Midnight Snacks ➸ Fred Weasley

Study date

SATURDAY, THE DAY ALEXANDER WAS DREADING CAME ALL TOO FAST FOR HIS LIKING. Now here he is, slowly picking at his lunch to delay the amount of time he'll have to deal with his old heartbreak also known as Fred Weasley.

"You know," Hannah whispered making Alexander glance down at her. "You could have just asked someone to help you secretly and not attend the study sessions with Fred."

"But who?" Alexander frowned. He did not talk that much to others, he really only hung around his brother, everyone else was just there. "I have no friends."

"That's not true! I'm your friend, so is Justin, and Mark, and Ivan!" She corrected with a harsh tone. "You think no one likes you, but that's far from the truth." She frowns, eyes softening as she stares at him. "Can't you see?"

"I can see you trying to be nice, but there is nothing about me to like." He shrugged honestly.

"Alexander—"

"It's sweet, Hannah, you being nice to me when you don't have to, thank you for that, but you don't have to pretend to be my friend to get closer to my brother, he already likes you, so you don't have to pretend anymore."

"Is that what you really think?" She tilted her head. "That people only like you to get closer to your brother."

He nodded, using his fork to push around his baby tomatoes, "that's what I know, yes. I mean, there is nothing special about me, I'm not super kind, I'm not really smart, I'm not funny nor good company. But Cedric is. He's everything good, unlike me who struggles with everything I do. Who would want to be friends with me when he exists?"

"Oh, Alexander. . ." She trailed off sadly.

"But it's fine," he turned to smile at her, "I'm not mad at him, because I understand why everyone likes him better. I'm actually happy that many people like him, he deserves all the happiness he can get. If one of us had to be more popular, I'm glad it's him."

"What are you two talking about?" Cedric suddenly asked, turning away from his previous conversation and rose a brow, looking at his brother and Hannah.

"Nothing really," Alexander shrugged, "just talking about my study date."

"Oh yeah, that's today, well what are you still doing here?" Cedric teased.

Alexander let out a long sigh, "you know I try to put off any work."

"Go on," Cedric laughed, pushing his shoulder.

"I'm going, I'm going," Alexander grinned, standing from his seat. He turned to say goodbye to Hannah but froze when he saw her staring at him with pitiful teary eyes. He had never seen her close to tears. Not ever.

"Hannah?" He asked, frowning curiously, "what's wrong?"

"I, um," she sniffed, rubbing her eyes with her sweater sleeve, giving a forced chuckle, "oh nothing, just bit my tongue is all. Go on, you don't want to be late."

"But—"

"I'm fine. Go." She insisted.

"Okay. . ." He trailed off uncertainly. "Talk later, yeah?"

"Sure." She winced out a smile.

Alexander shifted hesitantly, not sure on whether or not he should leave when Hannah is clearly upset, but glancing up at the Gryffindor table he saw that Fred was on the edge of his seat, watching his every move carefully, trying to determine if he was about to leave or not, and he knew he had places to be. With a sigh he waved goodbye to his brother before heading out of the Great Hall, his head hung because he knew he was about to walk to his death. An afternoon with Fred Weasley, the boy who used to make his heart flutter and stomach do flips, but now when he looked at Fred Weasley all the boy did was bring back heart ach with an underline of anger. And it was not just going to be this weekend either, there were to be future meetings as well. Oh, he was doomed.