˗ˋ 25

                                    

                                          
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
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-: sixth year :-
                          
── IN WHICH DATES ARE DISCUSSED
                          
. . .
                          


                          
"Hey, Rosie." A voice shouted from across the Gryffindor common room. It was the night after the last day of the term, and with so many staying behind for the Yule Ball, the common room was still practically full.
                          
It was Fred, stood by his twin and younger brother, Hermione and Ron beside them. "Hold on." She shouted in reply, tucking a bookmark in the potions book she was reading. "I'll be right back." She told Angelina, who nodded and continued with her own homework.
                          
"What's up?" Rosie asked, standing next to the twins, the youngest champion and his best friends staring apprehensively up at her.
                          
"Go to the ball with me?" Fred asked, and Rosie stared at him for a moment. Beneath them, Ron stiffled a laugh, and Hermione developed a slight case of second hand embarassment. 
                          
"Why not." Rosie finally said, and Fred hissed a quick celebration. "But geez you boys are useless. George, don't ask Angelina like this or I'm pretty sure you might get slapped. But it's cool, don't embarass me, Freddie." Rosie shrugged, before turning away. 
                          
"I'll try my best." Fred replied, as he watched his best friend walk away. "See, it was that easy." She heard him say as she left, and sitting back down next to Angelina, and getting straight back into her book. 
                          
"Rosie-" Angelina said, looking between the girl in front of her and one of the twins. "You just got asked to the ball and.. is this because Cedric is going with Cho?"
                          
"What?" Rosie instantly said, and Angelina stared at her. "No it's because I already knew I was going with Fred, he just needed to ask me. I'm fine with Cedric going with Cho." Rosie shrugged. 
                          
"Are you sure?" Angelina looked skeptical, but Rosie never got to answer, as George approached them both, asking if he could talk to Angelina. Rosie nodded, and Angelina left with the ginger boy. 
                          
"So." Fred said, sliding into the seat across from Rosie. "Are you planning on helping Cedric all the way through to the end or?" 
                          
"Fred, I've told you several times, a bet is a bet. Besides, we're going to the ball together, so you have me for a whole night, at least." Rosie smiled, looking up from the poem scribbled on her parchment.
                          
"And all the other days?" Fred balanced his head in his palm, smiling and blinking up at her like he was a girl asking his crush out. Rosie shook her head at him, resisting the urge to smack him over the head with a nearby copt of the Daily Prophet.
                          
"I'll talk to Cedric, and put off working on things until the beginning of term." Rosie said, after a few minutes. "We have until February to figure it out, might as well have a few days off."
                          
"That's my girl." Fred exclaimed, a little too loudly and people stared at him. "Alright people, move on." He told them, before looking back at Rosie. "I knew you would agree to a little time off."
                          
"You know, you're smarter than people give you credit for." Rosie said, and Fred nodded. "Anyways, who is everyone else going with." 
                          
"Well Hermione is being secretive with her date.. and Harry and Ron have some weird plan to have one by the end of the day tomorrow. But, and you've got to act like you've never heard this, I've see Harry looking at Cho Chang - you know the Ravenclaw seeker?" Fred said, and Rosie made a face.
                          
"I have. But Cho's going with Cedric." Rosie told him, and Fred frowned, trying to ignore the sense of relief inside him - which caused the small pocket of jealousy that had been sitting in his stomach for a while now, to disappear.
                          
"I'll mention it to Harry, if I happen to remember." Fred said, and Rosie was about to tell him he needed to tell him as soon as possible, Colin Creevey appeared besides their tables. 
                          
"Cedric Diggory is asking for you." The boy smiled, and Fred looked over at Rosie, who was immediately on her feet.
                          
"What perfect timing. Now Fred, tell you-know-who about you-know-what before he makes a complete and utter fool of himself. Oh, and make sure nobody touches my stuff." Rosie instructed him, and Fred nodded along.
                          
He tried not to notice the jealousy grow back again, wondering whether or not Rosie spent time with Cedric because he was her friend and because of the bet, or because there something more growing there.
                          
Either way, Fred hoped that she wouldn't grow too distant, as she had been so busy helping Cedric that they hadn't spent as much time together. 
                          
And neither twin would admit it, but they missed her far more than they let on.
                          
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