The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH 33. The Yule Ball PT. 1

~Fred's POV~

"It does not take ten bloody hours to get ready for a ball," Elodie said over her morning glass of pumpkin juice.

All the girls had barley nibbled their breakfast before they decided to go up and begin getting ready for the ball tonight. In true Elodie Potter fashion she was helping herself to a proper breakfast. Mum was right, this girl could eat and eat and forever remain skinny.

We hadn't spoken much since the day I'd asked Angelina to the ball. I wasn't planning on it, but the way Cedric asked her right in front of me had set me off. I knew Georgie fancied Angie, but I just wanted to do something to upset Elodie the way I had been. A plan which backfired, since I'd only hurt my own brother in the process. I didn't want him to think I was trying to ruin his chances with her, I told them both it was strictly just as friends, and if he really wanted to, I would take Alicia if he asked.

And then Ron had to go and stick the knife in further by commenting. Everyone but Elodie knew that George and I both fancied her. Hell, I think everyone fancies her at some point. But for Ron to make a comment on her making someone a last resort. She'd never intended to, I knew that. But I also couldn't help but feel it at times. Part of me almost wanted to be Cedric, just so she could look at me the way she did him.

"Don't worry, you don't need ten hours," I told her as I took a bite of my toast. She gave me a smile. "Are you ready to dance the night away with Golden boy?" I asked in a friendly manner.

"I am actually, neither of us have ever gone to a ball before, so it'll be nice," She told me. "And you? Ready to dance the night away with your brother's lady?" She asked me with her eyebrow raised. "Freddie, why would you do that?"

"I know, it was stupid and careless. I just— I didn't think about who I was actually hurting," I told her looking down at my plate.

"Why would you take a date as a way to spite someone? That's terrible," She said.

"Cause the date I wanted to take already had someone," I told her cryptically. Come on, she had to figure it out.

"Jealousy isn't the way to make someone want to be with you. It's how you push them further away," she told me.

"I'll have to remember that one," I told her.

"I feel like I can never stay mad at you. Will you save me a dance tonight?" She asked me with a smile, to which I returned and nodded. "I'll see you tonight then," She said and walked out of the great hall.

I thought about it. Had I driven her away all these years when I was just trying to get her out of my mind? There had been a number of times where I would bet my life that she felt something towards me too. I pinched the bridge of my nose and looked up to see Cedric a little too close to Cho Chang for my liking. Last I'd heard, she was dating one of his best mates, yet here they were, looking too cozy. I got up to leave as well, only I really didn't need ten hours to get ready, and I wanted to do more intel on what I had just seen.

I needed Georgie's help for this one. After about 20 minutes of convincing George that I wasn't just seeing what I wanted to see, and another several hours of sneaking around, we had found a few things. The first, Cedric and Elodie had decided to be on a break once again, since before the first challenge a surprise to me, but not to George who apparently knew, but that was a conversation for later. The second, Cedric had been telling his inner circle that he was planning to ask to be together again and give her a promise ring within the next week. And the last piece of information, that we only learned as we waited outside the great hall before the ball, was that he had been flirting around with Cho Chang since last term.