Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley (UNDER REVISION)

nine

SONG OF THE CHAPTER: speechless • dan + shay

The music was booming through the hallways as the students stepped to the entrance of the ball. Adrian Pucey had his girlfriend wrapped around his arm, showing her off like always, but the air between them was cold. The two were dressed in nothing but the best, just as they were expected to be. They never fell short of crowd expectations, nor their parent's expectations. Her black, elegant dress clung to her body with perfection, the expensive material that decorated her all thanks to her father's money and her mother's eye for fashion. The off-shoulder lace sleeves stuck to her arms, woven so nicely that it barely felt like it was touching her. The slit in the skirt stopped just shy of mid-thigh, showing off a ghastly white, toned leg.

Her icy blue eyes were lined with black liner, and her eyelids held the hue of Slytherin. The makeup on her face was arguably the only bit of colour she held. The forest green eyeshadow reminded everyone of who she was, and how seemingly happy she was to be that person. The necklace that dangled from her neck held a serpent charm, decorated with emeralds that glimmered under the lowlight. It had been a Christmas gift from her parents that arrived earlier that morning, just in time to make her look a little bit more elegant. Her blonde hair was pinned to the top of her head in a perfectly arranged mess of curls, some falling from the pin and tickling her shoulders.

Her boyfriend was in an all black suit, only his tie green. They looked like bearers of death and beauty all the same. The crowd couldn't decide which was more fitting, casting sideways glances and whispers of awe as they walked down the hall. They truly looked like royalty, even more so than the Triwizard Champions themselves. For the first time since returning to Hogwarts that year, Adalinda felt like herself again, the powerful and beautiful woman she was always regarded as, not the weak one that cowered under the hand of her boyfriend.

Fred Weasley had not yet caught sight of the girl of his dreams, but it did not mean his eyes were not gone in search of her. Every time someone entered the room, his gaze cut to the door, hoping he would see the familiar head of blonde hair or the bright blue eyes. While Angelina Johnson clung to his arms, he was only thinking about seeing Adalinda later that night. As guilty as he felt about it, he knew Angelina  and him were on the same page. The two attended as friends, nothing more and certainly with no romantic intentions.

As the champions entered the ball, mouths stood agape not at them, but because of the Slytherin couple that entered behind them. Adalinda had already set high beauty standard for herself, but that night she surpassed it by miles. The music played the Weird Sisters pounded in their ears, and all of the students were buzzing with excitement. Cedric Diggory courted Cho Chang, Viktor Krum was accompanied by Hermione Granger, Fleur Delacour with Roger Davies, and Harry Potter was with Parvati Patil. Applause sounded for them as they opened the dance, tumbling around (mostly) gracefully.

Adalinda stood, her arm hooked with Adrian's as they watched. Even taking her blinding beauty into consideration, her boyfriend barely interested in her company. He barely gave her a word or a second glance as they made their way around the room, and never grew more friendly as the night continued. Not once did he pride her on her stunning dress or her outstanding looks. Both knew they were only there together for appearances, that whatever feelings used to exist between them had been long demolished. Still, even with her dislike for the boy, she was put out at his lack of interest. She wanted to be appreciated by somebody, and if not by the boy she yearned for, Adrian would be second best.

Even if he treated her like garbage, some part of her still yearned to be respected by him. She didn't understand why, but she couldn't let it go.

Their relationship was on a thin rope, and one wrong move would certainly make it snap under the pressure. She hoped maybe this night would make things better, but he was as cold as ever.