Chapter 7

As more days went by, it was becoming harder for Lily and Fred to keep their feelings in check, especially after what could've, and almost did, happen last week in the prefects' bathroom.

The rare times when Fred got to hug Lily, he wouldn't want to let her go, and he dreaded knowing he had to. The brief few seconds he got to hold her, felt like hours to him, but still wasn't enough.

Lily felt the same. When she wrapped her arms around Fred, she didn't want to let go. So she began hugging him less and less, because letting go was becoming harder to do. She started hanging out more with her Slytherin friends, and less with the twins, because saying goodbye to Fred was nearly impossible.

Who knew that by falling for each other, they were forcing themselves further apart?

It was time for the first trip to Hogsmead for the year. Usually Lily, George and Fred would all go together. Not this time. Lily was going with Draco and of course where there's Draco, there's Crabbe and Goyle.

Fred and George were going with Lee and Angelina. Knowing that Angelina was spending the whole day with Fred only fuelled Lily's jealously of her, it was very near hatred.

Malfoy mumbled to himself, Crabbe and Goyle. He was probably talking to Lily too, but if he was she surely didn't notice.

Lily got tired of listening to Draco babble on, and hearing Crabbe and Goyle mindlessly agreeing with him.

She started to wander off towards a tree near the path. She sat on the grass at the bottom of the tree, leaning her head against the trunk.

All she could think about was Fred.

Did he miss her? What was he doing? What was he thinking about? Who was he thinking about?

Little did she know that just as she saw him walking up the path with George, Angelina and Lee, he was thinking about her too.

"Fred!" Angelina said loudly into Fred's ear, snapping him out of his obsessive-Lily-thoughts.

"Ah, sorry, what?" Fred cringed.

"I said, do you want to get some Butterbeer?" Lee said.

"Yeah, sure," he said but it was obvious he didn't really care where they were going or what they did.

His mind was on one thing. The same thing it'd been on for months now. Lily, of course.

He followed the other three as they made their way to follow the path.

"Hey mate," George said quietly to Fred as Angelina and Lee walked ahead, "what's been on your mind?"

"What do you mean? I'm fine," Fred lied, looking down at the pavement. He should've known it was useless lying to George.

"No you're not. Something's bothering you, I can tell, and I think it has something to do with Lily," when George said her name Fred's head shot up.

"What do you mean?" Fred asked.

"There's something going on with you and Lily, everything's gone bloody strange with you two,"

"There's nothing going on with us...but, there is something, sort of," Fred said, trying to think of a way to tell George what was on his mind.

"What's wrong Freddie?"

"I kind of...well I...I think..." Fred was struggling with how to say it. He'd had a hard enough time admitting it to himself.

"Oh just spit it out!" George said with a lopsided smile.

"I'm in love with Lily!" George stopped walking, and his mouth had dropped open in shock, "I love Lily," Fred repeated slowly.

"What the fuck?" George nearly screamed, "where the bloody hell was I when you had this revelation?"

"Oh you were standing next to me, jabbering on about potions class," Fred beamed.

"Actually," he thought, "I'm not that surprised,"

"Really? Why not?" Fred asked curiously as they started walking again.

"There was always some sort of connection between you two. When she was upset, she came to you, not me. When she had good news, it wasn't me she'd spend all night talking to about it. Freddie, you've always been her first choice. She's always loved you mate," George was happy for his brother, and all he wanted was to see Fred and Lily happy. Especially with each other. Hell, he already saw Lily as a sister.

"Thanks man, I just wish she knew that," Fred said.

"Why don't you just tell her yourself then?" George suggested, pointing the fair skinned, dark haired girl, sitting alone under a tree. She looked up at them, and her eyes caught Fred's. She looked away quickly, but that one short moment was enough to fill Fred's whole body with warmth, and courage to tell her the truth.

Lily's heartbeat quickened when she saw Fred leave George and walk towards her.

"F-Fred," Lily stammered as Fred walked up to her, "I um, I have to go, Draco and Crabbe and um, Goyle," she trailed off, losing herself once again in Fred's eyes.

"Lily," the way he said her name caused her belly to erupt with butterflies.

"Yes," she said, as if in a trance.

"There's something you have to know," the butterflies in her stomach just turned to bats, "I love you. I really fucking love you. I know it's pathetic, and I've tried to fight it and tell myself it wouldn't work, but every single time I see you, I just fall even further," he moved in closer to her, placing his hands on her hips and pulling her towards him.

"But you...and me...I thought...you didn't...Angelina..." Lily started to ramble.

"Lil," he was so close she could feel his words brush against her cheek, "shut up,"

Fred pulled her so close that a piece of paper couldn't slip between them, and before she could even think, his lips were on hers, sending an electric shock through her entire body.