The Unbreakable Vow: wisps of Black | Fred Weasley [1] ✔

11: FRED

"Are you going to come to the Quidditch match - Gryffindor versus Slytherin?" Fred wondered, as he and Beth made their way up to the castle a few minutes before the bell was meant to ring. "I'm just saying . . . I'd want you to."

"You want me to come and watch you and my house mates toss balls around?" Beth said uncertainly. "Yeah, I'll pass."

"Oh, come on, Beth, you know it's much more than that," Fred said, his eyes wide with shock. What shocked him even further was the fact that Beth's mouth had moved, but quickly it was gone, and she was pursing her lips to hide it. "Oh, wow. Was that a smile?"

"No," Beth said in a strong voice, breathing out.

"I think it was."

"Well, you thought wrong. I didn't smile. Some people aren't amused by you, believe it or not," Beth argued, shaking her head as Fred pointed and nodded at her.

"Oh, come on. That was a smile, wasn't it? Just admit it," Fred said teasingly, but Beth still refused to admit that he was right. "So, will you come then?"

"I don't really want to."

"Have you ever actually been to a game?"

"Once or twice," Beth shrugged, fiddling with the strap of her bag. "Both times I'd rather have slept in my dormitory."

Suddenly, she stopped walking and groaned, leaning forward and clutching her stomach. Embarrassed, she quickly straightened up.

"Er - are you all right?" Fred said, weirded out as it had happened quite quickly. "That was just . . . you know . . . a bit weird looking. Just a little bit."

Beth shook her head, and said, "Yeah, just - being a girl sucks. A lot."

"Oh," said Fred, cheerily. "Well, being my girl wouldn't."

Beth looked at him quickly. "What?"

"What?" Fred copied, also stunned by what he had said. Beth let it slide, and continued walking along the bridge to the castle doors. Fred smacked himself on the side of the head before catching up with her. "So, you and Pukey, huh? Are you two a . . . thing?"

Beth scoffed. "No, he wishes."

"Really? 'Cause you seemed to really like him," Fred joked, seeking some sort a reaction that wasn't one that would rip his head off like earlier. "No, but really. Why is it that you two aren't? You two talk a lot, by the looks of it."

What Fred had really wanted to know, was why Beth was so reserved. If she would blurt it out subconsciously, he was sure he could figure it out even if she wasn't aware of why she was the way she was.

"Do you watch me or something?" Beth said in disgust, curling her lip slightly. "If you do, I hope you know that's really creepy, Weasley."

Fred only laughed. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to call me Fred every once in a while."

"Oh, we aren't there yet. You're lucky I'm even letting you call me Beth."

Fred saw George and Lee by the doors, and he tried shooing them away without Beth seeing him. That didn't work. Fred was flinging his arm and hand around, pulling faces, and whipped Beth in the ear, pulling her hair in the process.

"Ow!" she yelled, stomping her foot on his. Fred yelped and jumped away from her, refraining from clutching his toe. He quickly looked to the castle doors and saw George and Lee walking away, laughing. Ears red, Fred stood up straight.

"Sorry about that," Fred said in a solemn voice - as solemn as he could - as Beth rubbed her ear. "There was . . . er . . . a bee in here, flying around. I was worried it'd sting you."

Beth only scoffed. "You're really stupid."

"Warms my heart to hear you say that, Bethy," Fred smiled at her, even more when she groaned.

"How'd that go then?" Lee teased, wiggling his eyebrows at Fred in their next class. Professor Flitwick was helping another student with their wand movement. "Looked like the two of you got on well."

"If you call me flying around like an idiot and her crushing my toe 'getting on well' then I'd say yeah, we are getting on well," Fred shrugged with a small smirk. He'd lost all interest in his wand movement and whatever the incantation was - Beth Black was taking up more of his thoughts than he'd have liked. George and Lee seemed to catch on to this.

"Well, someone's got a crush," Lee pointed out with a small smirk that mirrored Fred's.

Fred quickly snapped out of it and looked at his friend. "What are you on about?"

"Fred and Beth," Lee teased, looking at George who was about to burst out laughing. "Isn't that cute? How would their names sound if they were squished together? Feth? Bed? Ooooh, I like Bed."

"Bred," George laughed.

Fred scoffed lightly, saying, "you two are mental. I'd give anything to hear what Beth would say to what you two are on about."

"Oh, yes, we know you would," Lee winked.

"Anyway," Fred said, dismissing their childish laughter. "What should I do next, then?"

"You should ask Beth," George said, urging Lee's snickers. "I bet she'd have loads of ideas."

Fred frowned, actually considering it. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't. But at least, now, she was OK with actually talking with him. She wasn't telling him to go away, which was good, and she had agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him. He hoped she'd come to the Quidditch match, also hoping he might be able to impress her.

Fred shrugged. "She isn't much of a Quidditch fan, so maybe I could take her flying, if she'd be up for it. D'you think that's good?"

"Oh yeah," Lee said in a weird voice, patting Fred on the shoulder. "Very good. Hey, maybe while I'm commentating, I could make some hints about you towards Beth if she shows up."

"Well, she'll have you to kill instead of me, so I'm OK with that," Fred said, adding, "she doesn't like all the new attention she's getting. Supposedly, she's gotten more than she asked for at the start of term because of Black's escape, adding the books and articles, and then two nights ago after he tried breaking in. She hates the attention."

George and Lee looked impressed; Fred only shrugged and pressed a fist into his cheek, feeling rather lazy.

"Uh huh, OK. Nice to know you two are learning more about each other then," Lee wiggled his eyebrows. "Now let me tell you how my vow is going."