Real Love

Chapter Six: Fool Love

"What was up with McGonagall today? Merlin, all I did was make one lousy mistake and the witch jumps down my throat."

"Alicia. You turned Lee into a toad, and then went around screaming your arse off, stomping about like crazy. You nearly killed him."

"Oh, right. But tell me Katie, would that've been such a bad thing?"

Their laughter brought Angelina out of her consistent musing. Her mind had been full of George all day...and what he had almost said on the couch. Maybe he meant what she thought he meant, but maybe that was wishful thinking. There were so many things he could've meant...Weren't there?

"Ugh, and what about Snape?"

"What about him? He's a permanent prick with a dungbomb stuck up his ass."

Katie giggled. "And I'm still waiting for it to explode."

He only said her name and that was all. But then she thought: Why do I keep thinking he only meant one thing?

"Katie, Ali?" Angelina sat up in her bed and looked at them. They stared back, wide-eyed. Alicia was standing in front of the wall mirror by the door, her hands frozen in her deep brown hair as her reflection's eyes met Angelina's. Katie was sitting on the floor, by the foot of Angelina's bed and she turned her head to look up at her. They waited.

Angelina swallowed, her stomach ill. She didn't know how to say it. How to tell them what she thought of George Weasley now, and what he was starting to mean to her. That she was falling in love and maybe he loved her as well. How does one put all that emotion into words, Angelina wondered.

Katie and Alicia exchanged anxious glances before speaking.

"Is it Fred again?" Alicia brought her hands down, looking annoyed.

"Did anything," Katie paused and turned her whole body around to face Angelina. "Did anything bad happen?"

Angelina stared at them both, a bit surprised, then shook her head. Between Alicia's obvious agitation and Katie's unusual pessimistic questioning, she felt like laughing. If only they knew! Was it Fred? He had something to do with it...the sleepless nights, angry diary entries, talking secretly with George. He was most definitely the cause of it, but responsible for the whole thing? Oh no, 'fraid not.

Did anything "bad" happen? If you count falling in mad love with your neglectful boyfriend's brother, then yes. It kinda felt like she was cheating on Fred. But if you see it as picking up and moving on, then no, a very good thing had happened.

Angelina looked at them in turn and half smiled.

"I-I think George Weasley's in love with me." Her voice sounded soft and thick as if she had been crying. Maybe she had, she wouldn't have known.

Alicia and Katie stared at her, then at each other. Katie's jaw had slacked and her mouth was hanging open. Alicia was grinning madly and resembled a firecracker fixing to explode. And she did.

"Oh my god, Angie!" she cried, strangely joyous. She rushed over to her friend and nearly jumped on her. "How do you know?"

"Umm..." Angelina hesitated to tell them something she held so near to her heart. "We, uh, were talking after Quidditch practice and he was telling me about a girl he liked but had been taken before he could tell her-"

"Tell her...?" Alicia urged.

"That he loved her." She paused, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "And then he said my name."

"And this means..." Katie seemed cynical as she stared horrified at Angelina.

"That he loves her, stupid," Alicia proclaimed ecstatically. She turned to Angelina. "He loves you, Ange!"

"And do you love him back?" Katie asked grimly.

"I think so, Kate." The dark skinned girl seemed to be wincing a bit. "I don't think I can help it."

Alicia squealed and hugged Angelina tight. "This is good, Angel!"

Angelina frowned. "This is?"

Alicia released her. "Yeah, I mean, everything is happening so perfectly."

"Perfect for what?" Angelina made a face. The what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about face.

Alicia's smile faded and she looked around for a moment before answering the girl's question.

"For you, sweetheart. For love." Angelina nodded slowly, eyeing the smiling brunette suspiciously. "And besides," Alicia added seriously, "it's for the best. Fred's a dumb bastard who still has the maturity of a thirteen-year-"

"But that's just it, Ali," Angelina cried passionately, emotionally torn. "I still love Fred."

Katie shook her head sympathetic and looked at Alicia, awaiting a quick reply from the brunette's lips.

Alicia cringed. "Well, why? George's real, Angel. He cares. And Fred...just doesn't. You're doing the right thing, falling for George. Believe me, and don't worry."

>>>

"Bet this wasn't in your plan, now was it?" Katie asked steely as they headed to the Great Hall.

"No," Alicia answered innocently, "but this is: Saturday is Hogsmeade, right?"

Katie groaned. "And you're going to set them up there? In front of everyone?"

"Brava, Katie, you are a Seer. Trelawny'll be out of a job if she doesn't watch it."

"Seriously, Ali."

"All right. Yes. I'm setting them up for a date at Hogsmeade."

"I just knew it. How exactly?"

"Mmkay, here's where we come in. We write them notes, one for Angie, one for George. You know, like they're sending them to each other. Love letters, if you will. In George's, we tell him Angelina through with Fred and that she was really in love with him-"

"Er-"

"Too much? Well, we can change it. In Angie's, we say that George is digging her and then he needs her like hell and all that. Something that will make her forget about Fred."

"And what makes you think that she wants to forget about Fred?"

Alicia stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Katie.

"You're kidding, right?"

>>>

Angelina had showered, changed, and made up in an all out attempt to impress George Weasley. As she stared at her flawless reflection in the wall mirror, she sighed pathetically.

"Angie, girl," she said, "you are selling yourself out, sweetheart." She then stared sadly at herself before breaking out in a toothy grin. "Let's hope it works, shall we?"

Truth be told, she had been a little stunned by George and the look in his eyes when he said her name. Had he really meant that he was in love with her? And then she felt rather giddy and insanely carefree. Oh please, she suddenly thought, let that be what he meant.

George, as she had learned recently, was everything Fred was not, everything she needed. Everything.

"Everything," she whispered in the mirror, now somber. Please let him love me.

Releasing a small breath, she backed away from the mirror and turned to the door. After a moment of debating and worrying, she opened the door and stepped outside.

>>>

"Look, George, there are two kinds of love in the world, according to Mum," Fred added offhandedly in the current speech that he was enlightening his twin with. George was only half listening. He was growing bored with his brother's weak analogy already, which was really his excuse for the topic at hand.

All day, on and off, George had been trying to talk to Fred about Angelina, but it was like talking to a gnome: no good. Either Fred was too thick and blind to want to know about where he stood with Angelina as of now, or he dreaded to hear the facts of reality, the ever-growing statistics of Angelina's sadness due to his actions. George had yet to know.

"You got your fool love, that's all twisted and flimsy, you know...the kind kids these days like to involve themselves in..."

And also, George was worried. About where he stood with Angelina, about what he had almost told her-what he did tell her, and whether or not this changed anything. Of course it did, he knew it did, but for some reason, and one that he couldn't explain for all the Galleons in the world, he assumed that Angelina, his Angel, would just along and pretend it didn't happen, go back to ignoring him as before, and forgive Fred...forgive the git because she was still in love with him.

And also because, his and Angelina's little time on the couch yesterday had scared him, made him notice too many emotions at once. He regretted ever telling her anything because he knew she had been scared as well, out of her mind...

"But then, there's the real love-grown folks love, a beautiful devotion. And that's what me and Angie have-"

"Angie?" frowned a flappy fourth year with yellow hair. Her name was Willa Harlinhoof; she was one of Fred and George's regular costumers. She always had a clear smile on her face because (or so George suspected) she had a crush on Fred. Now, she looked between George and Fred, on hand filled with Fainting Fancies and the other loaded with Sickles. She was sported a very distasteful look.

"Who's Angie?"

"Fred's girlfriend," George informed casually as he traded a first year a Blaze Box for five Galleons. "Her full name's Angelina Johnson. She's captain of the House team...You know her, don't you?" George turned his full on attention on Willa. "Tall, dark, beautiful in every way?"

Willa went white, then red.

"And all this time.." She glared at Fred. "I've been buying these silly snacks and wands and creams from the Weasleys for-for nothing!" She threw her loaded hands in the air before stalking off.

George looked at Fred, who shrugged as he turned to another customer.

"At least she didn't ask for a refund."

George frowned at his brother. "You never told her you were taken, did you? All these under-year girls that have been following you around..." A sudden sick thought slithered into his mind. "You haven't been cheating on Angel, have you?"

Fred looked flustered. "Damn, George, that's a mighty big accus-"

"Yeah, you have," George set his bag down between his feet. "Blimey...so that's real love."

"I-I'm disappointed in you, George Weasley." Fred turned to him with scrutinizing eyes. "You do know that Angelina means more than anything to me? Why in all that is respect and admiration would I want to hurt her, by...frolicking? Why would I just cast her aside like that?"

George shook his head disgustedly. He already had...

"Er, excuse me. Mates?"

The twins looked up to see their best friend, Lee Jordan, standing in the midst of their noisy regulars. The dark boy looked extremely ruffled: his robes were nearly torn, his dreadlocks were sticking up, and his face was starting to bruise.

" Lee-" Fred stared at him, dumbfounded.

"-ouch," George winced. "What happened?"

"Ambushed," Lee grinned. "They can't seem to get enough of me...And your goods as well." He held up a ripped bag, one identical to that the Weasley twins were grasping.

>>>

"So, while you're setting Angie and George up in Hogsmeade, what's going on with Fred?" Katie asked, crudely curious.

Alicia visibly slumped. "Oh right...I forgot about him." She released a short breath, crossing her arms, and looking thoughtful. "Well," she said finally, "we'll just have to talk to him."

"We?"

"We'll tell him how much he's hurting Angel, that it's killing her, and he needs to stop."

"Er..."

"No." Alicia brought her palms down on the table. "We tell him that because of his neglect and misshapen love, he's driven Angelina completely away, into the arms of another. So that way, he'd think she's done with him, and about the time she's finished her date with George, that'd be the exact case." She shrugged at her ingenious plot. "Perfect."

"Alicia," Katie said slowly. "That still doesn't solve the Hogsmeade problem. What if he goes looking for them, only to find the two snogging in the back of some cheesy pub?"

"Yeah, that would be a deal if I haven't thought of the solution already." Alicia rolled her eyes. "After our 'talk' with him, he'll be totally broken hearted and all that jazz, so basically, he'll leave Angie alone. Don't count on him for the 'talking it out' stuff, he won't bite. So our only problem with him is George, because he'll wonder where his delightful twin brother is. And in that case, we'll just distract him."

"How?"

Alicia didn't even bother answering that.

"Okay," Katie began, stirring her clam chowder slowly. "Supposedly, I do agree to help you." She looked up critically into Alicia's face. " Can you promise me nothing bad will happen to anyone?"

Alicia opened her mouth, happy to comply.

"Including Fred," Katie added quickly. Alicia pressed her lips together, sulking.

"Fine," she said after a moment. "Icky Fred will remain untouched, uncursed, yadda yadda."

"Excellent." Katie was smiling. "I'm so qualified to assist you now."

>>>

Angelina glided down the staircase, attempting to be graceful and smooth. She was feeling terribly nervous. The butterflies in her stomach had transfigured into hornets, stinging her again and again unmercifully. Ouch, she thought as she felt one noticeable sharp prick of pain in her gut. She touched her stomach, feeling sick.

Be calm, be still, she told herself. Pretend like your talking to Fred.

But George wasn't Fred. George was the essence of this soft, tender probing feeling that made her think, Oh Merlin, I am in love with him.

So she won't think of Fred. She'll only think of George because George cared. And he made her laugh when she felt like committing suicide. Yes, think of that, Angie. Not Fred.

She made it to the bottom of the staircase, her eyes raking the room for a deeply handsome red head with adorable freckles. Soon, she saw a flash of copper hair, in the corner of the room, amongst several black robes of a crowd of students. That damn joke shop, she thought grimly before making her way over to him.

As she pushed through the crowd, she became nervous yet again. She suddenly realized she didn't know what to say and how would that look - a tall, almost grown girl, perfectly made up, just staring, staring at the boy that had stolen her heart in just a matter of moments. Aw hell, she thought, almost to the front of the crowd. Screw it.

Pushing the last person aside, she found herself staring into the impeccable face of George Weasley. He looked her, seeing her, and smiled, ever so softly. This gentle gesture made the hornets turn into butterflies again. She opened her mouth to say something, but he shook his head, glancing pointedly at Fred. Angelina followed his gaze and saw Fred being distracted with scolding Lee.

"What are you saying...that some second year attacked you and she won? That's weak, Lee...real weak."

Angelina turned her eyes back on George who stood. He took her hand and led her to a window located in a convenient corner.

"Angelina-"

"George." She was glowing. She didn't know why, but there was a strange, uplifting feeling associated with being alone in a corner with George. "I-"

"Angel, we need to talk," he interrupted, looking away, out the window.

"What?" She inquired perturbed at his distant attitude.

"I-I really don't think...we should be spending so much time together."

"I don't think I get you, George."

"What I mean is," he looked at her, his eyes dark and brooding, "things are getting complicated and we should stop before they become even worse."

"You mean," Angelina looked stricken. "So you don't-"

"You and Fred should talk. I reckon he's been missing you these last days." George gazed at Angelina for a few moments, before taking a step to leave. Angelina sighed.

"The hell with Fred."

George halted and looked back at her. She looked back, somber and determined, the light gone from her dark eyes.

"Dr. Georgie," she said. "I have another problem for you to solve."

He seemed startled, but seeing the upsetting desperation on her face said, "Proceed."

Angelina looked at him for a moment, then turned to the window. "As of lately, I've been conversing with this boy-"

"And does said boy have a name?" George questioned, averting his gaze to the window as well.

"Let's call him Jody."

"Jody?" He grimaced, looking at her again.

"Yeah," Angelina met his stare. "Jody."

"Jody?" George asked for a second time with incredulous dislike.

"I like Jody," Angelina announced. "It's pretty."

George shook his head, trying to clear his mind of what she was saying. "All right then...go on about...Jody."

Angelina smiled and eyed the window like before. "So we've been talking, and it was coming along fine, even though it started off as a pity fest thing. See, I was having problems with Jody's friend and Jody's been having problems with...everything it seems, and so we kinda helped each other out. An I lean on you, you lean on me type of deal. And it was nice; I finally realized what kind of person Jody really was, you know, beneath the public persona."

She stopped, biting her lip, looking pitiful. "Is it becoming hard for you to continue?" George asked, studying her. "Because I won't force you to finish...you don't have tell me if-"

"No, Dr. Georgie." Angelina smiled suddenly. "You're gonna hear this out, whether you like it or not."

"Okay, okay," he smiled at the sight of her smiling, despite himself. "I apologize."

She looked at him. "Don't." Then she continued. "And then Jody told me something that made me think, made me realize a feeling that I've felt, but tried to ignore."

"And what was that feeling, Angel?" He was gazing intently at her now.

Angelina stared at him, then turned her body to face him directly.

"I'm in love with you, George."

A/N: Err...okay. It took me FIVE days to come up with that ending. Count 'em...five. And even though I didn't exactly wanted to end it there, it works well with the seventh chapter. If it's any consolation...I kinda, sorta brought back Dr. Georgie for all those who liked him.

And I want to thank the ones who read and reviewed the last chapter. It was obvious my weak point of the story, the least favorite chapter, but you guys bore with me :)

LittleWriterGirl: Hehe, yes! You got my humor. It really was supposed to be some kind of comic relief amongst all the angst and problems that the prior two chapters seem to be filled with. Hah. I agree with you one the real books/fanfiction thing. Real books are always so reliable. Hope you didn't have too rough a time babysitting that "two year old energizing bunny child" :) One of the reasons why I can't babysit.

FredsAngel: Even though, I said that "Flames were most and entirely welcomed," I was so relieved that you liked the chapter :) Honestly, I was really nervous about putting it up...Alicia scares you :( I quite like Alicia, she's so crazy and determined-she's fun! But she won't kill anyone, not even Fred, even though she probably wouldn't lost sleep over it if she did.

paixamouretchocolat: Thank you. Like two months ago, I realized that it was a little hard to keep the story going to where it was supposed to. I wrote this two years ago, and I've gone crazy trying to pick up after myself, fixing all the mistakes, adding some new stuff. It's tough, but I'm coming along.

angelface04: Longer chapter, check. More Fred/Angelina/George, half check (at least they're all in here, right?). Took my time and made story awesome, I tried. I really did. But I'm glad that you liked the last chapter, even though it was short and I wrote it while drunk or something (appearing so). I'm hoping you liked this one as well.

Evilevergreen: I knew it. I knew that they'll be at least one person who wouldn't know what to think when it came to the last chapter :) Glad you reviewed though, and thankful that you were honest. Constructive critism is always nice to get. And the Alicia, Oliver, Katie thing...even though it's absent from this chapter, you will be seeing more of that later on.

starXcrossed: Hoorah for long reviews! Another reviewer who got my humor, haha. It made me smile to hear that you were laughing throughout the chapter, that was the point, I guess...And Alicia, ridiculous? I don't get what you mean, actually :) And even though you demanded more George, Angelina, and Fred, I happily complied. Thanks for the review.

Missanimexx: You like my story? Merci :) I'm glad you do. And I'm pleased to find another fan of Dr. Georgie. Even though, he was really vague in this chapter, I made him come back. You like? I didn't really want to scorch such a dear character. And updated...and I'm really hoping that this chapter goes or else I pretty much mess up :( Cheers!

Don't forget to review!