My dearest Aria…

You are the sun in my sky, and the blood in my veins.

I would die without you.

You're my life source, my drug.

I need you to live.

Though we haven't known each other long, I know that you're there for me.

For better or worse. You're always there.

You are my sister, my best friend, and my hope.

I hope you have a very happy birthday.

Love,

Fred.

Though it was short, I knew that he meant every word he wrote. My heart sank when he wrote the word 'sister.' That's all I'll ever be to him. His sister. He should just stab me in the heart and twist the knife.

Sister…just sister…I should just give up then? Should I leave him alone so he can get on with his life with someone else? You can't change a person…I know that for a fact.

I felt a strange sensation on my face. I pulled my hand to my cheek and felt wetness. I was crying. I was crying and I didn't even know it. "God damn it…this is one hell of a birthday." I wadded up the letter and through it across the room.

I was readying myself for a shower, getting all of my necessitates: pajama bottoms, tank top, and my undies. (A/N: ahahahahahahaha! Mkay…back to the story!!)

Hermione opened the door with a slice of cake in her hand. "You forgot to bring it upstairs…Ari, what's wrong?" She set the cake down on the counter and rushed to my side.

I motioned towards the wad of paper on the other side of the room. She went over and picked it up, reading it over. "He called you his sister…Oh my god." She came back and embraced me.

I started to silently cry into her shoulder. This boy meant so much to me, and he goes and calls me his sister. This felt more painful than anything I have ever felt in my entire life.

I felt like my heart was breaking in two. In fact, I know that it was. She stroked my hair softly and told me it was going to be all right. I hope to god that she was right…


I woke up the next morning, feeling a little down. My spirits lightened up as soon as I remembered that it was the weekend. I ran to my drawer and picked out articles of clothing that I would wear for the day, falling once or twice on the way.

I rushed down the stairs and almost ran into Harry. "Crap!" I stopped myself by pushing on my heels to slow myself. I gripped the table and tried to slow my breathing. "Good morning to you, too." He laughed. I smiled goofily.

"Well…ya know." I maneuvered around him and met up with George. He looked so much life Fred that I had to suppress a sob. "Where's Fred?" I asked nonchalantly, as I would any other day.

But Mione knew better. She looked at me from across the room and smiled reassuringly. I smiled slightly back. "He's already at breakfast. He ran out of here pretty fast." George said. He looked confused.

So was I. Why did he leave so fast? I had absolutely no clue. "Well, let's join him. I'm hungry." I started to walk out the door. The rest caught up about half a second later.

Hermione and I started talking about random things when I saw Cho Chang with Cedric Diggory. She had a blush on her face and she looked like she was speaking with him.

My eyebrows went up. Was he a man-whore? Damn, I always get the bastards, don't I?

Harry's eyes immediately went to Cho. I smirked. "Oh, Harry's got a crush." I taunted him. He snapped his head in my direction and narrowed his eyes at me.

"Hey, as long as you don't get her pregnant, I think it's cute." I shrugged my shoulders. His jaw dropped. George and I laughed at him. He suddenly stopped when girls form Beauxbatons walked by. I slapped him in the back of the head.

Cedric saw me and waved slightly. I smiled and waved back. No matter what he does, he's really charming.

I saw Fred sitting at the Gryffindor table and got George to sit in between him and I. George looked at me strangely but I just shook my head no. He shrugged and dug into the food. I followed shortly after.

"Aria." I looked across the table and saw Seamus trying to get my attention. "What's up, Seamus?" "Is it true that you were Cedric Diggory at the Black Lake?" I nearly choked on my milk.

After my couching fit, I asked him, "Where did you hear that?" He smirked. "So it's true?" I blushed. "Well, yes," In the middle of my sentence Fred got up and left abruptly.

"What's his problem?" Seamus questioned. I shrugged and continued. "Yes, but only as friends." He smiled and went back to his food. "That was strange." George looked off into the direction of where his brother went.

"Yeah, but that's not my problem." I continued to poke and prod at my eggs. It was getting increasingly difficult to say that I'm mad at him. My brain says it's logical, but my heart says it's not.

It's all so confusing!

At the Ravenclaw table I noticed that Cedric Diggory kept looking back at me. I blushed and looked down at my food. I suddenly wasn't hungry and I felt sick.

"Guys, I'm going back to the common room." I put my fork down and stood up from the bench. "What's wrong?" George asked me, concerned, as he should be.

"I don't feel well. Must be something in the eggs." I muttered and started to walk off. Cedric jumped up and jogged over to me. "Hello Ari, if I can call you that." He flashed me a gorgeous smile.

I smiled back. "Of course you can, Cedric." As we walked down the hall together, he asked me a peculiar question. "So, you know how the Triwizard Tournament is going on." I nodded.

I smiled at him. "And how you're participating, along with Harry." He smiled shyly. "Yes, that. Do you also know that there is a ball? The Yule Ball?" He looked down, embarrassed.

I decided to egg him on, against my better judgment. "Yes…?" He cleared his throat. "Well…I already have a date." I laughed. "And you're telling me this because…?"

"Well…I was about to ask you, but Cho got to me first. And I didn't want to be mean…so I said yes." I gasped when he told me he wanted to ask me. "You…wanted to ask…me?"

He looked around the other way and let out a soft, 'yes.' I smiled. "That's really sweet." I started to blush. "Really? So will you go with me?" He looked at me hopefully.

I stared at him, confused. "What about Cho?" "I don't want to go with Cho. I want to go with you." He took my hands. Red flag, on my part. Even though Fred royally effed up, does that mean that I can go on without remembering that I love him?

I really like Cedric, though. He's the sweetest person. One of the sweetest people I've ever met. "If you can find a way to not go with Cho, and NOT hurt her feelings, I'll go with you."

His eyes lit up like a little kids on Christmas morning and I smiled. "Okay. I'll find a way. So why did you leave breakfast?" Oh yeah, my stomach. "I felt sick so I wanted to go back to the common ro-." I stopped mid-sentence because I caught Fred making out with some girl in the hallway.

I slapped my hand over my mouth and froze. Cedric looked over in my direction and his jaw dropped. He was kissing Tamara Greeley. He told me he hated her! She had an unholy obsession with him.

Fred looked back at us and his eyes went wide. "Ari, I-." But I didn't allow him to finish. I grabbed Cedric by the sleeve and went down another corridor, taking an operative route.

"Damn." Was all he said, though I didn't acknowledge him, seeing as I was trying to hold back tears. We got to the door of the Gryffindor common room. "You better keep to your word, Norman." He smirked at me.

I smiled lightly at him. "I won't." I tried to be happier in front of him. He was too special of a person to see me at my worst. "I'll see you later." And he kissed my cheek again, and I blushed.

At that exact moment, Fred skidded down the hall, catching Cedric kissing my cheek. His face darkened and he slowly walked backwards, turning away from us and walking back the way he came.

Cedric silently questioned what just happened, pulled me into an embrace, and left.

As soon as I stepped into the common room, I cried. I walked up to my room and wallowed in my own self pity. I now know that Fred Weasley has no sexual feelings for me, at all.

All I am to him is his, 'sister.'

I better start testing my luck with Cedric. He really likes me. If I try hard enough, I really can start to like him. I already do, to a point.

A couple hours of me crying to myself, Hermione walked in. "Hey Ari…oh no, not again!" She ran to my side and hugged me tightly. "You don't need this. You don't deserve this."

I started to cry some more. "I saw him…kissing…Tamara…Greeley! He said…he…hated her." I said through sobs. Hermione froze."You caught them snogging?" I nodded harshly.

"Then he…saw…Cedric kiss…my cheek…and…he ran…back down…the…hall." I was trying to calm my breathing, but I failed miserably.

We both heard a familiar voice outside the door. "Hey! The woman on the picture won't let me in! Open the door!" George. I really needed him right now.

Hermione got up and let the twin in. "Hey hun, I heard you crying. Tell Georgey what's wrong."

After explaining to George and Hermione the full story, they both looked furious. "He was snogging that slut?" George yelled. I nodded sadly. "He hates her. That's the only thing he says about her."

"I know. That's why I'm so confused. Why would he do that? To hurt me?" I racked my brain for reasons, but I couldn't find any that matched up with what I could reason with.

"He wouldn't do that to you, Ari. He loves you, just like we do." I scoffed. "That's why I'm pissed! He loves me like a sister!" I got up and showed him the letter he gave me.

As George read over it, his eyes widened. "I don't believe this…" And he bolted out the door. "What the hell?" I watched him run out the door and slam it shut.

"Well…that was strange…" She tried to joke, but I wasn't amused. She turned serious. "You know, Ari. He may be hurt about Cedric kissing you." I looked at her, just as serious.

"He's at blame here. He was the one caught snogging with a girl he hates, not me." I sat on the bed, blotting my tears. Fred had no idea the kind of influence he had on me.

"Yes, but you're not the only one hurting here, Ari." "Hermione, why would he be hurting?" I asked her as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. He wasn't.

"Because he's in love with you." I froze. Hell, I think I stopped breathing at that point. "Mione, don't joke like that." I clutched the area over my heart. "I'm not."

She stood and put her hands on my shoulders. "Think about it, okay?" And she left the room.

I laid on my bed and contemplated what she said. God, Fred Weasley, why do I have to love you?