Chapter 7: Forever and always {the end}
Angelina raced down the corridor, her long, black hair billowing behind her like shimmering folds of ebony silk.
"Angelina! My, aren't we in a hurry today? Where's the fire?" Nearly Headless Nick joked lightly, floating along beside her. Angelina glanced across and smiled at Griffindors' ghost happily.
"No fire- just detention," she panted breathlessly, skidding around a corner and running up ahead again, waving to the pearly spirit.
"Later Nick-" she called behind her, just as a wave of ice water washed over her. Gasping for air, she glanced up, glaring at Peeves as he prepared to drop another water bomb on her head. "Don't even think about it!" she warned, glaring at him. Peeves cackled, pelting one after another at the jumping girl.
"Peeves-" the Bloody Baron scowled, floating out of a wall next to the shivering Griffindor. "Go."
"Of course, your bloodiness-" the poltergeist said greasily, dropping the remaining water balloons on top of Angelina and sticking his tongue out at her one last time. Peeves bowed mid-air and disappeared with a small 'pop'.
"Thanks," Angelina muttered breathlessly, clutching a stitch in her side.
"I owed Sir Nearly Decapitated Nick over there a favour- now we're even," he scowled, his voice low and gravelly, almost like the sound of 2 rocks being scraped together and floated away through a heavy oak door to one side. Angelina glanced down the corridor, waving energetically to Nick and, making a mental note to thank him when she next had a spare moment, flew down the hall again. A few minutes later, she came to an abrupt stop in front of a partially open door with a brass plate with the words "Hogwarts Merit Hall" engraved in a neat, cursive hand. Suddenly, Angelinas' thoughts shifted to one thing and automatically her hand flew to her throat. Carefully pulling out a fragile golden chain, she brought a tiny locket out of her robes and, reaching behind her neck, undid the fastening with trembling, white fingers, sliding it into her clammy palm.
"Confiduous endus-" she muttered under her breath, pointing her wand at the minute gold padlock. Immediately, it dissolved and she opened it, smiling down at the photos inside and sighing with relief as she saw that they were unharmed by the water. Angelina brushed a tear from her cheek as her eyes focused on the inscription above the photos of the two of them in happier times- "Forever and always".
"I wish," she murmured, pushing the door open and slipping in, closing it firmly behind her, her eyes still fixed on the words.
"Angelina?" someone yelped from across the room, and the locket slipped through her trembling fingers, falling to the hard stone floor with a faint clatter.
"No!" she cried, falling to her knees and looking around frantically for the keepsake. "No," she sobbed as the other person fell to their knees beside her, the word escaping from her lips before she could stop it and she buried her face into her hands.
"Angelina, what did you lose?" they asked, patting her back softly.
"My locket-!" she wailed, sobbing even harder.
"Hush-" he soothed, pulling his wand out of his well worn robes and pointing it at a crack in the floor. "Accio Locket." Suddenly there was a flash of gold and the locket flew into his waiting hands.
"Oh thank you!" Angelina gasped as she caught a glimpse of the sparkling necklace, which was now resting, open, on his palm. There was silence for a moment before he spoke, his voice sounding oddly strangled.
"You've still got this?" Now Angelina was calmer, the voice sounded vaguely familiar and she glanced up for the first time. And found herself staring straight into a pair of intensely surprised and confused blue eyes and it finally registered who had saved her locket.
"Fred?" Turning his eyes back down onto his palm, Fred ran his finger over the inscription lovingly, a smile playing about his lips as his photographic self grabbed Angelina around the waist and swung her around, her hair whipping about her.
"You kept this? After all this time, you've still got it-" he whispered incredulously, gazing at the pretty little locket dangling from his finger. On impulse, he turned it around and wiped the back of it- "Did you ever figure out what it meant?" he asked her suddenly.
"No- you never told me- but I never asked. Same as always," Angelina shook her head slightly then walked behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder and looking over at it. A smile spread across her face and she took it from him. There on the back of the locket that had been hanging from her neck for over 4 years were 6 words she'd never noticed before- 'Fred and Angelina: 1992 to eternity'. "Forever and always," she smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I have a confession Angel," Fred whispered. "I've been keeping a secret from you ever since I met you." Angelina looked up.
"Me too."
"You know how in 1st year, I was constantly playing pranks on you?" Angelina nodded and smiled as she remembered the trouble they'd both gotten into. "It wasn't because I didn't like you- it was because I liked you too much."
"I too have a confession to make- these last few months I've been dreaming of you," blushing scarlet, she took a deep steadying breath and looked back into his eyes. "And they scared me- not because I was being hurt or anything- but because…. I- I can't do this-" spinning around, she ran out of the hall, Fred hot on her heels.
"Angel! You've got to stop this! You can't run from everything that might hurt- and I promise you, I'll do everything I can to protect you…." he cried, grabbing her arm and spinning her around so that she was facing him.
"But what if you can't? I don't even know what the hell I'm running from, Fred! How are you supposed to know?" she asked, her eyes ablaze.
"Because I just do- I do because I feel it too, Angelina Johnson! You aren't the only one who's been dreaming," Angelina started back as the full impact of his words hit her.
"W-what?" she stammered. "Do you mean-?"
"Last night, I dreamt of you again- I have been for years! Why are you so scared of them? You do you run whenever there's a chance someone might find out? Do you hate me so much you can't stand to dream of me?"
"No!!! That's not it and you know it!" she screamed at him, tears pouring down her perfect olive skin.
"Then what?"
"I hate that one simple dream- something that isn't even real and I don't have any control over- can complete me! Don't you understand? I need to have control over my life or-"
"Or what, Ange? Or what?" he challenged, his grip on her arm tightening a little.
"I don't know-" she whimpered. "But I need to know what's happening to me-"
"Then know this- I've been in love with you for forever and nothing anyone- even you- says can change that! I don't know why- maybe there is no reason for this feeling. Or maybe we've known all along-"
"What?" Angelina demanded, but was cut off by music playing from somewhere deep within the depths of the castle.
"There's just no rhyme or reason- only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces- I think I've found my best friend," the music faded after a few bars, leaving the red headed beater his raven haired companion staring at each other.
"And maybe," she whispered. "Maybe you're right-" Fred cupped her face in his hands and turned it gently towards him. Not a word was spoken, and not a sound was needed.
*"So, just imagine-"*, Angelina mused silently as her lips touched his. *"The one thing he chooses to be right about just happens to be the one thing that I can't even decide on-"* Looping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, exploring this new forbidden ground as a fawn would- tentatively, unsure of everything but the moment. A few minutes later, Fred pulled back- staring into her endlessly deep eyes.
"Angel?" he asked as she pulled him close. Swaying softly to silent music, they closed their eyes again, enjoying the feeling of having the one closest to them near.
"Mmhmm?" she murmured. Fred buried his face into her hair, and whispered to her.
"Will we feel like this always?"
"From now till eternity," she answered.
I know, mushy ending to an otherwise good story, but I wanted to keep it all in the one day and I was rapidly running out of time so this was the best I could come up with. Thanks to all of my reviewers {I'll thank you properly in a few days}- Luv always, Coolchick207
Angelina raced down the corridor, her long, black hair billowing behind her like shimmering folds of ebony silk.
"Angelina! My, aren't we in a hurry today? Where's the fire?" Nearly Headless Nick joked lightly, floating along beside her. Angelina glanced across and smiled at Griffindors' ghost happily.
"No fire- just detention," she panted breathlessly, skidding around a corner and running up ahead again, waving to the pearly spirit.
"Later Nick-" she called behind her, just as a wave of ice water washed over her. Gasping for air, she glanced up, glaring at Peeves as he prepared to drop another water bomb on her head. "Don't even think about it!" she warned, glaring at him. Peeves cackled, pelting one after another at the jumping girl.
"Peeves-" the Bloody Baron scowled, floating out of a wall next to the shivering Griffindor. "Go."
"Of course, your bloodiness-" the poltergeist said greasily, dropping the remaining water balloons on top of Angelina and sticking his tongue out at her one last time. Peeves bowed mid-air and disappeared with a small 'pop'.
"Thanks," Angelina muttered breathlessly, clutching a stitch in her side.
"I owed Sir Nearly Decapitated Nick over there a favour- now we're even," he scowled, his voice low and gravelly, almost like the sound of 2 rocks being scraped together and floated away through a heavy oak door to one side. Angelina glanced down the corridor, waving energetically to Nick and, making a mental note to thank him when she next had a spare moment, flew down the hall again. A few minutes later, she came to an abrupt stop in front of a partially open door with a brass plate with the words "Hogwarts Merit Hall" engraved in a neat, cursive hand. Suddenly, Angelinas' thoughts shifted to one thing and automatically her hand flew to her throat. Carefully pulling out a fragile golden chain, she brought a tiny locket out of her robes and, reaching behind her neck, undid the fastening with trembling, white fingers, sliding it into her clammy palm.
"Confiduous endus-" she muttered under her breath, pointing her wand at the minute gold padlock. Immediately, it dissolved and she opened it, smiling down at the photos inside and sighing with relief as she saw that they were unharmed by the water. Angelina brushed a tear from her cheek as her eyes focused on the inscription above the photos of the two of them in happier times- "Forever and always".
"I wish," she murmured, pushing the door open and slipping in, closing it firmly behind her, her eyes still fixed on the words.
"Angelina?" someone yelped from across the room, and the locket slipped through her trembling fingers, falling to the hard stone floor with a faint clatter.
"No!" she cried, falling to her knees and looking around frantically for the keepsake. "No," she sobbed as the other person fell to their knees beside her, the word escaping from her lips before she could stop it and she buried her face into her hands.
"Angelina, what did you lose?" they asked, patting her back softly.
"My locket-!" she wailed, sobbing even harder.
"Hush-" he soothed, pulling his wand out of his well worn robes and pointing it at a crack in the floor. "Accio Locket." Suddenly there was a flash of gold and the locket flew into his waiting hands.
"Oh thank you!" Angelina gasped as she caught a glimpse of the sparkling necklace, which was now resting, open, on his palm. There was silence for a moment before he spoke, his voice sounding oddly strangled.
"You've still got this?" Now Angelina was calmer, the voice sounded vaguely familiar and she glanced up for the first time. And found herself staring straight into a pair of intensely surprised and confused blue eyes and it finally registered who had saved her locket.
"Fred?" Turning his eyes back down onto his palm, Fred ran his finger over the inscription lovingly, a smile playing about his lips as his photographic self grabbed Angelina around the waist and swung her around, her hair whipping about her.
"You kept this? After all this time, you've still got it-" he whispered incredulously, gazing at the pretty little locket dangling from his finger. On impulse, he turned it around and wiped the back of it- "Did you ever figure out what it meant?" he asked her suddenly.
"No- you never told me- but I never asked. Same as always," Angelina shook her head slightly then walked behind him, resting her hand on his shoulder and looking over at it. A smile spread across her face and she took it from him. There on the back of the locket that had been hanging from her neck for over 4 years were 6 words she'd never noticed before- 'Fred and Angelina: 1992 to eternity'. "Forever and always," she smiled, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I have a confession Angel," Fred whispered. "I've been keeping a secret from you ever since I met you." Angelina looked up.
"Me too."
"You know how in 1st year, I was constantly playing pranks on you?" Angelina nodded and smiled as she remembered the trouble they'd both gotten into. "It wasn't because I didn't like you- it was because I liked you too much."
"I too have a confession to make- these last few months I've been dreaming of you," blushing scarlet, she took a deep steadying breath and looked back into his eyes. "And they scared me- not because I was being hurt or anything- but because…. I- I can't do this-" spinning around, she ran out of the hall, Fred hot on her heels.
"Angel! You've got to stop this! You can't run from everything that might hurt- and I promise you, I'll do everything I can to protect you…." he cried, grabbing her arm and spinning her around so that she was facing him.
"But what if you can't? I don't even know what the hell I'm running from, Fred! How are you supposed to know?" she asked, her eyes ablaze.
"Because I just do- I do because I feel it too, Angelina Johnson! You aren't the only one who's been dreaming," Angelina started back as the full impact of his words hit her.
"W-what?" she stammered. "Do you mean-?"
"Last night, I dreamt of you again- I have been for years! Why are you so scared of them? You do you run whenever there's a chance someone might find out? Do you hate me so much you can't stand to dream of me?"
"No!!! That's not it and you know it!" she screamed at him, tears pouring down her perfect olive skin.
"Then what?"
"I hate that one simple dream- something that isn't even real and I don't have any control over- can complete me! Don't you understand? I need to have control over my life or-"
"Or what, Ange? Or what?" he challenged, his grip on her arm tightening a little.
"I don't know-" she whimpered. "But I need to know what's happening to me-"
"Then know this- I've been in love with you for forever and nothing anyone- even you- says can change that! I don't know why- maybe there is no reason for this feeling. Or maybe we've known all along-"
"What?" Angelina demanded, but was cut off by music playing from somewhere deep within the depths of the castle.
"There's just no rhyme or reason- only a sense of completion
And in your eyes, I see the missing pieces- I think I've found my best friend," the music faded after a few bars, leaving the red headed beater his raven haired companion staring at each other.
"And maybe," she whispered. "Maybe you're right-" Fred cupped her face in his hands and turned it gently towards him. Not a word was spoken, and not a sound was needed.
*"So, just imagine-"*, Angelina mused silently as her lips touched his. *"The one thing he chooses to be right about just happens to be the one thing that I can't even decide on-"* Looping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss, exploring this new forbidden ground as a fawn would- tentatively, unsure of everything but the moment. A few minutes later, Fred pulled back- staring into her endlessly deep eyes.
"Angel?" he asked as she pulled him close. Swaying softly to silent music, they closed their eyes again, enjoying the feeling of having the one closest to them near.
"Mmhmm?" she murmured. Fred buried his face into her hair, and whispered to her.
"Will we feel like this always?"
"From now till eternity," she answered.
I know, mushy ending to an otherwise good story, but I wanted to keep it all in the one day and I was rapidly running out of time so this was the best I could come up with. Thanks to all of my reviewers {I'll thank you properly in a few days}- Luv always, Coolchick207