WARNING: UNDER REWRITING AND HEAVY EDITING
Read at your own risk!
Life started off complicated for young Eleanor Ross after being born to a muggle mother while showing her magical capabilities at an early age. Growing up in a household where her mot...
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For the duration of the train ride, Fred suspected there was something that was bothering Eleanor because she was rather quiet during the trip. Occasionally, she would laugh or smile at something that was said, but otherwise, she would turn her gaze to look outside the window until it became dark. He wanted to ask her if something was wrong, but with Cedric, Lee, Marnie, and George sitting around, he didn't want to put her on the spot either. Clearly, there was something on her mind, making him wonder if he had done anything wrong since she wasn't really speaking with him either.
They had left off on good terms before she left The Burrow after the Quidditch World Cup. His mind immediately travelled to when he had kissed her on the forehead, perhaps she was upset over that? But that didn't make sense, since she had left with a smile on her face, and she had kissed his forehead plenty of times before. So, she wouldn't have taken offence to such a gesture. And in the few short letters that they had sent back and forth afterwards, she seemed relatively fine. They spoke about her coming up with new order forms for Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and she seemed delighted to help.
And it couldn't be a coincidence that whenever the two of them made eye contact, she would visibly blush before looking away from him abruptly.
Arriving at Hogsmeade Station, there was a loud clap of thunder as the downpour came, threatening to soak the students as they had to make their way to the line of carriages. Students hopped off the train, using their robes to cover their heads as they made a mad dash for it. Eleanor, on the other hand, used her wand using the incantation "Paraplulous" to use as a brolly.
It helped for the most part, but with the added wind, the rain seemed to come from all sides. Cedric and Marnie had run ahead of her to avoid getting wet, and it seemed Lee and George were doing the same, leaving Fred the perfect opportunity to join arms with Eleanor.
"So, tell me if I'm reading too much into the situation," he began as he stepped under the invisible brolly with her, "but I'm guessing that something is on your mind. However, the real question is, what's on your mind?"
She seemed hesitant about saying anything, pressing her lips together and looking ahead, but Fred wasn't going to take such silence as an answer as he continued to nudge her playfully. Eventually, she broke into a smile and then she started laughing.
"Alright, alright," she said, "there are a couple of things on my mind. It's Marnie's fault, really, well, not entirely, I guess it's mine too, or maybe it's no one's. I don't know. I mean, really, I should be happy about it all. She said she doesn't fancy Cedric anymore and that's a good thing because Cedric fancies Cho, obviously. I should be thankful that the problem sorted itself out, but then Marnie brought up you.... another thing on the train and...and..."
Just before it seemed like she was going to confess something, Eleanor stopped herself as they reached the carriages. She turned to him and suddenly, Fred started to feel nervous, unsure of what she was going to say.
