Golden Boy

2. At Four in the Morning

That night, the three girls sat up in their beds in Ginny's room, chatting happily. Camellia was in a bit of a daze, the image of Fred pinning her down and his intoxicating scent still heavy on her mind. That look he'd given her was unlike any she'd ever gotten from him before. It was hungry and curious at the same time, and it made her heart race.

"Cami!"

Camellia turned quickly towards Hermione, who'd evidently called her name a couple of times before getting her attention.

"You look like you're in another world, what's going on?" she giggled with a quizzical frown.

"I know what's wrong with her," Ginny purred.
"She fancies my brother."

Camellia laughed a little bit too loudly. "You're mental, I just think he's nice-looking, that's all." She'd never really told either of the girls about her little crush on Fred, despite it having lasted so long.
But now, her crush didn't seem so little anymore-not after what had happened earlier that evening.

"Well, that's complete rubbish, thanks for that," Ginny smirked. "We all saw what happened today.
And what's been happening for a while now, mind you."

Hermione nodded in agreement, then asked gently,
"How do you feel?"

Camellia swallowed and stared down at her hands in her lap, thinking of how his fingers would feel laced between hers. "Bit confused, honestly," she admitted. "But it's just a silly crush, nothing serious. It's one-sided, so nothing would happen between us, anyway."

Hermione scoffed. "I don't think it's one sided, Cami. Did you see him? I wish someone would look at me the way he looked at you today."

"Oh, like Ron does to you?" Camellia muttered under her breath, making Ginny laugh loudly.
Hermione blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear, like she always did when she was nervous.

"But honestly, I'm fine with the fact that it's only me who's crushing. And it's not like I haven't dated, he's not the only boy I've fancied!" Camellia said.

The two other girls looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Of course we know you've dated, Cami," Ginny said between chuckles. "But it always seems like you and Fred have this little secret thing on the side, I mean, you flirt all the time! It's sickening, really."

Cam rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk, you prick!
You and Harry snogging every chance you get, you've got no right to say my crush is sickening!"

Ginny shrugged smugly. "I do snog him quite a bit, don't I?" she said, her eyes becoming dreamy. "Can you blame me though? He's gorgeous... and not to mention, the Chosen One."

She'd said that last part with a dramatic flair, making Hermione and Camellia roll their eyes and laugh. Ginny blushed slightly, but laughed with them.

The girls continued to chat and tease each other about their boys, until their tiredness took over and they slowly drifted off to sleep.

That is, Ginny and Hermione did. Both girls were snoring gently, Ginny talking vaguely in her sleep every few minutes. Camellia was still wide-awake, her body exhausted but her mind racing. She simply couldn't stop thinking about Fred and how he'd flirt with her any chance he got. Up until that moment they'd had during their wrestling match, Cam had assumed that he was just a flirty person and was merely expressing his charming personality... but now, she began to think otherwise.

Every time she imagined having Fred on top of her again like he was before, she would get butterflies down below that wouldn't go away. What was wrong with her? Fred was a friend, and only that.
She wouldn't even consider him one of her close friends. She saw him in school for a few years, but after he and George dropped out to run their business, she didn't get to see him as often. Sure, they'd flirt and take jabs at each other, but he wasn't someone that she'd normally go to for personal things.