noticed ⇀ fred weasley

let the games begin

"Aw come on Wills, you don't have to sound so upset," Fred joked.

"When did you even find time to put your stuff down?" I asked confusedly.

"I have my ways, love." He then gave me a wink, to which I sighed and reached up to put both of my hands on his shoulders, pushing him out of the room.

"Out!"

Once he had been pushed outside, I heard him say, "How rude!" The second I ensured that he was out of earshot, I then turned to Ginny in a panic and said, "Please help me. I don't think I can do this... pleaseee let me switch rooms with you."

"And ruin this shot at you two lovebirds finally getting together? No way," she giggled. "I'm sleeping with Hermione, you can tell me all about what happens the next morning."

My heart leapt in my chest—partially from fear but also out of excitement. The truth was, I did want to stay with him, but I was too afraid to admit it.

And so, I kept my mouth shut. I began unpacking my things as Ginny left, and my stomach felt as if it had a swarm of butterflies nesting inside. I hadn't felt so nervous in my entire life, not even when I was being sorted into Gryffindor.

As I pulled my pajamas from my bag and laid them out neatly across the bed, I heard soft footsteps behind me. Expecting it to be Ginny or Hermione, I turned halfway—only to freeze when I saw Ron standing in the doorway.

"H-hey," I stammered, cheeks burning as the memory of our kiss surged back uninvited. I still hadn't quite figured out how to erase it from my brain. Every time we were alone, it was there, waiting to remind me. But somehow, we'd managed to fall back into a rhythm—friends again, like before. I was relieved. Mostly. A small part of me worried that he still had feelings, and that maybe I was the one pretending now.

"Hey," he said, voice a little hesitant. "Everything alright? You look a bit... redder than usual."

I sat down on the edge of my bed and exhaled slowly. "I—I don't know," I admitted. My fingers fidgeted in my lap as I tried to gather the courage to say what I hadn't said to anyone. Not even Ophelia.

And then—fuck it.

"Actually," I said, shifting to look at him properly, "I need to get something off my chest. But I've been too afraid to say it. To anyone."

Ron's expression softened instantly. He crossed the room and took the seat on the bed across from mine. "I'm all ears."

I hesitated, glancing at the floor before speaking. "I usually talk to Ophelia about this sort of thing, but she's with Luna's family this week. They got better tickets and she figured she could pay them back easier. Anyway, I guess I just realized... you're my best friend too. And honestly, you're the only one I feel safe enough with to talk about this."

He gave me a reassuring smile, the kind only Ron could manage. "Hey, there's no pressure. I know you and Ophelia are like soulmates or whatever—twin flames, right? Just like me and Harry and 'Mione. Speaking of which..." He trailed off, scratching his head nervously.

My curiosity piqued. "What? What is it?"

"I'll tell you if you tell me yours after," he bargained with a crooked smile.

"Oi! That's not fair, I called first," I laughed, trying to suppress the nerves building in my throat.

"I was going to say it before you cut me off," Ron said, chuckling under his breath. "Alright, alright. Here it goes."

He inhaled deeply, bracing himself. "I think I might... like Hermione."

I blinked, surprised but not shocked. Something about the way he looked at her had always been a little different. Admiring. "She's just—she's so brilliant. And confident. I admire that a lot. I don't think she feels the same, so I've just been... keeping quiet. It's confusing. I'm still figuring it out."