꧁𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑦 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡꧂ (𝐹.𝑊.)

22 - Apparently I'm Mean When I'm in Love

I paced the corridors as I turned over in my head what Malfoy had told me.

About the Fred and the Yule Ball.

Despite what Malfoy told me not to do, I burst through the door of Fred's dorm.

"WEASLEY!"

He fell off his bed, confused and disheveled with a book on top of him.

"What the hell Hensley!" He exclaimed.

"Stay out of my dating life you asshole!"

"I can explain-"

"Don't bother! Stay the hell out of my love life! I can fend for myself!"

"Hens, those guys aren't good guys-"

"WHO THE HELL ELSE HAVE YOU BEEN TALKING TO FRED WEASLEY!?"

"Uh..."

"God, you're so lucky I don't hurt you right now. Do you have any idea how angry I am?!"

"Hensley, I was trying to look out for you."

"Well stop it! I don't need anyone to look out for me, especially not you."

The minute I said it, I regretted it. I was angry, but I also loved him. A little too much.

He sighed.

"I know you're used to looking out for yourself, but maybe for once, let someone help?"

I looked at him in disbelief. Normally when I lash out, people get angry and shut me out. But here was Fred, a boy who I'd met a few months before, being patient with me. Not angry. No shutting out. Just peace.

"Fred, I think it's great that you want to help, but that is absolutely not the way to do things."

"I may have a liiiittle bit of selfish intention," He confessed.

Now it was my turn to sigh.

"You need to make up your mind soon, because I think I got asked to the Yule Ball."

"What? By who?"

I looked down sheepishly, not wanting to say Malfoy's name out loud.

And then he understood. "Don't tell me you said yes. Please, for the love of God, don't tell me you said yes to him."

I didn't look him in the eye, "I haven't said yes or no at all yet. I want to, though, tonight."

"Goddamnit, Hensley, are you blind?"

"No, I'm not. And I'm not stupid either. Stay out of my love life."

And with that, I left.

I needed to make up my mind. Because here was this perfect, amazing boy who was nothing but nice to me literally begging for me. And there I was shutting him out.

I've been told that I'm selfish or a bad person. But sometimes, people who seem bad would risk it all for one person.

***

I found Malfoy sitting in the library amongst his friends.

There were two ways I could go about this.

I chose the dumb way.

"Malfoy. Yule ball," I told him. In my defense, I hadn't meant for it to come out so harshly.

"...Is that an invitation?" He asked me, confused.

My brain absolutely failed me on this one. I just stood there with my arms crossed staring at him.

"Um, yeah. That sounds great," He said.

"Good."

And then I left the library.

That could've gone much smoother.