The Chaser : A Fred Weasley Fan Fic

Twenty Four: World Cup

Everybody was growing more and more excited as the Quidditch World Cup final approached. Harry and Hermione had arrived to the Burrow a few days before we were meant to leave and the house felt fuller than ever.

We squeezed another bed between mine and Ginny's, where Hermione would fall into a deep, snoring sleep every night. It had meant no secretive night time activities could occur as there was no way getting around her without waking her up. There was never a moment for me and Fred to be alone but it was nice to be surrounded by friends.

On the morning we were set to travel to the stadium, Mr Weasley had us wake bright and early. We would be taking a port key, something I'd never done before, but it sounded a little like catching a train. We had to be there at a scheduled time and it had been placed quite far across the meadows from the Burrow.

Everybody gathered outside the front of the house and it felt like we were going on a school trip. Our eyes lulled from lack of sleep and we all looked dishevelled in one way or another. Fred somehow still looked wonderful, even with messy bed hair and dark rings under his eyes.

We trudged over hills, through thick thickets and around swamps until we wandered through a dense woodland. A cottage nestled in the woods was lit up and had smoke billowing cheerily from its chimney, which seemed odd for so early in the morning and Mr Weasley had us linger outside.

"A friend of mine, from the Ministry. He helped sort the tickets, him and his son are getting the same port key" he explained, before pausing, "Here, Fred, George, Tilly you might know him, he's in your year"

I wondered who it might by until the wooden door rattled open and Cedric ducked from the house, followed by his much shorter father. He smiled brightly, looking somehow put together even in the early hours of the morning.

"Weasleys!" he grinned, "And Wilde, Granger, Potter"

I gave a restrained sort of smile and I heard Hermione and Ginny giggle behind me. I wanted the ground to swallow me up. His father introduced himself and we set off from the forest into a field full of tall growing wheat.

"What are you doing here? I wasn't expecting you" Cedric asked quietly, walking alongside me. Fred and George had steamed ahead and I was sure I heard them wittering on about having to spend the time in Cedric's company.

"They invited me, Charlie couldn't come" I shrugged, trying to make it sound as ordinary as possible.

"I heard about you two, you know" he said, "Snogging at the victory party"

I whipped my head round to look at him but there was no anger on his face. His expression stayed level and his voice even sounded a little hurt. I didn't say anything back, but returned my eyes to the path I front of us.

"You could have just told me" he chuckled, "When I asked you in the library"

"It's none of your business" I muttered. I caught him roll his eyes and I'd wished Fred had been paying attention to see it.

"There's no need to be like- you know what you're right it's not" he snapped. It had been the first time I'd heard him lose his temper. He'd always tried to maintain the Hufflepuff exterior, of being kind and understanding but I knew this had always been laying underneath.

Cedric stormed ahead to join his father and Mr Weasley and Fred finally caught my eye and slowed to walk at my pace.

"What was that about?" he asked softly, quiet enough that Ginny and Hermione couldn't hear behind, but I was sure they'd seen the whole thing play out.

"He said I should have told him about us" I huffed, keeping my eyes fixed on the back of Cedric's head, as though I could really shoot daggers at it.