Chapter 78: Misunderstandings
"Sirius…" Lucy began in a sort of threatening voice as she scanned her surroundings, glaring at everything in sight, "What is this place?"
It was Valentines Day and Sirius had taken this opportunity to ask Lucy out on a date. Lucy, being the kind of girl that she is, did not expect to be taken to suck a frilly place. In truth, she didn't even know Hogsmeade had such a restaurant. The restaurant was pink with frills and bows in every which way. The entire place was in a Valentine mood as there were hearts and glitter wherever Lucy looked. There were even golden cherubs hovering over each of the tables, which occasionally threw pink confetti over the people sitting below them. Lucy was unfortunate enough to get confetti-ed.
"Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop," Sirius said casually, looking over the menu, "What else?"
Lucy grumbled, looking over her menu, which caused her right eye to twitch a bit. She did not understand a thing. The Valentine Specials had such complicated names that she couldn't decipher if it was regular tea or something else. She looked around and saw that most of the couples looked fine. Heck, they weren't even looking at their menus; they were all too focused on ogling at each other.
The Emeraude felt a little bit embarrassed at the shameful flirting everyone was doing in the room that she did not notice that Sirius was talking to her. She felt him tap her hand and she looked up to see him giving her a questioning look as a waitress stood beside their table, notepad in hand. Lucy blushed.
"What would you like to order, Miss?" the waitress asked, her voice a little bit strained. Lucy could see that the lady wished that she were in her place right now, like every other girl in Hogwarts. Lucy did a double take on the woman and began to feel a bit self-conscious. She looked back at her menu to hide her face.
"Uhm… whatever he's having," Lucy stuttered out when she couldn't decide what to get. She watched as the waitress jotted down her order before asking if she could take the menus. Lucy handed hers silently while the waitress seemed to linger longer than needed when Sirius gave his to hers. Sirius paid no mind to her.
When the waitress walked away, Lucy took this opportunity to look around once more. Couples were holding hands, chatting and blushing. She then looked over to Sirius. He looked the same as ever. She gave a sigh.
"What's wrong?" Sirius then asked, "You not like it here?"
Lucy shook her head. "I think this place is lovely… just that…" she trailed off a bit at the end, thinking back to the waitress. She was tall and beautiful and had a voice like silk. The perfect woman for Sirius yet he paid no mind to her. Lucy felt a bit stupid for feeling a small pang of jealousy.
"Just that?" Sirius urged on, curious at her odd behavior.
"Don't you find it annoying whenever the cherubs throw confetti at –" she paused just in time for confetti to cover both she and Sirius, "You?"
Sirius gave a laugh at Lucy's obvious distaste for the confetti. He brushed some off of his shoulder as Lucy did the same. He smiled at her sheepishly, reaching over to pull one out of her hair. The girl blushed.
"I think it's there to set the mood," He said before flicking the confetti away, "I don't mind it"
"But what if it enters your tea?" Lucy asked and at that moment, the waitress came back and gave them their orders. She placed Lucy's drink in front of her while she did the same to Sirius; only she lingered again and began batting her lashes at him. Lucy felt her eyes role. She couldn't believe she was jealous of this bimbo. She was trying to hard. Sirius didn't like that.
Lucy then cleared her throat. The waitress looked at her before straightening up. "Well if you need anything else, Sir, you can call me," she said with another bat of her lashes before sashaying away. Lucy snorted into her tea.
"What… was that?" Sirius asked slowly, tipping the cup to his mouth to drink. He rose a curious brow, looking at the waitress before looking back at his girlfriend who seemed to be having a hard time drinking for she was trying hard not to laugh.
"That," Lucy began, putting her cup back on the table, "Is a desperate woman"
"Really now? Haven't seen one is so long," Sirius shrugged before drinking his tea. He put the cup back down on the table and made a face. It wasn't that he didn't like it; it was very delicious, it was just that he preferred Butterbeer more or the occasional Fire whiskey (not to Lucy's or the school's knowledge.)
"Haven't seen one?" Lucy scoffed, drinking her tea, "Don't lie. There are at least five desperate girls trying to get your attention everyday. Don't tell me you don't notice them"
"But I don't," Sirius looked her in the eyes.
"What? How could you not notice all those girls?"
"Cause you're the only girl I notice, Luce," Sirius told her with sincerity in his voice.
Lucy's eyes widened at his words and she felt her cheeks heat up. She did not expect him to say that. Sure, they were dating and yes, she knew about all the girls that craved for Sirius' attention and truth be told she was jealous at times but for sure she knew Sirius loved her but for him to say such a thing… it made her heart leap.
"D…. Don't say such things all of a sudden!" Lucy said, flustered as she chugged the remaining of her drink.
"Why?" Sirius began to smirk at the sight of the flustered girl, "It's true. You're the only one I see among all the other girls"
"S – Stop it!" Lucy looked away; her cheeks becoming warmer and warmer with each passing second, "Give me a warning before you say such things"
"But I love you," Sirius grinned
Lucy took a deep breath, her facial expression becoming very cute for it was a mixture of happiness, confusion and embarrassment. Sirius chuckled at the sight.
"I love you, Luce," he repeated, "You love me too, right?"
"I…. I…. I'm leaving!" Lucy then stood up, grabbing her things and began marching to the door. People stared at her and Sirius but Sirius paid no mind to them, he was simply snickering to himself.
"She's embarrassed~ She's embarrassed," he sang to himself with a grin, "I got to see her flustered face"
The Holiday Season came and went faster than Zoey expected and before she knew it, she was back in Hogwarts. Sure, she was happy to be back in her school. After all, it was her second home and it was also her last year there but something about coming back just didn't feel right to her.
The Emeraude had not realized how distracting, for lack of a better word, the Holiday festivities could be until she saw her beloved DADA professor, Umbridge. Zoey had in fact forgotten that the woman was even in the school to begin with. Her giggle, her pink wardrobe, her toad like features and her entire existence, Zoey forgot about them but the moment she stepped foot on the Hogwarts grounds, the reminder hit her like a ton of bricks. Zoey wished that Umbridge was just a nightmare; she wished that the Holiday Season would prove that to her but sadly, it wasn't.
"What do you mean he hasn't asked you yet?" Jane exclaimed, banging the bottom of her fork on the Hufflepuff table, looking at Zoey with wide eyes.
Zoey held up her hands in defense as she let out an uneasy laugh. She and Jane, mostly Jane, were just talking about the upcoming holiday, Valentines Day, when Jane asked if Fred and Zoey had anything special planned seeing as she and Aiden did. Zoey simply spoke the truth; Fred made no mention on Valentine Dates
"Jane, calm down. It isn't a big deal," Zoey said, placing her utensils side by side, signaling that she was finished with her meal. She then looked back to Jane and saw that she was running a hand through her hair.
"Isn't – Zoey, this is your first Valentines with him as a couple. It's a big deal," Jane told her, looking at her in the eye.
Zoey raised her brow at her friend before moving slightly to look over the Gryffindor table, from a distance she could see Fred, George and Lee joking around with the other members of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team. She began to play with her new necklace. "It's alright," she smiled softly, "I don't mind"
"Don't mind? DON'T MI – Oh the hell with it…. This is tiring," Jane groaned before folding her arms on the table and placing her head on them. "Playing the friend who cares that muchabout her friend's love life…. That's tiring. I just can't do it"
"You should have chosen another 'friend role' to play then, Jane," Zoey laughed.
"It's not my fault that I'm that bored. Going back to school… it showed me how boring my life is outside of the festivities," Jane propped her chin on her hand and made grumbling noises.
"I doubt it. You seem pretty excited whenever you're with Aiden," Zoey began as she got up from her seat, slinging her bag over her shoulder, "You always seem to be having a great time"
Jane gave a smile. "Of course. He's my boyfriend," she said simply before looking around the room and making a face, "What's with all the date talk anyway? It's so unlike us"
"You started it," Zoey told her.
"Must be the atmosphere," Jane sighed, standing up as well, "Valentines day is closing in, isn't it?"
Zoey looked up in thought, "I guess so. What do you and Aiden plan on doing? It's your Anniversary right?"
"I don't think we'll be doing much…probably just a regular date. It's no big deal," she grinned, "I mean, we've been dating for so long that Anniversary celebrations don't matter so much."
"I see," Zoey said with a nod before looking at something that caught her eye. It was a hand. The owner of the said hand was her Quidditch Captain, Zacharias Smith. Zoey furrowed her brows. He was calling her, beckoning her over.
"What does the little bugger want?" Jane asked.
Zoey shrugged one shoulder. "Not sure. I better go check," she gave her an apologetic look before making her way to the boy. Jane sighed and shook her head. "The nerve of that guy. Sending her a Christmas present that ended up being Quidditch strategies. What a git," she muttered before making her way to the Ravenclaw table.
Fred was just controlling his laughter when he caught sight of Zoey making her way towards Zacharias. He raised a questioning brow at the pair. It was an odd sight. He only ever saw the two interact during DA meetings and even then it usually happened whenever they were paired up with each other. Sure, they were in the same house and it was inevitable not to meet but all the same, he was suspicious.
"What is that little bugger up to?" he asked out loud.
"What bugger?" George asked, "Where?"
The older of the twins jerked his thumb towards the direction of Zoey and Zacharias. George raised a brow at the scene and watched as Zacharias had said something to Zoey which made her blush and smile sheepishly, shifting from one foot to the other.
"You know, Fred, it's not very nice of you to call your girlfriend a bugger. She would break up with you," George said with a straight face. Fred whacked his head.
"You know who I'm talking about," Fred said before looking back to the two Hufflepuffs. Zoey was scratching the back of her head now, blush still on cheeks and sheepish smile still on her lips. "I wonder what they're talking about…"
George mocked a gasp. "Ish wittle Fweddie jeawous of Zackie?" he said in a baby voice before pausing and scrunching up his nose, "That's just sad"
"Who's Fred jealous of this time?" A voice suddenly called out, making the twins shoot their head up in the direction it came from. It was Bridgit.
"This ti – Butt out, Bridgit. Besides," Fred looked back to George, "You would feel the same if you saw Echo randomly snogging that Boot Bloke"
"Like that would ever happen," George said confidently.
"I don't know about that," Fred used an airy voice, glancing over to the Ravenclaw table, "I feel sorry for you bro. Looks like you've lost her"
George's eyes widened and his head whipped towards the Ravenclaw table so fast that Fred wondered why he had not heard his twin's neck crack. George scanned the table to see Echo quietly eating her food, pocket book next to her, while Terry Boot was over with Aiden and Jane, chatting. He slowly looked back to Fred, glaring.
Fred shrugged. "You know my pain now," he said with a roll of his eyes before looking back at the Hufflepuff table. Zacharias and Zoey were still talking.
"Butt out?" Bridgit asked, taking a seat in front of the twins. "Since when have I ever 'butt out' Fred? It pains me to know you still don't know me after all these years." She continued.
"Anyway, I'm sorry to tell you this Fred, but if Zoey dumps you for Zacharias 'the prat' Smith over there. I will deny even being in the same room as you." Bridgit then said, looking over at the two Hufflepuffs.
Zoey was now waving 'goodbye' to Zacharias and was walking away with a small skip to her step. Before she could even reach the door, Aiden, who made a quick excuse to Jane, had ran over to her and was a bit flustered in talking. Fred pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Oh, another suitor?" George mused, "Didn't think Aiden was the type"
"Shut it," Fred grumbled, "He's probably asking her something. Just something"
"Asking her on a Valentines Day date perhaps?" Bridgit said, smirking
"They… he wouldn't," Fred looked back at the two and saw that Aiden was still a little flustered but had a thankful smile on his face. Zoey had a smile too and a look in her eyes that Fred saw as admiration. He felt his eyes twitch and his hand forming into a fist. He then looked over to Jane who was looking at the pair as well only she didn't look to bothered by it for when Aiden gave a wave to Zoey and retreated back to the table, Jane looked away.
"Who knows? Maybe he would," Bridgit continued, teasing Fred.
Fred felt a nerve snap as he stood up from the table and began making his way to Zoey, not even saying goodbye. At the sudden reaction of Fred from Bridgit's teasing, George smiled and laughed.
"Nice to know he's really serious about this," he said.
"Yeah, well, Zoey was and is the only thing that makes Fred serious." Bridgit retorted, watching as Fred walked up to the Hufflepuff.
"Love sick gidiot," George said with a laugh before looking away from his brother and back to his plate. The food was all gone but he still felt a little hungry. A Weasley is hardly full. Stomachs made of Black Holes
"Well it was nice talking to you, George, but I have to go to the library and look for Hermione about something...have a nice meal." Bridgit now said, standing up and walking out of the hall.
Zoey walked with a skip in her step as she hummed a random tune. She was a bit giddy at what she had just heard. First, Zacharias called her over to talk about the Quidditch Strategies. Sure, it was a bit of a pain but from what Zoey observed, Zacharias cared for the team up to some extent. Yes, he was rude in talking to her but Zoey could see that he wanted to make sure Zoey was fine with the plans. Hopefully, he could be that caring everyday though the Emeraude doubted it.
Then, another reason to add to Zoey's skip-walk was the fact that a flustered Aiden had approached her for some help. From what Aiden had told her about his plan, Zoey couldn't help but admire him. He really cared about Jane from what she saw. It was sweet.
The Emeraude continued her little hum as she thought about what Jane had asked her earlier. Was it really important that Fred ask her out on Valentines Day? Sure, Jane was just playing with her but the thought bothered her a bit. The girl read numerous girly sorts of books, courtesy of her boredom, and more than half of them featured a Valentines Day date of some sort. Zoey didn't want to admit it but she did feel a bit sad that there was nothing planned. She groaned.
It's just a day. Nothing special, She scolded herself, Stop being such a girl
But I am a girl! A part of her mind countered.
Zoey felt her head throb a bit. She did not like having mental battles with herself. They were too tiring. She slowed her skip-walk to a normal walk as she readjusted her things in her arms. She was overreacting. It, Valentines Day, was just like any other day, she shouldn't worry about it. The girl was just about to make turn when the sounds of running caught her attention. She turned around to see Fred.
"Whoa, where's the fire?" she asked him; brows raised when Fred got near enough to be able to hear her. He bent forward a bit, hands on his knees, catching his breath.
"No…no fire," Fred took a deep breath and laughed a bit, "I… I just… wanted to catch up to you before you left for class"
"But why? We're in the same first class," Zoey raised a brow, bringing her hand to wipe his hair away from his face. He was slightly sweaty.
Fred felt like his head was hit with a metal tub. His eye twitched again. She was right, he ran for nothing. He ran when Bridgit was obviously teasing him. Like hell Aiden would go behind Jane's back and the possibility of Zoey going behind his back for Zacharias was just very unlikely and pitiful on his part. He felt like a gidiot.
"Are you…okay?" Zoey asked with caution when she saw that Fred seemed to be having a mental battle with himself, a battle that he was losing.
"Yeah," Fred responded with a mock pissed of look, "I'm just being an idiot"
"Why?"
"I actually believed that woman," Fred looked back at the Great Hall, "Remind me to strangle her next time."
Zoey raised a brow at his choice of words and figured he was talking about Bridgit. She began to laugh as Fred continued to mutter plans on his revenge on "that blasted woman". At the sound of her laughter, Fred stopped and looked at her.
"What are you laughing at?" Fred asked
"Nothing," Zoey snorted into her hand, which she brought up not moments ago when she tried to silence her laugh, "It's just that…. Your relationship with Bridgit reminds me of how dad and Aunt Maria are"
Fred raised a brow before giving a laugh himself. He scratched the back of his head. "Really?" he asked, grinning at her. All thoughts about Zoey having an affair were thrown out the window. The idea was really unlikely. He couldn't believe he even considered it happening.
"Yes, Really. You even called her 'that blasted woman'! You're using my dad's nicknames for Aunt Maria," Zoey grinned in return, "It's really funny. Having to see that"
"I guess you're right," said Fred with a chuckle, "So if I'm like your dad and Bridgit is like Natalie then who are you like?"
Before Zoey could reply, a throat-clearing cough interrupted her. Zoey felt her body freeze and she saw Fred's eyes narrow into a glare. The Emeraude stiffly turned her head a bit to catch a glimpse of the toad queen.
Umbridge was casually standing a few feet behind her, hands folded in front of her with a wide smile on her face. Zoey knew that that smiled was everything but pleasant. She took a breath and turned around in order to fully face her DADA professor.
"Good day, Miss Emeraude, Mister Weasley," Umbridge greeted, ending with her giggle. Zoey winced a bit, she could never get used to that.
"Good Morning, Professor Umbridge," Zoey replied automatically before nudging Fred in the ribs, telling him to do the same. She heard him grumble and figured he placed a hand over the injured spot before muttering a "Morning, Professor".
"I would like your greeting to be more formal next time, Mister Weasley," Umbridge said, her smile tightening, "After all, I am your professor. You must learn your place"
Zoey felt her heart skip a beat at what she just said. She took a look at Fred and saw that he was till glaring, breathing slowly as to come him down. Zoey bit her lip.
"I apologize," he began, "Professor"
Umbridge seemed to be slightly satisfied with this for she just gave them a look before walking away. When the professor was out of eye and earshot, Zoey felt like she could finally breath again.
"That's odd," Fred then said, "Would have thought she would be more… violent? No… strict maybe or unfair."
Zoey shook her head. "She… she has something up her sleeve," she told him before turning around and taking his hand in hers. "Let's go to class now, yeah? We'll worry about Umbridge when it's necessary"
Fred slowly nodded before grinning. He sneakily snaked his arms around Zoey's waist, surprising her. "Go on a date with me," he blow in her ear.
Zoey's eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. She began to struggle out of embarrassment. Fred found this amusing. He tightened his grip on her and nuzzled his nose in her neck. Zoey froze and then continued to struggle again after.
"F – Fred! Let go!" she said, flustered as she tried to loosen his grip on her. He only tightened it.
"Not until you say it~" Fred sang in a teasing voice, "Say you'll go on a date with me on Valentines Day and I'll let you go~"
"I'll go! I'll go!" Zoey said automatically and stumbled to the floor once Fred released his hold on her. She wobbled a bit.
"You okay?" asked Fred, chuckling.
"I would have gone with you if you asked normally," Zoey muttered, trying to calm down her blush.
Fred gave a laugh before messing up Zoey's hair.
"Where's the fun in that?"
Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok. Tik. Tok.
Was the sound Zoey's watch made as she sat at the far corner of the library. The library, as it should be, was very silent and Zoey could listen to the ticking of her watch easily as well as her breathing and the normal pace of her heartbeat. The Emeraude took a breath. It was her free period and she wanted to take her free time alone. The girl dug into her bag and pulled out her quill, ink bottle and diary. She laid out each of them in front of her and opened her inkbottle, then her diary, flipping to an empty page. She dabbed her quill and began doodling in her diary.
Zoey's hand was quick in her drawing for she did not want to spent too much time on a mere doodle. She drew straight lines and connected each one to make a sort of box shape; she then began to draw designs on it and shaded it. Before long, her little doodle became a somewhat detailed drawing of her mother's box. At the realization, Zoey dropped her quill, causing it to make a small mess on the page.
The box.
She hadn't thought about it in so long. It had ceased becoming a burden to her but now, seeing it once again made her heartbeat quicken its pace along with her breathing. Zoey swallowed hard as she pushed her chair back and continued to stare at the drawing. How long had it been since she last looked inside the box? How long has it been since she opened it? Will her Aunt still want it after all these years? Zoey didn't know. She remembered the last time she drew it though; it was back in her third year when Bridgit and the twins had told her and Echo about the prank they pulled on Percy.
Has it really been that long? Zoey thought to herself, running her hand through her hair and messing it up.
Zoey took a breath and scooted her chair closer to the table. She remembered all the times her Aunt had bullied her into giving her information on the box. Would her Aunt want those attempts to go to waste? Would she continue to harsh spells when Zoey returned to the Emeraude Suburb to stay forever? The thought sent shivers down Zoey's spine. She didn't want to think too much about it. She was just about to close her diary when something caught her eye. It was a corner of a photograph that was just carelessly placed in between some random page in her diary. Zoey raised a brow at it and flipped over to that page, eyes widening at the picture.
The picture was of her and Cedric back in their fifth year. They were dressed in their Hufflepuff robes with their scarf wrapped snuggly around their neck as they waved at the camera. Zoey felt her eyes soften at it and her mouth twitch up to a small smile. They both looked so young yet nothing has changed. Zoey bit her lip and placed the photograph properly on the page, making sure it wouldn't get folded when she closed her diary once more.
It had been ages since she dreamt of Cedric, talked to him, gotten advice from him. She missed him and missed the times they spent together, both in real life and in her dreams. Her dream conversations with her friend had ceased when she began taking the pills again. When she found that out, she almost stopped taking the pills entirely but then something at the back of her mind told her it wasn't such a good idea.
Cedric would have wanted her well in both body and in mind rather than talk to her in a place where only she knows.
He was nice that way.
Zoey gave a sigh before closing her diary, fixing her quill, ink bottle and bag and pushing up her glasses. She adjusted her things and gave a quick scan of the table before leaving the library. Her free period was done and now it was time for lunch. Her schedule was awesome that way.
When the Emeraude made it to the Great Hall, she quickly caught sight of Fred, George and her friends and made a quick beeline towards them, taking her seat and greeting them. Fred and George took a quick glance at her, greeted her as well before resuming their conversation with Harry who looked a bit confused and flustered. Beside the Boy-Who-Lived was Bridgit and beside her was Echo, who was more focused on her food than the people around her. Zoey looked at them questioningly.
"The thing is, Harry, to get the girl to like you even more is to shower her with compliments," Fred said, looking at Harry in the eye.
"Yes, simple things like 'You look nice' or 'Lovely dress you're wearing' would make any girl swoon," George added, "It is a must!"
"Yes, and when she says that she looks like a rather horrible mess, you tell her that no matter what she looks like, she's perfect to your eyes. Got that?" Bridgit then said, agreeing with the twins.
"And don't be too pushy," Fred then said, "If she's shy, take Zoey for example, you shouldn't move to fast. You might scare her away"
"Excuse me!" Zoey said, blushing.
"See, note the blush. It means she likes you," Fred grinned, earning a smack from Zoey who was still confused at what was happening.
"Right! But also remember that the little things are what usually pull girls in." Bridgit then said. "Let's say Zoey, she's attracted to Fred because of the little things that differentiate him from others. That's why she likes Fred and not George. Same goes for Echo and George."
"Exactly," George nodded, "Also, if the girl is confident it's easier. Shy ones are the hard ones to woo. Well, it also depends seeing as Zoey fell in love with Fred at first sight"
"You did?" Fred looked at Zoey with glee in his eyes.
"Would you guys please tell me what's going on?" Zoey said loudly, getting embarrassed at what her friends were saying. Harry looked up from his notebook, something he was writing on while Fred, George and Bridgit were talking, and looked at Zoey sheepishly.
"I'm just asking for advice," He told her
"Advice? Advice on what?" Zoey asked with furrowed eyebrows, "Advice on teasing me mercilessly?"
"Zoey, Harry won't need advice for that." Bridgit suddenly said turning to her friend. "He'd just need to watch Fred and You for an hour and it's teasing galore!"
Zoey did not look amused. Harry decided to explain. "I was just wondering what to do on a… date," he said, scratching the back of his head.
"A date?" Zoey asked.
"Yes, a date. You see, Zoe, Harry here has finally gotten the balls to ask Miss Chang out on a Valentine Date," Fred said, wrapping his arm around Zoey's shoulder. Zoey shrugged his arm off and smacked him once more at his choice of language. She then turned to Harry.
"And you're asking advice from," she jerked her thumb towards Fred and George with an incredulous look on her face, "Them?"
Fred and George feigned hurt.
"That hurts Zoey," George said, placing a hand over his heart.
"You make it sound like we don't know what to do," Fred added, "We treat you and Echo right, don't we?"
Echo snorted but didn't say anything. Zoey laughed softly.
"Well...at least I'm glad Zoey doesn't think I'm a wrong person to ask." Bridgit said, smirking.
"You're a girl. It's only reasonable that you know what girls like," Zoey pointed out.
"Yeah, ask the girl who currently is the only single one in this little group." Fred whispered, but Bridgit heard. She immediately whacked Fred's head.
"Moving on," Fred said, rubbing the back of his head, "Be her friend. Girls don't fall for strangers… well some do but those kinds of relationships don't last very long"
George nodded his head in agreement. "Friends first. True, the 'friend zone' is rather hard to get out off at times but it's better than being just some bloke in her class or something. Oh! And don't do the whole 'If you like her, bully her to show how you feel' thing. That hardly works and besides, you're fifteen"
"I doubt Harry is the type to bully," Zoey added, not really knowing how the twins knew all this stuff. Harry simply jotted down notes.
"Oh and of course you have to know what kind of girl your going out with." Bridgit then said, making Harry look up from his notebook.
"There are 'types' of girls?" Harry and Zoey asked in unison, confused.
"Yes, haven't you been listening?" Bridgit answered. "There's the shy types, like Zoey, who don't usually like public displays of affection and prefer the typical holding hands and acting like your just friends, but when your alone together your all lovey dovey and such." Bridgit continued.
"I'm not lovey dovey!" Zoey interjected, her blush returning.
Bridgit sent Zoey a look saying 'yeah, you are and you know it' before continuing. "Then there are the ones like Echo who love to show affection quite freely. They cease any moment to show the world that her and her boyfriend are indeed together and have no care for what the public eye thinks."
"Then you have the emotional kind of girl who would want a boyfriend who will listen and or solve their problems for them. This is what some call an annoying girl. Making you listen to problems all day long, and always wants to talk about feelings." Bridgit added, and Harry was writing as fast as he could to follow.
"Lastly you have the playgirl, the ones who switch boys practically every week, and don't really want a committed relationship." Bridgit finally ended.
"And what type of girl are you Bridgit?" George asked, making Bridgit turn to him.
"Don't know, never been in a relationship." Bridgit answered plainly.
"Maybe you're a guy, since you know all of these classifications." Fred then said.
"Or..." Bridgit said. "I've been hanging out with you two too much."
"Anyway," Zoey then said, "What type is Cho?"
"Uhm...not sure." Bridgit answered, then turning to Harry. "What type do you think she is?"
Harry looked up in thought before looking back at his notes, flipping a page to look back at the other types. The four looked at him curiously, awaiting an answer, before the young Gryffindor gave a sigh, running a hand through his hair.
"I don't really know," he admitted before looking over to Zoey, "If she's the shy type, though I sort of doubt that she is, how should I approach her?"
"Well then we ask the person with a shy girlfriend." Bridgit answered, turning to Fred. "This is your expertise."
"What? Me?" Fred said, turning to Harry. "I'm sorry but to look this good is a miracle. You should just ask Zoey, she is a shy type after all."
Zoey rolled her eyes and hit him on his chest, making him go 'oomph'. "Looks aren't everything," she told him before looking over to Harry, "I'm really labeled as the 'shy type' then?"
All her friends, even Echo who now began reading one of her many books, nodded their heads. Zoey gave a sigh before thinking.
"I… don't really know. Just be yourself… I guess?" it sounded more like a question. Just then, the Emeraude got an idea, "Make her laugh. Girls like the funny guys… well I do," she ended sheepishly.
"Was...uhm...was Cedric...err...funny?" Harry asked, not wanting to bring up the subject. He felt guilty about it as it is, but the only way to win Cho's heart, was if he was her ideal guy.
Zoey bit her lip in thought as she recalled all her time spent with her deceased friend. Not even a minute passed by when she looked at Harry with a smile on her face. "Yes, yes he was," she told him.
"Oh…" Harry said, jotting down the note in his notebook.
After that, Fred, George and Bridgit continued to give him advice. Often debating who was right and who was wrong. Their words and speed of talking became complicated over time that Zoey felt her head swirl in confusion. Suddenly, a thought passed through her mind.
"That all aside, Harry, where are you going to take her?" she asked, "It's your first date after all."
"And what are you giving her? I'm pretty sure you have a gift right?" Bridgit added, stopping her current debate about the way Harry should dress with the twins.
Harry began to look troubled on the matter as he thought about things that he could give her. He needed something simple but nice. Something that didn't show that he was trying to hard.
"Gifts?" Fred then spoke up with a raised brow, "Why would he need to give one?"
"Isn't the date satisfying enough? Gifts are just going overboard," George agreed.
"Idiots." Bridgit whispered. "It's Valentines Day dumb and dumber. Girls expect gifts on Valentines Day, it's tradition, you know flowers, chocolates, hell even proposals...but still a gift." Bridgit retorted.
Zoey shook her head. "Are you sure? I mean I would just be happy with spending time with my date. I think it's good as it is," she paused, "People actually propose on Valentines Day?"
"Yes Zoey, but you have to admit that getting a gift wouldn't be so bad,"
Bridgit answered, turning to her friend, "And yes, people do propose on Valentines Day."
The Emeraude made a face. "I would actually hate for that to happen," she admitted, "I mean, isn't that a bit… cliché? Besides, it's scary too"
The conversation had drifted away from Harry's date to a debate between the two girls.
"A proposal? Yes it's cliché, but some girls are fans of clichés you know," Bridgit answered, "And we're talking about gifts, Harry can't propose he's just fifteen!"
"Oh! And you didn't answer 'No' that you wouldn't like a gift from Fred on Valentines Day," Bridgit added.
Zoey turned to Fred and held up her finger. "Don't you dare give me a gift on Valentines Day. If you do, I would hate you forever," she told him sternly.
"You know Zoey, if Fred did get you a gift, are you sure you wouldn't want it? I mean you seemed to love that necklace," Bridgit then said, pointing at the trinket on Zoey's neck.
"But this is a Christmas gift. Completely understandable," Zoey said, placing a hand over her necklace, "But Valentines Day? Psh, no," she turned to Fred again, "I would never forgive you if you did get me a gift. Save it for my birthday"
"A gift none the less, and I'm pretty sure that if he ever did get you a gift, you'd end up kissing him and declaring your love for that gift." Bridgit retorted. "The point is that, you would still love to accept a gift no matter what you say, because it's a person's way of thinking that getting gifts is a good thing, unless someone has died."
Zoey furrowed her brows in thought. She then looked over to Fred and the others, all looking at her and Bridgit with confusion. Zoey's words had shocked Fred into speechlessness. The Emeraude then snapped her fingers.
"No, that won't happen because if I did kiss him then that's like a gift as well. So I'd be giving him a gift. And that kind of gift works two ways…Hmm… I don't really like gifts for with no reason," she then looked serious, "Alrighty then, I'll show you that girls don't really need gifts". Zoey pointed at Fred, "From this day onwards we would no longer kiss or hug. The most we can do is hold hands and not even for a long time, you hear?"
"What? Why do I have to be dragged into this for you to prove your point?" Fred asked with wide eyes.
"Oh I'd like to see you two try," Bridgit said, holding in her laughter. Fred sent her glare obviously saying 'This is your fault' making Bridgit put her head in her hands, again trying to stop her laughter.
Zoey folded her arms across her chest. "It's not just trying to make it work. It will work. You say I'm the 'Shy type' who doesn't like Public Displays of Affection? Well, there won't be any private displays of affection either," she said, her nose in the air.
"Then that would make you 'friends' if there is no affection." Bridgit now retorted back. "This just proving that you are stubborn and won't admit that you are wrong and I am right." Bridgit continued. "Oh and I'm sure that even if you won't consent to it, Fred will try, and no matter how many times you say you'll hate him for doing it, you can't because you're head over heels in love with him."
"Really?" Zoey slammed her hands on the table, standing up, "Well we've been friends for six years before we even began dating. I'm sure we can handle going back to that." Without waiting for anyone else to speak, she left the table, heading off to the Ravenclaw table and sitting beside Aiden, talking to him.
When Zoey left, Fred ran a frustrated hand through his hair and glared at Bridgit. "You just had to do that didn't you?"
"I didn't have to do anything, she was proving me wrong even if she knew I was right." Bridgit answered. "Besides, she won't last...according to psychology once friends cross the line of romance, it's hard to go back to normal. She'll be back into your arms asking to be loved by you by the time Valentines Day comes. You'll see."
"I hope you're right," Fred sighed before looking back at the Ravenclaw table just in time to see Aiden give Zoey a tight hug. George gave a low whistle at the sight.
"No hugs huh Zoey?" Bridgit whispered, letting out a chuckle. "She can't even keep herself from being hugged by a friend, it will be interesting how this turns out."
Fred was going to respond when the sound of someone sitting on the table distracted him. It was Jane. She sat beside Bridgit with both her hands under her chin, propping them up as she gazed over to the Ravenclaw table. George had gone back to giving Harry advice and talking to Echo, thinking that it was not his place to join in this sort of conversation.
"Do you think Aiden's cheating on me?" the Hufflepuff asked bluntly.
"Uhm...Hi Jane." Bridgit greeted, shocked by her appearance.
Jane gave a slow nod before using her finger to point towards Zoey and Aiden who were now talking with a sheet of paper between them. "You think he's cheating on me with Zoey?" she asked.
"I'm sure he's not." Bridgit answered, looking at Fred, who was also staring at the pair, and asking for help.
"Zoey wouldn't cheat on Fred, they love each other-" Bridgit was saying, but Fred interrupted.
"Her saying that she didn't want me kissing or hugging her was suspicious don't you think?" Fred suddenly blurted out.
"And Aiden has been spending time with her a lot." Jane then added.
"Besides she never said she loved me in return," Fred then said.
"That was just Zoey being stubborn and- wait what? She still hasn't said that she loves you back?" Bridgit asked. She has had this talk with Zoey, and she knew Zoey loved Fred, but she was shocked that she has never told him yet.
"Look at them, Bridgit," Jane said, making the Ravenclaw turn to her two friends in the Ravenclaw table. Aiden and Zoey were laughing and seemed to be enjoying themselves.
"No, I still don't think that they're cheating on both of you." Bridgit pointed out, making both Jane and Fred turn to her.
"What makes you so sure?" They both asked.
"Because Aiden was willing to beat up a guy for you..." Bridgit began, turning to Jane. "...And Zoey was willing to suffer just to make you happy." She continued, turning to Fred. "That's not something you do to a person you'll cheat on."
Fred furrowed his brows in thought and was just about to say something when the sounds of catcalls and wolf whistles caught his attention. The trio looked over the Ravenclaw table to see Zoey and Aiden blushing while the other Ravenclaws seemed to be cheering.
"They kissed," Jane muttered.
"No way, of course they didn't." Bridgit said, refusing to believe it.
"Stop denying it Bridgit." Fred then said, putting his head on the table.
"You two should trust the two of them more." Bridgit retorted, looking at the pair.
"How can we when they're like that?" Jane asked, pointing at the two as they got up, hand in hand, and walked out of the Great Hall. "Those two… you would have never thought but then again…. You should always watch out for the shy ones…."
"Seriously, this is why I hate relationships...people should just have pets." Bridgit said, and on cue Shinji came out of her pocket.
"Can you two have a little more faith in your partners?" Bridgit asked, taking the little dog and putting it on the table.
Fred looked away from her, though he was still listening, while Jane looked down at her hands. "…. I wouldn't blame Aiden if he was cheating on me"
"Jane, don't say that!" Bridgit suddenly said, turning to Jane. "Aiden's lucky to have you!"
"No! He's lucky to have Zoey!" Jane said in a chocked voice, at this Fred looked over. "Her family won't be bitching about his blood status or anything!"
"Jane..." Bridgit whispered, rubbing the Hufflepuff's back. "...you and I both know that if Zoey had a choice, she wouldn't have her mother's family, and her dad is in total approval of Fred. Don't think that Aiden would cheat in you just because of your family or blood status, give him more credit."
"It is because of my blood status!" Jane paused, "what do you mean Zoey's mother's side?"
"It's nothing," Fred interjected, sending a look towards Bridgit, "How could blood status be a factor in this? Zoe's a pureblood too"
"And so are you!" Jane pointed out.
Fred was getting confused. "Jane, you aren't making much sense here."
Jane violently rubbed her eyes, trying not to let any tears out. "It's easy for you and Zoey seeing as you're both purebloods. No one cares, but Aiden's a muggleborn so my family isn't accepting him!" she told him.
"It's not like that at all!" Bridgit said. "Why would Aiden cheat on you Jane? Think about it. Let's say it's about blood status, but Zoey's a pureblood too, so there's no chance it's that reason. And what about Zoey and Fred both being purebloods? It's not like blood cares to the two of them. Right Fred?" Bridgit ended, turning to Fred.
"Well…. I am a blood traitor," Fred muttered, before catching the look Bridgit was giving him, "But Bridgit's got a point."
"See, even Fred can see my point! Meaning that you should too!" Bridgit said, turning away from the Weasley and looking towards Jane. "Also, please don't say you're a blood traitor Fred, Malfoy might hear you and you and I both now who's the real scum."
Fred gave her a thankful smile before looking back at Jane who looked just a bit distraught.
"It's different with me," she told them, "Years… they've been insulting him. Saying that he isn't worthy of my attention and love is just for fools and stuff like that. I apologize to him for their words and he just brushes them off saying he doesn't mind but what if he does mind? What if… oh no… Christmas… What if it was the last straw for him? "
"What happened at Christmas? I'm pretty sure it wasn't that bad." Bridgit asked.
Jane was sobbing into her hands as Aiden was rubbing her back soothingly. It was Christmas Eve and both were up in Aiden's room. They were having the time of their lives at Aiden's family Christmas Party when Jane's parents decided to ruin it for her and her boyfriend. No, they did not enter the house. They did not want to enter "Muggle Territory". The Chatsworth Parents simply stood outside and called for their daughter via magic. Jane was both surprised and scared by their presence.
"I'm so sorry," Jane apologized to Aiden when she tried to calm down her sobs, "I didn't know they'd come here"
"It's alright," Aiden comforted her, "It's not your fault"
When Jane had left the party to talk to her parents, Aiden had followed. Her parents had ordered her to come back with them for their own family Christmas Party but the Hufflepuff refused, saying that she rather stay with Aiden. Her parents glared at the boy before glaring at his home.
"Why would you want to stay with this Mudblood?" her father sneered. His words were soon followed by more insults, her mother joined in. Jane was horrified at her parents' behavior and shot a look at Aiden. The boy simply kept a pleasant smile as he stood his ground, not once acting. The insults continued until Jane just lashed out at her parents telling them to leave.
"If you're finished fooling around with this fool's heart, you know you can always come back with us," her mother sniffed, nose in the air before Apparating away with her husband.
Sure, the insults didn't seem so harsh anymore on the count on Aiden had to endure them for years already but Jane was simply embarrassed.
"I'm not fooling around with your heart you know," Jane looked up at him, "I really do love you"
Aiden didn't say anything. He simply smiled and gave her a soft kiss.
"It may not seem that bad but…. But… Aiden… you never know what he's thinking!" Jane said, furrowing her brows, "He could have just run off with Zoey because it's easier on him!"
"Do you really think Aiden is that kind of guy?" Bridgit asked, petting Shinji as she did. "Cause he isn't"
"Then why is he with Zoey so often now?" Jane asked, "He's usually with her when I'm with her!"
"Have you tried asking him?" Bridgit asked back.
Jane looked down. "No, because like I said he's always with her and when he's not with her he's with his friends and when he's with me I don't want to ruin the mood by bringing her up or accusing him," she looked at Fred, "What about you? Have you been spending any time with Zoey?"
Fred stared at her and thought back. "I have my own friends and she has hers. We can't always spend time together," he paused, "Damn…"
"Oh come one you two!" Bridgit exclaimed. "Ask them about it before coming up with any kind of conclusion!" She added, a bark from Shinji emphasizing her point.
"It's not that easy!" Jane said, standing up, "How about you ask them then?"
"Me?" Bridgit said, "I'm their friend, not their boyfriend or girlfriend"
"If you were Zoey's boyfriend I could just die," Fred muttered, "And it's better that way. They wouldn't get suspicious"
Bridgit whacked Fred's head. "Idiot," she whispered, "But why not let Echo or George ask her?"
Fred rubbed the back of his head. "Because," he began, jerking his head towards the empty seats beside him, "They left and wouldn't have any idea what we're talking about"
"Please, Bridgit!" Jane was begging now, "I really got to know!"
"Uhm… What do you think, Shinji?" Bridgit asked, turning to the teacup poodle on her hand. The dog gave a loud and happy bark, meaning he agreed.
"For the first time in my life, I'm going to tell this to you Bridgit," Fred began, "Listen to your dog"
"Oh…. Ugh… FINE!"
Jane cheered gleefully.
Zoey and Aiden were laughing together as they sat near the fountain. It was the day before Valentines Day and the two were just finishing some preparations. On the day Aiden approached Zoey all flustered, he had requested her in teaching him some singing lessons. Aiden, being the sweet, romantic guy that he is, had wanted to sing Jane a song for Valentines Day. The boy had told Zoey what had happened last Christmas as a reason for the song he chose. Zoey, being who she was, agreed. The two had spent most of their free time together, practicing. There was to be no room for error. Everything had to be just right.
Aiden's voice cracked making Zoey laugh once more, leaning her head on his shoulder from the strength of her laugh.
"Gahaha! Aiden! I know you can sing well! Don't do that!" she wiped a tear from her eye, pushing him gently. Aiden simply chuckled.
"I couldn't help it," he said sheepishly before picking up one of the music sheets, "So what am I suppose to do here again?"
Zoey rolled her eyes and leaned, looking at the lyrics closely. "Honestly, you're going to sing to her tomorrow and you can't even remember what you're going to do? Might as well just croak 'I love you' to her"
Aiden laughed at the thought.
"You prolong the last note," Zoey then said, telling him to make note of it. The boy repositioned himself in order to write on the piece or parchment properly. Zoey silently watched him work before a thought passed her mind.
"Fred and Jane have been hanging out an awful lot lately," she said, making Aiden look up at her.
Aiden tapped the feathery and of his quill on his lip before grinning. "You're right! It's good Jane found another friend," he told her, "I was beginning to worry that she was getting lonely seeing as I've been hanging out with you most of the time."
"Doesn't she have other friends?" Zoey asked.
"She does, she just doesn't like them very well," Aiden laughed, "Says they're too girly for her taste"
Zoey was confused at that but shrugged it off before taking Aiden's quill away from him and doodling on his face, surprising him. She grinned at his current look. He had an inky, cartoon moustache on his upper lip now.
"You look very macho," she laughed, "I'm sure Jane would fall head over heels now"
Aiden's eyes widened before moving to his knees and looking into the fountain to look at his reflection, he made a displeased sound at the sight of the messy moustache. "Zoey!" he exclaimed.
The Emeraude simply laughed before picking up her wand and waving it, making the moustache disappear. "Just having a laugh," she grinned before putting down her wand. Aiden was about to make a retort, holding his quill in his hand threateningly, when the sounds of footsteps stopped him. He looked over to see Bridgit. He greeted her.
"Hey there," Bridgit greeted, approaching her two friends.
"Hi," Zoey smiled and saw Aiden fix their scattered music sheets, piling them up, "What's up?"
"What? Can't I see my two friends for no reason?" Bridgit answered, grinning.
At this, Zoey and Aiden shared a look.
"Me thinks the lady is rather suspicious," Aiden told her. Zoey nodded in agreement.
"And the lady thinks that you are no Sherlock Holmes at all," Bridgit retorted, laughing at Aiden, "But if you must know, I am here due to two very concerned parties"
"You read him too? Aiden was talking about him the other day," Zoey laughed, "Who are the concerned parties?"
"Of course I do! Sherlock Holmes is quite fascinating! And I know Aiden reads them, we were discussing it the other day in the common room...I seriously can't believe you find Watson to be more interesting than Holmes." Bridgit answered, shaking her head. She was getting of topic. "The concerned parties are no other than Mister Fred Weasley and Miss Jane Chatsworth...in other words...your lovers"
Zoey blushed at Bridgit's choice of words while Aiden just laughed it off. Zoey softly shoved him before looking back at Bridgit. "If this is about the 'No PDA in both private and public ways' thing. It still stands," she said.
"Well...yes and no…mind if I ask a mild, but not slightly off topic question not including this one?" Bridgit answered.
"I don't see why not," Aiden shrugged.
"Have you two ever cheated?"
At Bridgit's words, Zoey began to look down with guilt and play with the ends of her sleeves. She bit her lip and looked up at Bridgit. "Honestly? Yes… I have," she said, regret in her eyes.
"WHAT?" Bridgit exclaimed, "I stood up for you two and they were right?"
"Whoa! No need to get so mad, Bridgit," Aiden spoke up, "Everyone does it!"
"What do you mean everyone does it? I'm pretty sure Jane and Fred never did!" Bridgit retorted.
Zoey snorted. "Fred? Yeah right. He's been doing it ever since the beginning," she said, "You even do it, Bridgit!"
"What? Fred's been doing that? And what do you mean me? I don't even have a freaking boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend?" Aiden asked, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you two cheating on Jane and Fred! What else?" Bridgit answered.
"Cheating on them? Why would we ever do that? Aiden loves Jane!" Zoey exclaimed
"Wait...what? You just...uhm...what we talking about?" Bridgit said, confused.
"We're talking about homework and such," Zoey said. Aiden nodded in agreement.
"What? So you're not cheating on Fred and Jane?" Bridgit asked.
Aiden looked shock at her words. "Why would we do that?"
"Because they think you're doing it and you two have been hanging around with each other more than them." Bridgit answered, quoting Jane and Fred
Zoey shook her head. "We've only been hanging out because Aiden's got something special for Jane," Aiden blushed at this, "Why would they think that? Fred knows I'll never do that… right?"
"You better tell them both that… especially Jane, she's in hysterics," Bridgit answered.
At this, Aiden stood up, wide-eyed. He looked at Bridgit with shock and to Zoey. Zoey simply shrugged, standing up as well. Aiden then pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is about last Christmas, isn't it? She told you about it?" he asked.
"Yes," Bridgit whispered.
Aiden nodded his head before giving Zoey an apologetic look. "I guess I have to straighten things out," he told her, "Thanks for the help"
Zoey waved him farewell and watched as the Ravenclaw walked away. She gave a sigh before looking down and seeing that he dropped one of the music sheets. She picked it up before looking at Bridgit.
"They asked you to ask us for them?" she raised a brow.
"Yeah, they did," Bridgit answered, "I still think they should've asked you personally"
"Where the cheezwhizz is Fred's Gryffindor courage?" she laughed a bit.
"I might ask you the same thing." Bridgit suddenly said, covering her mouth. "Sorry it's just that...Fred's been worried about you not saying the three words that he always seems to say to you."
Zoey blinked at her friend in confusion. "Three words?" she tilted her head to the side, "'Where's the food'?"
"No… you know… three most important words in a relationship," Bridgit answered.
"Three… most?" Zoey paused, "Oh"
"Exactly," Bridgit said, thinking that Zoey had gotten her point.
The Emeraude looked away from her friend for a moment before giving off a sigh. She ran a hand through her already messy hair and looked at Bridgit with a sort of sadness to her face. Zoey knew what Bridgit was talking about…she knew it very well. Heck she wondered about it very often when she had the time.
"It's… it's not that easy," she told her.
"I know," Bridgit said, trying to comfort her friend.
Zoey smiled at her before looking at the music sheet once more. She then handed it over to Bridgit. "I'll tell him when the time's right," she said with a confident smile, "On other news, do you know this song? It's a muggle song."
"Okay then… oh I love this song!" Bridgit suddenly exclaimed.
"It's nice right?" she grinned, "Aiden's going to sing it to Jane"
"It suits them, the song I mean"
Zoey nodded her head. "Well, I guess I should clear things up with Fred now, yeah?"
"Yeah, you probably should"
Zoey looked at her reflection a little self-consciously. It was Valentines Day, the day she was going to go on a date with Fred. She had gotten the misunderstanding about she and Aiden cheating straightened out and was even able to convince Jane that the only reason she and Aiden were hanging out a lot was because he needed help in Charms (Zoey had told Fred the truth behind her and Aiden's 'hang-outs'). Jane, who was back to her cheery self, being the helpful friend that she was, even gave Zoey clothes to wear on the date seeing as Zoey was prepared to go in simple jeans, turtleneck and a scarf.
The Emeraude was now wearing a black, sleeveless turtleneck dress that reached to her knees with a baby pink off-shoulder sweater on top. Her shoes were black flats and her hair was down with her bangs clipped. Jane was even able to convince Zoey to ditch the glasses for the meantime. Zoey sighed.
"Jane, is all this really necessary?" Zoey asked; smacking her lips together after Jane had applied colorless strawberry flavored lip-gloss on the girl. Zoey liked the smell of strawberries; she just didn't like the taste of natural strawberries.
"Hmm? Of course it is," Jane said, looked at the mirror herself, "It's your first Valentines together with your hubby"
Zoey blushed at Jane's choice of words. "We aren't even married," she told her, her blush still on her cheeks. Jane laughed.
"I know," she helped Zoey to her feet, "You know, you blush easily. That's a bit dangerous"
"Dangerous?" Zoey asked, "How so?"
Jane looked up in thought for a moment before grinning at the confused Hufflepuff. "Oh, it's nothing," she said before gently pushing Zoey towards the door muttering stuff like "We shouldn't keep the boys waiting" or "Just don't blush when a stranger smiles at you"
Before Zoey could even get a word in, Jane had already directed her to the gates leaving Hogwarts and entering Hogsmeade. Zoey was speechless when Jane hooked arms with Aiden and waved goodbye to her and Fred. The Emeraude, giving up on thinking what Jane was on about, waved at her in return before looking up at Fred. She smiled at him. Fred grinned, a small blush decorating his cheeks.
"You… you look nice," he complimented her, rubbing the back of his neck
"Thank you," Zoey blushed as well and saw that his hand was twitching a bit, reaching over to her hand though being a bit reluctant. She grinned a bit before lacing her fingers with his. "I said holding hands was fine," she told him before leading them to Hogsmeade.
The walk was silent except the occasional small talk and joke. Zoey looked around the village and noted that some of the shops took the liberty of hanging up Valentine decorations while others didn't even bother. Other cases, they even forgot to remove their Christmas decorations. Zoey laughed at that before looking at Fred to see that he was in thought. She squeezed his hand.
"Sickle for your thoughts?" she asked him, slowing her walk.
"Only a sickle?" Fred smirked.
"Keep that up and you get nothing," Zoey stuck her tongue out at him before laughing and looking at some far off distance, "Hey, I don't want to seem rude and all but can I just meet you up at Madam Puddifoot's?"
Fred released his hold on her hand and stuffed his in his pockets. "Is this about Aiden's little surprise for Jane?" he asked.
"Yeah, Bridgit's going to be there too," Zoey swayed back in forth, "You don't mind if I go away for a while?"
"Of course I mind. It's our date. I should be the only man you're focusing on," Fred said hotly before grinning, "Why can't I join? I would love to see what Bridgit would be doing"
"Only Bridgit?" Zoey raised a brow, smile playing on her lips.
"You'd be doing something too?" Fred asked.
Zoey shook her head and grabbed hold of Fred's hand once again. "Come on, we're heading to the Shrieking Shack"
The pair made their way through the crowd of other couples and successfully reached the Shrieking Shack in time to see Bridgit, who was wearing a waiter's outfit (seeing as she refused to wear a skirt), setting up a table with two chairs and Echo who was sitting by the piano (A piano that made Fred wonder how it even got there or where they got it), flipping through music sheets. George was standing not to far from her, waving at them.
"You got dragged into this too?" George called over.
"Wanted to see what Bridgit would do," Fred grinned before looking over to the Waitress, "Nice outfit"
"Har har, very funny, and why are you so interested into what I would do?" Bridgit asked, glaring at Fred while now fixing the table setting.
"Feisty," Fred said, holding his hands up. He then looked down at Zoey who was scanning the area. "What would you be doing?"
"Hmm?" Zoey hummed, looking up at him.
"If Echo's going to play the piano and Bridgit's waitressing. What are you going to do?" Fred asked.
Zoey shrugged. "Nothing. I already did my part," she told him before pushing him towards George and telling them to stay there quietly.
"You mean you're just going to stand by and watch like the rest of us?" Fred pouted, "I came here for nothing."
"I thought you wanted to see Bridgit do something?" Zoey asked.
"I figured you were going to do something too," Fred grinned with a shrug.
"Fred's got a point, Zee, why are you here?" Bridgit asked, putting the final touch of a single rose in a vase in the middle of the table. "Done!" huffed Bridgit, now fixing her brown hair into a ponytail.
Zoey looked away from George looking at the music sheets from over Echo's shoulder and turned to Bridgit. "I just wanted to see if everything would be alright. If you want, I could leave," she said, not really offended by Bridgit's question.
"I bet Fred would be happy with that," Bridgit said.
"I'm fine with anything," Fred spoke, "Maybe seeing how this date would go could give me some tips"
"Suit yourself, just don't make a sound. This is real life, not a movie," Bridgit retorted.
Fred made a motion of zipping his lips together as George walked away from Echo and stood by his side. "She's really serious about this, huh?" he whispered to his twin. Fred nodded. Zoey looked over to them and placed a finger to her mouth, telling them to be quiet.
Suddenly, Echo began to play a gentle tune when the sounds of footsteps approached. Everyone turned over to the sounds of footsteps to see Aiden and Jane approaching. Aiden had a polite smile on his face while Jane was surprised at the setting and a little embarrassed at the sight of all her friends.
"Aiden, you didn't tell me this was going to be a group date," she whispered to him.
"It's not," Aiden said, directing her to the table and pulling the chair back for her to sit. She sat and he gently pushed it closer to the table before taking a seat himself. "They're just here to help out. Nice of them, huh?"
Bridgit made her way towards the couple, as they were both finally seated, and plastered a smile on her face. "Good afternoon Madame, Good afternoon Sir, due to Mr. Durham's request I am here, and my name is Bridgit and I will be your server for today." She said, making the couple smile back at her.
"On today's menu we have a deliciously made mushroom soup for your entre, salmon, accompanied by a tomato salad for your main course, and a nice and smooth chocolate moose for your dessert." Bridgit continued, stating the food.
"All my favorites huh?" Jane said, making Aiden give her a sheepish grin.
"Only the best for you." Aiden answered, making Jane's face light up with glee.
"That sounds good," Fred and George muttered; they earned a painful nudge from Zoey who gave the couple and apologetic look.
Bridgit gave the twins a stern look, before putting back her smile and facing the couple once again. "Would you like anything to drink before I serve your entre?" Bridgit asked the two.
"Butterbeer would be good, Bridgit." Aiden answered, making Bridgit nod. She snapped her fingers and their glasses were filled with Butterbeer, and since it was Bridgit serving them, it was topped off with a strawberry on top of the foam.
"How does the strawberry even float? It's just foam," Zoey spoke out loud before her eyes widened and her hands quickly shot up to cover her mouth. She blushed in embarrassment as the twins snickered at her.
"Magic, Zoey, have you ever heard of it?" Bridgit remarked, not facing her friend. The smile never left her face.
The waitress then took out her wand and waved at the plates. Two bowls with mushroom soup appeared in front of Jane and Aiden. "This looks good Bridgit." Jane said, turning towards the brown haired girl. "Did you make it?
"Nope, all these dishes were prepared by Winky and Dobby the House Elf." Bridgit answered, smiling.
"House elves?" Jane asked before Aiden suddenly stood up. He gave her a smile before looking over to Echo, giving her a signal.
"Before we eat, m'dear," Aiden said facing Jane once more, "I want to start with a little performance"
"Performance?" Jane asked, looking at him and then at Bridgit and to Zoey and the rest. None of them said anything, all simply smiled.
"Yes, a musical number, if you will," Aiden then pulled out his wand and gave it a wave. A microphone flew to him. Jane looked at the muggle tool for a while before looking at Aiden. She watched as he opened his mouth and began to sing.
"If I had to I would put myself right beside you
So let me ask, would you like that? Would you like that?
And I don't mind if you say this love is the last time
So now I'll ask, do you like that? Do you like that? No!"
Jane was a bit shocked at Aiden's singing but a smile slowly made its way to her lips. She never heard Aiden sing before and truly, she liked it. Sure, the song wasn't really a Valentine Song but she didn't care. This song had a deeper meaning than any of those mushy lyrics they played in shops on the day itself. Aiden began to sing the chorus.
"Something's getting in the way
Something's just about to break
I will try to find my place
In the diary of Jane
So tell me how it should be!"
Aiden took a small breath as he waited for his cue to continue. At the note, he began to sing again.
"Try to find out what makes you tick as I lie down
Sore and sick, do you like that? Do you like that?
There's a fine line between love and hate and I don't mind
Just let me say that I like that, I like that"
He began the chorus once more, not tearing his eyes away from Jane.
"Something's getting in the way
Something's just about to break
I will try to find my place
In the diary of Jane
As I burn another page
As I look the other way
I still try to find my place
In the diary of Jane
So tell me how it should be!"
Aiden took another deep breath. Jane couldn't believe her ears. It was all simply wonderful. It tugged at her heart and brought tears to her eyes, not sad ones thought but tears of joy and relief. The song showed her how much Aiden was willing to stay with her. She really loved this boy.
"Desperate, I will crawl, waiting for so long
No love, there is no love
Die for anyone, what have I become?
Something's getting in the way
Something's just about to break
I will try to find my place
In the diary of Jane
As I burn another page
As I look the other way
I still try to find my place
In the diary of Jane"
"I never thought Aiden could sing like that," Fred said as he took a sip of his tea. He and Zoey were now in Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop.
Zoey, having never been there before, had not expected the place to be so… frilly. Everywhere she looked she saw pink, hearts, red, glitters, frills and bows. The entire place was like the descriptive meaning of the words "Valentines Day". The Emeraude looked up and saw golden cherubs hovering over each of the tables. They occasionally threw pink confetti over the people sitting below them. Zoey cautiously brought her tea closer to herself.
"He's very good," Zoey said, drinking her tea and looking around the restaurant. She caught sight of Harry and Cho sitting not to far from them. They were talking.
"Aiden says you taught him how?" Fred placed his drink down for it was now empty. He sat more comfortably on his chair. Zoey nodded. "Why don't you teach me then?"
"You're a hopeless cause," the girl said bluntly, drinking her tea once more.
Fred felt like a metal basin was dropped on his head. "That… that hurts," he says with a chuckle, running a hand through his hair. Zoey, seeing his reaction, smiled softly at him and placed her drink down as well. The tea was wonderful only it didn't last long.
"When you're free, I'll try my best," she laughed.
Zoey then looked back to Harry and Cho and raised a curious brow. Cho looked a little bit upset now and Harry didn't seem to be really taking any notice to this. The Emeraude sighed. "Harry's not doing a good job on his first date," she whispered.
"Really?" Fred asked, sneaking a peak at the pair before looking back at Zoey. "You're right," he paused, "Wait, why are you paying attention to them?"
"Job of the older godsister slash mother figure," Zoey said, giving him a peace sign, "It's my job"
"I fear for our children," Fred muttered to himself before taking note of Zoey's frozen state and red cheeks. The girl blinked at him several times before raising both her hands to her cheeks, looking away from him. She was embarrassed. "Zoe?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips, "What did you think of just now?"
Zoey made a noise sounding like a whine as she still refused to look at Fred. Fred laughed before leaning forward, elbows on the table as he propped his chin on his hands. He took a breath and blew out air towards Zoey's direction, making her hair move a bit. The girl shivered at the sudden wind.
"Zoey~" Fred said in a singsong voice, "Come on, we've known each other for years, you can tell me"
The Emeraude shook her head and slowly brought her hands back down on the table, her cheeks still red. Fred grinned. She casted a look towards Harry and Cho's table and saw Cho stand up abruptly, telling Harry something and marched out of the restaurant. She was about to make a comment about it when Fred took her attention once more.
"Do you love me?" he asked out of the blue.
Zoey looked at him with wide eyes, her blush returning stronger than ever. All her concerns on how Harry's date went were thrown out the window for all she was focused on was the piercing look Fred's blue eyes were giving her.
"P – pardon?" she squeaked out as her heartbeat took a quicker pace, "I think I heard you wrong."
"No you didn't," Fred shook his head, "I asked if you love me"
"Fred –"
"Do you?" he pressed on, "I mean, here I am practically saying I want to be with you for a very long time seeing as I already see us with kids and I've said I love you a lot of times but never hear you say it in return. Zoey, how do you really feel about me?"
"Don't…"
"Don't?" Fred raised a brow.
"Don't say things like that all of a sudden!" Zoey said, her face red and her brows furrowed together, she was flustered, "Give me a warning next time!"
Fred straightened up. "A warning? Zoe, you don't plan these sorts of things. They just come out"
"Y – yeah but still! You nearly gave me heart failure!" The Emeraude began playing with the ends of her sleeves, "I – I mean we were just having a nice cup of tea in this doll house when Cho just stomped off and now… now you're asking me these sort of things!"
"So you don't love me?" Fred asked.
"I never said that! I just said give me a warning before you ask!" Zoey hid her face.
"So you do love me?" Fred asked, a look of hope in his eyes.
"What's with all the questions?" Zoey was really embarrassed. She felt like the whole world was anticipating her answer. She hated Valentines Day. It just gave an excuse for couples to express their love without warning. "Isn't the answer already obvious?" she stubbornly looked away.
"Not really," Fred admitted, "You hardly say it –"
"Actions speak louder than words, don't they?"
"But ever since you put on that 'No PDA' rule for but public and private situations there isn't much action to prove," Fred pointed out, "Holding hands? We did that when we were still 'Friends'."
Zoey gulped a bit before looking back at Fred. She still hid behind her sleeves, making her look very childish, as she studied her boyfriend. He looked genuinely curios and a bit concerned. Was he feeling insecure? Zoey didn't know. She bit her lip and felt her heart beat loud and clear. She wondered if Fred, or anyone else in the little restaurant, could hear it too. The Emeraude lowered her sleeves and opened her mouth to speak.
"I – iyah!" Zoey squealed as confetti suddenly covered herself and Fred, surprising her.
The Emeraude slowly looked back at Fred and saw that he was biting his lip, which was twitching upwards. She knitted her brows together and looked around the room. Everyone was looking her way. Zoey's eyes widened and jumped a bit when Fred's hand slammed on the table, making it shake. He began laughing, soon everyone joined in.
"I – I – Iyah? Hahahaha! Zoe! What the hell was that?" Fred laughed, clutching his stomach.
Zoey looked at him with wide eyes, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She then looked around the room and saw that everyone was really laughing at her. She puffed her cheeks and stood up from her seat, pushing the chair back violently. Fred looked up at her, still laughing.
"I…. I will never say it!" she told him, still embarrassed. She swiftly turned around and marched out of the room. Fred straightened up and wiped a tear from his eyes.
"Oh, she's embarrassed," he teased before getting up from his seat as well, leaving to follow his girlfriend back to school.
I'm really sorry for the delay!
I used to update every other day. Like one day apart but now it's one week!
It's 12 am right now and this is the longest chapter EVER
and it's pretty much dedicated to the Valentine day which wasn't even that much of importance in the book XD
Sorry about that :P
I would LOVE to thank ZOOMSKATER14 for her mega help
Also to all of those who reviewed and the like. I really appreciate them :)
Those who want to see Zoey's Quidditch match would have to wait for the next chapter which would hopefully be up soon for it already has a beginning planned out and a middle written. Odd procedure huh?
School starts on Monday.
Am I excited?
Not sure. Scared and nervous but happy too :P
Not much "MEGA DRAMA" in this chapter, huh?
Well, I sorta wanted a chapter without much suffering. Seeing as a lot of Drama would come in the near future so I needed something that was light hearted and all :P
I wish I could say more but it's really late and I should get to sleep now.
Well, I guess that is all. I have nothing more to say except
I hope you enjoyed the chapter
Please tell me what you thought
Excuse my typos and the like (Even though I beta-ed it already)
Don't forget to review and the like
Stay tuned for the next chapter
And
I only own what I own
