Cheers.
-Gene
September 15
Common Room
Umbridge stopped by Charms this morning. She was really creepy, too. She just sat in the back of the classroom and took notes, I suppose. At the end of class, she asked Alicia about classes and what she thought about the quality of education and what not. I could tell Alicia was a little nervous. She didn't want to say the wrong thing and get anyone fired or something. Fred told me that his second detention, which was last night, wasn't that bad.
Snape made him clean the entire classroom and then rearrange the cauldron cabinet by size and weight. I think I would die of exhaustion if I were forced to do all that. Saturday is the practice session, which is in two days. Harry mentioned over breakfast this morning that he's been helping Ron and that he's coming along rather well.
Good. One less thing to worry about. Oliver finally sent me a reply back. It came during lunch today. Fred kind of got suspicious and was all like, "Why is Wood writing you? He never writes me or George!" And then I pointed out that Fred never writes to Oliver and neither does George. He calmed down after that.
Dear Angelina,
That's wicked that you've been promoted to Captain! I have no doubt that you'll do a great job. Mcgonagall couldn't have picked a better person. So, Ron's Keeper now, eh? Seeing as how I'm not there anymore, I don't know who the other candidates were or how well Ron played. But from what you've told me, Ron was the best choice. You want team members that actually care about the game and want to win. You've got no time picking people that only want to join the team because it would look better on their university transcripts.
The best players are the ones that have a love of the game. Sometimes determination and will can surpass pure skill, if that desire is strong enough. It appears to me that Ron truly wants to win and be the best player that he can be. And that's the best type of person you want playing for you. Don't worry so much, all right? Just have confidence in yourself and everything will go smoothly.
So what's this I hear about you and Fred, huh? You know what they say about mixing business with pleasure…
No, I'm just messing with you. It's about time you two got together. How's everyone? It feels like ages since I've seen all of you.
Hope to hear from you soon,
All the best,
Oliver
He's certainly right about the Ron thing, I know. I should have listened to him sooner. Classes have been going by just the same. Today, I saw Loo Stalker in…guess where….the loo! It's like she lives in there or something. I went down during Divination. I wasn't planning on talking to her, but she just stuck her face into my line of vision and unfortunately, my eyes were unable to escape the visual nightmare. We were once again, at the sinks, when she decided to speak her mind.
"You are going out with Fred Weasley, aren't you?" she demanded, her lips twisted into a scowl.
I shut off the faucet and reached for a paper towel.
"Yeah and what of it?" I icily questioned, raising an eyebrow.
She shrugged, sticking her hip out to the side, tossing her used paper towel into the trashcan and missing by a foot.
"It's not going to last, you know. You're destined to be another one of his trophies, his conquests," she firmly sneered.
She folded her arms across her chest, giving off the impression that she believed she was the hottest thing walking the planet. I really hate people like that. It's like, HELLO; I could be prettier than you are if I had all that money to get plastic surgery, too!
I glared at her, crumpled up my used paper towel and gave off the illusion that I was going to aim for the trash can, but I purposely missed and it smacked her in the face. I snickered. Her scowl deepened.
"I think my relationship with Fred is going quite fine, thank you very much," I defensively snapped.
I mean really, who does she think she is? Lee was so right. She's just sore that Fred dumped her. That's what I call, a pathetic person that has no life.
She dramatically rolled her eyes, carefully examined her French Manciure, and then started sauntering towards the door, her hips swinging so much, I thought she was going to break a bone.
"That's what I thought too. And then it was too late. Just you wait. You'll be dumped just like all the others. And when that happens, I'll be the first in line to be his new flavor of the week. I guarantee it."
With that, she slammed the door behind her, her words echoing and bouncing against the walls like a slinky.
I don't believe her at all. Not one word.
Then why can't I get the image of her and Fred sitting together; her hand massaging his knee and Fred slyly grinning as though nothing else in the world mattered?
September 16
Dorms
Fred and I went for a walk today, after classes. Today is Friday, so that means that tomorrow will be the practice session. It was a really nice day out; so many other couples had the same idea. The air was slightly chilly but warm enough to go without a jacket.
Here and there, I would spot people aimlessly wandering about, hand in hand. Fred had been telling me about his plans for his future joke shop but my mind was elsewhere. I knew that the only way to get it off my mind for good was to talk to him about it.
We were walking side by side, hand in hand, our fingers intertwined like delicate lace. There was a lull in the conversation and I gazed up at him, studying his cheeks, his eyes, the splattering of freckles across his nose and his oh-so-kissable lips.
And I couldn't believe that after all these years of denying and playing the cards of indifference that we'd been able to end up here. We'd been going out for almost a year and I still was amazed at how normal it seemed. It seemed like we'd been together for years. He noticed me staring at him and I slightly blushed.
"What?"
"Nothing," I softly responded, throwing him a small smile.
He laughed, with the slight shake of his head.
"If you say so."
And we were silent once more. He looked ahead and I took the chance to look up at him again, studying him with interest. I really love everything about him. I wouldn't change anything about him, ever. Why is he so perfect for me? You'd think that we'd argued ourselves to death by now.
We always used to argue before, when we were just friends. We still argue now, in fact. But it's not the same. It doesn't contain the bitter, questioning undertone; the suspicion and jealousy. Believe me, we still argue about stupid things. But to me, it isn't that big of a deal anymore.
Because I know when it's all over, I can fall back into his arms and kiss him and remember that I'm his girlfriend now, and that it'll all work itself out in the end.
"Fred?" I hesitantly questioned.
"Yes?"
"You….you didn't believe in love before. So what changed your mind?"
He frowned to himself, thinking for a moment. The leaves crunched beneath our feet, his long strides confident and cool.
"I guess I believed in love, just didn't believe it would ever happen to me. I mean, there was you and I'd always felt something more for you, but we were just friends back then. And it was all so complicated. I was scared, is all. Scared of falling flat on my face. I've always loved you, just didn't realize it until it smacked me in the face," he slowly confessed.
My smile broadened.
"Then I'm glad you got over your fear."
He nodded, his eyes piercing and intense, burning into mine.
"Me too."
Silence for a moment. I stopped walking and he gazed at me in question; very perplexed. I stepped in front of him and let go of his hand, half of my doubts vanquished and half of them still looming over my head like a storm cloud. Honestly, what's wrong with me?
I couldn't stop thinking about the confrontation in the bathroom and the way he'd interacted with her. At the same time, images of all the times he'd held me in his arms and kissed the top of my hair flooded my memory and how I could have sworn that I was the heroine of some classic, black and white muggle movie.
"Angel?" he wondered.
I sighed, my hands shaking. Was I scared of the future? Did distance and time scare me; the possibility that once we left the familiar walls of Hogwarts, we'd be ripped apart? Was I scared that I'd lose the best thing that had ever happened to me over something I couldn't prevent; adulthood?
Fred once said he'd wanted to go Never Never Land…I was really starting to see why.
It'd be nice….wouldn't it? It'd be nice for awhile…just for awhile.
"Fred…could you just…hold me?" I urgently whispered.
He didn't question and wrapped me into his arms. I pressed my cheek against his, my hands lost in the comfort of his shaggy locks. My heart was beating faster and my hands were still shaking. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, snuggling up to him.
"Wouldn't it be nice…just to go to Never Never Land for awhile?" I softly asked.
He nodded, his hands rubbing the small of my back.
"Yeah….just for awhile, love. Just for awhile. And then we'd have to go back, because no one should stay a kid forever, right?" he hoarsely wondered.
I sighed, slowly peeling open my eyes.
"I suppose so."
He pulled back, his lips meeting my forehead, then my cheek and finally my lips. His lips were slightly cold but soft as feather, the slight and tender brushstroke of a painter's brush against a canvas.
"You're too amazing to be true," he mumbled.
My forehead was resting against his, his arms enclosed around my waist and my arms securely around his neck. And I felt that I could just float away with him, float away to Never Never Land and that would be all right. Could it be possible that Fred was my soul mate?
But people didn't find their soul mates at seventeen did they? We were still teenagers…how could it be real that this was the person you'd been waiting for all your life, the one you were meant to grow old with? Did a soul mate even exist at such a young age?
I kissed him again, out of yearning, out of wanting. He responded with equal force, his hands grasping my waist, fingers burning for bare skin.
As we stood there for a few moments, our foreheads resting against one another's, I somehow knew that the carefree innocence of our relationship had changed.