A/N: Hey, me again! I can't believe I'm updating again...Thank you SO MUCH for the reviews, they are very much appreciated – you have no idea. Quite frankly I'm surprised that so many of you like this – and pleased, obviously! Thank you for reading, too
"Wait a minute...what? I don't get it"
"It's not hard! Just don't tell her about the bet"
"So let me get this straight: we had a bet that you couldn't get a kiss off of her, and if you did, then you'd win, right?"
"Correct"
"And you have actually kissed her...but you don't want the glory of winning?"
"No"
"But why?"
"Because I'm secretly dating her"
"Why secretly?"
"Because you have a massive gob and she's Ginny's best friend"
"If I've got a massive gob then why are you telling me?"
"Because we don't have secrets. But to make it clear, I'm secretly dating her, I really like her, I think she feels the same, and I think that if she knew it was based on a bet she'd hate me for the rest of my life. Okay?"
"Right. Okay" George paused, eyeing his twin suspiciously, "Are you sure she hasn't just enchanted you with her Frenchness?"
"Positive" Fred replied firmly, "So you won't tell anyone?"
"Not if you don't want me to. But how long are you planning to keep it a secret for?"
Fred shrugged, "Haven't decided yet"
George smirked, "You really do like her, don't you?"
"What makes you say that?" Fred asked in return, rolling his eyes.
"You've got that look on your face"
"What look?"
"I don't know how to describe it. You look like you've just got lucky with a Veela"
"Oh. Nice, Georgie, really nice. You have such a way with words"
"It's been said before"
"Have you said anything to Ginny?" Fred asked, tracing the slant of her jaw with his lips. She shook her head; he felt her soft dark curls brushing against his cheek.
"I don't have a death wish, Fred" she laughed, looking around them warily, "I always feel like she's going to pop up around the corner and hex us"
Fred laughed too, "I'm sure she has better things to do than stalk us, Vi"
"Well I'm sure she does too, but I'm still scared. She's got a terrible temper"
"I've lived with her for nearly fifteen years, and you think I don't know that?"
Viria looked around them; the corridor was deserted. Everyone was at breakfast in the Great Hall, where they knew Ron would be the centre of attention – it was his first game, and the Quidditch cup depended on it.
"Good luck today" she murmured, jumping onto her tiptoes to give him a swift kiss on the lips, "This is my first Quidditch match here. And the teams at Beauxbatons were awful"
Fred grinned, "I can assure you that we are not awful. Not too sure about Ron, though. He doesn't do well under pressure"
"Oh, he'll be fine" she smiled at him, "I'd better go to breakfast. You can follow in a minute. Ginny and Luna were already wondering why I was lagging behind. Oh my God, wait until you see what Luna is wearing. You have to love her"
"I'm sure it'll be fascinatingly eccentric, as always" Fred kissed her a last time, "Go on then, go, before they get suspicious"
Viria dashed away, smiling over her shoulder and giving him a little wave before she entered the Great Hall. Fred leaned against the wall and sighed heavily.
God, she'd got him hooked.
It wasn't much later that they were travelling down to the Quidditch pitch. While Harry, Ron, Fred and George had gone to get ready, Viria was making her way to the stands with Hermione and Ginny, bundled up in her Gryffindor scarf that she had never worn before. She was excited, buzzing with the adrenaline of her first game and her secret, the one that was making her permanent smile light her pretty face. Hermione was eyeing her suspiciously, but did not seem inclined to comment on Viria's unstoppable grin. Ginny was too absorbed in watching Ron emerge onto the pitch, looking queasy, to notice.
"I suppose you're looking forward to it, as it's your first game here?"
"Oh, definitely!" Viria replied brightly as they slipped in to the highest up seats, "Do you think Ron will do alright? I don't quite know him well enough to make a guess"
Hermione grimaced, "I'm not sure. And I'm a bit worried; the Slytherins have got something planned, I'm sure of it, they kept looking over at breakfast...and they look far too cheery to me"
"Yes, I had noticed" Viria agreed, looking anxiously at the crowding Slytherins, "I do hope they don't ruin it, Fred would be so disappointed – "
"Fred?" Hermione frowned. Viria went a little pink.
"I mean, all of them will be disappointed. Of course"
The match appeared to be going well, for a little while. Ron looked pale and terrified, and the Slytherins were putting up a good fight. It was all going well enough...until Ron missed the first goal, and they found out what the Slytherins had been smirking over that morning.
"Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring, That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King. Weasley was born in a bin He always lets the Quaffle in That's why Slytherins all sing: Weasley is our King. Weasley is our King, Weasley is our King, Weasley will make sure we win Weasley is our King"
"Of all the ignorant - !" Hermione seethed, glaring at them. Viria was fuming too, and they could see that the whole Gryffindor team was outraged. Ginny had her fists clenched.
"The bastards! If they say one more word about my brother I swear to God I'll – "
"Look – look, it's alright, it's over, Harry's got the snitch – Oh my God!" Viria shrieked. As Harry had gone to the ground, a bludger had slammed into his back and knocked him clean off of his broom. Ginny gave a cry of rage. Hermione screamed and was about the run down there when she saw that Harry had stirred and unsteadily stood up. She, Viria and Ginny all breathed sighs of relief.
Then Malfoy opened his mouth. The three girls couldn't hear what he was saying from up in the stands, but they could see that Fred and George were growing angrier by the moment. Suddenly, Harry grabbed George in restraint and Fred launched himself at Draco, being held back by Angelina, Katie and Alicia.
"What's that little weasel doing now?" Ginny growled, "I think we'd better go down there – "
Just as they began to run down to the pitch, Malfoy said something that made Harry suddenly release George and launch at Malfoy himself. Fred was still struggling. Harry and George had leapt on Malfoy and both seemed determined to punch every inch of him.
Madam Hooch stormed onto the pitch just as Ginny, Viria and Hermione arrived. The three chasers had finally let go of Fred and Viria rushed over to him, laying a hand on his arm. She could see that he was still blazing with anger.
"Fred, what – "
"Leave it, Viria" he shook her off and sloped off towards the changing rooms as Harry and George were dragged off to McGonagall's office.
They met up outside the common room a few hours later. The Fat Lady eyed them curiously, but didn't ask why they weren't entering. Harry, Fred and George had been banned from playing and their brooms confiscated, and it had taken all of them the past few hours just to calm down enough to stop yelling. Harry and George were in the common room, everyone empathizing with their situation and Angelina sulking.
"Sorry I snapped" Fred mumbled, fists still screwed up at his side, "The stuff Malfoy was saying – I was just so wound up – "
"It's fine" Viria sighed, gently unclenching his fists and grabbing his hands in her own, "I understand. It was horrible, all those Slytherins mocking Ron like that, and then Malfoy, and now that awful woman stopping you playing – I'm angry too!"
"I think you should teach me some French swear words, so I could have the satisfaction of swearing at Umbridge and her having no idea what I'm on about"
Viria laughed, "I don't think so, somehow" she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him for what felt like a very long time, "I'm really sorry about today"
"It's okay. Well, it's not, but we can't do anything. The thing is, me and George have been thinking – "
She interrupted him with a kiss, which he responded to eagerly. Both of them failed to hear Ginny's voice as she moved towards the portrait hole from inside the common room;
"I'm going to find Viria, I don't know where she's got t – bloody hell!".
Fred and Viria leapt apart as though they'd been hexed. Ginny was staring at them, but, far from looking angry, she was smiling. Everyone inside the common room was trying to see what Ginny had seen, and upon them spotting Fred and Viria together there was much whooping and cheering and wolf-whistling, especially from George and Ron. Ginny put her hands on her lips.
"And you were planning on telling me when?" she asked Viria, who was instantly flustered.
"Ginny, I'm really sorry, I was going to tell you – "
"Ah, but the thing is, Viria, I already knew"
"You knew?" Viria cried, "And you don't mind?"
"Well, it's a bit disgusting, if I'm honest, but it's also quite sweet, I guess" her smile widened into a grin, "George told me"
"George!" Fred protested. George shrugged.
"She's our kid sister, and she thought something was going on anyway. I just confirmed her suspicions"
Viria and Fred looked at each other. Fred looked into the common room, with the groups of gaping Gryffindors, and kissed her again.