because i liked a boy • fred weasley

Chapter 10 - Thursday, September 26th

I am not an exam person.

I would take having to write AND complete an entire scroll of paper for an assignment over taking a test any day. Having to memorize and regurgitate information has never been something I enjoyed doing – then again, who the hell enjoys tests?

We have a Charms exam tomorrow.

Talia and I decided that tonight would be dedicated to studying together, reviewing all of our notes and quizzing each other. Nathan asked if he could join, so naturally Fred and George are also joining.

We decided on the library. Whenever we try to study in our room we get distracted. Talia and I got here about an hour before the boys showed up. We chose a table in the back corner away from everyone else.

"Do you all want me to just go over my notes first, then we can talk about what we need help on?" I ask the group as I pull all of the pages out that I'll need for this study session.

"Please," Nathan speaks first.

Talia nods in agreement, "Your notes are probably the best here."

I chuckle and begin reading over everything that we'll need to know. The entire time I'm speaking, everyone is writing what I assume is their own notes. After I share everything that I have, we begin reviewing everything that we need to pay extra time on, and eventually begin working in small groups to help each other.

"Can you just go over the charms I'm going to need to preform?" Fred asks me.

I pass him my list that Professor Flitwick gave us earlier and let him practice. He performs every charm perfectly, and just reads over everything again while I sit there. I don't need to do too much review to do well on the exam.

"So, where's Angelina?" I ask Fred quietly.

Fred just shrugs.

"I'm only asking because she's in this class with us," I tell Fred, trying to explain my interest in his girlfriend's absence. "I just assumed she would be here studying with us, I guess."

"Uh, yeah," Fred says, nonchalantly, "I didn't ask her to come."

I nod and feel my stomach flutter. Why wouldn't he ask her? Are they ending it? I feel awful for being happy about a potential break-up, but I feel even worse about having this childish crush more when I know he's in a relationship.

"Are you coming to our party tomorrow?" Fred leans back in his chair, leaving the notes on the table.

"Yeah, I don't think Talia would give me a choice," I chuckle.

"There you go doing it again," Fred smirks, placing his hand over his heart. "Can't you just pretend you wanna come and hang out with me?"

I think back to when he made the comment about me coming to the quidditch games and blush. "Sorry. Yes, I'll be there by my own free will."

"Better," Fred winks at me. A friendly wink, obviously. "We should go get some food for everyone. We need brain fuel if we're gonna keep up this studying thing."

"Oh, please do," Talia pipes in. I can tell she's been listening to our conversation by the grin that's on her face. "I need food, asap."

"Alright," I stand up as Fred does the same, "anything to cure Talia's hunger."

Fred and I walk side by side towards the doors. I turn around and see the three we left sitting at the table speaking in hushed voices and staring at Fred and me. Such losers.

"What's that about?" Fred glances back at them as well.

"I have no idea," I play dumb and keep walking. Obviously Talia knows about my crush on Fred. I would comment on his quidditch skill frequently, and I could never lie to Talia when she asks me a question.

"What do you want?" Fred asks me.

"Excuse me?" I ask, too focused on my own thoughts to understand what he's asking. "You mean in life?"

"No, dummy. What do you want to eat?" Fred chuckles at my confusion.

I go red in the face when I realize how stupid I must look. Obviously he wants to know what food I want, that's literally why we're going to the kitchen.

"Surprise me?"

Fred nods and goes into the kitchen first. He holds the door for me as I walk through.

"Hi, Wigby," I grin at the house elf that makes Talia and I's picnic feast every week. We met the first year when she agreed to secretly make us food.

I watch Fred as he says goodbye to Ringkull and Cooky after they hand him some food. It looks like some sandwiches and pumpkin pasties. My favorite.

"Do you want a bite?" Fred asks, revealing that he's already started eating the food. He got a bag for all of our food so in one hand is the bag, in the other is a pumpkin pasty.

I stop walking and open my mouth, letting him put the pasty there so I could take a bite. After I bite it, he finishes it off and stares at me.

"You have a little," Fred moves his thumb to his own mouth, telling me I had something on my face. I try to get it, ask if it's gone, but he says no. "Here, I got it."

Fred reaches out and takes my face in his hand. His fingers lightly grab my jaw as his thumb brushes across the corner of my mouth, making its way across my bottom lip. Such a cliché move for a man to make, but it's definitely making me hot and bothered.

"Fred?"

Of course, Angelina is walking down the hall towards us.

Fred rips his hand away from my face and walks to her, meeting her halfway down the hall so she wouldn't walk all the way to us. I can't make out what they're saying.

I'm relieved when Fred starts walking back to me, but seeing the look on his face snaps me back into reality.

He clears his throat but keeps his eyes on the ground once he's in front of me. "I'm gonna head back to my room with... Here take the food, and would you let the rest know I've gone back?"

I don't respond, letting the silence answer for me.

"I'm sorry," Fred whispers, handing me the food bag.

"For what?" I challenge. "For spending time with your girlfriend? Isn't that what you're supposed to do?"

I walk past him and go back towards the library, saying goodnight to Angelina as I pass her. I hate how my feelings are hurt right now. They have no right to be.

The three question me as soon as I get to the table, wondering how I lost Fred in the 15 minutes we were gone.

"He's back at his dorm with Angelina," I inform them, grabbing a sandwich and eating it to show I'm not fazed by his leaving.

Liar.