"You want to become a what?" Harry stared at Fred incredulously.
"A seeker. You know, the guy who flies really fast, and gets to win the game."
"I know that, Fred," Harry looked a little frustrated, "but why? You and George work so well as beaters."
"Well... you know, the fame, the glory..."
"And?"
"And, uh, the hugs you get every time you win." He said the last part quickly, running his words together. Harry took a moment before Fred's motivations dawned on him.
"You're after Angelina." It wasn't a question.
"Maybe."
"I thought... isn't she... what about George?"
"Oh, piffle to George. He doesn't have a chance. Well, maybe he does. But not if I get there first."
"By becoming a seeker?"
"I think that would suffice."
"But... I'm the Griffindor seeker!"
"Harry Harry Harry. I'm not trying to take your place. It's just--you seem to spend a lot of games in the hospital wing. At the moment, you're practically indispensable." Fred's expression turned angelic. "If I were able to take your place in case of accident or what-have-you, I would be doing Griffindor a great service."
Harry snorted. "Or yourself."
"Think not what you can do for your House, Harry, but what your House can do for you."
"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"
"Pish tosh. Simply a technicality."
"You know, I don't think it'd work."
"What?" Fred looked indignant. "Me and Angelina?"
"No, not that. I meant you becoming a seeker just to, you know, pick up."
"Have you got a better suggestion?"
"Why don't you, I don't know, talk to her?"
"Talk?"
"Yeah, I think girls like to be talked to."
"That's what George said."
"You asked George?"
"I didn't tell him who I was talking about."
"Oh, okay." Harry shook his head, this was all too much for him.
"And, you know, pay her attention and stuff."
"You mean, outside of Quidditch practice?"
"Yeah. Maybe... at Hogsmeade?"
"You reckon she'd come joke shop hunting with George and me?"
Harry groaned. "Probably. But if she does, make sure you take her to the Three Broomsticks for some talking time later. Just the two of you. Maybe buy her something."
"Zonko's has these great..."
"No!" Harry interrupted. "Buy her something nice."
"I guess," he said thoughtfully. "I saw a pair of boxer shorts with little snitches all over them. How about that?"
Harry groaned once more. "I don't know if Angelina would be wanting boxer shorts."
"Angelina?"
"Yeah, remember, Angelina? The girl you are trying to get with?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Angelina."
"A seeker. You know, the guy who flies really fast, and gets to win the game."
"I know that, Fred," Harry looked a little frustrated, "but why? You and George work so well as beaters."
"Well... you know, the fame, the glory..."
"And?"
"And, uh, the hugs you get every time you win." He said the last part quickly, running his words together. Harry took a moment before Fred's motivations dawned on him.
"You're after Angelina." It wasn't a question.
"Maybe."
"I thought... isn't she... what about George?"
"Oh, piffle to George. He doesn't have a chance. Well, maybe he does. But not if I get there first."
"By becoming a seeker?"
"I think that would suffice."
"But... I'm the Griffindor seeker!"
"Harry Harry Harry. I'm not trying to take your place. It's just--you seem to spend a lot of games in the hospital wing. At the moment, you're practically indispensable." Fred's expression turned angelic. "If I were able to take your place in case of accident or what-have-you, I would be doing Griffindor a great service."
Harry snorted. "Or yourself."
"Think not what you can do for your House, Harry, but what your House can do for you."
"Isn't that supposed to be the other way around?"
"Pish tosh. Simply a technicality."
"You know, I don't think it'd work."
"What?" Fred looked indignant. "Me and Angelina?"
"No, not that. I meant you becoming a seeker just to, you know, pick up."
"Have you got a better suggestion?"
"Why don't you, I don't know, talk to her?"
"Talk?"
"Yeah, I think girls like to be talked to."
"That's what George said."
"You asked George?"
"I didn't tell him who I was talking about."
"Oh, okay." Harry shook his head, this was all too much for him.
"And, you know, pay her attention and stuff."
"You mean, outside of Quidditch practice?"
"Yeah. Maybe... at Hogsmeade?"
"You reckon she'd come joke shop hunting with George and me?"
Harry groaned. "Probably. But if she does, make sure you take her to the Three Broomsticks for some talking time later. Just the two of you. Maybe buy her something."
"Zonko's has these great..."
"No!" Harry interrupted. "Buy her something nice."
"I guess," he said thoughtfully. "I saw a pair of boxer shorts with little snitches all over them. How about that?"
Harry groaned once more. "I don't know if Angelina would be wanting boxer shorts."
"Angelina?"
"Yeah, remember, Angelina? The girl you are trying to get with?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Angelina."
