"Well then who is it! Not Ron, not Fred or I, not Bill- you haven't met Bill have you?- not Ginny-" he broke off, a gasp pulling from his throat. "Oh my Merlin... You fancy Percy."
I nodded. "Mh-hm."
George sat down across from Hermione and I at breakfast the next morning lookin wary. Fred sat down next to him, looking happy about the food.
"'Morning, ladies." Fred said, pulling food on his plate.
"'Morning Fred, George." I said, flipping the page in my magazine (that I had stolen from Hermione and was trying to understand).
George merely grunted in reply.
"What's wrong, George? Are you a little sore that you aren't the Weasley that Rita fancies?" Hermione asked, snickering. I rolled my eyes and hid my smile behind the magazine.
"Wait, what?" Feed exclaimed. "George, you found out who it was and didn't tell me?! Is it me?" He asked, suddenly whipping towards Hermione and I. I giggled nervously.
"No of course not, silly." Hermione tsked.
"What?!" He turned back to George. "Then who is it?"
"Stupid Percy. To think! We're gunna loose our prank queen to that sod!" George said. I laughed.
"Well, I feel appreciated, but that doesn't mean I can't still prank with you guys."
I looked first at George- who was sulking- and then at Fred. He still hadn't seemed to break out of the shock at the fact that I liked Percy. His face was slack, and if you looked hard enough, even a little green.
"Oh come on, Freddy. Percy isn't that bad. Stop being dramatic." I said.
"I think she's eaten something rotten." He said to George, who nodded in agreement.
"Oh come on, you two. You act as if it's the end of the world." Hermione said.
"That's because it is! Our little Rita likes Percy!" George exclaimed, before turning to Fred with a large grin.
"Oh no." I said.
"Rit and Percy, sitting in a tree."
"I'm not singing that." Feed groaned, putting his head down on the table.
"Thank you, Fed. I knew I could trust you." I muttered, glaring at George who had continued on with the song as if Fred hadn't backed out.
"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"
I sighed and turned to Hermione.
"This is going to be a long day."
And that it was. George followed me all around school, singing stupid love songs and asking me awful questions like, 'what did I notice first about Percy?' And 'what is my favorite thing about him?'
I was about ready to kill him.
At least Fred had kept out of it. In fact, he seemed nonexistent today. He must really dislike Percy, to be even mad at me for "liking" him.
I opened my potions text book, only to see that George had spelled it so it read 'Mrs. Percy Weasley' all over it. I could barely even read the directions.
That wasn't the worst of it. The next day, I woke up and someone had somehow scrawled 'I love Percy-Prats' across my forehead in block letters. It wouldn't come off, so I ended up missing first hour while using every spell in the book to get rid of it. The next day, George came up to me with a huge card that said, 'Rita, will you go to the dance with me? Love, Percy.'
I burned that one.
And then, just yesterday afternoon, the worst one yet. Knock on wood.
I was minding my own business, walking towards the library, when all of a sudden I got yanked around a corner and shoved into a dark broom closet, where I ran head first into a wall. Well, a warm, breathing wall that is.
Turns out, George had locked Percy in there five minutes before hand, and then locked me in with him. And then he turned on that awful music from the fifties, you know, the stuff your grandparents always listen to and go, 'Oh, Lyle, don't you remember how we danced to this at our wedding?' That awful kind.
I- I mean we- had only just been freed from our prison a few hours ago, and now I had classes coming up. So I had to spend a whole night with Percy in a broom closet. I didn't get any sleep, and he wouldn't shut up about how detentions were in order.
I cautiously walked into the Great Hall and took my seat next to Hermione. I glared at George who sat across from me.
"Hey Rita. Where have you been?" Hermione said.
"Long story." I replied.
"Hey, So i was gunna ask you last night but you never came to the dorms; are you hoping Percy will ask you to the Yule?" I blushed and hit her arm. I gave her a warning look and she gave me one that said, 'just go with it'.
"The what?" Fred asked, looking immensely irritated.
"The Yule Ball. You know, the Christmas dance, where we get to wear dresses and the guys get to wear suits and dress robes..." Hermione said wistfully. "Like a big huge group date! Lots of dancing and talkin g and laughing and snogging-"
"SHE IS NOT GOING TO THAT WITH PERCY!" Fred yelled suddenly, jumping up from his chair. I jumped a little in shock, my eyes growing wide.
"Whyever not? You can't tell me what to do and what not to do!" I said angrily.
"YEAH WELL I DON'T WANT YOU GOING THERE WITH ANYONE, AND IF I HAVE TO LOCK YOU UP IN SOME BROOM CLOSET TO KEEP YOU AWAY FROM IT I WILL!" He yelled, his face beet red.
"Oh yeah? I'd like to see you try!" I said, standing up too.
"Fine then!" He yelled, before stepping over the freaking table and grabbing my waist. I shrieked slightly as he threw me over his shoulder and started to walk out into the hall.
"FRED GIDEON WEASLEY YOU PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW!" I yelled, pounding my tiny fists into his back.
"No! Not until you promise not to go to the dance!" I scoffed.
"Why can't I go?! It's just a stupid dance! You're not my father!" I shot back.
"I'm sure I could get Sirius to tell you no." He said dangerously.
"Really? Are being for real right now? How old are you, six? I already have my dress and shoes, and I'm going-"
"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO GO!" He cut me off, finally putting me down. I wobbled on my feet at the sudden shift, and he steadied me with his hands on my shoulders. I could see Hermione and George running down the hall towards us. Jeez, Fred's fast.
"Why not?" I asked, my voice low and cold and a scowl etched across my face.
"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT YOU GOING WITH SOME GUY WHO ISN'T ME!" He yelled, Before his face fell and he stared at me in horrified shock. I'm sure my eyes were the size of dinner plates.
"I-" words wouldn't come to my brain, so instead I just stared dumbly at him. hermione and George stood stock still behind Fred, looking as if they'd seen a ghost.
"Rita, just- that's not what I meant-" he tried, before breaking off and tearing his hands away from me as if my cloak were on fire. He stood there for another few seconds before bolting down the hallway and around the corner.
It was silent until Hermione said, "Plot twist..."