A/N: Two updates in one day! I'm actually quite proud of myself :D. Please review and thank you so much for reading. Quite a short chapter, but you'll soon see why.

But it was not your fault but mine
And it was your heart on the line
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?
Didn't I, my dear? – Little Lion Man, Mumford and Sons.

"What?" Viria was standing in the doorway, holding three tubs of mint choc-chip ice cream. She looked beautiful, even in her puzzlement, with her molten gold summer tan, hair now pulled back in a messy bun and little nose splattered with freckles.

George looked between Fred and Viria, still fuming. Viria had her eyes fixed on Fred; when he said nothing, she turned to George.

"Tell me what you mean" she said plaintively, desperation in her eyes, "I don't understand"

If George hadn't been angry, he would never have said it. He would never betray his twin. But he was furious, and Fred saw this.

"George – "he began, but George cut across him, looking at Viria.

"The first day we all met, I made a bet with Fred that he couldn't get you to kiss him. And he decided to take the bet a bit further than I had anticipated"

Viria stayed frozen for a few long minutes. She put the tubs of ice cream slowly on the table and turned to Fred. She was trembling.

"Is that true?" she whispered, "Is all of this based on a – a...bet?"

"No!" Fred cried, moving towards her, "Well, I mean, maybe it was initially, but – "

"So it is true?" she was looking at him in painful bewilderment, not wanting to believe him. George slipped unnoticed from the room.

"Vi, you don't understand"

"Oh, I understand perfectly" her voice was husky, holding back unshed tears, "You saw me and thought that it might be fun to take the inexperienced new girl for a ride – literally and metaphorically" she hesitated, "You seriously thought that that was fair? You think that's okay?" her voice was rising, "You think it's okay to tell me you love me all for a gamble? For fun?"

"No, Vi, I do love you!"

"No, you don't!" she laughed, harsh and bitter, "It was all a lie, a complete lie – God, I can't believe I fell for it!" Only now did she begin to cry, eyes blazing all the while, "I knew it was too good to be true! You bastard!" she flew at him in a rage, clawing at his face, screaming; it took him some time to push her away.

"Vi, please, calm down – "

"Calm down? I slept with you! You're my first love; you've taken everything from me, and all for a fucking game!" she was roaring her words now, voice hoarse. She swirled away from him and stormed towards the bedroom they had shared for the past few weeks. He followed her in a panic.

"What are you doing, Vi? Vi! What are you doing?"

"I'm packing!" Viria snapped, swiping away her tears impatiently. She was scooping up her clothes and flinging them into her Hogwarts trunk. Fred reached out and grabbed her wrist in an attempt to stop her.

"Please, Vi, you're over-reacting"

"Over-reacting? For God's sake, Fred, leave me alone!" she clamped the trunk shut after shaking him off and pushed past him, dragging her trunk towards the fireplace in the living room.

"You're being dramatic, Vi, please, just put your stuff back" Fred had never thought that he would ever fall to begging a girl, but here he was, practically on his knees at her feet.

"I know I've messed up, Vi, I know I have, but why would I have been with you like this if I didn't love you? Why would I have done that?"

"I don't know, Fred. I don't know anything anymore. I don't know why you would ever bet on someone's heart either, but there you go. Seems I don't know you at all"

"You do know me! What about this whole summer, and all these months we've been together, what about all that? You know me almost as well as George does now, maybe even better. Vi, please"

"You're wrong. You're not who I thought you were. I should have realised when I met you that you weren't ever going to be the sort of person who could take anything seriously. I'm going home!"

She picked up a handful of Floo powder, stepping into the fireplace with her luggage. Tears were streaming down her face again now.

"I thought you said forever" she whispered, choking on a sob.

"Vi, I love you!"

"Yeah, well, I love you too. It's just that you were still playing a trick on me" she disappeared into the green flames.

Fred stared into the smoking embers for a long time before sinking to the floor, knees tucked up and head in his hands. He was too stunned to cry.

How had everything gone so wrong?