Seamus Finnigan's welcome party was in full swing. The lad had just come out of St. Mungo's Hospital after battling a fatal illness. The Gryffindor common room was packed with students. Every Gryffindor was there, including what seemed like the entire population of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. Even a handful of Slytherins were there.
Music was pumping out of a magically-amplified sound system courtesy of Lee Jordan, and food and drinks were aplenty. Fred and George Weasley spent half an hour fortifying Gryffindor Tower with Silencing Charms, so as to escape Professor McGonagall's and Argus Filch's watchful eyes and ears.
Fred picked up a mug of firewhisky and a bag of chocolates. He made his way through the crowd and slipped onto the couch beside Cho Chang.
"Enjoying yourself, pet?" he said over the din, handing the chocolates to Cho.
"Immensely," Cho took the bag and began eating her way through it.
"Good," Fred put his arm around Cho. "This is a party for us, too, after all."
Cho smiled. "Happy, then?"
"Very much," Fred pulled her closer. He drank from his mug.
Cho stared at Fred's profile. They've been dating for more than a month now, and they had just gotten back together from a recent break. Seamus suggested that they make this party a double celebration, in honor of his getting better, and of Cho and Fred having made up. Cho chewed on her chocolate thoughfully. Who would've thought she'd end up with someone like Fred Weasley?
Guys like Fred were fun, but they also spelled trouble. Though Cho loved fun people, she'd always thought that she'd spare herself from the trouble. She had never had detention, and she didn't dare break the rules. Schoolwork was important to her, and she always did what was right. Thinking about it, it made her seem boring. It isn't being boring, she told herself. It's being sensible. And safe. She enjoyed parties and trips, and games and snowball fights as much as the next girl. But she also preferred staying in the sidelines than being in the limelight. She liked the quiet and the lull—even if it meant people would think of her as a stick in the mud. And Cho had always gravitated toward guys who were like her. Like—Cedric Diggory. Sadness fluttered in her chest. Cedric was a wonderful guy. He was a great loss. For more than a year, Cho had grieved for him. She thought that no one could ever replace him. She even screwed up with Harry Potter because of her feelings for Cedric. She was broken up and lonely.
Until Fred.
Cho traced the contour of Fred's face with her gaze. His face was an interesting study. It held both gentleness and strength, and his eyes were never without a spark of mischief, and at the same time, it was never without understanding. He was charming, smart and witty, and very irresistible once he flashes that boyish smile of his. But he was a far cry from every boy Cho had ever dated. He was a prankster, with a certain disregard for rules. He wasn't a bad person, really, but Cho shied away from the troublemaking type.
She never really noticed him when he was still at Hogwarts, knowing nothing about him except for the fact that he was one half of the Weasley twins, and that he was a Gryffindor Beater who left school in the middle of his Seventh Year. The next thing she knew, Fred and his brother George opened a joke shop in Diagon Alley.
When news of a Halloween Ball hit Hogwarts last October, she happened to cross paths with Fred again. Having no one to go with to the Ball, Cho asked Fred to be her date, just for the fun of it. Then one thing led to another.
The past month was pretty eventful, to say the least, and Cho believes she had broken two dozen school rules in the process. Fred had just broken up with Angelina Johnson when Cho asked Fred to be her date. He was devastated by the separation, made worse when Angelina demanded that Fred return things that either belonged to her or were given to Fred by her. George suggested Cho might be able to help Fred out of his rut, so she snuck out of Hogwarts to see Fred in Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes new branch in Hogsmeade. Fred and Cho had been practically inseparable ever since.
Two weeks ago, Cho got hurt over Fred's slip that there were a number of things he hasn't told Cho about. Cho believed in being honest in a relationship, and she thought it deeply offensive that Fred was keeping things from her. Overwhelmed by hurt and disappointment, Cho announced that she wanted a break. Fred, in turn, was bowled over by her decision. He then did everything he could to win her back, ranging from the cheesy to the utterly ridiculous. Camping outside the Ravenclaw common room for days on end, and who could forget the hideous flower arrangement Fred came up with? But Cho wasn't ready to forgive just yet. She was hurt and confused by what happened. Cho found herself grieving again, for a love that was thwarted. She grieved for Fred. She pined for him, but she felt helpless in her confusion and disappointment. Then Cho's anger was ignited once more by the prank Fred pulled at her friend Marietta Edgecombe. Apparently, Marietta gave Fred a piece of her mind on the whole situation, and Fred retaliated by sending her sweets that made her face turn green. Fred thought it was highly amusing, but Cho only saw the meanness of the act, and she swore never to associate with Fred ever again, especially because another Ravenclaw became a victim—Marietta shared some sweets to one of their roommates, not knowing their effect, and the two of them cursed the existence of one blighter named Fred Weasley.
Fred apologized to Cho and her friends, owling over the antidote and a note. Cho ignored Fred's efforts, until one day, Fred, admittedly at his wits' end, wrote an open letter to Cho, and posted it for everyone to see.
Cho was floored. The letter contained three of Fred's deepest, darkest secrets, and he presented it to everyone who cared to read it.
Dear Cho,
The reason I'm not just owling this letter is simple: I want everyone to see this. Plus, this way, you can't just rip it up without reading it.
I don't know what else to do, Cho. So this is it. This is my final attempt at repairing our relationship. After this...if you don't want me...I'll leave you alone. Just know that I will always love you.
I don't say that lightly, you know. I really, truly am in love with you, Cho Chang. Madly, desperately, life alteringly in love. And because I'm in love with you, I'm going to tell you - and everyone else - my three darkest secrets. I'm putting my heart on the line for you, pet. Do with it what you will.
1. I told Hermione that Angelina left me because I wouldn't ask her to marry me. That was a lie. We were, actually, engaged to be engaged. But every time I asked her if she wanted to make it official, she made some kind of excuse. I finally gave her an ultimatum. Either commit or stop jerking me around. I wanted to get married. I wanted kids. I wanted a family of my own.
...She was gone the next morning. George will tell you that he had to hide all the potions in our apartment so I wouldn't take any. What he won't tell you is that he had to hide every sharp object as well. I wanted to die. My life was over. Which leads us to number two.
2. I've had too many girlfriends. When Ron says he's surprised at my devotion to you, it's because after Angelina, I had a new woman every week. I must be some sort of masochist, because I always let them in further than I should have. I always cared about them more than I should have. More than they cared about me.
I never learned, though. I'd let them in, I'd love them, they'd break my heart, and I'd move onto the next. I never ever learned. I never thought that maybe it wasn't healthy for me to keep doing this. I never thought that maybe being in love wasn't supposed to be so painful. Until you.
3. Despite 'loving' those girls...I never slept with them. None of them. That's right, I haven't had sex since Angelina left me a year and a half ago. I may have insinuated to people that there was sex...but there wasn't. Ever.
This might not be very appropriate, but I said I'd give my heart. And here it is. I ache for you. I ache for you more than I have ever ached for someone before. I go mad if I can't be near you, can't touch you, kiss you, taste you. You can imagine what this break has done to me. I miss you so much sometimes that I start shaking and I can't stop. My hands tremble so much that I can't even work the register in the shop. I have to go into the store room and sit on my hands until I calm down.
So there you go. Three of my darkest secrets. Out in the public eye. And now the ball is in your court. Where we go from here is all up to you, pet. I will always love you, no matter what you choose.
Forever yours,
Fred Weasley
After reading the letter, Cho realized just how foolish it was of her to have let her anger get the best of her. Fred was human after all, someone who had been hurt and was simply wary of getting hurt again. And besides, she couldn't have found the strength to actually let him go. True, Fred was a troublemaker and an occasional git, but he was her troublemaker and git. Being with Fred made her feel things she never thought she'd feel again. Cho felt so alive when she was with him. And seeing things through his eyes made life such a wonderful adventure, including all the trouble there is. There's never a dull moment with him around, and she had never felt so gloriously happy. And aside from his fun side, Fred was also a very caring person, sweet and protective. Cho found it very easy to talk to him, for he had this open-mindedness she admired. He was also a very determined guy, as evidenced by his relentless efforts to win Cho back. There was a quiet inner strength to Fred, one that isn't easily daunted by failure. This, combined with a stuborn streak that seems to be a Weasley family trait, and his sincerity of penitence of his tricks gone wrong, made Fred one hell of a man. His sense of loyalty to friends and family was an irresistible bonus. And after more than a year of gray skies, Fred to Cho was like a burst of sunshine, spreading light slowly but surely, without fail. Fred gave her so much in such a short time, and now, Cho felt that she was whole again.
Now that they were back together, Cho didn't think she'd ever find herself without Fred again. She'd happily endure his troublesome tendencies, and she could exert some good influence on him. Like now.
"All this crap going on with Ron and Hermione should end tonight, don't you think?"
Cho recognized that telltale twinkle in his eye. "Just how are you planning to accomplish that, may I ask?"
"Oh, just with some firewhisky and chocolates," Fred smiled impishly. "And a closet big enough to lock them both in."
Cho's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare."
"Try me," Fred said, getting up.
"FRED WEASLEY, YOU COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!" Cho stood up, indignant.
Fred chuckled and made a run for it. Cho ran after him. "FRED!"
She caught a bit of his robes and yanked him toward her. Fred, who was running too fast, was surprised by the sudden stop, and promptly fell backward, on top on his girlfriend, who was red in the face from running and screaming.
Fred turned over, so that he was facing Cho, and pinned Cho's arms down on the floor. "Ha," he said. "You little imp." He inched his face closer to hers. Cho closed her eyes as their lips met for an exquisitely agonizing kiss. It was slow and gentle, and Cho immediately lost herself in it.
Somewhere, she heard voices, cheering and whooping. A part of her realized that almost everyone at Hogwarts was watching them.
And frankly, she just didn't care.
Disclaimer: The Harry Potter series belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Author's Notes: This fic was inspired by events in the LiveJournal RPG amortentia.
For the fantastic Sally and the fabulous Kristine. Because you first believed in the love that is Fred and Cho, and for everyone else at amortentia, for their support of this ship. 333
Fred's "Open Letter to Cho" was written by Sally for her amortentia character portableswamps.