Chapter 4

"Because I love you, Fred! I love you and I never, ever want to see you hurt."

" You...love me?"

" Yeah, ya dumb arse." Lucy hair had turned red as his during the argument. " I mean, you and George both, but I've never had to worry as much about him."

"Why not?"

Could it be? Could Lucy love him back?The 16 year old Weasley waited for confirmation. Permission. Anything to allow him to kiss her like he'd been wanted to.

"Well.. Because... I've always been closer to you. Something about you makes me want to tell you every secret and everything else about me. If I lost you, physically or emotionally, I'm not sure how I'd cope."

"So it's just... Brotherly affection? Like you feel for James and John?"

Lucy hesitated. Now was her chance! She could tell him! She took a moment to realize his closeness, to breathe in his scent. It was warm and reminded her of freshly cut wood. It was easily her favorite scent in the world. She could tell him right then. She could end her agony in not knowing, but who was she kidding. She was no Gryffindor! If he rejected her and somehow ended their friendship, she would be crushed. Finally, she made up her mind.

" Yeah. Just like that."

"Oh." Fred was pulled her into a tight bear hug. He pulled her close and inhaled her honeysuckle shampoo. Softly, he planted a kiss on her head and released her from his arms. He tried and failed to hide the disappointment and confusion from his face. " Are you sure? That's all you feel?" Fred asked, hoping, praying for a different answer.

"Well what about you? Isn't it just sisterly affection?" She asked, her hair going back to his favorite golden ringlets, her eyes from a stormy grey to a light blue.

How did he feel? He hadn't made that clear to her through the years? She should know damn well how he felt. She made him feel safe. Comfortable. Like he could say anything, even what he was considering saying now, and she would accept it. She was easily the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, and it wasn't just how she made herself look. Her eyes had a mischievous glint in them most of the time, and when she smirked that little half smile, it kind of made him want to snog her senseless. So yes, he loved her. But she... She didn't love him back. She would have told him if she did. Rage boiled up inside of him. Why didn't she love him back? Wasn't he the one who'd always had her back?knew her better than he knew himself?Before thinking, Fred shot out words with fury coating them.

"Well, I don't think that matters much. Do you? I mean, I think I've been falling in love with you since we were eleven, but obviously you haven't, so I guess that we just feel differently. Have a nice day, Lucy Waldo!" He stormed out of the common room, leaving Lucy behind. She was about to call out after him, when he turned around and walked slowly back towards her. "I promise that I won't bother you again after this. I won't fore you to be friends with me." He said, before leaning in and kissing her firmly on the lips. She didn't know what to do. Her arms lay stupidly at her sides. Her first instinct was to kiss him back, harder, until he was sure that she had lied about loving him only as a brother, but he pulled away before she could do anything.

"I've always wanted to do that." He said, before storming out once more, leaving a dazed and confused Lucy where she stood.

"Fred..." The Hufflepuff whispered. She felt as if she'd lost her best friend and only love in the course of 15 minutes.

A/N- SEE I TOLD YOU NO NONSENSE! I really hate writing them fighting. I kind of wanted to get into the first conflict pretty quickly though. Fred's totes OOC