An Affair to Remember (Fred Weasley)

53) Don't sleep

"You used up all the hot water!"

"Did NOT!" Fred yelled.

"Yes you did, I went into the shower and almost froze to death!"

"You could've used the heating spell!"

"Why should I when I was supposed to have a tank full of hot water?"

They were at it again, yelling at each other for absolutely no reason. This time, the excuse was that Fred had used up all the hot water, which was true but he didn't want to admit it. He got carried away with his little singing concert in the bathroom and ended up using all the hot water in the lodge.

"Look Fred, the next time you take a shower, please remember that there's another person staying in the same house as you" Adrienne spat, heading into the living room and collapsing on the couch. She crossed her arms over her head, staring at the ceiling in annoyance.

After a few minutes, Fred entered the living room, awkwardly standing there for a bit before seating himself on the armchair opposite Adrienne. "We have to talk" he said.

"Sorry, no can do, I think that breaks our very first rule" Adrienne said curtly.

"Actually, the rule was that we don't talk until 'completely necessary', and what I want to talk about falls under 'completely necessary'"

Adrienne let out a deep sigh "Go on then"

"The party at the pub. You remember what Olivia said don't you? That she won't let us have our portkey if we don't go to her party?" said Fred.

"Of course I remember. I really shouldn't have been friends with her, she's made this whole situation even worse" Adrienne replied angrily.

"So...."

"So what?"

"The party is in a couple of hours, and if not going means being stuck in this lodge for another two weeks then I don't think I want to skip it" Fred said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Rule four says-"

"Look Adrienne, I don't give a fuck about the rules if they're hindering us from staying here for too long. I honestly just want to get out of here as soon as I possibly can" he said, getting up from his armchair.

Adrienne stared at him, feeling a little hurt. Without thinking, the next few words left her mouth "Do you really hate me that much?" she asked quietly.

"What?" Fred asked, his raised tone faltering slightly at her words.

"I know what I did was unforgivable, but do you actually hate me this much?" she asked, opening and closing her fists as she awaited his answer.

Fred turned around on his heel, his expressions now hidden from her view "Be ready by 7, I'll meet you outside" he muttered before disappearing into his bedroom without another word to answer her question. Adrienne felt a little upset, but she pushed it to the back of her mind like she always did and decided to get dressed for a party that she didn't even want to go to.

Two hours went and came, and by 7 PM, Adrienne was dressed and ready to go to the party at the pub. She donned a simple, brown minidress which ended just under her mid-thigh, hugging the curves of her body perfectly. She paired it with heels, letting her hair cascade down unlike how she usually preferred to tie it up in a bun. She wasn't in the mood for a full face of makeup so she threw on some lip gloss, a hint of eyeshadow and a bit of blush.

For the first time in ages, Adrienne felt confident in how she looked. No one was around to judge her clothes, she felt comfortable in her skin. And for the first time in ages, a smile creeped up on her lips when she looked at herself in the mirror, falling in love with every small bit of her body, every insecurity, even if it was just momentary.