Except For You ~ {Fred Weasley}

Chapter 6

That girl had been on my mind for three years after the incident. I had spent a week, trying, and failing, to talk to her. I only stopped when her friend threatened to tell Charlie again, after all, he was scary when he was angry. It felt wrong to see her everyday, at the Ravenclaw Table, in History of Magic or Charms, in the hallways between classes and not talk to her. Nobody else seemed to notice her though. I told Lee about her once and the only thing he said was, 'Who?' I never talked to anyone about her again after that. They didn't deserve to know if they weren't constantly noticing her doing everyday things. One time, I was able to impact her life, kind of. I hid a piece of paper with instructions on how to get into the Kitchen, and I reckon she had been going ever since.

"Hey George, I'm gonna go get some food, I'm starving," I tell him as I stand up.
"Dinner was literally an hour ago."
"And?"
"Fair." I make my way over to the common room and down to the kitchen. It kinda sucked that the kitchen was near the Hufflepuff common room, but hey, at least the elves don't hate me.

"Hi guys!" Someone exclaims. I glance up. It's the girl. I look back down at the biscuits, take another and don't draw attention to myself while I listen to her. "I know, I know, I promised to bring Del, but she's feeling sick. So, I was wondering if you could make her some tea?" I remain stone still. I hear her turn and jump slightly. She regains her fierceness. "Who the hell do you think you are?" She screams at me. I lift my head to look at her. She's in an oversized hoodie, leggings, a black skirt, and her school shoes. I feel under dressed in my pyjama pants and hoodie wearing only socks. She scoffs. "I should have known."

"I didn't know it was yours." I whisper truthfully. She storms over and grabs the chocolate biscuits, stuffing them in the cabinet and slamming it shut. She starts to walk back over to the house-elves. Come on dude, she's in the same room as you! Say something! "So you don't like me?" Is all that comes out of my mouth. Of course she doesn't, you idiot!

"Nope."

"Why?" You know why! Why would you ask that? She whips around and stares at me. I try to look anywhere but her eyes.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe because you ruined my Potions homework in first year and now Professor Snape hates me. Ring a bell?" She whisper-shouts. I look at her in shock. I open my mouth and close it again.

"That was three years ago though." I whisper.

"Tell that to Snape." She growls.

Come on, come on, say something! "How can I make you like me?"

"Why would famous Fred Weasley want to make me like him? Oh, that's right, to make himself look better." She used my entire name. I feel shook. I feel abnormally guilty for what happened.

"No! I- I want to make it up to you." I stammer. And I do. I want to make it up to her. I look at her for a moment then drop my gaze on my fiddling hand.

"What's my name?" She asks after a long silence.

"What?" I look back up at her, confused.

"What's. My. Name?" She repeats.

"I- I don't know." I feel ashamed.

"Exactly. The only thing you know about me is that I got fifty points taken off of your house and got you put in detention." She snaps, pointing at me.

"That's not true!" I say. She raises her eyebrows, in the same questioning way she did that day.

"Oh really?"

"I know your in my year, you're a Ravenclaw, and used to be a year younger at your muggle school. You're really smart as well." I rack from my brain.

"But you don't know my name?" I shake my head, still not looking at her.

"I'd be happy to learn it."

"Nah. You don't need to know." She answers, turning and grabbing the tea, heading towards the door.

Do something, do anything! "What if I guess?" I call out. She slows to a stop.

"How would you guess?" She calls from behind her.

Say something, anything! "Hangman?" She turns around and looks at me for a moment. I sigh. As if.

"Okay." I snap my eyes up and look at the girl.

"Really?" I ask in disbelief. She nods. The house elves instantly grab parchment, a quill and ink. She sits down at the table directly underneath the Ravenclaw table in the Great Hall. I sit down next to her. Too close. She glares at me and I move further away. Use a good tactic. It's a name, probably lots of vowels.

"A, e, i, o, u." She fills the letters into their respective places. She won't let me look at it. I think for a bit, maybe longer than she would have appreciated. After a little while of guessing I can finally able to look at it. I can't help but smile.

"-yn-. Maree. Mathias. It's pretty." She rolls her eyes. "It really is pretty." It is. Why did nobody tell me before?

"I guess. Bye." She stands up, grabs 'Del's' tea and rushes out. I stare after her. She's pretty and smart. You like her, don't you? George's voice stabs in my conscience. I agree for the first time ever. Yeah, I do. I really do.