Chapter Thirteen: Risks

"Go? With you? To the dance?" Anna asked shocked.

"It's ok, I knew you wouldn't—"

"Hey! I never said I wouldn't go with you," Anna said defensively.

"So I've heard," said a voice from behind.

"Crap," thought Anna and Fred.

"Draco..." Anna said turning about. "So nice of you to join the real world," she said sarcastically.

"We need to talk, Anna," he said grabbing her arm.

"Yes, we do," Anna said taking her arm back. "Fred, go to the Three Broomsticks and order a butter beer for me, I'll be right there."

"Ok," he said leaving the two alone.

"Anna, why would you raise his hopes like that?" Draco said.

"Raise his hopes? What are you talking about?" Anna shouted.

"Well, duh, we're going together," Draco said leaning in for a kiss. Anna quickly stepped back.

"And when did we talk about this?"

"Well, I assumed—"

"Yeah, and you assumed wrong. Just like how I assumed since I was unconscious in the Hospital Wing my boyfriend would take the time to visit me, I guess I was wrong then too, right?"

"Hunny..." Draco pleaded.

"Wasn't I?" Anna said giving him the angriest look she could muster with out letting out her tears of pain.

"Yes, but it was because I couldn't bear to see you unconscious, it would have killed me," Draco said trying to make something up.

"And it's going to kill me to say this, but I have to. I think we should take a break," Anna said looking down at the ground.

"A break?" Draco said stepping back at the seriousness of what was now going on.

"Yes. I think we should take a break. Even see other people. Think things over. All I know right now is that your not acting like the boyfriend I once had and loved very much," Anna said as a few tears fell down her cheek.

"This is unbelievable. But if it's what you want," Draco said.

"It's what I want," Anna said turning around and leaving behind all that used to be hers; safety net included.

"So how'd it go?" Fred said passing her the butter beer.

"I, um, I broke up with him," Anna said.

Fred started choking on his butter beer, "You what?"

"I told him that we needed to take a break and see other people," Anna said gulping down her drink.

"Oh, well, I was wondering if you well, if you had an answer to my question," Fred said wincing as he waited for her to call him something around the edges of an insensitive pig for asking so soon.

"Just give me some time Fred. I'll have your answer, I just need to think about you, and me, and Draco," Anna said glancing at him.

"Take all the time you need," Fred said paying for the butterbeers and hugging her and he was surprised by how tightly she was hugging back, almost as if she didn't want to let go; and in reality she didn't.

"Come on, let's get back. I have just the thing to cheer you up," Fred said putting his arm around her shoulders as she leaned on him.

When they got back to the castle, Fred stopped her. "Listen, you'll hear three taps on your window tonight. Don't be scared, it'll be me. Just get some warm clothes on because it'll be cold outside. Ok?"

"Sure, but what time will you be there and what are you up too?" Anna said looking at him suspiciously.

"I'll be there around 12," Fred said. "And the rest is my little secret. There's Elle and I'm sure you want to talk to her so," Fred said as he leaned in to kiss her, Anna felt the air leaving her lungs as their lips pressed together. It was a gentle but altogether sweet kiss. As they pulled away Anna felt a tingle on warmth filling her up. He just stared at her, "God, she's beautiful." And with that he left her with a million emotions that needed to be felt and Elle was running towards her.

"What was that?" Elle shouted excitedly. Anna only responded by grabbing Elle's arm and rushing to the dorm.

As soon as the door closed and locked, Anna started crying.

"Is he that bad a kisser?" Elle asked confused.

"No, he's wonderful. He's perfect. I'm just too stupid to do anything about it," Anna said as Elle hugged her.

"What happened?"

Anna grabbed the tissues Elle offered and told her everything that happened at Hogsmeade.

"I'm so hurt from breaking up with Draco. I don't know anything anymore. I like Fred, a lot, but what's stopping him from changing like Draco did," Anna said.

"Nothing is stopping him. But you have to take that risk, the risk that yeah he might do that but also if he cares about you as much as I think he does I don't think he would ever do anything to hurt you. This is Fred Weasley we're talking about, the guy who practically worships the ground you walk on."

"You're right," Anna said.

"But, don't rush yourself. Sometimes when you break up with some one that you loved as much as you loved Draco you need time to get over it. Answer his question when you feel that you're over Draco," Elle said leaving Anna to wallow.

Anna put one sweatpants and a Quidditch sweatshirt around 11:45 and then grabbed the Potions essay she had been working on before she changed clothes. And as soon as he clock changed to 12, she heard three taps on her window. She pulled back the curtains and there she saw Fred on his broom.

"Ready for a midnight broom ride, my lady?" Fred said holding out his hand.

"Yes," Anna said smiling. She once had this dream long ago that Draco would have done this for her, but here was Fred doing it.

"Stop thinking about him," Anna thought.

"Where are we going?" Anna said putting her arms around his waist.

"You'll see. Just let go of all your thoughts and just take everything in," Fred said as they passed Hagrid's hut.

As they flew over the lake, he lowered his broom so that she could skim her hands on the water. They flew over the Forbidden forest and saw creatures sleeping and Anna felt herself getting lost in Fred's scent and she soon rested her head on his back.

Fred then circled back by the lake and there she saw a willow tree with some of its leaves enchanted to light up. They stopped there and just looked at their surroundings. And for a moment, it seemed as though all was right in the world.

"This is where I should be," Anna thought and then feeling as if a load had been taken off her shoulder, she didn't know why she did it but she felt so relaxed and safe she whispered into Fred's ear, "Yes."

"What?" Fred asked turning himself around so they he was facing her.

"I'll go to the dance with you," Anna said feeling as if she could not be any happier than she was at that moment.

Fred lifted her off the broom and spun her around. Then after the two of them laughed he spoke. "Will you be my girlfriend?" he asked cupping her chin.

Anna felt as though this was what she needed. "Yes!" she yelled as the two of them laughed at how silly they must've looked.

Fred just laughed and kissed her with as much passion and longing as he could muster. Anna just let herself go and kissed him back with just as much longing. Then getting scared she pulled back trying to catch her breath. "Slow, let's take it slow."

"Ok," Fred said gently kissing her like he did that morning when they got back from Hogsmeade. Their lips left as though they were long-lost soul mates reuniting.

They stopped kissing and Fred just held her in his arms and Anna felt safer than she ever had. Anna yawned, considering she was up all day and with everything that happened that would make any girl tired. Fred put her back on the broom but kept her on the front of the broom so that if she fell asleep she could lean back on him. HE opened the window and gently shook her awake. "Anna, we're here."

"Goodnight Frederic," Anna said smiling.

"Goodnight my dear Annie," Fred said blowing her a kiss.

Anna just fell on her bed and she was out like a light but not before thinking one thing, "Life is good."

Author's Note: Yay! She got together with Fred! Woot Woot! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! And tell me if you think maybe she's moving to quickly after her breakup with Draco... remember REVIEW! Love ya lots! Kaitlyn