It was a chilly day. Flurries of snow were coming down delicately, but it wasn't snowing completely. The little snowflakes made a thin quilt on the ground. Not a blanket, but not just a sheet. It was perfect for this Hogsmeade visit.
Caprice was finally relaxing. She didn't have to worry about the Second Task until February. She knew what it was, she knew how she was going to breathe underwater, too. She was going to charm herself to have gills instead of lungs. Angeline asked if she would give herself webbed hands and feet to swim better. To that, Caprice had said no. She was a great swimmer, having swam in the lake behind her house quite a bit. She was a strong, fast swimmer and had to problems swimming distances or depths.
Anyways, Caprice wasn't worried about anything. She was doing fantastic in her studies, her relationship with Fred was going fantastic. In fact, she was doing more than well in everything. Her life was perfect at the moment.
She was unwinding with her friends as they walked to Hogsmeade. Fred's arm was around her shoulder, holding her close and shielding her from the wind.
"So how are you going to give yourself gills?" Alicia asked.
Caprice shrugged, "I'll get Flitwick and McGonagall together and ask them. Some sort of Transfiguration and Charm will work to disable my lungs and give myself gills in a set period of time."
"Won't be easy." Lee commented.
"Well of course it won't. I'll be turning myself into a human fish." Caprice smiled as they arrived in town.
"Caprice, don't you have that meeting with Cedric now?" Patricia asked, looking at her watch.
"You have a meeting with Cedric?" Fred asked, "Cedric Diggory?"
"Yeah, it's only about a Herbology project. It'll be quick, I promise. Meet you guys outside the Three Broomsticks in twenty minutes, then." she said, taking off. Fred held onto her wrist though, and she couldn't escape his grip. "What, Fred?" she snapped.
Fred didn't really have anything to say, so he said of the first thing that came to mind, "What's the project?"
"Just an interclass thing with seventh and sixth years. You wouldn't know because you aren't in my Monday Herbology class." she said.
He sighed, "Just… Hurry back."
"I will." she smiled and kissed him quickly, "Twenty minutes."
"If you take longer I'll come searching!" he called after her. She kept walking though and disappeared into the Three Broomsticks. He saw a tall blond boy walk in a moment later.
"Fred, aren't you going to go after her? Spy on her?" Lee suggested.
"Lee!" Alicia scolded him, "Don't put ideas in his head!"
"Yeah, Lee," Angelina nodded, "Fred, Caprice is reliable and would never cheat on you."
"I know that." he nodded and turned to his brother, "What do you think, George?"
George was startled, "Me?"
"Yes, you."
"Well… I don't know. Sure."
"'Sure' what?" he asked, aggravated.
"I don't know! Fred, we've been friends with Caprice for years. She's never cheated on anything, including past boyfriends. She's not a bad person. The fact you're asking means you don't really think much of yourself and you think a lot of Cedric Diggory."
"Words of wisdom, George." Patricia smirked, "Who knew you could be so deep?"
"You haven't seen the half of it, dear." he chuckled.
"No, you're right." Fred nodded, "I trust her. Of course I do. Now let's go to Zonko's. I hear the old man has some real nice new pranks."
XXX
Twenty minutes later after they had gone to Zonko's, they were waiting outside the Three Broomsticks. It had gotten slightly chillier, and the girls were whining to go in.
"C'mon, let's go!" Alicia groaned.
"Okay, fine!" Lee finally growled, "Have it your way! Screechy birds…"
Fred and George laughed while the girls were slightly offended. They went inside and searched the pub for Caprice and Cedric.
Fred spotted them in a far corner, laughing. A delightful smirk was placed on Caprice's face. It was a smile he rarely saw on her unless she was incredibly enchanted. A fire started inside of Fred, going to his heart and brain. Angelina placed a strong hand on his arm to hold him in place. George did the same to his shoulder, but somewhat stronger.
Cedric said something, and Fred heard Caprice's tinkling laughter ring out. It was like bells. It was a giggle she usually saved merely for him. He felt hurt by this. He felt jealous and angry and he wanted to do something.
"Fred, calm down." Angelina hissed at him.
"Yeah, Fred." George nodded, "Keep your head on."
Cedric looked at his watch and told Caprice something, and Caprice agreed and they started getting up. Cedric put a few sickles on the table for both their Butterbeers. Caprice put her coat on and grabbed her purse, then started talking to Cedric again. They hugged and Cedric kissed her cheek. More anger flared in Fred, and he was about to explode.
Caprice looked around and saw the gang, and she smiled. Cedric had already left, going in another direction completely. Caprice walked over and smiled at them.
"Hey, guys."
"Hey." they all smiled, fake. They all had seen Caprice's actions with Cedric. How she flirted with him and acted like she did around Fred.
"How was your… meeting…" Fred spat.
Caprice seemed slightly taken aback, "It was fine." she said sternly, "Jeez, what's gotten into you?"
"Your… Your flirting with Cedric just moments ago. That's what's gotten into me." Fred snapped.
"What are you talking about, Fred? I only said goodbye to him!"
"Come here." he growled, taking her hand and leading her to a table far back, away from the rest. When he let go of her, she rubbed her wrist since he had hurt it with his tight grip. "You know what you were doing, Caprice! Your flirting with him was so obvious!"
"Flirting? What flirting? He kissed my cheek!"
"All that smiling and giggling. That flirty talk between you two."
"Oh, I doubt you could even hear what we were talking about!" she hissed.
"No, but I can guess. 'Oh, Cedric!'" he said in a fake girl voice, "'You're so much handsomer and better than Fred! Kiss my cheek!'"
"Oh, is that was you think then? That Cedric is better than yourself! What low self esteem issues you must have, darling." Caprice taunted, "Do you think I'm some sort of slag? Sleeping around behind your back? Dating other guys?"
"Guys? Plural? How many are there?"
"None, Fred! Who do you think I am?"
"Not the right kind of girl." he hissed, "Not at all."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"You aren't right for me. I'm breaking up with you." he said and stood abruptly.
"Breaking up with me?" she scoffed, "You know, maybe Cedric is better for me! He's more confident, has less of an ego, more of a gentleman, that's for sure!"
"Gentleman? You call slobbering all over you being a gentleman?" he scoffed, "You are obviously confused, my dear."
"And so are you-with what you saw!"
"I'm also confused at why you led me on. You're a deceitful hateful slag, Caprice. Stay out of my life, now." he said lowly, then turned to walk off.
"Go to Hell, you jealous bastard!" she screamed after him, trying to keep her emotions in check. If she got too angry, she would turn into her harpy-like form that angry Veela women turned into. That would be bad, especially since none of them knew that she was a Veela.
While emotionally controlling herself she didn't realize her hand going toward a lit candle and chucking it at the opposite wall, hitting high above a group of fifth year Hufflepuff girls. It shattered and glass rained down on them, the candle being extinguished. They shrieked and left the booth in a hurry, running out the door in a hurry.
Caprice would have laughed had she not been so angry. The group was still standing where they were before. She walked over, intent on going past them furiously. She did, just in time for Fred to say something that made her blood boil.
"Angelina, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"I, uhh, umm…" she didn't answer in time. Caprice had already stormed past, and ripped the doorknob off the door. Caprice didn't hear the rest of Angelina's answer. She threw the brass doorknob into the snow and stormed off, going straight toward the path back to Hogwarts. She suddenly heard the padding of feet behind her. Expecting one of her backstabbing friends, she turned, ready to lash out.
It was only her sister. "Caprice, what's wrong?" Christi asked, "I saw you heading this way and you seem upset."
"I'm fine, perfect really. Can't you tell?" Caprice snarled, not stopping to wait. Christi jogged to keep up with her sister's fast pace.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing I want to share."
"Mum always said it wasn't good to bottle your emotions." Christi pointed out cheekily.
"I don't have time for you, Christi!" Caprice exclaimed rather harshly. At the hurt look on Christi's face, Caprice sighed, "Alright, fine. I'm sorry. I'm just… Furious."
"Why? Talk to me."
"Fred and I broke up." she sighed.
Christ gasped, "What? You two were the perfect couple though!"
"Were." Caprice nodded, "I just had a meeting with Cedric Diggory about an assignment and Fred thought we were flirting."
"What did you say to each other? You and Fred I mean. Did you fight?"
"Terribly." Caprice nodded, "I won't replay the entire thing to you, but in mainly involved me saying Cedric was better than Fred, him calling me a slag and him dumping me. Then as I walked out, he asked Angelina to the Ball right in front of me."
"What a bloody bastard!"
"Watch your mouth!" Caprice hissed, "Mum won't like it when we go home over the summer and she hears you saying all kinds of profanities! And it's likely she'll blame me!"
"Whatever." Christi rolled her eyes, "I'm so sorry, Caprice."
"I'm more angry and hurt than… Sad I guess. I just want to chop his fingers off one by one and make him eat them."
"What sort of sadist are you, then?" she exclaimed.
"I'd be a sadist if it were his testicles instead of his fingers…"
Christi laughed, "You should!"
"He's not worth going to Azkaban for." Caprice shook her head. Suddenly, Angelina ran up to them.
"Caprice!"
"What do you want?" Caprice asked harshly.
"Just so you know, I didn't say yes."
Caprice sighed and said, "Christi, go with your friends."
"Well fine then. I don't want to hear your prissy conversation anyway… Fill me in on the details later, would you?"
Caprice shooed her off without answering, "Alright, what do you want?"
"I just… I'm so sorry."
"Go for it." Caprice shrugged.
"Excuse me?" Angelina asked, taken aback.
"I don't care if you date Fred. In fact, I want you to say yes." Caprice said with a straight face. It was hard for her to say since she really did care. She didn't want Fred to be going with any other girl, but now that they were broken up she had to accept it. And she knew Angelina was going to say yes eventually, either way. Fred would bother her until she broke down and agreed to him to go with him.
Angelina frowned, "But-"
"No! Say yes to him Angelina. Do it, or else."
"Or else what?"
Caprice thought for a second, "Or I'll cut Fred's fingers off and feed them to you."