b

You had seen his room, and he said that it was only fair that he could see yours. You had finally obliged.

"Merlin forbid that I like to decorate," you said, glaring at him.

"It's cute," he said, chuckling. "Everything is very...you."

You leaned against your dresser, crossing your arms. "And you expected it to not be very 'me'?" you teased.

He threw the pillow at you, and you caught it before it hit you in the face. "I was expecting green and silver. Everything Slytherin and honor and legacy," he answered, putting on a pretentious tone.

You threw the pillow back at him. "I like my purple sheets, thank you very much."

There was a knock at your door, and you turned to answer it. You weren't expecting anyone.

You opened the door, surprised to find Cedric standing there.

"Hey," he said. He peeked around your shoulder, spotting where Fred was lounged on your bed. "Is this a bad time?"

You turned to look at Fred, evaluating if you should turn Cedric away. Fred got up off of your bed.

"I have quidditch practice in an hour anyway," he said, coming to stand beside you at the doorway.

Fred leaned down to kiss you on the forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow though?" he asked, already turning to leave.

"Yes, yeah, you'll see me tomorrow," you replied, suddenly flustered.

Fred clapped Cedric on the shoulder on his way out the door. You motioned for Cedric to come in, shutting the door behind you. Cedric started giggling the moment that the door latched closed.

"What?" you said, shooting him a confused look.

"I've never seen you blush," Cedric said between giggles.

You rolled your eyes, flopping down onto your bed. Cedric joined you.

"It's cute," he added, grinning at you. "You really like him, huh?"

You breathed out. "I really do," you said, sounding almost defeated.

You didn't want your stomach to do somersaults whenever Fred kissed you on the forehead or held your hand. You didn't want to have an uncontrollable grin every time you talked to Fred. You didn't want this, because you couldn't have it.

Cedric propped his head onto his hand, looking at you. "What's wrong with liking Fred?" he asked, trying to be gentle.

There was so much that you couldn't tell Cedric. And even if you could, it was all so humiliating. Being with Fred so he could get Alicia back? Hooking up with him even though you knew that you wanted something more? It was incredibly foolish. Even you knew that.

"He's not really my boyfriend," you blurted.

It felt good to finally have it off your chest. You searched Cedric's face for his reaction, but all he showed was confusion.

"We're pretending to date so he can make Alicia jealous and get her back," you explained. "Originally I wanted to get Adrian back as well, but I changed my mind."

Cedric looked at you with complete shock. You continued to fill the silence with your rambling.

"I know that you're going to tell me that it's foolish. I already know that it's foolish. It's just gotten so out of hand, I don't even know what is going on anymore. Fred and I promised not to tell anyone, and I'm not supposed to tell you, but I can't keep it in any longer," you said, barely breathing between your sentences.

Cedric reached for your wrist, stopping you. "Dee, slow down. Let's get through it one step at a time," he said, attempting to soothe you. "So you and Fred aren't really together?"

You shook your head. "We're not. But we're pretending to be to make our exes jealous. And I know how it sounds, you're going to--"

Cedric cut you off. "Stop. Please, Dee, I'm sure this is a lot. But I don't need you to assume how I'm going to think or respond. Let's just talk through this."

You breathed out a heavy sigh. "Okay, sorry," you grumbled.

"You're not together, and you don't want to be with Adrian anymore," Cedric recapped back to you. "Does Fred still want to be with Alicia?"

"I'm pretty sure," you answered. "He hasn't said otherwise. And he's always pointing out how she gets jealous or upset when him and I are together. So I promised him that we could keep fake dating until Alicia admits that she wants to get back together."

Cedric absorbed your answer, connecting all of the dots in his head. "Do you want to be with Fred?"

You were silent for a moment. You knew the truth, but saying it out loud would make it even more real.

"I do," you admitted. "We've been...well, we've been hooking up."

Cedric's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but he waited for you to continue.

"He said that we're just getting it out of our system," you said. "We talked about how we both feel attracted to each other, and Fred said that it's probably just the proximity. So we've been giving in to it while he's waiting for Alicia."

"Dee..."Cedric started, holding your hand. "You don't need me to tell you that this is foolish, because you're capable of making your own choices. But love, I hate to see you get hurt."

You breathed out. "I know, Ced. I know that I'm going to get hurt. But being with Fred, even if it isn't real...fuck, I don't know. I feel more like myself than I have in a long time. He wants things for me that I haven't been brave enough to want for myself. And there's this pull, it's like we're magnets. I love being with him."

Cedric stared at your face, squeezing your hand in support. "You should talk to him. Maybe he feels the same way."

You shook your head, shooting down the idea without a second thought. "I can't," you said, your voice almost a whisper. "I don't want to ruin everything. When this all ends, him and I can still be friends. But if he knows how I feel about him, it will be a whole awkward unrequited situation. It's not worth the risk."

"Love, you don't see how he looks at you," Cedric said softly. "Watching you two at the party, I had no idea that you aren't actually together. He looks at you like he adores you. And he found me in the Great Hall a couple weeks ago to ask where you were since he couldn't find you. He seeks you out. I don't think that your feelings are entirely unrequited."

You grumbled, rolling over onto your back. You stared up at your ceiling, anxiety clawing at your chest. You wished that things with Fred could have been easier. That you lived in an alternate timeline where you became friends and started dating for real, not to make your exes jealous. You wanted it all to be so different.

"I don't know, Ced," you replied. "I'll think about it."

"If all else fails, you know that Malfoy will always start drooling whenever you're nearby," he said, grinning at you.

"Shut it," you said, shoving Cedric away from you as your own grin started to form. "I don't plan to date any more Slytherins. Especially not Malfoy."

"Those are bold words coming from 'the Slytherin princess' herself," he joked.

"Maybe I'll date you next," you said in a jokingly threatening tone.

You and Cedric stared at each other for a moment before bursting into giggles. The idea of you with Cedric was laughable. That's how you used to think about Fred. How fast your perspective changed...

----

It was Saturday afternoon, and Fred had just returned from his morning detention. He opened the door to his dormitory, tossing his book bag onto his desk chair. He turned toward his bed, startling when he found Alicia sitting on it.

"Merlin's beard, Al," he said, a hand coming up to his chest. "You scared the bloody hell out of me."

Alicia let out a breathy giggle, making herself comfortable on Fred's bed.

"What are you doing in my room?" he asked, moving to stand by the foot of the bed.

"You should sit," Alicia said, patting a spot next to her on the bed.

Fred obliged, sitting on his own bed next to Alicia. He played with his hands, starting to feel nervous.

Alicia let out a long breath before she spoke. "I think...I really want to get back together."

Fred's head snapped to look at her, an expression of utter disbelief on his face. "You want to get back together?"

Alicia nodded, scooting closer to him on the bed. "I do," she said softly. "I've really missed you."

Fred's heart rate was kicking up and his mind was racing. This was what he had been waiting for, but why did it feel so...wrong?

"I—," he stuttered out, trying to find the right words. "What made you change your mind?"

"I think that I acted too quickly when I broke up with you," she said. "I wasn't thinking straight. And after some time, I realized that our problems weren't really problems at all. I want to be with you."

Those were the words that Fred had wanted to hear weeks ago when you had first started your scheme. Instead of filling him with hope, he felt empty.

"Does this have anything to do with Delia?" he asked, eyeing Alicia carefully.

Alicia huffed. "Do you expect me to enjoy watching you snog that rigid bitch all over Hogwarts?"

"She is not a rigid bitch," Fred replied, pulling away from Alicia. "She's my girlfriend."

"Get off it, Fred," Alicia snorted. "I know what you were doing. You were trying to make me jealous. And it worked, I was jealous. You can drop the act now."

Fred shook his head, his thoughts whirling. "You don't get to pick me back up whenever you fancy it," he said. "I'm not a toy."

"Freddie," she said, reaching a hand out to hold his. "It's always been us. We're supposed to be together."

Fred pulled away, standing up from the bed. "I...fuck, I need to think," he said, heading for the door.

"You can't choose her over me," Alicia said, sounding desperate. She rose from the bed, following Fred. "You love me."

"I need to think alone," he replied, pulling open the door.

Fred turned to look at Alicia, trying to put together the puzzle pieces that were scattered in his brain. He looked away, pulling the door shut behind him. There was only one person he wanted to see, and his feet took him right to your door.

——

You were at your desk, putting your final touches on an essay for Care of Magical Creatures. You had chosen to research Hippogriffs and had to write about their dietary preferences. It wasn't the most interesting topic, but you knew that it would get you a good grade.

There was a knock at your door. You put down your quill, standing from your chair to answer the door. You weren't expecting anyone.

You opened the door, finding a very frazzled Fred on the other side.

"Can I come in?" he asked, his voice strained like a violin string pulled too tight.

You pulled the door wide open, inviting him into your room. He walked in, pacing toward your bed. He was running his hand through his hair by the time you shut the door and turned around.

"Freddie, what's wrong?" you asked, feeling the frantic energy radiating off of him.

He was biting at his lower lip, a stress habit of his. This was completely unlike Fred. He was good at appearing confident and unbothered.

"I just...bloody hell," he said, raking a hand through his hair again.

You stepped toward him, grabbing his wrists. "Fred, take a breath. Please."

Fred looked at you, taking a deep breath. His shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit. You reached for his hands, holding them in yours.

"Let's slow down," you said softly. "I'm here. I'm listening."

Fred took another breath. His hands moved to your waist, holding you like you were the last thing keeping him on the earth.

"I don't want to think," he said, his gaze suddenly intense.

You touched along his forearms, your hands resting on his elbows. "Okay, then what do you want?"

Fred's thumbs rubbed a pattern on your hips. "I want to fuck you," he said, so quiet that it was almost a whisper.

Your heart jumped into your throat. You stared at him, completely speechless.

One of his hands came up to cup your jaw, a thumb running along your cheekbone. "Is that okay?" he asked.

Your feet felt cemented to the floor, your tongue limp in your mouth. Of course you wanted to shag Fred. But this felt so out of the blue.

"What's going on?" you finally asked, pulling away from Fred.

He watched you as you took a step back from him. "I'm sorry," he said, pulling his hands down to his sides and fidgeting with his trousers.

You stood there staring at each other. You were waiting for Fred to speak.

"None of that came out right," Fred breathed out, his expression softening. "I want...fuck, Delia. I need to be close to you. As close as possible."

He took a hesitant step toward you. You held his gaze, reading the vulnerability all over his face. What was happening?

"There's a lot going on in my head," he explained. "And you make it go quiet. I need the quiet."

His response sent your pulse racing. Fred wanted you. He needed you.

You reached out for him again, catching his wrist to bring him closer. You leaned up to kiss him, a single soft kiss that communicated your understanding.

"I want you," he said. "I've wanted you all month. This isn't a rash decision, I —"

You cut off his rambling by kissing him again, your hand cradling his jaw to pull him closer to you. He kissed you back, his hands instinctually wrapping around your waist.

"I'm yours," you replied against his lips, your other hand playing with his messy hair.

Fred grinned before he kissed you again. He lowered himself for a moment to reach his arms around your bum, lifting you to wrap your legs around him.

A surprised giggle escaped your mouth before he captured your lips in a kiss. It was more intense this time, his tongue dipping into your mouth.

He carried you to your bed, setting you down gently onto your back. Fred stared at you for a moment, admiring your flushed cheeks and the way that your hair was splayed out across the bed.

"So fucking gorgeous," he said before leaning down to kiss you again.

You pulled him down into you, wanting the friction of his body against yours. He resisted, breaking the kiss again.

"I need to take care of you first," he said, reaching for the button of your jeans.

Fred unfastened them, and you helped him shimmy them down your hips and legs. His fingers went to them hem of your jumper, waiting for you to nod before he pulled it over your head.

You sat up, eyeing Fred's still very clothed state. "I'm not the only one who should be undressed," you teased, pulling him by the belt loops of his trousers.

Fred smirked, undoing his trousers and pulling them off. He yanked his shirt off as well, tossing it aside.

"Happy?" he asked, his hands on his hips as he gave you a sassy eyebrow raise.

You giggled before reaching out to touch his chest. Your hand wandered from his hipbones up to his shoulders, feeling the hard muscles under his freckled skin.

You felt like you were in a trance, wanting to touch every inch of his body that was new to you. You couldn't stop the path of your fingers as they traced along his abs, dipping down to tease along his waistband.

"Are you done feeling me up?" Fred teased, a satisfied grin on his face.

"I am not, thank you for asking," you replied, putting on a perfectly proper tone as you continued to touch his bare skin.

Fred grabbed your wrists, stopping your hands. He kissed the inside of your left wrist, beginning a path of kisses up your arm. When he reached your shoulder, his lips moved to your collarbone, his tongue running along its ridge.

You let out a shaky breath, your nails digging into his back as his lips and tongue began to trail along your neck. He really was far too skilled with his mouth.

His hands were gripped lightly at the tops of your thighs, slowly moving toward your knees so he could part your legs. He spread your legs open for him, pushing your shoulder so you would lay your back down onto the mattress.

Fred dropped to his knees, his eyes locking onto yours. "This feels familiar, huh?" he said, nipping at the inside of your knee.

"You should not be using that mouth to talk," you shot back, a smirk tugging at your lips.

Fred smirked back, kissing and nipping a trail up the inside of your thigh. His thumb traced the band of your knickers, looping around it and letting it snap back against your skin.

"I think it's time for these to come off, would you agree?" Fred asked.

"You're still talking," you chided. Your hand gripped his chin, and you pressed your thumb to his lips in an attempt to keep him quiet.

Fred's eyes were blazing with want, and he held your gaze as he sucked your thumb into his mouth. You let out a little gasp, mesmerized by the sight.

He released your thumb, pulling your knickers down in one swift motion. His hands grabbed underneath your knees, resting your legs on his shoulders as he left wet kisses on your hipbone.

Your breaths were already coming quickly and Fred had hardly even touched you. Everywhere he touched felt like a match being struck, and you were burning up.

Fred left matching love bites on the inside of both of your thighs before his nose nudged along your core. He kissed you once, so delicately, right on your center before he began to torture you with his tongue.

He started on your clit, working on it in circles with his tongue. Your hand was fisted in his hair, your abs clenching at the feeling of his mouth on you. The noises coming out of your mouth were obscene.

Fred's tongue flattened, making long strokes from your opening back up to your clit. One of his hands gripped your hip bone and the other reached up to find yours, holding it against the mattress.

He sucked your clit into his mouth, sending your back arching up off of the bed. You wanted more of his touch, more of him.

"Freddie, please. More, I need more," you whined out, unashamed of how pathetic you sounded.

He removed his hand from your hip, plunging one finger inside of you. Your head tilted back as you groaned at the stretch.

"Oh fuck, you feel so good," he praised, muttering the words into your center. "My needy girl."

Fred's finger worked into you at a steady pace, matching the intensity of his mouth on your clit. He was still holding your hand, looking up from under his lashes to watch you fall apart.

He dove another finger in, and you bit at your bottom lip to suppress the moan that wanted to come out of you.

"Let me hear you, love," he said, curling his fingers to hit the perfect spot.

You let out a moan, your thighs squeezing around Fred's face as his fingers met that spot again and again. Your orgasm was building, and you were teetering on the edge.

"So close. Fuck, Freddie," you murmured, your eyes squeezed shut.

He continued exactly as he was, bringing you to the brink.

"Look at me," he commanded, his hand tightening on yours.

Your eyes flicked open, connecting with Fred's gaze. His hair was wrecked and his eyes were focused on you. The image of Fred between your legs was something that you never wanted to forget.

It was only another minute before you reached your peak, your mouth parting on a moan as your back arched off of the bed. Fred worked you through it, slowly pulling his fingers out of you and leaving gentle kisses on your belly.

"So good for me," Fred muttered between kisses, finally releasing your hand that he was holding.

He put his fingers into his mouth, sucking your wetness off of them. Fred groaned, making direct eye contact when he pulled his fingers back out of his mouth.

You were breathing hard, your baby hairs stuck to your sweaty temples. Your body felt limp, completely pliant under Fred's gentle touch.

Fred rose to his feet before laying on the bed and pulling you into his arms. He kissed you on top of your head, his hand rubbing your back as you returned to reality.

"Mmm," you groaned, nuzzling your head into his neck.

Fred chuckled, running a hand through your hair. "Doing alright?" he asked, tipping your chin back to kiss you on the forehead.

"So good," you mumbled, planting a kiss on his jaw.

You mustered all of your energy to swing your leg around his torso, straddling him. His hands went to your thighs, gripping them as you settled your hands on his chest.

"Your turn," you said with a smirk.

Fred smirked back, his hands creeping up your thighs and settling onto your waist. You leaned forward to kiss him, your tongue dipping into his mouth.

You rocked your hips against his, and Fred groaned into your mouth. He was already hard, his own hips meeting yours. His fingers dug into your hips, pulling you closer against him.

Fred's fingers found the clasp of your bra, undoing it easily. You pulled back, tugging the straps down your arms before tossing your bra to the floor.

Fred's eyes widened as he took you in, his gaze becoming hungry. His fingers twitched at your hips, desperate to touch you.

"Can I?" he asked, almost whispering.

You nodded, grinning at his reaction. He was like a child on Christmas morning, desperate to tear into his gifts.

His hands glided up your waist, his fingers dragging along your ribs before resting on your boobs. He circled his thumbs on your nipples, pulling a moan from you.

Fred pulled you down onto him, sucking a nipple into his mouth. You gasped in surprise, your hands bracing against his shoulders. Fred's teeth grazed your nipple, and you worked your hips down harder against him.

Fred switched his mouth to your other nipple, giving it the same treatment. You were whining from the feeling of his mouth on you and the friction of your center against him, feeling dizzy all over again.

He pulled his mouth off of you, looking satisfied. "I've been waiting ages to do that," he said.

You chuckled, breaking the intensity of the moment. You leaned down to kiss him, your wits starting to return.

You rested your forehead against his, halting the movement of your hips. He was incredibly hard, his dick straining against his briefs. It almost seemed like it hurt.

"Want something, Freddie?" you asked.

He ground his hips up into yours, chasing the friction. "We are not playing this game again," he huffed.

You chuckled, skimming your hands down his chest to toy with the waistband of his briefs. "Fine, I'll take it easy on you this time," you conceded.

You tugged at his waistband, pulling his underwear down and off his legs. You adjusted yourself to sit over his thighs, taking his dick in your hand.

You gave him a few pumps, and Fred's short nails dug into you. "Please love, I need to feel you," he said, completely desperate.

You gave him a satisfied smirk, sitting up on your knees to position yourself over him. "Who is the needy one now?" you quipped, sinking down onto him without warning.

Fred groaned, your own mouth dropping open at the intensity of the stretch. You worked yourself up and down slowly, adjusting yourself to the feeling of him inside of you.

One of your hands moved to wrap around his throat, squeezing lightly as you picked up the pace. The movement of Fred's hips matched yours.

"Fuck," Fred muttered. "So good. So tight."

You peered down at Fred, watching his face contort with a combination of focus and pleasure. His eyebrows were drawn together and his mouth was just slightly open, his breathing becoming more rapid.

You leaned back, propping your hands on his thighs. Your head tipped back, letting out a groan at the feeling of the new angle. Fred was able to hit a deeper spot inside of you, making your vision feel fuzzy.

"That's it, love," he said. "Just like that. Need to make you feel good."

You moaned in response, bringing your hips down harder against him. The pace was pushing the air right out of your lungs, but it felt too good.

Fred held your hips, flipping you onto your back before he pulled out of you. "It's my turn," he said. "Can you get on your knees for me?"

You nodded, moving to get on your hands and knees. Fred moved your hair over one shoulder, kissing down your spine before he pushed into you from behind.

You both groaned, and Fred worked into you slowly before increasing the pace. He gripped your hips, snapping you back against him.

Your head tipped forward onto the mattress, every swear word in your vocabulary leaving your mouth as Fred pounded into you. The room felt like it was spinning.

"Stay with me," he said. "Focus on me, love."

He pulled on your shoulders, straightening you to bring your back to his chest. The different position tore a moan from your throat, your head rolling back to rest on his shoulder.

Fred played with your nipple with one hand and began to work on your clit with the other. Your body was tensing up, getting close to your finish.

"That's my girl," he murmured into your ear. "All mine."

You hummed in response, your words disintegrating in your mouth. Fred was hitting the perfect spot inside of you, and his fingers on your clit were making your thighs shake.

"So close," you breathed out, barely able to form the words.

Fred kept going, nipping along the slope of your neck. You were finally orgasming for a second time, lewd moans leaving your mouth as you tightened around him.

"I'm almost there, love," Fred said, his voice straining. "That's my good girl."

You whined, overstimulated as Fred fucked you. He left love bites on your neck, and he thrusted harder as he chased his finish.

Fred pushed you forward onto your elbows, pulling out of you moments before he finished. He came on your back with a groan, his hands bracing around you on the mattress.

The only sound in your dorm was your labored breathing as both of you came down. Fred kissed your shoulder blades before he cast a cleansing charm, cleaning you up.

He flopped over, laying his head on your pillows before pulling you to his chest. You were both sweaty, exhausted from the effort.

Fred's nails traced up and down your back, his nose nuzzling into your hair. You were still speechless, your body feeling like gelatin.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his other hand wrapping around your hip to pull you closer.

"Mmm," you replied, your face against his chest. "Very okay."

Fred chuckled. He played with the ends of your hair, combing it through his fingers.

"I didn't mean to be so rough," he said, sounding apologetic.

"You weren't," you said, propping your chin on his chest to stare at him.

"Well..." he said, poking at the finger shaped bruises on your hips. "I definitely was."

"Freddie, you were perfect," you reassured, giving him a light kiss on his lips.

He hummed in response, pulling the fleece blanket from the end of your bed over your entwined bodies. His hand was splayed around your hip, his thumb running up and down your hip bone.

There were so many truths resting at the tip of your tongue. You wanted to be with Fred. You wanted him to want you. You wanted this to be real. He made you feel things that you had never felt before.

But there were questions too. Why did he come into your room in a whirlwind of panic? What was he trying to avoid thinking about? And what he said during sex about you being "his girl" and "all his"...did that mean anything, or was it just the heat of the moment?

Your plot to win Adrian back felt completely pointless. You didn't even want him back anymore. You wanted Fred. Sitting with that thought was enough to make you feel nauseous.

"Are you listening to me?" Cedric asked, poking at your side.

You flinched, pulling away from his touch. He knew where your ticklish spots were. "Yes, yes. Hufflepuff, quidditch, quaffles, blah blah blah," you teased, grinning at him.

"You absolutely were not listening," he replied, returning your grin. "What's going on in there?"

Cedric tapped on your head with his finger. He had been doing this for years. Any time that you were lost in your thoughts, he would tap on your head to ask what you were thinking.

You shrugged. Explaining everything to Cedric would be too complicated. And you promised Fred that you wouldn't tell anyone that your relationship was a ruse.

"Is it about Fred?" Cedric asked, leaning his own shoulder against the wall to face you.

The music of the party in the common room was loud enough that no one could overhear your conversation. You watched as other students laughed, danced, and took shots. It made you feel a certain sense of longing. At least they didn't have to fake everything.

You turned your head to meet Cedric's concerned gaze. Your words felt trapped in your throat. You didn't even know where to begin.

"Do you think that Fred likes me as much as I like him?" you blurted.

Cedric's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"It's pretty obvious that I like him quite a bit," you said. "Do you think he likes me that much? Or does it seem one-sided?"

Cedric considered for a moment. "Dee, I really think that's something that you need to talk to him about," Cedric finally answered.

You huffed. "From an outside perspective, does it seem like he even likes me?" you tried again.

"What is prompting these questions?" Cedric asked, clearly worried.

"I just...Merlin, I was so foolish when it came to Adrian," you said. "I don't want to do that again. I don't trust my own instincts. What if everyone thinks that Fred actually doesn't like me?"

Cedric reached down to squeeze your hand, attempting to comfort you. "All that matters is what you think. Other people don't have a say in your relationship, that's between you and Fred."

"Fuck Cedric, can you be catty for one goddamn second?" you burst out.

Cedric pulled back, surprised at your reaction. You breathed out, trying to calm down.

"I'm sorry," you said, taking his hand again. "I just want your opinion. From my perspective, Fred and I seem like a good couple. But I thought that about Adrian and I, which was so wrong that it embarrasses me to even think about."

Cedric's face softened in understanding. His thumb rubbed circles onto the back of your hand, trying to reassure you.

"I haven't really paid much attention," he said honestly. "I'll keep an eye on you two tonight and let you know what I see."

"Thank you, Ced," you replied. "I cannot go through another Adrian situation again."

"Have I told you how glad I am that you realized you are far too good for Adrian?" Cedric asked, his lips quirking up into a smirk.

"Harsh words coming from the lips of Cedric Diggory? I would never!" you replied dramatically, a smile cracking across your face.

You didn't even notice that Fred and George had entered the party. You were too wrapped up in your conversation with Cedric.

"Should I be worried that I have competition?" Fred teased as he approached you and Cedric.

Cedric dropped your hand, sending you a sheepish look.

"Of course not, love," you drawled out. "Cedric is my best mate, there is nothing to worry about. And don't even think about being jealous. I would choose my friendship with him over you every time."

Fred's eyebrows shot up in shock. "Yeah? Standing your ground, huh?" Fred said, a grin tugging at his lips.

Cedric's eyes bounced between the two of you like he was watching a tennis match.

"You might be handsome, but you're not the boss of me," you shot back, suppressing your own grin.

"Handsome? Now you're just trying to get into my pants," Fred teased. He wanted to make you blush. And he wanted to win this verbal volley.

"It's really that easy? Then I would've called you handsome ages ago," you said, an eyebrow quirked up at him.

Fred let out a chuckle. "You and your smart mouth," he said, stepping closer to you.

"Be careful, if you say 'mouth' and 'pants' in the same sentence, you'll make Cedric blush," you said, turning your gaze to Cedric with a cheeky grin.

As if on cue, a blush spread across Cedric's perfect cheeks. He shook his head, a slight grin on his lips.

"I'll leave you to it," Cedric said. "Please try not to brawl in my common room."

You and Fred both chuckled as Cedric ducked away, heading toward a group of other Hufflepuffs.

"You and Diggory, huh?" Fred said, eyeing you.

You scoffed. "Are you truly jealous?"

"No," Fred brushed off. "You're not my real girlfriend. I'm just saying that you look quite cozy with another bloke for someone who is supposed to be dating me."

"Cedric and I have been close for ages," you said. "If I wanted to shag him, I would have by now. Everyone knows that."

"If you say so," Fred shrugged.

The potential of Fred being jealous tugged at your heart. Of course you didn't want him to resent Cedric, but the idea that Fred cared enough to be worried in the first place...it made you more hopeful than you cared to admit.

Fred took your hand, leading you over to get a drink. He poured a shot for you, then a shot for himself.

"Cheers to my Slytherin princess and being the hottest couple at Hogwarts," Fred said with a grin, raising his shot.

You tapped your plastic shot cup against his. You took your shots in sync, and you didn't even flinch as the firewhiskey burned a path down your throat.

Fred took your cup, filling it with another serving before he filled his own. "Lee has been talking about you all week," he said.

Your eyebrows raised in surprise. "Yeah? Did he tell you about his interrogation in the quidditch stands?"

Fred grinned at you again. "He did," Fred chuckled. "He said that you had quite high praise for me."

You swallowed. You knew that your words would get back to Fred. You could play it off as part of your charade, or you could own up to the truth of it.

"I did," you confirmed, trying not to crush the life out of your plastic cup. "Lee was skeptical, so I had to make him believe me."

You were evading the truth, but only slightly. It was all about omission. It's not like Fred had asked you if what you said about him was real or if it was rehearsed.

"And he said that you went toe to toe with Pucey," Fred continued. "Defending my honor against the bloke that you're trying to get back with? Interesting strategy."

Your cheeks felt excessively warm. You couldn't tell if it was the firewhiskey kicking in or the conversation.

"Right, well..." you started, trying to formulate a response. Instead, you knocked back your shot, momentarily pausing the conversation.

Fred laughed. "Is talking to me really that bad?" he joked.

You tossed your shot cup into a nearby rubbish bin. "No, but I didn't agree to come to this party with you to play twenty questions," you bit out.

You didn't want to have this conversation here. You didn't really want to have this conversation at all. It was all so messy, and combing through your own feelings wasn't really your specialty.

"My bad, tiger," Fred chuckled in surrender. He took his own shot, throwing his cup away.

"How about we dance then? Since you didn't agree to talking," Fred suggested, a grin playing at his lips.

You rolled your eyes at him. "Whatever," you said, grabbing his hand to lead him to the dance floor.

It was a jumble of sweaty bodies. Some students were dancing, others were simply swaying side to side, and of course there were couples scattered about snogging in quite a public fashion.

You faced Fred, pulling his hands down to rest on your hips. You were close enough that you could feel the heat radiating off of his chest. You swayed to the music, moving in time with Fred.

"Alicia does not look pleased," Fred said, leaning close to your ear so you could hear him.

You resisted the temptation to turn over your shoulder to see for yourself. You were familiar with her glares and the tightness of her jaw whenever she saw you with Fred. The whole fake dating thing was working quite well.

You hummed out an acknowledgment, not wanting to pick up that thread of conversation. Making Alicia jealous was the whole point. But being reminded that Fred's end goal wasn't to be with you...it stung. Even though that was the arrangement from the beginning.

You hadn't intended to completely adore Fred Weasley. You agreed to this charade because you had wanted Adrian back, and you were pretty certain that you wouldn't find yourself attracted to Fred. Of course you had always thought he was cute with his fiery hair, dusting of freckles, and muscular quidditch build, but didn't everyone think that?

Now everything had changed. You had gotten to know the real Fred, the Fred that most of Hogwarts never got to see. There was a level of intimacy between you and him that never existed when you were with Adrian. Fred genuinely cared about your wellbeing and wanted to hear your thoughts. And he was open with you, far more open than you had expected.

The line between ruse and reality had been blurring for the past few weeks, and it was only getting worse. You weren't doing yourself any favors by continuing to be Fred's "girlfriend" and by hooking up with him, but you wanted him in any way that you could have him. This was the only way.

"Lee thinks that you're a cracking girlfriend," Fred said, his voice interrupting your thoughts. "He made sure to share that sentiment several times this week. And he shared it in front of quite the crowd of Gryffindors, Alicia included."

You nodded in response, pinning your gaze onto the collar of Fred's t shirt. You still didn't want to have this conversation.

Fred's hand moved up from your waist to lightly squeeze at your ribs. "Love, what is wrong?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

You pulled your eyes up from Fred's collar to meet his worried look. "Nothing, just...I probably could have handled things with Lee differently."

"I think you were great," Fred replied, rubbing his thumb against your ribs in a soothing motion. "Lee thinks you're perfect for me. He loved replaying your standoff with Pucey over and over. He especially loved your line about where Pucey has been sticking his dick."

You chuckled. You had to admit, it was quite an incredible comeback.

"Lee said that it looked like you were going to swing on Pucey," Fred said, a lopsided grin appearing on his face. "Now that I would pay to see."

You laughed again, finally relaxing a bit. Fred had that effect on you. He was able to calm your nerves.

"I do appreciate you standing up for me," Fred continued. "It definitely didn't win you any points with Pucey, but it's hot nonetheless."

You rolled your eyes at him. You were refusing to take any of his flirting seriously. You couldn't. It would only hurt you even more.

"I'm serious," he said, moving his hand back down to hold your hip. "I'm very capable of defending myself. But knowing that you were ready to incinerate someone in my defense...that means something to me."

You just blinked at him, taking in his words.

"You're quite ferocious, you know," he said, smirking at you. "It's charming. And very sexy."

He threaded his fingers through the belt loops of your low rise jeans, pulling you closer to him. It felt like your heart was going to leap right out of your throat.

Fred stared down at you, his lips still fixed in a grin. "I'll consider forgiving you for calling me a parasite," he said.

A laugh bubbled out of your throat. It broke through the blazing intensity of the moment.

"It's bold of you to assume that I'm even asking for your forgiveness," you replied, smirking back at him.

Fred chuckled, shaking his head at you. "You can't ever let me win, can you?"

"Never," you said, reaching up to tangle your fingers through his hair.

Fred leaned down, his lips meeting yours. It was the second time he had kissed you without asking or prompting you to perform your part. It was...confusing.

You kissed him back, catching his bottom lip between your teeth. You pulled it gently, a quiet groan coming out of Fred in response.

He broke the kiss, staring down at you with a burning intensity. "Playing dirty, huh?" he practically growled, a mischievous grin painted on his lips.

He held your hips, turning you around so your back was pressed up against his front. His left hand splayed along your hip bone, his thumb teasing the skin that was exposed beneath the hem of your baby tee.

He kept you moving to the music, his body pressed against yours. "Did I mention how irresistible this outfit is?" he muttered into your ear.

Fred's breath against your ear sent a shiver down your spine. You felt breathless and completely out of control.

He used his other hand to sweep your hair over one shoulder, exposing your neck. He kissed along your jaw, working his way down to your neck.

Fred nipped at your skin, and you leaned back into his chest. Your eyes were closed, letting yourself have this moment with Fred before you would have to confront the stares of other students.

You opened your eyes slowly. There weren't as many sets of eyes on you as you had expected. There were a few students who would sheepishly flick their gaze to you before looking away, but most everyone else was in their own world.

You gaze caught on Alicia. She was glaring daggers at you, and you could practically see smoke coming out of her ears. It would only be a matter of time before she came crawling back to Fred.

Fred pulled your hips tighter against his. You gasped as your bum met something very hard against the front of Fred's jeans.

"Do you feel what you do to me?" Fred mumbled against your skin, kissing back up toward your ear.

You reached for his hand that was holding you at your hip. You rested your own hand on top of his for a moment before turning around to face him.

"Would you like some help with that?" you asked, blinking up at him with an innocent stare.

Fred chewed his bottom lip for a moment, gazing down at you. "You don't have to, love."

You reached out to take his hand. "I want to," you said, standing on your toes to kiss him on the cheek before you pulled him from the dance floor.

You pulled him through the crowd of students and down a hallway that led away from the common room. You reached into your pocket, digging out a key. You unlocked the door at the end of the hallway, turning over your shoulder to look at Fred.

"Come on," you said, motioning with your head for him to follow you.

You stepped into the room. It was an old office with a large oak desk, matching upholstered loveseats, and heavy floral curtains. You used your wand for a lumos spell; the lights in this room hadn't worked in ages.

"What is this place?" Fred asked, taking in his surroundings.

You leaned against the desk. "It's an office from when the professors used to live in the student dormitories. It's too small to be a room for students, so they just left it like this."

"Why did you have the key?" Fred questioned, approaching you at the desk.

"It's Cedric's prefect key. I had a feeling that I might need access to some restricted areas tonight," you replied, a grin pulling at one side of your mouth.

Fred grinned back, reaching for your hands to pull you towards him. He peered down at you, admiring your features. He thought you were perfect.

"What are you staring at?" you asked, a nervous giggle punctuating your question.

"You," he said quietly, his eyes adoring. He reached his hand up to brush his thumb along your cheekbone, cupping your jaw with his hand.

You felt like molten lava under his gaze. No one else had ever made you feel like this. So wanted. So reckless. So greedy.

Your words felt lost on your tongue. There was nothing for you to say. So you stood on your toes and kissed Fred.

It was a gentle kiss. Careful, adoring, full of meaning. You hoped that Fred could feel it, feel how your heart belonged to him. Even if you couldn't get the words out.

Fred's other hand found your waist, pulling you in tight against his chest. He kissed you slowly, savoring the feeling of your body close against his. He knew that being with you like this was unwise. You were only supposed to be getting it out of your system, not...well, whatever this was becoming.

Your hands crept up Fred's back, pulling him even closer. You dug your nails into the cotton of his t shirt, causing a moan to ripple through his chest.

Fred pulled back from the kiss, staring at you in the dim wandlight of the room.

"Fuck, is this a good idea?" Fred asked with the last shred of sanity that he had left.

"Getting it out of our system, right?" you replied, staring back at him. It was better for both of you to deny that this was more than just a fleeting attraction.

He nodded, pulling you back into a kiss. This time, his tongue dove into your mouth. The pace of the kisses were much faster now, and what had once been a slow, heartfelt makeout turned into something much messier.

Fred gripped your hips, pulling you with him as he walked backwards towards one of the loveseats. He sat down, pulling you on top of his lap. You straddled him, giving you the height advantage for the first time.

"I like this view," you teased, pausing the kisses for a moment.

"Of course you would like being on top," Fred replied with a smirk, squeezing your hip.

"You're filthy," you said, pushing at his chest with your hands.

You kissed the smirk right off of his lips, dragging your nails up his chest and into his hair. Fred groaned again, his hands finding their way down to cup your arse.

You could still feel his erection through his pants, and you very much intended to do something about it. But you were going to make him work for it first.

You ground your hips against his, breathing out a whine into Fred's mouth. He reached for your hips, holding them tight as he rocked your hips against his.

"Fuck," he muttered, his head falling back against the back of the loveseat.

You grinned down at him, very pleased with yourself. You wanted to make Fred Weasley beg.

"Feel good, baby?" you asked, whispering the words into his ear as you nipped at his earlobe.

Fred groaned in response, tightening his grip on your hips. His eyes were closed and his mouth was just barely agape, he was clearly lost in the moment.

You kissed along his neck, nipping at the sensitive skin with your teeth. You were still grinding against him, working him up as much as you could.

"What do you need?" you asked him, still busy marking up his neck.

Fred's grip on you faltered for a moment, and his eyes fluttered open. He looked at you, his eyes dark with intensity and lust.

"Fuck, I...whatever you want," he replied breathily, his words getting tangled.

You let out a light chuckle, tracing your thumb along his lips. You loved those lips.

"I know, but what do you need?" you asked again, cradling his jaw with your hand as he stared up at you.

Fred felt squirmy underneath you, considering his options. His eyes were almost pleading, silently begging you to do his will without him having to verbalize it.

You were loving this. Having Fred underneath you, completely at your mercy...it was addicting.

"I...can you...your mouth," he stuttered, looking at you with desperation.

You had never seen Fred so flustered. You smirked, lowering yourself off of his lap and onto the floor between his legs. You gripped his belt, undoing the buckle before you began to work on his jeans.

Fred's breathing was fast, his desire and desperation incredibly clear. You took your time, pulling his jeans down to his ankles.

Your hands snaked up his legs, resting on top of his quidditch-muscled thighs. You rose up onto your knees and tilted your head back, silently requesting a kiss.

Fred's fingers gripped into your hair, his teeth almost crashing into yours as he pulled your mouth to him. The kiss felt filthy and needy, and you knew that you had Fred exactly where you wanted him.

You nipped at Fred's lower lip before pulling out of the kiss, lowering back down to sit on your knees. Your hands wandered up his thighs and along the waistband of his briefs.

You grinned at him, relishing in the intensity of his gaze as he watched your hands and waited patiently. You knew that he was trying to be polite. What a sweet boy.

One of your hands slipped down to grip Fred through his briefs. A choked sigh escaped his lips, and Fred dug his nails into the cushions of the loveseat.

"So needy, baby," you muttered through a smirk, leaning forward to nip at his inner thigh.

You continued to palm Fred through his briefs, your other hand playing with the waistband of his briefs. He was biting his bottom lip, trying to keep himself under control.

"Are you going to ask nicely?" you said sweetly, staring at him and batting your lashes.

"Fuck," he said, his eyes going to the ceiling. "Please."

You gripped him harder, and his bottom lip was almost completely sucked into his mouth.

"I need your words, Freddie," you said, your hand dipping into his briefs and tracing along his hip bone.

"Please," he rasped out. "Please suck my dick."

A light chuckle rumbled out of your throat. Finally.

Your fingers hooked into the waistband of his briefs and you pulled them down, freeing his hard length. You took him into your hand, working him slowly.

"Fuck Delia, please," Fred groaned.

His eyes were glued onto yours. You simply stared back at him, the corners of your mouth turned up in a tiny, satisfied smile.

You pulled your hand off of his dick, spitting into your palm. Your hand went back to work, but much faster this time.

You knew that you were being lewd. But Fred was loving it. He had never felt so turned on in his entire life. To have the Slytherin princess herself on her knees for him...fuck, it was something out of a wet dream.

"I need your mouth," he breathed out, desperate for more.

"But Freddie, I want to take my time with you," you said, your eyes sparkling with mischief as you stared at him.

"Please," he said, his voice almost turning into a whine.

"Mmm, only because you asked so politely," you said, sitting up and pulling your hair back.

Your hand continued its work, and you leaned forward to tease Fred's tip with your tongue. You put just the tip in your mouth, sucking on it for a few seconds before releasing him.

"Fuckkkkkk," he groaned. "You're such a tease."

You chuckled. You flattened your tongue, running it up and down his length.

"What are you going to do about it?" you challenged.

Fred's eyes darkened. He didn't want to be rough with you. He couldn't. But he was so desperate.

His hand tangled into your hair, dragging your head forward. "Please, love. I don't want to hurt you."

Fred sounded so tender and vulnerable. You finally gave in, giving Fred what he wanted.

You took him into your mouth, working deeper and deeper until you reached his base. Fred's hips began to buck up into your mouth, and his nails dug into your scalp.

"Oh fuck, taking me so well, love," he said, his voice breathy and strained.

Your eyes were watering from fighting your gag reflex, but you were determined. You picked up your pace, your head bobbing faster as you sucked him.

The noises coming out of Fred were filthy. He was swearing, praising you, crying out your name. It was exactly what you had wanted.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come," he said, trying to pull your head back. He didn't want to take any liberties without express permission.

You gripped his thigh, pulling yourself further down onto him to prevent him from pulling your mouth off. Your eyes flicked up to his, and he looked completely wrecked.

It was only a few more moments before Fred was coming, his eyes squeezing shut as he let out a groan. You slowed down, carefully working him out of your mouth before you swallowed.

Fred stared down at you in awe. Every word in his vocabulary seemed to evaporate. What were you doing to him?

You guided his briefs and jeans back up his legs, helping him get dressed while he was still in a daze. He flopped himself over on the couch, his long legs dangling off of the end.

He grabbed your hands, pulling you off of the floor and into his chest. He held you there, his hand stroking your back as his breathing started to return to normal.

"You're a freak," Fred finally said. "I love it."

You giggled into his chest, enjoying his light touch. You were quite proud of yourself.

Fred nudged his nose into your hair, kissing the top of your head. "Thank you," he murmured into your hair.

You giggled again. "You're thanking me for a blowjob?"

Fred chuckled, the sound seeping into your bones and making you feel like warm honey. He had this effect on you.

"I guess?" he replied, kissing your head again. "You're just...fuck Delia, you're incredibly sexy."

"Whatever," you replied, rolling your eyes even though he couldn't see your face.

He pulled back, sitting up and forcing you to look at him. "I'm serious," he said, his fingers tucking a lock of hair behind your ear. "It's not lost on me how incredibly lucky I am to be your fake boyfriend. I know plenty of blokes who would take me on just for the opportunity to make you smile."

You let out an exasperated huff. "Get off it, Fred," you said.

"Do you not realize who you are, Delia?" he asked, staring at you seriously. "You're this perfect, intelligent, whirlwind of a girl who is loyal to a fault. You're funny, you're feisty, and you're gorgeous. Do you not see that?"

It felt like all of the air was being sucked out of your lungs. You shrugged.

Fred cupped your jaw, turning you to face him. "Truly, anyone is fortunate to have you. As a friend, as a lover, whatever. Other people admire you, even if you don't always admire yourself."

You were biting the inside of your cheek, willing the tears not to come. No one had ever spoken to you like this.

"I hate when you're nice to me," you finally replied.

Fred let out a light chuckle. "I'm not being nice, I'm being honest."

Fred kissed you on the forehead. "Let's get straightened up and head back out there, yeah?"

You nodded, your chest feeling tight with emotion. Every time you convinced yourself that Fred saw you only as a means to an end, he said or did something to give you hope that he felt differently. You adored him, and you were starting to wonder if maybe he adored you right back.

——

You were settled under your favorite tree in the courtyard, your legs stretched out in front of you in the grass. It was your hour lunch break, and you were skipping the Great Hall to study for an exam.

You had a textbook open next to you and several others stacked nearby, and you were jotting down notes onto the parchment in front of you. Divination was your worst grade, and you were determined to ace the upcoming exam.

You were so focused that you didn't notice Fred until he was sitting down next to you. You looked up from your parchment, ink smeared on your hands.

"What are you doing here?" you asked, obviously confused.

"It's lovely to see you as well, thank you," Fred replied in a teasing tone. 

He was holding something. It appeared to be something wrapped up in napkins. You gave him a wary glance.

"That's not explosive, is it?" you questioned, an eyebrow raised at him.

"You truly think the worst of me, don't you?" he chuckled, handing you the napkin wrapped parcel.

You inspected it for a moment before you unwrapped it. Inside was a turkey sandwich and a few chocolate biscuits. Your emotions whirled between shock, confusion, and adoration for Fred. You turned to look at him, waiting for an explanation.

"That's your lunch. You've got to feed that big brain," Fred tapped your head with his finger, grinning at you.

"Why did you bring me lunch, and how did you know to find me here?" you asked, still slightly in awe of this gesture.

"I noticed that you weren't in the Great Hall," Fred said. "I asked Cedric if he knew where you were, and he said that you would probably be studying here."

Fred shrugged it off as if it was the most normal thing ever. Like this was just an average thing for the two of you.

"So...you came to find me to bring me lunch?" you said, still not grasping his motivation.

Fred chuckled. "Yes, is that a crime?"

You narrowed your eyes at him. "Since when did you start concerning yourself with my whereabouts and eating habits? Have you been writing my mother?"

Fred let out another laugh, leaning back on his hands. "As much as your mother would love to hear from me," he started sarcastically. "I wanted to make sure you ate something. You're always working too hard."

You finally took a bite of the sandwich, flicking your gaze back to your parchment. Divination still made very little sense to you, and having Fred interrupt your study session definitely was not helping the matter.

"Have you talked to Pucey lately?" Fred asked casually, as if this question wouldn't make your throat feel like it was going to close.

You choked on your bite of sandwich, reaching for the water that you had stashed in your bag. You took a drink, trying to calm down before the mention of Adrian made you choke to death.

"That bad, huh?" Fred said, a lopsided grin on his lips.

You swallowed. "I mean, we haven't really talked," you answered honestly. "I'm not sure that I want to."

Fred's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "What do you mean?" 

You shrugged. "Adrian isn't who I thought he was," you tried to explain. "Or maybe I'm not who I thought I was. I'm not sure yet."

Fred stared at you, cocking his head to the side as if he was trying to figure you out. "Who did you think you were?" he probed.

You sighed. "I thought that I needed to be a flawless, virtuous pureblood in order for anyone to like me or think that I'm worth their time," you said. "And in a way, I was that. I did everything that my parents wanted, I followed rules to the letter. But when I think about it, I wasn't happy. I didn't feel fulfilled or excited or really much of anything. I don't...I think I'm still figuring out who I am outside of who I'm expected to be."

Fred's eyes were soft and understanding. He nodded along as you tried to explain, taking in your words.

"What do you think changed?" he asked, encouraging you to keep going.

You considered for a moment until it struck you. It was Fred. Being around Fred had changed you. It opened your mind to new things and your heart to new ideas. His joyful, thrill seeking behavior made you want to experience those things for yourself.

"Let me guess, it was detention," Fred joked, kicking at your foot with his own. "You got your first detention and it sent you into a whole new solar system."

You let out a little chuckle. "That wasn't my first detention," you replied.

Fred's eyes widened in shock. "Really? I'm dying to know what trouble you have been in before."

"Draco wouldn't stop pulling on my plaits during a house meeting during his first year, so I punched him in the face," you said casually. "He told his father, of course. So I had to go to detention."

Fred's mouth dropped open. "You punched Malfoy? In the face?"

You laughed. "I did, so what?"

"Fuck, Delia. You truly are a badass," Fred said, genuinely impressed.

You rolled your eyes. "Whatever, that's not the point. My point is that I'm not sure I really want to be with Adrian. I'm expected to be with him. And also, I'm not quite sure that I even like him as a person."

Fred stared at you, silence creeping in. Now that it was out, it was out.

"What made you change your mind?" Fred asked softly. He could tell that he was navigating into something sensitive.

You looked down at your feet. "I don't know the exact moment that it changed," you said. "It was a combination of everything. The way he handled our breakup, him running around with other girls the moment we weren't together...that hurt. He cares too much about blood purity, and that's something that I don't think I actually believe in. He's not incredibly kind, and he's definitely not thoughtful. And the things he said about you...I could never be with someone that talks about you like that."

You could feel Fred studying you. You couldn't bear to look at him. The words were coming out of your mouth faster than you could stop them. 

"And really, I think that I just want to choose," you continued. "I want to choose what I'm interested in. I want to choose my friends. I want to choose who I date. I don't want it to be chosen for me."

Fred's hand reached for yours, and you finally looked over at him. His eyes were full of patience and understanding.

"I get it, Delia. More than you know," he said, squeezing your hand. "You deserve that. You deserve to choose and to be chosen."

Your gaze held his for moment. "Thank you," you said softly, your eyes flicking back down. They landed on where Fred's hand was holding yours in your lap.

"So if you don't want to be with Pucey anymore, should we...stop?" Fred asked quietly, almost like he didn't want to ask it at all.

You took a breath. "No," you said firmly, bringing your eyes back up to Fred's. "You still want to be with Alicia. I know that she's close to breaking. I can do this for you."

Fred shook his head. "Love, that's not fair," he said. "You're getting nothing out of this."

"That is not true," you said. "I have gotten a friend. And a couple of orgasms."

You grinned at him. Fred laughed and grinned back. "I mean, we could always make it a couple more," he replied, waggling his brows at you.

You rolled your eyes, chuckling. You picked up your Divination textbook again, trying to get back on task.

Fred sat with you in silence, his hand still in yours as you studied. It felt so comfortable, so natural for you. You were dreading the day when it would all have to end.

----

Fred chuckled at your excitement. "Do I only get one?" he asked.

You nodded, turning to your side and propping your head up on your hand so you could stare at him. "What would you wish for?" you probed.

He turned his head to look at you, pondering your question. "I'm not sure," he said. "I would probably wish to be smarter."

Your brows drew together, giving him a confused look. "Why that? You're already smart," you replied.

Fred let out a dark chuckle. "I definitely am not smart," he breathed out. "If I were, I would always know exactly what to do."

"There's a difference between being smart and being decisive," you said. "You're incredibly smart. You knew how to make the Calming Draught in Potions without even reading the procedure. Clearly there has to be something rattling around in that head of yours."

Fred laughed, and the sound warmed your entire chest. You loved making him laugh.

"Not according to my mum," he said, his smile dropping from his face. "It's impossible to live up to the standards that my older brothers set. No matter what I do, I'm a disappointment."

Your heart ached as you listened to his words. You knew about his older brothers and how they excelled at academics, especially Percy. You hadn't realized that this weighed so much on Fred.

"Fred, you're not a disappointment," you said, reaching across the space between you to put your hand on his arm. "Your definition of intelligence and success doesn't have to be the same as theirs. You get to do things in your own way."

Fred looked at you, his eyes soft. His gaze flicked from your eyes down to your lips and back again. He turned his head away from you, looking back up at the sky.

"Try telling that to my mum," he replied. "My definition of intelligence doesn't translate to a stable future or career."

His words settled between you as you thought about what to say next.

"If it makes you feel better, I'm a disappointment too," you said.

Fred turned to look at you again, confused. "How could you possibly be a disappointment? You get good marks, the professors like you, and you have the Flint legacy behind your name."

"I have a temper," you answered.

"Really? I haven't noticed," Fred teased, grinning at you.

"Shut it," you said, grinning back. "My parents think that I make rash decisions. And they're probably right, but they think that I'm not capable of making choices for myself."

"Why would that even matter? It's your life," he replied.

"It's just like you said," you explained. "I'm part of the Flint legacy. There are certain expectations for me. I'm supposed to be perfectly proper, keep connections with the other pureblood families, and arrange my life around having a pureblood husband and babies."

Fred looked shocked. "Is that even what you want?" he asked, looking at you with concern.

You shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I'm supposed to want it. I have to want it, I don't have much of a choice."

"Is it the same with Pucey? Does he have to want those things?" Fred questioned, genuinely curious.

"Most pureblood families have the same expectations," you answered. "The girls are supposed to be perfect wives and eventually perfect mothers. The boys are supposed to have successful careers to keep power and prestige within the bloodline. The Pucey family has always been close with mine, and our parents expect us to get married."

Fred's eyebrows shot up. "Married? Like an arranged marriage?"

"Not quite," you said. "There was never any paperwork, but there's an understanding between our families that we will get married after graduating. If we don't, we will both bring shame to our families. I've always been told that I was supposed to be with Adrian."

Fred just stared at you, processing everything that you said. He had no idea that you had these expectations to live up to.

"Do you really want to be with Pucey, or would you rather be with someone else?" he asked.

"I've never let myself consider someone else," you admitted. "It's always been Adrian."

"Damn," Fred huffed out. "And I thought my problems were bad."

You chuckled. "Neither of us live up to our parents' expectations. The only difference is that your parents are the cool kind of purebloods and mine are the culty kind of purebloods."

Fred laughed. "You're right about that."

There were voices in the distance, and they seemed to be approaching. It had to be Fred's friends.

He looked over at you. "Want to show them how much of a couple we are?" Fred asked, grinning.

"I think you just want an excuse to snog me," you teased, returning his grin.

"You wish," he teased back. "Enjoy snogging someone else before you're tied to Pucey for all of eternity."

You shook your head, trying not to laugh. You sat up, pulling Fred toward you. He sat up too, one of his hands finding your cheek as his lips landed on yours.

The kisses were slow and deliberate, and you were trying to stop yourself from smiling. Fred chuckled into the kiss.

"Stop being so happy about kissing me," he chided through your kisses, using his other hand to hold your waist and pull you closer to him.

"I wouldn't dare be happy about it," you joked back, your hand twining through his hair.

But you were happy about it. You enjoyed kissing Fred. Not only because he was good at it, but it made you feel things. Things that you didn't think you should be feeling.

You ran your hand up the back of his head, tangling into his ginger locks. He cupped your jaw, angling your head back before his tongue dipped into your mouth.

It was a surprise at first. Kissing with tongue didn't seem to be on the table, but now that it was an option, you weren't going to stop it.

Your own tongue licked into Fred's mouth, finding his. You could hear the chatter of his friends getting closer, but you wanted this moment to last forever.

A quiet whine escaped your lips as Fred's fingers found your hair, digging his nails into your scalp. You could feel him smirking through the kisses, pleased with himself for making you whine.

"Get a room!" George heckled as he approached.

You and Fred finally pulled away from each other, and you couldn't help the blush that spread across your cheeks. You were grateful that it was dark enough that Fred wouldn't notice.

Fred gave you a wink before turning to his brother. The rest of the group trailed behind George, made up of Lee, Angelina, and Alicia. Your eyes locked with Alicia's, and you noticed the muscle in her jaw pulled tight. She was not happy.

"Thank you for finally joining us," Fred teased, waving his friends over.

Fred opened his knees, pulling you against his chest between his legs. The Gryffindors joined you on the blanket.

"Everyone, this is Delia," Fred introduced, grinning proudly at his friends.

"We already know who she is, you git," George teased, slinging his arm over Angelina's shoulders. "The Slytherin princess in the flesh."

Angelina elbowed at George's side, making him wince. "Being a Slytherin isn't her only personality trait, Georgiana," Angelina scolded. "I'm glad you're here, Delia. Maybe you can keep Freddie in line."

You smiled at Angie. "I doubt it," you chuckled.

"This small talk is nice and all, but can we smoke now?" Lee interrupted, digging through his bag to retrieve the blunt.

"Oh Lee, you are ever the gentleman," Angelina commented, kicking her foot at him.

Fred laughed, his chest rumbling against your back. He played with your hair absentmindedly, running his fingers through it.

Lee lit the blunt, taking a hit before passing it to Alicia. The group chatted, passing the blunt around and making joking jabs at each other.

You listened quietly, settled against Fred's chest. Your own chest felt tight, unsettled by how comfortable you were being touched by Fred.

Your goal was to get Adrian back. You were supposed to be together. But Fred...

Fred made you laugh. He showed deep concern for you and did everything he could to bring you comfort. He wasn't the annoying prankster that you thought he was.

You couldn't have feelings for Fred. It was impossible. But as you rested against his chest, his fingers tangled in your hair, you couldn't think of anywhere else you'd rather be.

——

Fred led you through the portrait, bringing you into the Gryffindor common room. You had been in this room a couple of times before during parties, but you had never seen it in its normal state.

You admired the large brick fireplace and the couches placed around it. There was a group of younger students doing homework together by the fire, laughing and flicking biscuit crumbs at each other.

Your eyes panned to the corner, where you saw Alicia and Angelina working on a project together. Angie waved at you, summoning you and Fred over.

Fred took your hand, grinning down at you. "Ready to ham it up, my love?" Fred said, leaning down to speak into your ear.

Chills crept down your spine at the feeling of his breath on your neck. You swallowed, your mouth suddenly dry.

You cleared your throat. "Of course, sweetie," you replied, forcing a smile onto your lips.

Fred brought you over to Angie and Alicia, his hand still holding yours.

"What are you two up to?" Angie asked, raising an eyebrow as she glanced between you and Fred.

"We're headed up to my room," Fred said, his tone nonchalant. Angie bit down on her lip, trying to suppress a knowing grin.

You could see Alicia's eyes narrow. "Sounds like fun," Alicia bit out. "Angie and I have a lot of work to do. See you later."

Alicia waved at you in dismissal. Fred shrugged it off, turning to lead you up the stairs to his dormitory. When you reached the door, Fred paused before he opened it for you.

"This is where the magic happens," Fred commented, waggling his eyebrows at you.

"Get off it, Fred," you said, biting back a laugh. He opened the door, showing you into his room.

It was pretty much what you imagined it would be. One bed was pushed up against the window, and the other was pushed against the back wall. He walked to the bed by the window, sitting down.

You scanned the rest of the room. There was a desk across from his bed covered in papers and various trinkets. None of it looked homework related, but that seemed about right for Fred.

"Mesmerized?" he asked, causing your eyes to snap to him.

You rolled your eyes at him. "It's neater than I thought it would be," you observed.

Fred raised a hand to his chest, pretending to be wounded. "You think I'm dirty? I can't believe it," he said dramatically. "Well, I am dirty. But not like that."

Fred shot a wink at you, the corner of his mouth quirking up. You rolled your eyes at him again. All of this flirting was making your stomach churn.

You looked at the walls, taking in the photos of Fred with his friends over the years. Various sketches were pinned to the walls of items that you recognized as some of the joke gifts that him and George had created. You made your way around the room, taking it all in. You eventually perched yourself against his desk, staring across the room at him.

Fred's brows furrowed at you. "Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, why wouldn't it be?" you answered, your tone coming out snappier than you had meant it.

Fred stared at you from where he was sitting on his bed, a look of genuine concern on his face. "You just seem...unsettled."

You let out a dry laugh, looking away from him. "Because I am unsettled, Fred. You make me feel unsettled."

"What? How?" he asked, seeming confused. He wasn't accusatory; he wanted to make you feel better.

"This whole thing," you said, motioning to the air between you and Fred. "This is making me confused. I'm feeling things that I shouldn't be feeling. I don't...I shouldn't want to be around you."

You breathed out a frustrated sigh. Fred's eyes softened, finally understanding.

"Delia, of course you're going to feel things," he said, his tone gentle. "It's just the proximity. I'm feeling things too. I know that I love Alicia and that I still want to be with her, but that doesn't stop me from being attracted to you."

You finally looked back at Fred. Your entire body felt hot.

"You're...attracted to me?" you said, sounding disbelieving.

Fred chuckled. "Of course I am," he said, standing up from the bed. "You're funny, you're whip-smart, you have a mind of your own. And you're beautiful, Delia."

"So I can be attracted to you and still want to be with Adrian?" you asked, sounding shy. It was a thought that had never crossed your mind. The whole thing made you feel childish and inexperienced.

"Only you can know that," Fred replied. "I think that attraction and love are different. Attraction can be more temporary, and that's what we're feeling."

"Oh," you said. 

You hadn't really ever considered attraction. Being with Adrian was more about duty than it was about desire. It was hard for you to distinguish between the two. But with Fred, it was all desire.

"Once we get our partners back, it will fizzle out," Fred reassured. "In the meantime, I don't think it would be a terrible idea to get it out of our system."

His words sent a crackle of energy through your chest. Was he implying what you thought he was implying?

"What did you have in mind?" you asked, trying to keep your voice steady. You were nervous.

Fred took a step toward you. "Anything you want," he said, eyeing you from head to toe. "And we don't have to, it's only if you want to."

You gulped. You could think of several things that you wanted, and they all involved nudity.

"I..." you trailed off, trying to form a coherent thought. You could feel your cheeks flaming.

Fred smirked, continuing to approach where you were perched against his desk. "Don't get shy on me now, tiger," he said, his voice coming out like honey. 

Fred was only a couple of feet in front of you now. You let out a shuttering breath before you reached for him, pulling him into you by gripping onto his shirt. 

Fred stuttered forward, forcing you further back onto his desk. You opened your legs for him to stand between them, pulling him in close as you kissed him relentlessly. Fred muttered a spell into the kiss, clearing off the desk.

His hands immediately found your hips, pulling your chest flush with his. The kisses were hot and bruising, an intensity present that hadn't been there before. You reached into his hair, clawing at his scalp. Fred groaned, pausing the kiss to pull back and look at you.

"What do you want, love?" he asked. His chest was heaving, and his eyes were lidded with desire.

"I want..." you breathed out, your eyes searching his. "I need your mouth."

Fred smirked at you. He leaned down to place wet kisses along the column of your neck, working his way up to your ear.

"Where do you need my mouth?" he whispered, nipping at the shell of your ear.

You couldn't stop the gasp that escaped your lips. You arched into him, desperate for more of his touch.

"Anywhere," you answered, sounding breathless. "Everywhere."

Fred continued his kisses along your jaw, your nails digging into the fabric of his uniform shirt. One of his hands found your knee, slowly tracing a finger up the outside of your thigh. It felt like your entire body was vibrating against his touch.

Fred detached his lips from you. "You'll tell me if you wanted to stop, yeah?" he asked, looking into your eyes.

You nodded at him. Fred tsked at you, his hand gripping your thigh.

"Need you to use your words, love," he said, squeezing your thigh.

"Yes, Fred," you said, your words barely coming out as a whisper.

"Good girl," he praised, his lips finding your neck again. You let out a keening noise, tilting your head back to give him better access. 

"Yeah? You like being called a good girl?" he rasped between kisses. You keened again, squeezing your thighs tighter around Fred.

Fred reached for the knot of your tie, undoing it with ease while his other hand traced circles on the outside of your thigh. He released his lips from your neck, pulling back to look at you.

He tossed your tie onto the floor, his fingers starting to work on your buttons next. You tried to slow your breathing, but it seemed like your heart was pounding through your chest. You didn't want to want this, but it felt too good.

He popped the last button open, untucking your shirt from your uniform skirt and pulling it open. His eyes devoured you, roaming from your wide pupils and pink mouth down to your newly exposed chest.

Fred's fingers gently traced along your bare side beneath your shirt, making you shiver. He admired your black bra, his thumb running along the underwire.

"Did you wear this just for me?" he teased, a smirk spreading across his kiss-swollen lips.

"No, I wore it for me," you shot back, your own grin tugging at the corners of your mouth. You were finally finding your voice again.

His fingers played along the waist of your skirt. "I'm curious to know if it's a matching set," he said, his nose bumping against yours as he placed a kiss on your lips.

"Mmm, you'll have to find out then," you replied, winding a hand into his hair to pull his mouth to yours again.

Fred nipped at your bottom lip, both of his hands starting to pull at your skirt. You released your hand from his hair, using it to prop yourself up so Fred could work your skirt down your legs.

You were on his desk in only your undergarments, your shirt hanging open on your shoulders. Fred took a step back, taking you in. 

"Fuck," he muttered, his gaze flicking from your chest down to your black knickers. Of course they matched. You were a classy girl after all.

You leaned back on your palms, basking in his attention. You opened your legs wider, watching as Fred's jaw dropped open for just a second. You smirked at him.

"Are you just going to keep staring, or are you going to get on your knees?" you asked, your voice confident and sultry.

Fred's eyes snapped up to yours. He instantly dropped to his knees, his gaze never leaving yours for a second. He grabbed behind your knees, pulling you toward him. You let out a little gasp, and the sound made the corner of his mouth quirk upwards.

Fred kissed the inside of your knee, making a trail up your thigh. His fingers dug into the soft skin at the top of your thighs as he nipped at your sensitive skin. He was still holding eye contact as his kisses finally reached the fabric of your knickers.

"Please," you whispered, the word snagging on a ragged breath. You needed his mouth on you without any clothing in the way.

Fred pulled at the waistband of your knickers. You lifted your hips for him as he dragged them down your legs, tossing them to the side.

You were splayed out for him on the desk, your bottom half completely bare. Fred stared, licking his lips like he was preparing for a feast. You smirked down at him, feeling not even an ounce of shame about your nakedness.

Fred kissed your inner thighs, his hands gripping around your hips. He worked his way closer to your center, and your thighs clenched around his head.

He placed a delicate kiss on your center, a quivering sigh falling from your lips. His tongue began to gently lap at you, and your hands gripped at his hair for stability. 

Fred flattened his tongue, making long licks from your opening to your clit. He sucked your clit into his mouth and you cried out, your head falling back against the desk with a thump.

Fred continued working on you with his tongue, alternating making tight circles on clit and sucking on it. You pulled at his hair and he groaned, his eyes flicking up to yours.

Your eyes locked on Fred's, wordless communication passing between you. You were clearly enjoying yourself, and so was Fred. You had been wanting this since your kiss in the hallway, and from the fire behind Fred's gaze, so had he.

Fred's hand inched up your stomach, reaching beneath your bra. He found your nipple, pinching and rolling it between his fingers. The moans coming out of your mouth only got louder, and you knew you were close to finishing.

"Fuck, Freddie -- I'm gonna, fuck," you mumbled out, your words jumbling as they tumbled from your lips.

Fred continued exactly as he was, pushing you closer and closer to your orgasm. One of your hands cradled his face, and his fingers dug into your hips.

Your back arched off of the desk as you finished, your thighs tightening even more around Fred's head. He worked you through it, slowing his tongue as you rode through your orgasm.

Your chest was heaving as you came down, sweat beading across your chest. Fred pulled his mouth off of you, leaving a few gentle kisses along your hip bones.

You peered down at him, still catching your breath. "Where did you learn how to do that?" you teased, grinning at him.

Fred grinned back. "Lots of practice, my love," he replied, his thumbs massaging circles into your hips. "Think you can give me one more?"

Your eyes widened at him. Another orgasm? You were still recovering from your first one. This man was going to kill you.

"Fred..." you said, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Let me take care of you," he said, peppering kisses along your lower belly.

"Mmm," you replied, relishing in the feel of his delicate kisses. They felt adoring, a line that you and Fred certainly should not cross.

Fred's mouth began to lower down your belly, finding your center again. You gasped, still sensitive after your first orgasm.

One of his hands left your waist, a finger teasing at your opening. He peered up at you, asking for permission.

All you could do was nod and let out a keening noise that would definitely embarrass you later. Fred pushed his finger in, and you bit your lip at the feeling of the stretch.

Fred's mouth worked on your clit while his finger worked deeper inside you. Swears fell from your mouth as you tightened your grip on Fred's hair.

Your hips started to buck against his mouth, working in time with his finger pulsing inside of you.

"Yeah, love? You like fucking yourself on my face?" Fred purred. His filthy words made your cheeks feel like they were flaming.

He dove another finger in, and you clamped your thighs around him. "Take what you need. So good for me," he muttered into you, working his finger deeper.

Fred found a spot inside of you that made you lose your breath, your back arching off of the desk. He hit the spot again and again, and your legs quivered as he brought you closer to finishing for the second time.

"Come on, you can do it," he encouraged, curling his fingers in just the right way. "Need you to finish for me."

You loved the way he talked to you. It was filthy, it was praising, it was everything you needed. It took only a few more moments before you were falling apart again.

Fred slowed the pace of his fingers, watching you as you came down from your high. He looked at you like you were the most beautiful thing in the world.

You were breathing hard, your legs trembling around Fred's face. He left a final kiss against your thigh before standing up, pulling you into his arms as he lifted you from the desk. He carried you to his bed, placing you on your back as you tried to catch your breath.

Fred laid down next to you, turning his head to look at you. "Did you get it out of your system?" he asked, his mouth quirking up.

You let out a breathy chuckle. "Maybe not quite," you said, lazily nudging at him with your elbow. "I could use you a bit more."

Fred laughed, bringing a hand up to trace along your chin. You looked at him, your heart swelling in your chest. Since when did he make you feel this way?

"I think the entire dormitory heard you, so you're definitely doing a good job of making them think we're a couple," he said.

Your smile faltered. Was that all this was? A way to get back at Alicia and prove that he had moved on? It was the point of your arrangement, but you were at least hoping that he enjoyed it as much as you did.

You sat up, looking around for your clothes. "I should get going," you said. "I'm supposed to meet Cedric in the library."

Fred got off of the bed, moving so you could retrieve your discarded clothing. "Will I see you at my quidditch match?" he asked, watching you as you pulled on your knickers.

"Of course," you said, grabbing your skirt off of the floor. "It's the one against Slytherin, right?"

Fred nodded. "Ooh, I have just the idea," he said, moving toward his closet.

He pulled out his Gryffindor scarf, handing it to you. "Wear this to the match, will you?"

You held the scarf in your hand, considering it. Wearing a Gryffindor scarf to the rivalry quidditch match? That was a bit of a stretch, but you knew that it would get under Adrian's skin.

"I would love to," you said, grinning at Fred. This would be just the ticket to make Adrian regret everything.

----

You found Lee in the Gryffindor stands, waving at him before you approached. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" you asked.

Lee shook his head. "Not at all, I've been meaning to interrogate you about Fred," he replied, sending you a devious smirk.

The quidditch stands were packed, split between green & silver and red & gold. The Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match was always the most anticipated face-down of the season.

You grinned at Lee, playing with the ends of Fred's scarf. You had already received plenty of glares from Slytherin students. They saw you as a traitor for rooting for your "boyfriend's" team.

"I'm ready for your interrogation," you said, sitting next to Lee on the bench.

"Are you and Fred actually dating?" Lee asked, cutting right to the question without any fluff.

Your eyebrows shot up in shock. "What makes you think that we're not?"

Lee shrugged. "You two are just so...different," he said. "And he really loved Alicia. I can't believe that he'd already be with someone else."

The tips of your ears were turning red, and you clenched your fists in your lap. Lee was right, but hearing the words made you feel unsettled.

"I don't know how to explain it," you started, fixing Lee with your most sincere look. "But we really connected during detention. We both had a lot of assumptions about each other, but once we actually spent time together alone...I don't know, everything changed."

Lee considered your words, puckering his lips. "I guess," he said. "I don't have anything against you, I just never expected Fred to date you."

You grinned at Lee. "I didn't expect it either," you said. "Fred has a way of growing on you. Like a parasite."

Lee laughed. You took a breath of relief, feeling like you escaped his questioning and passed the worst of his scrutiny. Lee was known for his lack of filter, and you felt lucky to have survived him.

There was more truth to your words than you expected. Your view of Fred had changed completely. You had thought that he was a careless troublemaker who only ever hoped to get under your skin, but now...he was so much more. You saw his sensitivity, his intelligence, and the pressure he felt to be someone extraordinary. It was endearing.

The teams emerged from the locker room, pulling your attention to the pitch. You spotted Fred, trying to catch his eye. He searched the stands before he found you, sending you a wink and a cheeky grin.

Your eyes flicked to Adrian on the opposite end of the pitch. His gaze was locked on you, taking in the Gryffindor scarf wrapped around your neck. He looked furious, and his fiery gaze was boring right into you.

You smirked to yourself, pleased to have made him so angry. You found Alicia on the pitch, her eyes bouncing between you and Adrian. She narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher what was going on. She seemed suspicious of you.

The teams lined up, preparing for the starting horn. You were nervous, hoping that Fred would pull through with a win for Gryffindor. It was the first and likely only time that you had cheered for Gryffindor during this matchup.

The horn blared and the teams were off, whizzing by on their brooms. You could barely focus on the match. A nervousness was brewing in your stomach. Was Alicia catching on? If Lee doubted your relationship with Fred, who else did?

If you really took the time to think about it, the whole situation made you feel foolish. Cedric's words echoed through your head, reminding you of how immature all of this was. Maybe it was a mistake to agree to this. But in a way, you didn't want it to end.

While you were still lost in your thoughts, the match horn blared again. Harry had caught the golden snitch. The Gryffindor team landed on the pitch, running to crush him in a hug. You and Lee were on your feet, clapping and whooping for the team. You were proud of them, even if it meant a loss for your own house.

You and Lee joined the students that were going down to the pitch to congratulate the team. You had barely gotten a foot onto the pitch before Fred spotted you. He rushed over, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug. He pulled you off of your feet, and you let out a squeak of surprise.

"My good luck charm," he said to you, spinning you around.

You laughed at him. "That was all you, Freddie," you replied.

He put you down. He was staring at you with a charged look, and he began to grin. "Since when did you start calling me 'Freddie'?" he asked.

You rolled your eyes. "Merlin forbid your girlfriend has a nickname for you," you said, suppressing your own grin. You hadn't even noticed the shift until Fred pointed it out.

"It's cute," he said, wrapping his hands around your waist. "I'm more used to you calling me 'arsehole'."

You laughed, reaching up to lace your fingers around his neck. "If the shoe fits..." you teased, your smile finally peeking through.

Fred smiled back for a moment before he leaned down to kiss you. It was a sweet kiss, full of tenderness and adoration. Nothing like what you had shared in his dormitory.

He pulled back, looking at you with a grin before giving you a quick peck on the top of your head. "I have to get cleaned up with the team, will you wait for me?"

You nodded, trying to fight the blush that you knew was forming on your cheeks. To your surprise, Fred didn't comment on it before he turned to leave. It was the adoring kisses like that that made your cheeks burn. Even though Fred had seen you almost completely naked, one gentle kiss could set you ablaze.

"You're really wearing that git's scarf?" Adrian said from behind you. You were lost in your trance thinking about Fred, and his words jarred you back to reality.

You turned to face him. "He's my boyfriend, Adrian," you said. "Of course I'm going to wear his scarf."

"But wearing Gryffindor colors to the rivalry match? You're practically a blood traitor," he said, his fury evident all over his face. "Not to mention your association with a Weasley."

You squared your shoulders, preparing for an argument. "You're one to talk about blood traitors," you spat back. "You've been sticking your dick into every girl at Hogwarts regardless of her bloodline."

Other students were turning to watch the confrontation. You didn't even notice; you couldn't see past the rage that was making your vision feel blurry.

"And don't you ever say a bad word about Fred," you said, balling your fists as you glared at Adrian. "He doesn't need status to prove anything. He is more than good enough on his own."

Adrian glared back at you. "Let me know when you're done being delusional," he said, turning to walk toward his locker room.

You felt like you were going to scream. Your nails were digging into your palms so hard that there would be indents left behind. 

What did you even see in Adrian? Had he always acted like this, and had you always just...accepted it? You didn't want to be anything like him or the purebloods who thought that they were superior. 

"That was wicked," Lee said, sidling up to you. He was grinning, clearly proud of your defense of Fred.

You let out a breath. "Adrian can be such a..." you trailed off.

"Wanker?" Lee filled in for you.

You laughed. "Yes, that sounds like a good word for it."

Lee knocked your shoulder with his. "Hey, you're alright," he said. "I can see why Fred likes you."

You thanked him with a smile. Selling the charade to his friends was exactly what Fred would want, but it was starting to make your stomach feel sour. The more time you spent with Fred, the less you wanted to be with Adrian. But Fred still wanted Alicia.

The whole ruse of dating Fred was the closest you could ever come to actually being with him. Even if he wanted to get back with Alicia, you still had time before she made her move. And you were intending to use that time very wisely.

"I will be assigning your partners for today's class," Snape's voice pierced through your thoughts. "You will work with your partner to brew a Calming Draught."

Snape scrawled the words on the blackboard followed by the list of ingredients. You looked around the room, dreading your partner assignment. This was the only class where you had no friends, and you weren't particularly known for your outgoing tendencies.

"Mr. Diggory with Miss Spinnet, Mr. Davies with Mr. Warrington, Mr. George Weasley with Miss Stimpson, Mr. Fred Weasley with Miss Flint," Snape rattled off the list of partners.

Your eyes rolled involuntarily when you heard Fred's name called alongside yours. Of course you would be paired up with him when you were already having a bad day.

Your dislike for Fred has been simmering for years. He was yet another annoying redhead in the long line of Weasleys that had plagued Hogwarts. You had thought that you might make good friends, but that was before he snuck a toad into your pumpkin juice during first year.

You glanced at Fred, who was already grinning and waving at you from several tables away. He relished in any opportunity to get under your skin. Your fists clenched into the fabric of your skirt, and you forced yourself to take a deep breath. You were not going to let him bother you today.

Stools screeched across the floor as the class began to move to their partners. You stayed put, waiting for Fred to come to you. He lazily collected his things, gave George a pat on the back, and finally began to stride toward you.

"Always a pleasure, Cordelia," he drawled out, taking the final few steps to your table. He gave you a lopsided smirk, sliding his books and parchment onto the table.

"Always a pain in the arse, Frederick," you replied.

"Woah tiger, got your claws out already?" Fred teased, his eyes almost twinkling with satisfaction as he prodded at you.

Fred was the only student in the entirety of Hogwarts who called you "Cordelia". You had been going by Delia for ages, but Fred loved to mock you with your full name. He had told you once that your name made you sound like "a mean old hag". Lovely.

You flipped open your textbook, thumbing through the pages until you found the instructions for the Calming Draught. You were hoping that you could finish the brew quickly and be rid of Fred, even if it meant doing all of the work yourself. Being partnered with Fred, you knew that you were likely going to do all of the work anyway.

Fred perched on the stool across from you, and you could feel the heat of his gaze resting on you. You looked up from the textbook.

"Can I help you?" you bit out, one eyebrow raised at him.

Amusement flashed across his face. "What do you need the textbook for? Snape wrote the ingredients on the board," he said

"We still have to follow the procedure," you replied, already looking down at the textbook again.

"I like to just throw the ingredients in and see what happens," he said, leaning across the table to glance at your textbook. "It's a bit more exciting that way."

"Of course you do," you scoffed at him. "Merlin forbid you try to take anything seriously."

A grin stretched across his face as he formulated his next words. "I forgot that you still have that pureblood Slytherin stick up your arse, you really should see Madam Pomfrey about that."

Your eyes flashed up from the textbook, glaring at Fred. You were biting your cheek, willing yourself to keep your temper in check. He was trying to needle at you, and it was working.

"Why don't you collect our ingredients while I start to heat our cauldron?" you offered, ignoring his comment. "As you already mentioned, the list is on the board. I'm sure you're capable of a task as small as that."

Fred's eyebrows raised in momentary surprise at the slickness of your insult, but his grin remained plastered on his lips. "I would love to do that, Cordelia," he replied, drawing out your name.

Fred headed toward the ingredient cabinet, offering you a moment of peace. You let out a breath, trying to regain your focus and not lose your temper with him.

Fred had always made you feel imbalanced. Every time that you thought he had matured and you were prepared to extend the olive branch of friendship, or at least friendliness, he would do or say something to set your temper ablaze. You didn't know why you were willing to offer him so many chances, but you had long since decided that his chances had dried up.

Your paths didn't cross often outside of class. Being a Slytherin, and a pureblooded one at that, meant that you were expected to run with a certain group. That group most definitely did not include the Weasley twins, and especially not Fred.

You spent the bulk of your time with your Slytherin friends, but you had several friends across the other houses as well. You and Cedric Diggory had been close since childhood, and you had formed a friendship with Angelina Johnson when you had Muggle Studies together during third year. It's not like you were as strict as the other purebloods when it came to who you hung out with, but Fred had always thrown your pureblood Slytherin status back into your face at every opportunity.

Fred returned to your table, setting the tray of ingredients down in front of you. "Are these to your liking, my liege?" he teased.

Your eyes narrowed at him, but you focused your attention on the ingredients instead of his mocking tone. You picked through the tray, counting the lavender sprigs and inspecting the crocodile heart. He had the perfect amount of everything, and he had even gotten peppermint oil instead of peppermint leaves. Snape had not written that detail on the board, but the textbook recipe had insisted on using oil. Fred had done surprisingly well for someone who claimed to not read textbooks.

"These will do," you replied cooly, shifting the tray to the side. "Can you mince the lavender? The recipe says that it needs to be finely minced before combining it with the peppermint oil."

You pushed your textbook across the table toward Fred, pointing to the procedure. He raised his eyebrow at you.

"So you're going to make me do all of the boring stuff?" he asked, the corner of his lip upturned.

"You honestly think that you can be trusted with a cauldron?" you said. "I intend to keep my eyebrows after today."

Fred laughed at your teasing, causing a small smile to tug at your own mouth.

"Ah, so she does smile!" he exclaimed. "Even the ice queen has a warm heart."

"Whatever, get to work," you responded, lowering the heat on the cauldron as you added in the drops of peppermint oil.

Fred grinned at you for another moment before he got to work mincing the lavender. The two of you worked in silence, cooperating surprisingly well considering how your interaction began.

A laugh rang through the classroom, and Fred's head snapped up from his task. You looked at him, puzzled as you followed the direction of his gaze.

At the table behind you, Cedric and Alicia Spinnet were working together on their draught. Alicia was laughing at something that Cedric said, her hand resting comfortably on his shoulder.

You watched the interaction before turning back to Fred with a confused glance. Fred exhaled, making eye contact with you.

"Sorry about this," he said, holding your gaze.

Fred reached for the crocodile heart, tossing the entire thing into your cauldron before you could stop him. The cauldron immediately began to bubble over, emitting a green glow and putrid scent.

You pushed your stool away from the table, hopping onto your feet. "Bloody hell, Weasley!" you exclaimed in frustration, snatching your books away from the overflowing cauldron.

Every head in the room turned to the commotion. Snape thundered toward you, his robes billowing out behind him.

"Miss Flint!" he shouted. "That is not appropriate language for a Slytherin, you must know that by now."

Your eyebrows raised in shock, angry that Snape was correcting your behavior instead of Fred's purposeful cauldron sabotage.

"I'm not the one that spoilt our perfectly good draught!" you cried, pointing at Fred.

Fred shrugged his shoulders and smirked. "Oops," he said, glancing at the still bubbling cauldron.

"Detention for both of you!" Snape declared. "And ten points from both Slytherin and Gryffindor."

The class snickered, watching the whole situation play out. You shot Fred a glare. Of course he had to make your day even worse.

——

"Every cauldron and bottle should be spotless by the time you're done," Snape instructed, gesturing toward the seemingly endless pile of dirty supplies. "No magic allowed. You can get your wands back at breakfast tomorrow morning."

You surveyed the pile, trying to formulate in your mind the most efficient way to clean them. Fred leaned against the nearest desk, seemingly unbothered by the idea of spending his entire evening scrubbing potions supplies.

Snape hovered near the door. "And Miss Flint," he said, turning over his shoulder before he left. "I'm incredibly disappointed in you. I have higher expectations for someone who comes from a family as respectable as yours."

You bowed your head, biting your tongue. You had already talked back to Snape once today, and you knew that another snappy reply would only lead to more trouble.

You lifted your head to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, professor."

Snape held your gaze for another moment before sweeping out of the room. You huffed out a breath once he was gone, leaning your palms onto the desk with the dirty supplies.

"He doesn't have any expectations for someone coming from a family as un-respectable as mine," Fred joked.

A chuckle escaped your lips before you had the chance to stop it. Fred might be aggravating, but he did know how to crack a joke when it was needed most.

"How do you want to do this?" you said, eyes roaming the pile once more before you turned to Fred. "I'd rather not be here all night."

"I don't need a wand to cast a cleansing spell," Fred replied, a cocky grin on his lips.

He turned to the pile, muttering "scourgify". The cauldrons and bottles began to levitate and spin, cleaning themselves in the air before they flew to their spots on the shelves.

You stared at Fred, your mouth slightly agape. "How did you..." you trailed off, admiring the perfectly clean supplies on the shelves.

"It's a Weasley specialty," Fred said, pushing himself up to sit on the tabletop behind him. "Wandless magic runs in the family."

You considered him for a moment before sitting on the desk behind you, putting you directly across from Fred. If you wanted to, you could reach your foot across to kick him. Just in case.

"So, do we just wait here for a while so Snape thinks we didn't use magic?" you asked.

"Pretty much," Fred said with a shrug, leaning back on his palms.

You sat in silence for a few moments, waiting for the next words to be spoken. You had never been alone with Fred before. It was...strange. Not a bad strange, but not as miserable as you had expected.

"Why did you blow up our cauldron?" you asked, breaking the silence.

Fred chuckled. "I didn't exactly 'blow it up'. I only made it bubble over," he said.

"Whatever," you huffed. "Why did you make it bubble over, then?"

Fred shrugged again, turning his head away from you as if there was suddenly something interesting on the back wall.

"Was it about Alicia and Cedric?" you asked, recalling their interaction that occurred right before Fred ruined the draught.

"I'm not going to talk about your own mate in front of you," he said, turning back to you.

His gaze seemed to pierce into you, making your heart rate kick up. This is what unsettled you about Fred. It felt like he was capable of looking into you as if you were a crystal ball, digging directly into your soul.

"Aren't you and Alicia together? Cedric would never try to get with someone else's girlfriend," you continued, attempting to maintain control over the conversation.

You didn't exactly keep tabs on Fred, or really any other Gryffindors for that matter, but you knew that he and Alicia had been dating for a while.

"We broke up," he said, his eyes falling to the laces of his shoes.

Everything clicked into place. Fred ruined the potion so Alicia would get her hands off of Cedric. His sabotage actually made sense.

Fred seemed smaller and less confident than you had ever seen him before. This unguarded side of him was new to you, and for some reason, you wanted to protect him from any more hurt.

You reached your foot across the aisle between your tables and tapped at Fred's ankle. He looked up at you.

"I'm sorry to hear that, really," you said, trying to settle him with your most sincere tone. "Adrian and I broke up too. It must be contagious."

Fred let out a humorless laugh. He scrubbed a hand through his hair. He bit his lip for a moment, seeming like he was considering something.

"Why did you break up?" he asked, sounding almost shy in his questioning.

You let out a sigh. "Well, Adrian broke up with me," you clarified. "He said that he needed space to figure himself out and focus on quidditch."

Fred's eyebrows shot up. "Really?" he asked, incredulous. "That's the whole explanation for breaking up?"

You shrugged. "My mum said that we're young and he probably just got nervous," you explained. "She said something about oats and him needing to learn how to sew."

"Do you mean 'sow his wild oats'?" Fred asked, tipping his head back and letting out a snort.

This made you laugh too. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," you dismissed it with a wave of your hand, a smile still on your lips. "He seems to be snogging and shagging every girl at Hogwarts, so he must have a lot of wild oats."

Fred chuckled again. "I think he is the wild oat," he retorted with a smirk.

Your shoulders shook with silent laughter, your grin growing once again. "I agree," you said. "What about you? What happened with Alicia?"

Fred's smile dimmed immediately and it felt like the air was sucked out of the room. You almost regretted asking, but you truly were curious. And Fred had started the conversation after all.

"She thinks that I'm not serious enough," he said, his eyes roaming for a spot to land on. He was looking anywhere but at you.

Owning up to his shortcomings was deeply uncomfortable for Fred. His image at Hogwarts was that of the golden goofball, someone who was invincible against the cruelness of the world. But that was only an image.

"What does that mean?" you asked, questioning him further instead of trying to crack a joke at his expense. Something about this detention was softening you towards Fred.

Fred breathed out, chewing on his lower lip again. "I don't know what I want to do with my life," Fred admitted. "Alicia has her whole future mapped out, and I have a hard enough time deciding which kind of biscuit I want to have for dessert."

"To be fair, the kitchen elves do make quite scrumptious biscuits," you offered, trying to lighten the mood. It earned a small smile from Fred.

You kicked lightly at his foot, causing him to look over at you. "I don't really know what I want to do either," you said. "And I'm a Slytherin, so I should have known my life's purpose since birth."

That earned a little laugh from Fred. "The one thing that I felt sure of was Alicia. Everything feels topsy turvy without her," Fred said.

"That's how I feel about Adrian," you agreed. "He seems to have moved on without giving me a second thought."

"Have you tried going on dates with other blokes?" Fred asked.

You immediately shook your head. "Definitely not, I don't think I'm ready for that."

"Do you think it would get his attention?" he continued, pressing the topic even further.

You scrunched your nose, considering the idea. "I don't know," you said honestly. "Adrian never really needed to be the jealous type because everyone knew that we were together."

Fred suddenly hopped off of the table, startling you. "I have an idea," he said, a diabolical smirk spreading across his face.

"Bloody hell, I don't like the sound of that," you said, eyeing him warily.

"What if we started dating?" he said, his eyes dazzling with mischief.

"What?" you replied, your eyebrows flying up toward your hairline.

"Not for real," Fred clarified. "We could pretend that we're dating to make them jealous."

You shook your head. "There is no way that would work," you said, shooting down the idea.

"It absolutely would," Fred insisted, still buzzing with excitement about his new plan. "They would see us being happy together and realize what they're missing. It's a perfect plan."

You scoffed. "No one would ever believe that we're actually dating," you pointed out. "We can hardly stand to be in the same room without insulting each other."

"But what if having detention together made us realize how compatible we are?" Fred said, leaning his hip against your desk. "Love was in the air while we scrubbed the cauldrons."

You chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief. "I really don't think it would work."

Fred looked right into your eyes. "Can we give it a try? Just for a little bit to see if they notice?" Fred asked, almost sounding like he was pleading.

You scrunched your mouth to the side, trying to imagine what it would be like to date Fred Weasley. It wasn't something that you had ever considered yourself doing.

"We don't have to snog in every single hallway in Hogwarts," Fred added. "We can take things slow, like hold hands or something."

"What, you're not dying to snog me?" you teased, kicking at him.

Fred grinned. "The point is to get our partners back," he said, pushing your foot away. "Though I do think that a bit of strategic snogging would help sell the whole thing."

You could feel the tips of your ears turning red. It was one thing to joke about snogging Fred, it was completely different to actually talk about doing it. But you couldn't quite find it within yourself to be opposed to it.

"So what, we just start telling people that we're dating?" you asked. "It would take more than one evening detention for me to decide that I fancy someone enough to date them."

Fred chewed his lip, considering. "We can start spending more time together during the day. I can walk you to classes, hold your hand, those kinds of things," he proposed. "We can make it obvious that we fancy each other. And we can tell people exactly that whenever they ask."

You cocked your head at him. "Are we really going to do this?" you asked.

The idea was bonkers. But in a way, it kind of made sense. Adrian was off messing around with other girls, so why couldn't you do the same? Slytherins are incredibly competitive, and you were hoping that his territorial streak would kick in. This could be just the thing to bring him back to you.

"Only if you agree to it," Fred said. "We have to both be in agreement. And we would have to set rules of some sort."

"What kind of rules?" you asked. You could think of a couple, such as "keep your hands off of my arse", but you wanted to see what he had in mind.

"Well, we would have to receive permission before doing any sort of touching, even holding hands," Fred said, popping himself up onto your table to sit next to you. "And we would need to keep up the act around our friends. I wouldn't even tell George that it's not real."

You let out a dramatic gasp. "Keeping a secret from your twin? Are the twin gods going to smite you for that?"

Fred nudged at you with his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "George and I have had secrets before. I'll tell him eventually, but only once it's over. We need to be really convincing."

"What if it only works out for one of us?" you asked.

"What do you mean?" he replied, tilting his head as he gave you a puzzled look.

"Say Alicia decides she wants to get back together, but Adrian doesn't care that you and I are together. What happens then?"

"Well..." Fred trailed off. "Then I guess only one of us gets what they want."

You stared at each other for a moment, considering that possibility. The whole point of this was that you and Fred would both win back your partners. But what if that didn't even happen? All of this planning would just be embarrassing then.

But then you pictured Adrian groveling on his hands and knees to beg you to get back together. A smile spread across your lips.

"Let's try it," you said.

"Really?" Fred replied, shocked that you were willing to go along with his scheme.

You stuck out your hand. Fred grinned. His hand met yours, giving it a firm shake.

"It's a pleasure working with you, my love," he said, giving you a cheeky grin.

"Of course, dearest," you replied, biting back a chuckle.

This was going to be interesting.

----

"Everyone is going to be staring at us," you said, your bottom lip between your teeth.

You and Fred were launching your plan this morning. The details were hashed out in detention last night, and now you had to actually go through with it.

"You do realize that is the point?" Fred teased, turning his shoulders to face you.

You were standing just outside the doors to the courtyard. You and Fred were going to walk through the courtyard holding hands, launching your supposed attachment for the first time. You knew that every head would be turning and whispers would spread throughout Hogwarts at lightning speed.

You took a deep breath. You were incredibly nervous.

"We don't have to do this," Fred offered, his voice softening. He was trying to get you to look at him, but your gaze was locked on the door in front of you.

"I want to," you said, finally turning to him.

Fred looked concerned, his eyes soft and head tilted just slightly to peer down at you. He looked like he genuinely cared about you, and it sent a jitter up your spine. He was doing that thing again where he seemed to be peering into your soul. 

"I promise that I won't bite," Fred joked, trying to ease your nerves. "Unless you want me to."

Fred winked at you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. A surprised laugh bubbled out of your chest.

"I'll get back to you on that," you said, your own grin appearing on your lips. "Let's get this over with."

You reached for Fred's hand, taking it in yours. Your fingers wound together, and another bolt of electricity shot through your veins. Touching Fred felt exhilarating in a way that you weren't expecting. 

"Why are your hands so sweaty?" Fred asked. "I feel like I'm holding hands with a swamp goblin."

Your mouth dropped open in offense. You pulled your hand from his, reaching up to smack him on the back of the head. Fred's eyebrows shot up, a mix of shock and amusement on his face.

"Woah, tiger," he said, putting up his hands in surrender. "It was just an observation."

"You're a git," you replied, biting back a grin. Comparing you to a swamp goblin was nowhere near flattering, but you have to concede that Fred is pretty funny.

"Just try to act like you like me," he said, reaching to hold your hand again. "You can smack me again once we make it back inside."

"You've enticed me, I'm in," you replied, smirking at him. He returned your smirk, finally pulling you toward the door. You were doing this.

Fred pushed open the door, stepping with you into the late morning light of the courtyard. You gripped tighter onto his hand, and he turned his head toward you to give you a wink of reassurance. 

You made your way across the courtyard together, heading for the entrance that led to the dungeons. You kept your gaze forward, too afraid to look at the reactions of the students around you.

The chatter in the courtyard fell silent, every pair of eyes landing on you and Fred. You caught Cedric turning his head and doing a double take. His forehead wrinkled in confusion, trying to silently communicate with you. You gave him a little wave, keeping your focus on not tripping over your own two feet. 

The initial shock of seeing you with Fred set in, and the students began to whisper. Their comments and glances were not even slightly subtle, and you could feel the tips of your ears burning. Good, let them look.

You finally made it to the doors, and Fred opened them for you. You ducked into the dungeons, sighing out a breath once you got inside. Fred let go of your hand, already smirking at you before you turned to look at him.

"Did you see Adrian's face?" Fred asked, his smirk widening.

"No," you shook your head. "I didn't even notice that he was out there."

"He looked bloody furious," Fred replied, clearly proud of himself. "Alicia wasn't there, but I'm sure word will spread."

"Right," you said, gripping your palms against your skirt. You missed the warm reassurance of Fred's hand in yours.

"I'll see you later, tiger," Fred said. "I need to go stir up the rumors."

He gave you a salute, still grinning as he turned to head down the hallway. You watched him as he walked away, still in a daze of feelings. Why did you like holding his hand? You filed the thought away, refusing to acknowledge what it could mean.

----

You flopped onto Cedric's impeccably made bed, rumpling the comforter. He was leaning against his desk, still staring at you in disbelief.

"Fred is such a wild card," he said. "I would never have paired you together."

"Me neither," you admitted, staring up at his ceiling. "We connect really well. I'd never had a real conversation with him until last night, and he's so much different from what I expected."

Cedric moved from his desk to flop next to you on his bed. "I'm proud of you for giving him a chance, that's not really like you."

He nudged at your shoulder, grinning at you. "Whatever," you replied, grinning back. "Don't do your whole soft Hufflepuff thing with me."

Cedric chuckled. "As long as you're happy, I'm happy," he said.

"Can I ask you something?" you blurted out, turning on your side to face him.

"Of course," he said, tilting his head to look at you.

"Do you fancy Alicia?" you asked bluntly. You weren't one to sugarcoat things.

Cedric's eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "No, we're just friends. Why would you think that?"

"Just wondering," you said, shrugging your shoulder. "She was flirting with you in Potions yesterday."

"No she wasn't," he said, turning his head away from you. His cheeks were turning pink.

You sat up, grinning at him. "Ha! You're blushing! She was flirting with you and you know it," you said, teasing him. 

Cedric sat up too, putting up his hands in surrender. "Okay, she was definitely flirting with me," he admitted with a sheepish smile. "But it wasn't genuine. She kept glancing over at Fred to see if he was watching."

Your stomach sunk like a boulder to the bottom of a lake. "You think she was trying to make him jealous?" you asked.

"That's what it looked like," he said. "I don't know, using someone else to make your ex jealous seems a bit..."

"A bit what?" you probed, trying not to sound too interested.

"It's a bit immature. And it's not fair to the person you're using," Cedric said. "Way more can be solved with an honest conversation."

You rolled your eyes. "Typical Hufflepuff," you teased, reaching over to ruffle Cedric's perfect hair. 

Cedric's words rumbled around in your head. Fred's plan was a bit immature. But you had both agreed to it, and you weren't deceiving each other. If Alicia was trying to make Fred jealous, then she clearly wanted him back. You could tell him that...or you could continue your charade long enough to make Adrian jealous. Decisions.

----

Fred's hand was intertwined with yours as you walked to class together. You had agreed to walk to Potions together every day, making sure that other students saw you together in the hallways.

"I always pass him by the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom," you said to Fred. "You're sure that it's okay that I kiss you?"

Fred turned his head to look at you. "As long as it's okay with you," he answered, still leading you down the hallway. 

You turned the corner, and you could see Adrian and his friends at the other end of the hallway. You stopped in your tracks, tugging Fred back toward you by his hand.

"What is it?" he asked, his eyes laden with concern.

"I uhm..." you trailed off. Adrian and his group were getting closer, and you needed to think fast. "Sorry about this."

You grabbed the end of Fred's tie, pulling him into you. Your lips crashed into his. He was shocked at first, but then his hands found your hips and he relaxed into the kiss.

You pushed him back against the stone wall of the hallway, one hand still gripping his tie while the other rested on the back of his neck. You squeezed your eyes shut, not wanting to see the reactions of the other students in the hallway.

Your hand that was on his neck crept upward to tangle into his hair, giving it a light pull. His hair was softer than you imagined it would be. You tugged again, trying to keep yourself focused on kissing him. A quiet moan came from Fred when you pulled on his hair, and the sound lit a crackling fire in your lower belly. Did you just make Fred Weasley moan?

You could hear footsteps going past you and Fred. Someone scoffed as they walked by, and you knew it had to be Adrian. You slowed the pace of your kisses, finally pulling away from Fred. His pupils were wide, and his lips were pink from your kisses.

He leaned down to whisper into your ear. "We gave them quite a show, huh?"

His words made a chill run down your spine. Your lips were tingling from kissing him, and you were still trying to get your head on straight. You stared at him, speechless.

"Did I snog the words right out of you?" Fred teased, smirking at you.

You snapped back to reality, nudging Fred's chest. "Shut it," you said, feeling your cheeks turn pink. "I don't usually engage in public affection."

"We're going to change that," Fred said, reaching for your hand again to resume walking to class. "You're one hell of a kisser."

The blush on your cheeks deepened. "You're one hell of an arsehole," you retorted.

Fred chuckled. "That's my girl."

----

You had rehearsed what you wanted to say to Fred at least one hundred times in your head. You didn't want to settle for being just friends anymore, you wanted more. This was your chance to express it.

The door opened, revealing the twins. They were in the middle of a conversation, and Fred hadn't noticed you yet. George hovered by the door, making eye contact with you while Fred continued to talk to him.

Fred turned to George, following his line of sight. When Fred's gaze finally rested on you, a flurry of emotions crossed his face. Initially, he was shocked. Then it molded into what seemed to be frustration, aiming it at George.

"You two need to talk," George said, still standing in the doorway. "You're not leaving until you work it out."

George had his arms crossed, waiting for a response from Fred. Fred's eyes flickered between you and George.

"Fine," Fred huffed, leaning on his dresser.

George nodded at you, closing the door as he left. It was just you and Fred now, and the silence was deafening.

"You told him?" Fred asked, his tone accusatory. He was angry.

"I didn't--" you started before he cut you off.

"If you didn't tell him, then why is he doing this?" he pushed, looking at you skeptically.

"Don't interrupt me," you said, standing from your place on George's bed. "We're going to talk through this, and you're not going to be an arse to me."

You stared at Fred, challenging him. He let out a breath, looking away from you.

"Okay, whatever," he said, still not looking at you. "How does he know?"

"He asked me how long we've been shagging at dinner on Wednesday," you replied. "I tried to deny it, but you know how George is. He sees right through me."

"How much does he know?" Fred prodded.

You shrugged. "Not much. I told him that we shagged and you've been avoiding me ever since."

Fred scoffed at you. "Avoiding you?"

"Oh get off it, Fred," you said. "What else would you call what you've been doing?"

"I would call it 'having a life,'" he shot back, looking up to glare at you.

You sighed, pressing your fingers to your temples. He was being impossible. 

"I don't want to fight with you," you said. "I just want to know what's going on."

Fred was quiet, considering his next words while he looked at you. You were hoping that he would crank down the hostility, but knowing Fred, it was unlikely. He's never been great at working through conflict.

"All of this was a mistake," he finally said, his voice low.

You gaped at him. "A mistake? You were the one that pursued it."

"I know, and it was a bloody terrible idea," he replied.

His expression was unreadable. You were used to being able to read Fred like a book, but his guard was up. 

"Why do you think that?" you asked genuinely, trying to tame the fury that was bubbling up.

Fred huffed. He paced toward his own bed, taking a seat.

"We're much better as friends," he shrugged. "We shouldn't have ever crossed that line."

"What the fuck, Fred?" you burst out. "You were the one that wanted the contract. You were the one that said we should have started hooking up sooner. What in the bloody hell is going on?"

Your face was burning with frustration, and Fred just sat there looking at you, his face absolutely blank. You took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Sit," he said, patting a spot next to him on the bed.

You walked over to join him, eying him cautiously. You perched yourself on the bed, putting plenty of space between the two of you.

"It shouldn't have ever happened," he said, watching you fidget with your hands in your lap.

"So you regret it?" you asked, desperation lingering in your words.

Fred let out another sigh, finally making eye contact. "I regret it. I would take it back if I could."

Your eyes dropped to your lap. "Fuck," you muttered.

There were tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. How did things change so quickly?

"You knew how I felt about you," you said softly, still not looking at Fred. "And yet you still wanted that contract."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact. How was Fred going to explain that?

"I know," he said. "It was stupid. I shouldn't have played with your feelings like that."

A tear slipped down your cheek. You wiped it away immediately, wanting to keep your composure in front of Fred.

"I thought...fuck, Fred," you said, letting out a shaky breath. "I thought you felt the same way."

You dared to look at him, your eyes blurring with tears. He had a pained expression on his face. His hand twitched like he was going to reach out and touch you, but he changed his mind.

"I don't," Fred said quietly. "I don't want to be with you."

His words felt like a punch in the gut. Your chest was aching, making your breaths come in shallow spurts. 

"So...what, are we back to friends now?" you asked, your voice wobbling.

Fred played with his hair nervously. "Maybe in a bit," he said. "We should take some space."

You let out a deep breath. "This is not how I expected this conversation to go," you admitted.

Fred turned his head to look at you.

"We were never going to be a couple," he said. "I thought you understood that."

You chuckled in surprise.

"You thought I understood? You almost kissed me the last time we were together. You were going to break your own rule," you said, standing from the bed so you could put more space between you and Fred.

"It didn't mean anything, I got caught up in the moment," Fred replied.

A blush was blooming on his cheeks. The only time that Fred Weasley blushed was when he was lying. This realization clicked in your head. He was lying to you.

"You can keep telling yourself that," you said, narrowing your eyes at him. "Let me know when you want to be honest about how you actually feel."

Your legs carried you all the way out of the room before he could reply, not even turning around for a backwards glance as you left. George was waiting in the hallway, leaned up against the wall.

"How did it go?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

You slowed your pace for a second to talk to him. "Why don't you ask your brother?"

You kept walking, taking yourself as far away from Fred as possible.

----

You hadn't spoken to Fred for the past week. You had barely even seen him. The group could tell that you had a falling out, and they split their time between you and Fred. Angelina was almost constantly at your side. You hadn't told her what happened, but she knew that whatever it was, it wasn't good.

Meals were especially awkward. Instead of sitting with your usual crew, you had been sitting with Alicia and her friends. Sometimes Angelina would join you, but she mostly sat with the boys. She would spend the entirety of mealtimes sending you apologetic glances.

More than anything, you were angry with Fred. Angry that he wasn't being honest with you or with himself. If he didn't think you should be together, fine. But he was lying about his feelings. You couldn't understand why.

You and Angelina were squished together in front of the vanity mirror in your room, getting ready for the Hufflepuff party. The Hufflepuff vs. Ravenclaw quidditch match had happened earlier in the day, and you were going to the party to celebrate the Hufflepuff victory.

You were only going because Cedric had asked you to. He caught up to you in the stands after the match, asking if you would be his date. You and him had been on the outs, but you agreed. As awful as it sounded, you wanted a distraction from Fred. Maybe getting back together with Cedric would help. 

"Can I borrow your lip gloss?" Angelina asked, rummaging around the vanity table. "I can't find mine."

"Sure," you said, using your wand to lure the tube over from its place on your dresser. "Why are you even bothering with lip gloss? It's just going to end up all over George anyway."

You nudged her in the side playfully, grinning at her.

"Yeah right, I could say the same about you and Diggory," she jabbed back. "Are you getting back together with him?"

You shrugged, getting up from your place at the vanity. "I don't know, I'll see where things go tonight."

You smoothed down your skirt, checking yourself out in the mirror. "Is this too short?" you asked, turning toward Angelina.

She glanced up at you mid-lip gloss application. She shook her head. "No, you look smashing."

You were wearing one of Cedric's Hufflepuff jerseys, tying up the extra material in the front so it landed just along the waistband of your skirt. The skirt was short and tight, and if you made one wrong move, you knew that your knickers would be on full display.

"Are the twins going to be there?" you asked warily.

"No, George said they were going to hang with Lee. I don't know what they're getting up to, but they didn't plan on going," Angelina replied, putting the final touches on her makeup.

You inspected yourself in the mirror again, feeling an unsettling rush in your stomach. Fred wasn't going to be there. It was what you wanted. But somewhere deep down, you wanted to see him. More like you wanted him to see you. Especially in your tiny skirt.

"Ready?" Angelina asked, approaching you in the mirror.

She threw her arms around your shoulders, hugging you from behind. You leaned back into her, accepting the affectionate gesture.

"You're gorgeous," she said, almost as if she could read your mind. She could tell that you were feeling a bit anxious.

You took a breath. "I'm ready."

----

The Hufflepuff common room was crammed with students. The music was loud, and there was a bar set up in the corner of the room. Angelina led you over to it, handing you a shot of firewhiskey.

"Bottoms up," she said, clinking your plastic cup with her own before taking the shot. You followed suit, trying not to cough after you gulped it down. Firewhiskey wasn't your favorite, but you felt like you would need the liquid courage.

You searched the room for Cedric, finding him chatting amongst some of his quidditch teammates. He locked eyes with you, nodding for you to come over.

"I'm going to talk to Ced really quick," you said, leaning in to speak into Angelina's ear so she could hear you over the music.

She nodded, giving you a light smack on the bum as you walked away. You shot her a glare over your shoulder, and she winked at you. Angelina wasn't the biggest fan of your relationship with Cedric, but she wanted you to be happy. She was going to support you in whatever you did, whether she liked it or not.

As you approached Cedric, you could see him taking in your appearance. A smile appeared on his lips when he realized that you were wearing his jersey.

"I wondered where that jersey had gotten to," he said once you were close enough to hear him.

You shrugged, returning his smile. "I had a feeling that I would probably be wearing it again."

His hand found its way down to your hip, pulling you in closer to him.

"I've been wanting to talk to you," he said, leaning down to speak to you so you could hear him over the noise. "What do you think about getting back together?"

You looked up at him, surprised at his directness. "I need to think about it for a bit," you replied. "But I'm happy to be here as your date."

He leaned down to kiss you on the cheek. "Do you want to dance?" he asked.

You took his hand, leading him toward the group of students closest to the stereo. You began to dance, moving your hips in time with the music.

Cedric's hands wandered down to your hips, pulling your back up against his chest. Your bum pressed up against him as you danced.

You spotted a flash of red hair in the crowd. It was George. He was near the bar talking to Angelina. You could feel your stomach drop. If George was here, that could only mean...

Fred was standing no more than ten feet from you and Cedric, a drink in his hand. He was watching you. His gaze was pinned on Cedric's hands on your waist.

You looked away, trying not to think about him. Cedric leaned down, placing wet kisses along your neck. Your gaze snagged on Fred again, and you noticed the way that his jaw tensed. He looked angry.

The song ended, and you turned to Cedric to tell him that you were getting another drink. You had barely left his grip when you could feel Fred hovering by your side.

"We need to talk," he said, walking alongside you as you approached the bar.

You grabbed another shot, glancing over your shoulder at Fred. "Fuck off, Fred."

You gulped down the shot, tossing your cup into the garbage bin. You made to walk back toward Cedric, but Fred had grabbed you by the wrist. He dragged you into the nearest bathroom, locking the door behind him. Your back was pressed against the door, trapping you with only inches between you and Fred.

"What the fuck?" you said, trying to push at his shoulders.

"I said that we need to talk," Fred repeated, holding his stance. Your attempts to push him away were useless, and he stood planted in front of you.

"And I said to fuck off," you replied, obviously frustrated.

You were staring at Fred, anger burning in your eyes. He stared back, his gaze softening the longer he looked at you. The last thing you needed right now was his pity.

The only sound in the tight space of the bathroom was the thumping music coming from the other side of the door and your breathing. You were trying to slow it down, but the anger coursing through you had your chest heaving. You were waiting for Fred to speak.

"You wanted to talk so badly, so talk," you spat at him, eyes flashing.

He considered you for another moment before he opened his mouth.

"Don't get back with Diggory," he said, so quiet that it was almost a whisper.

A flurry of emotions ran through you. A laugh burst out of your mouth, a combination of surprise and disbelief.

"Who in the bloody hell do you think you are?" you questioned, angry giggles bubbling out of you. "You don't want me, but Merlin forbid someone else does. You have no right to tell me what to do."

Fred's hand slammed on the door beside your head in frustration, letting out a "fuck" as his palm made contact with the wood. You jumped, pulling yourself back as close to the door as you could. He craned his neck down, your noses almost touching.

"You're wrong," he growled, the calm tone in his voice long gone.

"I'm wrong?" you challenged, holding the intensity of his gaze. "Please enlighten me, Fred, because I have no clue what the fuck you're talking about."

The air between you and Fred felt flammable, like a single spark could ignite an all-consuming fire. You glared at him, unwilling to back down. You caught the moment that his gaze dropped to your lips, and the next thing you knew, his mouth was on yours.

Fred had lunged forward, shoving you even tighter against the door. His kiss was searing, and it took you a few seconds to register what was happening. You tilted your head back, opening your mouth to allow his tongue access. Your teeth and tongues clashed, a ferocious fight for dominance.

Fred's hands were on your hips, digging into the tight material of your skirt. You grabbed at his hair, pulling hard as he kissed you relentlessly. One of his hands wandered down to the bottom of your skirt, his fingers dancing along your thigh as he played with the hem. You knew exactly what he wanted, and you wanted it too.

His mouth moved to your neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive skin. You couldn't help the moan that fell from your lips.

"Fred," you breathed out, gently pushing at his shoulders. He pulled back, looking at you with concern.

"I need you inside me," you said desperately.

Fred smirked at you, placing a soft kiss on your lips. "Your wish is my command, love."

He pulled you over to the sink, giving you a few more bruising kisses before he turned you around. Your bum was pressed up against him as he bent you over the sink, watching your facial expressions in the mirror.

"I need you now," you rasped, getting more and more desperate as each second passed.

Fred clicked his tongue at you. "So impatient," he said, pulling your skirt up to rest above your bum.

Your knickers were exposed to him, and you were grateful that you had put on a cute lacy pair. His fingers ran along your center over the lacy fabric.

"Ready so quickly for me, hm?" Fred teased, pulling your knickers all the way down your legs.

You watched him in the mirror as he looked at you, his fingers coming back to touch the wetness between your legs. He dragged two fingers down to your clit, working slow circles into it. You groaned, trying not to buck you hips back into him.

"Inside, now," you demanded, losing almost all of your self control.

He grinned at you in the mirror, taking in your flushed cheeks and dilated pupils. He knew that you were desperate, and he was teasing you anyway.

"So bossy," he said, bringing his fingers down to your opening.

He teased you, dipping his fingers in for a moment before pulling them back out. You were whimpering, dying for more contact. He took his fingers off of you suddenly, causing you to suck in a breath.

You could hear the clinking of his belt as he started to take off his trousers. 

"I really want to take my time with you," he said, pulling his trousers and underwear down his legs. "But I need you hard and fast. Is that okay?"

"Please," you whined, too desperate to even be embarrassed about how pathetic you sounded.

Fred gave himself a few pumps before positioning himself at your entrance. One of his hands gripped onto your waist as the other guided him as he pushed inside of you. He pushed in easily, much less resistance than there was the first time. You both moaned at the contact, and you pushed your hips back toward him. You wanted more. So much more.

It only took a few pumps before he was all the way inside of you. He sped up, his hips slamming into yours. You couldn't stop the whines that were coming out of your mouth.

"Please...harder," you whimpered. You knew that he didn't want to hurt you, but you wanted it all.

"Are you sure, love?" he asked, his pace staying the same. "Look at me."

You looked up into the mirror, making eye contact with him. You nodded your head frantically.

"Yes," you said, still holding his gaze.

Fred's grip on your hips tightened, pulling you back onto him as he pushed forward. He was fucking you hard, hitting a deep spot within you with each thrust. Your jaw dropped open in complete bliss. It was just what you needed. You closed your eyes, overwhelmed by the feeling of Fred so deep inside of you.

"Keep looking at me, love," Fred said, his voice struggling to stay even.

You opened your eyes, staring at Fred in the mirror. His face was focused, a crook in his brow from concentration.

"You like watching me fuck you?" he asked, his voice gravelly. "Watching me fuck you in another bloke's jersey."

Fred's mouth quirked up, satisfied with himself. You hummed in response, not able to form words.

"I want you to touch yourself," he said, not slowing down for a second. "I need you to finish for me."

You obliged, prying one hand off of the edge of the sink that it was latched onto. You reached around to rub circles on your clit, getting closer to your orgasm. The combination of Fred pounding into you and your own fingers on your clit was enough to make you want to scream.

"Come on, love," Fred encouraged. "Need you to finish before me. I'm so close."

His voice sounded strangled, as he wanted to make you feel good before he finished. You were watching Fred come undone behind you through the mirror, and it pushed you over the edge to your own finish.

It felt like a cool bucket of water rushing over your skin, and your legs trembled as your orgasm hit you. You were holding on to the sink to try to stabilize yourself, but the only thing keeping you standing was Fred's hold on your hips.

Fred finished not long after, groaning as he eventually stuttered to a halt. Both of you slumped over the sink, Fred leaning on top you. You were both breathing hard, and you could still feel a tremor in your legs.

Fred let out a breathy chuckle. "So...should we talk?"

You replied with a tired giggle. "Definitely."

You both straightened yourselves up, trying not to give away that you just shagged in the bathroom. The music was loud and it was a busy party, so nobody had heard...right?

Fred swept your hair back into place, tucking a piece behind your ear. He gazed at you for a second before placing a gentle kiss on your lips, a grin forming as he pulled away.

"How about we head back to my room?" he suggested, his hand finding yours and twining his fingers with your own.

You nodded, still feeling fuzzy from the intensity of your hookup. Everything had happened so fast. One moment, you were yelling in Fred's face. The next, he was kissing you and fucking you over the sink. It was enough to make you feel dizzy.

Fred led the way out of the bathroom. He caught George's eye from across the room, nodding toward the exit. He walked you out of the common room, and George, Lee, and Angelina followed shortly behind.

George noticed your linked hands, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

"I see that you made up," George said, a tad of smugness in his words.

"Made up? I didn't even know that you had a quarrel," Lee spoke rapidly. "I had thought that -- wait, why are you holding hands?"

"We're, uh..." Fred turned to look at you. "We're together."

He said it with a sureness that you weren't expecting. You hadn't even been quite sure that you were together. That's what the talk was going to be for.

"I knew it!" Angelina squealed, gripping onto Lee's shoulders. "You owe me five galleons!"

"Damn it," Lee hissed out. 

He fished the galleons out of his pocket, putting them in Angelina's palm. She beamed with satisfaction at the coins in her hand, then turned her smile to you and Fred.

"It's about bloody time," she said, pushing at Fred's arm. "George and I have been waiting for you two to get together for years."

"Years?" you asked in disbelief. You had only told her about your feelings for Fred last year.

"Love, it's been obvious since third year," she replied. "And Fred has been pretty much just as obvious."

"I have not," he retorted, shooting Angelina a playful glare.

"Fred, have you seen your face when she's around?" George chimed in. "You're either smiling like a fool or just about drooling."

"Whatever," Fred said, rolling his eyes at his twin. "We're going back to the room. We need to talk some things over."

You nodded in agreement, squeezing Fred's hand as you stepped closer to him. This night had gone much differently than how you had imagined it would. It was so much better.

"Have fun 'talking'," Lee said, waggling his eyebrows at you both. "I'm going to go try to 'talk' to that cute Hufflepuff prefect."

"You're a fiend," Angelina said to Lee, shooting him a chastising glance. "I'll have George stay over in our room then. Good night."

Angelina kissed you on the cheek and reached up to ruffle Fred's hair. She turned to George, taking his hand.

"Good night, don't tear up the place too much," George teased. 

The three of them headed back into the party, leaving you and Fred in the hallway alone.

"So, are you ready to talk?" he asked, staring down at you.

"Let's go," you replied, already tugging at his hand.

----

You were sitting on Fred's bed wearing an old jumper of his. He couldn't stand you wearing Cedric's jersey for another second. Fred was changing his own clothes, pulling a clean t shirt over his head before he joined you on the bed.

"I need to apologize," he said, his head turned toward you.

"For which part?" you teased, cocking your head to the side as you looked at him.

Fred chuckled, letting out a long breath. 

"You were right about me lying. Lying about my feelings, that is," Fred clarified. "I just...everything felt really intense and I didn't know what to do. Pushing you away seemed like the best solution. I thought that if I had some space from you, I would finally be able to breathe."

You looked at him with sympathetic eyes. He was almost never this honest. This vulnerable.

"But the more space I put between us, the harder it was," Fred continued. "And then it all made sense. You are my air. I needed you to breathe, and not having you at all was killing me."

Your hand found his, squeezing tight. He was looking at you with his big hazel eyes, and it made everything inside of you melt. Just like it always did.

"And...when did you realize that?" you asked, your voice soft.

"Right after you left, when we fought last time," he said. "I thought that putting an end to everything and denying how I felt would make everything better. I thought it would make things go back to how they were. But I don't want things to go back to how they were."

He pulled your hand into his lap, placing his other hand on top of yours.

"I want to be with you," he said. "I knew it then and I know it now. Bloody hell, I knew it before we even signed that stupid contract."

You let out a breathy giggle, remembering the absurdity of your "experiment". How had both of you been so foolish?

"Why did you want the contract then?" you asked.

Fred shrugged.

"I knew that you fancied me, but I also knew that you were never going to admit it," Fred nudged your shoulder with his own. "I thought that it would get you to confess. And I also couldn't resist a chance to shag you."

You laughed harder this time, nudging Fred back.

"I had kind of thought the same thing," you admitted. "I really wanted to know what it was like to shag the Fred Weasley."

Fred chuckled, leaning his head onto your shoulder.

"This has all been so bloody stupid," he said. "George has been telling me for ages to just ask you out. Risking our friendship felt scary, but I think it's worth it."

You rested your cheek onto his head, his ginger locks tickling your face. 

"I can't believe that you knew I fancied you," you said, a wave of embarrassment coming over you.

"Love, I think everyone at Hogwarts knows, including Snape," he teased with a light chuckle. "You're the only girl that's brave enough to tease me back. Plus, you turn redder than a beet every time I flirt with you."

As if on cue, your cheeks reddened. Fred pulled his head off your shoulder, looking at you. He knew that his words would have that effect.

"Bugger off," you said, laughing and turning away from him. 

Fred grabbed you by the waist, pulling you into his lap to straddle him. He began assaulting you with kisses, peppering them anywhere between your face, neck, and hair. 

"Your cheeks are almost the color of my hair," he teased between kisses.

"Fredrick Weasley!" you squealed, trying to push him back by his shoulders.

He just pulled you in tighter, hugging you to his chest. He held you there, and you melted into his embrace. This was what you had been missing. The teasing, the easy camaraderie, the affection that made your pulse race. You had missed Fred so much.

Your brain was mulling over his words, almost in disbelief that this was real. That Fred had come to his senses, that he apologized. That he was holding you in a way that made you feel safe, something that came easily with Fred. How had everything gotten so messed up in the first place?

You let out a heavy sigh into the crook of his neck, nuzzling yourself further into his warm skin.

"What are you thinking about, love?" he asked, tracing lazy patterns across your back with his fingers.

"I can't believe how much we both fucked this up," you said, a chuckle tumbling out toward the end of your sentence. "How much easier everything would have been if we had just talked."

"Since when have Weasleys been any good at talking about their feelings?" Fred joked, pulling you back so he could look you in the eye. "When you make a potion that overrides stubbornness, let me know. My family will need a bulk order."

You rolled your eyes at him. He never took anything seriously.

"I mean it, Fred," you replied. "These past few weeks have been miserable. We have never gone that long without talking, even when we have been cross with each other. I still had Ang and sometimes George and Lee, but I was lonely. I didn't know what to do without you."

Fred's hand cupped your jaw, his thumb stroking it gently. He gazed at you, taking in the emotions that played across your features.

"I've been so angry," you continued. "Angry that you wouldn't be honest. Angry that you weren't talking to me. Angry that we couldn't still be friends. All I could think about was how much I missed you and also how much I wanted to destroy you."

Fred chuckled as your speech came to an end. "Destroy me? That's my girl."

"I'm being serious!" you cried, shoving at his chest. "Everything has been terrible. I can't lose you like that again."

Fred's eyes softened.

"I know, and I really am sorry," Fred said, his hands migrating downward to hold your hips. 

"I've never..." he trailed off, letting out a breath. "I've never liked someone in the way that I like you. Of course I've fancied other girls, but it's been temporary. I've liked you for ages. I thought that if I kept just being your friend, it would go away. But it hasn't. I've only wanted you more and more, and I can't deny myself any longer."

"Freddie," you murmured, transfixed by his words. Your thumb traced along his cheekbone, skidding across the freckles that dotted his face. You loved him like this. When his eyes were soft and he relaxed under your touch. It was rare to see Fred so unguarded, and you cherished the snippets of openness that he shared with you.

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he said, his voice soft but steady. "I have made a lot of questionable decisions in the past month, but I know for certain that I want you to be mine. That is, if you'll have me."

Fred's gaze was serious, something that was incredibly uncommon for him. His stare held a vulnerability that made your heart ache. He truly did adore you, and you could see it plain as day.

"I want to be your girlfriend," you replied. Fred let out a breath he was holding upon your answer, and it made the corner of your mouth turn up in a grin.

"But you need to take me on a date first," you continued, your grin turning into a full fledged smirk. "You need to razzle-dazzle me with your charm, just like you have done with the other girls."

Fred returned your smirk. "No problem, love. Want me to give you my initialed scarf? Or send you a paper bird during Transfiguration? No, I'll make a firework show for you over the quidditch pitch."

"That last one sounds like a punishment," you joked. "I want romance, not public humiliation."

"Aren't those the same thing?" Fred replied, quirking up an eyebrow.

"Shut it," you said, trying to wriggle out of the confines of his grip. You held his shoulders as you moved your hips, trying and failing to get yourself out of his lap.

"If you keep moving like that, there will be consequences," Fred quipped, giving you a mock stern glare.

You gaped at him for a moment, shocked at the turn in conversation. You shouldn't have been shocked; it's Fred.

You recovered, trying to pull yourself into an act of indifference. "Maybe we shall revise the terms of our original contract? Continue our experimentation? For science, of course."

Fred matched your haughtiness with a raised eyebrow and diabolical smirk. 

"Perhaps," he answered in his best 'scientist' voice, holding you by the hips so he could flip you onto the bed. "I do have a new hypothesis that I would like to test. This testing would require for you to sit on my face."

You couldn't stop the giggle that flew out of your mouth. Fred loomed over you on the bed, the smirk still on his lips. 

"Who am I to get in the way of science?" you muttered, grabbing a fistful of his t-shirt so you could pull him closer. 

You kissed him hard, relishing in the way that his lips moved against yours. How had you let him deny you this for so long? To think that you had once agreed to a contract where you couldn't kiss Fred. 

Fred pinned your wrists above your head, holding them easily with one hand. He wedged a knee between your legs, grinding it down onto your center. Your back arched off of the bed at the contact, a surprised moan coming from your mouth.

He pulled back, his lips already pink from your searing kisses. He gazed at you, feeling smug at how easily he could turn you on.

"I shall let you know what my findings are after the experimentation," he said stiffly, schooling his features to be serious.

You groaned at him, trying to suppress a grin. "Just fuck me already," you said, playing up your exasperation.

You and Fred had seen each other and interacted since your hallway hookup a week ago. Everything had remained normal in front of your friends, and nothing sexy had occurred since.

You flipped the magazine closed, tossing it onto the floor next to your bed.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" you teased, still laying on your stomach as you looked at him.

Fred smirked as he crossed the room, approaching where you were laid out on your bed.

"Ang and George are in my room," he explained, reaching the side of your bed. "We probably have a couple of hours before I'll be allowed back in there."

"And what exactly are you planning to do for those hours?" you asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Fred settled himself on your bed. Another smirk was tugging at the corner of his mouth, and he looked at you mischievously.

"Well, I was hoping I could do you," he said, his words coming out almost like a purr.

You swallowed. You had set yourself up for that one liner, but it still made you flustered. You needed to play it cool.

"Oh yeah?" you replied, moving to sit up on your bed. "What did you have in mind?"

"Whatever you want, love," Fred said, the heat of his gaze resting on you.

You would be lying if you said you hadn't been thinking about getting Fred alone. He had you completely unraveled in the locker room hallway, and you had been wanting more. Now that you could have it, you were trying not to overthink it.

You leaned back against your headboard, trying to appear casual even though your pulse was picking up. Decisions, decisions.

"Hmmm, I need to think about it," you said, resting your arms behind your head.

Fred was still staring at you, his gaze making your skin prickle. He looked...hungry.

"Do you need some suggestions?" he teased, elbowing at your thigh.

You narrowed your eyes at him playfully.

"You love to run your mouth," you said, holding eye contact. "Why don't you put that mouth to use?"

Fred's eyes widened the tiniest bit, but you caught the momentary shock that danced across his face. He wasn't expecting you to be so bold. The corner of his mouth pulled up into a smirk.

"I think I can do that," he replied.

Fred stood up and grabbed you by the ankles, pulling you to the edge of your bed. You squeaked in surprise, watching him as he stood over you. His trademark smirk was still on his lips.

Fred knelt to the floor, resting your right ankle onto his shoulder. He kissed along your calf, slowly working his way upward to your thigh. You tried to hold still. He didn't need to know that just a few kisses could make you squirm.

Fred's fingers were dancing along the waistline of your boxer shorts. You were regretting your choice to opt for a comfortable outfit, as your flannel boxers and worn out jumper weren't the sexiest. Fred didn't seem to mind.

He was tugging at your boxers, pulling them down your legs and tossing them to the floor. He took you in: your rosy cheeks matched the color of your knickers. He grinned at you.

"Pink?" he commented, his grin spreading even wider.

"Shut it," you replied, slapping your hands over your eyes in embarrassment.

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, love," Fred said, pulling your hands from your face. "I didn't take you for a pink kind of gal."

You groaned. "Fred, can you just...not talk?"

Fred chuckled. "You're right, you did ask for me to find a better use for my mouth."

Fred's thumbs were rubbing circles into your hips. He resumed kissing your thighs, nipping at the sensitive skin.

You yelped, your back arching off of the bed. Fred stopped, his attention on your face to try to read your expression.

"No, I...keep going," you forced out, embarrassed. "I like it."

Fred nodded, kissing and nipping at your thighs again. He sucked a love bite onto your inner thigh, your hand flying to pull at his hair to keep yourself steady.

His fingers traced along your knickers, slowly working toward where you wanted him. You gasped as his fingers came into contact with your center through the fabric of your knickers.

"Mmm, already so wet for me?" he asked, placing a kiss on the inside of your knee.

You bit your lip and averted your gaze. It was humiliating that Fred could get you worked up this quickly. What was he going to think of you? That you were desperate or easy?

Fred's fingers teased you for a moment before he stopped, looking up at you.

"Can I take them off?" he asked, his eyes darkened with desire.

He truly didn't need to ask — he already knew what your answer would be. But it was considerate nonetheless.

"Please," you breathed out, burning underneath the gentle touch of his fingers.

Fred gave you one more kiss on the thigh for reassurance before pulling off your knickers. You could feel him taking you in, and you were fighting the urge to squirm underneath his gaze.

You had hooked up in the hallway, but it was dark. He couldn't actually see anything beneath your skirt, and his fingers did all of the work. This was different. Fred was finally seeing you for the first time. You felt incredibly vulnerable.

Fred hummed out a noise that sounded like approval. His tongue traced a path from your hip bone all the way to your center. His hands were holding your hips, keeping you pinned to the bed.

"So pretty," he rasped, his lips ghosting along your core.

You whimpered, anticipating his touch. Fred knew exactly what he was doing with his words. He knew that he was driving you mad. And he was loving it.

Fred's tongue darted out to taste you, flattening against your clit. You jolted at the contact, your hands still fisted in his hair. He used his tongue to paint stripes from your clit down to your entrance, eventually settling back onto your clit and sucking it into his mouth.

"Oh fuck," you cried, pulling even harder at his hair.

Fred looked up at you through his eyelashes. You were trying to cement this image in your head forever: Fred between your legs, hair mussed from you pulling at it, a blush dancing along his freckled cheeks.

One of Fred's hands left its place on your hip and wound its way down to your entrance. A fingertip teased along your opening, asking for permission.

"Yes, more," you pleaded. You were embarrassed by how desperate you sounded.

Fred's long finger dove into you, making your back arch off of the bed. He continued to suck on your clit, now pumping his finger inside of you in tandem.

You felt completely overwhelmed. The stimulation from your clit and his finger hitting at just the right spot made your vision feel fuzzy. You were getting close.

"You going to finish for me, love?" Fred asked, pausing his torture on your clit to smirk up at you.

All you could offer as a response was a pathetic whimper. Fred's mouth was back on you once again, and he had you teetering on the edge.

Just when you were about to finish, he pulled his mouth off of you again. You glared down at him, catching his amused look.

"Are you going to beg for it?" he asked, his voice gravelly.

You scoffed in disbelief. He was going to make you...beg? If you were being honest with yourself, it did sound quite like something that Fred would do. The power of it probably turned him on.

You pulled your hands out of his hair and pushed yourself further back onto the bed out of his grasp. He looked at you, a mixture of confusion and lust.

"I didn't want to finish like that anyway," you said, vague disinterest in your voice.

You moved to position yourself with your back to Fred, sitting on your knees. It was your chance to take some power back.

You pulled your jumper over your head, tossing it to the floor. You turned your head back toward Fred, looking at him expectantly.

"What do you want, then?" he asked, still knelt on the floor by the end of your bed.

You summoned all of your courage to stare him right in the eyes.

"I want you to fuck me," you said, your voice surprisingly even and controlled.

His jaw dropped for just a moment. He wasn't expecting that. It took him a second to regain composure, but then he was scrambling to get his trousers off.

He joined you on the bed, already pants-less in such a short amount of time. He pushed your shoulders down toward the bed, positioning your hips for better access.

"Fuck," he muttered, looking you over.

Your naked arse was in the air, your hair pulled over your shoulder so you could turn your head to look at him. It was an incredibly compromising position to be in, but you wanted it.

"You sure, love?" he asked, his control holding on by a thread.

"Please, Freddie," you said, arching yourself even closer to him.

Fred tugged off his briefs, pumping himself a few times. You could hear him take a deep breath.

His hands gripped onto your hips, pulling you closer to him. His tip was at your entrance, teasing you.

You tried to push back onto him, becoming impatient. His grip on your hips stopped you, and he tsked at you.

"So needy, huh?" he teased, leaning forward to kiss along your spine.

You groaned at him. "Now is not the time to be a git, Frederick."

He chuckled from behind you. "Using my full name now? I must really be in trouble."

He pushed into you suddenly, a gasp falling from your lips. He was barely inside of you, but the contact had your skin buzzing.

Fred eased into you, going deeper with each stroke. You leaned your head down onto the mattress, taking deep breaths as you adjusted to Fred's size.

"You alright?" Fred asked, slowing down to check on you.

"Keep going," you said, straining through discomfort as your body accommodated Fred.

Fred continued, being as gentle as possible. One of his hands was at your hip and the other slipped under your bra, toying with your nipple.

You began to match Fred's pace, pushing back into him as he bottomed out. He groaned, pausing for a moment when he was all the way inside you.

"You feel so good," he murmured, leaning down to kiss and nip at your shoulder.

He picked up the pace, hitting a spot deep inside you each time. He had you panting and clawing at the covers in no time.

"Oh Freddie," you said, barely able to squeeze the words out.

Everything felt so good. Fred deep inside you. His hand on your hip guiding you and keeping you steady. His other hand playing with your nipple. It was everything.

"So good for me, love," he said, snapping his hips into yours even faster. "Taking me so well."

You whimpered in response. You loved the things he said to you when you were intimate. It drove you absolutely mad.

"I'm close," you breathed out, turning so you could watch him behind you. And wow...was it a sight to behold.

Fred's face was flushed and concentrated, his hair a disaster from when you were tugging on it earlier. He was biting his bottom lip, clearly trying to stay in control. But he was on the edge as well.

He was pounding into you at a steady rhythm, but his pace was beginning to falter. His fingers dug into your hip, pulling you as close to him as possible.

"Freddie, fuck," you whimpered as you fell apart. The noises coming from your mouth were obscene.

Fred continued pumping into you, chasing his own finish. His hips stuttered, and a mixture of profanities and your name fell from his lips.

He slowed, easing out of you. You flopped forward onto the bed, still panting. Fred joined you a moment later, casting a cleaning charm to handle the mess.

Fred pulled you into him, your head settling onto his chest. You could hear his heart pounding, his pulse slowly coming down. You laid there in silence for a few minutes trying to catch your breath.

"Not so bad, huh?" Fred joked, playing with your hair.

You grumbled into his chest. "Shut it, Weasley."

Your limbs felt heavy after the exertion. You were exhausted but satisfied, nuzzling your head further into Fred.

He held your chin gently, pulling your gaze up to his. He moved to brush your hair out of your face, looking at you intently.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Yeah, I'm good," you said, a lazy grin spreading across your face. "I'm really good."

Fred grinned back, letting out a little chuckle.

"Seems like Diggory was the problem after all," Fred commented, his thumb brushing over your jaw.

"Don't flatter yourself," you pushed back, biting back another grin.

Fred was right. Cedric was the problem. You liked Cedric, but you didn't burn for him in the way that you did for Fred. The chemistry between you and Fred was undeniable. You'd never connected with someone in the way that you connect with Fred.

"Admit it, I'm a fantastic shag," Fred said, raising his eyebrows at you.

"Never," you replied, shaking your head.

"Come on, love. Don't lie to yourself," Fred teased.

He pushed himself up onto his elbow, using his other hand to trace along your ribs. You melted into the touch, closing your eyes.

His soft touches turned suddenly into mischievous tickles, attacking you along your ribs and stomach. You jolted in surprise, laughing involuntarily at the touch.

You tried to fight against him, grabbing at his hand to stop the tickling. Fred was strong, and your efforts were useless.

"Fine, fine!" you forced out, wriggling away from him.

Fred's hand stopped, allowing you to catch your breath. Fred stared at you, his face jokingly stern.

"Say it," he said, his hand hanging in the air, ready to tickle you again.

"You're a good shag," you said reluctantly, shoving his hand away.

Fred huffed at you. "Say it like you mean it."

Now it was your turn to huff. You pushed his chest, forcing his back against the mattress. You kept your hand planted on his chest, looming over him.

"You're an extraordinary shag," you said dramatically, batting your lashes at him.

"Fuck off," he laughed, pushing you off of him.

You were against the mattress now, Fred leaning over you. A smirk was still on his lips as he looked at you.

Then something shifted. Fred's eyes darted down to your lips, staring at them before moving back to your eyes. His eyes were serious. For a moment, you were sure that he was going to kiss you.

Fred cleared his throat, pulling away. "I should probably go," he said.

Fred was off the bed in seconds, pulling on his clothes. You laid there, stunned. What just happened?

Fred was dressed in under a minute, and he peered into the mirror to fix his hair. You sat up on your bed, pulling on your boxer shorts.

"I'll, uhm, I'll see you around," Fred said, turning to you awkwardly.

"Yeah," you replied, staring at the floor.

Fred let himself out of your room, leaving you to stew over your thoughts. Everything had seemed to be going well until that last moment.

Fred was the one who had insisted that you didn't kiss. He made the rule. So why did it seem like he was going to break it?

You sighed, looking over the mess that was your bed. It felt like you and Fred could be more than friends, and then he just vanished. It was confusing.

You busied yourself by pulling your comforter and sheets off your bed, piling them onto the floor. You were planning to wash them.

You opened your dresser drawer, digging around for a clean pair of knickers. You caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Your hair was a disaster, and there was a love bite purpling on your shoulder.

No matter how confused you were now, you didn't regret having sex with Fred. Because now you knew. You knew how good it could be between you. That being with him was something you truly wanted, and you were willing to fight for it.

——

You walked into the Great Hall for dinner, scanning the tables for your friends. You found them quickly, their location obvious because of the two red heads that stuck out against the other students.

You could feel your nerves building as you approached. It had been almost 2 weeks since you and Fred had sex, and he had been avoiding you. First it was that he was "sick" for a few days, and his new excuse was that he had mandatory tutoring to attend.

You weren't sure what to believe, but you knew that Fred was doing everything he could to avoid being alone with you. He would interact with you in a group, but even that was minimal. You wondered if the others were starting to notice.

You made it to the Gryffindor tables, heading straight for where your group was sat in the middle. George had his arm slung around Angelina, and Fred and Lee were having a pumpkin juice chugging contest.

The only open space was across from Fred. You hesitated for a moment but decided to sit down.

Lee slammed his glass on the table. "I win!" he exclaimed.

Fred finished his juice shortly after. He choked out a small cough.

"You cheated, mate," Fred complained, shoving at Lee's shoulder.

No one had seemed to notice you yet, and you quietly stacked food onto your plate. Fred and Lee continued to bicker as you started to eat.

Angelina glanced over to you, giving you a wave.

"Hey, love!" she said, sounding cheerful.

You returned her wave, swallowing your mouthful of food before talking.

"Hey Ang," you replied, offering her a small smile.

She tilted her head, her eyebrows knitting together.

"Everything alright?" she asked, obviously concerned.

Angelina had always been good at picking up on your moods. If even one emotion of yours shifted, she knew. And she was going to ask you about it.

You could feel the eyes of the group shift over to you. Fred and Lee had stopped arguing, and the silence hung in the air.

You cleared your throat, trying to formulate a response.

"Uhm, yeah. Just, uh, tired is all," you fumbled, your eyes glued to your plate.

You couldn't bear to look at them. Especially not Fred. You could feel his gaze on you like a hot iron to your skin.

"We're going to head to the lake to smoke in half an hour," she said.

You had forgotten that it was Wednesday. The group had cancelled last week because Fred wasn't feeling well and Lee had detention.

"I can't tonight, I have tutoring," Fred chimed in. "I should actually get going."

Fred got up from the table, saying a few hasty goodbyes before he left. It felt like your heart was plummeting down to your stomach. What could you have possibly done to make Fred react like this?

You picked at the food on your plate, pushing it around. You didn't have an appetite anymore.

"I'm going to go get some blankets from our room. I'll see you at the lake," Angelina said, giving George a kiss on the cheek as she stood up.

"And I need to pack up the goods," Lee commented, also standing from the table.

"We can meet you there, then," George said, patting you on the shoulder.

Angelina and Lee left, walking arm in arm. George cleared his throat, pulling your attention from them.

He looked at you for a moment, considering his words.

"How long?" he asked.

You cocked your head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"How long have you and Fred been shagging?" he clarified.

His voice was even, and he was staring at you with concern rather than judgment. Still, the question was enough to make your pulse kick up.

"I don't know what you're talking about," you said, a blush beginning to blaze on your cheeks.

"I don't want the details," he said, disregarding your response. "But did something bad happen?"

You stared at your lap. It was a fair question, but you and Fred had promised that you wouldn't tell anyone what was going on between you.

You looked at George, almost pleading. "Do you promise not to tell anyone? Not even Ang?"

George held out a hand for you to shake.

"I'm not going to spit on it, that's gross," he chuckled. "I promise."

He pulled a small chuckle out of you, and you shook his hand.

"Okay," you said, leaning your elbows on the table. "Remember when Lee suggested that we shag?"

George's eyebrows shot up. "It's been going on for that long?"

"Well...we agreed that we would try it just to see. We shagged once a couple of weeks ago, and he's been avoiding me ever since," you said.

It felt good to get some of it off of your chest. Even if you were talking to his twin about it.

"Was it bad?" George asked. "I don't want a detailed recap, though."

You laughed at him. "No, it wasn't bad. It was actually..." you trailed off, embarrassed.

"It was actually what?" George prodded.

"It was really good," you admitted. "Almost too good. I think he freaked out a bit after, he left in a rush."

George chuckled and shook his head.

"What?" you asked, confused.

"You've fancied him for a long time," George said matter of factly. "You don't have to deny it, I've been able to tell for a while. And so has Fred."

The blush on your cheeks darkened. Fred knew? It was suddenly more difficult to swallow, and you reached for your glass of water. You took a drink, trying to calm yourself down.

"I think he fancies you too," George continued once you had swallowed your mouthful of water. "He hasn't talked to me about it, in case you were wondering. You know how Fred is. He doesn't know how to talk about his feelings, or really even handle them for that matter."

You clasped your hands on your lap, squeezing them together. This conversation almost didn't even feel real.

"So is his plan to avoid me forever?" you asked, forcing out a dry laugh.

"I don't know," George shrugged. "But knowing him, he's running away because he doesn't want to face those feelings. You might just have to force him to."

"Force him?" you questioned. "Nobody can force Fred to do anything."

"I can try to lure him somewhere, and then you can get him alone to talk," George explained.

You sighed, considering George's offer. You didn't want Fred to feel cornered, but you couldn't handle the silence any longer.

"Okay," you conceded. "So how are we going to do this?"

----

"At least a quarter of an hour," you replied. "I hope they passed on the goods to Lee tonight so we don't have to wait up."

Angelina, Lee, and the twins had been your best friends since your 1st year. As Gryffindors, you spent the bulk of your time together. During summer breaks, you even made sure to visit each other. Your friend group had become like a second family.

"Those bloody boys are hopeless," Angelina chuckled. "Why do we still spend time with them?"

"I'm not the one dating a Weasley," you teased, knocking your shoulder into hers. Angelina pushed back into you, grinning.

"You wish," she poked, an eyebrow raised at you. You brushed it off with a laugh, hoping to glaze over the truth of Angelina's comment.

Angelina had been dating George since 4th year, but everyone knew by 2nd year that they were meant for each other. You were happy for them. Watching two of your best friends get together was great, but a pang of jealousy gnawed at you.

Out of the friend group, Angelina was your closest friend. You had shared a dormitory room for years, and she knew every single one of your secrets. Including your secret feelings for Fred.

You and Fred have been extremely close from the start. His fiery competitive nature matched yours, and you were constantly making a competition out of every little thing. It was an easy friendship, and you knew almost everything about each other. But you couldn't tell him this.

You had realized sometime during 3rd year that your feelings toward him weren't just friendly. Your skin tingled whenever he hung his arm affectionately around your shoulder. You tried to hide your flaming cheeks when he paid you a compliment. Those were things that only Fred made you feel, but you knew that those feelings weren't returned.

Fred was handsome. And charismatic, and pretty damn good at quidditch. These things made him quite popular with the girls at Hogwarts, especially since his twin was off the market. He had his pick of pretty much any girl he wanted, and he used it to his advantage. His attachments, if they could even be called that, were surface level. You didn't want to be another one of Fred's disposable girls.

You and Angelina made it to your favorite tree by the edge of the Black Lake. It was the same spot that your group had been smoking at for the past year. Angelina pulled a quilt out of her bag, setting it on the ground and smoothing it out before taking a seat.

You joined her on the ground, leaning your head on her shoulder. You watched the stars in silence, waiting for the rest of the group to join you.

"Are you ever going to tell him?" Angelina asked, a certain softness in her voice.

You breathed out, considering her question.

"Honestly...I don't think so," you answered, pursing your lips. Your reply felt sour in your mouth. Your feelings for Fred felt pointless, and talking to him about it would only make things worse.

"But what if he feels the same?" Angelina asked, turning her head toward you. Her cheek rested on your forehead, attempting to give you reassurance.

"Ang...please," you pleaded. "I don't want to talk about this tonight."

"Okay," she muttered, returning to the comfortable quiet that existed before her questioning.

You stayed like that for a bit, silently taking in the universe as you waited for the boys. All was peaceful until you could hear their whoops coming from the distance.

Fred was leading the pack, a diabolical grin on his face as he approached you and Angelina. The other two weren't far behind.

"Now what did you three get up to?" Angelina questioned, her voice teasing but suspicious.

George settled onto the blanket next to her, pulling her in between his knees and leaning her against his chest.

"Oh, nothing," George replied coyly, making eyes at his co-conspirators.

Fred sat next to you, and Lee settled in across from you. You rolled your eyes at Fred when he glanced at you, his lips curving into a grin once again.

"Let me guess, you boobytrapped Malfoy's broom?" you said, raising an eyebrow at the boys.

"Close," George commented, leaning his chin onto Angelina's shoulder.

"We put a portable swamp in the Slytherin quidditch team's locker room," Fred said, obviously proud of himself.

"That's swell and all, but did you bring the blunt?" Angelina asked, becoming impatient.

"Of course," Lee finally chimed in, pulling it out of his satchel. He lit the end with a flick of his wand. "Who would like the honors?"

You reached for the blunt, taking it from Lee's fingers.

"I had to help Pansy in Herbology today and I managed not to bite her head off," you gloated. "I deserve this."

You took the first drag, exhaling the smoke into the darkness. You passed it to Fred, your fingers bumping momentarily during the exchange. Even that made your skin feel like it was prickling.

Fred took a puff, continuing to pass the blunt around the circle. "I'm impressed," Fred said, turning his head to look at you. "We all know how much you love Parkinson."

Fred knocked his shoulder into yours, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. All you could do was return the smirk, giving your head a little shake.

Your group settled into easy conversation, exchanging jokes and stories from the day. Lee's story about sneaking to the bathroom to snog someone during Potions had you laughing so hard that your stomach hurt.

"You can't tell me that you've never left class for a rendezvous," Lee said, directing the comment at you. He wiggled his eyebrows at you playfully, causing you to laugh again.

"I can honestly say that I never have," you said, putting on a jokingly pretentious voice. "No boy is worth that risk."

You propped yourself on your hands, leaning back as you stretched out your legs across the circle. Angelina "hmph"ed at you when your foot touched her leg.

"Not even Diggory?" George asked, sounding skeptical.

"Nope," you replied.

Everyone in the circle seemed surprised. You and Cedric had dated off and on for the past year. At the moment, you were very decidedly "off". You liked him, but it wasn't anything serious.

"Isn't he supposed to be a legendary snogger?" Angelina asked, kicking at your foot. "All of the girls have been drooling over him since 1st year."

"Just because he's pretty doesn't mean he's any good at things like that," you commented.

Lee raised an eyebrow at you, mischief in his eyes. That look always made you nervous. He was up to something.

"So he wasn't a good shag either?" Lee asked, taking a hit before passing the blunt back to Angelina. Four pairs of eyes looked at you expectantly as you formulated your answer.

You swallowed, trying to figure out how much to reveal. On a normal day, you would say absolutely nothing about Cedric. It was an unspoken rule in the group that nobody talked about you and Cedric, as your on again off again relationship was difficult to keep up with. Plus, you only shared these sort of things with Angelina.

"He wasn't...how do I say this..." you trailed off. Your brain swirled, the effects of the blunt loosening your tongue. Without it, you would have kept your mouth shut.

"I've never finished with Cedric," you finally admitted, too high to feel embarrassed about the statement.

"Never?" George asked in disbelief, his incredulity matched by everyone else in the circle.

Angelina placed a sympathetic hand on your arm. "I'm so sorry, love. I can't imagine what that must be like," she teased.

"Shut it," you replied, nudging off her hand and giggling. "I don't know if it's Cedric or if it's me."

The glint of mischief returned to Lee's eyes. He looked at you, a smug grin pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"I suppose we can find out," he said, the grin growing wider. "We can do an experiment of sorts."

Your eyebrows crinkled in confusion. Knowing Lee, this "experiment" was going to be incredibly outlandish.

"What do you have in mind, shagging a bunch of blokes to see what happens?" you joked, assuming that your guess was likely not very far off from what Lee was thinking.

"Not quite," Lee replied, propping himself up on his hands. "Someone we know has quite a reputation for getting the job done."

"If you're about to say me, I am not —" George started before Lee shushed him.

"I'm not talking about you, lover boy," Lee teased. "I'm talking about your twin."

Silence fell over the circle as everyone considered Lee's proposition. You could feel their eyes on you, making your cheeks heat up. This was not what you were expecting him to say.

"Lee, that's —" you started.

"Ridiculous," Fred finished for you.

A pang of rejection rattled through your chest. You were going to say something similar, but hearing it out of Fred's own mouth was different. It's like he couldn't possibly fathom the idea of intimacy with you.

"What? It's just a bit of shagging between friends," Lee said, trying to act innocent.

You had never told Lee about your feelings for Fred, but you could tell that he had likely picked up on it over the years. If this was his attempt at setting you two up, it was going horribly wrong.

"As much as I love telling all of you about my sex life, let's hear some more about that Hufflepuff that Lee snuck out of class to hook up with," you said, trying to play off your embarrassment.

"I can't picture you with a Hufflepuff, much too nice for you," Angelina jabbed jokingly at Lee. She shot you a glance, and you silently thanked her for pushing the subject change.

The group exchanged more joking insults and speculations about Lee actually behaving more like a Slytherin. You finally relaxed, grateful to have the attention off of you. Your stomach still twisted at Fred's reply, the quickness and sureness of it leaving you feeling undesirable.

You had never let yourself imagine that Fred could fancy you. He could have any girl he wanted at Hogwarts, so why would he want you? He was there holding your hair back when you threw up after drinking fire whiskey for the first time; there was nothing seductive about that.

The conversation carried on until George mentioned going to the kitchens to get some biscuits. The group tittered in agreement, but your declining mood made you want to skip out on that excursion.

"I think I'll just head back to the dormitory, I'm exhausted," you said, stretching your arms over your head.

"Do you want me to bring back any biscuits?" Angelina asked.

"No, I'll be knocked out before you even make it back from the kitchens," you shook your head, standing up from the quilt. You tightened your blanket around your shoulders, bracing against the quickly cooling temperature.

"I'll walk you back," Fred offered as he stood from the quilt as well. "Save me some cinnamon biscuits before George eats them all."

The group bid you good night, and you and Fred began the short walk back to the castle. A silence rested between you. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was a buzzing tension that hadn't been there before. Maybe you were just imagining it.

You were quiet for almost the whole walk back to the dormitory, but Fred finally spoke when you had reached the entrance to the common room.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," he said, so quiet that you felt like you had imagined it.

You walked through the painting, turning to him once he made it through. "What do you mean?" you asked, unsure if he was referring to his rejection of Lee's idea.

"It's not that I....I don't...." Fred fumbled, running a hand through his hair as he formulated his sentence. "I'm not repulsed by the idea of shagging you."

His reply came out awkwardly, and you giggled at him.

"Wow Fred, how kind of you," you joked, cracking a grin.

Fred let out a laugh of his own, gripping the banister as he walked with you up the stairs to the girls' dormitories.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to shag me just because Lee says so," Fred said as you reached the landing, winding toward the door to your room.

"Trust me, I don't feel that way," you replied, eyeing him. "It was a ridiculous idea, to be fair."

You were trying to brush it off. The suggestion from Lee was embarrassing enough, and recapping it with Fred wasn't helping.

You reached your door, but instead of letting you go into your room, Fred stretched his arm across the doorway, blocking your entrance.

"But if you wanted to find out, I would do that for you," he said, leaning across the doorframe.

Your eyebrows came together in confusion. "What do you mean?" you asked.

"If you wanted to see if you can finish with a partner," he replied, sounding casual. "I'm pretty great at it. I can send you my references."

Fred smirked, his eyes twinkling as he stared down at you.

"Get off it," you said, shoving at him. He did manage to pull a small smile from your lips.

"I'm just offering," he said, finally moving out of your path. "For the sake of science."

"I'll get back to you on that," you said with an eye roll, moving past him to open the door.

"Good night love, try not to dream about me," he teased, giving you a wave from the doorway.

"Fuck off," you answered with a chuckle. "Good night, Fred."

You shut the door, grateful to finally be out of that conversation. You took a deep breath, but you could feel your own pulse racing.

Fred was willing to go through with Lee's idea? It wasn't a love confession, but the fact that Fred was open to hooking up was a revelation to you. But you were torn.

You didn't want to be one of the many girls that Fred could call on whenever he desired. If you were going to put your friendship in jeopardy by adding sex into the equation, you wanted it to mean something.

But having him one way almost seemed better than not having him at all. He was one of your closest friends, and you knew that you could trust him if you were intimate. And you were dying to know just how good he was in bed.

You plopped onto your bed, huffing out a loud sigh. You had a lot of thinking to do.

——

You scrawled notes onto your parchment, trying to absorb what you were reading out of your Potions textbook. Fred was settled next to you on the couch in the Common Room, using his wand to play solitaire in front of him on the floor.

Angelina and George were in the twins' dorm, so Fred was relegated to the Common Room. Lee was off somewhere with the Hufflepuff he had been messing around with. This left you and Fred.

You hadn't approached your conversation from last night, attempting to shake it off as Fred just saying things while he was high. Thinking about it had kept you up for longer than you would like to admit, but you didn't dare talk to him about it. Maybe he forgot.

Fred huffed, considering the cards laid out in front of him. You glanced over for a moment, watching him. With a flick of his wand, he sent the cards scattering about the room.

"Stupid game," he muttered, kicking his feet up on the coffee table and stretching his arms behind his head. "What are you working on?"

"Potions homework," you replied. "You should try it sometime. Y'know, the whole homework thing."

You teased him, a grin tugging at the corner of your mouth. He looked at you and narrowed his eyes, fighting his own grin.

The Common Room was relatively empty besides the second years playing chess in the corner. Fred took this as an opportunity to question you.

"Did you think about it any more?" he asked, cocking his head at you.

You felt a blush creeping up your neck. Did your collar suddenly get tighter, or were you imagining things? You cleared your throat, trying to regain composure.

"Uhm, not really," you answered, averting your gaze by staring at your textbook. "Did you?"

"Love, it's not really up to me," he said, leaning his elbow onto the armrest of the couch. He considered you for a moment, silently taking in your flushed cheeks. He chose not to comment on it.

"I just...don't want to make things awkward," you said, bringing your eyes to meet his.

"What, are you thinking that it'll be so bad that you won't want to be my mate anymore?" he joked, nudging his knee against yours.

Your chest felt tight. You wanted to be as casual about this as Fred was being, but it felt like a monumental decision. There was no going back.

You attempted a smile at his joke, but it fell flat. Fred's face changed, noticing your uneasiness. His hand came to your shoulder, gripping at the crook of your neck to try to offer you comfort.

"Love, I'm just messing with you. I'm not expecting you to say yes, it truly is up to you," he said, a softness to his voice as he held your gaze.

"Why do you even want to give it a try?" you asked, trying to relax your shoulder under Fred's touch. "I'm not...we're not...we've always been friends. This is different."

"I think we would have good sex," he said bluntly, acting like that was a normal statement. "I trust you. We have good banter. You're attractive. Objectively, all of the important things are there."

"Since when have you been a scientist?" you asked, finally giggling.

"I might not have the best marks in school, but I do have good marks with shagging," he said, smirking at you and waggling his eyebrows. "I'm confident that I could get you to finish."

You could feel the tips of your ears reddening, imagining Fred's hands on you. You swallowed, trying to push the image out of your mind.

"If I agree, what does this look like?" you asked, pulling your legs in to sit criss cross on the couch.

"Well, we could draw up a contract," Fred said, conjuring a quill and parchment with a flick of his wand. "We can set terms that we agree to and write them down here."

"You're such a scholar," you teased, pulling the quill from his hand. "I'm writing it, your handwriting is rubbish."

Fred huffed and rolled his eyes, pushing the parchment toward you.

"First rule: we don't tell anyone," you said, turning your eyes from the parchment to look at Fred.

"Agreed," he said, nodding his head. "I can't let Lee think that he has good ideas."

You chuckled, writing the first rule on the list. Fred peered at your writing, leaning closer to you on the couch. Even that proximity made the hair on your arms stand up, like Fred himself was a living lightning bolt.

"Second, we need to go as slow as I want to," you said. "I can't just shag someone right away, I need some time to figure them out."

"Reasonable," Fred agreed. "We agree to not expecting a shag every time we see each other."

"Right," you nodded, adding it to the list.

"I have one," Fred said, waiting for you to finish the line you were working on.

"Okay," you said, looking at him expectantly.

"No kissing," he said. "At least not on the mouth."

Your eyebrows crinkled in confusion. "How are we supposed to shag if we can't kiss?" you asked.

"Kissing is dangerous. That's how you start to fall in love with someone, and that's not what we're doing here," Fred explained.

You swallowed, considering his point. He was kind of right. There was something intimate about kissing someone on the lips. Romantic. And that's not what you were agreeing to.

"Alright, I'll add it," you conceded.

You could feel disappointment turning in your stomach. You had always wanted to kiss Fred. That would have to remain an unfulfilled dream.

"I have another one," Fred said as you wrote the previous rule. "If we want to start shagging or dating someone else, we have to tell each other. We don't see other people while we are doing this."

That one shocked you. You had assumed that Fred would still want to rotate through his gaggle of girls. Any one person having his full attention was a rarity.

"Fine, I guess I'll call off all of those dates I had planned," you huffed sarcastically, throwing your head to the side dramatically.

"If I have to, then you have to," he said, nudging you with his shoulder. "I'm not one to share."

"That's pretty rich coming from a twin," you replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Focus!" he commanded, shoving at you again. He was biting back a grin, trying to pretend like your comments weren't entertaining him. "What else?"

"No matter what happens, we need to stay friends," you insisted.

Fred looked at you, almost like he was confused. "That doesn't even need to be a rule. We both know that we'll stay friends."

"So what? It should be a rule," you replied.

"Okay," he agreed with a shrug. "I think that's good, unless you thought of anything else."

You looked at the parchment, scrutinizing the five rules that you had written down. You drew two horizontal lines at the bottom, putting your signature on one of them. You handed the quill to Fred.

"Sign it," you said, watching as he took the quill and scrawled his own name.

"We need to shake on it too," Fred said, a grin starting to form at the corner of his mouth.

"Is that really necessary?" you asked, trying not to cringe. You and Fred hadn't shook on anything in years. Now that you were older, you thought your old ritual was kind of gross.

"Absolutely," he replied, feigning sternness.

He held his right palm in front of his mouth and spit in it. You hesitated for a second before doing the same. Your hands met in a shake, sealing the contract.

——

You were leaned against the wall, watching the Gryffindor quidditch locker room door. Fred had left you a note asking you to meet him here after practice.

Your stomach was fluttering. You had made your agreement earlier this week, but nothing had happened yet. While Fred's note was relatively vague, you were hoping that this would be an opportunity for an encounter.

Two boys exited the locker room. It was Harry and Ron, chuckling about something as they came down the hallway. The pair spotted you.

"Oi, who are you waiting for?" Ron called to you.

"Your brother," you answered, doing your best to sound nonchalant. You wondered if Ron could sense the nerves radiating off of you.

"George already left with Angelina. Fred is still in the shower," Ron said. "Why are you waiting for him here?"

"Why are you so bloody nosy?" you poked, agitated at his continued questioning. Ron had become like a little brother to you, and he was able to irritate you like he was your own sibling.

"Damn, grumpy tonight, huh?" Ron commented, reaching over to try to muss your hair.

"Ronald!" you shrieked, wrestling away his hand. He had you backed against the wall, and he was determined to ruin the neat plaits that you had just done.

"Ron, hands off," Fred called, his voice carrying from the doorway of the locker room.

Ron backed off, and you caught a glimpse of Fred. Your pulse kicked at the sight.

He was in just his sweatpants, a towel slung around his shoulders. His hair was still dripping wet from the shower, and he had it pushed back out of his face. He had no right to look this good.

"Is this weasel giving you trouble?" Fred asked, approaching you and Ron.

Ron stepped even further away, exchanging a glance with Harry before they took off running down the hallway. Fred chuckled.

"Serves them right to be afraid of me," he said. "They know that they'll end up with toads in their bed for bothering you."

You still hadn't made a sound. Fred had you completely tongue tied, and you focused on keeping eye contact. You were not going to let your gaze wander to his strong shoulders, or his defined abs, or the line of muscle that led down to his waistband...

You felt a hand on your shoulder. Fred was peering down at you, confusion wrinkled in his brow.

"You alright, love?" he asked, sounding concerned.

You cleared your throat, trying to shake yourself out of it. Fred was your best friend. It's normal to see best friends in a state of undress...right?

"Yes, just...a wandering mind, I suppose," you answered.

"Where did it wander to?" he probed, leaning one hand against the wall behind you and bringing the other to play with the end of your hair.

He was flirting with you. This is what it's like to be a target of Fred's flirting? Your skin felt like it was on fire.

You cleared your throat again, your eyes lowering from the intensity of Fred's gaze. You knew that your cheeks were bright red and that Fred was relishing in the way that he could make you blush.

"Uhm—y'know, homework and...things," you replied awkwardly, cringing as the words came out of your mouth. How was he able to turn you into a pile of brainless mush so quickly?

"Do you want to tell me what kind of things, or should I guess?" he asked, his fingers wandering up the length of your plait.

You finally brought your eyes to his again. The calm hazel of his eyes was long gone, and you could see anticipation flickering in his gaze. A smirk danced on his lips. He was enjoying this.

"I bet you're wondering why I asked you to come here," he started, playing with your plait. "And you're noticing that we're alone."

Fred leaned in, muttering the words into your ear.

"I think you're even hoping that I'm going to touch you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

His nose grazed the shell of your ear and you let out a shaky breath. The control he had over you was embarrassing.

The hand on your plait came to rest on your collar. You could feel the heat radiating off of Fred's skin.

"Y'know, I could just take you right here," he said, his hand wandering even lower to ghost over your waist. "No one comes down here after practice."

"Fred..." you whimpered, unable to form any other words. Your eyes locked for a moment, reading each other's expressions.

Fred's hand on the wall moved to cradle your jaw, his thumb grazing along your cheekbone.

"You want this, love?" he asked.

"Yes," your reply rushed out.

Fred grinned. He turned your head, exposing your neck. He grazed his nose along your neck, placing a kiss just below your ear. You gripped at his shoulders, trying to stabilize yourself.

"I'll go nice and slow," he muttered, sending a jolt down your spine. His voice in your ear was enough to practically make your knickers fall off.

Fred kissed along your neck and jaw, his other hand finding the hem of your skirt. His fingers traced circles into the skin of your thigh, and you couldn't help the soft moan that fell from your lips.

"Yeah? You like that?" he asked, nibbling at your earlobe.

"Mmm," was your only reply.

You were quickly relaxing into his touch. Fred's fingers dared to wander higher up your skirt, finding the edge of your knickers. One finger teased along the waistband, and you shivered at the touch.

"Can I touch you, love?" he asked, pulling away from you for a moment to look into your eyes.

"Please," you answered, winding one of your hands into his wet hair.

Fred placed a delicate kiss on the end of your nose, making you giggle. His fingers dipped into your knickers, slowly migrating to where you wanted him most. Fred groaned as his fingers met your very wet center.

"Feeling a bit excited, are you?" he chuckled, nuzzling his head into your neck.

"Get on with it, Weasley," you commanded, feeling breathless with need.

Gently, Fred parted your legs and hiked up your right leg around his hip. Fred's fingers began moving. Slowly at first, just teasing touches. But then he found your clit, the pad of his finger working circles into it.

You bit your lip, trying to stop yourself from crying out. Fred was right; he knew exactly what he was doing.

Fred's fingers continued their work, and he pressed hot kisses into your neck.

"Being such a good girl for me, love," he grumbled, nipping at a spot along your jaw.

"Fuck," you cursed, tugging at his hair.

In only minutes, Fred had you on the brink. The kisses, the dirty talk, his fingers — the combination was making you come undone.

"So close," you breathed out, nails digging into his scalp and shoulder.

"Finish for me, love," he mumbled into the skin on your neck.

A few more moments was all you needed. A wave of electricity crashed through you, your hips jolting toward Fred against your will. You let a moan escape your lips, your head knocking back against the wall.

Your chest was heaving. You could feel sweat collecting along your back. You felt...amazing.

Fred was staring at you, his eyes filled with wonder. He gently placed your leg back on the floor, holding your hips to keep you steady.

"Damn, that was..." his voice trailed off. "We should've started doing this a long time ago."

You giggled, still trying to catch your breath. You playfully shoved at his shoulder.

"That wasn't so bad," you said, grinning up at him.

"Oh yeah?" he smirked. "Seemed like you were enjoying yourself. You sounded just like this."

Fred began to moan, attempting to mimic your own sounds. You laughed, slapping at his chest.

"Okay, okay," you conceded. "You exceeded my expectations."

Fred gasped and clutched a hand to his chest.

"Was that...a compliment? Coming out of your mouth?" he questioned dramatically.

You rolled your eyes.

"Whatever," you groaned. "I suppose I wouldn't be against continuing our experiment."

The corner of Fred's mouth turned up in a grin.

"I suppose I wouldn't be against it either," he said

----

Fred had caught you on your Wednesday night prefect rounds, pulling you into an abandoned classroom. It took only seconds for his lips to crash into yours as he pushed you against the closed door of the room.

He pulled your robes off of your shoulders, tossing them onto a nearby desk. The corner of his mouth tilted up in a smirk, and you knew that you were in for it.

Fred took your hand, bringing you to the front of the room by the professor's desk. He kissed you one more time before gripping you by the hips and bending you over the desk.

"Can you see it now, birdie?" he asked, leaning down over you to talk into your ear. "When you're a professor, I can bend you over your desk anytime."

His hand ran up the back of your thigh, causing your whole body to erupt in a shiver. It took only moments for him to undo his belt and pull up your skirt.

Fred was thrusting into you, causing a whimper to fall from your lips. "Shhhh, little bird. Wouldn't want anyone to hear you, huh?" Fred whispered, gripping your waist with his hands.

You bit your lip, trying to keep any sounds from escaping. Fred grabbed at your hair, pulling it as he fucked you over the desk. 

You could feel your climax begin to grow, and you pushed your hips back into Fred to meet his pace. A choked groan came from your throat, and Fred reached around to put his hand over your mouth.

"Now what did I say, darling?" he scolded, increasing his pace even more. "Are you really so desperate for all of Hogwarts to hear you scream my name?"

Your hands gripped the edges of the desk, holding on for dear life. Fred could have simply cast a silencing charm, but where was the fun in that?

You were moments your orgasm, pinching your lips together to keep silent. Fred knew exactly what he was doing to you, and it was torturous. You were determined to hold it together until his thumb found your clit, marking your downfall.

"Anyone home?" Cedric asked, waving a hand in front of your face. You jolted out of your thoughts, embarrassed to be caught daydreaming. Your cheeks immediately turned a vibrant shade of red.

Cedric chuckled. "It's alright, no one can focus with the Winter Ball happening this week. Even Cho is distracted," he said, trying to reassure you. "Are you still going with Fred?"

You nodded. You had been looking forward to going to the ball with Fred. Ever since the Hufflepuff party and the initial shock to Hogwarts of your relationship, things had been pretty tame. It wasn't the explosion of gossip like you had been expecting.

Cedric pushed back his stool, getting up to peer over into the cauldron. The water was ready, all you needed was to add in the ingredients correctly.

"I might need to memorize how to make this for when I make Cho angry," Cedric joked, looking over at you. 

You chuckled, nodding your head in agreement. You knew her temper all too well. "I'm sure the twins will be picking my brain about the recipe. Godric knows what they would get up to with invisibility potions," you replied, measuring out the knotgrass. 

"So do you get to know the plans for the pranks beforehand now that you're with Fred?" Cedric asked, stirring the cauldron. 

"Not usually," you answered. "My policy with them is that the less I know about the trouble they get into, the better. I'm not afraid to take away House points when necessary, but I don't want to do it when it's the twins."

"I can't imagine how strange it must be to be a prefect dating the biggest troublemaker at Hogwarts, seems like a conflict of interest," Cedric commented playfully, raising his eyebrows at you. "But it seems like you two get on quite well despite your differences."

You titled your head in consideration. You hadn't thought about the 'conflict of interest' aspect, but who cares? You aren't the only prefect at the school. Someone else can shout at the twins for their misbehaviors. 

"Our differences keep things interesting," you said. "If Fred dated someone exactly like him, this school would go up in flames. Someone has to keep him in line."

You and Cedric chuckled, beginning to add ingredients into the cauldron. You felt a flutter of pride in your chest at the fact that Cedric picked up on how well you and Fred worked as a couple. You didn't worry yourself with the approval of others, but it was nice to hear it regardless.

——

You plopped your backpack onto the floor, joining Fred on the couch in the Gryffindor common room. It had become routine for you to visit Fred in the evenings after you finished your homework in the library. He was usually in the common room with his twin playing cards or planning their next prank.

"I heard that you made invisibility potions today," George commented from his place across the room. He was playing cards with Angelina and Lee.

"So what if we did?" you retorted. The advanced Potions class you were in had the opportunity to create more exciting potions that other students weren't allowed to. The invisibility potions were one of the recipes that was not taught to students outside of the class.

"I know a couple of people that could use some of those," Fred chimed in, slinging his arm around your shoulders on the couch.

"Would those people have red hair? Because I've heard that invisibility potions don't work on red heads," you replied, cocking a brow at Fred.

"You might be smart, but you're full of shit," George said, calling your bluff. 

You picked up a pillow from the couch and chucked it at him. He caught it with one hand right before it would have smacked him in the face.

"You seem to forget that Fred and I have quidditch reflexes," George said, eyeing his brother mischievously.

"Now!" Fred shouted, picking up another pillow from the couch. He began smacking you with it, and George got up from playing cards to join him. You laughed as the twins continued to hit you with the pillows, a completely harmless attack.

"Do you feel better now?" you asked between giggles. Being with Fred meant that you also began to spend more time with George. You had grown to adore Fred's twin, and it felt like he was your own brother. No one could make you laugh quite like the twins.

"Only a tad," Fred answered, taking the pillow from George so he could return to his card game. "Want to come up to my room?"

Fred tossed the pillows back onto the couch and offered you his hand. You smirked, taking his hand and standing up onto your feet.

George made kissing noises at the two of you, turning around in his chair and wrapping his arms around himself to simulate a make out. This earned a giggle from you.

"There's something called knocking, you git," Fred said to his brother, trying to hide his smile.

"There's also something called a silencing charm, you freak," George replied, now moaning in an attempt to imitate Fred and you. 

Your hand flew up to your mouth to try to stifle your laugh. George had a point. For some reason, Fred didn't like using silencing charms. He would prefer for everyone to hear the sounds that you made. 

Fred simply yanked your hand and dragged you up the stairs, huffing at his brother. He opened the door to his dormitory, motioning for you to enter.

You had become a regular visitor to his dorm, and he even let you borrow pajamas when you stayed over. Fred crossed to his dresser, pulling off his uniform and putting on a t shirt and pajama bottoms instead. He tossed a large jumper at you.

"Would you like to stay tonight?" he asked, making his way to sit on his bed. 

You held the jumper in your hands, weighing your options. You could either stay the night with Fred and risk being tired tomorrow, or sleep in your own room and miss out on this precious time with Fred. Your busy schedule meant that you didn't have much time alone together.

"I'm not sure yet," you replied honestly, beginning to take off your own uniform to put on the jumper. "You'll have me all weekend, so I should probably focus on studying and finishing assignments before the craziness of the ball."

Fred watched you, passively admiring your curves as you changed in the dim light of his dorm. He had seen you naked quite a few times by this point, but he still found himself star struck whenever you so much as showed an extra inch of skin. 

You finished changing, pulling the jumper on over just your knickers. It was long enough that it landed at your mid thigh, and Fred loved how you looked in his clothes. You knew that he was itching to get his hands on you.

"You could take a break from studying for a week," Fred said, settling onto his bed as he watched you. "New potions aren't going to invent themselves overnight. You can pick it up again next week."

You crossed the room to join Fred in his bed. You wrapped your arms around him, pressing your face into his chest as you cuddled up to him. He held you, stroking your back as you took a deep breath.

"I know, I just really want to get into an Upper School. My exams for the Potions programs are in January, there isn't much time left," you said, still squeezing him tight. You had really been feeling the pressure of your upcoming exams, and Fred knew it.

He tangled his fingers through your hair, kissing you on the head as he played with the long strands. Fred always knew how to put you at ease. 

"You never talk about your plans after Hogwarts," you stated, moving to prop your chin on his chest so you could look at him. 

"That's because I'm not sure that I have any yet," he said, shrugging. His parents had been breathing down his neck about this, so the topic of future plans felt pretty sore.

"They don't have to be perfect plans," you replied, reaching up to run your thumb along his jaw. "If you could do anything in the world, what would it be? No matter how outlandish. I'll tell you my fantasy future."

"You go first," he said, leaning into your touch. 

"If I could do anything, I would start a new wizarding school. It would have houses, but it would be nothing like Hogwarts. We would study Potions and Herbology, and instead of playing Quidditch students would compete in Wizard's Chess tournaments. It sounds dorky and there's really no need for another school, but I think it would be fun to create something like that," you said, rambling on. "What about you?"

Fred let out a breath. "George and I want to run our own joke shop. We could sell our creations and show other people how to pull pranks. It would never be successful, but George and I would love doing it."

You pushed yourself up onto your elbows, looking into his eyes. "Freddie, that sounds amazing! You and George would be cracking at that, all of the students here would love to buy your joke items," you said excitedly, a smile on your face.

"Really?" Fred asked, his own smile starting to form.

"Really," you replied. "There's no one better than you two to open a shop like that. And you're both great at convincing people to do things, I'm sure those skills would translate well into sales."

"George and I have been dreaming about it for years. It's something that we would never get bored of," Fred said. "I've never told anyone about it before. Except for George, of course."

"I'm happy that you told me," you said, giving him a kiss on the lips. "You know that I believe in you. I would happily be your first customer."

"Just because you're pretty doesn't mean that you'd get a discount," Fred teased, tickling your side. 

You grabbed at his hand to stop the tickling, laughing at him. "Oh yeah? I'm sure I could find other ways to get a discount," you teased back, running your other hand up his chest.

"Maybe you should give a demonstration," Fred replied, smirking at you as he grabbed your hips and placed you on top of him.

——

It was finally Friday, and everyone was buzzing about the ball tomorrow night. You had managed to make it through the rest of the week without too many distractions, and you were caught up enough on homework that you could give Fred your undivided attention this weekend.

You were eating dinner with your friends, tucking into your dessert chatting about the ball. Beatrice had been rambling on about her dress even though she had already showed it to you several times.

"It's the perfect shade for my skin tone," Beatrice said. "Oliver won't be able to keep his hands off of me."

"We get it, Bea, we've seen your dress about 100 times," Cho said, taking another bite of her pudding. 

"But with my makeup and hair done, it'll look completely different," Bea said, looking for a reason to continue talking about her dress.

You were excited about your own dress. It was a maroon color with a frilly skirt. It was relatively simple, but it still made you feel beautiful. You couldn't wait for Fred to see it.

A paper butterfly floated its way over to your table, landing neatly next to your plate. You and your friends looked at each other in confusion for a moment until you picked it up and unfolded it.

Meet me in my dorm after dinner.

You knew it was from Fred. You looked up, scanning the faces of the other students in the hopes of finding Fred. You were unsuccessful, and instead folded up the note and put it into the pocket of your robes.

"What's that about?" Bea asked, propping her elbows on the table as she looked at you.

"Fred wants me to meet him after dinner," you answered, playing with the crust of the pie that was on your plate.

"He always has to be dramatic about it, doesn't he?" Cho pointed out. "Cedric should take notes, he could learn a thing or two from Fred."

The three of you giggled. Cho rarely said a kind word about Fred, but he was growing on her. He had that effect on people.

——

You made your way up the stairs towards Fred's dormitory. You were nervous for some reason, but you couldn't really understand why. You had been to his room countless times, but he didn't usually invite you over by sending a paper butterfly at dinner. It seemed like he was up to something.

You knocked on the door, fiddling with your fingers that you had clasped in front of you. A few seconds passed until Fred opened the door, a wide grin on his face.

"Close your eyes," he said, putting his hands over your eyes as he pulled you into the room.

"What in Godric's name are you up to now, Freddie?" you asked as he led you through the room.

"You'll find out in a second," he replied, bringing you to the bed. "Sit down."

You obliged, sitting down onto his bed. You heard papers rustling, and you were tempted to open your eyes. But you knew that Fred wanted whatever this was to be a surprise, so you obediently kept them closed.

"You can open them now," Fred said, sitting on the bed next to you. 

You opened your eyes, taking in the room before you. Fred had lit numerous candles and spread rose pedals around the room. It was like a scene from a romantic novel. It was cheesy, but you loved it.

You looked around, noticing that Fred had strung something up on the walls. "You should start from this end and work to the right," Fred said, directing you toward the door.

All around the room were sketches of you. The first was a sketch of your frustrated face. Your hair was braided, and you assumed that the sketch was of your confrontation in the courtyard.

The next was you in the Quidditch stands. Then you on your back on Fred's bed, his head between your legs. Your side profile as you looked out from the astronomy tower. Slow dancing to the record player. The first time you had butter beers with him and his friends at the Three Broomsticks.

You couldn't stop the tears that were rolling down your cheeks. Your hand was covering your mouth that was agape in absolute disbelief. Fred had chronicled your relationship in sketches. You had no idea that he was this talented.

The sketches continued in order along the walls of his room, and you didn't turn to him until you had looked at every last one. You finally looked at Fred. A soft smile was on his lips, and his eyes looked like they were shining. He had that look that he gave you once in a while that you were never quite able to place.

Fred closed the space between you, wiping the tears from your cheeks. He took your hands into his.

"Birdie....I don't even know where to start," he let out a chuckle, obviously a bit nervous. "I realized that I never asked you to be my girlfriend. We both kind of just assumed that we were together, but I wanted to be sure."

You giggled at him. He was right. You had never explicitly spoken about being together, it was something that fell into place naturally. 

"So I'm finally going to ask. Will you be my girlfriend?" Fred asked. 

"Of course I will, Freddie," you said, reaching up to wrap your arms around his neck. You kissed him on the lips, your cheeks still wet with tears.

"I'm not done yet," Fred said, pulling out of the kiss. He took your hand, walking you back to the bed. He sat down, motioning for you to join him.

"You and I have known each other ever since we got to Hogwarts. I always thought that you were cute, but your nose was so far into your books that I never tried to get to know you," Fred said, still holding your hand. "I have learned so much about you in these past few months. It has made me wonder how I ever was able to live without you before, how I could walk past you in the halls every day and not kiss you. I was missing out on so much, and I had no idea. But now I know you, and I also know that I'm in love with you."

Fred paused to take a breath. Tears continued to roll down your cheeks as you watched him in silence.

"I know that your last experience with love might not have been what you wanted it to be, but this is going to be different. Because I will spend every day making sure that you know that I love you. I will support you and your dreams. If that means you have to spend hours in the library and don't have as much time for me, I still support you. There is no one in the world who is as smart as you, as ambitious as you, as kind-hearted, patient, caring...I could go on for ages," Fred squeezed your hand, looking into your eyes. "I don't know a lot of things, but I do know for sure that I am in love with you. And I need you to know that. You are my weakness, and I think you have learned how to exploit that."

Fred gently poked at your side, trying to get you to laugh. A choked giggle came out of your mouth as you tried to wipe your tears.

"Darling, why are you crying?" Fred asked, his voice gentle. It was like he was afraid you were going to break like a piece of glass.

"This is just....I never expected this," you replied, taking breaths to try to gather yourself. "I don't know how else to respond to a gesture like this."

Fred squeezed your hand again, using his other hand to wipe a tear from your cheek. "Birdie, this is what you deserve."

You breathed out. You had been trying to remind yourself that you deserve good things. That you work hard and deserve success. That you are a good friend and deserve for that to be reciprocated. Fred somehow knew all of your insecurities and exactly how to make them vanish.

"Fred, this is....." you started, left speechless for a moment. "I love you too."

Your hands found his cheeks, taking his face into your hands. You kissed him, a sweet kiss that you hoped conveyed how much you loved him.

"How long have you known?" you asked, pulling back so you could look him in the eye.

"Known what?" he replied, finding your hand again and taking it into his.

"How long have you known that you loved me?" you said, rubbing the back of his hand with your thumb.

Fred looked down for a moment as he considered your question. "The astronomy tower. I think that's when I knew, I just didn't want to admit it yet," he answered.

Your eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow...that was a long time ago," you said.

"Birdie, you are the only person who challenges me. Who always sees the best in me. You believe in me without a question. And you have been that way since the beginning. How could I not fall in love with you?"

You leaned in to kiss him again, this time biting at his bottom lip. Your hands found his hair, and he pulled you onto his lap. 

"You are so sentimental and I love you for it," you said, stroking his cheek. He smiled at you, kissing you once more. 

His kisses wandered from your mouth to your jaw down to your neck. Your hands were busy in his hair, pulling at it as he nipped at your sensitive skin. You leaned your head back, giving him full access to your neck. 

He undid your tie, tossing it to the side before working on the buttons of your shirt. 

"Someone seems impatient," you teased, scratching at his scalp with your nails. You were usually the one who pushed things along. Fred was willing to be patient for the sake of your comfort. 

"I've been dying to make love to you," he replied between kisses, now biting along your collar bone. He had already finished with the buttons of your shirt, and he waited for you to pull it off your shoulders.

You obliged, discarding your shirt so Fred could continue his trail of kisses. He stood up from the bed, picking you up for a moment before placing you on your back in the center of the bed. You opened your legs, and he slid between them so he could plant another kiss on your mouth.

He made quick work of your skirt, and soon you were left in only your undergarments on his bed. 

"What a view," he said, grinning at you as he moved to take off his own shirt and tie.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," you teased at him.

"That's what the sketches are for," he said, already taking off his pants.

Fred came forward to kiss your lips again, your legs wrapping around his middle. His hands ghosted along your ribcage, wandering around to your back so he could unclasp your bra. 

You slid your bra straps down your arms, dropping it onto the floor next to the bed. Fred left hot kisses from your lips all the way down between your boobs. Your back was already arching off of the mattress, begging for more.

"I want to take my time with you tonight," he said between kisses, sucking a nipple into his mouth. You moaned in reply, hands flying to his hair.

He worked your other nipple with his fingers, eventually moving his mouth to give the other a turn. His searing kisses trailed down your stomach, stopping just above your navel. 

Fred's fingers played with the edge of your knickers, tickling along your hip bone. "May I?" he asked, looking up at you from his position between your legs.

"Yes. Please," you answered, your nails scratching along his muscular shoulders.

Fred pulled down your knickers, dropping them onto the floor. He kissed the side of your knee, working his way down your thighs toward your center.

"So gorgeous. Such a perfect girl," he mumbled, leaving love bites on your inner thighs. 

His hand hooked behind your knee, pushing it closer to your chest. His mouth migrated from your thighs to your hip bone, leaving kisses along your lower belly. 

One hand came down to your center while his other propped him up on the bed. His thumb found your clit, slowly working a circular pattern onto it. He still kissed along your belly, making you writhe with anticipation.

Fred dove one long finger into your opening, making you whimper. He was taking his time just like he said he would, but it was driving you insane. 

He was finally gracious enough to move his mouth down to your core, teasing your clit with the tip of his tongue. His finger still worked in and out of your opening, causing you to grip at Fred's hair. 

He picked up his pace, sucking your clit into his mouth as he added another finger into you. You were moaning his name, pulling at his hair as he pleasured you. 

You were so close to your release. Fred knew your body well enough that he could tell that you were close, so he continued exactly as he was. In his mind, you two were just getting started.

You finally reached your high, arching off of the bed as you pulled on a fistful of fiery hair. Fred eased you down, leaving gentle kisses on your thighs before moving to kiss you on the lips. 

"I love you," he said, brushing your nose with his as he looked into your eyes.

"I love you too," you replied, still catching your breath after your orgasm. The moment was sweet and endearing, but you wanted more.

You reached for Fred's waistband, raising your eyebrows at him suggestively. "I'm going to be on top this time, pretty boy," you said, a smirk creeping across your mouth.

Fred's face lit up. He had always taken control during sex, but he wasn't upset about this change. You were nervous about being on top; you had never tried it before. But tonight felt like the right time.

You switched positions on the bed, with Fred laying on his back. You straddled him, and Fred sat up and kissed along your collarbone and shoulders. 

"I think you were made for me," he said between kisses. His words made a shiver run down your spine.

He was straining against the fabric of his underwear, and you knew exactly how to help him. You pushed his shoulders back, forcing him to lay down onto the bed.

"What do you want, Freddie?" you asked, trying to make your voice sound sweet and innocent.

"Anything," he answered, running his hands along your hips. He wanted to take his time, but he was starting to get desperate. 

"Hmmmm...I'll have to decide for you then," you said, tracing your nails down his chest. Your fingers landed at the edge of his boxers, toying with it.

You could feel Fred shiver beneath your touch. A smirk spread across your lips. Having this power over him felt addictive. 

You pulled at his boxers, taking them all the way down his legs and tossing them onto the floor. You kissed along his abs while one hand reached down to grip him.

Fred sucked in a breath. He had been anticipating your touch. You continued your kisses down to his hip bones, working him with your hand.

You peered up at him. His mouth was open slightly, and his pupils were dark. You had him right where you wanted him.

"Do you want something?" you asked, blinking at him through your eyelashes. 

"I...your mouth," he said, stuttering a bit. He was flustered.

You brought your trail of kisses down further, and you dared to dart out your tongue to tease his tip. He shuddered in response.

You had enough of teasing him. At least for now. You took him into your mouth, still using your hand to work the rest of him that didn't fit. Fred groaned, his hands finding your hair.

"Fuck, birdie. Feels so good," he said, watching you as you worked him deeper into your throat. 

You could feel his muscles tensing, but you didn't want him to finish like this. You pulled your mouth off of him, propping yourself up with your hands on his thighs.

"I couldn't let you finish like that, Freddie," you said, your voice soft. "I know what you want. You just need to beg for it."

Fred huffed. "Beg?" he asked in disbelief. This sounded like the kind of thing that he usually did to you. 

"It's your turn to be desperate. Or we could stop, that's alright too," you replied, taking your hands off of his thighs. You started as if you were going to get off the bed, but he grabbed your wrist.

"Please," he said, his eyes boring into yours.

"Oh Freddie, you know you can do better than that. So insincere," you teased, running your nails up his thighs.

You moved so you were straddling his middle. You played with his hair, looking down at him. He was stubborn, not wanting to give in to you. But he also wanted you, and that meant that he would have to play along.

"Birdie, please. I need you," he whined, bringing his hands to your hips.

"I know," you replied, grinning at him. His eyes were pleading with you. You had to give in to him.

You pushed your hips back, using your hand to find him. He still held on to your hips as you aligned him with your entrance, slowly working yourself down onto him.

Fred breathed out, gripping onto your hips harder. You supported yourself with your hands on his chest, trying to find a comfortable pace. You had never been on top before, so this was unfamiliar territory. 

Fred's hands slid up to your sides. He pulled you forward, kissing your lips. You kissed him back, your hands now propped on either side of his head. You moved your hips up and down, still feeling a bit unsure of what to do.

Fred's lips moved to your ear. "Would you like some help, darling?" he whispered.

"Please," you replied, letting out an embarrassed chuckle. 

Fred took back some control, using his own hips to meet yours. You increased your pace, meaning that Fred also increased his.

You pulled yourself back up, putting your hands on his chest once again. He grabbed your hips, moving you up and down to match his rhythm.

"Fuck, Freddie. Just like that," you cried, digging your nails into his chest. 

He continued like this, bringing a hand down to your center. His thumb found your clit, working it as you rode him. You let out a whine, feeling overwhelmed by the pleasure. 

"So good for me, birdie. Such a good girl," he praised. "Are you going to finish for me?"

You moaned as he increased the pace once more. You were close to your finish, but you wanted him to finish too.

"Not until you finish for me," you managed to say between moans. He had you on the brink.

"I'm close, darling. So close," he replied, digging his hand into your hip.

Fred continued, and soon enough you were crying out. "Freddie, so good. Don't stop."

You reached your orgasm, maintaining Fred's brutal pace so he could reach his own. It only took a few more moments.

"Fuck, that's it, birdie," he said as he finished, his hips stuttering into you. You both slowed your hips, and you collapsed onto his chest.

You were both breathing hard and sweaty. You stayed on top of him, burrowing your face into the crook of his neck.

"That was...." Fred started, chuckling. "You never cease to amaze me."

You picked up your head, exhausted from your effort. "I aim to please," you replied, shooting a wink at him.

"Oh, shove off," you laughed, heading toward his bed and throwing yourself onto it. "After that big scene, I think I need a nap."

Fred walked over to where you were face down in his pillows. He spanked your butt lightly.

"Come on, birdie, you can't take up the whole bed," he complained, running a hand down your butt and onto the backs of your thighs.

"Fine," you grumbled in fake frustration, rolling over to make room for Fred in his own bed.

Fred joined you in the bed, rolling you onto your side so you could cuddle into his chest. He stroked your hair, giving you a kiss on the forehead.

"Can I tell you something?" he asked, still stroking your hair.

"Anything," you replied, nuzzling your head into his chest.

"I really like you," he said, suddenly sounding very serious.

Your hand played with the neckline of his t shirt as you considered your response. Now didn't feel like the best moment to crack a joke.

"I like you too, Fred," you answered. 

"No, I mean..." Fred stumbled over his words. He rolled onto his side so he could look you in the eye. "I know what my reputation is like with girls. I don't date anyone very seriously and I just like hooking up. But that's not what this is, birdie. I feel serious about you."

"Oh," was all you could think to say as he continued to stare into your eyes. This was giving you flashbacks to conversations with Adrian where he was insistent on planning your future together. 

"You told me that Pucey wanted to get serious too quickly, and that's not what I'm trying to do," he said, seeming to read your mind and sense your worries. "We have all the time in the world. But I need you to know that I feel that way."

"Fred...." you were still having a hard time finding the right thing to say. Nothing came to mind. 

"I realized today that going even just a day without speaking to you feels like torture," he admitted. "I'm sorry for reacting that way, and I'm sorry for how it made you feel. You're my favorite person to talk to and spend time with. I won't ever ignore you like that again."

You reached your hand up to cup his cheek. Your mind went back to the conversation that you had with Beatrice at the Three Broomsticks, admitting to how deep your feelings went for Fred. He was spilling his feelings, but it still felt so difficult to admit to your own.

Fred's hand found your waist, rubbing his thumb against the fabric of your shirt. It's almost like he was trying to beckon the words out of you.

"I...Godric, Freddie, I'm not good at this," you said, letting out an awkward chuckle. 

"Take your time, darling," he soothed, squeezing your waist in reassurance.

"I really like you too," you finally said. "I think....I think that you're really good for me. You tease me about being the perfect prefect, but that's what I have been ever since I got to Hogwarts. And being that way is actually quite boring."

Both you and Fred chuckled at that admission.

"But you make me try new things. And I feel spontaneous for the first time. Instead of being controlled by getting good marks and being the best student, you have helped me take initiative of my own life," you said. "I adore you and I am learning to adore the person that I am when I'm with you."

Fred's eyes were still locked on yours. The sentimental softness that you loved returned to his eyes, and he leaned forward to kiss you on the lips.

It was sweet and gentle. Only a few kisses before he pulled away. 

"You inspire me to want to do my homework," Fred teased, tickling your side.

You laughed, grabbing at his hand. "You improve me, I improve you."

You pushed him over onto his back and nuzzled into his chest, his hand snaking around your back to pull you in closer. You laid like this for a while, listening to each other's quiet heartbeats and enjoying each other's touch. 

"Freddie?" you said quietly.

"Yes, birdie?" he replied, rubbing your back with his hand.

"I'm ready," you said, sounding shy.

"Ready for what?" he asked, somewhat confused.

"I'm...I'm ready to have sex. Whenever you are, of course," you fumbled over your words a bit awkwardly, feeling heat rise to your cheeks.

You tried to bury your face into Fred's neck, but he refused to let you. He knew that you were flustered.

"Darling, you don't have to feel embarrassed," he said, grabbing your jaw to turn you to look at him. "Thank you for telling me."

He placed a light kiss on the tip of your nose before releasing your jaw. 

"I'm going to put on pajamas, I can't lay in bed with jeans on. Feels like a crime," Fred said, getting up from the bed.

He crossed the room to his dresser, pulling open the bottom drawer and grabbing pajamas from it before closing it. You were still turned onto your side on the bed, giving you a perfect view of Fred across the room.

He pulled his t shirt over his head, throwing it onto the floor next to him. You had never seen him shirtless before.

In the dim light of the dormitory, you could make out his chiseled figure. Years of quidditch had made him strong and lean, and your cheeks flushed as you realized that you were checking him out.

"Enjoying the show, birdie?" he teased, picking up his abandoned shirt from the floor and tossing it at you.

This made you blush even harder. You sat up on the bed, pondering your next move.

You watched as he undid his belt and trousers, throwing his trousers into a laundry bin before reaching for the pair of pajama pants that he had retrieved from the drawer. He pulled them on, turning to where you were sat on the bed. 

"Everything alright, darling?" he asked, confused by your silence and empty expression.

You had been chewing on your lower lip, trying to muster up the courage for what you were about to do. You scooted to the edge of the bed, putting your feet on the floor. 

You crossed the room to where Fred was still standing. You kissed him on the lips only once, leaving him even more confused.

You pulled your own t shirt up and off, tossing it away. Fred's eyebrows raised as he took in the sight of you before him.

This time, you came prepared. You were wearing a deep blue bra with black lacing along the straps. It was the sexiest thing that you owned, and you had a feeling that Fred was going to see it tonight.

"House colors, how appropriate," Fred teased, ghosting his fingers along your sides and up your back. 

Your heart was already racing and he had barely even touched you. You were nervous, but you were ready. You wanted this. 

You dared to reach out to touch him, running your nails down his sides. You stopped at the waistband of his pajama pants, gripping them and tugging him closer to you.

He chuckled, enjoying your boldness. You kissed him again, your hands trailing back up his sides and to his muscular shoulders. 

He let you take control, keeping his hands politely at the middle of your back as yours roamed around his bare shoulders. You pushed him back, pulling away once again.

You fumbled with the button of your jeans. "Want to borrow a pair of pajamas?" Fred teased, watching you struggle.

"No, Fred," you replied, rolling your eyes at him. You had finally gotten the button free, undoing the zipper and starting to pull your jeans down your legs. "I want you."

Fred waited patiently for you to step out of your jeans before he picked you up. You giggled, wrapping your legs around his middle while he carried you back to the bed.

He held you for a moment, planting wet kisses along your jawline before setting you onto the bed. He attacked your lips next, his teeth biting at your lower lip while his hands ran along your thighs.

You dug your nails into his back, trailing down toward his waistband once again. You pulled at it, signaling to him that he should take the pajamas off. Fred paused his mission for a moment to take off his pants, immediately returning to your mouth. 

You pulled away, grabbing at Fred's shoulders. "Lay down," you commanded.

Fred listened, laying down on the bed. You positioned yourself over him, one thigh on either side of his middle. 

He was loving this view. You had been intimate before, but not quite like this. You were in only your bra and knickers, a smirk on your mouth as you loomed over him. He couldn't think of anything in the whole world that could be sexier.

You left hot kisses along his jaw and down his neck, bringing up one hand to grip the other side of his neck. Your kisses continued down to his collarbones where you sucked a number of love bites into his skin. It was payback for what he usually did to you.

Fred's hands ran up and down your back, playing with the clasp of your bra as he decided whether or not to take it off. He didn't want to rush you, but he had been dying to get a bra off of you for a long time.

You finally gripped one of his hands that was on your back, stopping it. "You can take it off," you whispered, reassuring him.

You released his hand, allowing him to undo the clasp. He reached for the straps, pulling them down your arms as he removed your bra.

Fred bit his lip. He ran his thumbs underneath your breasts, gripping your ribcage with his hands. He sat up, giving you a kiss on the lips before kissing along the tops of your breasts.

It took only moments for him to suck one of your nipples into his mouth. Your nails dug into his shoulders in response, a whimper falling from your lips. 

He bit and sucked at one nipple and used his fingers to play with the other. All you could do was run your nails up and down his back while you moaned out his name.

"Mmm...so beautiful," he spoke into your skin as he switched his mouth to your other nipple.

Your hands found their way into his hair, pulling at it to distract yourself from what Fred was doing to you. You began to grind your hips into his, becoming desperate for more friction.

"So needy, huh?" Fred commented, releasing your nipple from his mouth and kissing along your ribs. 

Your hips ground down even harder, begging for contact. You could feel how hard he was through his underwear, and you knew he wanted this too. But Fred was playing the long game.

His fingers danced down to your knickers. "Can I make you feel good, darling?" he asked, looking up into your eyes.

You nodded at him, your words caught in your throat. Fred lifted you off of him for a moment so he could remove your knickers. He laid back down on the bed, a grin on his face.

"Why don't you come sit on my face?" he said, his thumbs rubbing circles into your hips. 

Your cheeks flushed. This was something you had never done before. It seemed impractical and potentially even dangerous.

"I don't know, Fred," you said, feeling shy. "I don't want to hurt you."

Fred moved one hand up to your cheek. "Darling, I promise that it won't hurt me. Now that I think about it, suffocating between your thighs wouldn't be the worst way to go."

He smirked at you. You slapped at his chest. "Get off it, Fred," you chastised, a small smile playing at your own mouth.

"How about we give it a try and you can stop if you don't like it?" Fred proposed, squeezing your hip. 

"Okay," you agreed hesitantly, feeling deeply self conscious.

You placed your hands on his chest, slowly moving yourself up his middle. You weren't exactly sure how to do this.

"How do I—" you began to ask before Fred gripped your hips, picking you up and settling you over his face.

"I guess that'll do it," you chuckled nervously, your hands finding the headboard of Fred's bed.

"Tell me if you want to stop," Fred said. You could feel him breathing on your core, making you shiver.

He pulled your hips down, your core meeting his mouth. You were holding your breath. His tongue darted out, immediately finding your clit. It seemed like he already had your body memorized, knowing exactly how to make you feel good. 

Your hands gripped at the headboard as Fred's tongue increased its pace. Your entire body felt hot, and you tried to keep yourself from grinding your hips down into his mouth. 

Fred angled your hips forward, allowing him to drag his tongue down to your entrance. His fingers dug into your hips as he fucked you with his tongue, making you feel like you were going to scream.

"Just like that, Freddie," you encouraged, finally finding your voice.

You allowed yourself to grind your hips down ever so slightly, and Fred responded with a groan. He squeezed your hips tighter, encouraging you to continue.

Fred's mouth found its way back up to your clit, sucking it into his mouth as you ground your hips into him. You were so close to your release.

"Fred—ahh, don't stop," you cried out, holding onto the headboard for dear life. 

You only needed a few more moments before you reached your orgasm, whimpering out Fred's name as your hips trembled. He pulled you from his mouth, laying you onto the bed on your back as he hovered above you. 

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he said, kissing up your jaw and to your lips.

You stayed like this for a few minutes, kissing Fred as you were still feeling the glow of your orgasm. You wrapped your legs around him, pulling him in as close as you could.

You pulled out of the kiss, bringing a hand up to ruffle his hair. You smirked at him.

"I think it's your turn now," you said, using your other hand to ghost down his chest toward his boxers. You reached the waistband and pulled at it, letting it slap back against his skin.

"Birdie, tonight is about you," Fred said, placing kisses along your neck.

The hand you had at his waistband continued down, your thumb teasing him over his boxers. If you thought he was hard before, he was definitely hard now. You imagined that it almost had to be painful. 

You suddenly felt bold, gripping Fred over the fabric of his boxers. His breath stuttered.

"I want you, Freddie," you whispered, trying to play up your innocence. He stopped kissing your neck, reeling back to look you in the eye.

"Are you absolutely certain?" Fred asked, his eyes soft. He was more than willing to wait. You were worth it.

"One hundred percent," you answered, pecking him on the lips. You felt a nervous pit in your stomach, but it wasn't the bad kind. It felt more like anticipation. 

"If you ever want to stop—" Fred started, but you brought a finger up his lips to shush him. 

"Freddie, I won't want you to stop," you said, your eyes intense. 

That was all the permission he needed before he started kissing your lips again, this time seeming more desperate. He reached for one of the pillows behind your head, breaking the kiss as he pulled you up off of the bed and put the pillow under your hips.

You looked at him, a bit confused. He smirked. "Darling, I know a thing or two," he answered, placing a kiss on your knee.

He pulled his boxers off, tossing them to the side before he found his place between your legs again. Your hands were folded on your bare stomach as you waited for him to do something.

He reached for your hands, holding them in his. He noticed that you were shaking just slightly.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered, reassuring you.

"Fred, I want to," you insisted. "It's just nerves. It's been a while."

You chuckled, trying to dispel any anxiety you had.

"Okay," he said, placing a kiss on each of your wrists. "Stop me if it hurts."

You nodded. Fred released your hands, using his own to trace a path up your outer thighs. He gripped the backs of your knees, pulling your legs up just slightly.

You felt his tip as he aligned himself with your entrance. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Fred eased himself in slowly, releasing a breath that you didn't realize he was holding. 

You felt a familiar burn as he got deeper, stretching you to accommodate his size. Fred grabbed your hands, placing them up next to your head. 

He held your hands as he rocked into you slowly, kissing gently along your collarbone. He pulled back to look you in the eye.

"Alright, birdie?" he asked, his words sounding strained. You knew that he was holding himself back for your sake. Everything he did was for your benefit. 

You nodded. "Keep going," you said.

He kissed you on the forehead. He met your eyes again as he pushed into you, this time all the way. Fred choked out a groan, feeling the pleasure of finally bottoming out into you.

Fred kissed you on the lips before releasing your hands. He traced a path down your sides and back to your thighs, pushing your knees closer to your chest.

He was still moving slowly, trying not to hurt you. But you didn't care if you were sore in the morning, you wanted more.

"Fred?" you said quietly.

He stopped moving. "Yes, darling?" he answered, concern laced in his voice.

"Harder," you said, bringing your hands to his back. You traced his muscles with your nails.

He smirked at you, not expecting this response. "Careful what you wish for," he muttered, gripping your thighs even harder.

Fred picked up his pace, pushing into you harder than he had before. Your nails dug into his back, begging him for more.

"More, Freddie, more," you whined.

Fred pulled almost all the way out of you before slamming back into you again. You cried out, arching your back off of the bed.

Fred was fucking you even faster now, hitting the deepest spot in you each time. You were basically clawing at his back now, and you knew that there would be marks left behind.

"You feel so good, birdie," he said, pounding into you. "So tight. Such a good girl."

You whimpered at his words, feeling another orgasm building. Fred brought his thumb to your clit, rubbing it as he continued to fuck you mercilessly.

"Are you going to finish again for me darling?" he asked. "Come on gorgeous, finish for me. Right on my cock. Be a good girl."

As if his actions weren't enough, Fred's words sent you over the edge. You orgasmed for the second time that night, crying out as Fred continued to hit the perfect spot inside of you.

He slowed down, grabbing your hand and kissing the back of it. He worked you down from your high, slowly pulling out of you.

"So perfect," he commented, kissing your hand again before putting it back down on the bed.

You laid there for a moment in a daze, feeling like you were unable to move after that second orgasm. Fred knew exactly what to do to make you finish, and it blew your mind every time. 

You finally got your wits about you. "Fred, you didn't finish," you said, sounding a tad offended.

He chuckled. "Not your fault. I could go all night, darling."

You gripped his arms. "Then keep going," you said, looking at him.

"I don't want to hurt you," he said, stroking the outside of your thigh with his hand.

"Fred, it doesn't hurt. I want you to keep going," you insisted.

"It might not hurt now, but you're going to be sore tomorrow morning," he replied, meeting your gaze. "I can finish myself off. I already told you that tonight is about you."

You huffed. "If tonight was really about me, you would keep fucking me," you asserted, narrowing your eyes at him.

He smirked at you for what felt like the millionth time that night. "Okay, bossy. I guess I have to listen to the prefect when she orders me around," he teased. 

"Less talking, more fucking," you shot back at him. 

He chuckled. "My lips are sealed," he replied.

Fred turned you over onto your side, pulling your knees up so they were close to your chest. He slid into you again, this time finding less resistance. 

He worked in and out of you slowly, driving you absolutely insane. He knew exactly what he was doing, and he was enjoying your impatience.

"Frederick Weasley, you can do better than that," you said, your voice snippy.

He shrugged in response. Apparently he was taking his vow of silence seriously. 

He increased his pace ever so slightly, pushing your knees up even higher to hit a better angle. You cried out as he hit the perfect spot, desperate for him to do it again.

But that was part of his game. He pushed into you just barely deep enough, not hitting the spot again. He smirked at himself, proud of his work.

"Fred, I will curse you into next week if you don't knock it off," you said, becoming irritated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Fred replied, feigning innocence.

"Do I really need to do everything myself?" you shot back.

"All you have to do is ask nicely," Fred said, still thrusting into you slowly. 

"Fuck off," you said, determined not to give in to what he wanted. 

"If you insist," he said, pulling out of you. 

It was a battle of the wills. Both of you were stubborn. But he wanted to make you give in.

"Fine," you huffed, exasperated. "Please?"

Fred chuckled. "You can do better than that."

You bit your lip, trying to step past your pride. "Please, Freddie. I want you," you said, sounding much more sincere this time.

"See birdie, it's not that difficult," Fred said, turning you over onto your stomach. He pushed your chest down and your bottom up, forcing you to arch your back.

He lined himself up behind you, his tip at your entrance. His hands squeezed at your sides.

"Are you going to beg for it?" he muttered into your ear.

He had you right where he wanted you. Desperate. Frustrated. He loved making the prefect beg.

"Please," you said once again, sounding even more desperate this time.

"Mmmm....not convincing enough," Fred replied, his hands roving down your sides and to your bottom. 

"Fred, please," you basically whined, trying to push your hips back onto him. If he wasn't going to take care of you, you were going to do it yourself.

"So desperate," Fred chided. "I'm not sure that you really are a good girl after all."

He finally pushed into you, taking you by surprise. He worked in and out of you, picking up speed quicker than he had before. 

"You're a bad girl, huh?" Fred commented, reaching around to grip your throat lightly. "The prefect is a bad, bad girl."

He thrusted into you even harder, finally hitting that spot that drove you crazy. You felt like a mess. You knew that your hair was wild and that you were likely covered in love bites. But you were loving it. 

You whined at Fred, pushing your hips back into him to meet his brutal pace. Fred was starting to lose control as he got closer to his own release, both hands now gripping your hips. There would definitely be bruises there in the morning.

"So close," you cried, gripping at the comforter on Fred's bed.

"Finish for me again, birdie. You can do it, love," Fred encouraged. "Merlin, you feel so good. Made just for me."

You were so sensitive after two orgasms that a third felt like it might kill you. Your vision began to get spotty, and you knew that you were going to finish any second now.

You finally reached your third high of the night, arching your back even harder and pushing back towards Fred. He continued fucking you, moments from his own release.

"Fuck, birdie, so perfect," Fred breathed out. "You're going to make me bust."

It seemed like he was almost asking for permission. How polite. 

"Inside of me," you demanded, sounding exhausted from your third orgasm.

Fred groaned, keeping up his pace as he finally reached his release. He finished inside of you, his hips slowing down and stuttering. 

He massaged your hips, pushing into you a few more times before pulling out. "Sorry, darling, didn't mean to hurt you," he said, referring to the bruises that were already starting to form where he had dug his hands into your hips. 

He flopped onto his back, pulling you into his chest. You felt paralyzed once more, your body still coming down from the adrenaline rush of another orgasm.

Fred kissed your forehead, snuggling you in even closer to him. "Was that too much?" he asked, sounding concerned.

You laid there in silence, still speechless. You nuzzled your head into his neck, giving him a kiss. "It was perfect," you finally said.

He chuckled. "I'm glad," he answered, rubbing your back.

"Same time next week?" you teased, running your nails up and down his abs.

"Whenever you want," he replied, squeezing you in tight. 

----

You heard a knock at your door, answering with "come in!"

Beatrice peeked her head into your room. "Almost ready?" she asked, clearly excited for the day ahead.

You exhaled, studying your reflection once more. "Almost ready," you replied. 

——

It was colder than you had expected. You bundled up with a puffer jacket and put on a pair of earmuffs, knowing that you were going to be frigid walking from shop to shop. 

Beatrice linked her arm with yours. "Where should we go first?" she asked. "I think we should get some chocolate frogs, they're my favorite."

Cho had decided to skip out on the Hosgmeade trip, so it was just you and Beatrice today. You were still struggling to handle Cho's snappiness, so you didn't mind having some one on one time with Beatrice. 

You wandered into a sweets shop, looking at all of the candies they had to offer. Sweets weren't really your thing, but Beatrice's weakness was chocolate. Every time you went to Hogsmeade, she always bought chocolate.

Beatrice had picked out a couple of chocolate frogs and some truffles, making her way towards the register to pay for her treats. You waited for her, peering out the window to see the other students who were exploring the shops. You caught a glimpse of red hair through the window, making your stomach flutter.

You really wanted to talk to Fred, but you had no idea how to approach him. A public relationship made you feel uneasy, but the more you thought about it, the less miserable it sounded. You wanted to be with Fred, and people were going to find out at some point. 

The silence between you two was palpable, and Beatrice picked up on your change in mood yesterday at breakfast. You explained the situation to her, and she sympathized with you, but she brought up some important points.

"But don't you like him?" she had asked you once you were in your dormitory for the evening. "You've been spending more time with him and he clearly makes you happy."

"I just don't want other people to be so nosy about us being together," you explained to her. "Fred is incredibly popular, meaning that everyone will suddenly be looking at me. I don't need that kind of pressure."

"You thrive under pressure," Beatrice argued. "Fred isn't asking you to declare your love from the rooftops. He just wants to be able to hold your hand in public and not have to feel like he's hiding something. He probably feels like you're ashamed of him."

Beatrice's last comment made something click, and it had been floating around in your head ever since she said it. Even now standing in the sweets shop, you felt guilty about the possibility that Fred thought you were ashamed of him. That couldn't be further from the truth.

Yes, you and Fred were admittedly pretty opposite, but that didn't matter to you. You were a prefect with perfect marks and he was a troublemaker that focused on anything but his academics. It seemed like you two couldn't be more different, but somehow the pairing just seemed to work. Opposites really do attract.

Beatrice approached you, her bag of sweets in hand. "Where to next?"

"I want to get a couple of new quills, I need to replace my old ones," you answered, heading for the door. 

A wave of cold smacked you as you exited the shop, causing you to cross your arms in an attempt to preserve your warmth. You and Beatrice walked together down the cobblestone path, heading toward the quill shop.

You entered the shop, a familiar scent and warmth overwhelming you. You visited this shop every time you came to Hogsmeade, as you loved their quills and were willing to spend your allowance on them.

You browsed their selection of quills, deciding on one hawk feather quill and one eagle feather quill. Beatrice hung back by the door, relatively uninterested in quill shopping. She was more interested in sweets and trinkets.

You paid for your quills, giving your quid to the shop owner. He packaged them up for you, giving you a small package to tuck into the tote bag that you had slung over your shoulder. 

"Why don't we grab some butter beers? I could use a break from the cold," Beatrice commented as you headed toward the exit.

You linked arms with her as you two set out for the Three Broomsticks. On your way there, you noticed Fred with his group of friends. He was goofing around with George, Angelina, Lee Jordan, and Alicia Spinnet. 

You locked eyes with Fred for a moment, a blush forming on your cheeks. He looked away first, pretending like you weren't even there. This caused your stomach to sink, as you could tell that he was still upset from your conversation on Thursday evening.

Fred was disappointed. He was hoping that you were less concerned about your reputation, but after shooting down his proposal of a Hogsmeade date, he wasn't so sure. You were willing to sneak around with him, but public acknowledgment of your involvement was somehow a step too far. This didn't sit well with Fred.

He knew that he was being immature by ignoring you, but he didn't know how else to deal with his feelings. It was a complicated situation, and he felt that you wouldn't understand his perspective. You two ran in two completely different circles, meaning that your lives at Hogwarts were nothing alike. This created a certain tension that Fred didn't know how to bridge. 

You and Beatrice walked past the group, entering the Three Broomsticks and finding a booth. You settled in, unzipping your puffer jacket and removing your earmuffs.

"Are you and Fred still not speaking?" Beatrice asked, unzipping her own jacket.

"No," you replied, clearly dismayed. "I think we're both too stubborn to admit our feelings. I know that I let him down, but he needs to acknowledge that my fears about dating are relevant."

"Why do you think he's so upset about you not wanting to be on a date together in public?" she asked, taking off her jacket and setting it in the booth next to her.

"What you said about it seeming like I'm ashamed of him made a lot of sense," you answered. "Fred seems confident on the outside, but that's not always the truth. Him and I have opposite priorities and different reputations. I think he might feel like I'm nervous about tarnishing my reputation by being with him, but that's not true."

Beatrice reached across the table for your hand. "Then what is true, love? I think you need to work that out with him."

"I like him a lot," you admitted, your cheeks flushing. "He brings out a different side of me. I get so focused on my marks sometimes that I forget to let myself have fun. He loves surprising me and being spontaneous, I think he's exactly what I've been missing in my life."

"Wow, that's....a lot," Beatrice replied, letting out a breathy laugh. "You need to tell him that. He probably has no idea that you even feel that way."

You shrugged. "I know. But things feel impossible right now. He clearly doesn't want to talk to me."

"Since when have you been afraid to approach someone?" Beatrice questioned. "You always stand your ground, sometimes I wonder how you didn't get sorted into Gryffindor."

Beatrice gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. You were grateful for moments like these. Beatrice never judged you for anything.

"I'll try to talk to him today, then," you decided. "How about I get us some butter beers?"

——

You and Beatrice had finished your butter beers and decided to simply stroll around Hogsmeade until a shop caught your eye. You walked past a number of couples, trying not to sneer at the way they seemed infatuated with each other.

As you approached a trinket shop, you noticed Fred and his group lingering nearby. The shop was known to sell a number of joke toys and all around bizarre things, so of course the Weasley twins were interested. You watched as Fred demonstrated to his friends the magic of the exploding pen he had just purchased.

You took a breath and looked over to Beatrice. "I'm going to see if he'll talk to me."

She gave you a reassuring pat on the back as you stepped toward the group of Gryffindors. Fred noticed you approaching, and he averted his gaze.

"Oi, hey there prefect!" George greeted, causing Fred to punch him in the shoulder.

The other students in the group snickered, enjoying Fred's embarrassment. Your nails dug into the palm of your hand as you clenched your fists, trying to maintain the courage to speak to Fred.

"Fred, do you have time to chat?" you asked.

"Uhm, not really," he brushed you off. 

It felt like a stab to the heart. He was suddenly so cold toward you. That wasn't the Fred you knew.

"You need to make time," you replied, willing yourself to sound assertive.

The Gryffindors stood there in shock, not believing that you would stand up to Fred like that. Fred huffed at you.

"Fine. I'll be at the Hufflepuff party tonight," he said, finally meeting your eye for a moment.

You tried to keep his gaze, but he looked away. You felt so defeated. 

"Alright, I'll see you then," you answered, offering the group a tense smile and nod before turning back toward Beatrice.

You felt like you couldn't reach her fast enough, your breathing becoming more rapid with each step you took. You were panicking. Everything you thought was true about Fred was unraveling before your very eyes. 

"What happened?" Beatrice asked, noticing the frantic look in your eyes and pulling you to sit on a nearby bench. She wrapped an arm around your shoulder, attempting to comfort you.

"Fred just...he's acting so...I don't understand," was all you managed to get out before frustrated tears began rolling down your cheeks.

"Love, take your time," Beatrice soothed, leaning her head against you.

The Fred you knew was assertive. He wasn't afraid of conflict and he always spoke his mind. Fred was kind and thoughtful, and he had done everything he could to make you feel special. But all of that had changed over the matter of a couple of days. 

"He barely even looked at me," you sputtered out, wiping the tears as fast as they fell. You hated crying. It made you feel weak. Your stubborn streak hated giving in to your feelings.

"I'm trying to make things better, and he's acting like he doesn't have time to work things out," you explained, trying to slow your breathing. 

"I'm sorry. He's being a git, there's no excuse for that behavior," Beatrice said.

"I thought he cared about me. A few days ago he wanted all of Hogwarts to know we were together, and now he doesn't even want to speak to me," you said, exhaling to try to gather yourself.

It was confusing. Fred had never sent you mixed signals like this before. He was always very clear about his intention to woo you and make you his girlfriend, but that didn't feel so clear anymore.

Fred's group of friends walked past the trinket shop heading toward the Three Broomsticks. They didn't seem to noticed you and Beatrice, as the bench you were sat on was tucked around the side of the shop. 

Fred and George were at the back of the pack. You were crossing your fingers that they would keep going toward the Three Broomsticks and not see that you were crying on a bench. But of course, George happened to look over his shoulder and saw you.

He stopped for a moment, crinkling his eyebrows and cocking his head to the side as he tried to evaluate the situation. He noticed your splotchy face, and it was clear that you had been crying. He turned to Fred, pulling him by the back of his coat.

"What?" Fred said, sounding frustrated. George motioned toward where you and Beatrice sat on the bench. You tried to shrink yourself, not wanting to speak to Fred in this moment.

"I think that's your fault," George said, referring to you in your upset state.

Fred nodded, muttering something else to his brother before he began walking toward you and Beatrice.

"What do you want, Weasley?" Beatrice challenged, her voice sounding fierce. She was trying to protect you.

"I just...we need to talk," Fred replied, sounding guilty.

Beatrice looked at you, and you nodded at her to tell her that it was okay. She stood up, giving Fred one last glare before walking off into the trinket shop to give you some space.

Fred sat on the bench, a wide space between the two of you. It felt like you were worlds apart. Just two nights ago, you were in his bed crying out his name. Now you felt like strangers.

Neither of you wanted to start the conversation, but you just wanted to get it over with at this point.

"I'm so confused," you said, sounding small. "You told me that you would never stop pursuing me and now you can't even look at me."

"Birdie...." Fred started, but nothing else came out. He didn't have anything to say.

"I know that I hurt you when I said I wasn't ready for a date at Hogsmeade. I'm sorry for that, but I didn't say no because I'm ashamed of you. I said no because the last time I was dating someone, everyone had an opinion on it. When we broke up, I could hear people whispering about me in the hallways. I don't like that," you explained.

You still weren't looking at each other, choosing to look at the ground instead.

"I don't know how to feel, Fred," you confessed. "You have spent the past couple weeks convincing me that we should be together, and we have one small disagreement and you don't even want to speak to me. That's terrifying, and that's not the kind of person that I thought you were."

Fred laced his fingers together in front of him, considering what to say to you. You were right. The way he was reacting was out of the usual.

"I'm sorry, birdie," he finally said. "I just...when you said no, it felt like proof that you thought you were too good for me."

"But Fred, I have never once said that to you," you said, turning to look at him. "You know that I don't think that. We're different people, but neither of us is better than the other."

Fred sighed. Once again, he knew that you were right.

"I know. I get in my own head sometimes. I guess it's just the way that I feel about myself. I feel like you're better than me, and I've been trying to find ways to prove that you think that too," he said, sounding defeated.

You dared to reach across the bench to hold his hand. He let you.

"Freddie, it's not possible for me to think something like that. I'm sure that people will say that you're too good for me. Every girl at school would be chuffed for the chance to date you. You're cracking at quidditch. You know how to make anyone laugh," you listed out. "There are things that you will always be better than me at. And I am better than you at other things. But that doesn't mean that I want to compare us to each other. It only reminds me of why I admire you and the ways that you inspire me to want to improve myself."

Fred finally looked at you. It seemed like he finally understood. The soft look that you were familiar with had finally returned to his eyes. 

"I'm so sorry that I made you upset," Fred said. "I was being a git. I didn't know how to handle my feelings, so I just tried to ignore you. Clearly that didn't help either of us."

You nodded your head in understanding. It felt nice to be able to talk like this again after over a day of silence and turmoil. 

"Will you let me make it up to you?" he asked, squeezing your hand that was still holding onto his. A hopeful smile played at the corners of his mouth, causing your own smile to spread across your lips.

"Alright," you agreed, leaning your head onto his shoulder. You still probably needed to work a few more things out before all could return to normal, but Fred was making steps in the right direction. You knew that you tended to hold grudges, but you wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Free scooted closer to you on the bench, wrapping his arm around you. "Is it too late for that Hogsmeade date?" he asked, a light chuckle punctuating the end of his question. "You and Beatrice can join us at the Three Broomsticks. We're going to get lunch and have butter beers."

"Bea and I already had butter beers," you confessed, leaning into his warmth. "But she always loves chatting up Gryffindors. I'll see if she wants to go."

You stayed like that for another moment, cuddling on the bench before going to find Beatrice inside the trinket shop. 

——

You and Beatrice were going to the Hufflepuff party tonight, and you felt nervous for some reason. Not nearly as nervous as you were when you were getting ready for the Gryffindor party, but being with Fred in a semi-public space was brand new.

Beatrice had once again lent you a t shirt of hers, cropped just enough to hit along the waistband of your low rise jeans. She was perfecting her makeup, stationed at her desk while you stood in front of the full length mirror.

"Are you really doing this again?" she teased, referring to your struggle with getting ready earlier today. "It's just Fred. I'm sure he thinks you look great in anything. Or rather, maybe he'd prefer it if you wore nothing at all."

Beatrice chuckled deviously at you, and you picked up a pillow from her bed and threw it at her. This just made her laugh even harder. You cracked a smile, knowing that there was probably a bit of truth to her statement.

"This is the first thing we're doing together where other people can see," you said, sounding stressed. "I don't want to be the topic of gossip for the next week."

Beatrice turned in her chair to look at you. "I know love, but that's just what it's like to be with someone like Fred. He's always up to something. If you want to be with him, you'll have to get used to it."

You huffed. "You're right. It's just...being with Adrian was so peaceful. No one batted an eye until we broke up."

"You've never been someone who likes when things are easy," Beatrice commented, raising her eyebrows knowingly at you.

You shook your head at her, smirking because she was absolutely correct. You loved a good challenge. This usually meant in your academic life rather than social life, but you would try to embrace the uphill battle nonetheless.

"Let me at least put some lip gloss on you if you're going to be despised by every girl at Hogwarts for the next week," Beatrice joked, getting up to join you at the mirror.

You let her put the gloss on your lips, something sparkly but not over the top. You pressed your lips together, checking your reflection with satisfaction. "I think it's time to party," you declared.

----

You and Beatrice wandered into the Hufflepuff common room, already packed with upper year students. The music was loud, and most people were dancing in the middle of the room. Fred spotted you immediately, joining you and Beatrice near the entrance.

"You look....I have no words," Fred commented, chuckling and shaking his head. It made him flustered when he saw you out of your uniform. Especially when you wore shirts that showed off a little bit of your stomach. 

"Thanks, Freddie," you replied, taking his hand and giving him a grin. 

"Oh yuck," Beatrice joked, sticking her tongue out. "Why don't you make yourself useful and get us some drinks? We're going to hit the dance floor."

Beatrice eyed Fred up and down, waiting for him to depart to get drinks. He looked at her for a second, seemingly unsure if she was serious. She gestured toward the makeshift bar, prodding at him to fetch the drinks. He obliged, turning on his heel toward the bar.

Beatrice looped her arm through yours, dragging you to the dance floor. "I know you've got some moves, little miss prefect," she joked. "Let's see those hips move."

You scoffed at her words, scandalized by the idea of dancing in such a way. You always just did a simple sway from side to side, dancing wasn't your personal specialty. 

You tried to stay on the beat, hesitantly moving your hips from side to side. "Alright! Get it, girl!" Beatrice encouraged, giggling with you as both of you danced.

You felt a hand on your waist, and you instinctually leaned back to meet the person behind you. "I missed you, Freddie," you joked as you danced up against him.

"Freddie?" the voice asked. It was not Fred's voice.

You turned around to find Adrian behind you instead of Fred. You felt your face heat up instantly, embarrassed at your actions. You had assumed that it was Fred coming back with your drink.

"Adrian--" you started, unsure of what to say.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," he said, his voice raising in volume. The other students at the party began to stare at you, only making the situation feel worse.

"You've been shagging Fred Weasley?" he asked, almost yelling at you. Everyone definitely heard it, with conversations coming to a halt to watch the confrontation.

It felt like your voice was stuck in your throat. This was a scene from your nightmares. All eyes were on you, and your private life was being exposed for all to see.

You saw Fred over Adrian's shoulder, still hovering near the bar where he had a drink in each hand for you and Beatrice. He met your eyes for a moment then looked away, assuming that you were going to deny Adrian's allegations.

You cleared your throat, trying to gain some semblance of composure. "So what if I am?" you replied, squaring your shoulders.

"You've lost your bloody mind," Adrian said, shaking his head and laughing.

"Might I remind you that I have something called free will?" you shot back. "You don't own me. Now fuck off and mind your bloody business."

You crossed your arms, a fire burning in your eyes as you stared Adrian down. He huffed, seemingly unable to find a snappy reply. He pushed past you, exiting the circle that had formed around the two of you.

Everyone was still staring, and instead of staying in the middle of the crowd, you headed toward Fred.

"Fred, I'm so sor--" you started before he cut you off by slamming his lips into yours.

Fred pulled you into the kiss, one hand cradling your head and the other wrapping around your waist. You hesitated for a moment before returning his kiss, trying to ignore the attention that was on you. 

For some unknown reason, the other students began to cheer. You pulled out of the kiss, absolutely confused by the commotion. Then you realized that they were cheering for you and Fred.

You had just stood up to Adrian, which is something that almost no one would fathom doing. And you were snogging Fred Weasley, everyone's favorite prankster. It was a combination that inspired awe in your fellow students.

"Want to get out of here?" Fred asked, leaning close to your ear so you could hear him.

"Please," you said, holding his hand. He led you through the crowd and out the door, heading straight for his dormitory.

----

"He's so dreamy," Beatrice swooned. "If he doesn't ask me to be his date, I might use a curse on him."

"Do you talk about anything other than Wood?" Cho snapped, clearly annoyed.

Cho's relationship with Cedric Diggory had been on the rocks. She had a bit of a jealous streak, and watching other girls fawn over Cedric got on her nerves. They'd been arguing about it nonstop for the past month.

"Cho, leave her alone," you said defensively. "She's allowed to be chuffed about Wood. You were the same with Diggory. I get that you're brassed off, but that's not Bea's fault."

Cho glared at you, huffing. She knew you were right. "Who are you going with? Seems like Adrian is your only option," she said, veering the conversation topic away from herself.

"I'm definitely not going with Adrian," you said empathically. "I don't need to have a date, I'm not worried about it."

"Maybe Fred will ask you," Beatrice teased, nudging you. "He seems pretty fond of you."

"I'd rather go to the ball with a toad than Fred Weasley," Cho asserted.

"Godric Cho, pull the stick out of your arse, will you?" you said, clearly irritated with her. 

You still hadn't filled Cho in about your situation with Fred. The only thing she would do is make snarky remarks and tell you that it's a bad idea. She was too worried about her squeaky clean reputation to see any value in associating with the Weasley twins. It pissed you off.

"I think I'm actually going to skip out on dinner, I'll grab something from the kitchen elves later. I want to get a start on my Potions assignment," you said as you had reached the Great Hall.

It was just an excuse to not have to sit through dinner with Cho. You could barely stand her recently, and taking some space felt like a good decision. 

Beatrice squeezed your hand in a goodbye, and Cho only shrugged and rolled her eyes. You turned to head for the library, wanting some peace and quiet after dealing with Cho's attitude.

You were only paces from the library when you ran in to the Weasley twins. 

"Hey birdie," Fred greeted you. "Heading back into your abyss?"

"My abyss?" you questioned.

"The library," he said matter-of-factly. "They should give you a cot so you can sleep there, would save you a trip to your dormitory."

"Have you two even seen the inside of the library? Or do your pranks occupy too much of your time?" you asked, crossing your arms and jutting out a hip. You raised your eyebrows at them expectantly.

George chuckled, enjoying the attitude that you were hurling at his brother. Very few people had the guts to stand up to Fred.

"You can show me if you'd like," Fred retorted, stepping closer to you. "Though I can't promise that I'll be much interested in doing homework, if you know what I mean."

You bit the inside of your cheek. These flirty showdowns were routine between you two, but somehow it was more embarrassing when someone was watching. Like George. But that didn't mean that you were going to let Fred win.

"I would be willing to tutor you again, Merlin knows that your grades need it," you said, closing the space between you and Fred. You reached for his tie, playing with the end. "It'll cost you, though."

George cleared his throat, an attempt at reminding you two that he was still there. It didn't matter though, both of you were locked in to this battle.

"Name a price, darling," Fred muttered, his hands ghosting underneath your robes and finding a place on your hips. 

You looked up at him, trying to soften your gaze to appear innocent. You were going to put the nail into his coffin.

You stood on your toes so you could whisper in his ear. "I keep having a dream where you bend me over a desk in Potions class. That sounds like a sufficient payment to me."

You nipped at his ear before pulling away, grinning at him sweetly as if you hadn't just whispered something filthy in his ear. Fred stared at you, a slight blush in his cheeks in response to your words. He still wasn't used to your boldness.

"Are you two going to shag in the hallway or what?" George piped up, causing his twin to turn around and give him a slap to the chest. 

"We were on our way to dinner. And I am still very hungry, in case you have forgotten," George said, directing his last sentence at Fred. It was a not so subtle reminder for him to keep things moving. 

"Did you have dinner already?" Fred asked after giving George a glare.

"No," you responded. "I was going to get something from the kitchen elves later."

"Then why don't we do that," Fred proposed. "George, you can go on to dinner. I'm sure you won't miss me."

George shrugged and offered you a wave before he headed off in the direction of the Great Hall. You hadn't been intending to spend your evening with Fred, but you could think of worse things you could be doing instead. Like sitting through dinner with Cho.

"The kitchen elves love me," Fred said sarcastically. "You'll have to do your prefect sweet talking to get them to hand over the goods."

——

After getting some sustenance from the kitchen elves, you and Fred ended up back in his dormitory. He wanted to show you the music player that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday last year. It was Muggle technology, and he found it incredibly fascinating.

"What is it called again?" you asked as you settled onto his bed. You propped yourself up with a pillow, waiting for him to work the music player.

"I think Hermione called it a record player," he replied, fiddling with the machine. "You have to put these records on it to make it play music."

He held up a few of the records in his collection. To you, they just looked like big black discs. 

Fred finally settled on a record and put it on the machine, adjusting the volume. It was something you had never heard before.

"This is from a band called Mother Mother," Fred explained. "Hermione says that they're pretty edgy."

He finally joined you on the bed, leaning up on the wall behind him. You both sat there listening to the music for a bit, content without conversation.

"I've been wondering..." Fred started, looking over at you.

"Oh no," you teased. You jokingly put your head in your hands.

"I haven't even said it yet, you git," Fred replied, pulling your hands from your face. You grinned at him, and he grinned back.

"I wanted to know how you started dating Pucey in the first place," he said.

You breathed out. You knew that Fred was curious about your relationship with Adrian. Everyone at Hogwarts knew that you were dating last year, and it took most people by surprise when they found out that you had broken up.

"Adrian's dad is my dad's boss," you answered. "We've gone on holiday together every year since we were kids. The summer before 5th year, he suddenly fancied me. That's pretty much it, I guess."

"That's it?" Fred questioned. "You didn't put him through trial after trial like you're doing to me?"

He flicked at your thigh, emphasizing his teasing. 

"Adrian was different. I was younger then, less experienced. And no one had been interested in me before," you said. 

"There's no way that can be true," Fred said, adjusting his position on the bed. "You've always been pretty. I'm sure lots of blokes have fancied you."

"If they did, none of them told me," you replied, letting out a dry chuckle. This topic was a bit of a sore spot for you. You had always felt like you weren't pretty enough, as you hadn't drawn the attention of the boys like some of the other girls at Hogwarts. But this insecurity subsided a bit as you got older. Who needed attention from a boy when you could have good grades?

You and Fred sat in silence for a moment. He seemed to be thinking about what to say next. 

"Of all of the blokes at Hogwarts, you chose a Slytherin?" Fred asked, half joking and half serious.

You slapped at him. "I don't care what House someone is in. I dated Adrian because he fancied me, and I was tired of all of my friends having boyfriends. Adrian is smart, and he's good looking. And whether you like to admit it or not, he's cracking at quidditch."

"Cracking is a bit of an overstatement," Fred replied. "Did you even fancy Pucey then?"

You shrugged. "I liked the companionship. We had always been friends. It wasn't difficult to turn it into something more. And I wanted to keep up with everyone else at Hogwarts who was snogging and shagging anyone they could get their hands on. Adrian felt like a safe option."

"So it sounds like you never really liked him," Fred said, leaning his head on your shoulder.

"I liked him, but I didn't love him," you answered. "He really loved me. And I still feel bad about that. But I just....my heart wasn't in it."

"Is that why you broke up?" he asked.

"Part of it. He wanted things to get more serious. Slytherin pureblood families are really intense about dating and marriage, and he wanted to consider next steps. I wasn't ready, and I wanted to focus on academics," you said. "I didn't want to break his heart. And I know that he still really cares about me, but I'm not cut out for a life like that."

"What, you mean that you don't want to be the next Narcissa Malfoy? I can't imagine why not," Fred teased, poking at your side. 

"Shut it," you replied, slapping at his hand. "I'm not made to be a pureblood trophy wife who pops out perfect pureblood babies. I want a career."

"That makes sense," Fred said. "You've got enough brains to do anything. So what would you want to do?"

"I want to go to Upper School for Potions," you said. Every time you talked about it, it sounded far away and impossible. "I don't know where I'll go from there. I could make potions for hospitals. Or maybe I'll teach, I'm not sure."

"You'll be cracking at teaching," Fred said, a smile stretching across his face. "My marks in Potions were way better when you tutored me."

A slower song started to play from the record player, and Fred popped up onto his feet. He extended a hand toward you.

"Dance with me?" he asked, giving you a wink.

You tried to fight the smile that started to spread across your lips, but it was too late. You accepted his hand, wiggling off the bed and joining him.

He guided you to the center of his dormitory, placing one of your hands on his shoulder and holding the other. His hand found its way down to your waist.

You began swaying together to the music. It was a bit awkward and clumsy at first, but after a bit, it felt romantic.

"Do you have a date to the Winter Ball yet?" Fred asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know," you teased him, squinting your eyes and scrunching your nose.

"I would actually, because I'd like you to be my date," he said.

"I'll have to think about it," you replied, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of an easy "yes".

"What, do you need a grand gesture?" he asked, squeezing your hip. A lopsided grin was on his lips. 

"The only thing I need is time to think about it," you replied, cocking your head slightly at him.

You leaned your head onto his chest, finally closing the small gap between the two of you. You stayed like this for at least one whole song.

"Birdie?" Fred said, a question clearly on the horizon.

"Yes, Fred?" you replied, your cheek still pressed against his chest.

"We don't have to talk about it if you're not ready, but it's something to consider," he started.

"You're making me nervous," you said, pulling back so you could look up at him.

"No, it's nothing to be nervous about," he soothed. "I wanted to talk about next steps. Y'know, what you're comfortable with and what you're not."

"What do you mean?" you asked.

"Well....we seem to have a comfort level. We snog, mess around a bit. But I wanted to see how you feel about anything more," he said. "And I don't want this to feel like I'm pressuring you, I want to know so I don't overstep."

You could feel your cheeks heating up. Talking about sex in any context made you feel a bit flustered. At least Fred was being polite about it.

"Uhm...well...I'm not sure," you answered. "It feels like a big step."

"I know, birdie," Fred said, his hand moving to your back to rub soothing circles. "There's no rush. I want us to be able to talk about these things if we're going to keep seeing each other."

"Right..." you said, still feeling a bit sheepish. "I just...Adrian and I had sex, but that was only after he said that he loved me. I'm not sure that I'm made for casual hookups like some other people are."

"And that's absolutely okay," Fred replied. "I don't need to shag to know how much I like you."

You looked up at Fred. He was staring at you with those soft eyes again. His patience and willingness to communicate only made him more attractive to you. 

You put your hands on either side of his face, standing on your toes to kiss him. His hands found your waist, pulling you in as close as possible.

Your kisses were sweet, and it felt like Fred was reassuring you that he didn't just see you as a shag. His feelings were genuine and his intentions were pure. Well....pure might not be the best word, but his intentions were good.

Your hands found their way down to his shirt collar, and you tugged at it. You pulled him back towards his bed, pushing him back onto it. You straddled him like you had the very first time you were in his dormitory. 

He kept kissing you, his hands wandering up your thighs. Everywhere he touched felt like an electric shock, and you were dying for more. 

"Freddie?" you said, interrupting your make out session.

"Yes?" he replied, a tad breathless. 

"I need you to eat me out," you commanded, looking him dead in the eye.

Fred smirked. "Your wish is my command, birdie."

He flipped you on your back, propping your head up on his pillows. He resumed kissing you, biting at your lower lip while his hands gripped at your thighs.

Fred worked his way down, undoing your tie and unbuttoning your shirt in what felt like seconds. Your cheeks flushed as he took in your light pink bra. You hadn't considered that Fred would see you bra when you put it on this morning, otherwise you would have chosen something different. 

"Pink? I love it," Fred commented with a smirk. He kissed along your collarbones and down to your chest, leaving a love bite between your boobs. 

He made his way down to the top of your skirt. "I think the skirt is going to stay on this time."

His words were enough to make you want to clench your thighs together. He could feel your body tensing in desperation, so he graciously positioned himself between your legs.

Fred kissed along your thighs all the way down to your knickers. His fingers played at the waistband.

"You still want this?" he asked.

"Please Freddie," you whined.

He pulled your panties down your legs, tossing them onto the floor next to the bed. He worked your skirt up just a bit so he could see what he was doing.

Fred's tongue darted out, teasing you. You almost yelped, gripping onto the sheets to try to keep it together. You were so desperate for him that it felt embarrassing. 

His tongue worked around your clit, purposefully avoiding where you wanted him most. He loved the whimpers that were coming out of your mouth. He knew exactly how desperate you were. 

Fred squeezed your thigh with one hand and brought the other to your clit, rubbing circles with his thumb. His tongue worked its way down to your entrance, and your back arched off of the bed in response.

"You like that, darling?" he asked, pausing for a moment.

You only nodded in response, unable to get any words to come out. Fred resumed, his thumb playing with your clit and his mouth teasing your entrance. 

He pulled his mouth off of you, dragging a long pointer finger down to your entrance. 

"Is this okay?" he asked before going any further.

"Yes. Please," you answered, burning for his touch.

Fred's finger teased along your entrance before finally pushing it into you, a whine escaping your mouth. He worked it in and out slowly, kissing your thighs and leaving love bites.

"More please," you begged, feeling a knot tighten in your stomach.

Fred obliged, plunging another long finger into you. He picked up the pace, and you were rocking back and forth to meet his fingers. 

A number of profanities fell from your lips as you chased your release. Fred was admiring the sight in front of him, relishing in finally having his fingers inside of you.

"Such a good girl for me," Fred murmured. "So gorgeous like this."

You moaned in response, so close to your release. Fred's fingers had found the trigger spot inside of you, and he pounded against it again and again. 

You finally finished, your back arching off of the bed. Fred slowed his fingers, working you down from your high. He kissed the inside of your thigh.

"Fuck, you're perfect," Fred commented, admiring your form as you tried to catch your breath. 

He kissed a trail down your thigh, nipping at your hip bones. He left another love bite just above your hip bone. He loved marking you up, and secretly, you loved it too. His marks were nothing that you couldn't conceal with a glamor charm when needed.

Fred returned to your center, licking a stripe from your entrance up to your clit. You groaned at the overstimulation.

"Think you have another one in you?" Fred asked, massaging your thighs with his hands.

"You're going to be the death of me," you replied, ruffling his hair with your hand.

"That sounds like a yes to me," he smirked, placing one more kiss on your thigh before returning his attention to your clit.

He alternated between sucking on it and playing with it with his tongue, driving you absolutely mad. Your nails dug into his scalp, urging him for more.

"Fuck Freddie," you whined. 

You pulled at his hair, causing him to groan into you. Your hips started to buck up to meet his mouth, trembling at how sensitive you were after your first orgasm.

Fred was determined to make you finish again. One of his hands wandered up to your chest, sneaking under your bra. He pinched and played with your nipple, forcing moans and whimpers out of your mouth. 

"Freddie...so close," you breathed out, struggling to form words. 

Ten more seconds was all you needed to find your second release, trembling and whimpering as you finished. You panted in disbelief at the boy who was able to get you to finish twice. You had a hard enough time finishing once.

Fred kissed along your stomach, working his way back up to your mouth. He finally kissed you on the lips, and you gripped at his hair to pull him even closer.

He pulled back, grinning at you. "Good?" he asked. 

"Don't even," you slapped at his shoulder, giggling at him. 

His head came down to rest on your chest. You ran your fingers through his hair, placing a kiss on the top of his head. 

"I want to take you out on a date," he stated, nuzzling further into the crook of your neck.

"Where?" you asked, still playing with his hair.

"There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend, how about then?" he said, picking up his head to look at you.

"I'll have to think about it," you replied.

"You are going, right?" he asked, sounding almost confused.

"Yes," you answered. Not a single Hogwarts student would want to miss out on a trip to Hogsmeade. Not even you. 

"Then why not?" he asked, pushing the issue.

You readjusted so you could sit up. Fred sat up too, putting his back against the wall behind his bed. 

"I haven't told all of my friends about you yet," you admitted. "Spending time together at Hogsmeade would make us look like...well, a couple."

"And you have a problem with that?" he pressed on, sounding a bit hurt. 

"No, well....I just like how things are now. It's private. It's just you and I without other people getting into our business," you said with a shrug. 

"So you don't want people to know that you've been seeing me," he stated, turning his head so he wouldn't have to look at you.

"No, Fred," you replied, reaching for his hand. He pulled it away. "I'm just not sure that I'm ready for something so public after Adrian. I need a bit more time."

"You're willing to sneak around and hook up in my dormitory but you can't be seen with me at Hogsmeade?" he said, now very clearly upset. 

"Fred...." you trailed off, trying to find something to say. You agreed, it did sound that way. But you just weren't quite ready for a public commitment. The whole school would be buzzing, and you liked to remain out of the spotlight when it came to gossip. 

"Please, just go," Fred said, still refusing to look at you. You sat there frozen for a minute, absorbing his words. You quickly dressed yourself, pulling your robes on and grabbing your back pack.

You headed for the door, turning over your shoulder before you left. "I'm sorry, Fred," was all you could say before turning the knob and walking out.

----

As you took your seat at breakfast, you noticed that a certain ginger was absent. His twin was at the Gryffindor table, talking animatedly about something with a group of younger students. They were almost always together, and this immediately struck you as strange.

You tried not to think about it, hurriedly eating your breakfast so you could get to Potions early. You had a question about the assignment that was given over the weekend, and you intended to ask Snape about it before class began.

"I'll see you later," you said to your group before departing. You looked around for Fred again, but he still wasn't in the Great Hall.

You stepped into the hallway, adjusting your leather backpack on your shoulders as you turned to head toward the Potions classroom. As you passed an empty classroom, someone grabbed your wrist and pulled you inside.

You let out a small shriek, obviously startled. Standing in front of you was Fred Weasley, red hair perfectly tousled and a bouquet of wildflowers in his hands. His black eye was still visible, but it was less prominent than before. 

"Sorry to startle you, birdie," he said, a grin finding its way to his lips. "I went out this morning to pick these for you."

He handed you the wildflowers, the same soft look in his eye that was present on Saturday night. You took the bouquet, unable to suppress your own smile. That's why he wasn't at breakfast.

"Thank you, Weasley," you said, inspecting the flowers. They were still wet with morning dew and a bit wilted, as the fall weather did not lend itself well to flourishing botanicals.

"I wanted to walk you to class this morning," he said, taking a step closer to you.

"Sure, but that doesn't make you my boyfriend," you replied, reminding him of your relationship. Or rather, your lack thereof. 

"I know, darling," he said, finally close enough to put his arms around your waist. "I know that you're stubborn. But you will be mine, I promise."

You set the flowers on a nearby desk, placing your own hands on his shoulders and running them upwards to lace into his hair. You stared at each other for a few moments, taking each other in.

You loved the way he looked in his uniform. His Gryffindor tie was always just a tad crooked, but you found it endearing. He looked rather preppy with his sweater on today underneath his robes. You pictured Fred in a pair of a nerdy glasses for a moment, causing a giggle to escape your lips.

"Is something funny, birdie?" he asked, pulling you closer so he could talk right into your ear.

"Just thinking about how devastatingly sexy you would look in a pair of wide-rimmed glasses," you teased, standing on your toes to place a kiss on his neck. You lingered just long enough to sink your teeth into his sensitive skin.

You pulled back for a moment, taking in his expression. His cheeks were red, his mouth parted just a tad. Fred Weasley....blushing? That was a sight you had never seen before.

This only encouraged you to continue the teasing. He had done the same to you, so why not return the favor?

"Does someone like dirty talk?" you asked, your voice velvety and seductive. You slipped your hand down to his neck, gripping his throat lightly. "Naughty boy."

You could feel Fred gulp, your hand still wrapped around his throat. You had him right where you wanted him.

"Actually, I think I can walk myself to class this morning," you said. You released your hand from its place on his neck, giving him a chaste kiss on the lips before grabbing the flowers from the desk where you had put them earlier. He was still standing there in shock as you headed for the door.

"Thanks for the flowers, Freddie," you said sweetly, tossing him one last glance over your shoulder before departing.

Fred was frozen where he stood. The two of you had a teasing relationship, but most of the teasing came from his end. You would simply resist, making it even more entertaining for him. But now you were the aggressor. And he loved it.

He was accustomed to taking the lead in his relationships. Fred had always been relatively dominant, but things with you were different. It felt like a power struggle. It was exciting and unpredictable.

Fred finally snapped back to reality, feeling momentarily embarrassed as he stood alone in the empty classroom. You had managed to slip through his fingers this time, but he was determined to get you back.

----

It was Wednesday evening. The week had gone by in a similar fashion to all of the others. You spent your evenings in the library with your friends, staying on top of the numerous assignments you had for the week. Your grades were something that really mattered to you, and you were determined to be at the top of your class.

It was your turn to make prefect rounds on Wednesday nights. It was only for an hour from 9-10pm, and you enjoyed the relatively peaceful time that you spent walking around the castle. Students were rarely misbehaving at this time, but you would have to write someone up every once in a while. 

Most of the hour had passed by without incident until you heard a bang come from down the hallway. It made you jump, but soon enough you were walking in the direction of the noise.

"Hey, who's there?" you called down the dim hallway, your feet carrying a quick pace as you went to investigate. 

You reached the set of stairs that led up to the astronomy tower. At the bottom of the stairs was a  neatly folded piece of paper. You picked it up, curious as to what it could be.

The stars are gorgeous tonight, but not as gorgeous as you.

You blushed as you read the note. You recognized the handwriting as Fred's instantly. You had tutored him for a year, so you had become familiar with his messy print. 

You began to ascend the stairs, knowing that Fred would be in the tower waiting for you. He loved surprising you, and he was unexpectedly thoughtful. You loved that about him.

You finally reached the top. Fred was stood by the edge of the tower, leaning against the stone ledge to look out at the sky. You stood there for a moment, watching him without his knowledge.

He looked peaceful. The moonlight lit his fiery hair with silver streaks. You noticed that his tie was missing, likely discarded once classes were over. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone, showing more of his collarbone than usual. 

Seeing him like this was enough to make your whole body tingle. You wished you didn't react this way, but you couldn't help it. He was gorgeous. 

You cleared your throat, signaling to him that he wasn't alone. He turned to look at you, his gaze gentle. He motioned for you to join him. 

You approached him, settling in next to him as you placed your hands on the tall ledge. You looked out at the sky, taking in the view from the tower. He was right, the stars were gorgeous. 

You both stood in silence for a few minutes, but it was comfortable. Neither of you felt the need to disrupt the moment. You were enjoying the view and being in each other's presence.

You saw Fred angle his body toward you out of the corner of your eye. 

"How's my favorite prefect this evening?" he asked, a cheeky grin crossing his face. 

You turned to him, leaning your hip against the ledge. "I don't know, seems like I need to write up a certain student for trespassing in the astronomy tower after hours."

You returned his grin, knowing how much he enjoyed your banter. He stepped closer to you, running a finger under your chin.

"Is there anything I can do to convince her not to?" he asked, using his finger to angle your chin upward so you had to look into his eyes.

"We'll see," you teased, narrowing your eyes at him. 

Fred let out a light chuckle, and his other hand wrapped around your waist and landed on the small of your back. He pulled you in, kissing you on the lips.

Your hands rested on his chest, eventually pulling at his collar as you continued kissing. It was slow and gentle, and he wasn't rushing you to go any further.

You finally pulled apart, looking at each other in the moonlight. Even with the limited light, you could make out his slightly rosy cheeks and pink lips. You brought your thumb up to trace his bottom lip, giggling at him.

"Has anyone told you how pretty you are?" you asked, admiring him openly.

Fred's cheeks darkened, making you giggle even more. 

"What, do you not like when I hit on you?" you teased, pulling your hand from his face to place it on his shoulder. 

Fred's response was to pull you in for another kiss. Sweet and slow, much like the ones you had shared moments before. 

"You're quite cheeky, aren't you?" he finally said, resting his chin on the top of your head. He still had his arms wrapped around you, and you leaned into his chest.

"I'm not as bad as I used to be," you admitted. "My mum couldn't stand my mouth when she still lived with us. She said that my thoughts came right out of my mouth instead of going to my brain."

"I think your mouth is smashing," Fred replied. He took a moment to think about what he had said, then pushed you back by your shoulders to look at you as he realized the innuendo.

"Not what I meant," he said, letting out an awkward chuckle. You giggled at his embarrassment.

"I know, Fred," you said, grinning at him. You pulled out of the semi-embrace, turning back to look out at the sky.

You felt him lingering next to you, seeming to hesitate on what to do next. He decided to turn to the stars as well.

"Are you close with your mum?" he asked, sounding shy.

"No," you huffed out almost too quickly. "She left my dad and I when I was ten. Something about  the 'wizarding life' not suiting her. I found out later that she was cheating on my dad and moved to America with her Muggle boyfriend. I haven't seen her since."

Fred took a moment to absorb the information, considering how to proceed since he knew the topic was likely sensitive. 

"Are you close with your dad then?" he followed up.

"Very," you answered. "He went to Hogwarts and was a Ravenclaw too. He works in a potions lab, he grows all of their ingredients. He was hoping that I would like Herbology, but it's not really my thing."

"Does it get boring with just the two of you?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious.

"Not really," you replied, turning your head to look at him. "I used to wish that I had siblings, but it would just make our situation harder. My dad has had to raise me mostly by himself, having another child would have had him too knackered to balance work with taking care of us."

Fred looked at you, admiring your openness. You had never talked like this before. Your conversations had always been rather surface-level, but this was deeper. It felt good to connect with him.

"I bet your house is pretty quiet," he said. "My house feels like a madhouse sometimes. My brothers are always wrestling and Ginny is usually complaining about something."

"Do you like it though? Having so many siblings?" you asked.

"I suppose it's alright. I don't know any different. And my parents are so in love that it's sickening," Fred jokingly scrunched his face in disgust.

You giggled. "It's cute that they're still keen on each other," you said, nudging his shoulder with your own.

"I guess," he shrugged. "They're always up my arse about my marks and what I'm going to do after Hogwarts. George too. They make it sound like we're daft. My mum expects all of us to be just like Percy. Perfect Percy."

"I don't think you're daft," you said, linking your arm around his and leaning your head against his shoulder. 

"Thanks," Fred replied, adjusting so his arm wrapped around you instead. "Seems like the whole school thinks I am."

"Fred, that's ridiculous. You're allowed to feel that way, but it's simply not true," you argued. It hurt to hear that he felt like he wasn't smart enough. You knew that Fred wasn't incredibly focused on his studies, but that didn't mean that he wasn't intelligent.

"People like me because of my pranks. I'm good for a laugh, but that seems to be about it," he said. He sounded so small and defeated.

You turned your head just enough so you could look him in the eye. He was averting your gaze, opting to look at the sky instead.

"Look at me, Freddie," you said, your voice firm but kind. He finally met your eyes reluctantly.

"You are incredibly clever. Coming up with your own pranks takes detailed planning, and I can't imagine that it's easy. Your friends adore you. First years are chuffed when you even look their way," you told him, meaning every word. "But you're also genuine. And you're kind, and patient, and considerate. You're so much more than I knew you were, and I'm gutted that it took this long for me to get to know you."

Fred held your gaze as you rambled on. You saw that familiar look in his eye, the softness that was mixed with something deeper. Adoration, maybe? You weren't quite sure.

He was once again left without words, simply staring at you once you were finished talking. You felt embarrassed for a moment, afraid that you revealed too much of how you felt. Your stomach felt like it was sinking to the floor as he just stood there.

Fred finally moved, grabbing both of your hands in his. He maintained eye contact.

"Birdie, you're...Merlin, I don't know how to put it into words," he said, shaking his head at himself. 

"Then don't," you said softly.

He pulled your hands so your arms wrapped around him, drawing you in to his chest. He kissed you, a delicate kiss at first. He bit at your bottom lip, causing a soft moan to escape your lips. 

That was all he needed to lift you up, earning a giggle of surprise from you. You wrapped your legs around him, and he supported you by holding your bottom. He kept kissing you, pressing your back against the closest wall.

The cold stone caused goosebumps to erupt across your back, but in this moment, you didn't mind. Fred's kisses became more fervent, your teeth almost clashing as you both fought for the upper hand. 

He had you pinned against the wall for at least five minutes. You pushed at his shoulders, causing him to pull out of the kiss. He looked at you, his eyebrows bent in confusion.

"Put me down, please," you requested, a nonchalance in your voice. Fred complied, carefully adjusting you so your feet finally touched the ground.

You grabbed the collar of his shirt, spinning around so you forced him up against the wall. Still gripping his collar, you pulled him down into another kiss. Your hands found his belt, and you paused.

"Is this alright?" you asked.

"Please," he answered, sounding breathless. A smug grin crept across your face. You were proud of the effect you were having on him. 

You resumed your kissing, working on his belt. Your kisses migrated down to his jaw, nipping at his jawline. You had always loved his jawline. You had heard other girls joke that it was sharp enough to cut something.

You finally got his belt free, tossing it to the side with a clank. Your hands ran up his chest, nails scratching along the material of his shirt. Fred let out a throaty sound, something between a groan and a whine. 

You kissed down to his neck, nipping at his ear.

"Fuck, birdie," he whispered in response. 

You started fiddling with the button of his trousers, struggling for a moment before getting it open. You pulled away from him, once again checking for his approval.

"Tell me when to stop," you said, echoing the very words he had said to you a few nights ago.

"Please don't," he replied, hands gripping at your hips desperately. 

"I've never heard so many 'please's come from you," you teased, biting at his neck again.

"Anything for you, darling," he said, his voice sultry. That was enough to send a tingle down your spine. 

You tugged at his trousers, pulling them down. You kept kissing his neck, finding a spot along his collarbone to leave a love bite. It was revenge for the marks he had left on you. 

Your hands danced down to his hips, unbuttoning his shirt from bottom to top. You looked at him for a moment, admiring your work. Fred was breathing hard, his pupils blown wide with arousal. He looked....hungry.

You dropped to your knees, earning a quiet "fuck" from Fred. You felt momentarily nervous, insecure about your "talents". You and Adrian had hooked up many times, and you were no stranger to blowjobs. But Adrian was your first and your only. This was someone new.

You snapped yourself out of it, dragging your nails along the waistband of Fred's boxers. There was already a prominent bulge from your efforts, and you silently commended yourself. 

You placed a kiss along his abs over the fabric of his undershirt. You worked your way down, kissing until you were at his waistband once again. You peered up at him, taking in his flushed cheeks and desperate expression. And what did you do? You grinned up at him and winked.

Fred groaned, covering his face with his hand. You laughed at him, running your nails along his thighs. You knew that this teasing was making him miserable. You had your fun, now it was time to put him out of his misery.

You grabbed for his waistband, pulling down his boxers in one smooth motion. You gulped as you took in the sight before you. You had assumed that Fred would be big; he was a tall person, after all. You had also heard rumblings from girls who had hooked up with Fred. But this...definitely more than you were expecting. 

You took a breath, gripping him with one hand and supporting yourself against his thigh with the other. You began to pump him, slowly working him up to a faster pace. 

After a minute, you had Fred groaning and gripping at your hair. You dared to tease him once more, darting your tongue out to tease his tip. 

"Fuck," he muttered, nails digging into your scalp.

Your tongue danced in circles around his tip, eventually making stripes down to his base. You still hadn't put him into your mouth, and you knew this was killing him.

"Are you going to say please?" you asked, looking up at him through your eyelashes.

"Birdie, you've got to be....oh fuck," he said breathily. You had continued teasing him with your tongue, interrupting his response.

"Please," he begged, sounding pathetic. That was what you had been waiting for. 

You finally took him into your mouth. You started with the tip at first, using one hand to work the rest of him while the other played with his balls. You worked your way down slowly, taking in more of him inch by inch.

Fred's groans were turning into whimpers, and if your mouth wasn't previously engaged, you would definitely be smirking. His nails continued to dig at your scalp, mussing your tidy hair. 

You worked your way down to his base at last, fighting against your instinct to gag. You picked up your pace, causing various profanities to fall from Fred's mouth.

"Fuck, I'm going to...you should stop," he breathed out, pulling hard at your hair. 

You peered up at him, determination in your eyes. There was no backing down now. He met your gaze, understanding what your intentions were. 

Fred finally released, a groan coming out of his mouth that he tried to suppress by biting his lip. You worked him down slowly, pulling him out of your mouth. You looked right into his eyes as you swallowed. 

His jaw dropped just slightly, his mouth just barely agape as he took in the sight before him. You were doing your own admiring, enjoying your view from your place on your knees. His chest was heaving, cheeks red. You could tell he had a lean build underneath his undershirt, and you were looking forward to taking that shirt off of him. Another time.

You helped him find his boxers and trousers, dressing himself as you got up from your knees. You brushed them off, feeling the indents from the stone floor in your knees. Worth it.

Fred had just finished slipping his belt through the loops of his trousers when you grabbed at his wrists. You puckered your lips at him playfully. He chuckled, leaning down to kiss your lips.

"Do you still think that my mouth is smashing?" you teased, grabbing at his sides to pull yourself into him. 

"Absolutely smashing, birdie," he replied, chuckling again before giving you another kiss. 

----

The boys heard the clacking of your Oxford shoes on the stone path, turning to you as you approached. Both wore their usual grins, full of mischief and pleasure in whatever they had just done. You looked to the ground, finding a pale blond ferret on the stones by their feet.

"Now, what are you two up to?" you asked, crossing your arms in an attempt to appear intimidating.

This only caused Fred's grin to widen. "We just thought that Hogwarts could use a new pet."

"And who exactly is this pet?" you asked, bending down to pick up the ferret. It looked up at you, and you noticed that it had remarkably blue eyes.

"I think we should call him Mal-ferret. He makes a bloody cute critter, doesn't he?" George replied, tickling at the ferret in your hands.

You gasped, realizing who was in your hands. Draco Malfoy.

"You turned Malfoy into a ferret?! Are you bloody insane?" you asked, your voice raising in frustration and disbelief.

The boys only chuckled at your reaction, clearly enjoying their prank.

"Turn him back right this instant!" you demanded, placing Malfoy back onto the ground. "Don't make me get Snape, you gits!"

Fred grumbled, the smirk still playing at his lips. He loved when you got angry. And when you bossed him around.

George pulled out his wand and mumbled a spell, turning the ferret back into a human. Slowly Malfoy's features returned as he grew back to his normal size. 

"I'm telling my father about this!" he fumed, staring up at Fred. The ginger towered over him, making Draco's threats rather ineffective.

Malfoy stormed off into the castle as the students in the courtyard laughed. The twins laughed along with them, still very pleased with themselves.

"When will you two learn..." you shook your head at them, taking out your notebook. "That's 20 points from Gryffindor."

Fred exhaled, reaching for your elbow as you recorded the point deduction in your notebook.

"Come on, little bird. You don't have to be that harsh," he said, his voice sounding like honey as he tried to convince you to change your mind.

You looked up at him, being sure to make direct eye contact. "Flirting with me won't change your fate, Weasley."

George chuckled behind him, and Fred's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He straightened his shoulders, preparing to respond.

Fred leaned in, his nose almost brushing your ear. "If I were trying to flirt with you, darling, it would be a bit more obvious," he said, his voice low.

His breath tickled your neck, causing goosebumps to form. Your words caught in your throat and you almost choked. Heat rose in your cheeks, and you balled your fists in an attempt to regain control.

"You don't have an effect on me, pretty boy," you replied, spitting out the last two words. Your eyes locked, and you glared at him. Your heart began to pound as you held eye contact. His perfect hazel eyes bore into yours, the corners of his mouth turned up into a grin. The look in his eyes was almost...lustful.

Your jaw locked as your stubbornness kicked in. He was not going to win this. 

Fred took a step back, his hand reaching for the end of your braid and twirling it. "I'll see you at the Quidditch match tomorrow, birdie."

His sickening smile remained on his lips as he turned to George, walking back toward the castle doors. You let out a breath and hustled over to your own group of friends.

It was too late for you. Fred had noticed the color in your cheeks. The way you were fighting for control. It was in that moment that he knew he had to have you.

Fred had always liked you. You had several classes together over the years, and you were kind to him and his brother. You tutored him in Potions during third year, and you weren't as stuck-up as your fellow Ravenclaws.

There was something so tempting about you. Your "good girl" persona mixed with your unshakable attitude. It was like a drug to Fred, and now that he knew that he could make you weak in the knees, he was going to exploit it.

By the time you made it across the courtyard to your friends, your entire face was bright red. "Let's go inside," you insisted, hurrying out the words as you pushed towards the doors.

You had barely made it inside before your friends were asking questions.

"What happened?" Cho asked, sounding genuinely confused. "The way Fred was looking at you was...intense."

You ran your hands through your hair, trying to calm yourself. You had always thought that Fred was cute, but his reputation as a player had kept you away. You'd talked to him before in passing, but never like this. It was an adrenaline rush to stand your ground against him. Holding power over him felt...addicting.

"The twins just...they were just being gits. And Fred is always...you know Fred. He's defiant," you replied, your sentences smashing together as you attempted to compose yourself.

"Hey, are you okay?" Cho asked, running a hand down your arm.

"Yeah, just...didn't expect Fred to talk back to me. It's not usually that difficult to take House points away," you said, attempting to explain away why you were so flustered.

"But the way that he was looking at you..." Beatrice chimed in. "He looked....I don't know. I've never seen him like that."

"He's just being Fred," you said, trying to dismiss it. "Let's go to the library, I have mountains of homework."

Your group headed towards the library, finding your usual table and settling in. You tried to work on an essay for Muggle Studies, but you couldn't focus. Your thoughts kept wandering back to Fred and his hazel eyes burning into yours. The way his breath felt on your neck. His fingers twirling your hair.

You tried to snap yourself out of it. You knew that Fred was a flirt. He had quite the reputation with the girls at Hogwarts, and he did not have a hard time finding a date. He was probably just messing with you. It was nothing, and you scolded yourself for replaying the scene in your head over and over again.

----

Fred and George were lounging in the Common Room, finding anything to do instead of their homework. Fred was sketching in his sketchbook while George conjured and disintegrated flowers over and over again.

"What was your deal earlier today with that prefect?" George blurted out, breaking the silence in the room.

Fred turned to him. "What do you mean?" he asked, acting confused.

"You know exactly what I mean, you git. You were toying with her," George said, disintegrating another clump of flowers with his wand. 

"I wasn't toying with her," Fred said, seeming defensive. "I just...wanted to see if she would actually take the points away."

"Sureeeeeeeeeeee...." George replied, obviously doubtful. "You were flirting with her. In front of the whole courtyard, mind you."

"That was not flirting," Fred scoffed, focused on his sketchbook.

"What are you drawing?" George asked, getting up from his place on the couch to look at Fred's sketchbook.

"Nothing," Fred said, holding the sketchbook tight to his chest. "It's none of your business."

"Oh come on, Fred. Get off it. Show me the bloody sketch," George said, holding out his hand for the sketchbook.

Fred huffed, reluctantly handing it over. George took hold of the sketchbook, turning it so he could see the sketch. On the paper was a replica of your face. Fred had perfectly mimicked the stubborn fire behind your eyes.

"Oh, so you obviously don't fancy her," George mocked, still staring at the sketch.

"I never said that I didn't fancy her," Fred said. "I only said that I wasn't flirting with her."

"Where is this even coming from in the first place?" George asked. "We've known her for years and you just now fancy her?"

Fred shrugged. "I've always thought she was nice. Not as insufferable as some of those other Ravenclaws. But...I don't know. Something is different now. She isn't falling over herself for my attention."

"Oh, so you like her because she's a challenge?" George replied, his voice mocking. "That's endearing."

"Shut it, you prat. I can't explain it. She's just different. She's confident, and she's smart, and she doesn't back down. Most of the girls at Hogwarts aren't like that," Fred explained.

"The only girl here who knows how to talk back is Ang, but she's mine," George chuckled. "Interesting that we both like a strong-willed girl. Must be a twin thing."

Fred socked his twin in the arm, taking his sketchbook back. "You're being an arse."

"Never thought you'd fancy a Ravenclaw. They seem a bit too bookish for you. And how do you even know she fancies you too?" George rambled.

"I'm not sure if she does, but I can change that," Fred said, a smirk crossing his features. "I'm going to get her to come to the match this weekend. She'll be mine before the weekend is over, you'll see."

----

Students were buzzing at breakfast on Saturday morning. It was the day of the big Gryffindor vs. Slytherin quidditch match, and everyone was nervous with anticipation for the face-off. You were somewhat indifferent to quidditch, but you usually went with your friends for something to do on a Saturday afternoon. It gave you a break from doing homework in the library.

You had just taken another bite of toast when someone tapped on your shoulder. You put the toast on your plate, turning around in confusion. Standing behind you was none other than Fred Weasley. A grin was on his lips and his hands were behind his back.

"Yes, Weasley?" you said, slight irritation lacing your voice. You had finally gotten him to stay out of your thoughts, and now here he was again.

"I wanted to make sure that you're coming to the match today," he said, a certain sweetness in his voice. "And I wanted to give you this."

Fred pulled a scarf out from behind his back. It was his Gryffindor scarf, adorned with his house colors, crest, and initials. You stared at it in disbelief as it hung from his hands in front of you.

"Uhm...okay," you replied, sheepishly taking the scarf from him. A blush was starting to form on your cheeks. This was quite the unexpected move from Fred.

"If you're going to cheer for me, you need to be wearing my colors," he said, giving you a wink. This did nothing to calm the redness of your cheeks. You racked your brain for a snide remark to shoot back at him.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Weasley, but if this is you trying to mark your territory, I don't want it," you said, finally regaining your resolve.

His eyes softened, making your stomach flutter. Damn it.

"I'm not marking my territory, birdie. I just wanted a pretty girl to have my scarf. You're my lucky charm today," he replied, cocking his head to the side in a way that gave him a boyish vibe.

You huffed in response, reluctant to accept his answer. Before you could make another snappy reply, Fred leaned in to whisper in your ear.

"I don't mark my territory with a scarf, darling," he whispered, his voice low enough to give you chills. "I can show you later if you'd like."

You swallowed hard, clenching your jaw. You were not going to let Fred Weasley know that he could make you flustered. He can make any girl at Hogwarts swoon, but you were determined to not be one of them.

Fred backed away, a devious smirk on his lips. "I'll see you in the stands, birdie."

Fred left the Great Hall as if nothing had happened. You sat there trying to catch your breath, irritated at him for getting you so wound up. He was infuriating. But for some reason, you liked it.

----

You settled into the stands with Cho and Beatrice. Fred's scarf was in your backpack, and you were still debating on whether or not to wear it. 

"Come on, just put it on! It's cute that he gave you his scarf," Beatrice said, nudging your shoulder with hers. "Fred is adorable. All of the other girls are going to be jealous."

"Bea, Fred is a troublemaker," Cho replied. "He doesn't have the best reputation, and I wouldn't want to get mixed up in that if it were me. Wearing that scarf is just going to bring unwanted attention."

You had been stewing over this ever since breakfast. Now you knew that Fred's flirting wasn't just your overactive imagination or wishful thinking. It was real. You had to decide what to do, and you weren't quite sure of his intentions. 

"Wait, I have an idea," you blurted out, getting up from the stands before Beatrice or Cho could reply.

Your feet carried you to a place that you had been many, many times before. The Slytherin quidditch team's locker room. 

You had dated Adrian Pucey for most of last year, and you used the locker room as a place to hook up after hours. The breakup was relatively amicable. Adrian wanted to get more serious, and you were too focused on passing your O.W.L.s. You parted ways on good terms, but you knew he would be willing to get back together if you asked. 

You knocked on the locker room door, and Draco was the one to answer.

"Yes?" he asked, half-dressed in his uniform.

"Can you get Adrian for me?" you asked, crossing your arms as you leaned against the door frame.

Draco shut the door. It opened a few moments later, but this time it was Adrian.

"Hey," he said, taking in your figure in the doorway. He always looked at you like that. A mix of lust and admiration. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," you replied, inching closer to him. "Can I ask a favor?"

"Of course, love," he said, his eyes soft as he looked at you.

Part of you felt guilty for this. Toying with Adrian was totally unnecessary, but you wanted to get under Fred's skin in the same way that he got under yours.

"Can I wear your scarf today?" you asked sweetly. "For old time's sake? And for good luck. I'm rooting for you."

"Anything for you," he replied. "I'll be back with it in a moment."

You huffed a sigh of relief as he turned back into the locker room to fetch the scarf. You had worn it to all of his matches last year, cheering for him from the stands even though you didn't understand all of the rules of quidditch.

Adrian returned to the door with his scarf, handing it to you.

"Thank you," you said. "I'll give it back after the match. You're going to be great."

You leaned in to kiss him on the cheek. He smiled at you in the same way that he always had. It made your heart hurt in a way, but you were motivated by vengeance. 

You made your way back up into the stands to sit with Beatrice and Cho. You sat down, weaving Adrian's scarf around your neck.

Beatrice gasped. "You're a masher! Adrian's scarf!?"

You smirked, pleased with yourself. "Adrian and I are still friends. He deserves to win today."

Cho groaned. "You're digging your own grave. Fred is going to be insufferable when he sees you. And leading Adrian on? That's just dodgy."

"I'm not leading him on," you said, feeling defensive. "I just asked to wear his scarf for good luck. I didn't promise that we were getting back together."

"Whatever," Cho replied. "You're making your own mess."

The conversation came to an end as both teams entered the pitch. The crowd cheered as the players lined up on opposite sides of the pitch, awaiting their introductions. 

As the announcers began, Adrian's eyes found yours. You shot him a thumbs up, and he nodded at you with a small smile on his face. It was just like old times, and a pang of sadness shot through you.

From the moment that he stepped onto the pitch, Fred immediately clocked the scarf that you were wearing. The silver and green. Slytherin crest. The "AP" stitched onto the bottom of it near the fringe. He felt like his blood was boiling. 

He watched the interaction between you and Adrian, noticing the way that Adrian looked at you. You still had Adrian wrapped around your finger, and that pissed Fred off. He loved competition, but he loved winning even more. 

You finally dared to look at Fred and instantly regretted it. His jaw was locked in anger, and his eyes were burning into yours. Your stomach dropped for a moment, taking away the feeling of victory you had. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

Before you could process the wave of emotions hitting you, the match had begun. You watched in anticipation, as Fred was now more determined than ever to bring home a win for Gryffindor. 

You chattered with Cho and Beatrice to try to calm your thoughts. What was Fred going to say to you after the match? You were wringing your hands in nervousness, dreading the interaction that you knew was going to come later. 

The crowd erupted into cheers as the announcer declared that Gryffindor had caught the Golden Snitch. You were on your feet in seconds, watching the Gryffindor team fly to the ground and pile onto each other in celebration. 

You felt like the wind was knocked out of you. You were sure that Slytherin was going to win. Everyone was predicting that. This victory was unexpected, and you knew that it would give Fred another reason to gloat.

The teams lined up to congratulate each other, a practice that was required by the school because of past instances of bad sportsmanship between the teams. They high-fived each other, muttering "good game" before moving on to the next player.

Fred had finally reached Adrian. "Good game, Weasley," Adrian conceded through tight lips.

"Thanks Pucey," Fred replied, slapping Adrian's hand in a somewhat friendly high-five. "Is that your girl up there?"

Fred nodded to where you were standing with Beatrice and Cho in the crowd. Adrian's scarf was still wound around your neck, and you were playing with the fringe on the ends.

"Um....not anymore," Adrian admitted.

You were watching Fred and Adrian from your place in the stands. Seeing them converse made you feel uneasy. Especially when Fred began smirking. The look on his face was nothing short of diabolical.

"That's too bad," Fred said. "She looks cracking in that scarf. But I think she'd look even better with my hands around her neck."

You couldn't make out what they were saying, but the next thing you knew, Adrian's fist was connecting with Fred's face. It took only seconds for the other players to begin hollering and beating on each other.

The professors hurried into action, herding the spectating students toward the castle and attempting to break apart the fighting players. Your heart was pounding in your chest. Why would Adrian hit Fred?

The more you thought about it, the more you were able to paint a picture of what likely had happened. Fred has a smart mouth, and Adrian has a quick temper. It's a lethal combination.

----

You were stood in front of your mirror, fiddling with the skirt that Beatrice had lent you. She insisted on going to the Gryffindor victory party tonight. She had her eye on Oliver Wood, and she refused to go alone.

Parties weren't usually your scene. You had gone to a couple of Slytherin parties last year, but you hadn't stayed for long. You were usually only there long enough to take a few shots of firewhiskey, talk to friends, and would leave with Adrian to hook up.

Because of this, your wardrobe was not fit for a Gryffindor victory party. Some girls showed up in not much more than a bra and short skirt, while others opted for tying up their uniform tops and jeans. Beatrice was kind enough to let you borrow an outfit, but it made you self-conscious nonetheless.

It was only a plain black skirt and cropped cami. Nothing fancy, but you felt unlike yourself. Your day to day outfit was your uniform, and even then you paired it with preppy Oxfords and frilly socks. Nothing that screamed "sexy". You grabbed for your oversized flannel that you usually wore on the weekends, deciding that an extra layer would help your comfort level.

"Babe, you need to relax," Beatrice said, peering into the mirror on her desk to put the final touches on her lipgloss. "It's just a Gryffindor party. And you can leave once I have Oliver in my clutches."

"I know," you said, sounding defeated. "I just...Fred is going to be there."

You caught Beatrice's eyebrows raise from the reflection of the mirror. "Oh, so you're getting all worked up over Fred?"

You huffed. "No! I mean...he's just...he's going to be mad about the scarf."

"He's probably too knackered from the match today to care," Beatrice replied. "And from the beating he got from Adrian."

A lightbulb clicked on inside your head. You had forgotten to return Adrian's scarf. It was in your book bag. You reached for it, pulling out the scarf.

"That reminds me that I have to return this to Adrian," you said, turning towards the door. "I'll meet you back here in 15 minutes, I promise."

Before Beatrice could answer, you had already whirled out the door and down the stairs. You were headed for the Dungeons.

You still knew the passcode to the Slytherin dormitories, so getting inside was no problem at all. You made your way into their common room, finding Adrian on the couch with several of his quidditch teammates.

Your cheeks began to burn when he looked at you. It felt like he was devouring you with his eyes. He gulped, sitting up from the couch to greet you.

"Hey, love," he said, walking toward you. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Yes, sorry," you said, feeling suddenly sheepish. "I came to return your scarf as promised."

You held it up to hand it to him, and he grabbed the other end, using it to pull you closer.

"You look....I don't even have words," he muttered, sending a lightning bolt down your spine. His hand found its way to your hip, and you felt squirmy under his touch. "Where are you headed?"

"Uhm...I'm going to the Gryffindor party with Bea," you admitted, pulling away from him. "She wanted support in her mission to get with Oliver Wood."

Adrian chuckled and let out a huff. "She's always up to something. Are you planning on spending any time with Weasley?"

"Adrian..." you started.

"No, you need to hear this. What he said about you," Adrian said, anger rising in his voice. "That prat sees you as nothing more than a good shag."

You bit your lip, suddenly feeling nervous. "I can make my own decisions, Adrian," you said softly, feeling small.

"I know, love, but I don't want you to get hurt. He's a prick. He gets bad marks. And the way he talks about girls? Disgusting," Adrian spat out, shaking his head.

"I'm not going to the party for Fred, I'm going for Bea," you said, hoping to soothe his frustration.

"He's just...I don't like the idea of him being anywhere near you. What he said about you today....he deserved that black eye," he grumbled.

"What did he say?" you finally asked, your curiosity getting the best of you.

"He said something about my scarf. How you would look prettier with his hands around your throat," Adrian said, sounding disgusted as the words came out of his mouth.

Your face felt like it was on fire. What was Fred thinking? Anyone who knew Adrian was well aware of his temper. A remark like that about you was a surefire way to get beat up.

"I...you know Fred. He was probably joking," you said, trying to brush it off.

"No. The look on his face...he was dead serious. Nobody gets to talk that way about you," Adrian replied, his fists balling at his sides.

"Adrian," you said, reaching out to touch his arm. "I promise you that I can take care of myself. I can handle Fred. He's just being a git, that's nothing new for him."

"I know, love," he sighed, melting into your touch. "I just worry about you. You know that I care."

You nodded, retracting your hand from its place on his arm. "And I appreciate that. But I can stand my ground. Beatrice will be with me the whole time, and once she's off with Oliver, I'm going to go back to my room. I will be okay."

This seemed to calm him down, as he finally unclenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Be safe," he said, giving you a quick kiss on the forehead.

You turned back toward the entrance to the common room, making your way back up to Bea's room. It had definitely been at least 15 minutes by now, and she was likely getting antsy waiting for your return.

----

You and Bea stood on the fringes of the Gryffindor common room. It was packed with students with cups in their hands. The music was loud enough that you thought the lights would start shaking. 

"Let's get some shots," Bea said, grabbing your hand and leading you towards the makeshift bar set up near the fireplace. 

She picked up two shots, handing one to you. "Down the hatch," Bea said, taking her own shot.

You followed suit, grimacing at the burning sensation that followed. You had never enjoyed firewhiskey.

Bea occupied herself by looking for Oliver. You saw a tall ginger mingling with a group of other Gryffindors, and you couldn't quite tell if it was Fred or George from your view of the back of his head. 

"Looking for me, darling?" a voice said from behind you. He was close enough that you could feel the heat radiating off of his chest.

You turned to face him. His freckled face was marred with a black eye, the bruise extending from underneath his eye to the top of his cheekbone. Adrian must have hit him pretty hard.

You winced as you took in the injury, imagining that it had to hurt. "What, am I really that ugly?" Fred asked in a teasing tone. 

You stared up at him with a tight-lipped expression, crossing your arms. "It sounds like you deserved that black eye," you remarked.

Fred shrugged. "My words had their intended effect. Is Pucey still fuming?"

"You are such a git," you said, irritated at his lack of maturity. "I know what you said."

"Birdie, it's nothing that I wouldn't say to your face," he said, a smirk pulling at his lips. 

"Stop calling me that," you replied, feeling angrier by the second. "I don't know what you're getting at, but I'm not an object. Now piss off."

Fred was taken aback by your words. His little game had gone too far.

"Darling, I didn't mean--" he started, reaching for your arm.

"I mean it Weasley," you said, your voice raising in volume. You shoved his chest, forcing him away from you. "Piss off."

Before he could get in another word, you had stormed off to find Bea. She had to be here somewhere.

In your mission to find Bea, you stumbled into Angelina. "Sorry, Angelina," you said, nearly knocking her drink out of her hand. "Have you seen Bea?"

She shook her head. "Last I saw her, she was with Wood. I haven't seen them in a bit, though."

You mumbled a thank you and continued your hunt. If she was off somewhere snogging Oliver Wood, you would be pretty impressed. That would be record time for Bea. 

You went up the stairs toward the dormitories, determined to find your friend. You began knocking on doors, hoping that Bea was behind one of them. You didn't want to leave until you knew she was safe.

One of the doors was cracked open, and you knocked. Nobody answered, so you peeked your head in. 

Someone was sitting in the dark, their head in their hands. As your eyes adjusted to the darkness, you realized who it was. 

"Fred?" you called into the dark room, your voice soft.

The figure picked up its head. "Yes?" he replied, his voice quiet and full of despair.

You entered the room, closing the door behind you. You pulled out your wand, muttering "lumos" before going any further.

Fred was sitting on the edge of his bed, his elbows resting on his knees. As you got closer, you noticed his face. It was puffy and red as if he had been crying.

"What's wrong?" you asked, sitting criss cross on the floor in front of him.

He shook his head, clenching and unclenching his jaw. You sat there in silence for a few moments before he swallowed, finally answering. 

"I'm sorry," he said, quiet enough that it sounded like a whisper. "I didn't mean...you're not...I'm just so sorry."

You looked up at Fred. There was a softness in his eyes that you had seen a few times before. It was genuine. He looked absolutely gutted. 

"Why are you sorry?" you asked, carefully prodding at him for answers.

"I didn't mean to make you feel like....like some sort of object," he said, sounding embarrassed. "You're not. I don't see you like that. I've been messing with you, but I took it too far. And I'm sorry."

Your heart pounded in your chest. You had never seen Fred this vulnerable. And you had never heard him apologize before. 

"You're just...I thought we were both toying with each other. I liked it. The way you talk back to me, your stubbornness. I love that about you. But making you feel like I only see you as someone to shag...that's not what I intended. That's not how I feel," he continued. 

"Fred," you said, sitting up on your knees. You reached for his hand, holding it for a second before he pulled away. 

"I really do like you. I am so sorry that I made you upset," Fred said, locking eyes with you again. "You don't have to forgive me, but I need you to know how sorry I am. You deserve better."

You stood up from your place on the floor. You parted his knees, standing directly in front of him. He looked up at you from his place sitting on the bed, nothing but softness in his gaze. He truly was sorry, and you knew it. 

Your hand found its way to his cheek, your thumb stroking his cheekbone that was bruised purple. You swallowed hard.

You leaned down, your lips meeting his in a whisper of a kiss. It was gentle, it barely even felt like your lips met at all. But you forgave him. This was your way of showing it. 

You pulled apart, but your gaze still held. "I forgive you, Fred," you whispered, your hand still on his cheek.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth. Not a mischievous grin like usual, but a genuine, kind smile. One filled with adoration. 

Fred was like putty in your hands. His tough exterior gave way to a person who was sensitive and kind. You had seen glimpses of that before, but never like this.

You finally knew how he felt about you. His feelings were genuine. And you were willing to trust him if he continued to be this vulnerable in front of you.

"I do quite enjoy teasing you," you said, smirking down at him.

"I knew it," he replied with a small chuckle, his hand lightly touching against your hip.

You were still stood between his legs, quite a precarious position. You knew exactly where you were going to go from here.

You shoved him back onto the bed, and he let out a "hmph" of surprise. Before he even got a word in, you were on top of him, straddling his torso.

Fred's eyes were wide with surprise and his brows dipped in confusion. "I thought you were sorry," you said, your voice dropping lower than usual, sounding almost sultry.

"I am," he said, still confused.

"Then prove it," you challenged him, placing a hand firmly on his chest.

Fred grinned up at you. Now you were on the same page. "Are you sure about that, darling?" he asked.

"Did I stutter?" you replied, a slight sharpness to your voice as you looked down at him.

His grin widened. "Don't say I didn't warn you," he teased.

In a matter of seconds, Fred had flipped you onto your back and pinned your hands over your head. He looked down at you, obviously very pleased with himself.

"Tell me if you want me to stop," he said, locking eyes with you.

You gulped. "I don't want you to."

Fred leaned down to kiss you, your hands still pinned firmly above your head. He shifted so he was holding your wrists with only one hand, using the other to trail up your side.

The kisses started off slow at first, but they quickly gained in pace as Fred felt you squirming underneath him. "Impatient, are we?" he said between kisses.

You only groaned in reply, fighting against him to gain control of your hands again. His free hand gripped your waist, pulling you closer into him. You wrapped your legs around his torso, begging him to be as close as possible.

His kisses migrated down to your jaw, then to your neck. He sucked a few love bites into the base of your neck, and you were dreading explaining those to your roommates in the morning. 

Fred was relishing in the tiny moans that were escaping from your mouth. He knew that you were desperate, so he was determined to take his time. 

"Freddie, please," you said, your voice almost sounding like a whine.

"Oh, so I'm Freddie now?" he teased, kissing along your collarbones. He alternated between kissing and nipping at your sensitive skin, and it was driving you insane.

"If this is your way of apologizing, I don't forgive you," you teased back, squeezing your thighs around his midsection. Fred chuckled.

"What would you like then, birdie?" he asked, suddenly sounding sweet and innocent. His eyes found yours, and your voice got caught in your throat. You wished he didn't have that effect on you.

"Let me think..." you replied, trailing off in pretend thought. "Most people I know apologize on their knees."

Fred's eyes changed, the playful glint being replaced by a competitive fire. His trademark smirk crept across his face, and you knew you were in for it.

"Alright then," he said, finally releasing you. He backed off of the bed, standing on the floor in front of you.

Fred grabbed you by the backs of your knees, pulling you to the edge of the bed in one fluid motion. You giggled in reply, surprised by his sudden movements.

"I meant to tell you, this outfit is cracking," he said, tracing his hands down your thighs. A bolt of lightning ran down your spine, and you arched off of the bed. "I think you could lose the skirt, though."

Fred looked to you for permission, waiting for you to nod before he drew your legs together and tugged at your skirt. He pulled it all the way off, folding it before putting it on the floor.

"You're folding my clothes at a time like this?" you joked, trying not to feel embarrassed as you lay on his bed in only your top and knickers.

"You don't strike me as someone who likes creases in their clothes," he replied, pulling your legs open and kneeling on the floor. "You're a prefect, for Merlin's sake."

"Don't remind me of that while I'm half naked in your dormitory," you scolded him, playfully knocking at him with your knees.

"You're a good girl, I like that," Fred commented, brushing his hands on the outside of your thighs. He placed a kiss next to your knee, slowly kissing down your inner thighs. 

You tried to even your breathing, frustrated at how worked up you were over just some kisses. You were no stranger to sex, but this was something different altogether. Fred made you feel like your skin was on fire. 

Fred had finally reached your knickers, kissing along the waistband. A whimper escaped from your lips, and he looked up at you.

What a vision. Fred Weasley, cheeks flushed, lips pink, staring up at you with lust-filled eyes from between your legs. Your heart was beating so fast that you knew he could feel it too.

"Are you going to be a good girl for me?" Fred asked, his fingers playing along your waistband. 

"Freddie....please," was all you could manage to say. Your voice was barely above a whisper.

He pulled at your knickers, bringing your legs together so he could take them off. Instead of folding them like your skirt, he simply tossed them to the side.

"Will you tell me if you want to stop?" Fred asked, becoming serious for a moment. 

"Yes," you replied, reaching down to cup his face. You could still make out his freckles from the glint of your wand light. He was simply perfect.

Fred kissed your wrist, then kissed along your thighs once more. Your breathing became more rapid in anticipation of where his mouth would go next.

You could feel his breath on you. His lips finally made contact with your center, your hands gripping at his ginger locks.

He licked at your clit, his hands squeezing your thighs. You moaned, your fingernails digging into his scalp.

It took him only moments to find his groove, causing moans and swears to fall from your lips as he worked you closer to your release.

"Freddie," you breathed out, tugging at his hair. He groaned into you, making your back arch even further off of the bed.

You bit your lip, trying to fight off your orgasm. Finishing this quickly felt like letting him win, and you couldn't have that. 

Fred could feel the tension building within your body. His hand reached up to find your cami, snaking underneath it. He expertly located your nipple, playing with it with his fingers. His mouth never left you for a second.

Your body finally gave in, tired from resisting the pleasure. Your hips bucked lightly off of the bed, a mix of "fuck"s and "Freddie"s leaving your mouth.

Fred worked you down from your orgasm slowly, finally leaving your clit to put a few love bites on your thighs. Your chest was heaving, and you were trying to find the words to say to him.

"So fucking gorgeous, birdie," he said, his eyes burning into yours. 

You moved backwards on the bed, motioning for him to join you. He got up from the floor, laying on the bed next to you.

"Do you forgive me now?" he teased, turning on his side to look at you.

"Hmmm...I'll need to consider it," you replied, grinning at him. 

Fred had been in control, but now it was your turn. You pushed at his shoulders, turning him so he was laying on his back. You straddled him once again, but he looked less surprised this time.

"You really love being in charge of me, huh?" he joked, his hands stroking at your sides. 

"It's only fair, Freddie. I am a prefect, as you so graciously reminded me," you said, propping your hands on his chest. 

"Okay, madam prefect. Are you going to give me detention?" he said, rolling his eyes at you as he grinned.

"You wish. An hour with me in a classroom? Sounds like a scene from your dreams," you teased. 

You leaned down to kiss him, hands still on his chest. His arms wrapped around your back, pulling you in closer.

A loud knock on the door interrupted your kissing. You and Fred scrambled apart, and you had pulled on your skirt in a matter of seconds.

Fred went to the door, cracking it open. "Is she with you?" a voice asked, sounding a lot like Beatrice.

You came up beside Fred so Beatrice could see you in the room. She looked you up and down, taking in your messy hair and crooked clothing.

"I...um, I was just coming to tell you that I'm going back to the dormitories," Bea said, obviously shocked at the sight in front of her. 

"Okay, I'll come with you," you said. "I'll meet you in the common room in a few minutes."

Bea nodded, turning and heading back toward the common room. Fred shut the door, and you looked for a mirror. You found one, attempting to tame your hair and straighten out your clothes.

"Perfect prefect doesn't like to get caught hooking up with troublemakers, does she?" Fred asked, half teasing and half serious.

"Fred," you said, turning to face him. 

"No, I get it. Not good for your image, or whatever," he said, busying himself with straightening the covers on his bed. 

"Freddie, look at me," you commanded, your voice edging between soft and authoritative.

He turned to you, his face unreadable. 

"I like you Freddie," you said, taking a few steps toward him. "I'm not worried about my image. Yes, I'm a prefect, but I don't have a broom up my arse."

Fred chuckled. You took the last few steps, finally standing in front of him. You wrapped your arms around his middle, pulling him into a hug. Your head rested perfectly against his chest, and his hands found their way into your hair. 

"I'm sorry for antagonizing Adrian," Fred said, talking into your hair. "I know that he still loves you. I shouldn't have used that against him."

"Yeah, not your brightest idea," you replied, face still buried in his chest. "Adrian will understand eventually. He won't like it, but it's not up to him."

"Godric, you're sexy," Fred said, squeezing you tighter.

You laughed. "What was that for?"

"You don't let anyone tell you what to do. It's bloody irresistible," he replied. 

"You're included in that, you know," you said.

"Oh, I am very aware," he chuckled. 

"I have to go home with Bea," you said, slowly pulling out of the hug. "See you around?"

"'See you around'? That's the best you've got?" Fred joked, kissing the top of your head. 

"You wouldn't like me if I weren't hard to get," you replied, standing on your tip toes to give him a quick kiss on the lips. 

You turned and opened the door, glancing over your shoulder at him.

"I will never stop pursuing you, birdie."

----

Fred and George were in Potions together, causing mischief as usual. This was nothing new for them, and weekly detention was commonplace during their years at Hogwarts. The school year had just begun, so the students were still settling in to their new classes and routines.

The twins were fooling around by turning the sprigs of lavender they had laid out on their desk into mice, unleashing them onto the floor of the classroom. They watched with glee as their fellow students shooed the mice away, or even ran away screeching.

This was a harmless prank compared to some of the things that they had pulled in the past. They had quite the reputation at Hogwarts, and they intended to keep their reputation by starting out Sixth Year with a bang.

Fred watched as a mouse scurried up to the table that you were working at, but you were distracted with your work, looking down into your cauldron. The mouse began crawling up your shoe, clawing the frilly socks sticking out of your loafers. You reached down to scratch your ankle, but a small gasp left your lips as you noticed the mouse.

"Aw, hi there, darling," you said to the mouse, getting up from your seat.

The mouse had detached from your shoe, and instead sniffed your bag that was propped against the leg of your desk. You bent down, carefully scooping up the small creature in your hands.

Fred had been watching you this entire time, hoping that he would get a reaction out of you from the mouse prank. His jaw dropped as you bent over.

Your movement exposed your white lace panties, even if it was only for a moment. You had grown over the summer, gaining most of your height in your legs. Your skirts from last year were a tad too short, but you hadn't had time to get new ones yet.

Fred's cheeks began to burn. He knew that you had not meant for him to see your panties, but he couldn't help himself. He had fancied you for the past year, but his crush manifested in teasing you senseless. You two had never had any interactions that could be deemed as romantic, but yet his feelings still persisted. 

He knew it was wrong to be turned on by what he had seen, but he couldn't help it. Fred tried to calm himself, taking slow and deep breaths. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, trying to focus on something else. That's when he noticed it.

His pants felt tighter than they did when class started, and now he knew why. He had an erection growing in his pants, an involuntary reaction to seeing so much of your bare flesh. He shook his head at himself, feeling even more embarrassed than before.

"Y'alright, Fred?" George asked, leaning his elbow on the table to peer over at his twin.

"Uh, yep. Just gonna....use the loo," Fred stuttered out, grabbing his bag and rushing out of the room.

The whole class turned, hearing Fred's sudden exit. You saw only his back and his fiery locks as he left the room in a seemingly frantic state. You had been friends with the twins ever since your first year at Hogwarts, so of course you were concerned. You peered over at George, shooting him a concerned glance.

Is he okay? you mouthed to George from across the classroom.

George shrugged in response, shaking his head. 

It was unlike Fred to get flustered. He was the confident, suave, and utterly cheeky twin. He would never get this worked up over a silly crush.

Fred hurried through the halls of Hogwarts, navigating his way back to his dormitory. He felt like he didn't breathe on his entire journey back, and he huffed out a sign of relief once he had shut himself into the safety of his room.

He flopped himself onto his bed, groaning in embarrassment. Why was this happening to him? Sure, he had seen girls in their panties plenty of times. He was no stranger to sex and nudity, and the entirety of his year at Hogwarts knew this about him. Fred didn't understand why you were so different.

Fred laid on his bed sulking for the remainder of the hour until George returned to their dormitory. George entered their room, closing the door behind him and leaning against it.

"Want to explain what that was about?" George asked, his voice almost teasing.

Fred only grunted in response, throwing a pillow across the room at his twin. George laughed at him, crossing the room to sit on his own bed.

"You didn't bail on class just to lay in bed. Tell me what's going on," George said, prodding at him.

Fred finally sat up on his bed, peering over at George.

"I was having.....an issue," he said.

George laughed and raised his eyebrows in understanding.

"Oh, I didn't know that Snape got you going," George teased. "I didn't realize that he was your type, being that he's old and all. And a man. And a Slytherin, at that."

"You know it wasn't about Snape, you git," Fred spat, heaving another pillow at his brother.

George caught the flying pillow, tossing it onto the floor in front of his bed.

"Then who was it about?" George asked, leaning back on his elbows.

Fred huffed again.

"It's....I saw....when (Y/N) bent over to pick up one of the mice, I saw her panties," Fred finally admitted, sounding embarrassed.

"I knew it!" George exclaimed, shooting up off of his bed. "I knew that you fancied (Y/N)!"

George was busy doing a celebratory dance around the room while Fred buried his face in his hands. Somehow admitting the truth of the situation to his twin made him feel even more embarrassed.

George finally stopped his excited little jig and turned to his brother.

"I think y'should ask her out," he suggested. "I think she fancies you too. And who knows, maybe you'll get to see her panties again."

Fred groaned and threw a final pillow at George. This situation was mortifying. But it wouldn't be Fred Weasley if he didn't go after exactly what he wanted. And right now, what he wanted was you.

---

It was the next evening at dinner when Fred made his move. A paper in the shape of a dove floated across the hall, landing in front of your plate. You stared at it in bewilderment for a moment before you caught Fred's eye. You reached forward to open the note.

Black Lake at 8pm. Be there.

It was a simple message; concise and to the point, but for some reason it made your stomach turn. You nodded at Fred, assuring him that you'd be there. You folded up the note, burying it in your pocket before any of your friends asked about it.

You had been crushing on Fred for years. His reputation as a player had kept you from making a move, and you were happy to at least have a friendship with him. Butterflies danced in your stomach, and you tried not to get your hopes up. He had never asked to meet you alone before.

It felt like the next couple of hours dragged on as you waited to meet Fred. Every possible scenario had played through your mind, and you were only beginning to feel more nervous.

Finally, it was time to set out for the Black Lake. You pulled on your favorite knit cardigan, sneaking out of the castle into the humid late summer air. You were careful not to be noticed as you made your way towards your meeting point with Fred.

Fred stood by the edge of the lake, skipping rocks off of its surface. You watched him for a moment, admiring how relaxed he was. This was rare for Fred, as he was always in a state of teasing someone or focused as he flew around the quidditch pitch.

As you approached, you could hear the plinking of the rocks as they skipped along the water. He had a blanket laid out behind him with a picnic basket beside it. You accidentally stepped on a stick as you crept closer, causing Fred to turn to you.

"Hey," he said, smiling at you as you approached.

He reached to hand you a rock, inviting you to join him. You stood in silence for a few minutes, skipping rocks together and waiting for the other to speak. Finally, you decided to break the ice.

"Why did you ask me to meet you here?" you asked, your voice small as you anticipated his response.

Fred stopped tossing rocks at the lake, taking in a deep breath as he turned to you.

"I've been meaning to tell you something," he said, looking down at you.

Your heart felt like it was going to explode in your chest. His height was intimidating as he peered down at you, and you couldn't breathe as you waited for him to continue speaking.

"I fancy you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. For once in his life, Fred seemed meek and almost embarrassed.

It felt like all of the oxygen had been sucked out of your lungs. Fred Weasley fancied...you?

He watched your face carefully as different emotions flickered across it. Fred opened his mouth to say something, but you cut him off.

You reached up to tangle your fingers into his hair, pulling him down into a kiss. His lips were soft against yours, and your sudden movement caught him by surprise. His hands found your waist, and he returned your kiss.

You pulled apart momentarily, both looking at each other in disbelief. Both of your hearts were pounding as your chests heaved. You laughed, pulling him back into a kiss. 

This time, your kisses were more urgent than before. His hands gripped at your waist, and his mouth left your lips and found its way to your neck. He left searing kisses from your ear all the way to your collarbone, and you couldn't help the small whimper that escaped your lips.

Fred ceased his actions, looking into your eyes for a moment. A grin spread across his face. This was a look that you knew all too well. Fred Weasley was up to no good.

Fred thought that his favorite sound in the world was the cheering Gryffindor crowd when their team won a quidditch match. Or the melodic plinking of the rain on the metal roof back home at the Burrow. Or maybe even the Muggle rock music CD that Hermione had gotten him for his birthday. That was until he heard you whimper. Now he was determined to do everything he could to hear that sound over and over again.

His lips found their way back to your neck, and his hands fumbled with the buttons of your cardigan.

"I want you, love," he said, still kissing your neck. "Do you want me, too?"

"Please," you hastily replied, pulling at the bottom of Fred's shirt.

He had managed to unbutton and tug off your cardigan, leading you to the blanket he had set up. He laid down on it, beckoning for you to join him.

You joined Fred on the blanket, straddling him and taking him by surprise. He had always known you as a somewhat shy, studious good girl. But he was liking this side of you too.

It was your turn to take control, and you sucked on a spot behind Fred's ear that you had a feeling would drive him crazy. He hands wandered to your thighs and he rubbed them lovingly, encouraging you to keep going.

You kissed your way down his neck, leaving purple marks behind. In one swift motion, you removed his shirt. You tried to keep things moving, but you couldn't help ogling at the boy laying between your thighs. You admired his toned physique from years of quidditch training. 

While you were distracted, Fred took it as an opportunity to regain control. He flipped you on your back, earning a surprised giggle from you. He worked on the buttons of your jeans, his fingers expertly undoing them in what seemed like record time. He peered up at you.

"Is this alright, darling?" he asked, his eyes soft.

"Yes," you replied, pulling at his hair impatiently.

Fred resumed his work, pulling your jeans down your hips and off your legs. His breath hitched in his throat as he took in the sight before him.

Lace panties. But this time, they were black. 

He snapped himself back to reality, pulling your shirt over your head. You were left in just your underwear, eyes wide as you stared up at him. He had thought about you like this so many times, but now it was finally real.

Fred leaned down to kiss at the base of your neck, working his way down to the top of your breasts. He reached around your back and undid your bra like a pro, and you shimmied it down your arms and flung it to the side.

Fred resumed his blazing path of kisses, reaching your nipple and sucking it into his mouth. This earned him yet another whimper from you, which only encouraged him to continue. 

He kissed all the way down to the waistband of your panties, and he paused for a moment to meet your eyes.

"I'm asking one more time, do you want this?" he asked.

"Yes, please," you whined at him, impatient as you waited for him to resume.

He looped his long fingers around the front of your panties, pulling them down your legs. Once they were out of the way, he gently spread your legs.

Fred hardened at the image before him. You laid there on the blanket, chest heaving, cheeks flushed, and your legs spread open for him. He wanted to permanently etch this moment into his mind.

He positioned himself between your thighs, kissing the inside of your thigh and rubbing soothing circles into it. He worked his way closer to where you wanted him most. You were silently willing him to continue, eagerly waiting for him to touch you.

His trail of kisses had finally reached your center, and he placed a soft kiss right on your core. His eyes flitted up to yours, and a smirk drew across his lips.

Fred's tongue darted out, catching you by surprise. He expertly drew circles around your clit with his tongue, pausing to suck on it every few seconds. 

You grabbed for the blanket, balling it in your fists as you tried not to scream. You knew that Fred had a reputation for making his rounds with the girls at Hogwarts, but you didn't expect him to be this good.

He dove one long finger into your opening, and you couldn't help the breathy moan that left your mouth. 

Fred continued his motions, easing you open as he added another finger. Your moans were leaving your mouth in succession, and Fred was enjoying every moment of it.

His fingers hit the spot that made your back arch, and you felt your vision becoming fuzzy. He held onto one thigh for support as he worked his fingers into you, and he knew that you were close to finishing.

Fred slowly withdrew his fingers from your entrance, and you gave him a frustrated groan. He looked up at you, sucking his fingers into his mouth to remove your liquids from them. You stared at him with your mouth open, the lecture you were about to give him for edging you suddenly forgotten.

He quickly removed his trousers and underwear, revealing his hard cock. You had a feeling that it was going to be big; Fred Weasley was a tall boy, after all.

"I couldn't let you finish like that, love," he said, his voice teasingly sweet. "I want you to cum on my cock."

Your breath was stuck in your throat, his words choking you. Fred lined himself up between your legs and pressed himself to your entrance.

"Are you going to be good for me?" he asked, his gaze burning into you.

"Yes," you squeaked out, sounding pathetic beneath him.

Fred pushed into you slowly, taking his time to allow you to get comfortable. After a few strokes, he was able to work his way deeper inside of you and pick up his pace. 

As he finally bottomed out, you reached up to touch his back.

"Freddie?" you asked, your voice small and sweet.

"Yes, love?" he responded, stalling his movements.

"I want you to fuck me...hard."

Fred's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but a smile tugged at his lips.

"Anything for you, darling," he said before pulling almost all the way out of you.

He pushed back into you, becoming harsher with every thrust. Your nails dug into his back as he increased the pace, fucking you mercilessly on the blanket. 

You both panted, nearing your highs. Fred reached down to find your clit with his thumb, rubbing circles on it to bring you closer to the edge.

"Oh fuck, Freddie--" you whimpered, finally reached your orgasm.

Your back arched off of the hard ground, every muscle in your body tensing at the same time. The pants that came out of your mouth would have been embarrassing if Fred had not been panting as well.

"I'm so close, love," he said, his voice strained. "Can you be good for me for just a little longer?"

You could do nothing but reply with a moan, still hazy from your own high. He continued his pace, thrusting into you to chase his finish.

Fred had finally finished, letting out a final groan in your ear. His chest was still heaving when he laid himself down onto you, nuzzling his nose into your neck.

The two of you laid there in silence for a few minutes, catching your breath and enjoying each other's closeness. It was Fred who spoke first.

"Why didn't we do this earlier?" he asked, his face still buried in your neck.

You giggled and rubbed his bare back.

"I don't know Freddie, I've fancied you for years. You could've had me whenever you wanted," you replied, tracing circles into his back with your nails.

"We have a lot of time to make up for then," he said, propping himself up on his elbows to look down at you.