I Solemnly Swear (Fred Weasley)

17: Torie is all helpful and stuff ft. Alex Krum

I Solemnly Swear 17

 {All characters, places, objects, spells, things, etc belong to J.K Rowling, apart from those which I have made up. I take no credit for anything J.K Rowling has created.}

Chapter 17:

It has been three weeks since that fateful day. Since then, I found out that Lyric's version of the story got to everyone except George and Torie - so they are the only two friends I have in the whole school (although Hermione and Ginny seem to believe my side of the story). Fred and Kaedy are now a "thing" and spend all their time making out in the corridors and reportedly kicking the sixth-year Ravenclaw girls out of their dormitory (Ravenclaw tower doesn't have the male alarm on the girls' stairs) so they can have sex. Jason Jacks' rumour spread like wildfire so now everyone thinks me and George are dating - which isn't helped by the fact that we are always together with Torie. Because of these rumours, I am repetitively called a whore and Violet broke up with George, got drunk, and woke up in some random Hufflepuff's bed. Oh, and my nightmares have gotten worse so I hardly get any sleep and spend my days wandering around like a zombie. And because of all this, Torie spends her free time comforting two moody, brokenhearted teenagers.

"Okay, who needs more ice cream?" Torie stood up and vanished our empty ice cream containers, about to go get more comfort food.

"I can't eat any more," I sighed, cuddling into my blanket and pillow, wiping fresh tears from my tired eyes. George nodded agreement sadly staring at the tiny violet in his hand. He hardly went anywhere without the small flower. I could tell it pissed Torie off.

"Okay guys, I've tried to be nice and understanding and sympathetic for the last few weeks but this is the last straw!" Torie burst out.

"George - just look at yourself for one minute! You're all mopey and depressed over a girl who you only dated for a week - and has clearly moved on! If you were that special to her then she would be back here begging for your forgiveness!"

George dropped his flower and sat up, rudely shocked out of his daze.

"And Eleanor! You have a bit more of an excuse because you and Fred were super adorable and dated for quite a while! But really, do you think he will want you back if he always sees you like this?" Torie motioned to my messy bun, bloodshot eyes and homeless-looking clothes.

"If you want him back you need to clean yourself up - show him what he's missing for fuck's sake! Not just walking around the castle like the living dead!"

The bigger part of me heard the truth and reason in what Torie was saying, but a part of me still wanted to curl up in a ball, cry and eat litres after litres of ice cream.

"Okay - George - I want you to go have a shower and get dressed, then you can go fly your broom and then come back to the tower and do some homework. Get back into normal life because Mrs. Right is still out there and she isn't your ex! And Nora - come with me."

George went to shower and Torie brought me into her dorm, where she picked out a bunch of clothes and makeup and made me help her carry them up to the dorm I hardly spent time in anymore.

Lyric was lying on her bed, talking to Violet and Katerina. As soon as me and Torie walked into the room, they all scowled and left the room. I felt myself sinking back into a depressed phase.

"Snap yourself out of it!" Torie said firmly, going into my wardrobe and pulling out a selection of outfits and accessories. Then she went through my makeup and piled everything together with her own stuff.

"Okay, you want Fred back? You have to show him that you are independent and fabulous. You need to make him remember what he gave up for that skanky whore."

Torie had sorted through the clothes and began to hang each outfit on a single hanger and then dangle jewellery over the necks of the hangers to accessorise.

"Okay. You need to get cleaned up, then come back and we will talk girl."

Obeying my friend with a numb brain, I showered, washed my hair, shaved my legs and armpits, moisturised and walked out in a towel. Torie had hung all of the outfits in my closet as had one laid out on my bed.

"Good. Okay, you need to put this on and come back." Torie thrust the outfit at me and went over to the pile of makeup.

I went back into the bathroom and changed into the black denim highwaisted shorts, tribal print v-neck pink and white crop top , white low-top converse, several colourful string bracelets and a thick chain necklace. I pinned the front parts of my hair at the back of my head with a black bow clip. I walked back in and twirled dryly for Torie, who clapped her hands and grinned.

"Great! Now we just need to fix your face."

"Thanks, I appreciate the compliment," I said sarcastically.

"Well, no offence or anything, but you don't really look your best - but that's what makeup is for!"

Torie sat me down on a small stool and started to apply heavy concealer under my eyes, then she went over with a liquid foundation. She contoured with some bronzer and highlighter and added cream blush to the apples of my cheeks. My eyelashes were coated with mascara and my eyes lined with liquid eyeliner. She lightly filled in my brows and finished up with a bright pink lip and some mineral finishing powder.

"So... How do you look?" Torie bounced in her seat and shoved a mirror in my face. I took in the new look - I looked much more pulled-together than I have been lately, but I also didn't look exactly like my old self. I looked more sophisticated and mature - not like a girl who spend her nights awake and afraid of nightmares, and her days crying over a boy.

"It looks perfect - thank you so much," I smiled a real smile at Torie, grateful for her help and reality check.

"Good, because no more ice cream and moping for you. You need to dress nicely and show off enough legs and chest to catch guys' attention - that will make Fred jealous. Flirt a little here and there, and smile always. You may not think so but everyone can tell he isn't happy with Kaedy. If he thinks you have happily moved on, he will want you back even more!"

"Have I ever told you that you are a genius?" I smiled wryly.

"Not out loud but everyone thinks it," Torie winked.



***



The next meal of the day was lunch, and when I walked in with George and Torie, I could have sworn that everyone had to take a second-look at me. Since the night that shall not be named, I had hardly come to meals at all; getting my friends to bring me food, going to the kitchens or just skipping eating altogether. And if I had come to a big meal, I never even made an effort to look nice. For some reason, all the attention made me want to look down and hide away, but I kept my head high and walked to the Gryffindor table with George and Torie, sitting between the two, opposite Ron, Harry and Hermione. Ginny was beside George.

"Wow, Nora, you look..." Harry begun.

"Gorgeous? Hot? Fabulous?" I suggested.

"...happy," he finished and I flashed a grin as if to prove it.

"Of course I am! Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well the last few weeks you've been kinda... Depressed over- OW! TORIE!" Harry yelled mid-sentence as Torie must have kicked him underneath the table. I looked at her and she smiled sweetly.

"Oh, yeah, well I'm over him now," I said loudly with a smile that seemed fake even to me. Torie just nodded happily at me.

"How's the egg going, Harry?" George asked to change the subject, referring to the egg Harry had got in the first task that was supposedly a clue to the second task.

That seemed to be an effective subject-change, as Hermione started to lecture Harry on how he hardly had any time left and he really should be trying to solve the clue. Ron just shoved more food in his mouth and Ginny was silently laughing in her seat.

"So why can't you figure it out?" I asked Harry.

"Because he isn't trying hard enough!" Hermione crossed her arms and huffed angrily.

"It's just that same screeching noise all the time! I've tried a few spells but none of them reveal anything!" Harry defended himself.

"Do you know if any of the other champions know?"

"I'm pretty sure all of them do," Harry said hopelessly.

"It's okay, Haz, you'll get it," I said supportively, leaning over and ruffling his hair. As I did, I glanced at Fred and saw him staring angrily at Harry. When he saw me looking he glared and looked away. I sighed sadly and sat back down.

"You know, I could ask Fleur and see if she would tell me?" I suggested.

"She wouldn't - she's too uptight. How about Krum? You dated his brother, right?" Torie said loudly and a few people looked over interestedly.

"Yes but keep it down! It's not something I like to remember. Do you want me to go over and ask?"

"If you don't mind..." Harry said with awkward politeness.

"Course I don't. They sit with the Slytherins - right?"

"Yes. Right beside Malfoy," Ron said bitterly.

"I'll be right back," I smiled.

"Do you want me to come?" Hermione asked. I had forgotten that she was dating Viktor.

"Sure!" I grinned and Torie sighed.

"What?" I asked her quietly.

"Now you can't flirt with him. Flirt with his friend. Because Fred has been staring at you all through lunch."

"I'm not going to flirt with every guy in here. But I'll be overly-friendly if that makes you happy?"

"Eh, better than nothing. And it's not about my happiness, it's about Fred's jealousy. Now go be overly-friendly!"

Me and Hermione walked over to the Slytherin table and pulled Viktor Krum over to the side of the Great Hall, pretty much everyone was curiously looking over at us.

"Nora! Long time no see!" Viktor said in his Bulgarian accent, giving me a huge hug.

"And Herm-own-ninny!" He beamed at Hermione and kissed her on the cheek. Hermione blushed.

"Hello," she said shyly.

"Listen, have you figured out the second task? Harry hasn't and we promised we would ask you..."

"Sorry, Nora, but I have been forbidden to tell people vot I have found out. Tell Harry he vill be able to figure it out if he tries," Viktor smiled.

"Okay, thanks," I smiled and gave him another hug. But just as Hermione and I were about to go back to our table, Alex Krum walked up to me.

"Nora, babe! How are you?" He grabbed my arm and kissed me on the cheek. His touch was so familiar to me that I almost relaxed. But then I remembered the horrible break-up. The tears and the pain. And I stiffened in his grip.

"What do you want?" My voice was stiff, Hermione looking over at me, unsure of what to do.

"Just to talk to a beautiful girl! Is that such a crime?" Alex smiled smoothly, leaning against the wall with an air of someone who knew they were gorgeous and used their beauty as a weapon.

"Only when that girl is your ex," I said, but I couldn't help but smile - Alex always had that effect on me, one of the reasons I fell for him in the first place.

Alex surveyed me up and down with his calm green eyes, his brown curls styled perfectly above his angular face. Unlike his brother, he wasn't heavily built. He was strong, but tall and elegant, with both the beauty and lethalness of a panther.

"I didn't know you transferred- couldn't have sent a letter?" Alex said, and Hermione seemed to think I was fine, so she left us alone; the eyes of the great hall still discretely staring.

"We didn't keep in contact. How was I to know you cared?" I asked. Alex took a step closer to me, so there was less than half a foot of space between us.

"I always cared," he whispered, and although I had no feelings left for him, except anger and sorrow, I couldn't help the blush that rose to my cheeks.

"There you are," Alex smiled charismatically and poked my cheek, making me turn a brighter shade of red.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"The old you. Behind all the makeup and slightly skanky clothes - are you trying to make a statement?"

"Basically,"

"To whom?"

"My ex. My other ex," I clarified.

"And why would that be?" Alex was still close to me, so close that I could smell his musky cologne.

"Because I want him back. And someone suggested I make him jealous."

"Well I could always help," Alex said. I had a feeling he was trying to flirt. And wasn't that what Torie wanted me to do?

"And what would that be?" I smiled cheekily up at him.

"Well I could do this," Alex took a step closer to me, our faces were almost touching.

"And this," Alex leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. I blushed redder than the Gryffindor flag.

"And then this," Alex took one of my hands and twirled me around. I stopped spinning, laughing dizzily.

"You're charming, you know that?"

"I've been told," Alex pulled me into a hug and whispered into my ear, "By the way, your boyfriend looked very jealous." He pulled back and winked. And I walked back to the Gryffindor table.




AUTHORS NOTE!!

So I updated! Again! :D

Anyway, I have lots of ideas for this at the moment so I will try to write heaps :)

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