STUPID CUPID

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CHAPTER FOUR: I KNEW YOU KNEW

            Fred rubbed his hands together, took a deep breath, and climbed through the portrait hole.  By now, Hermione and Ron should be in the library distracting George.

            He crossed the crowded common room, making his way to the sofa where Angelina sat.  He watched her for a minute, bent over a book, reading intently.  She pushed a stray hair behind her ear and turned the page.  It's your move, Fred said to himself.  Don't ruin it.

            Angelina felt someone looking at her.  She raised her head and saw George standing a few steps away.  But something was…wrong.  He didn't look right.  She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different.  If she didn't know better, she'd say it was Fred.  But that was impossible.  Fred's hair was longer, usually pulled back in a stubby ponytail.  And his hemp necklace was missing.  So it couldn't possibly be Fred, could it?

            He crossed the rest of the way and sat down next to her.  "Kids," he said.  "They just had a quick question.  Don't know why they carted me halfway to the library."

            "Oh." Angelina nodded.

            "So, where were we?"

            "We were looking at this spell."  Angelina pointed to the spell they had been trying to figure out when he left.

            He leaned over and put his hand on the page, holding down to read it.  It was then that Angelina noticed the ring on his thumb.  It was true that George always wore that ring, but earlier he'd mentioned that he couldn't find it.  So how did he get it?  Unless…

            "George?"

            There was a pause, then his head came up.  "Yeah?"

            "Never mind."  If it was Fred, then he'd press her for what she was going to say.  It was one of his habits.  'If you went as far as to start a question, it must have been important' he always said.  George didn't press.  He was the more patient of the two.

            "No, what?  What were you going to say?"

            There, she had her proof.  It was Fred.  Now what the heck was he up to?  She didn't want to let on that she knew right away, because there must be a reason he was pretending to be George.  Did he know about her plan?

            "I was just going to say that I'm glad you found your ring."

            "Hmm?  Oh!  Right…my ring.  Yeah, er, Ron had it.  He wanted to…borrow it."

            "Oh."  She wasn't going to press.  She handed the book over to him to read, and turned around.  She saw the portrait hole swing open, and the real George slipped through the portrait hole, press his finger to his lips to make sure she stayed silent.  Ron and Hermione followed him.

            Angelina swung back, and made sure Fred's attention stayed on her and the book so George could make it to the boy's staircase.  So this meant that George knew that Fred was pretending to be him, and she knew, but she didn't know if Fred knew that she or George knew.  She hoped he didn't.

            George stopped at the base of the stairs, so that he could see Fred but Fred couldn't see him.  He turned to Ron and Hermione.

            "Where's Harry?"

            "I think he's studying upstairs," Hermione said.

            "Go get him Ron.  I have a job so him."

            Ron nodded and raced the rest of the way up the stairs.

            "What are you going to have him do?" Hermione asked.

            "Fred thinks you two are with me in the library, but I need someone to go get Angelina and bring her here so I can explain everything to her, so we can further the joke on Fred.  It will be great fun, trust me."

            "I'm beginning to see how much you boys really put your poor mother through," Hermione muttered as she settled down on a step.

            A few minutes later, George had explained the plan to Harry, and he nodded and said, "Sure, I'll do it.  Be right back."

            "Make sure you make up a believable lie," Ron mentioned.

            "I'll do my best."  Harry hurried down the last few steps and made his way to the sofa near the fire.  He couldn't help but think all the Weasley brothers were slightly crazy.

            "Angelina?"

            Fred and Angelina looked up from the book.  Fred looked a little alarmed, but it faded quickly from his face.

            "Yeah Harry?"

            "Can I…talk to you a second, Angelina?  It's kind of…important."

            "Sure, Harry."  Angelina rose, but Fred put a hand on her arm.

            "About what?" Fred asked.

            "Uh…Quiddich."

            "Then why do you have to ask in private?  I'm co-captain, remember?"

            "Well, it isn't exactly Quiddich."  Harry's mind raced.  How did he get dragged into this forest of lies?  "It's about, er…a…girl.  Yes, that's it.  A girl."

            A sly grin spread across Fred's face.  "Any…particular girl?"

            Harry stayed silent, praying that Angelina would say something.

            "He asked for my advice, George.  I'll be right back."

            "Why don't you ask me?  Or Fred?"  Fred inquired.  This was odd.  He'd never heard Harry mention anything about any girl.

            "Because he wants a woman's opinion, isn't that right, Harry?"  Angelina sent him a knowing glance.

            "Uh yeah—that's it."

            "There, you see George?  I'll be right back."

            Fred watched Angelina cross the common room to the boys' staircase, and ascend with Harry.

            Something isn't right here, Fred mused.  Why was Angelina acting so…normal?  Almost too normal.  She knew something he didn't.  And he wanted to find out what it was.

            On the other side of the room, George was explaining to Angelina what happened.

            "That's Fred over there.  He's pretending to be me."

            "I know.  I can tell the two of you apart you know."  Angelina smiled.  "So what's the new plan?"

            "I think you really need to get his blood up.  There aren't a lot of people out there, and the ones who are there won't be paying much attention."

            "Be paying much attention to what?" Angelina asked skeptically.

            "You have to…come on strong.  Really lay it on thick how much you love George.  It'll push him over the edge, and he'll confess his love for you, and the whole thing will be over." George raised his eyebrows and nodded at her, a gesture that signified that he thought this was the funniest prank he'd ever pulled.

            The whole thing will be over.  That sounded good.  If all she had to do was kiss Fred, then it was most certainly worth it.

            "All right, I'll do it."

            A plan was forming in Ron's head.  Why did his brother get to have all the fun?  He slipped down the stairs quietly.  Angelina was still talking to George, and Harry and Hermione were listening intently.  No one noticed Ron slip away.

            Ron ran across the common room and slid down next to Fred.

            "Ron what are you—"

            "Shh.  Angelina knows you're Fred.  George is getting her to come over here and be all lovey dovey, pretending to like him.  Just thought I'd give you a fighting chance.  Now you know that she knows."

            "But does she know I know she knows?"

            Ron thought that one through, then said, "No."

            "Good."

            Ron stood and raced back to the foot of the stairs.  Angelina was starting down, George, Hermione, and Harry behind her.

            "Where were you?"

            "Bathroom," Ron lied.

            George raised an eyebrow.  "Are you sure?"

            "Yes.  How could I not know where I was?"

            George shook his head.  "You told Fred Angelina knows, didn't you?"

            "Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.

            George's eyes lit up.  "Jeez, this keeps getting better and better.  This can work.  Fred doesn't know we know he knows, and we know he knows, so Angelina will still have the advantage.  He'll try and play along now, I guess.  Go for it, Angelina."

            Angelina crossed the familiar path to the sofa once more, and she knew everyone was sitting on the bottom steps watching her.  Fred watched her as well, and she felt a flutter in her chest.

            She sat down next to him, and put her arm around the back of the couch.  "George, it's so good to finally have a moment alone."  She took the old spell book out of his lap and set it aside, scooting closer to him and letting her arm fall to his shoulders.

            She saw his eyes widen for an instant, then return to normal.  He knew she was faking, but he didn't know she knew he knew she was faking, she reminded herself.

            "Yeah.  I've been waiting a long time for this."  That came from Fred's heart.  He just wanted to tell her how he felt, and he knew she knew he wasn't George.  So what was stopping him?

            "Mhmmm." Angelina indulged herself by leaning over and brushing her lips against his.  A little shock ran through her lips and she shivered.

            "What was that for?"

            "Because I love you."

            Is she saying this to me as George or to me? Fred asked himself.  He'd just have to speak from the heart.  He cupped her face in his hands, and brought it close to him again.  He started off slow, then he deepened the kiss.  He felt her arms slip around his neck, and he lowered his to her waist.  His mind was in a haze.  He couldn't quite get his mind around an idea.  Why was she kissing him, knowing it was him, if she was dating George?

            He pulled away.  When his vision cleared and he got his senses back, he decided to call the whole thing off.

            "Angelina?  You know I'm Fred."

            "Yes," she said breathlessly.

            "Why didn't you say so?"

            "Why didn't you?"

            He shrugged.  "I knew you knew I was Fred."

            "And I knew you knew I knew that you knew.  Is that right?"

            He shrugged.  "Who knows?" He paused.  "But why did you kiss me when you're dating George?"

            "George!  Hermione!  Ron!  Harry!  I think it's time you all got out here!"

Phew.  The rest to come later.  For those who are FRIENDS fans, you'll realize that I stole the "You knew I knew you knew" stuff from that episode where Joey told everyone by accident that Chandler and Monica were dating.  Haha.  Well, that's it for now.  Chap 5 will be posted when I gat a spare moment, which is next to never…