Yay! I'm pretty happy with this chapter. I've been trying to get to it for a while now. It's longer than the rest, and hopefully better than the last ones (proving evilevergreen wrong). Anyway, I don't know exactly how much it's worth, but I'd like to dedicate this chapter to her as a thanks for her input and support! Enjoy it guys...because there's not much left to go...((dun dun duuuunnnn...))
Disclaimer: These get old pretty fast...please don'tsue me; this is just a happy lil fanfic!
Angelina stood outside the hospital wing waiting for Ron as he explained to Madame Pomfrey that Jack Sloper had in fact knocked himself out with his bat during practice. Angelina buried her face in her hands at the miserable state of her team. Ron was great at goalkeeping as long as there were no more than 6 people watching, her beaters couldn't hit the bludger if their lives depended on it but were apparently quite apt at connecting with their own bodies…
The door shut and Ron gave her a helpless shrug. She patted him on the shoulder as they began to walk back to Gryffindor Tower chatting idly about chaser formations and their chances at the Cup.
"Yeah, but the Cannons have mastered the Hawkshead…"
"And look what good it does them without a single decent chaser among them!"
"C'mon Angie, Apollo is really starting to come into his own now."
She rolled her eyes at his misguided allegiance to the Chudley Cannons and held her tongue. She'd always thought Apollo one of the great jokes of Professional Quidditch; his father was a famous seeker in his time while Apollo had never actually wanted to play quidditch.
He'd only played at Hogwarts because a girl he'd fancied asked him to try out. He was decent, but people always thought him better than he actually was because of his dad. And if anybody bothered to read the back page of the sports section of the Prophet, they'd all know it too.
"Anyway, I'd been meaning to ask you about something."
Angelina perked up at the more serious tone Ron had taken. Curious, she nodded. "I was just wondering if anything was…the matter. Like if you had something you needed to talk about."
Angelina raised an eyebrow. "Weasley, what on earth are you getting at? What makes you think something's wrong?"
Apparently her reaction had been more defensive than she'd intended, because Ron immediately launched into series of apologetic mumblings. Angelina could only blink confusedly as she tried to make sense of his disjointed words, noticing than he distinctly mentioned Fred several times as he rambled.
He was only snapped back into coherence when a rather stressed-looking Hermione stomped down the corridors waving some sort of color-coded chart at the two of them. Ron shrunk back a step behind her, and having a pretty decent idea of Hermione's temperament, Angelina decided to spare her keeper if only for a few minutes.
"Sorry, Hermione, I'll need him for just a bit longer. We're discussing…attitudes. Now, what were you saying about mine?"
Angelina gave him a forced little smile as Ron tried to decide whom he was better off with. Hermione had seemingly taken interest in the subject, though, and was now walking with the pair.
"I was, erm…just saying that for the most part, you've kinda mellowed out a bit. Dunno, it's like you've…lost your edge. What I meant to say is you hardly ever row with Fred anymore. And you don't go all nutters on us in practice. You know, when you get all frustrated and your eye sort of twitches…"
Hermione gave him a hard jab in the ribs with her elbow as she glared at him, appalled.
"Ouch! 'Moine, that really hurt! Geez…well…I mean it is a cute sort of twitch really…"
Angelina couldn't stifle her laughter as Hermione threw up her hands and stormed off. "Looks like you've got your own problems to deal with, Ronnie."
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Sure you do…and I know because Fred and George go all red at the ears when they get embarrassed too."
Ron fought hard to suppress the scarlet creep across his cheeks, and eventually mumbled something about only having six weeks left to study for O.W.L.s and walking off. Before he got too far though, she called back to him.
"Oh and when you get back there be sure to let other others know we've got practice tomorrow. I'm pretty sure the pitch is booked all afternoon and evening, so be out there and ready by 5:30, okay? We can get it a few solid hours before breakfast."
She smiled her signature cocky smirk as Ron turned away, horrified at the thought of waking that early the next day. "Don't know why I even open my trap…" he muttered, walking away. "Serves me right…"
As Ron rounded the corner though, Angelina's carefree persona dropped. She unconsciously reached up to tug on a braid that had fallen from the sloppy bun she'd put her hair into.
Despite her best efforts, she couldn't keep her front up much longer. The knowledge of what Malfoy'd said haunted her nights and days. Fine, she resolved. Everything's fine. Can't worry about what might happen in the distant future. Just try a little harder to relax, or you'll worry everyone else too.
She made her way back to the tower and entered a very lively common room. Everyone sat around the fire talking or playing as they enjoyed various sweets and things sent to them from home for the Easter Holidays. As she spotted her friends watching Lee and Ron in the midst of an epic game of Wizard's Chess, Fred waved her over and broke off a bit of chocolate egg and passed it, grinning. He gently pulled her down so that she was lying on his stomach as she watched.
"I think that braid's about to fall out, Angie. Give it a rest, won't you?"
Angelina lowered her hand immediately, not realizing she'd been pulling it at all. "Sorry, it's just been bugging me today. No harm done."
Fred raised an eyebrow as he looked skeptically down at her. "Nah, you've been playing with that thing for weeks now. New nervous habit I suspect; I've never seen you do it before."
"You know all my nervous ticks?"
"'Course I do. I love you, remember? I know everything about you. My favorite has to be that little twitch you get in your eye when we're playing quidditch. It's precious!"
Ron's concentration broke and Lee's remaining knight took one of Ron's pawns. "See! I told you! Hermione didn't believe me!"
The whole group rolled with laughter as Hermione rolled her eyes and everyone added their two cents about Angelina's eye twitch. Angelina took the opportunity to speak privately to Fred. She reached up and stroked his chin as he gazed contently at her.
"You love me Fred?"
"You know I do Angeli-" His brows knitted. "I've just realized something. Angelina…angel. Funny, I'd never put that together. My angel. I love you."
"But why?"
Fred looked highly affronted at the question. "What do you mean? You're absolutely perfect! You're top-rate at quidditch…every guy in this school would give up his left nu-"
Her hand flew to his mouth to silence him. "That's not what I meant. I mean, why 'love'? What good is it?"
He gently peeled her hand from his mouth and held her hand in both of his. "Dunno. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. What's your grudge against the L-word anyway?"
"It just…it makes things harder."
"Like what?"
"Like saying goodbye, for one."
Fred halted his idle play with her fingers, and pulled her up so she was sitting in his lap as he looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm not going anywhere, Angel."
She nodded solemnly and squeezed his hand. "I love you, Fred."
His free hand softly stroked the back of her neck as he leaned in to kiss her. "I know."
Angelina sat at the table for breakfast as she had every morning before, minding her own business as poured over the day's schedule in her mind. She yawned into her cup of orange juice and watched the ceiling for the morning owls so she could get a good look at the Prophet before her first class.
Her peace was shattered as Fred entered the Great Hall moments before the first bell to classes. "Angie…Angie!"
He rushed over to her and took her by the shoulders, his faced panicked and looking as though he hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. "I need to talk to you, now. It's important."
The bell rang and Angelina, still disoriented, shook her head. "I can't Freddie. We're doing a transformation for the N.E.W.T. practical in McGonagall's today. Can it wait?"
"Not really. What's your last class for the day?"
"Erm…Herbology. I'm doing fairly well in there so I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem if…"
"Skip it. Meet me on the first floor, right over where that new Divination teacher's room is. Please don't be late, okay?"
She nodded as he stood and left as quickly as he'd arrived. Dazed, she grabbed all her things and trudged off to Transfiguration, hoping she'd be able to concentrate enough to make the spells work.
The day passed fast enough, and 4 o'clock came around with N.E.W.T.-level Herbology. She managed to slip away from the crowds shuffling to class and made her way to the first floor corridor. Fred was waiting for her as she walked up. He ran over and embraced her, causing Angelina to drop her books and quills all over the ground.
"What's going on? You're acting all…well…nutty!"
"I don't have time to really explain everything like I wanted to. Here's the gist of it…in about an hour, George and I are going to cause a bit of…ummm…mayhem. We promised Harry some diversion time while he gets a hold of Si- of a friend. It's going to be big. And I mean big, Angie. It's just that when this is over I don't know really what's going to happen. George figures we'll probably be expelled. If that happens-"
Angelina protested, but Fred squeezed her shoulders to silence her. "If that happens, I just want you to know how much I really love you and how much I'll miss you until I see you after graduation…"
She could hold her tongue no longer. "Frederick! What are you thinking! If you know it's going to get you expelled then why even bother doing it?"
His expression softened along with his grip. "Don't you see? That old hag Umbridge has taken away the only things here worth staying for! I don't have quidditch, and with Dumbledore gone…we've rented out a shop in Diagon Alley. Weasley's Wizard Wheezes is a reality now!"
Angelina pulled sharply out of his grip and looked down, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "The only things worth staying for…and what about me?"
"No! That's not what I meant Angel. I have to do this! Don't you see?"
There was a sharp whistle coming form above them, and Angelina looked up at Fred. His expression was hurt, but not nearly as much as she felt then. "That'll be George then? You'd better get going…"
"Please don't be this way Angie, it breaks my heart."
Angelina refused to respond, but stood numbly and willed herself not to cry. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her as Angelina held him as tightly as she could. "You said you weren't going anywhere! You told me…"
"I know, and I'm sorry, Angel. I love you. Please don't hate me."
He leaned in to kiss her, but she turned her face away, blinking as another set of tears ran across her face. A second whistle sounded and Fred looked up, torn. "Go."
She broke the contact abruptly and crossed her arms. "You've made you choice. Now go."
She bent down to pick up her spilled things rather than watch him hesitantly walk away from her for good. As she tucked away the last quill, there was a loud bang above her and she walked out of the corridor towards the staircases to see a crowd of ooze-covered students running from one of the hallways screaming "Swamp! It's a swamp!"
Others just returning from their classes gathered around from whatever floor they were on, with Angelina and the main crowd gathered on the first floor encircling a pair of infamous red-haired twins. Angelina watched from the edge of the circle as Umbridge approached them and the last vestiges of hesitation on Fred face melted into a mask of arrogant defiance.
She shook her head sadly as Fred looked over to her one last time. She turned and pushed her way out of the circle, through the throngs of awed students. She last heard a loud roar of cheers as Fred and George soared out of the main door and out of her life.
As the Gryffindors slowly filtered back into the common room, Angelina's friends found her staring blankly into the fireplace, pulling vainly at the same loose braid. Alicia and Katie immediately hugged and tried to comfort her while Lee made a beeline for his room.
He returned a few minutes later with a carefully sealed letter in his hand, knelt down to Angelina and handed it to her, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Here, he told me to give this to you. You know he really does love you, Angie."
At his words she snatched up the parchment and stood. "If this is what it means to be loved…a worthless piece of parchment…I don't want it! To hell with love and to hell with Fred Weasley!"
She crumpled the letter and tossed it into the fire, storming furiously back out of the portrait hole. But where would she go now? Thanks to the twins, David was in the Hospital Wing, disoriented and dazed after appearing suddenly in a toilet after they'd thrown him in the Vanishing Cabinet. Though to be fair, he was about to dock points from them.
She had nowhere to go and nobody understood her. Fred was gone, Montague was out of commission, she'd left her wand and cutting tool in the common room…she felt abandoned, scared, trapped, and overwhelmed. Umbridge had taken her happiness at school from her, and the Dark Lord had taken her future.
She sprinted to one of the girls' bathroom and heaved up the contents of a lunch that had seemed to occur years ago. She had no outlet. No one to tell; nothing to do but wait for something to happen…
A/N: I hope, evilevergreen, you've picked up on the irony of my dedicating a Fred/Angelina chapter to a hardcore Montague fan. wink