Bumblebee (A Fred Weasley Fanfiction)

- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN -

The Bet

It was Friday the 30th of October and there was a pleasant feeling of anticipation in the air. Nobody was very attentive in lessons, being much more interested in the arrival that evening of the people from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang; even History of Magic was more bearable than usual as it was half an hour shorter.
In the Entrance Hall the heads of houses were ordering their students into lines.
"Madley, straighten your hat," Professor Sprout snapped at a first year. "Miss Nightingale wipe that ridiculous eye makeup off."
Emmie scowled, "how?"
Professor Sprout swiftly pointed her wand at Emmie and her eyeliner vanished within a second.
They filed down the front steps and lined up in front of the castle. It was a cold, clear evening; dusk was falling and a pale transparent-looking moon was already shining over the Forbidden Forest.
Everyone scanned the darkening grounds excitedly but nothing was moving; everything was still, silent and quiet as usual.
Dumbledore called out from the back row, where he stood with the other teachers - "aha! Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"
Something large was hurtling across the deep blue sky towards the castle. A gigantic, powder-blue, carriage pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses each the size of an elephant was soaring towards them.

When it landed a boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage followed by the largest woman Emmie had every seen in her life. Next, a dozen boys and girls emerged from the carriage, they were staring up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their faces.
The Beauxbatons students were led inside and the Hogwarts students stood, shivering slightly, waiting for the Durmstrang party to arrive. Most people were gazing hopefully up at the sky when a loud and oddly eerie noise drifted towards them from out of the darkness; a muffled rumbling and sucking sound, as though an immense vacuum cleaner was moving along a river-bed...
"The lake!" Yelled Lee Jordan, pointing down at it, "look at the lake!"
What seemed to be a long, black pole began to rise slowly from the black surface of the lake.
Slowly and magnificently a ship rose out of the water gleaming in the moonlight and there was the splash of an anchor being thrown down.
People were disembarking, they were all built along the lines of Crabbe and Goyle and wearing cloaks of some kind of shaggy, matted fur. But the man who was leading them up to the castle was wearing furs of a different sort; sleek and silver, like his hair.

*

"Are you any good at making potions?" Fred asked Emmie the next morning as they sat down for breakfast in the Great Hall. "Not really, why?"
"We've been trying to figure out how we're going to enter into the Triwizard Tournament," Fred replied, "and then Lee suggested an aging potion," George added.
"Well my sister's pretty good but we're not speaking right now," said Emmie, "ah come on, please ask her," Fred begged, "no!"
"Please." The twins both stuck out their bottom lips and batted their eyelashes, "we'll never ask you for anything again," George said, "and we'll give you a bit of the prize money," Fred added. "You don't even know if you'll be picked, let alone win,"
"Come on," Fred said, "it's us."
Emmie sighed, "fine,"
"Really?" George asked,
"I'll ask."
"Thank you..." Fred leaned across the table and gave her a kiss, "I'll love you forever."

Emmie, Fred and George entered the first floor girls bathroom, it was out of order because Moaning Myrtle kept flooding it. Mel was stood inside next to a black haired girl with bright green eyes. "This is Lily," Mel said, "hi, I'm -"
"Emmie. Yes. Dating the handsome one," Lily said,
"Him? Handsome?" George asked offended, "how did you -" Emmie started,
"She's a legilimens," Mel said, "she can read minds."

"You," Lily looked at George, "George Weasley... You're quite the joker, once sent your mother a toilet seat... Impressive,"
"Er yeah," George scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "I know, I know. You want to get on with making the potion... But first," she turned to Fred, "handsome. Fred Weasley, another joker I see... Likes gambling and betting," she looked from Fred to Emmie, "that's a pretty important bet you're thinking of,"
"Oh that must be from the Quidditch World Cup right?" Emmie asked,
"yeah," Fred replied, "yeah," Lily smiled before turning to Fred, "quick word of advice, when with a legilimens don't think of the one thing you don't want anyone to know."
As the group walked to the sinks to start making the aging potion, Emmie turned to Fred, "what's she on about?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, she's kind of weird."

Mel started ordering the boys about, "come on, three newt spleens, quickly before the sugar dissolves!"
Emmie was sat with Lily watching them and Moaning Myrtle was floating around mindlessly. "I know you don't like me," Lily spoke, "no, I-"
"There's no point lying, I can read your mind,"
"Yeah well you were flirting with my boyfriend," Emmie replied, "he was flirting back... In his head," Lily smiled, "I don't care, he flirts with everyone."
"Do you want to know what the bet was about?" She asked, "I thought it was the Quidditch World Cup,"
"No... It was about you,"
"What do you mean?" Emmie asked, "well before you and Fred started dating, him and George had a bet." Lily started, "George was convinced that Fred wouldn't sleep with you before the end of the year but Fred thought he would so they put twenty galleons on it."

Emmie didn't reply, she stood up and walked over to the boys. "George," she called and he turned around, "yeah what's up?"
"What did you spend the twenty galleons on?"
"What are you on about?" He asked, "you know... When you won the bet, what did you spend the twenty galleons on?" Emmie repeated.
"What bet, what are you talking about? George asked, "the bet on whether Fred would sleep with me."
As soon as Emmie finished her sentence Fred turned around, "Emmie... I can explain,"
"Forget it Fred," Emmie turned to walk away, "seriously, let me talk to you," Fred grabbed her arm.
"Go on then. Say your excuse," Emmie's eyes were welling with tears, Fred just stayed silent, "did you make that bet?" She asked him, "Em... I-"
"Fred. Answer my question. Did you make the bet?"
"Yes. But I-"
"Wow. That's low," Emmie said, "so what, has this whole relationship just happened so you could win it?"
"No. As soon as I realized I actually liked you I called it off. No one got any money," Fred replied, "okay, so what was fake? Out first date?" Fred looked at the floor and didn't say anything, "wow. Thanks alot." Emmie left the toilets without another word.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Fred shouted at Lily, "I wasn't the one who made the bet," she just replied innocently. Fred started pacing and running his hands through his hair, "I've fucked everything up. What is wrong with me."
"Erm... The potion's ready," Mel smiled slightly.

- Princexiero xx