehead. The kitchen meant sneaking out together for a midnight snack so she could pacify her insatiable appetite. The library meant bothering her while she was trying to study. The astronomy tower was where she fell asleep and drooled on his shoulder during class. The common room meant yelling at each other when she came back late from dates with Roger Davies. Hogsmeade meant wrapping his coat around her in the winter because she was always freezing. The Black Lake meant pushing her down while they were skating in December. The Great Hall meant food fights, Transfiguration meant driving McGonagall insane with her worthless, detailed 'what if' inquiries, breakfast meant her running in late from a lie in, Dumbledore's office meant ridiculous explanations for dubious behavior, the Slytherin common room meant sneaking in wearing black face paint to sabotage the team….and somewhere, through all of that, he had fallen for her. He had come to rely entirely on her mischievous smile and iconic sense of competition. Without her, he just wasn't…And as un-Fred-like as it was, Fred had to let her know. Tonight. Before he left. In this castle where they had so many memories together.
He had every intention of knicking Angelina's broom from the broomshed so he could fly outside the girls' tower and throw things at her window to get her to come outside, but found upon entering the common room that she was already there, her messy golden bun wilted, sleeves rolled up, tie undone, her face squished up in concentration as she peered over her Potions homework. Fred grinned and shook out his messy red hair, making it even messier.
"Hi, Katie Kate," he said easily, sidling down next to her.
"Oh, hey Fred," she smiled. She surveyed him, her nose squinching up into her iconic grin. "Smashing PJ's."
Fred looked down at his worn boxers patterned with bludgers and grinned. "Only the best for you, Katie Kate."
"Excited for tomorrow?" she asked casually, but glaring out of the corner of her eye so that Fred knew she would kill him if he said yes.
"Yup," he said, just to aggravate her. She glared at him. "What are you doing up so late? That anxious to please Snape?"
Katie rolled her eyes. "Give me a break," she said. "I'm up because I can't sleep. Alicia is bawling her eyes out upstairs over your twin brother, and Angelina is yelling at her to stuff it….and I have homework I should probably do before I graduate," she added as an afterthought.
"Which you wouldn't be doing if you could get some sleep in your dormitory," Fred interpreted for her. She shrugged, conceding the point.
"Listen, Katie…"
"You're really not excited to go because you're going to miss me terribly?" she asked brightly, saying all of this very fast.
He laughed. "Pretty much…" he trailed off.
She peered at him now, her expression growing more somber. "Fred, are you okay?" she asked, for he had suddenly grown quiet and thoughtful, never a usual expression on his freckled face.
Fred was debating how to let her know what was going on inside of him, but words tumbled out before he was completely prepared.
"I'm more than okay, Katie Kates," he said, grinning. "I always am with you."
She smiled her crooked smile, the one where she wasn't completely sure where he was going with his point.
"Katie, I like you," he rushed on. "In a not so best mate way…like I like you….hell, I think I'm in love with you. You're the one person, outside of George, I can rely on through anything. Really. And in all this shit that's going on right now, you're the one thing I don't have reservations about. You're my best friend, but you're so much more than that…George told me not to tell you," he laughed. "Judging by the expression on your face, he was probably right, but…I just…I had to let you know. Once. That I just…I want you."
Katie stared at him, her mouth slightly open. Her quill dropped out of her hand. She formed her lips to begin words, but that exact moment, a bedroom door flew open and Angelina Johnson bounded down the stairs.
"Kathleen Daphne Bell!" she shouted. "Get your ass the hell up here, Alicia has started to choke on her own mucus, and I don't think we can take her to the Hospital Wing or else we'll get pulverized by some new laser Umbridge has gotten from frigging Fudge!"
Fred and Katie stared up at her, Fred looking slightly amused. Katie still looked lost.
"Hi Fred," she added. "Alright?"
He waved, a bemused expression on his face. He looked back at Katie, hoping to gauge her emotions, but Angelina was already dragging her up back toward her room. She still stared back at him, dumb founded. The girls' door slammed.
"Ah, George," he sighed. "I think you were right."
But Fred did not feel that he regretted his decision. He had confessed, just as he had planned on doing, and slid over to where Katie's potions homework lay and began scratching out wrong answers and filling in the right ones before he went back to bed.
XxX
It was almost time for Fred and George to leave. Umbridge had just discovered the portable swamp now covering the hallway, and as much as Fred admired his and George's handiwork, he had not seen Katie Bell all day and was beginning to wish he hadn't said anything last night, simply for the fact that he could have gotten at least a decent send off from her.
George kept poking him in the side, hissing that it was about time that they step forward and take credit for their stunt, but Fred kept looking around wildly, hoping for at least one last glimpse of Katie. Angelina and Alicia stood in the corner, along with Lee Jordan, and all three were grinning, giving the twins visible encouragement, though Alicia looked slightly puffy-eyed.
"Alright," Fred finally said. "Let's go." He cleared his throat to make some immature comment on the hallway being "bogged down", a pathetic pun penned by none other than Katie, when he felt someone yank the back of his cloak and slam him inside a nearby broom cupboard.
He looked around wildly and was about to shout when the door slammed shut and Katie stood before him. His face split into a wide grin.
"Katie-Kates," he said. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it to the blessed event."
"Sorry I was late, but I had to correct all the wrong answers you wrote on my potions assignment…very funny last prank, Fred."
"Those weren't the wrong answers, Kates," he said. "And if you look outside, I think you'll see my last prank was quite a bit more impressive."
"Damn," she whispered under her breath.
"Oh well, I'm sure you'll still graduate," he said diplomatically.
"Fred, I've been thinking about what you told me last night…"
"Can you hurry this up, Kates?" he interrupted her. "I've kind of got a 500 meter swamp to claim out there…"
"Alright then," she said, tugging on his tie and bringing his lips crashing into hers.
Fred's face broke into the biggest grin it had ever seen as she pulled her in closer and kissed her back hard.
A couple minutes later, a knock came on the door.
"Are you two nearly finished?" George hissed. "Marietta Edgecomb ratted us out, and she's sending Filch to pilfer us out."
"Gotta go," Fred said, breaking away as Katie snickered. "See you in a month, Katie Kate."
The two emerged from the closet and Katie dashed off to the girls and Lee before Umbridge rounded on the twins. Fred gave what he felt was the most splendid of his Hogwarts' performances, and as he and George blasted off into the setting sun, he thought to himself that, now, he had no reservations about his Hogwarts career whatsoever.
XxX