Marauders Oneshots

Simple, Disastrous, and Worth It (Fralice)

"If I go up to her, I might quite literally die." Frank groaned, laying their head in their hands.

"Don't be so dramatic, mate." James laughed. 

"Yeah, just go ask!" Mary insisted, sitting next to James, and across from Frank.

Frank looked over to the Gryffindor table and saw her. Alice Forescue was sitting with her group of friends, Marlene McKinnon, Dorcas Meadowes, and Lily Evans. Minus Mary of course who was sitting with him. It was February 13th and Frank still hadn't asked asked the girl of their dreams to be their Valentine. Actually, that was a lie. Frank HAD tried 2 other times to ask, but one resulted in him freezing up and running away, and the second with her friends swooping her away before he could blurt it out.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Mary and James both groaned. "What?"

"How do you expect to be with her if you never talk with her!" Mary asked, taking a bite out of her apple.

"I talk to her!"

"Talking in Charms and Herbology where your partners and are forced to talk does not count." James added.

"It's still talking..." Frank mumbled.

"Yes, because talking about Fanged Geraniums is such an interesting and romantic topic." James said sarcastically.

"James, I'm not going to take love advice from you when your 'sweetheart' just turned you down before this conversation and is ranting to Alice about it." 

Mary laughed. "I mean he's got a point, Potter."

"Besides," Frank sighed, running a hand through their hair. "She's one of the prettiest, funniest, popular girls in her year, maybe overall! She'd never want to go out with a super lame unpopular person like me."

"Hey," Mary said, her tone now sharp as she stood up and leaned over the table, pointing an finger at them. "You, are not lame. You're one of the coolest people I know! Much better then all these dumb, rich, over ego people here. Alice would be the luckiest girl in the world to have a shot at having someone as cool, stunning, talented as you."

"Yeah, don't put yourself down like that Frank. Any girl, especially Alice, would be lucky to get asked out by a guy like, I mean person, like you." He added, quickly correcting himself. "You just gotta take that shot."

Frank smiled. "Take that shot... alright yeah I just gotta take it. Maybe you guys are right. Thanks guys!" They quickly stood up, and made their way over to the Gryffindor table.

"Oh they're doing it now? Well alright then." Mary said, shocked at the confidence boost. James just shrugged and they both stood up, turning around to see as Frank approached the group.

As he walked over to the table, they made a quick mini script in their mind of what to say: "Alice, do you wanna be my Valentine and to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?" They know, it sounded cheesy and cringe, but it was short, simple, and the best they could think up in the short 15 second walk.

As they approached they felt a wave of confidence and adrenaline rush over themselves. They were able to see as Dorcas smirked and bumped Alice's arm just as he stopped, and Alice turned to look at them making clear eye contact. "Hey Frank, what's up?" She asked kindly with a smile.

And there it was. Their legs suddenly turned to Oobleck and their mind went haywire. Her smile was the warmest, beautiful thing they had ever seen and the energy she radiated just with her presence messed them up as always. They were broken out of there trance though when they felt a tug on their shoulder.

"Are you good?" Marlene asked. They blinked a few times and were set back into reality. Alice was still looking at them, though her smile a bit dimmed down now.

'You just gotta take that shot.' They heard in their head. Now was their chance. They took a deep breath and took it. "HogsmeadewannabemyAliceandgotoValentinewithme?"

The area around them went silent and they looked over and Mary facepalm and James with a face of sympathy. They turned back to look at Alice and she looked completely confused, though the smile was still there. "Um, pardon?"

They blushed a deep red from embarrassment. 'Great job Frank, real smooth!' They thought to themselves, mentally wanted to throw themselves out a window and bang their head against the wall. "Well, I uh, well I..."

"Guys classes are about to start." Lily said, collecting her bags.

Alice nodded to her, her bag already on her. "Well uh.. I gotta head to Charms. Tell me at Herbology-"

"No!" They shouted, taking Alice, and themselves by surprise. They ran a hand through their hair and sighed. "I.. look I've been wanting to ask you out all week but every time I've tried I've failed one way or another, but then J and Mary told me I should take my shot so I did, but I messed that up to speaking complete gibberish talk and I just really wanted to ask you to go to Hogsmeade because I really, really like you and I really don't want your friends to take you away again," They stopped out of breath. "And I have little to no hope for this surge of confidence and adrenaline will ever return to me."

It went dead silent in the group for a second, then the suffle of feet broke the silence and tension that had been built. "You're gonna be late, Ali!" Dorcas yelled to her as the three left the room.  Frank felt an immediate rush of regret and fear because they had just thrown everything on his mind out, and everything was ruined.

"Tell the Professor I was doing Prefect duties!" Alice yelled back. Frank was confused, but didn't say anything. They were debating whether to just run out and go to class themselves.

"I'm so sorry I didn't mean to make that so awkward and ruin your guys' talk like that!"

"Frank it's-"

"It was super random and I know I put so much out on you right now and I completely understand if you don't want anything to do with me,"

"Frank, I'd love to."

"I know, I wouldn't wanna go with me either-" They froze replaying what she had said in their head. "I-I'm sorry what?"

"I said I'd love to go. Hogsmeade sounds fun."

They blinked and stood frozen. "A-Are you serious?"

She laughed. "Your cute when your flustered and nervous."

They blushed and ran a hand through their hair. "Uh.. thank you?"

"Sorry, that was kind of weird to me to say as well. Though I don't take it back. And I don't take back what I said earlier, I'd love to go to Hogsmeade with you tomorrow.

"R-Really?! I uh.. I mean cool! That's great, totally cool yeah yeah. Right, rad, sweets."

Alice laughed awkwardly. "Alright then.. See you tomorrow then. Well, in class as well, but tomorrow as well, I guess?" She laughed again, giving him that bright, beautiful smile, and left the Grand Hall.

"See Frank? I knew you had it in you!" They heard. Frank turned around and saw Mary and James walk up.

"That was the hardest thing I've ever had to watch." Mary said with a grin.

"See actually wants to go... even after I blew it. She wants to go!" Frank said, fawning over the thought.

"Hell yeah she does! See, I told you you could do it! Just had to take that shot."

"And thankfully, yours went better than any of James'!" Mary teased. They all laughed and Mary rested her arm on Frank's shoulder. "In all seriousness, I'm proud of you, love. We knew you could do it."

"Yeah, but we should probably get to class before we're late-" James started just as the tower bell rung, signaling the start of all classes.

"Aaaand knowing the new Potions teacher that's detention for us, lovely." Mary sighed.

Frank didn't mind though. They may have had to work with Filch later on, but they were going to Hogsmeade with Alice Forescue tomorrow, and they couldn't be more over the moon.

***

(Fralice, my favorite underrated ship! This isn't my best, but I really enjoyed making it as I've never wrote Fralice content before.
And just to add on, I headcanon Frank to be Non-Binary and use They/Them pronouns. Please respect my headcanon! 
Anyway, hope you enjoyed!)