The Chaser : A Fred Weasley Fan Fic

Twenty One: Ripples

That evening, after our time spent in the disused Charms classroom, I couldn't keep my eyes off Fred. All through dinner I sat losing my train of thought. Whenever he spoke to me or made a joke or even just laughed, I felt my stomach flip. It was becoming difficult to hide it.

I'd never felt this way before. It sounded silly but with Oliver I never batted an eyelid when we sat near each other at meal times and admittedly I'd actively avoided Cedric's looks across the Great Hall in fear of upsetting Fred. The feeling was overwhelming but when I reminded myself that he actually liked me too I got a warm feeling in my chest.

"Are you alright?" asked Katie, leaning to speak quietly to me as we sat side by side along the long benches at the Gryffindor table.

I'd been listening intently to what Fred and Ginny were talking about across from me that I barely registered what she'd said. I snapped out of my trance and gave her a reassuring look.

"Yes, sorry I have a lot on my mind with the O.W.L.s and the match coming up" I replied, it was a half lie. Everything had slowly been mounting up and with the excitement of me and Fred I'd neglected a lot of what really needed doing.

"Of course, I'm dreading O.W.L.s next year" she sighed, looking gloomily down at her dinner, "but you've got something to look forward to! Summer holidays will be round soon enough, once that's all done"

I nodded and smiled at her weakly. The thought of having to revise for our exams and practice for the Slytherin match was making my stomach churn. I decided I wasn't going to dwell on it that evening and instead turned my attention back to gazing at Fred.

Late in the evening, we were slumped around the common room. It was only me, Fred, George and Ginny left. I was skimming frantically through a textbook for a Potions practical we had the next day, while the twins seemed blissfully unaware they'd have to be taking it too.

"We're excellent at Potions" Fred shrugged, after the fourth or fifth time I'd asked him if he wanted to look at my book before tomorrow.

"You two are going to get barely any O.W.L.s between you and I don't want be around when mum blows up at you" Ginny giggled, ticking off answers on her Herbology homework as she sat next to me on the sofa.

"It'll be fine" George sighed, putting away the cards that him Fred had been playing across the coffee table, "Right I'm off, I've got places to be"

George raised his eyebrows suggestively and Ginny scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes at him.

"Leanne again?" she replied, looking like the perfect picture of a judgmental little sister.

"No this is someone new" he said, with a smirk on his face. He handed Fred back the pack of cards and eagerly left the common room.

"Will you two not be happy until you've shagged the entire female population of the school?" Ginny quipped, a jokey tone to her voice but the self righteous look still cemented on her face.

"Ginny!" Fred gasped, in mock outrage, "I don't want to hear you say that word ever again"

"Alright, well you know what I mean" she grumbled, "You'd both get a lot more done if you weren't pining after Angelina all the time"

Jealousy began to surface and course through me. I cursed that I let it get to me so easily. I shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the sofa and Fred shot me a strange glance that I couldn't quite read.

"Shouldn't you be getting to bed anyway?" Fred said, snatching her homework off her lap.

"Hey!" she yelped and grabbed it back. I knew what it was like to grow up with older brothers so it was easy to sympathise with her plight. She looked up at the clock on the wall and huffed quietly, but without another word she slunk up to bed.