A/N: I forgot to put this on the first chapter so I'm popping it on this one instead. Basically I have the whole of this story written up so the chapters will be up as soon as I have the time to get online. There are ten chapters in total and I'm currently working on some one-shots which will eventually accompany it.

This story is compliant with the Deathly Hallows so please don't hate me for how things work out, just give it a chance.

The usual applies...I don't own any of the characters or the concept of Harry Potter, that all belongs to J.K.Rowling. I only own the plot of this story, and any character which aren't mentioned in the books (only Megan and Harrison, I think, can't remember).

Anyways enjoy, review if you can be bothered but if you plan on slating my story then ya know, constructive critisim and all that.

The Yule Ball

Everyone was overly excited about the Ball. Fred could hear excited whispers from all angles. Girls were stood in groups discussing their dates for the evening, whilst the guys complained about have to dress up smart. The was a general buzz and glow from most people and although Fred was excited there was still a small hint of disappointment in the pit of his stomach that he wasn't there with Megan. For the past two weeks all he had been able to think about was Megan's small kiss and hug. It would fill him up with the warm feeling and make him grin like a cheshire cat, something which he discovered scared George and made a mental note to use it on him when he was bugging him. He hadn't shared the moment with anyone, knowing all to well they'd tell him not to get his hopes up so he decided that just for once he'd keep the small reason of his happiness to himself.

There was no denying how beautifal Angelina looked when she greeted him ten minutes before the ball was due to start but at the particular moment she had come over, Fred had been distracted by the sight of Megan walking down the staircase. She looked stunning in a long emmerald green dress which acsentuated her in all the right places. She had pulled her hair up into a neat but messy knot held together with green fastenings, and her make up compliment her beauty. Fred was lost for words at how beautifal she was and he could feel a sinking sensation that she wasn't at the ball with him.

Fred watched as Harrison greet Megan, held out a hand and kissed hers gentally. He complimented Megan on how radient she looked before leading her into the Great Hall. Fred made an excuse so he and Angelina hurried in after them. For some reason he wanted to keep Megan in his sights, if only to remind him of how beautifal she was. Angelina seemed oblivious to the fact the Fred wasn't entirely at the ball with her in the mental way, but he managed to get through the first hour or so okay. He danced with Angelina, maybe a bit over the top but no one expected any less and he got her drinks but all the time his mind and his eyes were fixed on Megan.

For the first time in a while Fred could see her relax, something which seemed to only happen around Christmas time, which seemed fitting as it was Christmas eve. She was happily dancing away with her friends and with Harrison. The world and its woes didn't seem to be on her shoulders Fred noted how good it was to see her so at ease but at the same time found himself wishing that he could be the one who was making her feel at ease. He smiled to himself before returning to Angelina and continued to dance.

It was about two hours in that Fred noticed Megan and Harrison had disappeared. She'd been in the hall when Fred had popped off to the loo but by the time he got back she was gone. He searched the crowd for her but he couldn't see her, she wasn't in the grounds or in the Entrance hall. A small voice inside his head was suddenly screaming the obvious at him.

"Come on Freddy, it's obvious, she's off snogging old whats-his-face-big-chin. She doesn't care about you".

He didn't want to believe it but what other explanation was there for Megan not being around. He wanted her to have fun at the ball, he wanted her to be happy but he didn't want her to be off snogging some other guy. That was just something he wasn't quite ready to handle. He walked back into the Great Hall. Angelina came bounding over to him, a smile on her face.

" Hey Fred, I love this song, come and dance." she said pulling his hand and him towards the dance floor.

" Actually Angelina, I'm not feeling too good, I think I'm going to have to call it quits tonight. Sorry."

Angelina looked throughly disappointed but still let Fred head back to the common room. His thoughts were clouded the whole way up to the Gryffindor tower. He really really wanted Megan. There was nothing simple or easy about his feelings for her, they were complex and hurtful, he'd truly fallen in love with her and he couldn't stop it whether he wanted to or not. His feet carried him all the way, whilst his hands losened the collar on his extremely tight robes. He could feel a rising heat behind his eyes as a vision of Megan kissing Harrison sprung to him. He blinked the tears away, as much as it hurt, it was an unspoken Weasley twin rule...No Tears.

Five years, he was thinking...five long years he had been trying, five years he had thought of nothing but Megan, five years he had been declined by her but continuously went back for more. Five.Long.Years. Anger washed over him but was calmed as he thought of Megan's eyes, curse them being so calming. He wanted to be angry to see if it stopped him loving her, to see if it helped his breaking heart, but he just couldn't be angry with her, Harrison was another thing and Fred was sure that Ton Tounge Toffees he and George had developed could play an important factor in exacting some revenge.

" Password!" barked the Fat Lady.

" Oh, Gobblestone." he replied only just noticing that he had arrived infront of the portraite hole.

It swung open and he walked into the small cloakroom on the other side. He removed his clock and walked through to the common room, but it wasn't empty like he had planned for it to be so he could wallo in self pity. One other individual was inside, their back turned to the entrance, their head rested into their hands, their shoulders shaking from obvious crying. At first Fred considered turning around and walking back out, not feeling up to helping someone else who was emotionally tortured but then something green flashed against the firelight and Fred realised the individual was Megan. She hadn't noticed him enter, and was perfectly still except for the shaking and sobbing noise. Fred walked over slowly until he reached the sofa before he spoke.

" Megan." he said in a soft whisper.

She looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy, mascara streaked down her cheeks. She had fresh tears building up behind the old ones and as she looked at Fred she couldn't hold them back and began to sob all over again. Fred took the lead and sat next to her cautiously putting his arm around her shoulders. Megan responded by turning her body into his and hugging him so her face was resting on his neck. Fred gentally rubbed her back, slightly extended his hand up to brush her hair out of her cheeks. They remained in the comforting hug for ten minutes or so before Megan stopped her sobs long enough to explain what had happened.

" I found Harrison outside snogging some girl from Beauxbatons. When he saw that I had seen him he just laughed...I feel like such a fool. Hermione and Ginny told me what he was like, they said he'd done it before but I thought he was different with me." tears had sprung to her eyes again.

Fred was prepared, he slipped off the sofa and onto his knees in front of Megan. He took her hands in his and looked up at her. She avoided his stare to start with, her tear streak face bearing silent tears. Fred reached up to wiped them away but whether on purpose or accidently she turned her head away.

" Now you listen to me Megan Jennins. You are not the fool, he is. You are an amazing person, you are beautifal and funny, your intelligent and you are twice the person he will ever be. I haven't ask you out on a weekly basis for the past five years because I like to hear you say no all the time, I do it because I see something beautifal and real about you, I see how you've grown up and become an incredible witch and it feels my heart with pirde. I've watched you sit in this common room and lose yourself in a book, laugh to yourself, I've seen you look after people who you don't know and still have the courage to stand up and be yourself. If Harrison doesn't see all that then he's blind, he doesn't deserve to be with you, he doesn't deserve your time and your warmth. You deserve someone who can see you for all the amazing things you represent and are, you deserve someone who can love you and want to be with you no matter what happens, and you deserve to be happy!" he finished.

Fresh tears had sprung to Megan's eyes during Fred unplanned speech. She was looking right into Fred's eyes, her own sparkling. Again he leaned up to wipe the tears from her face, this time she didn't move. She lent her face in slightly to his touch and closed her eyes. She opened them again slowly with a small smile.

" Your an amazing person Fred." she said once more leaning into hug him.

He rose slightly on his knees so he was level with her. Megan wrapped her arms tight around his neck, nuzzling her face into the crook of it. He could feel ever breath she took and he watched as her shoulders rose and fell rhymitcally with it. He could tell she was struggling to keep back tears but as she pulled back ever so slightly he could see tear free orbs shinning at him. Megan had moved so her face was in line with Fred's. The tips of their noses just touching. All Fred could see were the beautifal eyes and he lost himself. They both moved in closer until there was barely any room between their almost touching lips. This was it Fred was thinking. His heart was pounding and he wonder whether Megan would be able to hear it. After five years he was about to taste the lips he had dreamt sweet dreams about. But just as that blessed moment was about to occur, voices came from the potraite hole and Megan pulled herself back. He'd been so close, so near to heaven. Obviously embarrassed by their near kiss Megan made a very quick excuse and ran off to her dorm. Fred was stuck on the spot, kneeling in the place where she had left him.

" Fred why are you kneeling on the floor?" asked Ron staring at his brother. It snapped Fred back to the world and he turned angrily to his younger brother.

" You wouldn't believe me if I told you." he said through gritted teeth, standing up and storming off to his own dorm.

He laided in the dark for hours and hours afterwards. All he could think was that he had come unbelievably close to the girl he desired the most. It did cross his mind that she had been emotionally vulnerable but she was the one doing all the hugging, she was the one who had moved so their faces were almost touching, she was the one making things happen. Did it mean she felt something for him? Had she all this time been hiding her true feelings for him afraid at what might happen? There were so many unawnswered questions, so many things he was desperate to know but had no way of finding out. Slowly he drifted off to sleep but his dreams were haunted with images of Megan being incredibly close and then laughing in his face, then of Megan snogging George and Ron, and finally of Megan telling him that she hated him. He woke with a start after each bout of dreams and it took him ages to send himself back off.

He was up early the next day. Hell if there was one day which made him extremely excited it was Christmas, he was like a little child. He instantly spotted his pile of presents and proceeded to unwrap them. He got his mum's usual gift, this time a new jumper with a red F on it, George had brought him a selection of jokey things, Ron had opted for chocolate and sweets, whislt Harry had got him a book on Quidditch. Hermione had given him a homework planner, which instantly went to the bottom of his trunk, Ginny had got him a family picture framed in a gold surrounding which flashed the family name. He loved his presents and once he had finished he decided that George had slept in way too long and jumped on his bed, hitting him around the head with a pillow. He woke up grumpily until he realised what day it was and ripped his present open. Soon the excitement of presents had passed so they decided to go to the common room before dinner. Fred wore his new jumper, and sat down with Harry and Ron talking about the hugh snowball fight they had planned for after dinner. Hermione and Ginny came over followed by Megan and her friends.

The moment she saw Fred she smiled at him, and he could feel his cheeks flush red before he remember the small present he had brought for her up in his dorm. He made a quick excuse and ran up to his dorm grabbing the present and was back downstairs within five minutes. Everyone else had made their way down for dinner. He hurried after them but as he skidded into the cloak room he ran straight into someone who was running back into the common room. Fred lost his balance and felt himself falling straight back onto the hard floor. Unfortunately he happened to grab the other person and pulled them down with him. They landed with a thud on the floor, and Fred felt a sear of pain go through him. He opened his eyes and was shocked as brown eyes looked back at him. He knew who it was even though the only thing he could see were their eyes and the the scent of their hair.

" Sorry." mummered Megan pushing herself up off of Fred's torso, and moving to stand up. She offered Fred a hand to help him up.

" No I'm sorry..." he replied taking her soft hand and standing up on his feet and brushing off his shirt.

" This is for you." he said handing her a small box.

She smiled as she took it and unwrapped it reveal a small golden love heart locket. She lifted it up in her hands and moved it around in the light. Her eyes had filled with tears.

" Fred...its...it's absolutely gorgous...thank you so much...I didn't get you anything." she said looking up at him.

" It's ok...just seeing you smile like that is enough for me."

Megan was smiling at him with the biggest smile. Once again she reached up around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. Her head rested in it's usual position whislt her hand gental brush the hair at the bottom of the neck. It gave him goss bumps. He held onto her back, his arms wrapped around waist. He savoured the moment for as long as he could and he would have given anything to go back in time to the previous night and finished the kiss which almost happened.

" Can you help me put this on please?" she asked handing Fred the necklace to put around her neck. He did as she asked and once he had finished she turned back to face him. " Look ok?"

" Beautifal." were the only words he could managed, having been stunned by her radience.

They walked down to the Great Hall which was full of buzzing talking and noise. They quickly made their way over to the Gryffindor table and began helping themselves to the food which surrounded them. They talked away and Fred couldn't help but feel himself falling in love with her once more. His heart pounded hard against his chest whilst he watched her nattering away with Hermione and Ginny. They were obviously discussing Fred's present as Megan was holding out for them to look at. There was a big smile upon her face which filled Fred up with pride and joy. He felt as though he'd made a big brake through and maybe just maybe she was starting to feel something back.

After everyone had finsihed lunch the boys headed out into the grounds to begin their annual snowball fight. The girls all took seats underneath the big beech tree to watch rather then join in. They were chatting to each other but every so often they would look over and giggle. In some ways it paranoid Fred but in others it made him want to show off a little bit. He managed to throw a massive snowball right at Ron before he turned around and gave Megan a quick wave and a wink. She turned extremely red as Ginny and Hermione laughed next to her but suddenly everything went black.

Slowly Fred opened his eyes. He was laying down and in a place he didn't recognise but as everything came into focus he realised he was laying in the hospital wing. His head was pounding on one side and he felt ever so slightly dizzy. He heard a gental cough next to him and swung his head in the direction of the sound, big mistake as a fresh bout of pain shot through his head but any pain he was feel instantly stopped as he saw the only visitor sitting next to him. Megan was sat in the chair, her legs folded, her chin resting on her arms. She saw Fred awake and gave him a warming smile.

" Hey, how do you feel?" she asked him.

" Ummp...what happened?" he asked back. Megan lent her hands on to Fred's bed, almost close to his.

" Well you turned around to wave and Ron threw a big snowball at you, only there was stone in it and it hit you in the head, and you blacked out." she told him restraining from laughing.

" Oh...then why is no one else huddled around my sick bed?"

" Well once Madam Pomfry had checked you out, she said you'd be fine in a few hours so they went back to the snowball fight."

" That's nice of them...but you stayed." he said looking at her, a hopefully smile crossing his lips.

" Yeah, I figured someone should wait to tell you what happened."

" Well, it certianly a damn sight better waking up to your pretty face instead of George's ugly mug." he said laughing.

" You and George have the same face." she said giggling once more.

" Yeah but I'm definately the better looking out the two of us."

Madam Pomfry made a sudden appearance and upon seeing Fred sitting up in his bed, gave him one last check over before telling him he was fine to go. Megan carried his coat for him as they made their way back up to the common room. They continued talking and Fred had a sudden sense of relaxation around her. He felt comfortable and he was sure that she felt it back. For the first time, she was laughing in a real way, and occassionally she would gentally touch his arm. They reached the portraite hole and could hear voices back on the inside, indicating that everyone had arrived back. They climb through, Fred letting Megan climb through first. Everyone turned to look at them, faces cracking into smiles. Megan said her goodbyes and made her way up to her dorm whilst Fred sat and joined the others. Mostly the laughed about Fred getting hit in the head until they were all pretty tired and headed off to bed.