The Language of Flowers | Fred Weasley

19: L E A T H E R F L O W E R - ingenuity

The silence was deafening. I could hear my heart pounding. It seemed as if everyone was leaning in, waiting for my response. I froze, unsure what to do.

"What kind of sick prank is this, Weasley?" I hissed quietly. Fred merely grinned again and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"No prank, just me asking you to the ball. So what do you say, Hawksley?"

I couldn't say no, the room would have exploded with boos. The students at Hogwarts craved drama like a vampire craved blood. I didn't want to say yes either because it was Fred Weasley. Fred bloody Weasley. Fred had left me with little choice though, unless I wanted to be teased for the rest of the semester.

"Alright, I'll go to the ball with you." I said through gritted teeth. The crowd erupted in cheers and I plucked the bundle of roses from Fred's hand. I hate roses. I smiled up at Fred, hoping he would see that my smile didn't match my eyes and all I wanted to do was kill him.

Fred gave me one another 'dashing' smile before striding out of the Great Hall, followed by cheers and whoops. I put the ginormous bundle of roses down besides me at the table and turned back around. My friends were all staring at me with wide eyes.

The absurdness of the whole situation made me want to laugh and cry. Why was it always me?

"What was that, Ellie? Why didn't you say no?" Joanna questioned as all of the students went back to their own boring lives, leaving me alone in my miserable one.

"I couldn't! I would gotten teased for weeks, you know that. I can just say no later." I reasoned, pushing my plate away from me. I didn't have an appetite before but now I definitely wasn't hungry. I was going to the ball with Fred Weasley, I'm never going to be happy again.

"You can't say no later, that's a low blow even for you and Fred" Adhere added. She was right, like always, but it didn't make me feel better.

"I just have to convince him, that's all."

"Convince Fred to change his mind? Not bloody likely." Ron grumbled from his seat. "You gonna finish that?" He pointed to my plate. I rolled my eyes, passing it his way. That boy would eat a horse if it was offered to him.

"You did want a date, Ellie. Fred might not be your ideal date, but it could be worse." Katie smiled at me, a look of sympathy on her face.

"Worse? What's worse than this?" I cried. Katie merely pointed at Ron, who was scarfing down my food as if it was going to disappear.

"Right now, I would say yes to anyone else."

"He got you flowers though, that was nice of him." Adhera argued, still trying to sway me.

"She hates roses." Maria piped in, her face buried in a book. I wish I could be as unaffected by the people around me as she is.

"I hate bloody roses," I muttered, getting up from my seat. I needed to resolve this situation and I needed resolve it now. I would not be going to the ball with Fred.

"Where are you going?" Joanna called after me as I left the Great Hall. I didn't answer her, I was a woman with a plan and I needed to get to Fred before this date was final.

I flew into the hallway, striding towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Oi! Careful with those flowers!" Fred called from behind me. I sped to a stop, turning towards him. Fred stood leaning against one of the doors of the Great Hall, a look of confusion on his face. I looked down at my hand, momentarily distracted. My hand was clenched so tightly around the flowers that some of the stems were beginning to bend. "Good thing I removed the thorns, eh?"