Never Second Best

Chapter 27

Fred's POV:

This morning, Georgie and I walked to breakfast alone. It was quite curious because we usually always walk to breakfast with Holly. While I'm 'eating' my eggs, I can't stop thinking that I might've scared her away from the kiss. But she seemed like she enjoyed it? I am so confused. I think George recognized my uncomfortableness.

"You know Fred, you're supposed to eat the eggs, not push them around on your plate," George says. I drop my fork on my plate, making a loud clank.

"I'm not hungry," I say simply.

"What?" Everyone around us questions. It is no secret that the Weasley boys can eat. We're almost never 'full' or 'not hungry.' I ignored their questions. I looked around for Holly, but she was nowhere to be found. Strange. It's the day of the second chance. I would expect her to be down here with Harry, but Harry looks as worried and as uncomfortable as I am, also glancing around for Holly. Harry and I get up at the same time.

"Fred, have you seen Holly?" Harry asks eagerly.

"No, I was just about to ask you the same." Harry makes an uneasy face, and we leave th dining hall.

"Professor!" I call when I see Mcgonagall.

"Yes, Mr. Wealsey?"

"Do you know where Holly is?" I ask, my worry growing larger by the second. Mcgonagall gives me a sly face.

"Don't worry Mr. Weasley. She is safe." She responds, not giving me much to go off.

"But, Prof-" Harry starts.

"Don't worry about it, Mr. Potter." She leaves, and Harry and I give each other confused looks.

"Wait, wait. Why are you looking for Holly?" Harry asks suspiciously. Fuck. I turn red.

"Well- Um- We're best friends?" I say more as a question. I'm not a very good liar. Harry rolls his eyes.

"Rubbish, Fred. Break my sister's heart, you're dead. Get her pregnant, your dead. Make her do anything she doesn't want to, you're dead. If you step one toe out of line, you're dead. Hear me, Weasley?" I turn redder.

"Why would you think that, Harry?" I try to play it off.

"Oh please, Weasley. Give it up. I saw you two at the ball. You're lucky I didn't stop you. Also, next time, watch where your hands are." I wince a little. Harry walks out. I sigh. It's never nice to hear your girl's brother say he saw you grab her. I feel really uneasy after my encounter with Harry I make my way back up to the dorm room to lay down before the second task.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Freddie! C'mon get up mate!" Lee was screaming in my ear.

"What's going on?" I ask sleepily.

"You're going to miss the challenge, nitwit." George says annoyed. I still don't feel too well, so I don't say too much on the walk down.

"Why are you so quiet?" George breaks the silent.

"Harry saw Holly and I after the dance..." I admit.

"What happened after the dance?" He asks confused.

"You don't know? I thought I told you?" 

"No?"

"Oh.. Well. We kissed-"

"You did? Right on mate! What about Angelina?"

"I don't even like Angelina. Anyways, that's beside the point. We kissed, but my hands travelled down south a little..." I trail on. George lets a little laugh out and I give him a warning look.

"Continue," George says.

"Well, this morning when Harry and I were looking for her, he confronted me about it because he saw me grab her... you know..." George doesn't laugh like I expect him too.

"Did she want you to grab her? You know her past, Freddie. What if it wasn't okay with her and that's why Harry was angry? I think you should ask her if it was." George was being sensible. It was good advice.  I didn't think about it not being okay with her. What a stupid thing to do. I should've asked first. I just felt like stupid shit.

"I really want to. I don't have any idea where she is though." 

"No one has seen her all morning. Well go look for her after the task, okay? We need to get Harry back on your side if you want things to work out between you too. I think Holly will be more forgiving than Harry will."

"Agreed." George and I make our way to our seats, which happen to be front row. I save a seat for Holly incase she decides to show up. My worry grows larger by the second. Why wouldn't she be here to support Harry? She loves him more than anything in this world. I could see Harry standing and waiting for the cannon to blow. He too was extremely worried. He was looking all over the stands when his eye met mine, then the empty seat beside me.

"Where is she?" Harry mouths.

"I don't know." I mouth back, shrugging my shoulders. Even though my worry increased by the second, I couldn't help but feel a little relieved. So it wasn't only me Holly was avoiding. Filch lit the cannon, and Fleur, Krum and Cedric dived in gracefully, while Harry looked like he was struggling and had to get a push from Moody. The hour was dragging on dreadfully long. Fleur came up about 1/4 of the way in, looking terrified and distraught. She was eventually excluded from the task. Cedric came up next with another person... was that Cho Chang?

"Fred, I think they have to save someone from the bottom of the lake!" Lee says to me.

"Isn't Diggory and that girl dating?" George asks. 

"Yes, yes they are," I confirm. Things were starting to make sense in my head, and the answer was on the tip of my tongue. Next, came Krum and Granger. "Hey, isn't Krum like in love with Granger?" I ask the boys.

"Yeah, he is. What's your point, Freddie?" George asks.

"Harry has to save someone too, right? He isn't in love with anyone, and he only has two close friends."

"Ron and Hermione." Lee finishes.

"Yes but we've already seen Ron in the stands and Hermione..." George trails off.

"Holly must be at the bottom of the lake." I finish. Now satisfied that Holly is not avoiding anyone or in danger, I eargerly wait for her head to pop out. It was getting awfully close to the hour. What if Harry didn't find her? Thirty seconds were left and my palms were getting sweaty. I got out of my seat and made it down to the champion's platform. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. at the very last second, Holly's and a little French girl's head popped out of the water. I sighed with relief when I remembered, "Holly can't swim!" I call out. The little French girl and Holly were frantically kicking and thrashing. Ron dived in the water to pull the little french girl out. I was about to jump in and grab Holly when Harry shot out of the water, coughing with water pouring out his mouth and nose. He grabbed Holly and began to swim back. When they got close enough, I pulled them both out of the water. Harry and Holly immediately hugged, and for Harry being a short guy, he could still rest his chin on Holly's head. Hermione came rushing over to them, bearing blankets for each of them. She pulled them apart and wrapped blankets around them. She started speaking frantically to Harry, and Holly made her way over to me.

"Hi, Freddie. Thank you for pulling us out." She said gratefully.

"Uh, don't mention it." I say looking down.

"Attention please!" Dumbledore calls out. "In first place, Cedric Diggory!" The crowd errupts. "Now, we must take into account that Harry Potter would have finished in first place if it wasn't for his determination. Not only did he save his own, but he saved another. We award Harry Potter second place!" I hold up my hand to Holly.

"Um, vicotry high five?" Oh my God Fred. How pathetic. Holly rolls her eyes playfully.

"Come here, you goof." She jumps on me and I grab her legs as a reflex, and she wraps her arms around my neck, and plants a fat kiss on me.