Fred should've seen this coming. Of course Aleksandr would ask her — why wouldn't he? Cassiopeia Valencourt was beautiful, brilliant, and way out of Fred's league. This was exactly what he got for waiting so long, for second-guessing himself at every turn. Now, he'd lost his chance. His heart sank with the bitter realization.
It felt like the walls of the Great Hall were closing in on him, the air suddenly too thick to breathe. He numbly watched Cassie smile across the hall, as if every carefully laid piece of his plan had crumbled into ash.
And he had planned.
He'd spent days imagining every step, every word. He'd even looped in Serena and Padma again as his co-conspirators the day before to run through it one last time.
The plan had been perfect — or at least as close to perfect as he could make it. At dinner, he'd casually ask Cassie to meet him at the Astronomy Tower at dusk. It was her favorite spot, the one place where she seemed to leave everything else behind. Fred had seen the way her eyes lit up when she talked about the view, how she could spend hours up there just staring at the stars. Fred had smiled every time he thought about it; there was no way she could say no to that.
He would've gotten there early, half an hour at least, to make sure no one else decided to wander in. He'd double-check everything: the bag of Sugared Butterfly Wings charmed to shimmer faintly under the moonlight, the note he'd folded and unfolded so many times it was beginning to crease.
The note. Merlin, that note. It wasn't just a "will you go to the ball with me?" sort of thing. Fred couldn't settle for something half-hearted when it came to Cassie. No, it was a full confession — Fred had poured his heart into it, every word a piece of himself he could never quite say out loud. He'd written about how she made him feel — how she wasn't just someone he liked, but someone who made him want to be better, who made the ordinary feel extraordinary. He'd rewritten it so many times he'd lost count, but in the end, the words finally felt right.
He could picture it all so clearly: Cassie arriving at the tower, a little surprised but smiling softly. Her fingers brushing his as she took the gift bag, the flicker of curiosity in her eyes as she opened it. He imagined her reading the note, the way her expression might shift from surprise to understanding, to something that looked like hope.
Under the stars, he'd finally tell her everything — how he felt, how long he'd been wanting to say it. And she'd say yes. She'd smile in that way that made his chest feel too tight, and for a moment, everything would be perfect.
Padma had called it sweet, something Cassie would love. Serena had rolled her eyes, muttering about how corny it was, but even she admitted it fit.
Fred had spent the entire day running through the plan in his head, nerves and excitement twisting together in a way that made his hands shake whenever he thought too hard about it. But when Cassie had walked into the Great Hall that night, everything else had disappeared.
She looked as composed as ever, her sleek, straight hair catching the warm glow of the floating candles. Her expression was calm, almost indifferent, as she sat down with Serena, Padma, and Lorelei. Fred's gaze followed her every movement as she reached for her goblet, listening to the chatter around her.
Then Cassie said it.
"He asked me to the Yule Ball and I said yes," she mentioned casually, her tone light, almost dismissive, as though she hadn't just shattered Fred's world.
Fred's stomach churned. Everything inside him felt like it was collapsing in on itself. He should've been the one asking her, the one she was going with.
He stood abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the stone floor. The sound drew George's and Lee's attention, but Fred couldn't bring himself to care.
"Fred?" George started, his voice tinged with concern.
Fred barely heard him. All he knew was that he needed to get out of there.
As he reached the door to the Great Hall, Lorelei's excited voice carried after him.
"Oh my Merlin, I knew it! I knew Aleksandr liked you! He's so into you, Cassie."
Fred didn't wait to hear Cassie's response. He didn't need to.
By the time he reached one of the hidden passageways he and George had discovered years ago, his vision was blurred, and his fists were clenched tightly. Leaning against the cold stone wall, Fred pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, trying to block out the image of Cassie sitting there, completely unaware of everything he'd been about to do.
You waited too long. You bloody idiot. You waited too long.
Fred didn't know how long he'd been sitting in the hidden passageway. The chill of the stone seeped through his robes, but he didn't care. The air was quiet here, save for the faint hum of magic that kept the tunnel concealed.
He leaned forward, burying his face in his hands as the weight of the Great Hall's earlier scene replayed in his mind. Cassie's voice, Lorelei's teasing, Aleksandr's name — it all swirled together, like a cruel echo he couldn't escape.
The sharp grinding of stone on stone broke his spiraling thoughts. Fred's head shot up just as the passage door slid open, revealing a familiar figure stepping inside.
"George?" Fred asked, his voice low and hoarse. "How did you find me?"
George gave him a lopsided grin, stepping fully into the passage. "Please. This has been your go-to hideaway since we found it back in first year. Thought I'd find you moping somewhere."
Fred groaned, slumping back against the wall. "Just leave me alone, would you?"
George didn't budge. Instead, he plopped down next to Fred with a dramatic sigh, stretching his legs out in front of him. They sat in silence, the sound of their breathing filling the narrow space. Fred hoped the quiet would make George give up and leave, but his twin's steady presence only made the knot in his chest tighten.
"I'm in love with Cassie," Fred blurted suddenly.
George didn't react right away. Instead, he turned his head slowly to look at his brother, his face somewhere between amused and incredulous. "Fred, seriously? You thought I didn't know that by now?"
Fred blinked at him, caught off guard. "What do you mean you—"
George smirked, cutting him off. "You've been painfully obvious about it. The way you look at her, the way you talk about her. Bloody hell, Fred, even Ron would've picked up on it by now and he's as dense as a brick."
Fred huffed a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "Merlin, I've been such an idiot lately."
"You don't say," George teased, but his tone lacked its usual bite.
Fred rubbed at his temples. "It's been nearly two years. Two bloody years, and I still can't get my act together."
"Two years?" George repeated, his eyebrows shooting up. "Blimey. And here I thought you were just being dramatic recently."
Fred hesitated, his thoughts drifting to the summer, to the chaos of the Quidditch World Cup. "It was different this year," he admitted quietly. "At the World Cup, when the Death Eaters attacked…I saw her."
George's playful smirk faded as Fred continued, his voice barely above a whisper.
"She was with her dad, helping people escape. Everyone else was running for their lives, but Cassie — she just stood there, fighting them off. Protecting people. I couldn't believe what I was seeing." He swallowed hard, his eyes distant. "Time stood still, George. Everything else — the panic, the fear — it didn't matter. All I could think about was how much I loved her. And how I couldn't do a damn thing to help her because we got pulled away with the others."
The passageway felt heavier as Fred's words lingered in the air.
"Bloody hell, Fred," George said softly. "That's…heavy."
Fred nodded, letting out a humorless chuckle. "Tell me about it."
They sat in silence again, the weight of the confession pressing down on them both.
Finally, George nudged Fred's shoulder lightly. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
Fred frowned. "What do you mean?"
George gestured vaguely. "That Durmstrang bloke — Aleksandr? He's only here for the tournament, right? It's not like they're an official couple or anything."
Fred blinked, as if the thought hadn't crossed his mind.
"Exactly," George pressed. "So, what are you going to do?"
Fred hesitated, then muttered, "She's having a birthday party over the holiday. She invited me."
George's grin returned with full force. "Well, there you go, then. Perfect opportunity."
Fred glared at him. "It's not like that."
George snorted. "Oh, come off it. You were going to give her that little Honeydukes gift bag, weren't you?"
Fred stiffened. "How do you know about that?"
George gave him an unimpressed look. "You never gave it to Bill like you said you would, and let's just say your hiding skills aren't as brilliant as you think."
Fred stared at him, mock aghast. "I locked it in a trunk under my bed!"
"And you thought that'd stop me?" George grinned. "Face it, Fred, you're getting predictable."
Despite himself, Fred let out a weak laugh, the knot in his chest loosening slightly.
George clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on, let's get back before dinner's over. Food might be cold by now, but at least you've got a plan."
Fred let George pull him to his feet. "I wouldn't call it a plan."
George grinned. "Good thing you've got me, then."
For the first time that night, hope flickered faintly in his chest once more.
The days since Fred's late-night conversation with George had passed in a blur, each one bringing the Yule Ball closer. Despite his twin's encouragement, Fred had already accepted that asking Cassie was off the table. She was going with Aleksandr, and no amount of wishful thinking was going to change that. Fred tried not to dwell on the thought too much. Aleksandr wasn't a bad guy, but imagining him and Cassie together — laughing, dancing — left a sour taste in Fred's mouth all the same.
In the end, Fred had done the next best thing — or at least, that's what he told himself. After much hesitation, he'd asked Ginny to go to the ball with him. At least Ginny would get to have a night of fun, even if he couldn't bring himself to face Cassie properly. When he asked her, though, her reaction wasn't exactly what he'd hoped for.
"You want me to go with you?" Ginny had said, arching an eyebrow and crossing her arms. "What happened? No other girl would say yes?"
Fred froze, the words cutting sharper than they should have. He wasn't sure how to respond without making the moment worse, but George stepped in before he had to.
George gave Ginny a subtle shake of his head, his expression unreadable but pointed enough to make her pause. "Oh," she said, her sharp gaze flicking back to Fred. Her shoulders relaxed a little, though her tone remained dry as she added, "Fine. But only because I wasn't going to sit around and let Ron and you two have all the fun."
Fred managed a faint smile, relieved that she'd agreed, even if her reasoning wasn't the most flattering.
Days before the ball, the Gryffindor common room was its usual cozy self, the warm glow of the fire casting dancing shadows on the stone walls. Snow swirled lazily outside the tower windows, and the buzz of chatter filled the air as students gathered in clusters to talk about dresses, dates, and last-minute plans for the big night.
Fred, George, and Lee were sprawled on one of the couches near the fire, a mix of exhaustion and boredom etched on their faces. Fred absentmindedly picked at a loose thread on his jumper while George flipped through a Quidditch magazine, his lips twitching into the occasional smirk at whatever he was reading. Lee, meanwhile, was halfway through balancing a Chocolate Frog card on his nose, the act requiring far more concentration than he cared to admit.
"Oi, Lee," George said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence. He tossed his magazine onto the coffee table and leaned forward, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Whatever happened with that girl you wanted to ask to the ball? Did she say yes?"
Lee groaned, letting the card fall to his lap. "Nah, mate. She turned me down."
Fred perked up slightly, trying not to look too interested. "Who was it?"
"A Beauxbatons girl," Lee said, shrugging. "She's fit, but she said she's already going with someone else."
"Tragic," George said with mock sympathy, though his grin betrayed his amusement. "So who did you end up asking, then?"
"Lorelei Nightingale," Lee said casually, grabbing a Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Bean from the table and tossing it into his mouth.
Fred froze, his head snapping up. "Lorelei Nightingale? Cassie's friend Lorelei?"
Lee shrugged, unbothered by Fred's incredulous tone. "Yeah. Why?"
Fred stared at him like he'd just announced he was taking Snape to the ball. "Since when are you and Lorelei close enough for that?"
Lee chuckled, popping another bean into his mouth. "She's a family friend, actually. Her dad and my dad go way back. Plus, she owes me for not ratting her out to her parents about her Muggle Studies marks. Poor girl's been struggling — ironic, considering her mum's a Muggle."
Fred blinked, struggling to process the information. "So, let me get this straight. You're going with Lorelei, Ron's taking Padma, and I'm stuck with Ginny?"
"Pretty much," George said, his grin widening as he leaned back against the cushions.
Fred groaned, running a hand through his hair. "This is unbelievable. Two of the people closest to me are going with Cassie's friends, and I'm…" He trailed off, not bothering to finish the sentence.
"With your sister," George said helpfully, earning himself a glare. "Come on, mate, it's not all bad. At least you'll get to keep an eye on her. Can't have her sneaking off with some fourth-year prat, can we?"
Fred rolled his eyes, chucking a cushion at George, who dodged it effortlessly.
"Don't worry," George said, still grinning. "You're not out of the game yet, mate. You've got me as your wingman, remember? Just don't muck it up this time."
Fred sighed, shaking his head, but a small flicker of determination sparked in his chest. Maybe George was right. Maybe he still had a chance, however slim. He just had to figure out what to do next.
The rest of the week had flown by in a whirlwind of chatter and preparation, and before Fred knew it, Christmas morning at Hogwarts had dawned crisp and bright, with snow softly blanketing the grounds. The Gryffindor common room had been alive with festive energy as friends exchanged gifts in their pajamas, tearing through brightly wrapped packages with laughter and teasing. Fred had received a box of Chocolate Frogs from Ginny, a pair of mismatched socks enchanted to hum Christmas carols from George, and a Quidditch-themed calendar from Lee.
Fred's own gifts had been met with just as much enthusiasm — especially George, who let out a loud, hearty laugh when he unwrapped a gag gift of self-inflating trousers. But despite the warmth of the morning, Fred couldn't shake the weight that had settled in his chest.
Lunch in the Great Hall had been livelier than usual, with students discussing last-minute details and plans for the Yule Ball. Fred and the boys had lingered, enjoying the chaos, before eventually heading back to their dormitory to get ready. As they climbed the staircase to their room, Fred couldn't help but feel the creeping weight of nerves and melancholy further sinking itself in the back of his mind.
The dormitory was quiet except for the sounds of shuffling fabric and the occasional muttered curse. Kenneth, their ever-elusive roommate, had made himself scarce once again, leaving the trio to spread out and ready themselves for the evening.
Fred sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the neatly pressed robes laid out before him. He picked up his tie, the fabric slipping through his fingers as his thoughts wandered. His gaze drifted to the floor, where the corner of the small box tucked under his bed was just barely visible. The sugared butterfly wings he'd bought for Cassie, along with the note he'd written, remained untouched. It felt foolish now, keeping them there like some kind of secret hope he couldn't quite let go of.
"Fred, mate, you've been staring at that tie for five minutes," George said, breaking the silence. He was already half-dressed, his top hanging open as he adjusted his cufflinks in the mirror. "You planning to wear it, or are you just hoping it'll tie itself?"
Fred blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. "I'm getting there," he mumbled, fumbling with the tie.
Lee, on the other hand, was sitting cross-legged on his bed, wand in hand, muttering spells to fix a stubborn crease in his waistcoat. "Honestly, who designed these things? It's like they were invented just to torture us," he grumbled.
George smirked, walking over to give Fred a nudge. "You're not going to mope through the whole evening, are you? She'll be there, Fred. That's all you need for now." He grinned, adding, "And who knows? Maybe you could even ask her for a dance."
Fred huffed a laugh, though it felt hollow. "Yeah, because that'll go well."
"It might," George said, shrugging. "And if it doesn't, you've got me as backup. We'll figure it out."
Lee finally stood, looking uncharacteristically polished in his suit. "Well, lads, I'm off. Lorelei awaits," he said, grabbing his wand and heading for the door.
George called after him, "Don't trip on the way down. She might change her mind."
"Your faith in me is overwhelming," Lee shot back with a grin, disappearing down the stairs.
The twins finished getting ready in relative silence, the room filled only with the sounds of shuffling fabric and the occasional creak of the floorboards. When they finally headed down to the common room, Fred's nerves had only intensified.
Ginny and Angelina were waiting by the fireplace, the warm glow of the flames reflecting off their dresses. Angelina looked stunning in an emerald green gown that sparkled faintly as she moved, and George immediately launched into an exaggerated display of admiration, bowing deeply and holding out his hand.
"My lady," he said in an overly dramatic tone, "you honor me with your presence."
Angelina rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a laugh. "You're ridiculous, Weasley."
"And you love it," George said with a grin, earning himself a playful shove.
Ginny, dressed in a simple but elegant silver gown, gave Fred a small smile. "You clean up alright, I guess," she said teasingly.
Fred shrugged. "Can't all be as dashing as George."
Together, the four of them made their way to the Great Hall. The castle was alive with excitement, students in vibrant robes and gowns streaming toward the ballroom. The Great Hall itself was transformed into a winter wonderland, with an enchanted ceiling mimicking the snowy night sky and floating candles casting a warm glow over the room.
As they entered, Ginny mumbled something about grabbing food and quickly slipped away. Fred followed George and Angelina as they looked for a table, his thoughts still distant.
Just as they were about to sit, Fred's gaze was drawn to the entrance.
Cassie walked in, her arm lightly linked with Aleksandr's. Her dress was a soft, elegant stormy blue, with delicate black accents giving it a timeless beauty. The flowing fabric and the way it shimmered under the hall's warm light made her look effortlessly radiant. Her hair was swept into an intricate updo, a few loose strands framing her face.
Fred's breath hitched as he took her in, the world around him fading into a blur. His mind raced, every memory of Cassie flashing like a reel — her laugh during Quidditch matches, the way she bit her lip in concentration, and that rare, soft smile she'd given him at the library.
He wasn't sure if it was the dress, the soft glow of the hall's lanterns, or the sheer presence she carried, but she looked otherworldly. Fred's chest tightened with a bittersweet mix of awe and regret. She was right there, yet further away than ever, her arm casually paired with Aleksandr's.
And still, he couldn't look away.
For the second time that year, time had stopped when he laid eyes on Cassiopeia Valencourt.