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

13

Aleks was gone by the time Beth and Fred made their way back into the Great Hall, as were some other students who had either wandered outside or called it a night and retreated back to their dormitories. Angelina Johnson, Fred's date, was dancing with other girl friends and grinned and waved at him when she saw him; at least she wasn't resentful about him pretty much ditching her. 

Beth started to feel uncomfortable. What if people would come over and ask what had happened? What if people would stare or give her dirty looks because of it? She was just glad Professor McGonagall hadn't spotted her yet. 

"I should go," Beth said. 

Fred had an arm around her shoulders as he guided her in, and weirdly enough it made her feel like nothing could go wrong tonight; like nobody would dare be rude to her, like she was secure. The redhead looked down at her with a slight frown, his brown eyes unmistakably scanning over her face as it had more than once in the last half hour. Beth felt her insides twisting and turning. 

"Don't go, we haven't even had one dance yet!" Fred argued with a small pout, a pout Beth found to be almost irresistible. He must've seen how unsettled Beth was about it, because he leaned close to her and said, "I promise you won't regret it."

Beth pondered for a moment. When was the next time she'd dance with Fred? When was the next time she'd even consider dancing at all? Beth swallowed as much of her pre-humiliation as possible and took Fred's hand, resulting in tingles in her stomach... But that could've just been the fear that she'd embarrass herself. 

Beth slowly raised her arms, feeling them shake slightly. Fred must've noticed her reluctance because he reached for her arms to place them over his shoulders. Beth yanked her arms away. 

"I can do it," she said, watching Fred throw his arms up defensively before reaching down and holding her behind her back. 

Beth's stomach erupted into a fit of tingles all over again.

Lee and George were hanging around a table with three other girls, chatting and laughing, by the time Fred approached them after his dance with Beth. Fred glanced over his shoulder; Beth was sitting right where she said she would, alone, but still looked wary -- clearly on the lookout in case Aleks came back. 

"FRED!" Lee exclaimed happily and a little too loudly. He looked a little too happy. "What's up? Where's one of your dates, you ladies man?"

Fred just shook his head and looked at George. "Can you grab me one of those drinks?"

"Oh, for Beth?" Lee asked. 

Fred looked at George for an answer as to why Lee was being a little odd, but George looked just as confused and simply shrugged. Fred nodded at Lee, and the latter reached over towards the table behind him, moved aside a handful of napkins and empty plates, and grabbed a goblet full to the top. As Lee turned around to hand the drink to Fred, his eyes looked beside him. 

"One drink for the lucky lady," Lee said in a lavish accent very unlike his own. 

Beth slowly took the goblet from him with an arched brow, looking to Fred for an answer he was unable to grant her. Fred didn't blame her for being confused as to why Lee would have talked to her, nicely even. George could plainly sense the awkward tension and quickly handed a drink to Fred so that they could be on their way, and he earned an appreciative look from his twin. 

"And now we walk away from the weirdness," Fred said happily as he guided Beth away towards the doors, where they would then make their way outside into the garden.