"It's not like Potter has a chance, maybe if we're lucky he'll break his neck in the first challenge" Malfoy laughed. Everyone joined in except for Fiona. She was staring off toward the Forbidden Forest in deep thought.
"Fiona…..Fiona!" Malfoy insisted.
When she finally heard him, she turned toward the group to see everyone staring at her.
"Sorry, I was just thinking about… homework." She smiled awkwardly.
"Did you here what I said? I was just saying-"
"I have to go, I'll catch up with you guys later." She interrupted in a daze and walked off toward Gryffindor.
Clearly offended, Malfoy huffed in annoyance and continued his usual Harry Potter rant.
Half regretting her decision to blow off the Slytherins, Fiona headed back toward Gryffindor hoping to find Fred. As she turned from one long corridor to another, clearly not really paying attention she shrieked in pain as she stumbled face first into someone.
Both bodies stumbled backward and took Fiona a moment to realize that Fred and her had just collided.
"Geesh, Weasley…. Watch where you're going." She said, trying to steady herself and not realizing she was speaking like Malfoy. All the years of talking down to people to impress her friends was a hard habit to get rid of.
"I believe you were the one that ran into me." He shot back.
Taking a moment to reassess the situation, Fiona forced a smile, "Sorry… I didn't mean to-"
"It's okay." Fred assured.
"I was actually looking for you." She said as she looked around to make sure know one was watching their conversation.
"Come here, I want to show you something." He smiled, taking her hand and pulling her off down the hall in a friendly manner.
The two of them stealthy moved down different corridors, avoiding students and teachers until they came to an empty hall with a single door.
"What's this lead to?" Fiona asked. Realizing that their hands were still connected, she pulled away sharply.
"It's this secret room I found one day. It will give us a quiet place." Fred smiled before opening the door for her.
"A quiet place for what?" She asked, thinking of only one thing, but trying shake it from her head.
"Well, you wanted to talk didn't you? No one will find us here." He reasoned.
"Oh yeah…. Of course." She blushed realizing her thoughts were getting ahead of her.
When they walked into the room, there was a small love seat and a chair, both made of a dark blue fabric. The room looked and felt warm. The wall, although bare of décor, was the color of natural green. The hanging light in the center of the room was the only thing that offered light, which gave the room a low glow. There were several board games sitting on a small coffee table.
"Weird…" Fiona said under her breath as she surveyed the room.
"I know." Fred said, watching her reaction to this private place.
Fred sat down on the chair and lounged back, "So, have a seat." He smirked, "What did you want to see me about."
She sat down cautiously, "Are you sure no one will find us? I kind of left Malfoy in a hurry, he might come looking for me."
"Don't worry. You really should learn to relax." He said calmly.
There was an awkward pause before Fred decided to ask what Fiona had wanted to speak with him about. She looked at him, confused for a moment, almost forgetting that she had purpose in looking to find him in the first place.
"I just… was wondering what you were up to." She said, collecting her thoughts and smiling at him.
"You mean to tell me," Fred teased, "That Ms. Fiona Westwick is trying to be friendly!... and to a fellow Gryffindor! Hell must be very cold right now."
Fiona rolled her eyes, holding back a smile, "Why am I suddenly regretting my decision?"
"Oh come on, you don't mean it." Fred laughed.
Fiona sighed, "What makes you think that I'm not a horrible person." Her tone became suddenly serious, causing Fred's smile to fade.
"Your eyes." He said, looking her right in them.
"That is so cliché."
"That's because it's true. Your eyes aren't cold, they're bright and have life. You don't see eyes like that on Draco Malfoy."
When their eyes locked and they were awkwardly silent, Fiona looked away. That feeling of being completely bare when someone looked at her was not something she was used to.
Fred knew exactly what he was doing. He knew that when he looked at her like that, he was showing that he was comfortable with her. The real her.
It was on this lazy Sunday afternoon that Fiona Westwick and Fred Weasley formed a friendship.
Authors Note: Sorry updating has taken so long. This semester has turned out to be pretty crazy. BUT, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I will try not to wait so long to update the next one. Comments and suggestions are welcome. :)