triple threat - "you're my favorite" plus romance
chess - (character) Angelina Johnson
462 words by gdocs
Fred hesitates when he sees Angelina waiting for him in the common room, dressed in a long blue dress and her hair nodded up. He can spot faint makeup on her, subtle enough to just slightly add to her overall appearance, but it doesn't take away from her dress.
For some weird reason, Fred can't help but feel like she's making a mistake, going to the Yule Ball with him. There are hundreds of other boys at Hogwarts. Why him?
"You ready?" Fred asks, plastering a grin on his face and approaching Angelina, extending an arm out. Angelina absolutely beams at him, and Fred's stomach fills with butterflies.
"Lead the way, Mr. Weasley," she says, good naturedly, grabbing Fred's arm. Fred's smile morphs into something more real and, together, they head towards the Great Hall.
When they get there, Fred immediately starts to relax. It's nice, being with Angelina. They're friends, after all.
He's a terrible dancer — "Do you really only have balance in the air, Weasley?" — so Angelina leads him. They spin around in nice, slow circles, swaying in time with the music. Fred can't stop himself from looking around at all of the other couples. He can't stop himself from looking at the other guys and thinking, why do I deserve this?
He feels like Angelina will realize that, eventually.
"What are you looking at, Fred?" Angelina asks, bringing Fred looking back at her with just the sound of her voice.
"Oh, just…" Fred waves around, which isn't really an answer, he knows. Angelina frowns.
"I know you're not having the best time," she says, and Fred feels guilty. His own insecurities shouldn't mess up Angelina's night. Without another word, she grabs his hand and brings him to the side of the hall. "What's up?" she asks, once they're pretty much away from everyone else.
"I'm just…" Fred shrugs, not sure what to say.
"Talk to me," Angelina asks, and Fred can see in her eyes that she really cares. He decides to take a chance and open up.
"I'm just not sure why you would pick me over everyone else," Fred says, sighing deeply, looking down and fiddling with the hem of his dress robes sleeve. "I know it's silly, but there are a bunch of other fish in the sea. Why would you want this one?"
"Fred," Angelina says, hooking a finger under his chin so he has to look up. "There are other fish in the sea, but you're my favorite."
Fred looks at her for a second, hesitating, but then he looks into her eyes and he can see how much she actually cares. A warmth spreads through his body, and he believes her.
He grabs her hand. There's still more dancing to do.