For anyone counting this is chapter 100. :) And it's not done yet.

Falling

June 1st, 1995
Sixth Year
-

Leili sat in the tallest Quidditch ring on the field, it had taken her a long while to not only get over the dizzying feeling of being up so high but to get comfortable, she'd managed with no fewer than 6 cushioning charms, possibly more—she'd lost count. She sat there, one foot hanging out of the ring, the other pressed up against the cool metal, reading. Jo had a date with Marcus so Leili was left to her own devices for a while.

"What are you doing up here?"

Leili sat bolt upright and turned to find the source of the voice that had snuck up on her, then with a yelp and a flail she began to fall. Suddenly she was hurtling towards the ground but right before she got the chance to shift, a hand grabbed the back of her robes and gently brought her back down to solid ground.

"Is this how Neville feels?" she wondered briefly. Once her feet touched the ground, the hand released the back of her robes; she turned to see one of the red headed twins of Gryffindor grinning impishly at her from a broom, "Tell me you didn't do that on purpose…"

"What? Knock you out of your perch? Nope, that was all you," the redheaded boy grinned as he landed and dismounted.

She narrowed her eyes at him, debating whether or not to believe him. Then, seemingly decided, she smiled, "Leilani, my friends call me Leili."

The twin smiled and said, "I know who you are,"

"Oh, 'cause that didn't sound ominous at all!" Leili snorted, the boy grinned wider.

"Wood mentioned you," his face twisted like he'd tasted something altogether unpleasant and she swallowed her initial he talked about me? response. "And we're in the same Defense Against class …and I saw you at the Yule Ball."

Leili nodded, "I'm not surprised, it was quite the debacle," she said, referring to the ball. "As for Wood…" she scowled.

"You know there's a rumor that you dumped him because you secretly have a thing for your best friend," he interrupted.

Leili blinked before she burst out laughing. "People seriously think that? Oh, that's good! I'll have to tell Jo when she gets back from her date. No, I broke up with him because he was a jerk, I should have done it sooner," she explained.

"You don't have to explain it to me. Besides, I know Jo's dating Flint. She's a good Beater. Though what she sees in Flint—"

"He's not actually all bad once you get used to him." They had dissolved into small talk now and it was becoming increasingly awkward as they each tried to think of what to say next.

He'd been waiting to catch her alone for years and then when she began dating his Quidditch captain he'd nearly lost all hope but now, now that she'd told him she was single, he didn't know what to say.

She solved that problem when her mouth quirked up into a sly smile, "Hold on, you know my name, it's hardly fair that I don't know yours."

"You don't know who I am? I'm hurt, Leilani!" he jested, covering up the disappointment that she didn't know him.

"Oh, now hang on just a minute here!" she gasped, feigning insult. "That's not what I said! I said I don't know your name. I know you're a Weasley. I know you're either George or Fred; I could guess, but I don't want to guess wrong," she explained, slightly teasing. "I haven't had the opportunity to learn to tell you apart, yet. You're usually together."

"Fred," he told her with a puckish smile, "Nice to finally meet you, Leilani." He offered her his hand and she took it. It wasn't really a handshake since there was no bobbing up and down and they stood there holding the other's hand a bit more than was perhaps warranted but neither seemed to mind.

"You warned me about that little Niffler stealing my bracelet," she realized and then remembered something Jo had told her months ago, something she'd nearly forgotten in the chaos of this year, "and you carried me to the hospital wing at the beginning of term, after that disaster of a Defense Against the Dark Arts class…" she smiled, still holding his hand. "You weren't there when I woke up… Why didn't you stay?" she asked, her tone taking on a dreamy edge.

He'd wanted to. He'd wanted to stay there and hold her hand until she woke up—and for a while after. He'd wanted to introduce himself properly but… "You were dating Wood and Madam Pomfrey kicked me out. I came back, but you were with Montgomery."

If the charm bracelet around Leili's wrist hadn't begun to warm they probably would have continued to stand there, holding hands for a while yet. As the bracelet began to heat considerably, Leili broke contact and drew her wand. Touching the tip to the chain, the bracelet began to cool and in response the pentacle necklace Jo always wore began to warm.

Leili grinned as she put her wand away, "Jo's calling." She caught the curiosity on Fred's face and explained, "There's a Protean Charm on my bracelet and her necklace; it's how we communicate across distance. We meet up in our common room. Anyway, I should go. Thank you for catching me. I'll see you later."

She waved goodbye and turned to walk back to her common room, she hadn't gotten more than a few steps before Fred caught up to her, he was going to walk her as far as he could.

"Which time?"

"Hmm?"

"'Thank you for catching me', which time?"

She laughed, "Both times."

"So how did you get up in that ring anyway?" Fred asked.

Leili laughed again and said, "I flew."

"I didn't see a broom," Fred objected.

"Who says I need one?" Fred looked askance at her and she grinned.

It wasn't a lie; she did fly, just not via broomstick. She'd used her animagus form, something she was not technically supposed to do. She and Jo had agreed to not use their new talent in public, but there was no one around and she hadn't stayed in bird form for long. Plus she wanted to get used to flying, she'd gotten her flying feathers in only recently.

When they got to the Hufflepuff basement, she tapped on the correct barrel and four lids opened, offering Fred a rare glimpse down the revealed corridor of the inside of the Hufflepuff common room.

"By the way, I wouldn't have minded if you'd interrupted my conversation with Jo in the hospital wing. You were worried about me. I'd've thought it was sweet." By some miracle she wasn't blushing, yet.

"Would you go for a butterbeer with me?" he asked.

She discovered that the more she stared at them, the prettier his eyes were. They were brown, but she'd never realized brown had so many colors in it. Chocolate and sunshine gold mixed with amber.

"I'd like that," she answered, then, she turned and hurried through the tunnel.

When the barrel door closed, Fred punched both fists into the air, "YES!"

Jo was waiting to one side of the door, tapping her toes and checking her watch. "Where've you been? I called you ages ago!" Then she noticed that Leili's face was turning red. "Are you blushing?" Jo asked, all agog.

"I think I just agreed to go out with a boy," Leili said in a quiet voice as she sat with a soft thump on one of the cushy armchairs their common room was famous for. She sounded vaguely surprised.

"Really?" Jo asked, intrigued. "Who?"

A dreamy little smile twitched across Leili's lips. She pressed them together before admitting, "Fred Weasley."

Unknowingly mirroring Fred, Jo threw both fists in the air, "YES!"

"Whaddya mean yes?" Leili squawked.

"It is about bloody time! When are you going out?"

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't know? Oh gods, Jo! I'm not ready for this!"

Jo sobered instantly, "Then don't go. If he's anything like how I think he is, he'll wait."

Leili frowned at her, "But… I want to…" She wasn't ready but she did want to go. It was a conundrum.

Jo grinned widely, "Then go. C'mon," Jo thumped her hand on the couch, "tell me everything."

Leili smiled, embarrassed but happy, "He was sweet…and funny and oh god is he cute!"