Before the Plea

|first christmas|

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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." -Carl Sagan

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    Fred Weasley first realized he hated Vienna Marcus during their first Christmas at Hogwarts. Vienna was the definition of a perfect student, she got good grades, answered all questions correctly and even had the audacity to proofread her essays before turning them in. Of course, Fred didn't really hate Vienna. In fact, he grew to like her more and more every day, not like he would ever say it out loud. Fred had tried to befriend the girl, but apparently, she didn't like his approach. She hated the pranks and the jokes he constantly made, going so far as to asking Charlie of all people to tell him to knock it off.  Charlie, in turn, wrote to their mother and just yesterday morning Fred had received a very unhappy letter from his mother who threatened to pull Fred out of school if he didn't stop his shenanigans. So yes, Fred outwardly hated Vienna but did promise his mother he'd stop picking on the girl.  That's why he didn't even throw a glance her way when he eventually rolled out of his bed and made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast that morning. George, on the other hand, didn't get the memo and waved over-enthusiastically at Angelina and Vienna as they passed through the common room on their way. As soon as they made it through the portrait door into the hallway, Fred gave his twin a smack on the back of the head. "Oi! What was that for?" George rubbed the back of his head as they both began down the staircases as Fred let out a huff. "Don't be so nicety towards...her."  George gave his twin a quizzical look, taking in the sour look on the face of his twin as if he had just eaten a Lemon Drop. "Which her do you speak of? Angelina or Vienna?" Fred just grumbled at his twin and let out an agitated huff. "Well, Gred? Which one has your knickers in a twist?" He gave Fred a gentle shove, almost causing the boy to fall over the railing of the staircase in the process and letting out a cackle himself. "Violet." Fred managed to mutter out after he collected himself once again, stalking off towards his seat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. "What she do to you?" Fred huffed again at the question and practically threw himself down on the wooden bench and began angrily piling his plate full of eggs and toast. "Come on Fred. Tell me what she did to you to cause you to attack the eggs?" Fred rolls his eyes at his twin and swallows another fork full of an egg before responding to the question. 

    "She told Charlie to tell me to knock off my teasing, but Charlie told Mum and then Mum wrote to me yesterday threatening to pull me out of school if I didn't 'straighten up and act like a proper gentleman'." Fred sets down his fork and takes a swig of his pumpkin juice before continuing. "I mean, who does she think she is? I was only trying to make her laugh and she goes and tattles on me!" George was gazing at his brother curiously as he continues to rant about the white-haired witch. "I mean honestly, just because she's got good grades and she has nice hair and pretty eyes does not mean she's the bloody Queen!" George's eyebrows raise in surprise before he lets out a chuckle, cutting off Fred's ranting and gaining his attention. "Nice hair and pretty eyes huh?" Fred's face grows to be a hilarious red, matching the locks atop his head and causing George to throw back his head and laugh loudly. "You like her don't you?"  If at all possible, Fred continues to grow red, nearly outshining his hair in the process. 

    "Ew!" Fred makes a sour face again, causing George to chuckle some more before he begins eating his own breakfast. "Listen to me Georgie," Fred is now giving his twin the 'serious look' and pointing his fork at his brother in a near threatening manner, "I  do not, under any circumstance, never, ever, never, ever, could possibly have any sort of feelings for Violet." An eyebrow rises into George's hairline at Fred's comment and Fred himself suddenly looks completely stumped. "I never said that you had feelings for her Freddie..." Fred knew he had messed up as soon as the words came out of his mouth. George always knew when Fred was lying and he doesn't understand why he would keep his little -whatever this feeling is- away from George. Fred chooses to not make any more stupid comments and continues to shovel eggs and bacon into his mouth as George stares at him for a few more moments before shrugging and going back to his own food. 

    It didn't take long before a twinkling laugh and flash of white catches Fred's attention from his food. He looks along the table and see's the current bane of his existence sitting with his older brother and Angelina. Fred takes a few moments to watch Violet as she daintily butters some toast whilst listening to Charlie talk energetically about dragons (probably).  Her hair is up into a ponytail today -it's the first time Fred had seen it up- and her eyes are shining with amusement as she watches Charlie raise his arms and start flapping them, barely missing the people around him. Every few moments Violet shares a chuckle at Angelina's pure shock at Charlie's poor imitation of a dragon but continues to listen adamantly to his insistent babbling. 

     As Fred watches the trio his mind begins to swirl with thoughts of whatever he feels for Violet and why he feels them. Sure the girl was pretty...very pretty, but he was eleven for crying out loud! Charlie and Percy should be the ones interested in girls, not him! Maybe he just wants to be her friend? Charlie and Angelina took a liking to her right away, maybe that's what this was. Violet was pretty smart too -would probably be bloody good at pranking - which unfortunately she hated. Fred lets out a long, loud, sigh as he half-glares at the girl in question as she starts talking to Char and Angelina rapidly, her hands making gestures along the way and her eyes practically glowing. 

    "OW!" A sharp kick to the shin brings him back to attention as he sends a half-hearted glare at his smirking twin across from him. He takes a glance down the table again and sees that the trio is now looking at him and flushes in embarrassment at Violet's raised eyebrow. Fred looks quickly away and begins to rub his now aching shin as he addresses George. "What was that for?" George's smirk grows wider and a mischevious glint appears in his eyes before he replies. "You were staring. Just thought I'd help you out before you got caught, Freddie." Fred huffs in annoyance and goes back to his food, completely ignoring his twins' mischevious stare and trying to rid himself of the blush in his cheeks as he finishes his food. He doesn't acknowledge the sounds of standing and shuffling at the other end of the table and he definitely doesn't watch as his Violet leaves the Great Hall.