Thanks to my beta d.i.s.h. hugs for taking making my writing readable :D
Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to little me…
It was the evening after the Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match and most of the Gryffindor team sat together in the nearly empty common room.
"I can't believe that toad!" exclaimed George suddenly, his elbows resting on his knees. "She can't just ban us!" He rubbed his hands over his tired face. "It's not fair!"
"Life is never fair if Malfoy is involved." stated Alicia and leant her head against Lee, staring in the flickering flames.
"Yup," sighed Katie, "He got nothing - as usual." She moved closer to George and rubbed his back lightly before playing gently with his hair.
"We have no chances of winning now." muttered Ron, who was stretched out in front of the fire. As an afterthought he added, "And it's all my fault."
Before the others could answer the portrait flew open and smashed against the outer wall with a loud crash – the Fat Lady could be heard shouting profanities.
"Well, never in my whole…"
She couldn't finish her sentence, as the portrait hit the wall with such a force that it rebounded and started to slam back. Before it could crash close again though, Angelina stormed in, her scarlet robe barely escaped getting stuck.
She didn't stop.
Instead she marched through the common room and stomped up the stairs to the 7th years girls dorm her Quidditch robes billowing behind her.
"O-kay. What was that?" asked Harry after they heard the bang of the door upstairs, which made the trophies on the fireplace jump a few inches.
"That is a very, very, very pissed off Angelina Marie Johnson. It is said to be very dangerous when aggravated. Of course, this fact isn't actually proven, as no one's ever lived to tell the tale. It is classified as a highly dangerous species. Do not feed, pet or attempt to make eye contact," replied Lee's perfect imitation of Professor Binns.
George snorted, "That fits perfectly. I just wonder what happened. Putting one and one together and taking the obvious into account, I just pray that my other half is in one piece. Or at least conscious."
"You think this is Fred's work?" asked Harry, nodding in the direction of the staircase Angelina stormed up.
"Definitely!" chorused Lee and George. "And knowing him, he is pissed as hell as well." added Lee.
"Why's that," asked Hermione leaning back in her armchair and looking up from her Transfiguration book.
"Just these two together can get their temper flaring like that. I think they were standing some hallway screaming at each other. Usually they throw their problems at each other but it's no one's fault. Like, you and Ron bickering. Just a few notches up," replied George, sitting up and leaning back as well.
"I just wonder where Fred is. Usually they're not that far apart with storming in here after each other." added Alicia, looking up from the flames.
"Should we try talking to Angelina?" asked Ginny from a table behind Lee and Alicia.
"Maybe we should let her cool down first and try talking to her tomorrow. I think it would be even better to ask Fred first what exactly happened," answered Alicia.
Katie snorted, "Like the two of them are going to remember what ticked them off."
"True," said Alicia.
"Hey Ron?" asked George
"Hhmmm?" came the mumbled reply.
"Up for a game of chess? I need to clear my head a bit."
"Alright!"
George and Ron sat down in front of the fire, with the others sitting around them. They summoned their chess pieces and started playing, the others watching interested, glad for the distraction.
They were playing their third game when the grandfather clock between the staircases chimed half past one.
"I wonder were Fred is," said Alicia suddenly, "It's been nearly three hours when Angie came in and it's way past curfew."
George looked up concerned, "Maybe I should go and check on him."
A second after George finished his sentence the portrait opened with a slight creak and Fred entered. He was still wearing his Quidditch robes, which had some mud and grass stains and to the surprise of the others dust on them. He had a haggard expression on his face, was a bit pale and his freckles stood out more than ever. His hair was messy, indicating that he has been running his hands through his hair quite often since they last saw him. His face was a mask not betraying his feelings at all. Surprise glimmered in his eyes for a moment before being replaced by confusion at seeing the others still awake.
Katie was the first to break the silence, "Fred? What happened?"
The confusion in Fred's eyes changed to sadness. He opened his mouth to reply, before snapping it shut again. He looked to the ground; shoulders slumped and shook his head slightly before trudging silently up the stairs to his dorm.
Lee lifted an eyebrow slightly, "Now that's something new."
"I would call it scary. He looks like someone died." said Ron.
"Yup." agreed Ginny "I haven't seen him like this since great great granddad Barclay died eight years ago. What do you say, George? George!"
George was staring after Fred with a worried look on his face. He snapped out of it when Ginny called him for the second time. "Huh? Sorry, what did you say?"
"I said that Fred didn't look like that since great great granddad Barclay died."
"Yeah. That was pretty hard for us. He was the only one in our family being supportive of pranking and jokes." he said with a far away look, then shaking his head to clear his mind he stood up
"I'm going to talk to him. He looks like he needs it. I'll be back later." He leant down and gave Katie a short kiss before heading up the stairs as well.
"That didn't look good at all," said Alicia after George was gone, "I hope Fred's okay."
#-#-#
#-#-#
George entered their dorm room; which was dark. The only light came from the moon outside and illuminated the room enough for George to see the hangings around Fred's bed closed. The room was silent except for John and Dave's - their other roommates - snoring. George crossed the room, kicked his shoes off and climbed into Fred's bed through the small opening. He pulled his wand out and put a Silencing and an Imperturbable Charm up. Then he sat up against the headboard and tried to make out his brother in the dark.
Fred laid on top of the covers with his back to him, still clad in his Quidditch-robes.
George sat there in silence waiting for Fred to start talking.
After five minutes Fred finally turned around and put his head on George's lap. He shivered slightly and rubbed his arms to get warm. George summoned the handmade quilt, their mother made for them when they were little. He put it over them both and was careful to tuck it properly around his twin. Then he ruffled Fred's hair slightly and asked quietly, "What happened?"
He heard Fred swallow hard before he answered in a hoarse voice, "She broke it off."
"What do you mean she broke it off?" George rubbed Fred's back slightly.
"She told me that I'm an egoistical arsehole and that I don't think of the team or her. She told me that I should stop seeing the world as a huge joke and that I can't be serious when it's needed."
"Why don't you tell from the beginning?"
Fred swallowed again, "Well, you saw her walk off after you told me that I was suspended. She was pretty down then. I caught up with her, when she entered an empty classroom. I asked her if she was okay and then she became pissed."
Fred closed the door quietly after he saw Angelina enter an old, dusty classroom.
"Angel? Are you okay?" Fred asked quietly, stepping up behind Angelina, who was staring out of the window. He saw her tense for a moment before she turned around and glared at him, before she started in a deadly tone, "You actually have the nerve to ASK ME THIS?" she raised her voice at the end, "What the hell DO YOU THINK? I lost two beaters and a seeker! WHICH IS HALF A QUIDDITCH TEAM IF I HAVE TO REMIND YOU! Ask me am I okay? I am captain of a team that lost three players because they couldn't control their TEMPER! And then you come along and actually ask me if I'm okay. WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM? I have to look for two new beaters and a seeker, I have to find them, then to train them and hope that they fit into the team! And while doing that I have to prepare for NEWTS as well. I AM PERFECTLY FINE!"
"I'm sorry for that, but you heard what Malfoy said and I didn't do anything! I can't help it the toad suspended me."
"BUT YOU BLOODY WELL WOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING IF WE HADN'T HELD YOU BACK! YOU ARE SUCH AN EGOISTICAL ARSEHOLE SOMETIMES!"
Fred flinched at that
"Maybe if you would have used your head once, you would realise that Malfoy was just taunting you! And it looks like he actually got what he wanted! Because if you would think of the team for once you would see that you played directly into the enemies hands! I know that he insulted your mother but I estimated you a bit more matured than trying to run after him and hit him IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL NO LESS!"
"Angel, I…"
"Don't Angel me, Frederick Weasley" she hissed
"Do you want to know what your problem is? YOU CAN'T BE BLOODY SERIOUS! You see the whole world as a huge joke and if you are not careful the consequences are going to blow up IN YOUR FACE!" she emphasized her last statement with poking him in the chest for every word while glaring at him. Then she turned around her, Quidditch robes swishing behind her. She headed for the door and threw it open. Fred followed her, his face crestfallen and tried again, "Angel-"
Angelina swirled around fixed him with a glare and growled "You lost the right to call me that, Fred Weasley." Then she turned and closed the door in his face.
Fred just shut his eyes for a moment, trying to stop the swirling in his head. He leaned with his back against the door and slid down. He sat in the dust, his face in his hands reliving what just happened.
"I don't know how long I sat there. Then I came back here and wandered straight into McGonagall. I didn't even see her at first." Fred finished his tale. His voice slightly mumbled against George's thigh.
"She chewed me out and gave me detention for three days."
George was still rubbing Fred's back and answered, "I'm sure Angie didn't mean it like that. I mean you two always fight and make up in the end."
Fred shook his head, the pain in his voice evident, "But never like this. I know that we had our fair share of rows, but it was never like this. She would never say something like this if she didn't mean it." He waved his hand around for a moment and then added quietly, "Believe me. It's over."
#-#-#
#-#-#
The others were still talking quietly, when George came downstairs again. He plopped next to Katie on the couch and put his face in his hands. They were looking at him silently, waiting for him to enlighten them. George rubbed his face a few times before looking Harry straight in the eyes and saying, "We've screwed up big time."
The look in George's eyes told Harry everything he needed to know. He groaned and put his head in his hands and started muttering obscenities about Malfoy and Goyle.
"What happened?" asked Alicia.
"She dumped him," replied George, quietly.
The others just closed their eyes.
"I don't believe that," said Katie. Her voice optimistic "They fought countless times and made up after a few days."
"Fred said, they never fought like this before and she said some thing that she would never say if she didn't mean them. I saw him after their fights and he has never been like this before."
"And it's our fault." added Harry.
George just nodded. "Yup. We screwed up big time."
"Maybe we should talk to Angelina tomorrow. All of you saw how pissed she was. Maybe when she calmed down, she'll talk to him." suggested Katie.
George leaned his head on her shoulder, "I hope you are right, love."
"What did she say exactly?" asked Hermione in her most reasonable voice, "Maybe he just took it wrong."
George just shook his head, "He called her 'Angel' and her reply was, that he had lost the right to call her that." Lee, Katie and Alicia winced at that.
"That doesn't have to say anything." tried Hermione again "I mean every guy doesn't get through with calling a girl by her nick name while fighting."
"It's different with them." corrected Lee.
"Yeah," continued Alicia "Only Fred has – had the right to call her Angel. Neither we," she made a hand movement to include Alicia, George and Lee, "nor anyone else, is allowed to call her that. Ask Lee or George. They can tell you exactly how painful that is."
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny, from the floor.
"Ginny, I hate to say this, but your Bat-Bogey is nothing against hers when you call her 'Angel'." explained George.
"Yup," Lee moved on "And that was in first year." He shuddered.
"And if she really, really meant it," said Katie, shaking her head.
"Then Angelina, to say it in other words, broke off their friendship," continued Alicia.
"And losing her as his best friend is the thing that Fred feared most when he asked her out," said George, putting his face in his hands again.
"So that's why it took so long?" asked Harry, and George just nodded in reply.
"What do you have to do with that?" asked Ron suddenly.
"I don't have to do anything with that. It was just quite obvious in third year what they feel for each other. In fact it didn't take me long to realise what's going on. And yes 'Mione, I worked it out by myself. And that says something," Harry smiled slightly before frowning again and looking at the others "So, what are we going to do?"
"Wait and hope that it works out on its own," replied Lee. "There is nothing else we could do now. Let's meet again tomorrow and discuss what we have."
"And where?" asked Ginny, forcefully "Umbridge will be on our back. You know that she didn't allow the team to be reformed at first. We are too many! If she finds us with her bloody decree number whatever we are doomed!"
"We'll see about that tomorrow. It's Sunday after all. So it won't be that big of a problem." replied Lee, calmly. He yawned and said, "I'm going to bed. It has been a long day." The others all nodded in agreement and said goodnight. George and Lee kissed Katie and Alicia and went up to bed for themselves.
#-#-#
Done with Chapter one.
What do you think of my work? Please Review.