Golden Girl; 𝓕𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂

Fifth Year: All The Madmen

The walk toward Hogsmeade was beautiful and peaceful.

Almost.

It would have been if Bambi's heart wasn't threatening to break out of her ribcage, loud enough that she was convinced Fred could hear it. The grounds were covered with a fresh layer of glistening snow, the crisp air making their breaths come out in small puffs.

Bambi wrapped her scarf tighter around herself, trying to suppress the restless energy bubbling inside her. Despite Fred saying they had "a lot to talk about,"-- which, frankly, was the most horrifying phrase in the English language–neither of them seemed eager to be the one to actually start talking about it . So, naturally, they were doing everything in their power to avoid it.

Bambi still had her arm looped around his, but she was hyper-aware of it now, especially anytime their feet lost their syncopation. Fred, of course, seemed completely unaffected. Or, at the very least, he was pretending to be.

"You're walking weird," he announced suddenly, glancing down at her boots as she bumped against him for the third time.

Bambi huffed, defensive out of pure instinct. "I'm walking perfectly normal , actually. You're walking too fast,"

"Yeah? Can't keep up with my long, normal-length legs, shorty?" His grin was all teeth as he tilted his head down at her. "Do you need me to slow down for you?"

She smacked his arm without hesitation.

Fred gasped, clutching at the spot like she'd just mortally wounded him. "You absolute menace! " he cried, reeling back dramatically. "Resorting to violence just because I called out your dodgy balance?"

"My balance is not dodgy!" she insisted, but Fred wasn't listening. Instead, he reached out, catching her by the waist and pulling her sharply to the side just as her boot slid slightly on the packed snow.

"There," he murmured, smirking. "Saved your life."

Bambi scoffed, but her fingers gripped his forearm instinctively, steadying herself even though she was perfectly capable of standing. "You did not just save my life."

"Disagree. That was a full-blown heroic rescue."

"At most, it was an overdramatic grab." She smacked his arm around her middle, and he chuckled, finally letting go, but not before ruffling her scarf, causing one end to flick up and nearly hit her in the face.

Bambi groaned, batting it down. "I hate you."

Fred snickered. "No, you don't."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I do. Passionately. "

His grin only widened. "Passionately, huh? Careful how you word things, love —you know how people love to talk ."

" Fred, " she growled.

" Bambi, " he mimicked, voice sickeningly sweet.

Bambi just laughed, half exasperated, half amused.

"Here," He said, shifting his arm, "How about this?" He slid his hand from his pocket, slowly closing the space between them. His fingers brushed against hers—light at first—and then, as if on instinct, he took her hand, his fingers curling gently around hers. "There. Now you don't have to keep elbowing me in the side."

Bambi's hand felt frozen for a second, but not from the cold. It was stupid, really. They'd held hands many times, but not like this. Her heart beat louder than it had any right to, and she could feel the warmth of his hand creeping up her arm like it was spreading through her entire body.