(GoF) CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Tell Him Tomorrow

From Dumbledore's office, they went to the picnic tables by Hagrid's.

It had felt so wrong, being there with Cedric—like spoiling something magical with something fake. It was one of the biggest reasons she had known from that date that she wasn't supposed to be with Cedric—and that she was supposed to be with Fred.

"We came here, you know," she said quietly to Fred as they took their seats on the very table that she'd seen her parents meet at. "Me and Cedric. For that… date."

He visibly cringed at that. "I know I said you should be with whoever makes you happy, El, but I don't exactly want details. Especially ones like that."

"I only meant…" But she trailed off, not sure how to phrase what she wanted to say. It didn't feel right telling him, anyway, until she told Cedric herself. "Never mind. Hey, Fred—I'm sorry about your uncles. I never knew that."

"'S okay. It was a long time ago. Mum would flip if she knew, though. I can't believe he's Dolohov's son. I mean… what are the chances?"

"Slim," she admitted grimly. "So slim, it almost feels like it didn't happen by chance."

Well, she couldn't completely ignore the signs, could she? How many times had she been warned about the target her Perelli charm had been put on her back? What if Aleks was one of the people… targeting?

"He's not going to get to you," Fred promised her. It was easily the third time he'd made such promises, and no matter how much she knew they weren't guarantees, she still liked hearing them. "I'll make sure of it. We all will."

"I know," she said, offering him a small, but very genuine, smile. "Thanks for having my back, Fred."

He nodded, watching her thoughtfully. He seemed to sense that she had said it for his sake more so than his own. "I love you, you know," he said—more softly now. "Reckon I don't say it enough, but it's always true."

His words made her heart ache more than ever. Coming from anyone else, they would have been simple and rather meaningless. Coming from him, they meant… everything.

She loved him, too. She was in love with him. And she was tired of fighting it.

"He doesn't make me happy," she told him softly. "No one does but you, Fred. No matter how hard I try."

She had caught him by surprise, she could tell. He had been sure she'd pick Cedric. "But… I make you sad. Confused. Scared."

"Yeah—you do. But happy, too—happy like I am with no one else. And I'm starting to realize that's what it feels like when you're in love—all of it. The good and the bad."

His eyes shone with so much hope and happiness at that, it made it impossible for her to feel guilty for not having told Cedric yet. She'd tell him soon; what was important now was finally embracing her feelings for Fred.

"You're sure?" he asked, reaching a tentative hand out to cup her cheek. She felt like she might melt right into it. "He's really quite good-looking, you know."

She laughed at that, in spite of her pounding heart. "I mean, if you'd rather I change my mind—"

But he interrupted her with a kiss.

Nothing could have made her more sure of her decision than that kiss. If it was possible, it was even better than their first two. It wasn't that all the residual pain and fear was gone; it was simply that it had found its way into the very passion that had already existed and make the kiss feel even stronger—even more charged with emotion.

It lasted a few seconds—then another few seconds—then another. She knew she should pull away before anyone saw—should get the word to Cedric before anyone else could—but she couldn't bring herself to do anything but kiss him. Deeper and deeper she kissed him, harder and faster, until she was sure that her head would explode from lack of oxygen and her heart would explode from how hard it was pounding.

And then, finally, she regained her senses enough to pull away.

No one was around, as far as she could tell. No one had seen them.

"Hey," he said softly. His hands were still on her—one on her waist; the other just below her chin. He didn't seem quite ready to let go, which was more than fine with her. "Would it be so bad if someone saw?"

All she wanted was to make that insecurity and timidness go away—to prove to him that she wanted to be with him, fearlessly and emphatically—to tell anyone and everyone who cared.

But until she talked to Cedric, she couldn't. It just wasn't right.

"I don't care who sees," she promised him, "as soon as I tell him."

He nodded grimly, but he released his hand from her face, and she could tell he wasn't entirely sure he believed her. "Not that I'm complaining, but it would have been a bit preferable if you'd told him first."

She groaned. "I know, I know. I was going to, but then you pulled the L-word on me, and it just sort of spilled out of me before I could get to him. I'm sorry. I'll go and find him right now."

But, to her surprise, he caught her by the wrist.

"Tell him tomorrow," he said softly. "I'm not ready for you to walk away just yet."


They left the bench at that. Fred took Ellie to the kitchens, where he politely asked the house-elves if they could make them some veggie subs.

"Don't tell Hermione we've been here," Ellie told Fred under her breath, grinning, as the house-elves he'd spoken to scampered off to prepare their food. Hermione had started an organization called S.P.E.W. that year—the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare—which she had somehow roped Harry, Ron, and Ellie into being members of.

Dobby and Winky approached them at that. Ellie had heard through Harry already that both his friend Dobby and Winky, the one who had been caught with his wand at the Cup, had wound up in the Hogwarts kitchens, but it was the first time she had seen them, so she smiled and politely engaged them in conversation while they waited for their subs to be made.

Finally, the subs were ready, and Ellie and Fred said their goodbyes to the house-elves.

"So," Ellie said as they strode out of the kitchens. "Where are we headed now?"

"I've got an idea for a new spot," he explained as he led her back toward the Gryffindor Tower. "Not that Hagrid's benches won't still be our spot—just that now we need one that hasn't been tainted by a date with Cedric."

She rolled her eyes at that, though, of course, she really found his words sweet.

"Okay," he said when they reached the common room. "Go on and get your broom, then meet me down here."

"My broom?" she repeated, eyes bulging. "Planning on having dinner in the sky, crazy?"

But his eyes only glinted with eager mischievousness as he said, "You'll see."


As it turned out, he didn't quite plan on having dinner in the sky. Instead, he led her to one of the tallest, flattest roofs at Hogwarts, surrounded by turrets, stars, and nothing but privacy.

"You did want to keep us a secret," he pointed out as he laid out the blanket he'd grabbed from his room. "Figured there's a slim chance anyone will see us up here."

She rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic. I don't want to keep us a secret. I just want—"

"To tell Prince Charming first, I know, I know." He was grinning, despite his frustrated tone. "I'm only joking, anyway. I've always wanted to take you to the rooftops. I was just saving it for the right moment."

She shot him a bit of a sarcastic look at that. "And by always, you mean ever since you came to terms with your feelings with me a few, short months ago?"

His expression darkened a bit more than she had expected. "You've got it all wrong, El—which is probably my fault. I've known that I was in love with you a lot longer than a few months. I just… never really stopped to consider that you loving me was even a possibility."

She wanted to believe that, but she still wasn't entirely convinced. Still, the last thing she wanted to do was argue on an otherwise perfect night. So, instead, she just smiled and bit into her sub.

"You don't believe me," he said as he watched her true. "How is that possible? How could you not have seen it all along?"

"How could I have? Any time I felt any inkling of it, you gave me ten more inklings in the opposite direction."

He watched her in silence for several seconds before reluctantly nodding. "You're right—I was a bit of a tosser, especially in your early years. I won't say I regret it entirely, though. You were so young back then. And the way Oliver went after you…"

He looked absolutely disgusted at the memory. Even Ellie had to admit that Oliver's having gone after her when she was twelve and he was fifteen hadn't been pretty.

Was she glad that Fred had put off this relationship for so long, she wondered? It had certainly frustrated her at the time, but had she been too young to properly deal with her feelings for Fred? Was it possible that her other relationships had… taught her how to be in a relationship?

"But what about you?" she asked, frowning. "You haven't been with anyone all this time. If it was about us figuring things out apart—"

"I didn't quite say that," he said, laughing slightly. "I certainly could have done without you dating quite so many boys. I guess all I mean to say is, I'm glad I got the chance to mature a bit so I didn't blow the one chance I got with you."

She leaned forward at that, raising an eyebrow. "The one chance," she repeated. "How d'you know there won't be a second?"

"Doesn't matter," he said, smiling rather confidently back at her. "Because there's no way in hell I'm blowing my chance now."

And with that, he kissed her—and kissed her, and kissed her—until, finally, they fell asleep beneath the stars.


All together now: FINALLY! But until they go public, the cat isn't entirely out of the bag. Will it go smoothly, or are more shenanigans ahead of them? The pivotal chapters are still upon us, so don't miss a moment of it, and keep reviewing and following to show your support! Thanks for reading!