Absolutely Smitten - Fred Weasley

One

Sun rays beamed through glass and split off in panels from the dainty white window frames of the ice cream shop. The warm light bathed Violet's skin and reflected in her eyes as she sat reading the Daily Prophet, the crisp pages turning in her hands as she skipped past yet another Chosen-One-Gone-Mad story.

Harry himself was sat outside studying, something Violet had grown accustomed to these past few summers. Her father would offer him free ice cream and help him with his History of Magic work; Violet had been told the Fortescue family had always taken interest in magical history, and she was no exception. Story after story of dangerous battles and mysterious prophecies meant she didn't need to force herself to listen to hours of a boring ghoul for a professor to get top marks.

"How do you sit inside on a day like this?" Her father questioned her as he scrubbed the marble white counter. He eyed the newspaper she held disapprovingly, "Reading that rubbish won't do you any good."

Violet gazed down at a double page spread of death eater mugshots, "I keep thinking if I flick through the pages just a bit more, I might actually find something nice to read."

"Hufflepuff" he shook his head jokingly, "Your optimism is wasted on that paper."

"Ravenclaw" she huffed and threw the news in the bin, "You're annoyingly right."

Florean scooped mint chocolate chip ice cream into a small light blue pot, before handing it to Violet, "Give this to Harry, will you?"

"Sure." She spun around, her black pinafore spinning as she went.

The messy haired boy looked up when the door clicked open and smiled kindly at her as she made her way to him. Getting closer, she saw that the mess of papers on his table were describing the Hogwarts founders, one of her favourite topics. She pulled out a chair and placed the treat in front of him, peering at the scrawled writing on his homework.

"Harry, it's spelt R-O-W-E-N-A, not R-O-W-O-N-A." She grabbed her wand and pointed it his writing, mumbling a simple erasing spell.

"Thanks, for the ice cream too." He sighed, "I didn't even notice that, I'm just trying to finish it as soon as possible. If I have to read another book on these-"

"Professor Binns doesn't do a great job conveying how interesting they are." She laughed, "He doesn't really do a great job explaining anything, really."

"I can't imagine anything he teaches actually being that interesting." He started to fold his work and stuff it into his pockets.

Her eyes widened, "Oh, but they are so interesting." She started to explain as Harry scooped the cool green dessert into his mouth, "I love the story about Rowena's lost dia-"

She was interrupted by a familiar group of redheads calling the boy's name. A blur of hands waved excitedly in Harry's direction.

Harry's direction Violet had to remind herself, so she didn't wave back, like a complete idiot.

Although, as Harry mumbled his goodbye to her and rushed off to his best friend, one hand continued to wave. At Violet.

The wave was more or less wiggling fingers, with a scrunched face, like an old lady greeting her grandchildren. She shook her head, trying to hold back her smile before mirroring him. It wasn't until she scared off three puzzled looking young children from going near the ice cream shop that she realised how strange she must have appeared. Awkwardly, she busied her hands by pulling at a strand of her hair, then faced away from them to see an empty road.

I'm not exactly sane, She thought, squinting into the distance, but surely I'm not wild enough to imagine him?

"Looking for someone?" A voice came from behind her. She could hear his smirk.

"Apparating randomly like that should be illegal." She folded her arms as Fred lent against the table.

"It is for you," he laughed. "Well, until next year that is."

Violet was caught a slightly off guard by this statement, "How do you know?"

"I remember your face, from Hogwarts, of course."

He seemed sincere when he said it, and she found it quite adorable. In a cringe-worthy sort of way.

"Aww" Her eyes creased, forming crescent moon shapes like she had bitten a sour lemon.

But she didn't believe it one bit.

"You asked Harry, didn't you?"

He pulled his collar comically, "...Maybe."

The cheesy grin that dented dimples into his cheeks was enough to make her laugh with him. It was enough to make her study every crease and wrinkle on his face at that moment, and the shadows that danced over his freckles every time he moved slightly in the early afternoon sun. Violet had to remind herself that it wasn't normal to stare this intently, and hurriedly thought of an excuse before he could notice.

"You have a fly on you-" She waved her hand to the empty space at the left of his head, "Gone now."

"Thanks-"

"FRED!" A voice shouted from afar. Violet believed it to be Harry's red haired friend. "FRED! LEE JORDAN IS BACK AT THE SHOP LOOKING FOR YOU!"

"I'LL BE THERE IN A MINUTE!" Fred yelled back, before standing up halfheartedly and turning to face the brunette girl. "Stop by the shop at some point, will you?"

She shrugged, "I guess if I'm up to it."

Amused, he shook his head, the corners of his mouth turning up once again as he waved goodbye and apparated out of sight.

★★★★★★★★★★

A/N: First chapter ayyyyyyye

I honestly have the worst cold rn and it was so distracting in my biology exams on friday.
Speaking of exams, most of mine are over WOOOHOOO i only have 4 more to go but they're alot more spread out so less stress.

Hope you liked this chapter :)
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