Wisps of Beth Black ϟ Fred Weasley [2] (ON HOLD)

17

Beth and a boy. It made Fred sick to think about it, made him even more sick that she had hidden it from him. He felt strung along but was well aware that she had not done such a thing, he put himself out there, begged to be welcomed back into her life. She did not string him along, not intentionally, but he had forced himself back into her world. Asked to be friends. He mentioned nothing to her about a romantic relationship-- she owed him nothing. 

At dinner that evening, Fred found that he'd had no appetite and he stared down at all the food distastefully, stirring the lasagne on his plate with a look of contempt. 

"What did the lasagne do to you?" Lee joked, nudging Fred in the arm playfully. Lee had no idea about what Fred had discovered this afternoon. 

George quickly jumped to the rescue and continued on with whatever it was he and Lee were talking about before Lee caught Fred glaring at his food. 

After the letter incident this afternoon, Beth had seemed to cool down and tried approaching Fred when she caught him dragging himself down a corridor, but when he realised she was trying to approach him, he shook his head and turned back the way he had come, stomping like a child. And he felt embarrassed now about the way he had behaved, but he couldn't stomach the idea of talking to her right now. 

He breathed heavily, depressed at the idea that he may not be able to be just her friend. He couldn't deal with the idea that they would remain friends while she went off and got a boyfriend -- how could Fred sit there and watch her with another guy? What was he thinking? He should have just left her alone when she'd asked. 

Fred should look up and check on Beth over at the Slytherin table. Had to make sure Aleks wasn't bothering her. Fred casually flicked his eyes upwards and away from his food. Beth was quick to spot, with her dark hair pulled back into a braid. Beth seemed just as depressed as she slowly forked her dinner into her mouth, chewing slowly with distant eyes. Aleks was a good distance away, huddled with his friends talking about their own thing and goofing off. 

Beth suddenly looked up as though she felt his eyes on her. Fred looked away, frowning. He felt like such an idiot, he knew he was overreacting. But he couldn't help it. 

"You alright, Fred?" Lee asked, just as dinner wrapped up and students began to stand from their assigned tables. Lee's foot caught onto the seat as he tried to stand over it, and he let out a small yelp as he just managed to avoid face-planting the floor. 

Fred couldn't even manage a laugh at that. "Yeah," he replied, clearing his throat. "I'm just ready for sleep."

Lee arched an eyebrow at this as George joined them. "You hate sleep."

"I don't."

"You do. You said, and I quote, 'I hate the idea behind the human body needing something as silly as sleep. Imagine all we could do without it.' Remember?"

"Of course, and it's true, but I mean I'm just tired. I'm ready to end this dreadful day," Fred said with a sigh. It had been such a long day.

"Oh my..." Lee huffed, looking from George then to Fred. "This is about that girl isn't it? She's got you all torn up."

George turned to Lee with a frown, stopped all three of them outside of the giant doors as other students continued to pile out of it and head back to their common rooms. 

"Lee," George started, "you refer to her as if you can't stand her-- every time. She has a name you know? It's getting really obvious she just intimidates you."

Fred was surprised to hear George defending Beth, and he instantly became tuned into the conversation as he looked at Lee, awaiting his response. 

Lee sputtered for a moment, trying to grasp the words to defend himself. "I--no. No. That isn't true."