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

20: BETH & FRED

"Don't worry about him, love," said Fred a week later. Beth was sitting with him at his House table during breakfast as Adrian glared at her the entire time. "Let him look like he's pooped himself."

Adrian had not sought Beth out or even talked to her at all the past week, not since their last encounter in the library. She supposed he was telling the truth when he said she had to choose him or lose him. Fred knew about it the next day because he had asked if she was alright, and after she asked him how he knew about it, he told her that almost every fifth-year was in the library that night and that word had gotten around about Adrian having a fit. 

"It's not that simple," Beth mumbled, poking her fork into her bacon. She had lost her appetite. 

"Sure it is. Just take a big chunk of bacon in your hands, chew it, and smile at Adrian...let him know that you don't care," Fred shrugged, taking a bite of his buttered toast. 

"I told you everyone leaves."

"Well hey," Fred said, causing her to look at him. He smiled at her genuinely, which made her heart hammer. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise you. Unfortunately for you, you're stuck with me."

But when the Easter Holidays came around, she truly wasn't stuck with him. Fred was too busy to hang around her because he had to train for the Quidditch Final which was Slytherin versus Gryffindor. She could understand Oliver Wood's thirst to win this particular match seeing as Gryffindor and Slytherin had it in for each other long before everyone in the castle at this moment was even born. 

Fred was the only person who bothered to speak to her now, and occasionally George and Lee. She preferred when it was just Fred, though...not that she would ever admit that. 

Beth had received an owl one afternoon telling her to sneak out into the Owlery straight after dinner. She wasn't so confident about this idea but at the same time she was curious as to what he had in mind. She didn't think she could eat that evening, not around Adrian who would never stop glaring or sneering at her, so she left while everyone ate their supper and went straight for the Owlery. 

She hated the Owlery. Hated the smell, hated the owls that would swoop, hated it even more now that it was dark and all she could hear were the hoots. It was really rather creepy, but her head snapped towards the entrance when she heard footsteps. She knew who they belonged to, but it still didn't ease her worry. 

Fred's wand was lit, so she quickly did the same. He grinned at her. "Hey."

Beth raised an eyebrow at the Gryffindor, even more so when he said nothing else. "That's all you're going to say to me after asking me to meet you here of all places? Hey?"

"Yes, but we're not staying here," Fred said, beckoning her to follow him. They unlit their wands so that they weren't spotted as they left the Owlery together. 

"Why are we out here?" Beth asked quietly. She felt like, even though the castle was a fair distance away, the teachers would hear her out here and that she'd be done for. She would never have left the castle at night, not when she wasn't supposed to, not if Fred Weasley had asked her to six months ago. "We could've met somewhere in the castle. You could have asked me to wait at the Quidditch Pitch for you while you were training."

"Nah, Wood wouldn't like a Slytherin sitting in the stands when our next game is against Slytherin," said Fred, looking up at the sky. He took Beth's hand and didn't bother waiting for arguments. "Come on, we're going to miss it!"

"Miss what?" Beth yelped as Fred ran down the long line of steps towards the boathouse. "Fred!"

"Shush, you'll see. And you'll love it."

Beth listened and continued to move quickly down the steps until the pair reached the boathouse. Beth hadn't ever been down here since her first-year when she had first arrived at Hogwarts, and nothing about it has changed at all, other than the extra moss around the planks and under the boats. 

Fred walked quickly out to the edge of the boathouse and stared up at the sky for a moment before glancing over his shoulder, beckoning Beth to hurry and join him. She did. 

"What are you looking at?" Beth asked, looking at him and then up at the sky. She found looking at Fred was much better than looking up at silly old stars. "You couldn't stargaze from the Owlery?"

"We're not stargazing...look!" Fred pointed to a ball of light shooting across the sky...and then there was another...and another..."It's a meteor shower. I haven't been out to watch one since I was little, and I wanted to see it tonight...with you."

Beth, who had never seen a meteor shower in her life, found herself staring up at the sky in awe, her mouth slightly agape. Here she was thinking her and Fred were going to do something silly, or just sit in the dark and talk, but really he had planned to take her out and show her a meteor shower. 

"Blimey..." Fred breathed. After a moment of silence, meteors still shooting across their path, he said, "Cool, huh?"

"Yes," Beth said distantly, not paying much attention to him or whatever else he had to say. Even though it was just a simple meteor shower, Beth still felt like it was something to see once in a lifetime, mostly because Fred had just shown her it for the first time. "How long is it supposed to go on for?"

But Fred didn't answer her, so she looked at him to see if he heard her, and found that he was already looking at her. 

Fred liked to look back and forth from the meteor shower to Beth's amazed expression as she stared up at the night sky. He didn't know which one was better to look at. He had read earlier that week in the daily prophet that there was going to be a meteor shower tonight and he couldn't miss the opportunity to see it for himself and to bring Beth along. 

He had half expected her to turn her nose up and say it was boring or a silly old meteor shower, but she didn't. She loved it. 

"Yes," she said, the grey of her eyes more noticeable as the meteors shot past the sky, her grey eyes big and full of wonder, her mouth agape. "How long is it supposed to go on for?"

Fred couldn't bring himself to answer, or to even think of an answer. She just looked so pretty to him in that moment, especially when she turned to look at him. Not too long ago Fred would never have had the courage to do it, but he felt himself leaning forward, tried to resist...but couldn't. He didn't want to scare her away. 

He felt more at ease when he noticed she was moving closer as well, when he grabbed her hand and he felt her squeeze it gently. Their faces were touching, but neither of them moved any closer. Not yet. The feel of Beth's cheek against his and her nose touching his was almost magical, and he could smell her essence, see every faint freckle on her nose, every short, thick eyelash, see how much prettier her eyes looked up this close. 

Until she closed the gap completely and her mouth was on his.