𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩 ; 𝑔.𝑜.𝒻

twenty-six

Lorelei and Cedric were in their own world. They slow danced together for what seemed like hours, not saying a word to one another. She had her head on his chest, swaying to the beat of his heart.

She moved her arms up and put them around his neck, hugging him as they continued to sway. His arms snaked around her waist, "Does this mean we can date?" He said quietly.

She pulled her face out of the crook of his neck, and leant in for the second kiss of the night.

"Is that a yes?"

She nodded, "Yes."

Augustus walked up to the two, "Mind if I take her away for a bit?"

Cedric nodded and stepped away. Lorelei began to dance with her best friend, "How is it going?" She asked.

"Not bad. Sayaka certainly knows how to dance." He replied, "You?"

"Well, Cedric and I are officially an item."

"I would act surprised but, I don't think I'd say no either if he asked me out."

From out of the room, Zoya stood on the balcony staring at the mountains ahead with red eyes. She was furious with Ron, sad for Hermione, and all together frustrated at what Ron had said to her. After years of constantly sticking up for him, he spoke to her as if she was an enemy. Not to mention the fact that Harry sat there letting it all happen.

"Zoya!"

She turned to Fred, who was walking to her. She wiped the last of her tears, "Is something wrong?"

"I was about to ask the same." He replied. When he was able to see her face clearly, his smile fell. He glanced back at the people passing by and then to her, "The fierce Zoya Kien crying for the second time this year. What happened this time?"

"Nothing. Just, your brother can be a dick sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

She huffed and looked back at the dark sky, "Ron has jealousy issues, if you haven't noticed."

"I certainly have." He replied, sitting on the edge of the balcony, "What did he say?"

Zoya sighed, "If I told you I think you might also have your feelings hurt."

"Well, if I am, I can just make sure to brutally prank him for the rest of the year. Which I think I was already going to do that just based on the fact that he made you cry..."

"He said I was desperate to go with you and that I was tearing apart our group."

"Well that isn't... that bad."

"He also said I was an embarrassment and that I would be alone if it weren't for him." Zoya quietly said, "That would not have stung so much if I hadn't opened up to him and you all a few weeks ago. Maybe he's right..."

"I don't think you're an embarrassment." Fred truthfully said.

"You don't?"

"'Course not. Not a lot of people have friends that stick up for them the way you do for us. If I were Ron I'd hold onto that as tight as I could."

Zoya looked up at him, "You're being uncharacteristically serious right now."

"Believe it or not, I know how to read the room. Most of the time I just choose to ignore it."

"We aren't in a room."

"You know what I mean. I think you spend a lot of time worrying about everyone else that you forget that your happiness also matters. It's alright to be a little selfish sometimes."

She turned her eyes away from him and back out to the mountains, "It's not my thing to choose myself over what other people want, Fred."

"Sometimes you should. You shouldn't feel bad about going to the Yule Ball with me because Ron doesn't like it."

"I don't feel bad about going with you."

"No?"

"No." She repeated.

Fred hopped down from the balcony and leant his elbows on it, standing next to her, "When you said that you liking me was equivalent to incest... do you still mean that?"

Zoya chuckled at the memory, "I was 12 years old when I said that, Fred."

"Yeah. Really shot out my confidence."

She turned her head to him, "Really? I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

He waved his hand, "It's fine."

"No, it's not. If you told me all those years ago that I hurt your feelings I would have tried to make it up to you. Now I want to!"

"See? This is what I mean. You always do what you can to make sure everyone around you is happy."

Zoya sighed and turned back. The two were completely silent for a few minutes, enjoying the sound of the wind and the band back inside. Zoya leant up from the balcony, "I'm going to check on Hermione." She said, beginning to walk away.

Before she could go even two steps, her arm was pulled back and Fred clashed his lips against hers. She melted into his touch for a few seconds, savoring the feeling before pulling away.

She looked up at him wide-eyed, "Uh..."

"Uh as in that was good or Uh as in never do that again?..." He worriedly asked, "Sometimes you're hard to read."

"Uh as in I liked it but am very confused by it."

"It was a kiss, what's so confusing?"

"Many, many things, Fred."

Her furrowed his eyebrows, "You're confusing me."

"I could say the same to you."

He leant in and captured her lips again, this time he held her a little tighter. When they finally pulled apart, she could tell his eyes were searching for an answer.

He looked relieved when a small smile formed on her face, "I suppose you're not the same girl you were when you were 12."

"I suppose not."