It all started the night after Daniel asked me to the Yule Ball. I was still ecstatic that someone had actually asked me to the ball. Angie, Alicia, Leanne, and I were going dress shopping next week. I was curled up in an armchair reading a really good book when Fred decided to come bug me. He sat down in the armchair on top of my legs.
"Fred, get off my legs," I murmured keeping my head in my book.
"Kates, put the book down and come with me," Fred stated.
"Where are you going to take me?" I asked.
"Well a bunch of us are sneaking into Hogs Head for a little party, it'll only be fun if you come though Kates," He pleaded.
"I think you just want to get me drunk and get some sort of blackmail from it," I laughed.
"I promise no blackmail of any type will come from this, come on it'll be fun," He begged.
"Oh fine but only because it's you," I said.
We went through the secret entrance. We could both navigate the entire castle with our eyes closed. It was probably because of how often we snuck out and pulled pranks. We snaked our way through Hogsmeade to Hogshead. We watched the light sift out the windows and listened to the music in the air and then entered together.
It was funny because some people considered me popular but I didn't consider my self to be popular but I guess I could see where they were coming from. We entered and a room full of people screamed hello to Fred and me. They held their flasks filled with different drinks up towards us.
The room was filled with talking and laughing. The students who were of age were passing around drinks. I wandered around until I found the table where my close friends sat. Lee, George, Angie, Lesh, and Leanne made room for Fred and I to sit down. We were soon all sitting and joking. Some older kids brought drinks for us and Fred gave them money for the drinks. The kids nodded in thanks and walked off.
After a while Lee asked Alicia to dance, we all joked how it was about time once they got up and Fred went to go get more drinks. We had a few people come and sit down in the vacant spots, talk for a few minutes and get up to move on to talk with other friends. George pointed out a wasted Oliver and we took blackmail of our captain. We then continued to joke around until Fred came back announcing he had firewhiskey.
We drank it quite happily all commenting on how we loved the way it felt on our throats. Lee and Lesh came back and told us about how Oliver had been flirting with some girl, had offered to get her a drink and had ended up walking into the bar.
At about twelve people began filtering out and I started feeling weird. I couldn't explain it any other way but weird. Leanne and Angie left with George trailing after Angie like a lost puppy shortly after. Lesh and Lee went to dance with the remaining people. Fred and I sat in silence. I sat like that mostly because of how I felt and who knows with Fred.
"Come on Kates," Fred said, "we should probably get home."
"But Freeeeddd my head feels weird," I moaned. He helped me up and put my jacket on. He led me to the door and kept my body weight against him walking me step by step to the castle. The cold air bit at my nose and snowflakes started to fall softly. A couple of the flakes sat on my hair probably giving off the appearance of dandruff.
Fred stopped walking and turned me to face him. He was a bit drunk but not much I could tell even in my state. I smiled goofily at my best friend and long time crush. He smiled back at me, the same smile as always, the same one that always made my stomach flip no matter how many times I saw it.
"You look really pretty, not that you usually don't, you just look really pretty tonight," Fred said. I blushed at his comment.
"I love you," He stated.
"I know," I responded.
"No, not just as a friend. I really love you. I always have, ever since I first saw you," Fred said.
"I love you too," I beamed. He embraced me in a hug. I looked up; his face was inches from mine, his big brown eyes wide. He moved his lips down to cover mine.
His warm lips touched mine and I closed my eyes. I allowed my fingers to tangle in his ginger hair that I loved so much. He pulled me closer to him by the waist, his warm body against mine. He deepened the kiss and our lips continued in sink.
After a while we broke apart to catch our breath. He rested his forehead against mine. I stared into his eye; he stared into mine. I let my hands fall out of his now messy hair to the back of his neck. He ran his fingers through the bottom off my hair and we just stood there, soaking it all in.
Eventually we snuck back into the school and he pecked me goodnight. I climbed into my bed in my dorm as quietly as I could. I fell asleep quickly after that and had one of the best nights of sleep I had had in a long time.
I woke up with a pounding head and what I hoped was not a dream.
