HEY I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME BUT WE'RE BACK!
As you can see by our username and profile, Jewels and I have made some great friends who are also potterheads and we've allowed them to share our account as well. And anyways, here's the next chapter!
Disclaimer: I am not Joanne Katherine Rowling, no profit shall come of this, and I want to marry James Phelps.
~Amaya~
Cairo's POV
I threw down the Daily Prophet in disgust. "That's perfectly despicable!" I huffed, staring at the front cover. The majority of it was covering the first task, but a small article was labelled, 'The Scandal of the Century!' complete with a couple pictures of George and Jadyn kissing and holding hands.
"Doesn't she have better things to cover than us?" Jadyn asked. She was sitting with us at the Gryffindor table for breakfast because her whole house was completely shunning her. Her hand was interlaced with George's, both of them looking perturbed.
"It's only a small section," Fred pointed out, hopefully. "Maybe nobody will notice?"
"Other than the whole school," George muttered bitterly. Most of the school had been giving the two of them weird looks and staying at least a few feet away from them. It was one thing when the Gryffindor and Slytherin were friends, but it was a whole other ballgame when they were dating.
I couldn't help but notice Fred was looking kind of forlorn. It wasn't often that George was this sharp towards his twin (especially since it was George and he was generally a bit more polite) and obviously Fred was feeling at a loss. His attempts to cheer up George and Jadyn (but mostly George) were going downhill. He just wasn't used to life without George taking his side no matter what.
"Well," I said slowly, "you know there's only one thing to do." After they shot me confused looks, I clarified with, "Make a statement! Go out! Show Hogwarts (and the world) that you don't care! Who knows, maybe you'll spark a rebellion." I had carefully chosen the word 'rebellion', knowing that it would make their ears perk up a bit more. "You know the best way to start, don't you?"
George caught my eye, and seemed to understand. Today, McGonagall had just officially introduced the fact of the Yule Ball. Now most boys were already beginning to ask their girlfriends or about-to-be girlfriends (or just friends, if they had made a consensus to that) to the ball.
"What do you say, Jade?" he asked, in a slightly loud manner, to attract the attention of the Great Hall. "Would you accompany me to the Yule Ball?"
Jadyn first hit him, then kissed him, then seemed at a loss of what to do, so she hit him again, before starting to cry softly. George looked scared, but Jadyn said through her tears, "Of course, you git!" Then they kissed yet another time. I smiled as there were a few yells of encouragement (mostly from the Gryffindors) and I began to gather my things.
I ignored Fred when he asked where I was going. But he, being as untactful as ever, followed me back towards the common room. I tried to make him realize that I just wanted to be alone, but he continued after me. "Fred," I finally said, "why don't you go congratulate your other half instead of following me?" It was true that I was a bit miffed at him for being so oblivious when I had dropped several hints at him to ask me over the past few weeks, though I was slowly but surely getting over the fact that he just wasn't interested.
"Wait, Cai, I need to ask you something," he insisted, sounding a bit nervous. I raised an eyebrow, hands on my hips, waiting for him to ask whatever it was. "Uh, since we're best friends, would you, you know, go to the ball with me?"
I felt a shy smile creep onto my face. I pulled him into a hug. "Of course, Freddie. I, uh, need to go and, um, do something, but I'll see you later, okay?" I hesitated, then placed a quick kiss on his cheek, and watched in amusement as his freckles were hidden by a large blush. I waved, then went through the portrait hole, leaving Fred watching me in a daze.
George's POV
"Well finally!"
"George!"
"Fred, it's true. And George, you owe me ten galleons."
Fred was staring at us in disbelief. I was surprised that he hadn't caught onto this earlier. I mean, he and Cai were betting on me and Jade, why couldn't we bet on them? Unfortunately, I had thought they wouldn't get together until next year, but Jadyn had said they would go to the Yule Ball together.
"It's not like we're dating or anything!" Fred retorted. "We're just going to the ball. As friends."
"Come on, Freddie," I said, giving him a serious look. "I'm your twin. You can't hide it from me. I see the way you look at her. I hear the way you talk about her. I can freaking feel your poor lovesick heart! Admitting it will be easier for the both of you."
"Fine!" Fred cried. "I admit it! I fancy Cairo freaking Agatha! But what does it matter? She doesn't even like me back!"
Jadyn began to laugh loudly, actually grabbing my shoulder for support. "Fred, you poor, poor, oblivious, lovesick boy," Jadyn giggled, wiping tears from her eyes. "Cairo is freaking head over heels for you! She is so obvious about it!"
"She is?" Fred asked. His expression changed to one of deep thought, and then after a few minutes it changed again to one of comprehension. He smacked himself on the forehead. "I can't believe I didn't see it before! All those times she blushed around me, all those times she stared at me lost in thought, all those times she was flustered around me, all those times she got mad at me, all those times she hinted about the ball, all those times I made her smile, all those times I made her cry - !" Fred started to look panicky. "I need to talk to her!"
"Calm down, you just asked the girl who's been crushing on you for years - " ("Years?!" Fred groaned) " - to the ball, she's no doubt fangirling over you in her room," Jadyn laughed.
"So I just wait here?!" Fred cried, obviously itching to tell Cairo what he should've told her years ago, and probably give her a kiss too.
"Yep, patience is an important virtue, Freddie," I smirked, patting my twin's shoulder. Fred let out another groan, putting his head in his hands.