[on hold] 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐓&𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐍 → 𝑓. 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

ii . fateful

chapter two
FATEFUL

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

   "OKAY, I'M officially jealous."

   With an eyebrow cocked, Ruby watched Leilani move on the dancefloor as if she was the protagonist of Flash Dance herself. Every movement of hers was drenched in elegance, but at the same time so subtly sexy that lots of boys threw envious glances at Roger Davies, the lucky bloke she fluttered her lashes at every now and then as she danced like a goddess.

   "She makes it look like it's the most natural thing in this world", Ruby complained, pouting as she fumbled on the sleeves of her jumper.

   "It's dancing, it actually is the most natural thing in this world", Cedric dryly replied, not even looking at Leilani, but his marble grey eyes fixating the petite figure of Cho Chang with her silky black hair reflecting the colourful lights blinking all around them to the beat of the music. She was standing a bit secludedly from the crowd, nibbling on the straw in her half emptied glass of purple liquid.

   "Go over to her", Ruby said, nudging Cedric's shoulder, so his eyes tore off of Cho and fixated Ruby, blinking.

   "Nah, we promised you to stay around you tonight, and as Leilani obviously already drank her memory of that promise away, at least I will keep it", said Cedric, but his eyes were restless, urging to return to Cho.

   Ruby smiled softly at him. "You don't need to be my nanny", she said. "I will go to bed soon, so don't worry about me. You won't see her in a while, you know? Summer is long. Talk to her, Ced, or else you will regret it."

   The look upon his face was showing the funniest thought of despair, torn between being the good friend he indeed was, and getting to conquer the girl of his dreams, before summer would separate them.

   "You sure it's fine, yeah?", Cedric asked, rubbing the back of his head, smiling sheepishly.

   "Infallible", Ruby snickered, giving him a push, and with a crooked grin and biting down his bottom lip, as he threw a last glance at Ruby over his shoulder, he crossed the dancefloor, his face turning bright crimson as he spoke to Cho, and it had nothing to do with the lights around them.

   Ruby watched them with a smile for a moment, but it slowly faded as she found her discomfort growing. She caught Leilani's eyes in the crowd, trying to signal her that she, Ruby, was about to leave, but Leilani just shook her head, mouthing, "Just a second", before she returned her attention to Roger.

   Sighing, Ruby sunk into an empty seat further apart of the dance floor, where she was almost alone, despite of a couple she didn't know snogging in the shadows of a corner a bit further behind her. It wasn't helping with her discomfort, but it definitely wasn't as frightening as the dancing loud folks in front of her.

   "Perks."

   Someone let himself fall on an empty seat across from her, a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand, and looking up, Ruby blinked at the freckled face of Fred Weasley smirking at her.

   "Weasley", she coldly replied. "I dare you to pull some of your shit ass pranks on me tonight."

   "Isn't that funny, as no one is around to watch you lose your shit", he scoffed with a snorted laughter. "So your friends have finally noticed you're the embodiment of a buzzkill, yeah?"

   "And what about you?", she asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Has even the last girl in this castle found out you're nothing but a massive got? Or why aren't you dancing circles around them tonight?"

   His smirk grew wider. "Ah, that tone of jealousy has such a nice sound, my lovely Perks."

   "You're the plague", she plainly said.

   "Impolite." The stupid grin wouldn't leave his lips. "And that's after I took the effort to come over and free you from your loneliness, your highness. Have mercy on me and stop stabbing me with your sharp tongue."

   "I don't need your company", she groaned.

   Fred, though, lifted the bottle of Firewhiskey. "I think this is the exact company you need right now. Thank me later", he said, reaching out the bottle for her.

   "And they say chivalry is dead", Ruby muttered and again her eyes rolled, but the Whiskey she didn't touch. "I don't drink. You exactly know this."

   "Oh Ruby." He dramatically shook his head, his face concerned. "Ruby, Ruby, Ruby."

   "Oh wow, you actually know my name! How impressive!"

   He ignored her sarcastic remark, calling out, "Get out of your shell, babe! You know I really think the two of us would perfectly get along if you weren't acting like a pendantic prude literally all of the time. Just try to have fun for once in your life!"

   "We would get along pretty fine if you could accept that not everybody is as loud and annoying as you are."

   "I'm not loud!"

   "Really? It's this one bothering you?" She couldn't avoid to laugh. "Okay, fine. Let's give it a try, I guess. I'll have a shot with you, maybe two, just for the purpose of research if you're still a pompous dipshit when my brain gets dull."

   He blinked, visibly surprised. "You're actually going to drink with me?"

   "It's your lucky day, it seems", Ruby snorted. "I decided to tickle my comfort zone a bit tonight, you know? Like getting out of my shell as you said. But I swear on Helga Hufflepuff's holy grave that I will murder you in your sleep if this will end up in one of your stupid pranks, Fred."

   "No pranks, I swear", he said, and did actually look still kinda shocked, but also slightly impressed. "I will take care of you. It will be fun, you'll see!"

   Finally taking the bottle of Firewhiskey, Ruby's whole face scrunched as the burning liquid entered her mouth, and she almost puked, but forced it down into her stomach.

   "That is disgusting!", she coughed.

   "Just the first sip", said Fred, grinning wildly. "Take ten, and you'll love it!"

   Ruby's eyes locked with his, searching for an evil plan behind those warm chocolate brown irises, but the Firewhiskey was already burning all the way up from her stomach to her brain, so she shrugged and took the bottle back to her lips.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

you are so down to earth
and I'm up in the stars ...