Summers at The Burrow - Fred Weasley

Chapter Fifty-seven - The Yule Ball

so i have resorted to hiding. im either in my dorm or in the twins' dorm or on the quidditch pitch which had been returned to its rightful state for the time being. Fred was with me every moment he could be but even then he couldn't be at my side all the time. i was being bombarded constantly by students who want to know more about the tournament and what it is like or they want to know about Fred and I. we haven't even gone public yet and there are already rumors that i do not want to go into detail about.

at the moment i was in the Gryffindor locker room with the twins and Lee trying to relax because it was a week before the dance and a handful of people were getting desperate. Fred and I decided it would be funny if we didn't tell the others that we had dates yet and Lee, George, Angelina, Alicia, and Katie were the only ones allowed to joke about that at our expense. 

i was not the only one being chased around for interviews now either. obviously there were the other champions who were doing constant interviewing but now the interviewers were pulling my friends for interviews which was partially why i was usually not alone when i was hiding. Madame Hootch banned the interviewers from coming within fifteen meters of the house locker rooms as well as the house common rooms so we had a few safe places. the girls had even joined the boys and i in a sleepover a few times in their dorm and that was about the most relaxed i have been this entire year.

"have you written to Lupin yet?" Fred asked remembering that i had said i wanted to write to him about all the chaos because i needed advice.

"yup." i said pulling an envelope out of the front pocket of my cloak.

"great!" he said snatching it out of my hand and leaping to his feet faster than i could snatch it back.

"give that back!" i shouted as i stumbled to my feet tripping over my cloak as i watched Fred shrug and run out the door.

i chased after him for a solid ten minutes and while we were in fact running in the direction of the owlery i did not like the fact that i was running through crowded halls of people. i had torn off my cloak after i tripped on it so i had been running around without it making it hard to decide weather i was freezing cold or sweating from all the physical activity.

i lost sight of Fred and my letter when we turned a corner down a mostly vacant hall and decided that since i had already lost him it was not worth running anymore and that i should take a little break. when i began walking again i heard fast footsteps and i turned around expecting it to be Fred or even George or Lee but it was a tall Durmstrang boy that made me look short compared to his stature. 

"you are Chloe?" he said coming up to me and overstepping many boundaries as he rested a hand on my shoulder.

"sometimes i wish i wasn't." i replied sarcastically.

"i like your outfit. it is a-?"

"-Gryffindor jersey. I am on the house quidditch team so we have access to exclusive merchandise." i finished for him.

"right, er- i was wondering if you had anyone to go to the ball with since everyone says you do not have a date yet." he said and i had to hold back a groan of annoyance.

"are you asking out of pity for me or for yourself?" i questioned and he flushed.

"well, you see, the girls are either scared of me because i am tall or already have dates." he admitted sadly.

"who are you asking?" i asked.

"I've tried the French girls but they already have dates and so do the ones dressed in red. the ones in green have already gotten dates with the other Durmstrang boys and the ones in blue all say they wont go with me weather they have a date or not." he explained.