It was the Sunday before Valentine's Day, and Rook had, naturally, reserved the unofficial holiday for her boyfriend. It was still a strange, nauseating concept… Stefan Spencer: Rook's boyfriend.

George was being more boisterous than usual; it was almost as if he and Fred had switched roles, and Fred was grateful. Once again, he didn't feel much like his usual uproarious self, and he was happy to take a back seat to George.

When they arrived at the Three Broomsticks, Fred sat at a table with Angelina and Alicia while George and Lee ordered their drinks from Madam Rosmerta.

"Sage told me Stefan Spencer planned something really romantic for Rook at the W.W.N. station," Alicia spoke to Angelina, giggling. "She's lucky, isn't she? There aren't that many boys in our year who'd go to the trouble of planning something for Valentine's."

Angelina shifted uncomfortably, casting a sideways glance at Fred, who was pretending he couldn't hear them. "I guess not," she replied in a flat, uninterested tone. Alicia took the hint and changed the subject… sort of.

"Do you remember when you made that valentine for Fred third year?" Alicia asked loudly, causing Fred to look around at them curiously.

"What?" he addressed a flustered Angelina. "I never got that. What's she talking about?"

"Nothing," Angelina insisted forcefully, shooting Alicia a withering look.

Before Fred could badger her further, George and Lee interrupted, passing around the butterbeers. Fred's gaze lingered on Angelina as she took her drink. As far as he knew, neither he nor George had received any kind of valentine from Angelina in their third year. Had she really made him one, or were she and Alicia having him on?

As fate would have it, Angelina excused herself from the group to make a detour in Spintwitches. Dawdling behind the others, Fred managed to discreetly follow Angelina into the shop, giving him the opportunity to grill her further about this alleged valentine.

"So, about this valentine incident—" he said once he'd crept up behind her.

Angelina jumped and spun around to face Fred. "Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!" she exclaimed.

"You didn't really make me a card, did you?"

"You expect me to tell you about that after I've already been rejected?" she scoffed in disbelief. "You're mad." She stalked off through an aisle displaying several of the latest models of racing brooms. Fred followed, undaunted.

"Come on, Gelly!" he wheedled. "Like getting rejected by me is so bad! I'm not even that good-looking!"

"That's true," Angelina agreed shortly, not looking at Fred as she pretended to appraise a Cleansweep Eleven.

"The consensus is you're out of my league," Fred went on without flinching. "That's why I don't think there ever was a valentine."

Angelina continued to stare determinedly at the broomstick specifications. "There was," she spoke stiffly.

"I do remember third year, you know. You were completely smitten with George."

Finally, Angelina looked over at Fred. "You sound so sure about that," she huffed. "And I remember you mentioned it before, me liking George. Just what gave you that idea?"

"You…" Fred replied, taken aback, "You were always so nervous around him! You were nicer to him!"

"Because I wasn't as comfortable around him," Angelina explained exasperatedly. "I didn't feel as close with him."

Fred stared. For whatever reason, he just couldn't believe it. It sounded ridiculous, even. Angelina had always liked George, hadn't she? It was obvious. "You didn't like me," he insisted dismissively.

Angelina narrowed her eyes. "I have proof, you know."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes really! The valentine, remember?"

"No, I don't! Like I said, I never got it."

"Well, I made it."

"What did it say?"

Angelina abruptly turned and walked away.

"Hang on!" Fred rushed after her. "What did it say?"

"It's all a joke to you, isn't it?" Angelina rounded on him. "I wonder if it would be so funny to you if you confessed to someone you liked and they didn't even believe you."

Fred recoiled slightly. It was surprisingly easy to imagine, him confessing to Rook and then…

"I'm sorry, Angelina," he apologized sincerely. "It's not that I think it's funny, I just don't get why you'd like me."

"I've started to wonder about that myself," she spoke irritably.

"I deserve that."

She smiled a little. "At least you know it. And… you will think it's funny… when I tell you what it said."

Fred perked up expectantly. "Yeah?"

"You can't laugh."

"I make no promises."

Angelina sighed and looked around awkwardly before reciting, "'Roses are red, so is your hair; I'm writing this poem… to show that I care.'"

Fred was unable to suppress a snort of laughter. Embarrassed as she was, Angelina began laughing as well.

"I'm sorry, but I have to ask one more time," said Fred. "You really wrote that for me?"

"It's got your name on it and everything."

"Wait—you don't still have it?"

"I really need one of these," said Angelina, suddenly very interested in the broomstick polishing cloths.

"I'll get you one," said Fred, grabbing one off the shelf. "To make up for being such a git this year."

"And what about all the other years?"

"I'll have to owe you," he replied with a grin.

As they walked out of the shop together and trudged through the snow toward Honeydukes, a thought occurred to Fred.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" she replied in a cautious voice.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Angelina hesitated, then, "I… I had it in my head that you fancied me too."

Fred wasn't sure how to respond to this. He had fancied her, but telling her that now wouldn't do any good. Even as he walked with Angelina, Rook filled the periphery of his thoughts.

But Angelina didn't wait for him to respond. "I also thought it was a bit obvious, how I felt. I guess I was waiting for you to make the first move. But… maybe I should have told you sooner. Maybe I should have just given you the silly valentine. But then, it also might be for the best, us not ending up together. Maybe there's… someone out there… who suits you better. I just hope you don't wait as long as I did to tell her how you really feel."

Fred halted mid-stride. She couldn't be referring to Rook? Even if she knew how Fred felt, she also knew Rook was with Spencer.

"Fred?" Angelina spoke, seeming genuinely unaware that she'd touched a nerve. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I…" he trailed off. "You know what? I need to stop by Scrivenshaft's. You just tell the others I'll catch up."

He turned and walked briskly in the opposite direction. Shrivenshaft's wasn't far from the Wizarding Wireless Network headquarters. He didn't know if he was being obvious. He probably was, but it was like he couldn't stop himself. The W.W.N. building overshadowed him as he drew nearer, and he stopped again, looking up at it nervously, as though it were some enormous, menacing beast.

He didn't know if Rook and Spencer were there. Even if they were, what exactly did he plan to do? Spencer wasn't even his most compelling reason to keep his feelings to himself.

Still, Angelina's words kept ringing in his head. If Fred had been wrong about her, was it so crazy to think that maybe he had been wrong about Rook as well? That perhaps… perhaps it could be him she fancied? And how would he know if he never told her how he felt?

When he started moving again, it was toward the door of the building. After a few steps, however, he found he couldn't compel himself to go any further.

"You're an idiot, Fred Weasley," he said out loud before walking back toward Honeydukes.