Ethereal ✭Fred Weasley✭

30.

The next day rolled by, and it was time to have the Goblet of Fire announce the three champions to enter into the tournament. All three schools were buzzing as they filed into the Great Hall where the goblet still sat with its blue flame reflecting off the stain glass windows. All the Hogwarts teachers had even come for the occasion, including of course the Durmstrang Headmaster and the Beauxbatons Headmistress. Sophia and Fred entered the hall together with their hands en-laced together, laughing together at something Fred had said on the way there. People were surprised yet not astonished to see the two being more chummy than usual, but the whispers and occasional stares still occurred.

Sophia noticed this attention and had half a mind to put her head down, hoping to slip into the crowd like she used to. But then, she thought why should she have to? What are the stares really going to do? Are they going to physically harm her? And if they could, why would they? Whoshe holds hands with and talks to have nothing to do with anyone else. She was beginning to accept the fact that people were just nosy, and just want something to talk about.

So with that thought, Sophia walked beside Fred with a glowing expression and her hand clasped tightly in his. He had been the first to grab hers on their way to the Great Hall, and she found herself once again enjoying it thoroughly. They had sat down at one of the tables and placed their en-twined hands up on the surface, putting it on full display for everyone nearby. But it didn't matter, as the ones nearby were their usual crowd of Gryffindors.

"So he did it then did he?" Lee spoke up. Sophia and Fred looked away from each other for the first time to see that George and Lee in front of them were grinning with knowing looks. "Asked you to Hogsmeade I mean?"

"You lot are really nosy," Fred stated as he looked between his brother and one of his best friends. He didn't know if it showed, but he was absolutely over the moon with how everything had turned out. Fred couldn't believe that he was sitting here with Sophia's hand engulfed in his, laughing about how positively nervous he was about asking her about the location of their first date. In fact, they had planned it for this weekend, as they would be allowed to venture there with the permission slips from their parents.

"It's like you don't know us at all!" George exclaimed in fake hurt. "And don't act like you wouldn't be the same if it came to one of us getting a lady friend. This twin thing we have going on gives me an intuition on these sorts of things."

Fred rolled his eyes, making Sophia smile up at the boy next to her. She didn't know if it was because of Fred's clear irritation from the constant pampering he got from his twin and his friend that made her smile, or the fact that she was just plain happy to be sitting so close to him. Either way, anyone who was watching could see that she looked genuinely content to be in the company of the Weasley. Fred glanced down and smiled back at her, wanting nothing more than to see her so gleeful all the time. He found that his source of happiness now depended solely on Sophia, making her some sort of lifeline for him. Whenever she was sad, he found himself being the same.

"If you keep glowing like that, you're going to eventually end up on your sky map like the star that you are," Fred muttered into her ear, causing a deep blush to settle on her cheeks.

"That's so cheesy," she replied but was clearly swooning over the pick-up line. She had learnt that Fred was surprisingly good at those.

"Made you go red though didn't it?" he added and even gained the courage to place a quick peck on her freckled cheek. Ginny and Hermione who was whispering and watching nearby 'aww'ed out loud, not able to contain their swooning any longer.

"It is now time to announce the three champions who will go forward and compete in the Tri-Wizard tournament!" Professor Dumbledore took his place in front of the goblet, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. The hall went quiet as the man extinguished all the torches and candles in the room without even stepping near them, making the blue flame in the goblet shine its brightest. It began to turn a red colour and flicker ever so slightly before spitting out a blue circular piece of parchment. The piece floated for a moment, before Dumbledore reached out and caught it to read.