Orange Trees | Fred Weasley

Chapter Nineteen

September 5th, 1994

Fred whistled as he strolled into the dorm, his tune light and carefree, matching the unusual bounce in his step. He had been like this since the tutoring session with the previous day - a strange, buzzing happiness that seemed to radiate from him, one he couldn't shake off, nor did he want to. His thoughts kept circling back to the Diggory boy, his laughter, the warmth of their conversation, and that fleeting moment of touch. It had been a perfect little pocket of time, and the memory clung to him like a freshly washed sweater.

The other Weasley twin, George, groaned in his bed, stirring as the sound pulled him from the depths of his midday nap. He blinked groggily, his vision blurred as he propped himself up on one elbow, squinting at his twin. "Oi, what's with the whistling?" he mumbled, running a hand through his tousled hair. "You sound way too happy for someone who just spent the morning in Potions."

Fred paused, his whistling cutting off mid-tune. He quickly plastered on an innocent smile, knowing full well that George would sniff out the truth if he wasn't careful. "Just... heard they're serving banana pudding tonight at dinner, is all." He said, waving his hand dismissively as he made his way over to his trunk, pretending to rummage through it for something. The lie slipped out easily, but it wasn't convincing, not for George.

George blinked. "Banana pudding?" Fred nodded, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes - something his twin wasn't buying. They knew each other too well for Fred to get away with such a flimsy excuse. "Right..." George muttered, scratching his head. "Since when does pudding put you in this kind of mood?"

Fred quickly turned his back, busying himself with rearranging the books on his desk, hoping to dodge George's prying gaze. "I dunno, maybe I'm just easily pleased today." He quipped, trying to keep his voice light. But inside, his mind raced. He couldn't exactly tell George the real reason for his good mood. That would open a whole can of worms Fred wasn't sure he was ready for.

Still skeptical, George eyed his brother. The twins rarely kept secrets from each other, and Fred being so tight-lipped was out of character. But George let it slide - for now. Instead, he changed the subject. "Okay, well, did you get a chance to look over the list of ideas I gave you for the Welcome Prank? First week of classes is almost done - not really a 'Welcome Prank' if it's the second week of school, you know? "

Fred froze, his back still turned. "Ah, the Welcome Prank..." He cursed inwardly, completely having forgotten about it. The Hufflepuff boy had been occupying all his thoughts, and the usual scheming had taken a back seat.

He turned around with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Yeah, about that... I sort of forgot."

George's eyes widened in genuine shock. "Forgot! What the bloody hell, Fred?"

Fred let out a nervous laugh, holding up his hands in mock defense. "I've just had a lot on my mind, alright? I'll look over them and we'll nail it down by dinner. Promise."

"Promise my arse - that's what you said a few days ago!" George folded his arms across his chest, his brows furrowing in suspicion. "What's up with you? You've been acting strange. And I mean strange-strange, not just our usual strange."

Fred waved him off, trying to deflect the growing concern in George's eyes. "I'm fine, really. Just distracted, that's all. No need to worry your precious little head about it."

George wasn't convinced, and Fred knew it. The guilt twisted in his gut as he realized how unlike him it was to keep something from George. They told each other everything. Well, almost everything. Fred wasn't ready to dive into his feelings about Jericho just yet - especially not with George, who'd definitely ask a thousand questions Fred wasn't prepared to answer.