𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 || 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐘

➳ THIRTEEN

XIII. "THE THIRD ONE"

Ruth was beyond confused.

The Yule Ball had happened over a week ago and afterwards, Fred Weasley seemed to have disappeared with the Christmas decorations.

He was nowhere to be found, by Ruth anyway. She saw George, she saw Angelina, she saw Poppy and Katrina, but no Fred. Perhaps he was hiding from her?

Ruth didn't understand Fred and his actions at all. First, he's really friendly with her during their tutor meetings, but treats her like a strange otherwise, then he asks her to dance with him under the stars, which was extremely romantic and still made Ruth blush whenever she thought about it.

Ruth was awoken from her daze by an owl tapping at the dorm window. Ruth quickly get off her bed to let Ash, the family owl, into the room.

The owl was carrying the Daily Prophet, which Poppy liked to read. As Poppy was in the bathroom at that moment, Ruth took the paper and sat down to read it.

She flicked through the pages, trying to find anything of interest. Her eyes were drawn to an article written by Rita Skeeter, titled Hogwarts' Happy Hour.

Eyes furrowed, Ruth scanned through the writing, wondering what on earth Happy Hour meant.

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry held the first Yule Ball in many decades. In the recent ages, teens seem to be growing more rapidly then ever! With a Malfoy and a Parkinson sharing secrets in the entrance hall, giants sharing their deepest fears and a Weasley twin and an Ash triplet getting cozy in the courtyard while the Weird Sisters 'Magic Works' playing in the background, 10:30pm seems to be Hogwarts' Happy Hour for new love!

Ruth felt dizzy as she read and reread the passage. She felt the presence of one of her sisters behind her.

"Can I see that Ruth?" Poppy asked. Ruth nodded and almost threw the newspaper at her sister.

Katrina jumped off her bed to read the article over her sister's shoulder. "A Weasley twin and an Ash triplet getting cozy in the courtyard?! Poppy, you didn't tell me!"

Poppy shook her head. "I didn't tell you because it wasn't me."

Katrina studied her sister's face for clues of lying. When she found none, Katrina spoke. "Then who was is?"

Ruth had stayed silent this entire time, her eyes focused on the Ash family owl.

"Ruth?" Poppy asked softly. "Was it-"

"I have something to do," Ruth said hurriedly. "I told Casper I'd meet him in the hall."

Ruth left the dorms before her sisters could stop her, hoping Casper would be easy to find. She tiptoed down the stairs but paused abruptly when she heard an angry voice.

From her horrible hiding place, Ruth could see Angelina Johnson standing in front of the fireplace, with what looked like a rolled up newspaper in her hand. Ruth noticed Fred sitting on the couch in front of her.

"Was this you Fred?" Angelina said, waving the Daily Prophet in his face. "Did you disappear with one of your friends while you were supposed to be my date?!"

Fred sighed. "It was probably George and Poppy, Angie. Calm down."

"Magic Works," Angelina pressed. "I was with George and Poppy when that song came on, so I know it wasn't them."

Fred didn't say anything, hiding his face in his hands.

Angelina let out a gasp. "Don't tell me you were with Katrina? She's my friend, Fred!"

Fred jumped from his seat, his arms reaching to hold Angelina's shoulders. "I wasn't with Katrina, Angie, I promise. I'd never do that."

From Ruth's spot, she could see Angelina closing her eyes for a moment, as if to collect her thoughts.

"You were with the third one?!" Angelina asked, her eyes snapping back open. "You were with Ruth?"

Ruth couldn't help but feel a little hurt at Angelina's words. When Fred didn't reply, Angelina threw his hands off her, walking a few steps away.

"I can't believe it!" Fred's girlfriend exclaimed. "You'd rather be with her than me, your own bloody girlfriend?"

"That's not true," Fred explained, moving towards the girl again. "She was on her own outside. I felt bad! I promise that's what happened!"

Ruth's eyes filled with tears, threatening to bubble over her waterline. She didn't like Fred in a romantic way, but hearing those words fall from his lips hurt. They really hurt.

When the couple embraced, Ruth took the opportunity to rush back to her dorm, tears flowing down her cheeks.

"Ruth?" Poppy asked when Ruth burst into the room. Ruth cursed herself, having completely forgotten her sisters were in their dorm. "What's wrong?"

Ruth couldn't speak, terrified of breaking down in front of her sisters. She tried to push pass Poppy and into the bathroom, but Poppy had pulled her into a hug before she could.

Feeling Poppy's arm around her shoulders made the lump in Ruth's throat double in size, and when she felt Katrina join the hug, she completely broke down.

"It's ok," Katrina whispered as Ruth cried harder. "Tell us what happened."

When she felt she could talk without bursting into another flood of tears, Ruth pulled away. She turned her back to her sisters, hoping to tidy herself up.

"It's about Fred," Ruth admitted as she turned back to her sisters. If Poppy and Katrina tried to hide their surprise, they did a very bad job.

"Fred?" Katrina repeated. "As in Fred Weasley?"

Ruth nodded. "He's been giving me Herbology lessons."

"Lessons?" Poppy repeated. "As in like a tutor?"

Ruth paused for a moment to take in how alike her sisters were. "Yes. Since the start of the year."

After her sisters promised not to interrupt until she was finished her story, Ruth told them everything. From the amount of fun she and Fred had during her tutor lessons to him treating her like a complete stranger. She ended her rant in the common room, where Fred had assured Angelina that held only held her as close as he did at the Yule Ball because he felt sorry for her.

"Wow," Katrina said once Ruth had finished. "I can't believe he did that."

"Yeah," Poppy agreed. "That's a git move."

"Please don't tell anyone," Ruth begged. "I don't know what I'm going to do about it, but please keep it a secret for now."

Poppy and Katrina looked at each other, before agreeing to Ruth's terms.

Ruth smiled, glad she was able to trust her sisters.