A/N: Okay, guys, first of all I am so, so, so, so sorry that I haven't updated earlier. My computer, or rather laptop got broke plus the holidays and my crazy family and friends and just ugghhhh... Anyways, fear not, my friends, chapter 4 is here! And I did my best to make it as long as possible :D Oh, and I watched the Hunger Games 2 as well, and started the new season of Sherlock AND I got hooked up on Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. *sigh* So, with a HUGE delay, happy holidays! Enjoy and don't forget to drop by a good ol' review( and remember: reviews motivate me to write faster). 'Till the next chapter, Yours in demigodishess and all that, Peace out! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for my OC's and partly the plot.
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It had been days since the kiss or in Fred's head, the biggest mistake of Alex's life, and eventhough he knew that he was beeing selfish and that Harry was his good friend, he couldn't help but feel a huge pang of jelousy every time he saw them together. The worst part was that he couldn't hang out with Alex like he used to because either Harry would tag along or Alex already had some plans. And if she wasn't swapping spit with her almighty boyfriend then she was all like Harry this and Harry that, Harry thinks, Harry says, blah, blah, blah... Fred, of course, beeing the friend zoned idiot he was, just kept nodding his head and pretending like he didn't give a damn. Inside, though, he felt terrible and miserable and mad. Mad at himself, at Harry, at Alex, and at the whole world.
But he knew what he had to do and he kept up his act. He joked, he pranked and he smiled just like he always did, but this time those smiles didn't quite reach his eyes, his pranks didn't fill him up with excitement and his jokes seemed to make laugh everyone but himself.
And just like an air-filled balloon under pressure, one day he had to snap.
It was a cold afternoon and it was the last day of the first semester. Students were rushing trought the corridors exchanging their holiday greetings, returning their books to the library and having last- minute chats with their friends. Fred, however, was just trying to find some peace and quiet to enjoy before he came back to his house that will be, with no doubt, packed with people and noise. Worst of all, this year, his mother didn't just invite Harry and Hermione, noooo she just HAD to invite the Russos and Eleanor too. He didn't really mind Eleanor, she was actually nice, and Justin wasn't that big of a pain in the arse when he was around Hermione. Max wasn't that bad either and it turned out that he's quite talented in Quiddich too. The problem was obvious. Alex, he thought bitterly while passing two students in the deserted corridor, but he ignored them and kept walking until he suddenly stopped. Something seemed so familiar about these two. He turned around and stared at them until he realised that it was Alex and Harry making out. But what made him snap wasn't the fact that they were, for the millionth time in the past week, eating each other's faces out, but that Harry's hands were, to put it simple, all over the place.
Fred started shaking in anger, and it all exploded.
„Bloody Merlin just go find a room for once" he yelled.
Alex looked at him with an embarrassed, almost guilty look on her face.
„What is your problem, dude, the corridor was empty until you walked in" Harry retorted.
„What is my problem, eh? My problem is that you two just have to pop out of thin air wherever I go" he spat.
„Well, sorry, should we ask for your bloody permission to walk around Hogwarts... It isn't our fault that you can't seem to find yourself a girl" Harry barked with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Fred reached to grab his wand but suddenly stopped, sending a McGonagall-worthy death glare in Harry's direction and marching back to the dormitories.
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„Now, Elleanor, darling, do tell us, what do your parents do?"
George mentally rolled his eyes. He knew that this was going to happen. It was the first time that he brought a girl home, and his mother seemed to want to know every little detail about her.
„My parents own a muggle company in New York" Elle replied politely like she's been doing this all her life.
„ Molly, darling" it was Mr. Weasley who broke the questioning „I'm sure that Eleanor is very hungry, it's been a long day for us all"
„Yes, yes, certainly" Molly smiled absentmindedly, but George noticed the We're-not-done-here look, one that he grew very familiar with, his mother was sending in his girlfriend's direction. To be honest, George was nervous from the start of the evening, and he noticed that he wasn't the only one. For the first time in his life, he realized that practically the whole dinner went in a tense and almost silent manner. Except for Ginny and Max who were having an all-evening Quiddich debate, everyone else seemed more interested in their food. Someone would occasionally break the silence with a „Can you pass me the salt, please" or „This salad is amazing, Mrs Weasley", and „Can I have another glass of pumpkin juice", but that was it. No laughter, no chatter, not even a smile.
After the dinner was over, everyone went to their rooms, except for Elle, who went on to help Mrs Weasley in the kitchen.
George, therefore, decided to wait for his girlfriend and went to the now empty living room, placing himself in his favourite armchair by the fireplace.
An hour passed and he almost decided to go back to bed, but before he could stand up, his mother entered the living room with a small gentle smile on her face.
„George, darling, shouldn't you be in bed by now" her voice was stern, but the motherly softness in her eyes told him that she wasn't mad at all.
„I was just waiting for Elle" he answered.
„You know, son" she started „First, I thought that this girlfriend of yours was just some silly American doll. But to be honest, she is very nice, polite, intelligent and I really like her" his mom smiled.
„Well, now I must go tell her to go to bed. Poor creature probably isn't used to this much work" she sighed and went back to the kitchen.
Ten minutes later, a tired, but smiling Elleanor appeared, leaning on the door frame.
„So, how'd it go" George asked, though he already knew the answer.
„She hugged me and told me „Welcome to the Weasley clan"" Elle replied, grinning from ear to ear, while George's face went crimson red. Well, it was his mom after all, he should've expected something like that.
„C'mon, redhed" Elle teased „Let's go sleep, I'm so bloody tired"
„Bloody, eh? You should seriously spend less time with me, I'm obviously a bad influence..." he smiled.
Elle lightly punched him on the arm.
„See" George said in a fake innocent tone „You're becoming more and more violent, and what about that incident with Malfoy"
„Oh, please, he was just begging for it. He might as well as put a sign around his neck that says „Dress me up in girl's clothes"" she huffed.
„Twenty points from Gryffindor" George imitated Snape's voice „ for dressing Mr Malfoy innapropriately"
Elle giggled.
They started walking back to their rooms, when George remembered something.
„Hey, Elle..."
„Mhm?"
„Is it just me, or was something weird happening during dinner?"
„Yeah, I noticed that, too. I mean Alex's never so quiet, and Fred doesn't really strike me as the silent type."
„Well, for one thing I know, Fred is probably everything but silent, but as for Alex..."
„I s'pose I can try to talk to her," Elle shrugged „but it seems to me that they had some serious fight"
„Okay, well, let me know when you do. See you tomorrow, Elle" George said giving her a small kiss on the lips.
„Sleep well, George" she smiled and closed the door behind Ginny's bedroom that she was sharing with Hermione and Alex.
George smiled happily and entered his own room just to find his brother's empty bed. He glanced at the open window. He saw the silhouette of his brother.
Oh, no, not again, he thought and crawled out of the window, and there, on the roof, was Fred curled up in a ball, staring at the horizon.
„Fred, mate, what are y'doin' up so late?" he asked.
His twin stayed silent. Now, George was starting to get even more concerned. It was a habit of Fred's to sit on the roof when he was scared or sad, but last time his brother was in such a horrid mood, it was when he broke his first broom and he was only six for Merlin's sake! Now, it appeared that something much more serious than a broken broom was bugging his twin brother.
George carefully sat next to Fred.
„C'mon, mate, you know you can tell me anything"
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
„Fred?"
Silence. Complete silence. Suddenly, something fell on his mind. „It seems to me that they had some serious fight".
„Listen, mate, if this is about Alex, you should just talk. I mean, you were best friends, I'm sure you can talk this trough"
The mention of Alex's name snapped Fred out of his trance.
„There's nothing to talk about" he said coolly.
„What do you mean?"
„It-it-it's just too late" he was now struggling with tears.
„What?"
„I-I-I think I'm falling in love with her, George" he stuttered „I liked her since the first time I met her, but I didn't realize it until the ball, a-and then Harry kissed her a-and now it's just too late, George, too late!"
Suddenly, George realized it. The way Fred looked at Alex during the last week, and the way he acted around her, and those small pinkish stains that would appear on his cheeks when their hands accidentally touch or when she smiles at him. It was all clear as day. How could I've been so stupid!, George thought.
And that night, on the roof, Fred told his brother everything. Everything starting from the ball to the fight in the corridor. And George just listened because he knew that he couldn't do anything else but to listen.
But what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only one listening. For there was another girl, one peculiar girl with warm brown eyes, now filled with tears, and dark, brown hair, standing and listening to the most beautiful and shocking love confession, with her head now struck with the most unexpected realization ever. And that girl's name was Alex. Alex Russo.
