Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, duh.

i.

Angelina's POV

We always spent our Friday nights on the Quidditch pitch, Fred and I. We'd drink our stolen Firewhiskey and smoke our Muggle cigarettes. And then, when we think we've had enough to drink, we'd lie down on the grass and look up at the stars. We'd tell each other our thoughts, our secrets (the ones we were willing to tell), and our dreams. We've been doing this since our fifth year at Hogwarts. The smoking and the drinking didn't come 'til sixth year. Now was our seventh and final year at the School of Magic. It's been two bloody years now, two years of secret Friday nights with just him and no one else, not even his twin, George.

Sometimes, when we've drunk too much, we'd fall asleep on the grass. We'd wake up the next morning with me in his arms, his nose snuggled in my braided hair. I loved those mornings. He would silently play with my hair, and give me soft kisses on the lips; the kind of kisses you could feel right under your navel. We would kiss and pretend it meant something more. Well, he did. I felt something in those kisses of his. My body, my whole fucking body, would tremble at his touch. I was madly in love with Fred Weasley. And he was too damn thick to know it.

No one knows. Not even the other girls in the Quidditch team, my best friends. It's my secret to keep.

But, I did confess my secret last night.

Fred was passed out, drunk, while I was completely sober (well, maybe just a little bit tipsy). I was taking a drag out of my cigarette and I looked over at him. He was so beautiful. His lips were parted slightly, and his flaming red hair was covering half of his face. That nose of his, so perfectly pointed. The moon shone on his freckles just so, it made his whole face shine. I stubbed out my cigarette in the grass and laid down on the blanket beside him. I rested my head on his chest and listened to the beating of his heart. I put my right hand over mine to see if our hearts were synchronized. They were. My eyes were drooping from tiredness and lack of sleep (and maybe from the alcohol I'd had earlier that night). But before I closed them, I whispered into his left chest, "Fred Weasley, I love you."

Fred's POV

I heard her say it last night. She thought I was asleep, I guess. I mean, I was pretty wasted, but a short nap always sobers me up. We were lying down on the blanket we'd brought so our uniforms wouldn't get any grass stains on them. (You wouldn't want to walk into school the next morning with grass stains on your shirt and you hair disheveled. People tend to get ideas, and news travels fast in Hogwarts.) When she put her head on my chest, I woke up. But I loved the feeling of her there, so I didn't move. And the breeze was bringing her scent (vanilla) over to me, and it was more intoxicating than 500 bottles of Firewhiskey. She had said, "Fred Weasley, I love you." And then she was sound asleep.

I brought my right hand up and rubbed her back affectionately while my left played with her braids. Then I softly said (so I wouldn't wake her), "I love you too, Angelina Johnson."

I honestly do, too. I mean, she's perfect! She's beautiful, she's smart, she's a very good Chaser, and she laughs at all my jokes. I mean, sometimes, I know my jokes are stupid. But it always makes her laugh. Merlin, her laugh. It started in her belly and slowly makes its way up her throat and it comes out tinkling like bells. Her laugh makes me feel so warm inside, I'm not even kidding (and that's saying something).

It's our last year at this school. I've been in love with her since our first night out on the pitch. I have to tell her my secret soon. This year, we'll graduate and go our separate ways. I can't even fathom what it'll be like with Angel gone. I'll have to tell her, or I'll lose her forever.

Angelina's POV

Fred's been acting strange. No, it's not a hangover. It's like, whenever I try to talk to him, it would seem like he's thinking of something else. He wouldn't even make eye contact with me! Frankly, he was being an arse and I wasn't appreciating it, so I stormed off to the Great Hall for a late breakfast.

I later found out that it was a Hogsmeade weekend (by way of Katie, who was gushing about Lee who asked her to go with him this morning in the common room), and I really didn't feel like going. I've been there plenty of times before, and frankly, I was getting tired of it. I was making my way up to the Gryffindor tower when he stopped me.

"Hey Angel, let's go to Hogsmeade."

"Oh you're talking to me now? Well, I really don't want to," I turned around and took a step when he held onto my arm.

"C'mon Angie, please? I have to tell you something."

"And you can't tell me here?" he was starting to annoy me.

"No. Please?"

He did that puppy dog thing. And I could never deny him when he does that. I mean, he is so cute when he does it! His big blue eyes, that quivering bottom lip, those fake tears, oh bloody hell.

I made my way down the steps, leaving him behind. I tightened the scarf around my neck and turned around to look at him.

"Well, aren't you coming?"

"Oh, right. Let's go," he offered me his hand and I took it.. We walked to Hogsmeade like that, hand in hand.

Fred's POV

I had a killer hangover this morning. But it's alright, I managed to get my hands on George's anti-hangover potion. The mere taste of that potion makes me want to quit drinking, but I always end up drinking anyways.

When I entered the common room, Angie walked up to me and started talking. It was mostly about Quidditch and how much she detested that Umbridge woman. I wasn't even paying attention. I was thinking of how I could sneak in "I love you" into the conversation when my eyes locked onto the bulletin board behind her. Of course! Today was a Hogsmeade Saturday! I'll tell her then, today. But before I could, she said something about me being an arse and she stormed off. I was going to chase after her, but George called me over. And I know better than to ignore George, and I've got the scar to prove it.

I caught up with her again much later. George and I had just planted some dungbombs outside that Umbridge toad's office when I saw her making her way towards the tower. I ran after her and stopped her from going any further. When I asked if she wanted to go to the town, she refused. I had to resort to the old puppy dog routine, and as usual, she bought it.

We held hands along the way, and I noticed how perfectly her hand fit in mine. I don't know how to describe it. Our fingers were interlaced, and unlike with other girls, it didn't feel uncomfortable at all. I could even feel the callouses on her fingers from playing Quidditch and gripping the handle of her broomstick. I thought it was very sexy.

We didn't take our usual shortcut, I wanted to walk with her a little bit longer. This annoyed her a little bit, but she didn't say anything. But pretty soon, we found ourselves in Hogsmeade.

"Hey Angel, let's go to the Three Broomsticks and have some butterbeer."

"Sure. But if it's crowded, we're going back to Hogwarts and get butterbeer from the kitchens instead."

"Alright," I grinned.

We made our way to the pub and sure enough, it was crowded. I looked at her, and she looked back up at me with a satisfied smirk playing on her lips.

"Well Mr. Weasley?"

"Back to Hogwarts it is," I said with a (faked) defeated sigh, and turned around.

As I was leading her back to the castle, it started snowing. I stopped in my tracks, making her stop too. I noticed that we were still holding hands, so I made to hold the other one too. Surprisingly, she let me. So now we were facing each other, in the snow, with nobody around us.

"Angel, I have to tell you something. I was going to tell you at the pub, but I guess here is better."

A worried expression appeared in her eyes, "What is it Fred?"

"I know you must've thought I was passed out last night…"

"Oh Merlin, you didn't Fred…"

"Shh, hear me out first. Well, I was, until you put your head on my chest. I know for sure I wasn't dreaming, but I heard you say 'I love you'. And I want you to know that it doesn't bother me at all," she looked like she didn't know whether to scream at me or throw something or cry.

"Well, you fell asleep. So I never got the chance to say it back."

"Say what back?" I inched closer to her.

"I love you too Angel."

Her mouth was opening and closing, and she had tears forming in her eyes so I took that as a chance to say more.

"Angel, I've loved you since our first Friday night together. I mean, before that, you were just a really good friend. But after that night, I was just completely head over heels in love with you. And I couldn't tell you anything. I didn't know how you would react. When I asked you to go with me to the Yule Ball last year, it wasn't because we were just friends. No, I wanted to start something with you, but I chickened out in the last minute. I'm pathetic, huh?" I looked at her and brushed away a snowflake that was caught in her eyelashes.

"I don't know what to say…"

"Say, 'I want to be yours forever, Fred Weasley,'" I grinned. By now, I had my arms around her and her hands were on my chest.

She giggled, "Alright. I'll be yours. Forever." She hugged my neck, her lips were centimeters away from mine.

I kissed her, and this time (unlike our other kisses) I didn't hold back. I let out all of my passion for her in that kiss. And at that moment, I realized that it was a good thing I had waited this long.