The beginning weeks of January had passed, without much change for George. He had wanted so desperately to kiss Angelina the night of the Yule Ball, but the timing had never been right. He had missed his window of opportunity, and the two had gone back to normal.
They were at breakfast one morning; Fred sat next to George frantically finishing his paper for Charms. Lee was on the other side of George, making a scrambled egg mountain. Angelina and Charley came into the Great Hall together and sat across from the boys.
"We have a Hogsmede trip this weekend." Angelina said, eyeing George.
George smiled and nodded.
"We do?" Fred asked looking up from his paper.
"Yeah, George, I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go to the Three Broomstick's with me." Angelina asked quickly.
Fred raised an eyebrow at his brother and grinned. George stared at Angelina, open-mouthed, he couldn't form words. Charley, sensing danger gave him a swift kick under the table, which shook him.
"Yes, yeah, absolutely." George stammered.
"Great." Angelina beamed.
"Well Lee, Charley, I guess it's just the three of us." Fred said to Lee and Charley, patting his brother on the back.
"Nope, it's just you and Chuck; I'm spending the trip with Katie." Lee said, trying and failing to hide his excitement.
Fred and Charley looked at each other horrorstruck. Charley shook her head slightly and Fred began laughing nervously.
"Well, alright then Charley, we can go to Zonko's and stuff." Fred said hastily, not making eye contact with her.
"Yes, that will be good." Charley replied, suddenly preoccupied with her hands.
George raised an eyebrow at Angelina; she looked just as puzzled as he did. Lee shrugged at the two and went back to his egg tower.
"Since when do you call Chuck, Charley, Fred?" Lee asked absentmindedly.
Fred half laughed, half scoffed at his friend.
"It's her name, she likes it." he said.
"Just seems formal to me." Lee shrugged.
"I don't mind, I don't mind in the slightest." Charley said quickly.
"See, Charley doesn't mind!" Fred exclaimed, "Charley will you please pass me the salt?" he asked, again avoiding eye contact.
"Oh yes, of course." she said lifting the salt and gingerly passing it his way.
His fingers brushed hers and both snatched their hands away, the salt fell to the table, spilling across the surface.
"Bad luck!" Charley said scooping up some and tossing it over her shoulder.
George narrowed his eyes at the two. Charley was moving frantically, trying to clean the mess up, apparently forgetting she had magic on her side. Fred was bright red, a sight George rarely saw. They were both laughing awkwardly, trying to break some sort of tension. Angelina had also noticed the strange behavior.
And then it dawned on George. Neither had returned to their beds the night of the Yule Ball. They were acting all too formal with each other, avoiding eye contact, and most importantly the smallest touch seemed to send them into a frenzy of embarrassment.
George gasped, then turned to Fred, with wild eyes.
"You slept together!" George whispered furiously.
"What are you talking about?" Fred practically screeched.
Charley was staring at the two horrified. Angelina was nodding as if this recent development made perfect sense. Lee had abandoned his egg mountain and was watching the scene unfold with a broad grin across his face.
"You slept together." George repeated again, this time a bit more calmly.
"George, please, keep your voice down." Charley said frantically.
"Well," Lee said looking from Fred to Charley, "Was it good?"
Charley groaned and dropped her head to the table, hiding her face in her arms. Fred began to laugh uncontrollably.
"What? It's a valid question." Lee said chuckling.
"Er, well, the thing is," Fred stammered awkwardly.
"We don't remember!" Charley said miserably lifting her head.
"How can you not remember?" George asked looking baffled.
Charley's head was bent in embarrassment. Fred, who hadn't stopped laughing, took a large breath and tried to control himself. He felt bad for allowing Charley to do most of the talking.
"We were a little bit under the influence." he said trying not to make eye contact with anyone.
"Wow…just wow." Was all George could manage to say.
"I'm going to go." Charley said, gathering her things and storming out.
Fred eyed George anxiously. George was glaring at him, nothing less than what he'd expected. Angelina sighed and stood, Lee followed her after taking a giant bite of his eggs.
"You have to fix this Fred." Said George.
"I know." Fred nodded.
The two packed up their things and left the Great Hall. They began the trek to their Transfigurations class. Outside of the Great Hall George turned to Fred with a cheeky grin.
"Really though, how was it?" he asked.
Fred's face broke into an identical grin.
"Can't say I didn't enjoy it." He said with a wink.
George's grin faded and he hit Fred across the back of his head.
"Oi! You asked!" Fred shot rubbing his head gingerly.
"Yeah well, I didn't think it would be weird…I was wrong." George replied beginning to walk again.
Fred followed George to Transfigurations with a sour look upon his face. When they entered the classroom George took a seat next to Angelina and Fred, seeing there was no other viable option, took a seat next to Charley. She sighed and turned her head away from him, blocking him with a curtain of dark curls.
"Well, that was awkward this morning wasn't it?" Fred asked tentatively.
"Fred, we aren't talking about this." Charley replied, not moving to look at him.
"We should." Said Fred.
"We aren't, end of discussion." Charley whispered angrily as Professor McGonagall entered the classroom.
Fred listened to Professor McGonagall prattle on about the lesson for a few moments, completely distracted.
"Okay, but I have to know, was it good for you?" Fred asked finally.
"Fred!" Charley shrieked.
"Is there something you two would like to share with the class?" Professor McGonagall asked sternly.
"No not at all." Charley replied in a high voice.
Fred snickered as her cheeks flushed. Professor McGonagall gave the two a lingering glare, and then went back to her lesson. Charley punched Fred in the arm and stared at him angrily.
"Yeah okay, but now things are back to normal." He grinned.
Charley shook her head in annoyance, but smiled nonetheless. Fred turned his head to George and gave him a wink, telling him that he had fixed it. George nodded in reply. Now George could go back to focusing on more important things, like his trip to Hogsmede with Angelina.
Charley woke up early on the Saturday morning of the Hogsmede trip. Not of her own free will of course, but to the sound of Angelina rushing around the girls' dormitory getting ready. Charley immediately recognized that Angelina was going crazy. There was a pile of clothes at the edge of Angelina's bed, shoes were thrown about the floor, and Angelina was cursing at her reflection in the mirror as she tried to make sense of her tangled hair.
"Whoa Ange, it's just George." Charley said swinging her legs over the side of her bed. She stood and stretched her arms above her head.
"Oh what do you know?" Angelina shot angrily.
Charley glanced at her friend. Angelina's reflection was glaring at her, she was still trying to fix her hair.
"Okay, you're nervous." Charley replied tentatively. "Maybe I can help you?" she offered.
"I don't need help from you. You wake up with your hair looking bloody perfect; you wouldn't know the first thing about hair!" Angelina snapped.
"Er, okay, I'll just go get ready in the bathroom." Charley said grabbing a change of clothes.
She scuttled out of the room with Angelina's glaring eyes on her.
Fred hopped down the stairs from the boys' dormitory into the common room, after being kicked out by a very apprehensive George. Fred had only been trying to give his brother advice, good things like: "Compliment her with an insult" or "Don't forget the rubbers". George didn't seem to think his advice was funny, however.
Charley was sitting on a couch watching Lee pace the floor. Fred rarely got jealous, but seeing his twin and their best friend getting ready for dates, made him sort of wish he was going on one as well. Sort of. He shook his head and laughed the thought off.
"What's going on here?" he asked flopping into the seat next to Charley.
"Young Lee Jordan here is about to wet himself I think." Charley replied gesturing to the panicked boy in front of them.
"Am not!" Lee protested, "I'm just nervous."
"Dating makes people crazy." Charley laughed.
"Tell me about it, George didn't think I had one worthy piece of advice this morning, when clearly they were all gems." Fred agreed.
"I'm sure they were." Charley said sarcastically.
"I resent that."
"Anyways, Angelina is going mental. She destroyed our room, nearly bit my head off, then glared me into the bathroom." Said Charley.
"And just look at this fellow." Fred said nodding towards Lee.
Lee stopped and turned to face the two.
"Well, aren't you two just so high and mighty. No dates for Fred and Chuck, they're above that. They'll just shag in a broom closet and be done with it!" he said.
"Oi, it wasn't a broom closet!" Fred replied indignantly.
Charley rested her hand on Fred's chest to calm him, then looked up at Lee with a smirk.
"Yes, we did shag, when was the last time you got any?" she asked.
Lee stammered for a moment.
"That's what I thought." Charley said with a satisfied grin.
"Well, if you ask me, I think you're both idiots. You two obviously have feelings for each other, address them." Lee said crossing his arms.
Charley calmly turned to Fred, who raised an eyebrow, but followed her lead.
"Fred, I am addressing the fact that we had sex…in some sort of broom closet. It was a one-time deal, we were drunk, careless, and I'm not even really sure if it was good. Do you have anything else to add?" she asked.
"Er…nope you pretty much summed it up." Fred said after a moment.
"Satisfied?" Charley asked Lee.
Lee was satisfied. In trying to prove him wrong, Charley had instead proved him right. She must've not thought anything of Fred's hesitation. Or maybe she did, but was choosing to ignore it. Either way, Fred had hesitated. The sex had in fact been good for Fred, Lee knew. Fred had told him and George in private. But more than that, Fred had feelings for Chuck. He had yet to admit that part to anyone, including even himself.
"I am satisfied, thank you." Lee said smirking.
"Hey Lee, you ready?" Katie Bell had come downstairs, ready for their trip to Hogsmede.
Lee turned and smiled at her.
"Yes, let's go." He nodded.
"They grow up so fast don't they dear?" Charley asked Fred, pretending to cry.
He grinned and put an arm around her shoulders.
"Oh yes Pookie Pie, they do." He nodded.
"Have fun kids!" Charley yelled as Katie and Lee exited through the portrait hole laughing.
"But not too much!" Fred winked.
"Oh Darling, Lee is such a good boy, we did a fine job." Charley said to Fred.
"Yes, Pookie, we did." Fred said in a fatherly voice, "But, Schnookums, I do have one thing to ask."
"What is it Boo Boo?" Charley asked.
"Are you sure the boy is mine?" Fred asked raising an eyebrow.
"And to think, it only took you sixteen years to figure it out." Charley said patting Fred's knee.
"I want a divorce Bunny." Fred said crossing his arms.
"That's nice Teddy Bear, but let's do not be silly. Do you really think you'll be able to do better?" Charley laughed mockingly.
"You're right Kitten, I'm not worthy." Fred replied.
"What are you two doing?" George asked coming downstairs.
"Oh look Pudding! Georgie is here." Fred exclaimed.
"Oh Pumpkin, he is definitely yours." Said Charley.
"Well of course, he looks just like me." Fred said haughtily.
"You two are barmy." George sighed shaking his head.
Angelina came downstairs shortly after George and stopped at the foot of the stairs. Charley smiled, she had fixed her hair.
"Hey Ange." George said beaming.
She smiled too. Neither moved they just stood frozen, smiling at each other. Charley and Fred exchanged a glance.
"Er, shouldn't you two get going?" Charley asked softly.
They both jumped and looked at her. Angelina narrowed her eyes at her, angrily. Charley shrunk back against the couch, she didn't know what she had done to make Angelina so angry with her.
"Yeah, let's go." George nodded towards the portrait hole. Clearly he hadn't noticed any sort of unpleasantness.
The Three Broomsticks was busy and bustling with customers. George and Angelina had picked a rather private booth towards the back of the crowded pub. They had seen Lee and Katie walking the streets of Hogsmede, but since neither couple wanted to talk long they parted ways quickly.
Their conversation had been flowing quite well, George thought. It was easy talking with her. They had been friends and teammates for so long, but George had always fancied her. He had always been worried about how Fred would react had he pursued someone. That was what had always held him back with Angelina. But now that they were older and Fred seemed to be distracted with Chuck, he hoped things could be different.
"I still can't believe Chuck and Fred shagged." Angelina shook her head with a laugh.
George laughed as well and took a swig of his butterbeer.
"I can." He said. "I swear, if they end up together the world will implode."
Angelina cocked her head to one side, and then dropped her eyes to her mug. She began to gently drag her finger around its rim.
"George, do you love her?" she asked after a moment.
George nearly choked on his butterbeer from shock. He looked up at her wide eyed and thoroughly confused.
"Have you gone mental?" he asked.
"It's a valid question Weasley." She said crossing her arms, "I mean you almost had a heart attack when you found out they slept together. I literally thought you were going to strangle him."
George shook his head slowly, not believing what he was hearing.
"Angelina, I do not love Chuck." He said firmly.
"Well, can you explain it then?" she asked.
George thought for a moment. He considered his feelings for Chuck, thought about why he had reacted the way he had and then he looked up at Angelina and smiled.
"Yeah, I can." He nodded.
"Alright, go." Angelina replied.
"The thing about Chuck is this; I met and became friends with her before any of my brothers had a chance to fall in love with her. I was her friend through some really difficult stuff this summer and she's become like a sister to me. I feel very protective of her and sometimes even a little responsible for her. I brought her into my family.
The reason I reacted the way I did is simple, Chuck and Fred are not right for each other. I know that, they know that, everyone knows that. Fred will probably hurt her, there's even the possibility she'll hurt him, and I do not want to see that happen." George finished, he took another sip of his butterbeer and watched Angelina take in all that he said.
"Fair enough." Angelina said after a minute or two, "But George, you know it isn't really your place to get involved."
"Yeah, I do, and that kills me. There is no doubt in my mind that they will eventually form some sort of relationship and I just know it won't end pretty." George said with a shake of his head.
He glanced up at Angelina; she was giving him a sympathetic look. He smiled at her.
"Enough talk of those two. Want to go to Honeydukes?" George asked.
Angelina grinned as well and nodded. The two stood and as they left The Three Broomsticks, George took Angelina's hand in his.
It had been over an hour since their friends had left for Hogsmede and Fred and Chuck were still seated in front of the fireplace. Fred's head was in Charley's lap, she played with his hair as they spoke.
"You do realize that in the time we've spent arguing about whether or not to go to Hogsmede you probably could have finished all your work?" Fred asked looking up at Charley.
"Yes, I do, but you laid down on me, obstructing much of my movement." She replied.
He sat up quickly.
"Well, Chuck, if you're so stressed about it then you should probably just do it." He shrugged.
"Why couldn't you have come to that conclusion an hour ago?" she groaned standing.
She made to go upstairs and grab her things, but a cough from Fred stopped her. She turned to face him. Fred was looking up at her with sad eyes.
"You're really going to make me go alone?" he whimpered.
"Can I be honest with you?" she asked sitting back down.
"Always." He grinned.
"I really don't want to go to Hogsmede. I still have to write three papers before Monday, I'm failing Astronomy and to top it all off Angelina is mad at me for no reason. I'm stressed and in a foul mood. I'd be no fun anyways." Charley rambled.
"You need a de-stresser Chuck, something to take your mind off of all this stuff." Fred said leaning back against the sofa.
Charley stared at him. He was right, that was exactly what she needed.
"Say, Fred, I just had a thought." Charley began slowly.
"Ooh do tell." Fred said grinning
"Well, I don't remember much from the night of the Yule Ball, but I do remember feeling remember having a rotten time at the actual dance, but after we, well you know, I felt loads better, like a weight had been lifted…until I realized what had just happened that is." Said Charley.
Fred looked at her, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
"Not following." He said.
Charley moved so that she was resting on her knees. She glanced at Fred for a moment, and then placed her hand at the nape of his neck. She pulled him into a deep kiss. When they broke apart he was staring at her shocked.
"Let's do it again." Charley said with a half -smile.
"I'm sorry, you want to get drunk and shag again?" Fred said laughing in disbelief.
Charley nodded and kissed him again, this time pulling him on top of her. He was having a hard time thinking straight with their lips intertwined and her body underneath his.
"Yes, but without the getting drunk bit." Charley said.
Fred shook his head and pulled away. He looked down at her, not quite sure what was happening. She smiled up at him innocently.
"What if it wasn't the sex, what if it was the firewhiskey that made you feel so good Chuck?" he asked.
"Would you really rather test that option?" Charley asked narrowing her eyes at him.
Fred beamed, and then kissed her again.
"No you're right." He said quickly.
"Wait, wait, we can't do it here, the children." Charley said as he began kissing her neck.
"That makes no sense. Are you referring to the other Gryffindors who inhabit this area?" Fred smirked.
She sat up, pushing him off her.
"Not here," she said sternly.
"The boys' dormitory, they won't be back for hours." Fred said grabbing her hand and leading her to the stairs.
She stopped as they began to ascend the staircase. Fred groaned and turned to face her.
"What now?" he whined.
"This is a one-time thing, no strings attached. After this we go back to being just Chuck and Fred, got it?" she asked sharply.
"Yes." Fred nodded vigorously, "Well, except now it's a two-time thing." He said.
"Fred!" Charley growled.
"Technicalities really." He said shaking his head, "Let's go." He said pulling on her impatiently.
She smiled and with that followed him straight up to the boys' dorm.