Roses and Riots | f. weasley

Chapter 12: The Map

Emilia and Fred didn't talk for two weeks after their argument in the common room.

She ignored him and he ignored her, and everyone else just gave them their space and tried to act like nothing was going on. George, unfortunately, was caught in the middle and ended up being a buffer between them, just to keep the peace.

Emilia did apologise to George when it was just the two of them, for him being stuck in the middle, but she told him she just didn't want to talk to Fred. He'd given her a hug, and was very understanding though he really hated when the two people closest to him were at odds with each other.

Harry had given George a look of understanding one night in the common room, when Emilia and Fred were very obviously ignoring each other.

"Try being friends with Ron and Hermione," he'd said to the older boy with a wry smile.

Meanwhile, Emilia decided to just get on with her life and continue enjoying her new relationship, while keeping up with her studies, and allowing herself to look forward to the first Quidditch match of the season.

The November weather was extremely unforgiving the morning of the match, and many people were already wearing their raincoats and casting waterproofing charms onto their hats and scarves.

Emilia was eating her breakfast and reading ahead for her Herbology class the following day, having agreed with her Herbology partner, Cedric Diggory, to get ahead on the theory so they could ace the practical classes.

"You alright, Emilia?" George asked her, buttering his toast.

Emilia glanced over his shoulder to where Fred was engaged in conversation with Ron and Lee, and then looked back to George who was sitting between them, acting as a physical barrier.

"I'm fine, thanks. How are you?"

"I'm good, buzzing for the game, but look, Emilia, I think-"

"You better not be trying to play devil's advocate for your brother, George," she warned quietly and he sighed dramatically.

"No, in fact I think he was being a prat that night. But if you two would just-"

"And there you go-"

"Emilia, he just cares and doesn't want you to get hurt," George said, almost pleadingly.

"He cares? He's sure got a funny way of showing it," she said sharply.

"He does care, Emilia," George said quietly. "Yes, he was being an idiot, but if you would just talk to eachother-"

"Would he do the same for Ginny?" Emilia interrupted, her conversation with Roger coming back to her.

"What?"

"It's a protective thing isn't it? He'd do the same for Ginny?"

George looked at her quizzically, "what are you on about?"

"If the reason he's been acting so-"

"So what?" Fred turned around then, glaring at her.

"Nothing, I'm talking to George," she said, not looking at him.

"Sounds like you were talking about me," Fred said cuttingly.

"Not everything is about you, Fred," Emilia snapped.

"Then stop talking about me behind my back!" Fred retorted

"Would you rather I just said nasty things to your face? While there's an audience, like in the common room? That's what you like to do isn't it?" Emilia hissed furiously.