Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 40

Chapter 40: A Taste of Her Own Medicine

Once Adhara had taken the time to calm her racing thoughts, she realized that Fred would never betray her trust. The blame, she understood now, lay squarely with Angelina and her behavior. Deep down, Adhara knew she couldn't stay mad at Fred for long—her feelings for him ran too deep. Her outburst had been a moment of insecurity, but with a clear head, she could see that. Apologizing for the way she had handled things, Adhara admitted her immaturity. Fred, ever understanding, reassured her gently that her reaction, though intense, was completely normal.

However, Adhara wasn't the type to forget easily, especially not when it came to people like Angelina. The thought of Angelina's smug expression after the incident replayed in her mind like an annoying tune she couldn't shake off. She knew she couldn't let it slide, and if there was one thing Adhara excelled at, it was proving a point.

It began with a small, subtle prank. She charmed Angelina's books in the library so that every time Angelina opened one, a quick burst of pink glitter shot out and covered her hands. Angelina was left brushing off glitter, grumbling to herself while Adhara observed from across the room, her lips quirking up in satisfaction. The harmless prank was a warm-up, something to set the tone—a small reminder that Adhara had her eye on her.

The next day, Adhara's pranks became more frequent. She enchanted Angelina's quill to start writing in riddles instead of regular notes during class. When Angelina tried to jot down notes in Potions, her quill scribbled phrases like, "Stay away from taken men," and "Boundaries are golden." Angelina glared around the room, but Adhara kept her expression neutral, her focus seemingly on her own parchment.

By the third prank, Adhara's determination to make her point clear took on a creative twist. She spent an evening in the Room of Requirement practicing a complicated charm, one that Fred had shown her once for a laugh. The next morning, she cast it on Angelina's shoes right before breakfast. As soon as Angelina walked into the Great Hall, her shoes began playing the chorus of a song: *"Can't you see he's taken?"* Heads turned as the enchanted footwear echoed through the hall, each step amplifying the lyrics. Angelina's cheeks turned crimson as she hurried to a seat, clamping her feet together to stop the noise, while Fred and George exchanged wide-eyed, stifled laughs from the Gryffindor table.

Fred, curious and half-amused, caught up to Adhara in the hallway later. "Anything I should know about this, Addy?" he asked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Me? No idea what you're talking about," Adhara replied, biting back her own grin.

"Oh, right," he chuckled, slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Well, just a word of advice—if you're looking for prank ideas, George and I have a few up our sleeves."

Adhara looked up at him, feigning innocence. "Who says I'm pranking anyone?"

Fred shook his head, clearly unconvinced. "Whatever you're up to, I like it. Just don't get too carried away," he teased, giving her shoulder a squeeze before heading off to class.

The following day, Adhara got a little bolder. She slipped a potion of her own concoction into Angelina's goblet during lunch, one that would turn her skin a brilliant shade of Weasley red for a good hour. Angelina was mid-sip when her complexion shifted from its usual tan to a bright, blazing red. She choked on her drink, eyes widening in horror as whispers and stifled giggles spread through the hall. Adhara watched from a distance, pretending to be engrossed in her own conversation with Vera, but there was a triumphant glint in her eye.

Later that day, Angelina stomped over to Adhara in the corridor, her expression a mix of frustration and humiliation. "Is this funny to you?"

Adhara met her gaze, unbothered. "Oh, absolutely," she replied coolly. "Especially when someone doesn't seem to understand boundaries."

Angelina crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. "You're ridiculous, Malfoy."

"Maybe," Adhara shrugged, a slight smirk playing on her lips, "but at least I'm not desperate."

Angelina huffed, storming off in silence, while Adhara felt a wave of satisfaction settle over her.

The pranks continued over the next week, becoming both subtler and more amusing. One day, Adhara charmed Angelina's hair to stand up as though she'd been hit with a particularly strong gust of wind. Another time, she replaced Angelina's ink with a potion that caused every letter she wrote to change colors randomly, turning her essays into eye-catching, albeit illegible, rainbows.

As the days went on, Fred began to notice Angelina looking wary whenever she was around Adhara, casting nervous glances her way. He leaned toward Adhara one evening in the common room, whispering, "You've got her on edge, you know."

"Good," Adhara replied, her smile sweet and satisfied. "She deserves it."

Vera, who had been watching the entire back-and-forth with fascination, nudged Adhara playfully. "You know, this is probably the most entertainment Hogwarts has had in a while. You're practically legendary now."

Adhara laughed, nudging her friend back. "Well, that's what happens when people can't keep their hands to themselves."

The final prank came on a Friday, wrapping up the week with a memorable finale. Adhara cast a charm on Angelina's robes that would cause them to glow with flashing words like "Taken!" and "Hands Off!" whenever she walked too close to Fred. That evening in the library, when Angelina unknowingly strolled by Fred and George's table, her robes lit up like a Christmas tree. Fred's eyes widened, and he quickly buried his face in a book, trying not to laugh, while George couldn't contain himself, bursting out in laughter that drew stares from nearby students.

Angelina bolted out of the library, her face flushed with both anger and embarrassment. Adhara leaned back in her chair, finally satisfied that her point had been made—loud and clear.