Except For You ~ {Fred Weasley}

Chapter 27

Fred's jersey lies on my bed, but I don't grab it. Today is the Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff quidditch match, and I told Cedric I'd cheer for him.
Problem is, I don't have anything much yellow. All black today, which is good, because it's freezing out.
I have black ripped jeans on with black stockings underneath, a black long sleeve shirt and black jacket. I quickly throw my hair into a half up and half down hairstyle, tying a yellow ribbon around the hairband.
I rush down to the Great Hall at what seems like five a.m and dash to the Hufflepuff table, trying to find Cedric to wish him luck. I quickly find his tall frame, and his head throws back from something one of his friends said. He spots me and calls me over, so I run up to him.
"Hey!"
"Hey." I scan the table, trying to figure out who else is on the team that I might know. No one is recognisable as of yet. "Ready for the game?" I ask, fiddling with my hair.
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we're going to win."
"That's great!" I smile at him as he looks me up and down.
"I thought you said you were going to support Hufflepuff?"
"I am!" I exclaim. "See?" I turn my head and show him the ribbon.
"That isn't nearly enough!" He laughs.
"Well I don't really own that many yellow things," I explain, looking down at my hands.
"Well, I can give you something," he responds, and my head snaps up.
"No, I couldn't ask you to do that!"
"You didn't! It's fine! Come on!" He stands up and leads me out of the Great Hall and past the kitchens to some barrels. He takes out his wand and taps a tune onto a plank of a barrel, kind of like Diagon Alley. It opens to reveal a tunnel and I follow him through.
"You'll be late!" I argue into the silence, but he just grins and shakes his head.
"We still have like, half an hour. I'll be fine." I nod and follow him up some stairs, stopping in his doorway. He digs through his trunk and brings out a giant, yellow hoodie, with a small Hufflepuff emblem on the front. Cedric walks back over to me and hands me the hoodie.
"Thanks," I mumble, then grin. I curtsy dramatically and he laughs, bowing with me. Taking the hoodie, I shrug off my jacket and pull the hoodie on, letting it fall to just above my knees.
Cedric grins at me.
"There you go! Now people will know you actually want to support Hufflepuff."
I laugh. "Shut up!"

Cedric, Del and I walk down to the pitch together, teasing each other and laughing. I take a few candid pictures as we walk, making sure no teachers were around when I did. We're not exactly meant to have muggle electronics at Hogwarts.
When we get to the stands, I wish Cedric luck, glare at Del in a joking way, and then we all separate. As I'm walking up the stands, a hand pulls me down into someone's lap from my waist. I yelp.
"Falling for me already?" Fred says, smirking. I roll my eyes.
"Pulling and falling is different."
"True." He grins up at me for a moment while I glare at him, then he notices the hoodie. "What's this? This isn't yours."
"No, Cedric lent it to me for the game."
"I thought you'd go for Slytherin with Del?"
"Del allowed the betrayal," I explain, tucking my hands into my sleeves.
"Oh, I see." He smirks. "So you think you're boyfriend will win?"
I flush, and mumble, "You know I can't have a boyfriend Mr Trouble."
"He gave you his hoodie."
"You gave me your jersey," I argue.
"Oh, so we're actually accepting that it's mine now?" He leans back, smirking at me.
I roll my eyes, tucking my hands between my thighs and ignoring the fact that Fred hasn't moved me off his lap yet. I'm also secretly hoping he doesn't move me.
"Where's George?" I ask suddenly, looking around.
"With Del somewhere."
"So it's just us two?" I ask, trying to ignore the blush rising to my cheeks.
"Yeah. Disappointed?"
I shrug. "In some aspects." I turn my head to wait for the game to start. I'm painfully aware of the fact that Fred is holding his arm behind my back to make my position more comfortable.
I bring my knees up, leaning the middle of my soles on the edge of the seat next to me. I shift slightly in Fred's lap, accidentally bringing myself closer to him.
He smirks, but before he can say anything I mumble, "Shut up. It was an accident." He shrugs.
"I was just going to ask if you were cold."
"Were not," I shoot back.
He chuckles. "Fine. Are you cold?"
"Kind of. It's windy," I add, waving my hand about, then quickly tucking it back between my thighs.
"Put your hood up then." He reaches to do it for me, but I pull away.
"No."
He laughs. "What? Why?"
"I look dumb."
"You could never look dumb. You're too smart for that."
"Shut up," I mumble again, returning my attention to the game, as it's about to start.

My mind wanders as the players zip across the air, passing the ball to each other. I think of the fact that Fred is subconsciously rubbing circles in my back, and how to anyone else it might look like we're dating. Which we aren't.
I shiver from a particularly fierce wind and Fred pulls me closer to him, still watching the game. I lean into his chest, my head resting on his shoulder and I continue to watch Cedric, trying to ignore the blush on my cheeks.
Fred's hand is now over my stomach, sending my butterflies into a frenzy. His arm pushes my camera down and he must feel it, because in a flash he's dived into my hoodie pocket and taken it out.
"Hey, give that back!" I hiss, lunging for it but he holds it out of reach.
"Weren't you told not to snatch?" He mocks, wagging a finger.
"Gideon," I say seriously. He tosses it into my lap.
"I don't know how to use it anyway."
"I can show you."
"We'll miss the game," he argues.
"Lee's commentating for a reason." I seem to have won because he turns so we're facing each other more and I hold the camera up in front of us. Pointing to each button, I describe it's uses.
Soon enough, the camera is snatched from me and I hardly get a chance to smile before Fred snaps a picture. He pulls his hand down to look at the picture.
"Nevermind," he says, "you can look dumb." He chuckles when I grab the camera and delete the photo.
"You did it wrong. Here, do something." I set a timer and hold the camera up, turning to look at Fred. I quirk an eyebrow. "Quick!"
Fred ducks his head down to my ear and whispers, "What, did you want me to push you off?" I throw my head back and laugh just as the picture is taken. My hand lowers and I turn my head to look at the picture, Fred's chin resting on my shoulder.
I open the picture and show him.
"I should have said you look really cute." I feel my cheeks heat and I turn my head to look at him, realising our faces are only a few centimetres apart. I cough inside my throat.
"Thanks, but I was taught that people should only tell the truth."
"You don't think you're cute?" He whispers, and I feel the warmth of his breath on my cheek and nose.
"Sometimes," I breathe back.
"You're cute, by the way."
"Thanks." I don't even realise that Fred had taken the camera from my hands and raised his hand until after the picture is taken.
I blink as he lowers his hand to look at it, and I look too. Our eyes are latched, and I only just realise that his hand had snaked around my waist and he was now holding me close.
"We look like we're going to kiss," I mutter, sounding slightly breathless and angry at the same time.
"Too bad it's not April yet," he jokes, and I glare at him.
Taking my camera back, I look back to the game, quickly finding Cedric. And I quickly realise that he's spotted the snitch. I sit straighter, following him intently with my eyes and camera. His hand reaches out and... The entire stadium erupts into cheers as Cedric catches the snitch. After taking many photos within a few seconds, I jump up and rush down the stands, running to where Cedric has landed.

I jump into his arms, my hands around his neck, and he swings me around.
"You did it!" I yell when he releases me, and he laughs.
"I told you I would!" I laugh and hug him again. When we separate I bring my camera up and we pull faces for a few photos, then he holds up the snitch and I take a few more.
Then Del rushes up to us, George close behind, and I suddenly remember Fred. I look around and spot him quickly, waving him over. He fights through the crowd and joins the four of us.
I hold the camera up and all fives of us squash into the frame. George kisses Del's cheek, so Cedric and Fred kiss either side of mine too. I laugh, one eye closed and Del giggles, doing the same face as me.
The camera snaps, and when I bring it down to look at it, Fred steals the camera from me again.
He turns and holds the camera up again, laughing as I try to reach over his shoulder to grab it.
"Mr Trouble!" I whine, also laughing. He snaps a picture. When we look at the picture I see the others in the background. George is making a face, Cedric is holding up the snitch while sticking his tongue out, and Del has made a heart with her fingers over mine and Fred's heads. I glare at her, but she giggles.
"Sorry not sorry!" She laughs when I whack her arm, scowling at her. Fred's hand finds my shoulder and her brings me closer to him.
"See? I didn't do it wrong. This is the best photo you have, I bet."
I take the camera and look at it, then smile.
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"It's because I took it, isn't it?" Fred smirks, and I lightly elbow him in the ribs, making him laugh.
"No! It's because all my friends are in it!"
"Don't go emotional on me now, I can't carry you back to your dorm room while you cry," he teases, making me roll my eyes.
"Oh shut it," I mutter, hugging my arms. Fred chuckles again, and leads me back to the castle by my lower back. Cedric, Del and George follow close behind.

------------------------------------------------------------
I forgot the order of the quidditch matches in POA, and I was too lazy to look them up, so I just made it up. It bugs me too. Sorry. 乁⁠(⁠ ⁠•⁠_⁠•⁠ ⁠)⁠ㄏ