Not A Coincidence (Fred Weasley)

Ch 18: A Challenge You Say?

"Finally!" I cheer with the boys. I decided to stay at Hogwarts over the Christmas holiday with the boys, their parents are going to see Charlie in Romania over Christmas so they're stuck here as well. That and it's Mum and Dad's seventeenth wedding anniversary, got married at 19. I told them to have a holiday, spend some time together, besides I needed to work on some assignments and experiments.

"Christmas is here!" Fred picks me up, swinging me over his shoulder.

"Fred!" I laugh. He spins around before placing me down.

"What do we want to do first?" George asks as we make our way to the Great Hall for dinner.

"How about figure out new items for next term." I input, we haven't done any experimenting lately and we need to catch up if we want to get out new items before the new term begins.

...

"Alright, now add it slowly." I instruct as George pours some death-cap in to the brew.

"... Done, what's next?"

"How about we add some fairy wings, that should make it float." Fred reads over a list of ingredients. We're trying to make a flying paper plane that releases a sickening stench over victims below, the smell lasts a second before the victim falls asleep.

I add in some fairy wings and watch the potion turn in to a light golden colour.

"Now, add the exploding fluid, this should release the stench." Lee says, inspecting some jars on the floor of the girls bathroom- that's our workstation. Lee helps us with potions sometimes, when he's not fooling around with Stacey, but who would've thought quiet Stacey would like someone as out-going as Lee, not expected.

"How much?" I ask as George starts to pour the bottle. I grab his hand, shaking my head for him to stop.

"3 drops, only 3." Fred says, coming over.

George slowly pours in the exploding fluid. One drop... Two... Three.

"Alright." George says as he starts to recap the bottle. But he doesn't notice the small drop fall from the cork, towards the cauldron.

"No!" I shriek, leaning forward to stop the drop, my hand misses as the drop falls in to the potion. I jump back, but not in time for a small explosion to happen. Smoke covering the space in the bathroom.

"Chelsea!" I hear Fred call out. But the ringing in my ears is too loud to decipher where he is, and the smoke too thick to see him.

"Fred." I call, reaching out for him. Once the smoke clears up I find Fred, I rush in to his arms.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"Yeah, who knew one extra drop could do that." He says stepping back. His eyes suddenly widen.

"What?" I ask, looking around. I see George get up, he catches my eye, his eyes go wide as well, same with Lee. What are they staring at?

I walk over to the mirror. "Great." My chestnut hair was singed all the way to my ear.

"You didn't move quick enough." Fred says inspecting my hair.

"Well, I did want a haircut I guess." I swish my wand over my head to even out the length on the bottom. "A pixie cut will have to do for now."

"I like it, shapes your face nicely." Fred says, looking at my mirror reflection.

"Really?" I ask, turning to him as I run my fingers through my hair. Man, it feels so weird short since I've had it long since I was little.

"Yeah, makes you look very cute." He taps my nose and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"A haircut make me look cuter, interesting." I say looking up. "Funny how males always find ways to improve someone's appearance." I tuck my hands behind my back and swing on my heels, still looking at everyone but Fred. I smirk at George and Lee who now understand the sarcasm hiding well in my voice.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Fred's mouth pop open. "I did-didn't mean it like that. You just l-look very nice now- No! That's not what I mean-"

I shut him up with a kiss. "I was messing around with you, you goose." I smirk at him once we break apart.

Fred looks at me surprised before pulling me in to another kiss.

"Ewww, get a room." George jeers.

"Yeah, gross!" Lee says.

I pull away from Fred, raising an eyebrow. "Really Lee? You might want to think about how you look snogging Stacey 24/7 before commenting on others."

"Ooooohhh." Fred and George crow.

"Hey... alright, I see your point." Lee admits. "Now- I cannot take you seriously with that haircut!"

"Yeah, Chels, you look too cute." George says picking up a strand of my new hair, I swat his hand away.

"Can't you grow it back out with a spell? Like that one you created when Ronsky got her hair chopped all off, because someone," He looks pointedly at me, "made up a spell that ties the hair in to a knot so hard it's as if someone stuck it all together with a wad of bubblegum, and she begged you to undo it but you didn't create a counter-curse so instead you created a whole new spell!"

"Ohoh yeah. I remember that." I laugh. " That's when she tried to make me slip on an invisible oil slick, so naturally I had to get her back."

"That was funny. And how you created two spells in one day was pretty cool." George says, looking off in to the distance like he was displaying a memory.

"That was amazing, you're pretty nifty with a wand." Fred smiles, wrapping his arms around me from behind and resting his head on my shoulder. "My girlfriend, wizard genius."

"Why thankyou, boyfriend, Prank Prince."

"Prank Prince?" He scoffs.

"Yeah, well naturally I'm the Prank Queen, because I'm just amazing. And I'm not married so there's no King." I shrug, playing innocent.

"Yeah, that might change some day." George says, Fred punches his arm. "I am just saying what we all know."

I roll my eyes. Of course George would say that.

"Well, I might have to dethrone you, your majesty." Fred says, letting go of me and bowing.

"Good luck," I say cockily, folding my arms, "you'll need it, sweetie, if you want to dethrone me."

"Is that a challenge?" He raises his eyebrows as the others watch on with joy, they love when we do things like this, always trying to top each other.

"A challenge, most glorious prank to top it all wins." I declare.

"Ends Christmas Eve."

"At 11:59 pm."

"You're on." He says as we shake on it.

Alright, first I need to collect ingredients.

I run out of the bathroom, on my search for honey, string, a pail... and my bazerk balls. Ooh, I also need to find Peeves, I'm sure he'll want to get in on a prank on Fred.

...

**Fred's POV**

"You're dead, mate." George says once Chelsea has left.

"Wow, lovely vote of confidence there, brother." I pick up a piece of parchment and a quill off the floor. Now, what do I need?

"He's got a point there, man." Lee adds in as he cleans up the mess from the explosion. "We've all witnessed what she's capable of- and been a victim!"

"Yeah..." I guess they're right, but I made it a challenge and a challenge it is going to be.