-A/N: Has everyone gotten their hands on HBP? Sadly, I may be the only kid in America, or the WORLD, for that matter, that doesn't have a copy. Fortunately, I went over a friend's house the other day, and seeing that I was deprived, she filled me in to how far she'd gotten, and then proceeded to read aloud. Haha. So, I guess you could say I'm up to Chapter Nineteen. Anyway, here's the next chapter. After re-reading this, I have to say its one of my favorite chapters. So I hope you like it. And as usual, thank you for the support and encouraging reviews. I'd like to respond to every but I'm a little pressed for time, so next chapter I promise I'll give everyone a personal response!
In all honesty, people like you guys are the reason why I continue to write.
Cheers.
October 22
Common Room
Tomorrow is my birthday! And what makes it even better is that it will be a Saturday! This also means that in a week, the students from the other schools will be popping over. I've been giving it some thought and I've decided I'm going to enter the tournament. I mean, by October 30th I'll be of age.
I know we've been warned about the level of danger, but I sure could use the money. My older brother, Holden, is at his second year at Cambridge University of Wizardry for Gentlemen, which is a prestigious all-boys college.
My family isn't poor; we're upper middle class. But college isn't cheap and the books alone cost about ¼ of what my father makes in a few months. He's an editor over at the Daily Prophet and my Mum works as a muggle preschool teacher.
If I won that prize money, then I could pay off all of Holden's college expenses and still have some left over for myself. It's a perfect plan. However, Fred begs to digress. I told him about my brilliant idea during Potions and he had a cow.
He completely wigged out and was like "Blah blah blah, the tasks will be too dangerous, you might get injured, it's best if he or Lee or George enter, wouldn't want anything to happen to me, blah blah and more blah."
It was cute that he cared but also annoying that he thinks I'm some little second year that can't handle a few scrapes or bruises. I crisply told him that I was a good of a Chaser as any guy and quickly reminded him of all the times I'd gotten knocked off my broom from some low-life Slytherin during a match.
He ignored me and protested with, "Well, this is different!"
We probably would have gotten into a bigger argument, but Katie elbowed me in the ribs and cocked her head towards Snape. He was at his desk, glaring and pondering the idea of a detention for "breach of peace."
So I snapped at him to "Drop it and get to work."
We didn't talk much until the end of the class, in which Fred wanted my opinion about what polo shirt would go better with his eyes for his walk around the grounds with Skelo-Girl. I stared at him and then curtly told him to "Bugger off, you prat."
I think he was a little hurt but he'll get over it. In third year, he decided to put a fake fly in my pumpkin juice during breakfast. I ended up spitting up all over my brand new school robes and he just sat there and roared with laughter with George and Lee.
I slapped Fred and told him I was never, EVER speaking to him again and I thought for a moment that he was going to shed a tear or two. I didn't speak to him for the rest of the day, but the following morning, he started talking to me in Divination as though nothing had happened.
Ugh. I don't care. I'm entering whether he likes it or not.
Katie says I'm being stupid and Fred was just looking out for me. Alicia says it's a sure sign that he fancies me.
But what do they know? However…I caught George and Alicia holding hands on their way to Muggle Studies so maybe I should listen to their twisted yet surprisingly wise advice more often.
October 23
Dorms
MY BIRTHDAY
HOLY MOTHER OF PEARL.
HAVE I GOT SOME THINGS TO TELL YOU!
It's nearly three in the morning but today was such an amazing day, I have to write it all down before I forget. My seventeenth birthday commenced at exactly 8 AM. Katie and Alicia snuck the boys up into our dorm room.
I was having a rather pleasant dream involving the beach and a certain red head, when a furry of commotion awoke me.
The grinning faces of Fred, George, Lee, Katie and Alicia greeted me. Lee was blowing one of those noisemakers and the twins had charmed confetti to come down from the ceiling. The girls were holding a massive chocolate cake, drowned in pink icing and adorned with seventeen candles.
Pink streamers that matched the cake were dangling from the entrance door to the closet door like victory flags.
It was sheer luck that I hadn't worn my Little Mermaid pajamas to bed. My Aunt Cassie had a weird fetish with Disney movies. But then again, I don't think an oversized, puke green T-shirt and pair of Fred's stolen, plaid boxers was any better.
"Aw, guys! No practical joke this year?" I wondered with disbelief.
Fred smiled at me. No, not with that infamous, sly, Weasley grin that always was drenched in rebellion. It was a warm, genuine half-smile that I'd rarely had the chance to see.
He shook his head and looked around the room at our friends.
"Naw, not this year. The guys and I spared you. I figured I'd give you a break this year."
I laughed, sitting upright in my bed.
"Well that's a relief."
Alicia laughed.
"Oh, don't get too disappointed. We have big plans for your eighteenth. You're not getting off the hook that easy," she warned with a good-natured smirk.
"Oh brother," I muttered, though unable to stop smiling.
"Oh brother is right! So get your big arse up and get changed, so we can eat," Lee enthusiastically ordered.
Fred chuckled and threw Lee a mock glare.
"Hey, I happen to like a little extra padding on a girl's rear," he voiced, his child-like smile replaced with a cheeky grin directly aimed at me.
Katie and Alicia giggled and I could only roll my eyes, my abashment leaving me speechless. Before, Fred's forward teasing wouldn't get to me. Nowadays, it turned me into a walking pile of stuttering mush. And who really wants to date a girl who keeps tripping on her own words? George snorted and he and Lee exchanged a "look."
"Thanks for enlightening us, Frederick. ACCIO Miss Sixty Jeans and vintage Weird Sisters top!"
My favorite pair of worn-in, low-rise Miss Sixty jeans and Weird Sisters shirt came flying out of my open closet door and onto the bed. The shirt had a picture of the band on the front, then the concert dates of their "Chaos Called Creation" Tour on the back. The Weird Sisters are a very popular, sort of punk band among the wizarding world.
They're a little well….weird but totally cool. I saw them in concert during the summer of fourth year with Alicia and Katie. My brother chaperoned. It was kind of funny, because Alicia ended up paying more attention to Holden than to the concert. She later denied this but Katie and I know the truth.
"I'm going into the bathroom to change. You boys better not swallow the entire cake," I insisted.
The girls of course laughed and the guys grumbled some ridiculous statement about "unfair treatment and misconceptions."
I didn't even know they were capable of possessing such extensive vocabulary!
With that, I gracefully arose and headed into the bathroom. I stifled a chuckle as I heard Fred suddenly comment, "I had a pair of boxers just like that. I wonder what happened to them."
A few minutes later, after magically straightening my unruly, wavy hair, I emerged sporting my jeans and form-fitting T-shirt. At this, Fred let out a low whistle. Katie elbowed Lee in the ribs and he waggled his eyebrows, the two of them snickering at Fred.
All right, so maybe I had put on a little makeup too.
I rolled my eyes at Fred, though flashed him a shy smile. Had he drank some polluted water out of the lake? Why was he continuously flirting with me? And at such an early hour of the morning, as well. Maybe I was overreacting and he wasn't flirting, just being his usual self.
Ugh. Life is so complicated?
Maybe I should have become a nun.
"Shut up Weasley. Now, where's that cake?" I wondered.
Katie had already cut the cake into equal slices. The girls, including myself, took one slice and the boys took three a piece. They managed to finish it earlier than us, as well. Pigs, I tell you. After we ate the cake, George handed out bottles of (non-alcoholic) butter beer that he'd looted from the kitchens. I didn't finish all of mine, so I gave it to Fred.
After that, we ventured down to the Common Room and opened presents. Katie got me a new journal, a box of Sugar Quills and a Burberry hair barrette. As you know, Katie's quite the fashion freak. Alicia got me this really cute, purple picture frame that says Best Friends underneath. Inside the frame is a picture of the three of us after a Qudditch game.
I'm in the middle and my arms are slung around Katie and Alicia, who are carelessly holding their brooms. Our uniforms and faces are covered in dirt but we're giggling like crazy. Also enclosed in the bag is a box of chocolates.
Lee got me a new scarf, which is really fortunate since my old one has a snag in it. It's red and gold striped. George bought me a VERY huge bag of Bernie Bott's Every Flavor jellybeans and this funky nail polish that turns different colors when hit by sunlight. I opened Fred's gift last.
Truth be told, I didn't know what to expect. It was in a long, rectangular box, wrapped in gold paper. I looked at Fred, thinking maybe his eyes would give it away but he only tossed out that boyish half-smile he'd unveiled earlier. I gulped, though my blank expression masked my anxiety. I opened the box, surprised that I was holding my breath and faced its contents.
I gasped, along with Katie and Alicia.
Inside were a dozen, long-stemmed, peach colored roses. First of all, I'd never seen peach colored roses. And I'm happy to say now I have, because they're absolutely gorgeous. Second of all, I never knew Fred could be so sweet! I felt my eyes get misty as I gazed at the loveable git, beaming from ear to ear.
"Fred…this is so sweet of you. Thank you so much," I gushed.
"There's um…a note, you know. You don't have to read it now, though" Fred sheepishly replied.
"Fred, that's like the least selfish thing I've ever seen you do all year," Katie cooed.
Fred promptly turned bright pink.
Alicia was just as caught up in the moment as I was.
"George, why don't you ever do anything like that for me?" she hotly demanded, lightly slapping George on the shoulder.
George rolled his eyes, then turned to Lee.
"Aww, Frederick, you shouldn't have!" George taunted in a high-pitched, squeal. He latched onto Lee's forearm, as though it were the anchor keeping him afloat.
Fred scowled.
Lee joined in and dramatically clasped his hands together like a Southern Belle, then batted his dark eyelashes.
"Freddie, that's sooooo thoughtful of you! I can't believe you'd-"
But Lee's wailing was cut short by a bright pink pillow forcefully smashed into his face, by one irked and embarrassed Fred.
Everyone laughed, with the exception of Fred. He was too busy glowering at his twin and Lee. The angry red head faced me, forcing out a smile that seemed…dare I say, shy? He pointed underneath the tissue paper that the roses were resting on.
"I got you some Sugar Quills, too. I know you go through those a pound by the day," Fred teased, ignoring his male friends.
But I was too astonished by the roses to really hear him. I'd never received flowers from any guy before. It was so surreal. I studied the roses once more, then gazed up at Fred, utterly overwhelmed with gratitude.
Our eyes locked and I felt as though my confession of infatuation was dancing on the edge of my lips. Something stirred inside of me, like the night after our detention. Fred was just about to tell me about "the right girl," when the damn Fat Lady interrupted us.
Damn you, you bloody talking portrait!
So instead of spilling the beans and snogging him senseless, I whispered, "Thank you."
After that, we headed down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Actually, the boys were the only ones with the appetite. I only had two glasses of pumpkin juice and split a raisin bagel with Alicia. Katie had a blueberry muffin. The boys on the other hand…well let's just say they ate enough to sufficiently feed a small army for three months during a winter excursion.
I didn't have anything really planned for my birthday, so when we found out Professor Mcgonagall was supervising a trip to Hogsmeade, we jumped on the bandwagon. The twins and Lee immediately headed into Zonko's and amused themselves with the newest products. The girls and I headed into a few robe shops. Rumor has it, that there's going to be some kind of ball this year. We didn't find anything we liked, though.
We met back up with the boys to eat lunch. Pretty soon, it was time to head back to the school. All in all, it was a normal day frolicking around Hogsmeade with my best gal pals and the three most immature yet undeniably hilarious sixth year boys. Yes, so far nothing really mind-blowing has happened, but I'm getting there.
After dinner, which I had to practically strangle Fred from loudly singing the "Happy Birthday" song, we all hung around the common room, laughing about ugly haircuts, moaning about the extravagant amounts of homework and teasing Fred about all his less than genius admirers. The twins had a spare pair of Filbluster's Fireworks and set them off around midnight, declaring I was "Officially Seventeen."
Around one, we headed up to our separate dormitories. I changed into PJ's that were less offensive than the night before (a pair of gray cotton shorts and a purple shirt that isn't five sizes too large), then slipped into bed. I was about to fall asleep when I heard a tapping at my window.
I thought I was hallucinating, so I rolled over and tried to drift off, when it got louder. Grumbling to myself, I shuffled to the window, opened it and was faced with a beaming Fred Weasley, straddling his broom, as though late-night broom rides were the hit rage among muggles and wizards.
"Fred? What in the hell are you doing?"
Fred chuckled. He still was wearing the outfit he'd worn this entire day, which was a pair of slightly baggy jeans and a moss green, V-necked sweater that in a strange way, really complimented his eyes. He looked absolutely adorable, especially since his longish, shaggy ginger locks were tousled and wind-blown.
"What does it bloody look like? I'm waiting for you to hop on!" Fred impatiently informed, as though he was speaking to a three-year-old with a mental inhibition.
I sighed.
"Fred, I'm in my pajamas."
"No complaints there," he quickly replied with a cheeky grin.
I immediately blushed but glared at him.
"Fred, it's nearly two in the morning!" I quietly screeched.
He shrugged.
"And your point is?"
I crossed my arms over my chest, fixing him with a stern scowl. Fred chuckled and threw his hands up in surrender. I was immediately scared he'd fall but he remained firmly in place and I felt my heart rate abate back to normal.
"C'mon Angie. It's the big 1-7. Live a little. I promise I won't keep you out too late," he persisted.
I was going to tell him to go bug someone else, but one look into those smirking orbs of his and I couldn't resist. I found a sweatshirt sprawled near my bed, so I quickly shoved my head and arms through it. The hardest part was getting on the broom. I'm by no means afraid of heights, but gazing down at the fifty-foot drop rattled my nerves. I peered at Fred, biting my lip and he chuckled, shaking his hair out of his eyes.
Which was a very sexy move, if I might add.
"Here, I'll pull the broom closer."
He swung the broom towards the window, then pulled up right next to it. Despite the fact he was practically hugging the windowpane, I was still a little nervous. I mean, it was one thing to be zipping around on a broom during a real match. The good thing about that was you mounted the broom from the ground and were so engrossed into the game, that nothing could break your intense concentration.
"C'mon, Angie. Just go one leg at a time. Hold onto the windowsill," he coaxed.
I took a deep breath, then shakily stood on the sill. Holding my breath, I swung my right leg over, one hand grasping the windowpane for dear life, the other hanging onto Fred's shoulders. I managed to swing my other leg over then situated myself on the broom.
I latched onto Fred's waist and slid up closer to him, my chin nearly resting on his shoulder. I could feel his muscles tense up, though I had no idea why. The night was crisp and refreshing, just in between mildly warm and briskly nippy. Fred kicked off from the wall and hovered for a moment.
He gazed back at me, excitement radiating from his eyes.
"Hang on!" he eagerly proclaimed.
Before I could say anything, Fred had turned back around and began picking up speed. The wind angrily roared in my ears, my hair spastically flying and whipping behind me, my fingers gripping his waist even tighter. I knew Fred was grinning at all of this.
We soared around the Qudditich pitch, then around the outside of the castle, then zipped close above the lake; my toes buoyantly skimmed the surface, creating millions of ripples. I knew Fred was an exceptional flyer but the moves he was pulling could have been passed off as deleted scenes from that muggle movie, 'Top Gun.'
He executed impeccable barrel roll after barrel roll, followed by lazy-eights and sharp turns. I was surprised that I hadn't squeezed all the oxygen out of his body. We didn't talk much during the duration of the ride but it didn't matter. That was one of the great things about our friendship. We didn't always need to have lengthy conversations. Sometimes we could sit in silence and understand each other perfectly well.
When we had safely gotten back to my dorm room, Alicia was mumbling some incoherent and long rant about George never buying her flowers and her fear of moths. Fred and I snickered. He actually came inside, the broomstick lazily placed in his right hand. I shrugged and looked around.
"Well. This is it," I noted, regretting the escapade had ended.
He grinned.
"So it is."
I was silent, my eyes never leaving his face. His cheeks had been splashed with a nice red hue and his hair was messy once more. A few defiant pieces were hanging in front of his eyes, just grazing the bottoms of his eyebrows. I resisted the urge to brush them away.
The sparkle in those eyes was brighter than any star situated in the night sky. The eyes I had grown to know so well now seemed painted with another emotion I couldn't put my finger on.
They were so wide and buzzing with contained electricity that I easily felt myself slipping away. He was the kind of guy that didn't realize how good-looking he really was. And this made him even more attractive. I bit my lip, my infatuation at its fullest. There he stood, so confident and poised. There I stood, flashing him my loveliest smile, when inside, I was a ball of unwinding nerves.
I moved closer, as though drawn by some unknown magnetic force and he gazed down at me, bathed in the shadows. At five foot, seven inches, I was pretty tall for my age. But during fourth year, Fred seemed to have had an enormous growth spurt. Now, he was just less than six foot, three inches. Those eyes were hypnotizing…I felt myself pulled to their force, infatuated to their sly allure, the strange romance that went with rebellion and mischief and chaos.
I thought I was going to kiss him, right then. I really did.
But Alicia loudly snoring broke the thick silence. Fred blinked, as though just coming out of a deep trance.
"Well, I'd better get going. It's late," he hoarsely announced.
I thought this was weird, since he'd insisted on going for a broom-ride despite the fact it was almost two in the morning. I nodded, still absorbed in those gorgeous blue eyes of his, like an ocean during a terrible thunderstorm.
"All right. See you tomorrow," I parted.
He flashed me a grin.
"Sweet dreams, Angel."
And then he did something he'd never done.
He kissed me on the forehead.
With that, he mounted his broomstick and flew away, probably to his room, until he was a tiny speck in the distance.
I watched him leave until I could only see the ghost of his outline against the pale gray sky, then slithered back into bed, touching the spot where his lips had met my skin.
I then remembered the note attached with the flowers. I had forgotten to open it, so I scrambled in the dark and found the box. I flung the top across the room and felt around the box, until I found the note. Crawling back into my bed and taking out my wand from the top drawer of the nightstand, I unrolled the piece of parchment.
"Lumos," I hissed.
I could tell Fred had trouble of what to write, because there were a lot of dark cross-outs. The note went like this:
Dear Angel,
So. It looks like you've finally reached seventeen. I remember it like it was just last year. You were calling me an "immature git" for getting into a mud-fight with George after a very rainy Qudditch match. Oh wait, that was just last year. Haha. No but, what I guess I'm trying to say is that you're one of my best mates. And as you know, I usually don't have many girls that are strictly and only friends. I'm grateful that you've put up with me for so long. What I guess I'm REALLY trying to say, is that you mean a lot to me. More than I let on. So have a brilliant day, because you're only seventeen once.
Love,
FredI closed the note and let out a little sigh. My eyes kept darting back to the line "you mean a lot to me" and "Love, Fred." I just couldn't believe any of it.
And at exactly 2:45 AM, I truly, madly and unfortunately fell head over heels for my best friend, Fred Weasley.
A/N: Yes, I realize that guys can't go into girl's dorms, but I wrote this way before I picked that mistake up. So we'll just pretend that it's all right. Haha.