Everything Changes // Fred Weasley

chapter 12: a golden snitch in the snow

December 3rd, 1994

The next weekend I sat up in my dorm as usual, listening to everyone talk about the Yule Ball that was only a few short weeks away. I tried not to let it bother me that I wasn't going to be able to go, but I couldn't help it. It was beginning to feel like I was a prisoner in this school. A prisoner that absolutely no one knew about except for a select few.

Despite this feeling of jealousy towards my roommates, I still enjoyed hearing about the ball. Naomi had been talking about George's extravagant proposal, though she thought it was unnecessary, considering she had been planning on going with him the moment the ball was announced. But we all knew that George would never pass up an opportunity to showcase to the entire school that she was his.

It was adorable, really. And not at all upsetting.

What was truly upsetting was the fact that Fred asked Angelina to be his date in study hall earlier in the week. When Naomi told me that evening, I felt like I had been hit with a ton of bricks. I should have expected it. There was no way he could go with me, and he couldn't just go stag. I had to sit for a moment when she told me. I couldn't get the image of another girl draped on his arm out of my head.

It was pathetic.

"He would go with you if he could." Naomi said, sitting beside me. I quickly hopped off the bed, breathing steady breaths as I collected my thoughts.

"Why would you say that?" I asked, busying myself with whatever I could find, to avoid the conversation at hand.

"Because you obviously fancy him." She replied, grabbing the pillow I had been incessantly fluffing out of my hand, "And he clearly fancies you too."

"I do not fancy him." I stated.

Naomi didn't press the issue any further, which I was grateful for. She was right, I did fancy Fred, but no one else had to know that. That was between me and myself. It was my problem to solve.

Fred's date to the dance wasn't the only thing we found ourselves discussing. Who was going with who seemed to be the only thing that we could talk about.

"Do you have a date yet?" Naomi asked Jules from across the room that Saturday afternoon.

"I don't know," she said while examining her nails, obviously not caring for the conversation at all. I didn't blame her, I was getting tired of the topic as well. "Zabini asked me the other day, but he's a fourth year, so I obviously had to turn him down."

"Not to mention he hates anyone who isn't pureblood." Naomi scoffed from her bed, "And he's a Slytherin."

"I think that Kendric Riggs is going to ask me," Jules continued, still not looking up from her nails, "I heard a few fifth years talking about it in the halls."

"Jules!" Naomi exclaimed, practically jumping out of her bed, "He's so cute! And he's a seventh year!"

"He's a bit short."

"He's like six-foot Jules, that's pretty tall."

"Nom, that's two whole inches shorter than me." She replied, a look of disgust plastered across her face, "I'm wearing heels to the dance, I can't tower over him."

"You'll tower over almost everyone in heels, Jules." Naomi stated.

"Not Fred." Jules replied. My heart skipped a bit at the mention of his name.

Did Jules have a crush on Fred?

"I wish he hadn't asked Angelina." She pouted, leaning back on her bed, "He's the perfect height, and I think his red hair would complement my white perfectly."