"Sweets for my Sweet." Fred said, placing a box of candy into Angelina's hands.
She looked up from her breakfast, eyeing him strangely. She had been the unofficial tester for too many of Weasleys' Weezes to ingest anything that they gave her.
Fred obviously saw her apprehension. "I promise there's no canary creams or anything like it in the whole bunch."
"So, it's just candy?"
"Yes."
"Why?" She asked.
"Angel face, can't a guy bring his girlfriend candy just to celebrate her sweetness?"
Girlfriend-he he. Angelina still liked hearing that. They had been together now for about a month. It was strange. Nothing much seemed to change between them. There was a lot more snogging and a little less arguing. But, Angelina thought that they would see each other much more often. Fred had been so distracted lately. She knew something was going on because he and George kept disappearing. It was so bad that even though it had been a month they had only been on two real dates not counting the Hogmeade trip that was coming up. Realization snapped in Angelina's head. "No, Fred. You are going to cancel our Hogsmeade plans aren't you?"
"Now, Angel honey," Fred said tentatively, his hands out defensively. "Cancel is such an ugly word. I just meant more like rearrange."
Angelina sat with her arms crossed glaring at him.
"It's just for like an hour or two I swear. I just have a little meeting to take care of."
"What kind of meeting?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing important."
"I know the feeling." Angelina muttered. "You know Fred if you keep this up I'll have to start finding someone else to fill up all my free time."
Fred sighed. "Angel face I swear I'll make it up to you. As soon as George, Lee and I are done we'll come to meet you, Alicia and Katie and I'll whisk you off to the best Hogsmeade trip ever." He knew he was totally blowing it. And Angelina was right; she could easily find someone else to fill up her free time. Guys asked her out all the time, before they were together. And, some guys still tried to ask her out now.
Angelina looked over to her friends and saw they each wore a similar expression of annoyance. It didn't matter there was nothing she could do about it anyway. She wasn't going to force Fred to spend time with her. At, least this way she could send her mother an owl without alerting the media, by waking up early. "Fine."
Fred leaned over and kissed her. She had to admit she liked that too.
Two owls swooped down knocking over a bowl fruit and Fred's cereal. They had been so involved in themselves; they didn't notice the mail coming in. Angelina looked up to see Eros and her Father's owl Cronos before her. They had a large box strapped to their legs. Fred freed Cronos as Angelina released Eros. Everyone around them looked on eagerly. Angelina probably got more mail than anyone at the Griffindor table. Every week it was either her favorite cookies from her mother, books from her father, or things from her Grandparents or Aunt Cissy.
"More presents?" Alicia asked.
"You are so spoiled." Katie teased.
"I am not!" Angelina said with more feeling than she intended. She quickly looked away from her friends.
"Ohh, Transylvania Threads. Very Chic." Angelina heard from behind. She closed her eyes hoping that it wasn't who she knew it was.
"Aren't you a little far from home Malfoy?" Fred asked, glaring at him. He motioned to the Slytherin table across the Hall. "Shoo!"
"Aren't you a little out of your league Weasley?" Draco answered flipping an envelope between his fingers. "You are certainly out of your price range. I know that's not a present from you."
"What do you want Draco?" Angelina asked turning to face him.
"A little birdie gave me this for you." He said, still holding on to his owl. He handed Angelina the envelope that in a familiar and elegant hand simply said Angel. Angelina snatched it from him. Draco just smiled. "I'd say good luck but, why lie."
The group watched him as he walked away, Fred in silent fury. He turned back to Angelina, waiting for her to say something. They had never talked about what happened the night of the Yule Ball. And, so far that strategy had been working for them, or at least for her. Angelina could not bring her eyes to meet Fred's so they all just sat in silence. That silence was interrupted by Lavender and Parvarti rushing toward them. The nosy twins, as Fred called them, had overheard Draco.
"Is that really something from Transylvania Threads?" Lavender asked.
"Isn't that really expensive--"
"Oh, I forgot my book!" Angelina said loudly, but not very convincingly. She didn't care. She just needed to get away. "See you in class." She gave Fred a quick kiss, still unable to look at him, and left the Great Hall before he could respond.
Fred looked at Alicia and Katie but they both avoided his eyes as well. They quickly excused themselves and ran out of the Hall.
"What was that?" George said.
Fred was wondering the same thing.
The girls ran into the dorm to find Angelina sitting on her bed reading her letter. The box sat on the bed before her.
"You are not going to open it?" Katie asked.
"I'm pretty sure I know what it is." Angelina answered gravely.
"But, we can still open it." Katie said with an eager smile. "Come on, I just want to touch something from Transylvania Threads."
"Fine."
Katie plopped down on the bed before her and started opening the box. Alicia sat down, having the same curiosity. The three of them leaned forward and pulled back the tissue to reveal emerald green and silver dress robes.
"Ohh," Both Katie and Alicia said. The robes actually glowed as the makers charmed the thread itself, before it's woven into cloth. Katie gingerly took it out of the box and held it out before her. "It's amazing. And ohh, it really is as soft as they say. I bet you can't wait to wear it."
"Aside from meeting You-Know-Who, there is nothing I want to do less."
"Except tell Fred, apparently." Alicia said. "You're going to have to tell him you know."
"No, I don't. If you guys don't say anything then how is he going to find out?"
"He's already suspicious." Alicia said, sitting down again. "I mean, Draco Malfoy hand delivering a letter to you, right after you get something from a ridiculously expensive store. Come on Ange."
"I know." Angelina said dropping her head on the pillow. "Ugh, I hate this, but if I tell him then he'll hate me."
"Don't be stupid."
"He's not going to hate you."
"Well, he won't look at me the same way so he might as well." Angelina said. "I mean, when he hears about me and Draco. He hates him."
"That's why you should be the one to tell him." Katie said.
"And better sooner than later." Alicia said.
"Speaking of late." Katie said looking up at the clock. The girls quickly grabbed their things and rushed out of the dorm. Angelina ran back inside, stuffed the dress back into its box and hid it under the bed.
"Hey," Angelina said nervously as she approached Fred in potions. This seemed all too familiar.
"Hey." Fred answered.
Angelina didn't know what to say. What happened? She was supposed to mad at him about their date, but she knew that would not work. Okay, desperate times and all that. She sat on the table facing Fred—he loved her legs so why not give him a better view. Luckily, Snape was not in yet. "So," she said crossing her legs nonchalantly. As she did her hand accidentally brushed her skirt moving it up a few more inches. "What do you have planned for Hogsmeade?" She looked on innocently. At least he didn't look that mad anymore. At least he was distracted. It was really underhanded trick but at this point she could not care less.
Fred perked up a bit.
"Angelina!" Someone called. She turned around to see a group of Hufflepuff girls clamoring around her.
"Is it true?"
"Did you really get something from Transylvania Threads?"
"What did you get?"
Damn nosy twins, Angelina cursed inside, they were faster than the Wizarding Network. She could see Fred's composure change. To make matters worse Cedric Diggory joined them. She and Cedric had always been pretty good friends. And they had been playing against each other for years.
"Hey Angie." He said. "Hey Fred."
Fred's answer was barely audible.
"So what did you get?" Said Crystal Powers another Hufflepuff.
Angelina just glared at her, making sure she knew not to ask any more questions.
"Oh, yeah. Isn't it a little late for the Ball?" Cedric said. "You got some secret plans we don't know about?"
Fred just looked up with a fresh hatred.
"Ms. Johnson." Said the silky, drawling monotone of Proffesor Snape. "If you have finished holding court I would like the permission to start my class." He paused. "Ten points from Griffindor."
Angelina didn't even argue. She had never been so happy to see Snape, well ever. She slid from the desk and sat down as the group disbursed. Well, that didn't go at all as planned. Perhaps she would have to tell Fred the truth after all.
"How was Divination?" She asked trying once again. "Did Trelawney make any more predictions on your life?"
"We should get to work." He said.
Oh no, Angelina thought. If Fred was interested in doing potions, for real, he must really be mad at her. He barely spoke a word to her all class, though not from her lack of trying. She even tried to tempt Fred into experimenting but he wasn't even interested in making anything explode. That's when she knew she was in trouble.
"Fred." She called running after him and George when Snape finally released them. She grabbed his arm, able to tell them apart even from behind. "You are going to have to talk to me."
"Maybe, I'll just be cryptic and run away. It seems to work for you." Fred finally answered.
"Speaking of cryptic and running away," Angelina started. "You seem to know about that as well."
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"I mean you and George have been up to something since school started, and you haven't exactly let me in on that secret have you." She argued.
George took that as his cue to leave them alone.
"Yeah, well I'm not getting expensive packages and letters from other girls am I?"
"Fred, I swear, it's not what you think. Whatever you think, it's not that."
"Then what is it?"
"It's . . . it's complicated."
Fred crossed him arms, unimpressed.
"Come on Fred, don't you trust me at all?" Angelina asked. "After all this time, don't you think you know me a little better than that? I didn't think that you of all people would give up on me so quickly."
They stood silent for a while.
"I haven't given up on you." He said softly.
"Then please trust me. Look, I get that you have something going on now that you feel like you can't tell me, but I trust you. Can't you do me the same favor? I just need time to deal with this on my own."
A/N: Hmm, expenisve clothes? Mystery letters from Draco? I promise all will be revealed next.