Fell in Love Without You

Chapter 20: At Last.

The clock in the common room chimed 11 and I threw my quill down. Once again I was finishing my homework like a good little nerd when all my friends had gone to bed. I guess that's why I had better grades then them.

I sighed and stretched my aching muscles.

I jumped when the portrait hole opened.

"It's all right mate... don't cry. I'll help take the pain away ok?" I saw Fred walk in with a first year. Both of them were nursing their hands.

The first year boy was sniffling and I felt a surge of hate toward Umbridge.

"Come on, I know, it hurts doesn't it?" Fred said softly to the boy and led him to the couch. Seeing him with the first year tugged at my heart a little. He was still a good guy underneath it all.

"I'll go and get the murtlap essence" I stood up making both him and the first year jump. Fred stared at me a moment, his blue eyes boring into mine like a drill.

He nodded once and sat down next to the boy. I raced up to my room and grabbed two vials and two small dishes. I also grabbed bandages and towels. Then I returned to the common room.

"This is Jason" Fred said to me stiffly. "Jason this is Avery" He introduced me to the boy.

"Can I see your hand Jason?" I asked. He nodded and I started cleaning the wound. Fred started on his own hand. "Something has to be done about her" I growled to Fred.

"Don't worry, we're working on it" He told me confidently. "Did you hear she's started up her own 'Inquisitorial Squad'... like the prefects only with more power?" He grunted against the pain.

"Oh brilliant... but let me guess... All Slytherin?"

"You know it"

I let out a sigh. I will not talk back was scrawled over the little boys hand. He sighed with relief as I submerged his hand in the murtlap essence. "That feel better?" I smiled at him. He nodded. I glanced at Fred and saw he was just staring into the fire.

I left the boys hand to soak and picked up Fred's. He looked at me in surprise for a moment but let me work. I cleaned the blood off his hand.

Niffler's aren't toys.

"The niffler thing was you?"

"And George and Lee... They had their detention yesterday" He explained.

I nodded and submerged his hand in the Murtlap and turned back to bandage Jason's hand.

"Does that feel better?" I asked when he was done.

"Yes. Thank you so much" He wiped his face with the back of his good hand.

"Not a problem Jason. I'll see you later ok?"

He nodded and went up to bed, leaving me alone with Fred. The silence was deafening and I sat awkwardly with my hand in the liquid, holding his in place.

"So where's your girlfriend to do this for you?" I asked, breaking the silence in a very, erm, tactful way.

"Asleep probably" he grunted. "You know, you didn't have to be such a bitch today" He said a minute later as I wrapped up his hand.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Today, in the DA meeting... You didn't have to be a complete bitch to Annabelle" He shook his head. "You didn't have to be bitchy at all"

"Oh. Ok, so being told I'm too plain, dull and boring for you by your obviously perfect girlfriend for the second time isn't reason to get bitchy?" I snapped, throwing his hand back into his lap.

His eyes widened a little in shock. "So you're a liar as well?" He said coolly.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I said, completely taken aback. How was I the liar?

"No" He scowled. "Why the hell would Annabelle say that to you?" He shrugged. "It doesn't make sense"

"Oh come on Fred... I know you're a boy but are you that fucking stupid?" I exclaimed, knocking over the bowl of potion.

"I'm not so fucking stupid to see that you're a complete bitch that's for sure" He rolled his eyes. "Where the hell has my best friend gone? Because she's not the girl I see standing in front of me now" He shook his head, a sad look in his eyes.

My eyes widened. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Annabelle likes you and I'm a threat to her. She would say that to me because she hates me. God you're a dick" I snapped, flicking my wand to clean up the spilt potion.

"Why the hell would you be a threat to her?" He shrugged his shoulders at me. I felt tears spring to my eyes at his words.

"Yeah well... Apparently I'm too plain, dull and boring to be a threat" I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"You also like Roger" He growled.

"And you LIKE ANNABELLE!" I screamed. "Why'd you kiss me on Christmas day Fred? Why'd you come up to my room at 3:30 in the morning, fall asleep with me in your arms and then fucking kiss me?" I asked. I turned my back to him as a tear slipped down my face. I wiped it off with the back of my hand.

"Why did you let me? Why did you let me flirt with you? Why did you let me hold you and touch you if you liked someone else anyway?" He yelled back.

"Because. I. Like. You. Fred" I said through gritted teeth. "I have for a while but you're too thick to notice" I yelled, turning around to face him. "I don't like Roger and I never have. Annabelle knew I liked you so I was a threat" My breath caught in my throat and I choked. "She wins ok? She has you.. She won" I gasped.

I dropped the empty potion bowl and wet towel on the floor and did the only thing my entire body was screaming at me to do.

Run.

"Avery! Wait!" He called out to me as I ran up the staircase but I ignored his cries for me to come back. I took the stairs three at a time till I was in my room. I slammed the door and leant against it.

"You stupid fuck" I breathed to myself, banging my head against the door. "Because I like you? Ughhh you idiot" I repeated. I closed my eyes. My heart was thudding in my chest and my breathing was short and quick.

I'd just blurted out everything to the one person who I never wanted to know my true feelings. I hated myself right now.

"Avery open the door" His voice on the other side of the door made me jump. "I need to talk to you"

"Go away Fred" I called back, walking to my bed and throwing myself onto it.

My door opened anyway. "No" He sounded stubborn. "What did you say?"

"Go away?" I said dryly.

"Down stairs, before you ran away. I need to know what you said" I heard him shut the door and walk over to the bed. I sat up and stared at my hands. He sat.

"I said I like you... I don't like Roger and I never have" I said repeated quietly.

"Then why did Annabelle tell me you told her you like Roger?" He asked. My head snapped up and I looked at him.

"She WHAT!" I screamed, jumping to my feet. "When did she tell you this!"

"On the holidays... just before term went back..." He answered.

"The same day you started ignoring me?" I asked. I knew the answer by the expression on his face.

"She told me you said you felt sorry for me because you were pretty sure I liked you but you didn't like me that way" He explained. "I was mad that you'd lead me on like that"

"I was mad that you did lead me on" I laughed dully. "You know what's funny? Annabelle told Angelina and Alicia that I liked you but was upset that you liked her" I shook my head. "That girl is such a manipulative BITCH" I paced up and down my room, fuming.

"But I don't like her... I've never liked her..." I raised my eyebrows at him. "Ok I might have liked her a little, she's hot and I'm a guy, do the math... but I've wanted you for much longer"

I blinked. I hadn't been expecting him to say that. "What?" I asked.

"Avery, when you left over the summer I was totally lost. I couldn't work it out, but because you weren't there I wasn't happy. I couldn't get you out of my head! I went crazy waiting for your next letter... George said it was because I liked you... I thought it was because you were my best friend and I missed you" He stopped to take a breath.

My heart was beating rapidly in my chest, so loud I could barely hear him over the thudding.

"When I found your compartment on the train, I stood outside for ages before entering, just watching you. I couldn't believe how different you looked after only one summer. You were taller, your hair was longer, your smile even better than I remembered and I was actually scared to open the door and say hello"

"Why?" I blinked at him, frozen in front of him. His blue eyes were wide and vulnerable and made my heart stop beating completely.

"Because it was you, but at the same time it wasn't you... it was a new you and it was different" He shrugged. "I didn't know what to make of it so I pushed it to the back of my head and acted normal" He paused and ran a hand through his hair. "And now I've lost you to Roger..." he sighed. "I'm such an idiot" He looked so miserable and heartbroken. "Why would Annabelle lie to us?"

"Because she's mental!" I exclaimed and stopped pacing. I sat next to him. "She lied and bitched about me because she liked you and would do anything to get you... and now she's got you" I sighed and looked at my hands.

Fred reached over and linked his fingers with mine.

"I guess we're stuck"

I bit my lip. I really needed to come clean. Roger would understand.

"Roger and I aren't really together" I admitted, squeezing his hand. He frowned.

"What?"

I smiled. "His ex wanted him back over the holiday and when he said no she blamed it on me... he didn't agree with her, but he didn't exactly deny it either. I've been going along with it to help him" I shrugged.

"But WHY!" Fred exclaimed.

"Because Roger is my friend and I'm helping him out with a girl problem" I shrugged again. He thought for a second before grinning.

"So I'm not going to get beaten up if I do this?" He asked, a cheeky smile on his face.

"Do what?" I raised my eyebrow. Suddenly one arm was around my waist and the other was on my cheek, guiding me toward his face. I melted into the kiss and touched his cheek lightly. He pulled away, leaving me slightly breathless. "Uh no... no you're not going to get beaten up if you do that" I shook my head. He smiled and brushed some hair off my face. "I however, might get hexed by your psychotic girlfriend" I rolled my eyes.

"Avery, you're not a threat to Annabelle, because there is no real attraction to Annabelle. You're the most beautiful girl I know because you don't hide behind fancy hair and makeup. You're you and you don't care what anyone thinks. You never have and I don't want you to listen to Annabelle when she tells you you're too dull, plain or boring for me... because you're not" He kissed me lightly again. "You have the most beautiful eyes... and you went to Romania to work with Dragons..." He pressed his lips against mine again "and you have a smoking hot body..." He murmured against them. I laughed and smacked his arm. He chuckled and linked his fingers with mine. "Nothing there, to me, screams plain, dull or boring"

"You're cheesy you know that" I smiled.

"Yeah well... Love does crazy things to people" he shrugged. He glanced around at my bed and smiled. In one swift movement, I have no idea how, we were lying together on my bed, his arm still firmly around my waist and my head on his chest.

"So what are we Fred?" I murmured quietly. He stroked my hair and was silent for a few minutes.

"What do you want us to be?" He asked. I sighed.

"Well... obviously together, but how will that go with our friendship?"

"Isn't it good we're friends first?" He asked.

"I guess... but we're both in relationships" I pointed out.

"Yours is fake"

"And yours is psychotic"

He chuckled and kissed my head. "Yeah... so I guess we keep us a secret... at least for the time being"

I sat up and looked at him. "Really?" I asked.

"Really" He smiled. I leaned down and pressed my lips against his. Never had I felt this way about anyone before. Never felt the tingling lips, or the butterfly tummy... or the breathlessness that I felt right now.

This was love and it was bliss and I liked it.

I mildly happy that this chapter is slightly better than the last. Thank god. I guess I am my harshest critic however, so everything lies on your reviews. Thanks and I apologise again.

xo

Plea