Wisps of Beth Black ϟ Fred Weasley [2] (ON HOLD)

6

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and -- most particularly -- guests," Albus Dumbledore started, beaming. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable.

"The Tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!"

When the Headmaster took his seat by Igor Karkaroff, Beth Black hardly noticed the food filling into the dishes in front of her and the soft gasps from the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students, only that a pair of big hazel eyes were staring at her from the other end of the Slytherin table.

Beth swallowed and broke eye contact, instantly filling up a dish with food to avoid the feeling of awkwardness settling itself in the hollow in her stomach. Her grey eyes had just fluttered upwards to look over at the Gryffindor table when a body blocked her way, sitting itself there. But before the body got in her way, she saw Fred and George Weasley grinning and high-fiving each other. She wondered what they were so excited about? It wasn't like they could get into the Tournament... or maybe it was because of all the pretty Beauxbatons girls... the thought of that was like a stab to the heart... 

"Hello."

Hazel eyes bore into Beth's grey eyes, and for a moment she forgot she could talk. She hadn't expected to be spoken to; she had spent the last few weeks eating alone, being alone, always. 

She cleared her throat, startled. "Hi?"

The boy introduced himself as Aleksandr Petrov, but told her he only went by Aleks, and his accent was torn between British and Russian, though it leant more towards British. He had to have spent more time with just one parent, but Beth was smart enough not to make comment on that. 

"And you are?" he asked, a soft smile on his face. 

Normally, she would have frowned at him and told him to go away and leave her alone, that she wasn't interested in making conversation with whatever intentions, but this was someone who probably didn't know who she was, and all she had been used to were people who knew she was the relative -- or commonly mistaken as the daughter -- of escapee Sirius Black. 

"I'm Beth," she told the boy hesitantly, forcing her eyes away from his and staring at the options of food in front of her, pretending to be thinking about what to grab, half hoping he would just stop talking to her. 

"Beth...?"

Beth looked up at him again. She shook her head after a moment, staring at that playful smile on his lips. "I'm just Beth."

Beth scanned his face. Aleksandr had a square jaw with faint facial hair that was at that perfect length where it didn't need to be touched, and the reddish-brown locks that crowned his hair complimented the hazel of his eyes flawlessly. He had to have been a strong-build under his coat. She noticed him scanning her as well, and looked away self-consciously. 

"Well, just Beth," he grinned, showing his perfect white teeth, "I happen to think you are the prettiest girl here at Hogwarts."

Yeah, right... Beth wanted to scoff, but instead, she reluctantly gave him a half smile and stirred her food around on her plate. 

"And the purpose of you talking to me is...?" she changed the subject, looking back and forth from his eyes and his hands, which he kept clasped perfectly in front of him. He hadn't even made any effort in filling himself some dinner. 

"Well, since I am to spend the remainder of my seventh-year here at Hogwarts, why not make some new friends? You look like you could use one... you are sitting here all on your own. Why?" he said this all so kindly that if he had said it any other way, even in the simplest of voices, Beth would have told him exactly where to go. If there was a chance that at least one other person could not avoid her, quietly hating her, then she would keep it civil.