Fred swore loudly as the bright red envelope dropped into his lap, shaking like a time bomb. He had half a mind not to open it, to let it just explode by him. Still, he knew his mother better than that, as well as his snitching siblings. Anything to be on Mum's good side. He prepared himself for the oncoming onslaught of noise, putting his fingers in his ears the moment he tore open the flaps.

FRED ANDREW WEASLEY, WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY FOR YOURSELF? I HAD TO HEAR FROM MRS TUCKET THAT YOU WERE SEEING THIS GIRL, MRS TUCKET! AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING RING SHOPPING? IF I DON'T MEET THIS GIRL BY CHRISTMAS, THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME? HELL! Oh, and do give everyone my love.

As the letter tore itself up, Fred sighed and flopped back against the armchair. Luckily the letter hadn't been that bad, just the usual ear-splitting noise. He had certainly had worse from his mother before. Still, the fact she felt the need to send one just showed how much Skeeter had messed up his life. He knew how she had treated Harry, actually all the Champions she'd come in contact with. It was one thing to watch it, another thing to experience it. He just couldn't figure out why it mattered so much. Sure, he could understand the students being interested but adults? Why was Odile specifically called out? What was so interesting about her that the tabloids wrote about it?

"Good Godric, Mum really had it out for you this time!" Ron jeered, and even Hermione had a smug look on her face. He narrowed his eyes at the pair, hoping he could burn them all to ash with his mind. No such luck. He wiped his face with his hands, groaning in irritation.

"Shut it, the lot of you, this isn't bloody funny!" He snapped, glaring at the small group. Lee, Harry, Hermione, and his two brothers were all crammed into the only available seating in the common room. Since Umbridge began taking more and more of a position in the school, the common room felt like the only safe place most days.

"Relax, Fred, we're only taking the piss. Even you've got to admit this is a little bitfunny." Harry joked, jabbing Fred's side with an elbow. George looked on with some trepidation, though he kept his "amused" face on. Fred had taken to this situation like fish to water, but George still wasn't pleased with it. He would not forgive and forget quite so easily. After all, George had been the one to drag a delirious Fred to the nurse. George was the one cleaning up Fred's injuries from detention, the detentions Odile had gotten him. George had also been the one defending his brother's right to privacy at every turn. Fred might be annoyed about everything, but George was the one cleaning up their messes.

"Come on, Fred, tell us more about the time you two met eyes and fell in love. I love that story; the sources told it so well!" Hermione teased, and Fred glared at her. If Hermione was on the other team, he really was screwed.

"You know Skeeter's lies better than anyone Granger, don't know what you're having a laugh about." She turned a bit pink at that, and Ron ruffled his feathers.

"Ease off, Fred. All we're asking about is the "steamy nights spent in a private room in Hogsmeade." Heard you proposed to her the same night. It must have been the best you ever had. Though I hear she couldn't say the same." The group burst into laughter at that, and Fred reached his boiling point.

"Sod off, you prick, or I'll tell Mum about the fight you and that third year Ravenclaw got into and how she disarmed you in thirty seconds." Ron reddened at that, sitting back in his seat sullenly. Lee and George exchanged glances before George nodded his permission at Lee. Time for the kill shot.

"I'll tell you what I'm really interested in. How you got a girl with fists strong enough to break your nose not to break, well… you know." Fred turned tomato red, and Lee and George leant over to give each other high fives. Fred threw his hands up at that, finally done with the whole situation.

"You know what? That's it! I've got better places to be other than with you idiots!" He packed his bag and pushed himself off the couch, stalking towards the portrait exit. He ignored his friends' laughing cries to come back, desperate for that peace and quiet Odile was always rambling about. But, before he got out of the portrait door, he was intercepted by a shivering first year.

"Move." Fred growled, shoving past the boy who in turn caught his wrist. He stopped, eyeing the boy's hand with a raised eyebrow, and the boy quickly released him.

"L-l-letter f-for you S-Sir." He looked down to see him holding out an envelope. He glanced it over with disinterest before recognising the script on the front. He snatched it out of the first year's shaking hand before waving the nervous boy off. He tore open the envelope before unfolding the letter and smiling at the contents. He'd been waiting for a message from the girl; he was glad she'd made the first move. Though the letter didn't say much, just a meeting time and place, it was still something. Fred had been feeling something rather unusual in her absence, something almost like… well, yearning.

#######################

"Black Swan? Are you here?" He whispered, feeling a strong sense of deja vu. He pinched himself sharply, wincing at the pain. Still, he had to be sure he was awake; the last thing he wanted was a repeat of the last time. He and Odile might have been on, shall we say, better terms than during their previous meeting, but he wasn't taking any chances. He glanced around the abandoned bathroom, catching a glance of the haunted form of Moaning Myrtle, ignoring her giggles as he passed. The ghost flew at him, making him jump as she circled him.

"Naughty, naughty. Another boy in the girl's bathroom. The last one in here was little Potter and Cedric, of course. Handsome one he was, shame he didn't pass inside the castle. I would mind having his ghost to keep me company." Fred grimaced at that, eyeing the girl carefully. It wasn't the first time he'd seen her, of course, but it was never a pleasant experience. There was just something about seeing a girl, only a few years younger than him when she'd passed that left an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"Myrtle, how…wonderful it is to see you again. Everything going alright? Got enough loo roll to last you the month?" She narrowed her eyes slightly before a loud cough came from one of the stalls. He craned his neck to see a hand reach out and beckon him over.

"Over here." He let out a soft exhale of relief before giving Myrtle a mock bow and hurrying over to the stall. He opened the stall door carefully and closed it behind him. He turned to see Odile leaning against the wall. She was still a vision of beauty, with her hair falling down in messy waves and a dark green silk bathrobe wrapped around her. He couldn't help but let his eyes glaze over her form, the silk hugging her curves perfectly. It fell just above her knees, offering him a full view of her mile-long legs. The only thing that caught his attention was the furry brown monstrosities on her feet.

"What in Merlin's sake are those?" She glanced down in confusion, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"They're Chewbacca slippers." She replied, eyeing him with interest.

"Pardon?" She rolled her eyes at his smirk, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Chewbacca, you know, Star Wars?" She continued in an evident tone. He furrowed his brows in curiosity, tilting his head to the side.

"Is that an Astronomy thing?" She blinked for a moment before breaking out in laughter. Fred couldn't help but grin as she tried to contain her giggles; apparently, his confusion was amusing.

"No, Star Wars, like the movie." Odile finally said, and he raised his eyebrows. Oh, No-Maj thing, she realised. She sometimes forgot the amount of stuff the wizarding world hadn't any clue of.

"You know what? Never mind." Odile placated, shaking her head in amusement. There was a lapse of silence before she realised they were there for a reason.

"So, is there a reason you're wearing this little outfit?" She glanced down, almost having forgotten her interesting attire. She sighed, leaning against the wall, deflating somewhat. He frowned as she did so; something was obviously bothering her.

"I had to lie and say I was going to take a bath to sneak out. Ever since the whole closet incident, my life has just been a disaster. Everywhere I turn, I feel

like someone's watching me, and I have no privacy. Now I've got my Dad breathing down my neck, which is just fantastic. Now I've got nowhere to go for the holidays, and I'm stuck here and-" she was suddenly cut off by Fred's hand covering her mouth. She glanced at his hand in disbelief before glaring at the man. He smirked slightly, shrugging his shoulders in a blasé fashion.

"Sorry, love, but you were rambling a bit. I'm pretty sure you didn't ask me here just for a chat." She indicated his hand with her eyes, and it took him a moment to register the motion before he removed it. She pouted in irritation, and he tried very hard not to laugh at said expression. That would not lead anywhere good.

"I didn't. Look, this is embarrassing for me, but I need you, Fred." She muttered, avoiding eye contact.

"I thought you'd never ask." He murmured, grinning as he moved closer towards her, grasping her hip and dragging her towards himself. Fred clasped the back of her neck, enjoying how her pulse was racing beneath her fingertips. Odile's eyes widened as he leant towards her, and Fred was met by a panicked smack across the face. It threw him for a loop, and he stumbled back in confusion.

"Merlin, Fred, not like that! I need you as in I need your help!" She cried, obviously flustered. He didn't imagine the heat in her cheeks, though. He was matching red, though for an entirely different reason. He rubbed the sore skin in embarrassment, clearing his throat and putting as much space between them as possible.

"Sorry, I, um, obviously misinterpreted the situation here. I just thought after, well, you know-"

"Yes, yes, I know." She interrupted, still blushing brightly. He nodded awkwardly, glancing back over to her.

"Are we ever going to talk about what happened?" He ventured, and she bit her lip anxiously. He couldn't help but watch as her bottom lip slowly rolled out from beneath her teeth, leaving it slightly redder. He never thought that something so benign could be so attractive, but there it was. Although, to be fair, everything about this girl was gorgeous.

"Maybe, but uh, that's not why I asked you here today."

"Maybe?" He repeated, a slight bit of hope sparking in his chest. She sighed, still avoiding his eyes.

"Yes, Fred, we'll talk about it. Just, uh, not today." He accepted that answer and smiled a bit wider. Then, finally, she looked over to him, lips twitching at his easy grin.

"So, why did you ask me here today?" She tugged at her fingers absentmindedly, trying to figure out the best way to word her request.

"I hear you're the best person to ask about faking signatures. From what I've heard, you're the only one who can trick McGonagall, and if you can do that, I bet you can bypass Snape." He shrugged humbly, but she could tell the praise was feeding his ego. Fred Weasley was a very easy man to read; he'd be awful at poker.

"I expect my reputation precedes me, but I am pretty skilled at it. So who do you need to copy?"

"My Dad. He refused to sign my release form, and I am not spending an entire holiday couped up in Slytherin house." Fred raised his eyebrows in interest, folding his arms over his chest.

"And why is that?" She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Skeeter's articles were apparently an 'embarrassment' on the family name, so he's taking everyone to Geneva but me. Not that I mind all that much, but it also means I'm stuck here unless I have that signature. It's not like I want to spend time with him; I just don't want to be alone." Fred couldn't help but frown at the despair in her voice at that last sentence.

"Your father sounds like a right piece of work." She chuckled bitterly at that statement, and something about the sound sent a pang of worry through his chest.

"That's one way to put it. He cares far more about the family name than his actual family. It is what it is, I suppose. I'm used to it by now. He nodded slowly at that, taking in what she had said. She'd never talked much about her family before, not that they'd genuinely had the time to discuss such things. From the sound of it, she obviously had a well off father; family names always seemed to matter to those types.

"Well, where are you going to go? If I sign this form, that is." She stilled, obviously not having thought this through completely.

"I'll go visit my family back home. It's been too long anyway, plus this way Dad will be all the way in Switzerland and won't be able to stop it." The more Odile talked about her father, the more he disliked the man. Fred's family meant the world to him; he couldn't imagine being separated from them.

"I see, but how will you get there? You can't exactly apparate there." She twisted her mouth in thought, seemingly weighing her options.

"I could try and buy a plane ticket, but it would be a bit of a nightmare. Dad could probably track the money trail and shut it down; finding a good time to fly wouldn't be easy either. That and customs, and the international flying costs, and I'm pretty sure my passport is expired. Altogether, not a great option." Fred hummed, pretending he understood everything she was talking about. He closed his eyes briefly, standing up straight suddenly as a brainwave came to him. She snapped her head over to him at the sudden movement, scanning his pensive look in curiosity.

"Come home with me."

#########

"There is no way this is happening, Fred! Spending the holidays with your family? What will they think of me? It's a horrible plan!" She hissed, gesticulating wildly. He groaned as she argued the same point for the third bloodytime.

"No, it isn't! On the contrary, it's the most beneficial for both of us. It'll get my Mum off my back, and Dad can get you into the Ministry's international floo station. It's perfect! Besides, you owe me a favour, remember?" He knew that was low, throwing that in her face, but he was desperate. His mother was not always a rational woman, to say the least; Christmas would be hell without Odile by his side.

"Not this kind of favour! What if your Mum finds out we're not actually in a relationship? Have you ever considered that?" Fred huffed, beginning to think this was more trouble than it was worth.

"If it comes to that, I'll say we broke up, and I was too embarrassed to tell her!" She sighed and turned away from him, standing there for a few moments. He sighed as well, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder.

"Odile, please. I can't let my Mum down, and I do want to help you. It's just a few weeks; all we have to do is smile pretty and play nice. You'll see your family, and I'll keep the peace with mine." There was a pause before she turned around, and as she exhaled, the tension left her shoulders.

"Alright." She huffed, finally looking him in the eye.

"Alright?" He repeated, lips upturning into a boyish grin.

"Yes, yes, alright. I'll do it." Fred's grin grew wider, and he swooped down to place a quick kiss on her cheek. She put a hand on the spot, staring at him in wonder, though it was evident he'd done it quite unintentionally. He was too caught up in his own mind to notice the thoughts racing through hers.

"Brilliant! I'll send an owl to Mum in the morning, this is going to be perfect. Of course, you'll probably have to share with Ginny, but she'll be okay with that. Do you have any allergies? I'm only asking because Mum will kill me if I don't. Ooh, and the weather-"Fred continued to ramble, but Odile couldn't quite hear him. She was too busy watching him, something odd stirring inside her. To see him this excited at the thought of bringing her home, to introduce her to his family? It was, in a word, comforting. She'd had few boyfriends throughout her life, and all of them had been flings. None of her actual boyfriends had ever wanted to bring her home, nor want to introduce her to their friends, let alone parents. Fred Weasley was a marvel, one she couldn't quite figure out just yet. Either way, something about him just made her lose any rational thought. Still… Christmas with the Weasleys, she could write a book about that.

########################

Inside Odile Reisinger and Fred Weasley's whirlwind romance! A deep dive into Hogwarts hottest couple, by Ms Rita Skeeter

"I loved him from the moment I saw him!" Our sources claim Odile has said this and more! You thought ring shopping was a surprise? Well, that's old news! Now the couple has been seen house hunting! "But is he up to the task?" Our readers wonder if Mr Weasley can really fit in in the Southern Belle's socialite world. As the son of Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Officer Arthur Weasley, Fred has never stepped into the world of wealth and glamour. Some wonder about his intentions, especially as the couple shows no signs of slowing down! Witch Weekly has the exclusive; read all about it on page 4D!

"This is just getting ridiculous." Fred moaned, flopping his head on his desk. He'd been pestered all bloody morning about this damned article, and it was exhausting. Why the Wizarding world seemed to care so much about the obviously false narrative Skeeter was writing, he'll never understand. He gathered that Odile's family was well off, but what was so special about them? Not even Malfoy earned publicity like this; it made no logical sense.

"Wait until they hear she spent Christmas with us." George teased, and Fred lifted his head to glare at his brother.

"You'd better find some bloody wood to knock on. Besides, how would anyone even find out? It's not like Myrtles is going to give it away." George chuckled at his brother's naivety, knowing there was no chance that this would happen quietly.

"Come on, Freddie, you know they'll find out. Hogwarts may be large, but no secret can be kept for very long." Fred sighed at his brother's idea of sage wisdom, catching sight of Odile leaning back in her seat to comb her fingers through her hair. They made eye contact, and Fred sent her a smile and a little wave. She rolled her eyes, but her lips told a different story, the secretive grin setting off a flip in his stomach. Odile leant forward then, the brunette waves spilling over the pristine white pressed shirt like bronze, their auburn tones catching fire in the sunlight. She was quite a wonder that one, every single thing about her screamed goddess. He placed a hand on his fist, the elbow resting on his desk, watching her with interest. As if feeling his gaze, she looked over her shoulder, and an embarrassed flush coloured her cheeks. She bit her lip, smiling despite herself. He blinked slowly, not even wanting to miss a single second of her rare smiles. She nodded at him before turning back to her work. Fred sighed lightly, staring at the back of her head unintentionally.

"Mate, you are so whipped." Fred's head snapped back to see that Lee had joined his brother and was shooting him an evil smirk.

"I'm not whipped." Fred stuttered, eyes darting away from the girl and back to his brother and friend. Fred Weasley did not get 'whipped'; he would rather die than let something like that happen.

"Oh yes, you are. It's bloody difficult to watch." George muttered, something about his tone sounding off. Fred couldn't place his finger on it, but his brother had begun acting strangely ever since the articles had started. George frowned at Fred's searching look, his eyes flitting back to the textbook. Lee was right, Fred was utterly whipped, and George wasn't a fan of it. George wanted to support his brother, but he couldn't help but think about the amount of trouble Odile had gotten Fred into as of late. She put him in danger with every one of their little "meetups", and now they would be forced into close quarters with the upcoming holidays. Fred felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Oliver Williams, a fellow Gryffindor, looking at him with teeming excitement.

"Fred, I'm sorry to ask this, but is it true?" Oliver whispered loudly, and Fred couldn't help but groan under his breath. Nevertheless, Fred gave the boy a tight smile and raised his eyebrows to play off the irritation he felt.

"Is what true?" He finally asked, already regretting the question as the boy leaned over even further.

"That you are dating the Odile Reisinger." Oliver asked excitedly, eyes glancing up to check Professor Binns was still focusing on the board. Slytherins and Gryffindors shared several classes this year; History, Herbology, Potions, and DADA, of course. That had meant Fred had gotten a full view of Odile each day, though Herbology was his favourite. The girl had a natural talent for the class, and it was one of the few he'd ever seen her smile in. She also seemed to enjoy Potions, though why on Earth she did, he couldn't tell. Perhaps it was the routine or the silence of the classroom. He'd seen her partner, a fellow Slytherin, lean back and leave all the work to Odile. She didn't seem to mind though, she was a bit of a control freak. Realising he'd yet to answer the boy's question, he decided to follow with one of his own.

"Why do you say it like that?" Fred asked, scrunching up his nose. Oliver wasn't the first to ask about their relationship, but he seemed the first to have insight into the girl.

"Come on, your Dad works in the Ministry; you must know who Sir Reisinger is?" At Fred's blank look, Oliver let his jaw drop in disbelief.

"Sir Reisinger practically runs the place. Of course, he still answers to Fudge technically, but there's no mistake he's more important. He handles all the financials; nothing gets approved until it goes through him. He's old money, one of the most important bloodlines, though you wouldn't even know if you weren't very high up in the totem pole." Fred's eyes widened in disbelief, glad to finally have all the puzzle pieces. The articles finally made sense, the focus on Odile's social status versus Fred's own.

"Yeah, I was uh, just testing you. I was checking your knowledge; you know how it is." Oliver nodded slowly, though the doubt was pretty evident on his face.

"So if her Dad is such an important Ministry figure, why did she grow up in the States?" He wondered aloud, and Oliver eyed him with even more mistrust.

"Don't you know? I mean, I thought you of all people would."

"Uh, no. We haven't gotten that far in the relationship yet." He replied with a fake smile. This seemed to placate the boy; he obviously loved gossip.

"Well, her American side is pureblood as well, and after her parents divorced, she grew up with her Mum's side. Of course, when her Mum passed tragically, she moved over here. Sad business that, I can't imagine losing mine." Fred nodded slowly, mind running a million miles per second. Even George turned at that, feeling slightly guilty about all the negativity he'd felt towards the girl. It can't be easy losing such an important figure in your life; no wonder the girl had so many anger issues.

"Thanks Oliver, I uh, I didn't know that." The boy still seemed a bit sceptical but quickly ducked back to his book as the ghostly figure of their professor turned back around.

"Merlin knows what Mum's going to do once she finds out about Odile's Mum. She smothers Harry enough as it is." Fred murmured to his brother, and George hummed in agreement.

"Christmas this year is surely going to be interesting," George replied, missing the wide-eyed look on Oliver's face as he turned to his partner, beginning a very impressive game of telephone gossip.

ALSO NEWS- I'm changing update dates to Monday and Friday only. It'll give you guys a little more time to enjoy the chapter, and will just be generally easier on me to remember to update.

SO YEAH! PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE OR DISLIKE CHICKEN! PLEASE FAVOURITE OR/AND FOLLOW IF YOU ENJOY MY TERRIBLE WRITING!

THANK YOU TO rydellemystere FOR FOLLOWING THIS STORY

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EDITED= 09/31/21