Smile - Book One of the RP Saga

One Day ( 34 )

Rachel and Hermione sat away from the twins, awkwardly making eye contact with them. Rachel fiddled with her thumbs and tapped her foot. Hermione let out a sigh.

"Go talk to him." Hermione said simply.

Rachel looked at her bewildered. "No!" She hissed. "I'm far too embarrassed."

"Well, you can't just sit here and keep looking at him!" Hermione crossed her arms. "Go. Now!"

"Alright, fine!" Rachel groaned and stood up.

She awkwardly walked over to Fred. Himself and George looked at her instantly, George slightly bemused.

"Fred..." She started, "can we... talk?"

"That's a brilliant idea." George stood up with a smirk. "Why don't you go and talk outside, there's an old classroom round the corner."

"Thanks, George." Rachel said through gritted teeth.

Fred followed Rachel, not saying a word. He seemed just as embarrassed as her. At first it was slightly awkward as they entered the classroom George spoke about. They sat on old chairs.

"Listen Rach... I..." Fred sighed.

"What was that about?" Rachel interrupted.

"I..." He tried speaking, but he couldn't. How could he explain he liked her? He fell silent.

Rachel fiddled with her hands again, picking at her nails. She didn't say anything either.

"Fred... look," Rachel sighed, "I like you. A lot. You're incredibly kind to me, you look out for me always... but..."

Fred looked at her. "But you don't like me like that."

She said nothing for a moment and bit her lip.

"I'm not sure." She admitted after a while.

Fred nodded and looked at his lap. His heart was racing in his chest.

"I'm sorry." He said, Rachel looked at him curiously. "I shouldn't have just... kissed you like that. It's unfair on you. I'm sorry if I made you feel pressured."

"Oh, Fred," Rachel smiled, "you're an angel. It's okay, it just... caught me off guard."

He smiled back at her. "I know you said you wasn't sure how you felt," he began to say, "but, Rach... I like you... I'm not going to pressure you though. Not at all. Just... just know that I'll be waiting for you."

"You'll wait?" Rachel rose an eyebrow with a smile. "What if I make you wait forever?"

"Then I wait forever." He smiled at her.

Fred meant every word. He felt it in his bones. Rachel could tell he did, she saw in his eyes how true he felt. She let out a breath. She just wasn't ready to give in to her feelings just yet.

"Is that a promise, Weasley?" Rachel teased, she could feel herself lightening up.

"I swear it, Potter." Fred nodded, standing up. "Always."

Rachel laughed at him and stood up also. "Didn't picture you as a romantic."

"I know when to turn it on." Fred led her back to the common room.

They arrived back in the common room and went their separate ways, just a small smile between them. Hermione quickly rushed up to Rachel and tugged her up to their dorm room, trying not to giggle.

"Tell me everything!" Hermione gasped, pushing Rachel onto a bed and hopping on next to her.

Rachel smiled and rolled her eyes. "We spoke."

"Yes, but about what?" Hermione was on her knees. "Do you like him?"

"I said I didn't know." Rachel said after a moment, looking to Hermione who looked rather disappointed.

"You don't know?" She frowned. "But I thought-"

"Hermione, I just..." Rachel let out a sigh, "I don't think I could do it... it's Fred... just imagine if it went wrong!"

"Who's to say it would go wrong?"

"It's not the right time." Rachel said. "Not yet. Maybe one day... he told me he'd wait for me."

"No!" Hermione gasped and excitedly clapped her hands. "Oh, that's so romantic!"

Rachel rolled her eyes playfully and let out a sigh. "Maybe... maybe it's stupidity."

"Trust me when I say this..." Hermione began to say, "you two will get married."

Rachel scoffed and rubbed her face. She closed her eyes for a moment, a smile lingering on her lips. She was happy. She trusted herself to know that now was not the right time for her to throw herself into something with Fred. One day, it would happen. But she wouldn't know when.

That night. she dreamt of a familiar red head.

The next day, Rachel wandered the school, idly, looking for something to do. Her mind was clouded as she thought of her conversation with Remus on the bridge. She wondered if he had heard from Sirius finally. It had been a while since she herself received a letter from him.  She passed the portraits and paintings on the wall, of famous witches, wizards or just some knights of long ago.

"You look troubled, Miss Potter." A voice called out, startled she spun around to find the source of the sound and was incredibly suprised to find Dumbledore. He was wearing twilight blue robes with a matching hat, each decorated by little silver beads - it almost looked like a night sky.

"Oh, I'm not exactly." She stuttered out, unsure as of what to say.

"Forgive me. It's none of my business, I was merely being curious." He smiled softly.

"Of course, professor." She nodded back, she liked the company of Dumbledore, he was a humble man and always spoke words of wisdom.

He clearly - although he may not mean to show it so obviously - favoured her and Harry over many students. All though she did not really see why. Apart from the fact Harry had survived the killing curse, there was nothing particularly interesting about the two, she thought.

"Rachel, do you mind stepping into my office?" He asked, all though it was not a question but a statement. She nodded and followed the headmaster to his office, deliberating in her head why he wanted to speak to her.

After the small climb up the office stairs, they entered the magnificence that was Dumbledore's office. Silver trinkets were dotted around the room, each cabinet filled with various treasures, each book case filled with a hundred books. He offered out a chair to Rachel and she sat down, still looking around the room. It never failed to impress her.

"Friendship is an important thing, something that can save a man if you ask me." Dumbledore said so suddenly it made Rachel jump.

"I agree, sir." She nodded.

"I heard about your accident during the Quidditch game against Slytherin." Dumbledore calmly spoke. "Did you recover well?"

"Oh, yes I did. Thank you for asking." Rachel nodded hastily.

"It must be so warming to have friends such as yours, I hear they didn't leave your bedside until you left." Dumbledore continued.

"That's true!" Rachel nodded. "I am very lucky, sir... but I assume that's not why you asked me to come to your office."

"You've assumed correctly, Miss Potter. See the reason I have asked you to join me is to discuss some issues." He started.

"Issues, sir?" Rachel confusedly asked. "Am I in trouble?"

"Of course not." Dumbledore smiled. "Our conversation is to be about Sirius Black."

"Oh."