prospicere futurum | fred weasley | cedric diggory

47

Corinne's gaze was latched to the sliver of the sun remaining over the tree line of the forbidden forest in the distance. It had certainly been warmer when she had climbed up the rickety ladder to the astronomy tower... how long ago now, she had no idea. Only that the sun had been much higher in the sky and was now slipping out of view, pulling the orange glow and the impression of warmth she had been holding onto and leaving her in the pale moonlight and frozen wind sweeping over the platform.

She had taken care to remain along the stone wall, far from the ledge where the wind was the strongest and her stomach squirmed at the far drop beneath her feet. Along the stone wall where she and Fred had spent hours after Christmas staring at the sky.

Fred. Again.

How did everything come back to Fred.

She forced her mind back to the forest across the grounds, trying to retrace the path her mind had just taken, though it only led her back to the reason she had stormed up here to begin with. Ella and Taylor and the excruciating dinner conversation.

Ella, as it turned out, was not in a lecturing mood, though after nearly five minutes of concerned looks and quiet, soothing tones, asking if she was feeling alright and what had made her lash out in class, she would have preferred the lecture.

Her stomach dropped as the wooden door behind her creaked, but she pressed her lips together tightly to suppress the groan. Assuming it wasn't after curfew, anyone had just as much right as she did to come up here.

And if it was after curfew, well... What was one more detention? Corinne certainly wasn't expecting many letters of recommendations after the year she'd had.

She wasn't sure how she placed him first. The spicy, cinnamon scent, barely able to conceal the smokey notes beneath, or the warmth that he seemed to emanate as he fell into place at her side.

"Fancy finding you here." Fred started, though the upbeat tone, the smile hiding in his voice, was doing nothing to fool her. The likelihood of him happening to stumble upon her up here was hard to believe. He had been looking for her.

"Is it?" She answered, refusing to turn, to face him, even though she could feel his eyes sweeping over her face.

"You're right. Let me try again. What are you doing up here?"

He was relentless. It didn't matter how indifferent or downright rude she was. Fred Weasley took it farther than simply ignoring signals. Fred Weasley was determined. Fred Weasley was masochistic.

"Wanted some air."

"Ah." Fred nodded, as if he understood, letting silence fall over the pair as he studied her face again, either oblivious or indifferent to the fact that she could most certainly feel his eyes on her.

The tip of her nose was pink, her fingers tucked into fists crossed over her chest as the wind whistled through the tower, occasionally managing to free a few more strands of her hair from where they had been tucked neatly against her sweater.

"You look freezing." He muttered, already dropping his jacket from his arms, thankful that he had grabbed it before he had begun his full castle search for the blonde. He shook it out behind her, draping it over her shoulders, managing to bite back his smile when her eyes finally snapped to his.

"Fred-"

"It's just a jacket." He assured her, voice teasing, "Don't worry, I'll be collecting it when we go back inside."

She looked, for a moment, ready to argue, though after another seconds pause, probably the strong burst of wind that had followed his words, she seemed to accept it, pulling the collar tighter around her neck.