Just For A Laugh [FredXHarry]

Rejected?!

I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters, they belong to JK Rowling

Harry's POV

"You didn't."
"I did."
"No way."
"Uh-huh."
Harry and Ron were sat on their four-poster beds in the empty Gryffindor 4th year's dormitory. Harry had just told Ron how he had, unsuccessfully, asked Ravenclaw Cho Chang to the Yule Ball. He was supposed to open the Ball and, being the youngest champion, he would be entering first out of the four competitors. Meaning, if he didn't have a date in four days time, he was gonna look like a prize prat dancing by himself, alone with an imaginary body. Privately, Harry had thought about taking somebody else, someone other than Cho. But, every time that thought entered his mind, he quickly shoved it back, not to be seen for a long time. He's Ron's brother. "Unless someone fancies making a fool out of themselves that night, I've got no one to go with. I'll just walk into the middle of the dance floor and sit down, I guess." Ron gave him a questioning look. "Why would they be making a fool of themselves?" Harry shrugged and sighed. "I'm a terrible dancer, and my attention will be on Cho all night." Ron nodded. The two boys were silent for a few minutes in deep thought, before Ron gasped dramatically and started flapping his arms like a bee trying to fly with wet wings. "I know! I know! You'll hate me for it, but I know!" Harry, who had leapt a foot off of his bed in surprise, sighed. "If you say what I think you're gonna say, I will literally kill you." He said, taking out his wand and jabbing it in Ron's direction in mock threat. "Fred and George!" Ron exclaimed excitedly, as though he'd not seen the twins in years. Harry's stomach gave a gigantic lurch. "Wingardium Leviosa!" he yelled, giving his wand a quick swish and flick at Ron, who was lifted off his bed. "Whoa, Harry James Potter, put! Me! Down!" Ron looked slightly terrified as Harry guided him off of the bed. "You said what I thought you were gonna say. Lucky I'm not killing you." He released the charm, and Ron landed with a heavy thud on the hard, wooden floor of the dormitory. Before Harry could stop him, Ron had gotten hastily to his feet and sprinted out of the room. Harry tried to chase after his best friend, admittedly half-heartedly, but lost him and returned to the dorm in almost- reluctant defeat.

Fifteen minutes later, Ron returned, dragging with him a certain Fred Weasley, who was shouting and protesting loudly. "Harry!" Ron shouted over Fred's protests. "George is going with Angelina Johnson, so I brought Fred!" Ron exclaimed, quite out of breath. Harry wondered why his friend was so puffed, before Fred answered, appearing to have read his mind. "Ron had to chase me round Hogwarts for a solid ten minutes before I gave in and asked him what the bloody hell he wanted. Thought it'd be fun to make him work for it. George got a twisted ankle from falling down the third floor stairs and Ron and I got detention from Snape for shouting in the Dungeons but ah well. Now, Harry. Can you please, for the love of Merlin himself, detach my dear brother here from my arm and explain why he's jabbering on about you and me at the Yule Ball!" Harry flushed slightly. "Ron, let go of Fred. I won't explain until you do." As soon as Ron, albeit reluctantly and after a few moments of thought, let go of Fred's bicep, however, Fred turned to his younger brother, whipping out his wand from his sleeve at the speed of light. "Petrificus Totalus!" Fred yelled, pointing his wand at Ron. Ron's hands clasped by his side, his feet snapped together, and he fell like a board onto his back. "Wingardium Leviosa!" Fred levitated Ron so he was laying on his bed. "There. Now he won't disturb us. Anyway, Harry, what's this issue with the Yule Ball you're having then? Ickle Ronniekins over there wouldn't specify. And where the bloody hell do I fit in?" Fred said calmly, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder in Ron's direction, as though he hadn't just immobilised and levitated the younger Weasley. Fred sat on the edge of Harry's bed and waited expectantly. Harry, who was still half-gaping at Ron and half looking at Fred, took a few moments to reply to the question. "Oh, erm, well... I asked Cho Chang earlier..." Harry hesitated. He didn't know if he could trust Fred with this information without him spreading it round the school accidentally. Fred, however, nodded, an uncharacteristic look of seriousness and sincerity on his face. "Don't worry, Harry, I'll only tell George. We can't keep anything from each other, no matter how big or small. I swear he won't tell anyone else though. And neither will I." Harry nodded, somehow reassured by Fred's ability to apparently read minds. Or maybe just his. He flushed slightly at that thought, and felt his ears burn. Anyway, that's beside the point and irrelevant. "Well, you see, I'm the youngest champion, so I have to open the Ball. I mean, all the champions do, but I'm youngest, so I'll be going first out of the four. And, well, I'll look a bit of a prat if I was dancing alone. I just... I need to go with someone who doesn't mind making a fool out of themselves. Ron suggested, or rather forced, you, considering you were, somehow, also looking for a date. I mean, that's what Ron told me!" He added hastily, seeing Fred's amused look of 'that's rude' on his face. Fred glared at Ron momentarily, before asking Harry "So, you want me to go to the Yule Ball with you, because you want to go with someone who'll be alright with making a fool out of themselves." Harry smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, basically. I mean, I'm a horrible dancer, I've just been rejected and no doubt Cho will tell everyone I asked her, people will be staring. You don't have to, 'cause, y'know... we'll get called... stuff." Fred grinned happily at Harry, who was trying desperately to ignore the steady reddening of his face. "Don't worry, ickle Harrykins. I'll go with you. Even if it is just for a laugh. I can't believe Harry freaking Potter got rejected in the first place. But yeah, I'll go." Harry nodded, slightly surprised. He had expected to have to persuade Fred a little more. He pushed the thought aside, it didn't really matter. All that mattered was he had someone to go with. At least for the start of the Ball. Then he could find Ron and be done with it all. "Right. Epic. Thanks, Fred, but... are you sure you wouldn't mind going with me?" He asked, the butterflies in his stomach fluttering madly. Fred grinned a grin at him that made his stomach drop through the floor. "Me and George were tryna think of ways we could turn the whole thing into a laugh. Maybe go in bright pink and yellow polka dotted suits or something. We were still struggling on how to do it without wreaking the entire ball. You just made that considerably easier for us. I'll make a fool of myself, according to you, and George will join in at some point." Harry smiled, trying hard not to be slightly offended by Fred's words. Instead, he just nodded. "Right then. Well, thanks Fred." Harry smiled sheepishly at Fred, who just nodded. "Right, best be off." Fred said, slapping his knees. "Gotta tell my clone I'm going The the Yule Ball with Harry Potter." Harry chuckled and waved as Fred exited the dormitory with a dramatic bow, closing the door behind him. Once the door had banged shut, Harry released a long breath he didn't know he was holding and grinned, giving up the fight with his now deep crimson face. "Guess you heard all that then?" He said to Ron's immobile body. "I'm going to the Yule Ball with your older brother. Jeez that sounds so gay." He then realised. Fred had immobilised Ron, and Harry had forgotten the counter curse. "Oh god, erm, Ron. I can't remember the counter curse for Petrificus Totalus." Harry couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn he saw Ron's eyes roll. He considered screaming after Fred and persuading him to mobilise his brother. Just then, the door to their dorm swung open with another loud bang. "Oh, it's your lucky day. Hermione arrived." This time he definitely saw Ron's eyes roll. Hermione took one look at Ron's still-immobilised corpse, took a moment to think, then gasped and shot a shocked and slightly angry, yet also amused, look in Harry's direction. "Harry James Potter!" She exploded. Oh god, the full name again. "What on earth did you do?!" Harry shrugged casually. "Wasn't me. I swear down it wasn't me." He said, his hands raised hastily in surrender. Hermione gave him a disapproving yet questioning look. "Fred stopped by for a bit." He said simply. "Surprised you didn't see him his way out, he only just left a minute ago." Hermione's face changed, as though she had only just dawned on the truth. But she still looked suspicious. "How come you didn't mobilise him after Fred left?" She asked, moving over to inspect Ron's body. Harry explained (again) how Fred had only just left and how he had forgotten the counter-curse. Hermione sighed. "Finite Incantatem." She said simply, pointing her wand at Ron's chest. Of course. Harry regretted letting Hermione remobilise Ron because, the second he could move again, Ron sat bolt upright in bed. "Harry's going to the Yule Ball with Fred!" He all but screamed. Harry was taken aback. He had planned to tell Hermione in a more calm manner, after he'd explained the situations he and Fred had, which he now did, rather hastily, at the look on Hermione's face. Hermione's expression slowly changed from confused, to shocked, to confused, to amazement, to realisation as Harry explained what had happened that night. "Oh. Right. So, he's going with you, for a laugh? That seems a little rude." Harry shrugged. "That's not how I'm taking it. It's only a laugh, a bit of a joke. It'll be fine." Hermione, however, looked slightly disconcerted. "What?" He asked her. She smiled a little nervously. "Aren't you worried about what people like... I don't know... Malfoy would say? They might, you know, call you...stuff." Harry shrugged. "If they call me gay, I don't care." At Ron's shocked expression, Harry added; "I'm not gay! I only meant because being gay is ok, there's nothing wrong with it. I mean, I'm pretty sure Sirius and Remus are gay for each other." He added with a grin. Hermione gasped. "Harry! You can't just go around saying things like that!" She said, although she was smiling a little, and Ron was laughing heartily. Once they had both calmed down, Harry carried on as though nothing had happened. "Plus, the whole school will know it's just for a laugh, I mean, it's Fred Weasley for gods sake, so no one would pay any attention, anyway." At this, Hermione seemed to relax slightly. Harry tried to ignore the disappointed jolt his stomach gave him. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Harry sighed for what felt like the millionth time that night, except this time it was out of relief. It was now Ron's turn to ask a question. "Are you telling people, or making them wait?" Harry knew he was asking this for Hermione's purpose, already knowing Harry and Fred's agreement. "Fred's telling George, obviously. But the twins aren't going to tell anyone else, and I don't exactly plan on announcing I'm going to the Ball with Fred Weasley without being able to properly explain myself. Wouldn't want to get people suspicious before they realise it's for a laugh." Ron and Hermione looked apprehensive about something, but they both shrugged. "Ah well, let's just get down to dinner. I'm starving." Ron gratefully suggested. Harry noticed that he, too, was suddenly rather hungry, his stomach growling with emptiness. Agreeing with Ron, the trio made their way down to the Great Hall, Hermione muttering something about Ron always being hungry under her breath.

Once seated at the Gryffindor table, Fred and George came bounding over. Fred plonked himself into the seat next to Harry while George plonked himself opposite his twin and next to Ron. "So... Harry. You're going to the Yule Ball with my twin brother?" George said in a little more than a hushed whisper so no one else could hear, a look of amusement on his face. Fred leaned in a whispered to Harry, so only he could here. "I haven't told him why I'm going with you yet. Wanted to see his reaction. Pretended to cry and everything!" He said with a snicker. Harry became instantly more nervous around George, but found the situation horribly amusing. Just the thought that Fred hadn't told George about the whole 'just for a laugh' thing made Harry even more cheerful and hopeful than he already was. "Careful, Fred. You're both underage." George said, winking at Harry. "Anyways, Potter. You're going with Fred, which means you're also going with me. And Angelina. Because Fred is my twin, I go with Fred. Because Angelina is my date, Angelina goes with me. Understand?" Harry nodded. George winked. "Good. Also, no funny business. I'm not having Fred losing stuff before me." The effect of those words was instantaneous. Harry spat his pumpkin juice all over Ron and George, Ron choked on his beef, Hermione shook her head, and the twins roared with laughter. George quickly cast a drying charm on Ron and himself, still grinning broadly, before continuing to address Harry. "Seriously, Harry. He's useless. I wouldn't bother if I were you." Fred stomped his feet in laughter, almost whacking his knees on the underside of the table, and Harry shot George a questioning look. However, it was Fred who answered through his laughter. "We are... ha ha... identical twins you know!" He and George roared, stomping their feet and slapping the table with fresh laughter, sending food flying in all directions. Harry, Ron and Hermione looked questionably at the two laughter-stricken boys, but they were all grinning. It was George who spoke next. "They don't... ha ha ha... realise do they... ha ha... Fred?" Fred slapped the table again, hardly able to speak due to the laughter that was currently controlling him. Taking a few deep breaths, Fred spoke. "No... they don't... ha ha... George." Then, they said in unison. "We're identical. We have identical bodies as well as faces!" The trio exchanged looks of confusion, before realisation dawned on them. All three of them stood up and left the twins stomping and slapping, and could still hear them roaring with laughter on the second floor. "I just learnt something about my older brothers that I never even knew I didn't want to know." Ron said. Harry smiled, blushing slightly, and Hermione shook her head. "Those two are honestly ridiculous. Anyway, what did Fred say to you when they arrived, Harry?" She asked. Harry blushed a little more and cleared his throat before answering. "He, er, hasn't told George the... situation yet. George thinks Fred is genuinely going with me because we l-like each other, not just for a laugh. Fred went all out in tricking him, even pretended to cry, apparently." Ron gasped and smiled. "So that's why Fred's face looked so red! I wondered if he'd been crying. You two wouldn't have seen it, you were next to him, but it looked like he'd been crying for hours." The three of them chortled all the way back to the common room, before departing to go to their respective dorms.

"Right. We've got an essay from McGonagall, two essays from Snape, a reading to do from Flitwick, and a whollop of defensive spells to practise for Moody! Bloody hell, never had so much homework in my life!" Harry groaned, wishing the Yule Ball would just hurry up, so they could have a break from the mountain of homework they had to do.

FYI, this will most likely switch to Fred's POV at some point, I mean, he's my favourite character, along with George, so yeah. Anyways, hope you like the story so far, let me know if anything you want to see and I'll be right at it. Don't forget to leave a review!
Cheers, Isaac