ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ | ғʀᴇᴅ ᴡᴇᴀsʟᴇʏ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ

13.

Riley is sitting with James at the Hufflepuff table for breakfast. It is a quiet morning as both of them woke up, or should I say stayed up all night, from excitement. Jade was in shock when she heard James asked Riley out, she was in even more shock that she now has to do Riley's transfiguration homework for a month. Most people have a lie-in on Saturdays though.

"What are your plans today?" Riley asks James.

"I'll probably-"

"Oi Potter!" A voice booms from the other side of the great hall.

It's Fred, and he doesn't look very happy. He storms over to the table and when he stops crosses his arms and death stares James.

"Hey, Fred." Riley mumbles.

He ignores her. She's not that surprised, he's always silent when he is upset especially with her.

"Fred, where have you been?" James looks at the infuriated boy.

"I spent the night in another dorm, can I speak to you?" He says sharply.

"Yeah mate of course. I'll see you in a few Riley." James nods and gets up from his seat.

Fred angrily turns and storms into the corridor. When he finds the area he wants to confront his cousin he stops and once again quickly uses his heels to face James.

"What are you playing at?" Fred spits.

"Me? What am I playing at? I didn't do anything." James counteracts.

"You asked Riley out! You knew I wanted to, but of course, Mr James Potter always has to get what he wants." Fred shakes his head.

"Are you kidding me? Riley had the choice to say no!" James barks.

"Well doesn't seem like much of an option when you get asked VERY publicly James, did you think of that?" Fred questions.

"Of course I thought of that, are you joking? Do you really think I'm forcing her to go?" James looks at his cousin.

"Well sure seems like it. You should know she wouldn't want a publicity stunt like that." Fred huffs.

"Right mate I get you're upset that Riley chose me because I have more guts to do what you wanted to do but Merlin, it was her choice." James taunts.

"I was going to do it, I didn't expect anyone, especially YOU, to ask her two months early. You could have anyone why did you pick the one girl you knew I wanted to go with." Fred's anger rises.

"It's not like she's your girlfriend. Anyone was allowed to ask her." James states.

"You're the one person who's meant to have my back James, I'd be upset no matter who did it, but you? You're my cousin and my best friend, and you did this. I don't even know who you are anymore James." Fred stares at James.

"If you don't know who I am anymore it's not my fault." James starts to walk off.

Fred stands in shock since he read the newspaper yesterday he couldn't believe it, his cousin, someone he trusts asked the one girl he's ever liked out. Seeing them this morning, he couldn't handle it.

"Well, that was some show." Scorpius came out from an alcove in the corridor clapping.

"Do one Malfoy." Fred sighs.

"Eh, what did I do? I wasn't the one that asked your little girlfriend out." Scorpius clutches his robes in a dramatic manner.

"She's not my girlfriend." Fred says through gritted teeth. 

"Why's that, Potter got there first?" The blonde boy smirks.

"No." Fred clenches his fists.

"Potter had the balls?" Malfoy teases.

That was it. That's what drove him to hit him. Some might say it is deserved but it definitely is uncharacteristically unlike Fred. Scorpius grabs onto his nose and looks at Fred. He quickly and timidly scurries to the Slytherin Dungeons.

"Fred? James?" Fred could hear it, her voice, full of worry and concern, calling out for him and his cousin.

He couldn't respond, his ego and hand are too sore. As he walks past her she calls out to him to turn.

"Fred just talk to me please."'she sighs.

"Talk to you? All I want to do is talk to you." Fred looks at her.

"Why are you being like this?" She questions.

"I know I'm not Harry Potter's son but I thought for a second, just for one second, that you and I had something worth more than friendship. I thought you thought more of me than what you're showing right now. You and I both know how we work Riley and I know how this works," he points between her and down the corridor, "I can't watch him take another thing, the only thing I've ever truly wanted." Fred's eyes are full of tears, Riley wants to give him a hug but she knows it's not her place.

"If I had of know I would have," she looks down, "Merlin Fred your hand. Are you alright." She grabs his hand which he quickly pulls back.

"I'm fine, it was just a wall." He lies to make her less concerned.

"Do you want help with it?" Riley Looks between Fred, his hand and the nasty cuts on his knuckles.

"I think you've helped enough." He shakes his head and walks away holding his hand, heart and pride.

Riley lets out a shaky sigh and a tear slips past her awareness. It's only the morning and she is crying. The tear drips and falls on the ground as she heads back for her common room. She enters both the common room and her dorm and climbs into Jade's bunk.

"I messed up." Riley cries into the girl's, who has now engulfed her in a hug, shoulder.

"It's okay, it's all going to be fine." Jade shushes her as she rubs circles on the brunettes back.

Riley cries for a long time afterwards. She isn't sure what to do, she is getting between two cousins and making a mess of everything. She has the weekend to think about it all and weigh out her options.