FLAMEOUT

Chapter Two

Fred forced a smile onto his face and raised his empty glass in greeting.

"Fred!" Angelina waved, and Ginny looked over too.

Please don't come over, Fred thought. He loved them both, truly, but he hated having to perform for all his friends and pretend to be happy.

Of course, Angelina did come over, and she dragged his sister with her, oblivious to the daggers in Fred's eyes. Inconvenient woman. This was why their teenage romance hadn't lasted six months.

"Oh, Fred, I forgot you all met here every week!" Angelina said. She looked around. "Where's George and Lee?"

Fred cleared his throat, studiously ignoring the suddenly concerned look on his sister's face. "Lee couldn't make it. And George and Alicia have a date." He realised he must look quite pathetic, sitting here and drinking alone, so hastily he added, "I'm waiting for someone."

"Oh?" Ginny said. She looked like she didn't believe him. "Hi, by the way."

"Hey, Gin. Happy birthday." Fred said. "George and I got you something, but it's back at the flat."

Ginny's eyes narrowed and she harrumphed. "Well, what use are you, then?" Her expression didn't match her tone. She had that same concerned look in her eyes that George did when Fred so much as stumbled. Fred forced a grin.

"Good things to those who wait," he teased his sister, who stuck her tongue out childishly at him.

"You're a pest."

Angelina, whose eyes had sharpened with interest, waved her hand between them. "Don't change the subject, Fred. Who are you waiting for? Is it a date?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Angelina was so much more relaxed now than she'd been at Hogwarts. Fred felt a wistful sense of envy. He felt so much heavier.

"It's none of your business, Ang," he said, a little more harshly than he'd intended. Angelina's eyes widened, and for a moment, he worried he'd hurt her feelings. Then, a giant grin broke out over her features.

"It is, isn't it?" She crowed. "You must really like this girl, then — I've never seen you so cagey about a date before."

"Who said it's a girl?" Fred asked, just to be contrary. "Could be a bloke, you don't know. Not a good look, Ang, the homophobia."

Angelina rolled her eyes. "Whoever it is, I just pity them, having to kiss you all the time." She made an exaggerated face of disgust. "Have you stopped slobbering into someone else's mouth?"

Ginny gagged. "That's disgusting. I'm getting a drink." She turned on her heel and walked back to the team. Angelina winked at him.

"Sorry, I didn't realise at first that you didn't want her to come." Angelina frowned. "Why didn't you?"

Fred couldn't admit that he didn't want to see any of his family when he was in such a bad mood, so instead he blamed it on George. "Ginny's nosy. If she stuck around, she'd manage to convince me to tell her about George and Alicia's date."

"Right, he's asking her to move in, isn't he?" Angelina mused. A hint of sadness flashed across her face but she blinked it away. "Speaking of which, tell me about yours."

"My what?"

"Your date." Angelina rolled her eyes.

"Why, so you can find her to discuss how bad I am at kissing?" Fred grumbled.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "You're a perfectly good kisser and you know it," she said matter-of-factly. "Come on, now, give me something."

"Really, Ang, there's no date."