#「 alicia 」 — » i feel like i haven't felt like myself in a while | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

helloalycia · 2 years ago

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my responsibility [three] // alicia clark

summary: Alicia's friends are to pick her up soon, and you find it difficult to say goodbye.

warning/s: mentions of guns, injury and death.

author's note: and here’s part three! there’s not tons of people reading this but to those who are, i hope you’re enjoying it! only one more part left :)

one / two / four / masterlist / wattpad

Since Alicia wasn't going anywhere until the evening, I continued to supervise her for the rest of the day, which consisted of us hanging out a little more before we'd have to leave.

We played some darts, talked about our lives before the dead began to rise, made lunch together for everyone per her request, and even helped my brother and mother out with putting together some new fencing to replace the electric fences. Eventually, it was getting closer to the time when we'd have to check in with her friends and probably make a move to leave, so we were sat upstairs in her room, myself packing a little bag for her to take with her.

I wasn't sure she'd need it, but it only felt right to make sure she had enough to survive on until she reached her home. Alicia assured me she definitely didn't need it and argued that I was doing too much, but once I bugged her about it enough times, she left me to it.

She was sat on her bed, leaning against the headboard and watching me pack a backpack at the foot of her bed whilst we chatted mindlessly.

"...It was nice meeting you," I said after a pause in our conversation, unable to look up as I folded some spare tee shirts for her to take with her.

"I haven't gone yet," she joked, and I smiled, glancing at her.

"Still. I didn't realise how nice it was to have someone else around until you came. So, thanks."

Her playfulness subsided when she realised I was telling the truth, and her green eyes shimmered with the same bittersweet feeling I felt right now.

"Maybe you can visit sometimes," she suggested. "This doesn't have to be it."

I gave her a knowing look. "If my mum lets me."

Alicia rolled her eyes at my retort. "She's just trying to protect you."

I got back to packing as I replied, "Yeah, I know. It would just be nice to have neighbours or something."

"The place I'm going, it's not far from here," she reminded me with a soft voice. "Maybe I can visit you sometimes. Or you can visit me and stay over for a few nights. Kind of like a sleepover."

Cracking a smile, I snickered under my breath at the thought of that. Not only did it sound very childlike, but it was also probably never going to happen. As much as I would have wanted it to, my mum would never approve, no matter how much she was beginning to get on with Alicia. It just wasn't part of our survival plan. And I think, deep down, Alicia must have known that, too.

"Maybe," was all I could think to answer without hurting her feelings.

"I'll take maybe," she said lightheartedly, and I looked up to meet her hopeful gaze.

I could have stared at her for a while, admittedly, frozen in place by her bright-eyed stare and pretty smile, but we were interrupted by the sound of gunshots. Not a single shot, but a succession of them, followed by shouts and a loud commotion from outside.

"What the hell was that?" I muttered quickly, immediately getting up to look out the window.

To my surprise, there was about a dozen or so of strangers galloping onto our property, shooting their rifles in the air and causing chaos with lit torches in their hands.

"I've gotta do something," I said, already making my way to the bedroom door to go and find my gun.

"Shit," Alicia cursed when she saw the view outside, before following after me with a hobble in her step. "I'm coming with."

I didn't refuse as we both raced downstairs to the living room. I grabbed my shotgun before taking Alicia's gun from the drawer and giving it back to her for the first time since she got here.

We made our way outside where I saw my brother and mother hiding behind the truck out front, taking cover from the gunfire that was directed to the entrance of our house.

"Get down, Y/N!" Alicia exclaimed, pulling me down to take cover behind the porch, her crutches long forgotten.

I clenched my jaw, trying not to panic, but nothing was making sense. "Who the hell are these people?! How did they find this place?"

Alicia crept around the edge of the porch, trying to get a better look, before taking cover quickly. "They look like Virginia's people."

"Virginia's people like the Virginia who was chasing you?"

She looked to me, guilt softening her features. "They must have followed me... Y/N, I swear I didn't know."

The grip on my gun tightened. "We can't let them take this place."

"You okay over there, Y/N?!" I heard my mum call from the truck, between gunshots.

"Yeah!" I shouted back, breathing quickly. "We'll come to you, mum!"

"Be careful!" she yelled back.

I looked over to Alicia. "You ready? I'm gonna give you cover fire."

"Y/N–" she started with an apologetic voice.

"Not now, Alicia," I snapped without meaning to, because all I could think about was how it was her fault that they were here. "Are you ready?"

She swallowed hard, nodding. And with a final breath, I got on my knees and began to shoot ahead.

I wasn't sure at what point Alicia's friends came to help. It must have been before Virginia's people set fire to our house, and after my family, Alicia and I were stuck hiding behind our truck.

All I knew was that her friends came galloping in on horses and driving in with their trucks, outnumbering Virginia's people and taking them down in mere minutes. But the damage had already been done and they'd shown up too late because our home was in flames.

"Y/N...," Alicia said, as the four of us came out from behind our truck, looking at the house.

I heard my mum gasp from beside me before her hand grasped mine between us, squeezing it comfortingly. When I looked over to her and Y/B/N, I saw them looking as distraught as I felt. And when Alicia began to apologise profusely from beside me, I looked over at her and saw the bright flames dancing in the reflection of her apologetic eyes.

"I didn't know they were following me," she muttered guiltily. "I didn't know they were coming, I swear. I'm so sorry. I don't– Y/N, I'm so fucking sorry."

I frowned, unsure what to think. My home was burning before me, a torch in the night sky and no doubt attracting every infected within twenty miles.

It was burning because Alicia had led Virginia's people here.

"Woah, calm down, boy!"

I turned around, seeing my brother and mother raising their guns and pointing them to Alicia's people, them doing the same with us. A middle-aged Black man was holding a stick and had his hands raised in defeat. I assumed this was Morgan from the radio.

Zoning back into reality, I realised what was happening and stood beside my family, but looked between them both. "Stop it." I looked to my brother, adding, "Y/B/N, lower your weapons."

He looked irritated and upset, and I didn't blame him. "No, we were right not to trust her!" he exclaimed, pointing his gun to Alicia who was now stood beside Morgan. "She did this! You should have just left her!"

I shook my head, stepping between his gun and Alicia. "No, Y/B/N! This is on me, it was my choice to bring her in. A shitty one, but mine. She didn't know this would happen."

"Son, put down your gun and let's talk about this," Morgan said calmly, which only fuelled Y/B/N's anger further.

"You don't tell me what to do!" Y/B/N shouted with glassy eyes, aiming his gun at Morgan, and my mum did the same.

It was hard to think straight when the fire was still roaring near us, guns were still pointed at each other, we were clearly outnumbered and my heart was broken at the loss of my home. How could it just be gone like that?

"You can come with us," Alicia said gently, trying to diffuse the situation. She looked between us all before her eyes settled on me, softening. "Back to our community. Stay with us."

"Alicia...," one of her friends said, shooting her a look, but she stood her ground as she looked back to them all with determination.

"No, Luci, they aren't bad people," she told them. "They saved me and it's my fault that they–" She paused, swallowing hard, before saying, "They should come with us."

"If you're sure," Morgan said, nodding to her.

Alicia returned his nod and looked to me hopefully. "Y/N, I owe you. And I didn't mean for this to happen."

All eyes turned on me and I felt frozen, unsure what to think, do or say.

"Why the hell should we trust them?" my mum said to me with disbelief, not lowering her gun at them. "It's their fault this happened! Virginia's people wouldn't have come here if it weren't for them!"

"This isn't the way!" I said, raising my voice and nodding to their guns. "It was all an accident, okay? I think–" I sucked up a breath. "I think we should go with them. They seem good. And Alicia– she was good to us, too."

"Y/N, our home is gone," Y/B/N reminded me with a frown, lowering his gun slightly.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I know. But we couldn't stay here forever, could we?"

They both looked back at me with devastated expressions, probably thinking I was going insane. Maybe I was, but I was trying to think about keeping my family safe, and now that we didn't have our home anymore, staying with Alicia and her friends was the only option.

"Lower your weapons, everyone," Morgan told his people, and they listened to him before he looked to my family expectantly.

"Mum, please," I said when neither of them made a move to holster their weapons. "It's the only way. We already lost the house. We can't... we can't lose each other, too."

I was certain they would stand their ground and ignore me – they were always stubborn like that. But after a moment, my mum nodded reluctantly and lowered her gun, with my brother following suit.

"Thank you," I said with relief, moving forward to pull them both in for a hug. "This is the right move."

They hugged me tightly, neither of us letting go for a short while. It was more than a thank you, it was seeking comfort after a wounding loss. We only had each other left.

"This place we're building," Morgan said, earning our attention, "it will end the fighting and bloodshed. It'll be a home."

"It'll be a holiday," my mum corrected him bitterly, holding Y/B/N and I close. "This was our home."

He pursed his lips, glancing at our burning house before looking between us. With a nod, he motioned for everyone to get back into the trucks before approaching my family and I.

"You can bring your truck and follow us," he said gently. "I'm truly sorry about your home."

My mum didn't respond, so Morgan left us to it as he walked away. Y/B/N tugged our arms before heading to our truck which was thankfully intact. My mum followed after him and I paused, looking over Morgan and his people, who were all getting back to their cars and horses.

Alicia touched my arm when I turned to go to my family, but I pulled away on instinct.

"Y/N, I'm sorry," she said for the millionth time, and I couldn't bring it in myself to look at her.

"I know," I answered quietly, "but..."

She waited, holding her breath as I tried to put my thoughts into coherent sentences, but I didn't know what to say. So, I let out a sigh and walked away, wiping away a stray tear from my cheek. I knew it wasn't fair to blame her for all of this, to be angry at her for everything, but I couldn't help it.

Because if she hadn't come to me for help, I'd still have my home.

When we reached Morgan's settlement at the dam, we were admittedly blown away by the isolation, size and protection it had. Tucked away into the hills, it was barely noticeable and almost looked abandoned, but as we approached with our cars, we saw there was security outside of the dam walls.

To say it had only recently been taken over, it was already well fortified which was reassuring, but hard to appreciate when I was still thinking about my home.

The inside was just as big, with small structures dotted around and some in the process of being built. It was clearly a work in progress, but full of life and people and energy, even in the evening. And when Morgan and my family and I introduced ourselves to one another properly, he assigned us to a small property that had already been built – our new home, though nobody would say it.

For a moment, my family and I were left alone in our new hut-like house, and I could sense their reluctance to settle in straight away.

"I know it's different," I told them, trying to stay strong for their sake. "I know it's my fault we're here, and I can't apologise enough for what happened, but we needed somewhere to stay. For now, at least."

I wasn't sure what they were thinking – they hadn't uttered a word the whole car ride here. I wouldn't blame them if they hated me, were angry at me for putting us all here and making that decision, but it would break my heart.

To my surprise, my mum stepped forward and hugged me tightly, like she sensed my panic. I relaxed into her embrace, closing my eyes and trying not to cry into her shoulder. Y/B/N piled on top, pulling us both in for a comforting hug once more.

"As long as we're together, we'll be okay," my mum mumbled into the hug, not quite letting go yet.

It helped to know that neither of them hated me, not like I thought, but I still felt incredibly guilty. Our home was gone, the home my father had died to protect. Because of my ignorance and stubbornness, we'd lost it all in one fell swoop.

A knock on our new front door pulled us all from our hug, and I took the responsibility of going to see who it was as they settled in with their limited belongings. When I opened the door, I saw Alicia for the first time since arriving here.

"Hey," she said softly, eyes flickering between mine nervously. "I, er, brought you all some supplies to help you settle in. Just blankets, clothes, toothbrushes – that sort of thing."

She held a pile of stuff out towards me and I accepted them without a word, avoiding her stare. Her mouth opened to say something more, no doubt more apologies and explanations, but I wasn't in the mood, so I closed the door on her.

It was still too soon, and I was exhausted from this evening's events. All I wanted to do was sleep.

The first week staying at this new settlement was difficult for my family and I. We stuck to ourselves mostly, even when Morgan came to check in on us and one of the residents, Wes, showed us around the place.

It was like being back in high school all over again, dealing with the whispering and the staring as we walked around and everybody knew who we were. They knew what went down the night before, and they were probably saying all sorts of stuff about us.

Since Morgan was the apparent leader of this place, he was the one to explain about how we could choose what jobs we wanted to do and help out. It wasn't forced upon us and we could change it up whenever we liked, as long as everyone pulled their weight. It was hard to find the importance in what he was saying when the wounds of losing my home were still fresh, but my mum was more alert than my brother and I, and started us all off together in the greenhouse.

It was at the end of that week after finding our footing in this place when Alicia finally showed her face around me again. She'd been successfully avoiding me since we'd got here, probably to give my family and I space, and it was for the best.

I was in my new home after a morning of working – digging out soil and finding an appropriate place to start planting vegetables with the other residents – when the knock on the door came. With a low grumble, I went to answer it and found myself face to face with Alicia.

"Look, I don't want to speak to you," I said bluntly, before she could say anything.

She frowned. "It's been a week, Y/N. I just thought–"

"What?" I snapped. "You thought I'd just forget that my home is gone?"

"No," she said with a restrained breath, guilt creeping into her expression, "of course not."

I stared at her with a hard gaze, taking in her pleading eyes and apologetic frown and guilt-ridden stare. It made me feel horrible, like a stranger in my own body because I was never one to feel such nastiness and bitterness and irritation – they were ugly feelings, ones I usually avoided. Until now.

"Please, just hear me out," she begged quietly.

I swallowed hard through a clenched jaw. "I can't speak to you."

When I attempted to shut the door, she pushed it back slightly, saying, "Y/N–"

But I cut her off instantly. "No! Speaking to you makes me feel like shit!"

She paused, frozen at my words, green eyes dark with sadness. My grip on the door tightened subconsciously, the regret hitting me in the face instantly upon seeing her expression.

"I feel angry and upset and guilty," I admitted to her shamefully. "I know it's not your fault. It's mine. I shouldn't have been so stupid. Shouldn't have thrown it all away for–"

The words escaped me as I looked away from her, releasing a deflated breath.

"For me," she finished my sentence, voice soft.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head slightly. "Forget it."

"Wait," she said, letting go of the door and reaching into her pocket. Holding something out to me, she explained, "I went back to the house. Your house. Once the fire burnt out."

I blinked, looking between her and the thing she was holding out, before accepting it.

"I tried to find something that wasn't too badly damaged, and I found this," she continued as I opened up the thick paper. "I know it means a lot to you and it was the very least I could do."

Amazingly, it was a photograph, only slightly charred, probably protected by the frame it had once been in. It was the photograph of my whole family, father and sister included, the same one I'd shown Alicia barely a week ago.

"I'm sorry, Y/N," Alicia said meekly. "And I'll spend forever making it right."

Tears pricked my eyes the longer I stared at the photograph. Suddenly, I really missed my dad and sister.

I wasn't so sure Alicia could ever make things right.

Without looking up, I made a move to close the door, and thankfully, she let me this time. I heard her footsteps retreat and sighed deeply, unable to stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.

After a few weeks of living amongst people for the first time since the world went to shit, I could tell that my family were beginning to fit in. It wasn't home, but it was something, and they made the most of it.

They definitely wouldn't admit it, especially my mum, but they enjoyed being around other people. It was different, but it was nice to meet new people and talk about different things and not have to be so self-sufficient anymore. And a small part of me enjoyed it, too, but all I kept thinking about was one person in particular.

It was harder for me to fit in with these people, though I knew the old me would have dreamed of this. Now, the thought of ever wanting to leave my home was stupidly insane. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

I kept having nightmares, which wasn't helping with the guilt I felt for being here, but rather a symptom of it. It was always the same stuff in different ways – losing my dad, losing my sister, the house burning into the night. I couldn't sleep properly, not since arriving here, and I just kept thinking about how foolish I had been to let all of this happen, to lose our home so quickly because of something I'd been warned about – letting people in.

Y/B/N and my mum didn't know about it, I wouldn't let them know. They were still upset about the house, but they were trying to move on, I could see it. And I didn't want to drag them behind. But that didn't stop me from sulking still, keeping to myself outside of my chores and not socialising much. Y/B/N must have noticed though, as he tried to talk to me when he caught me sat outside our place, looking at the dam walls.

"Hey, loser," he said when he found me, kicking me gently in the feet before taking a seat on the ground next to me. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I mumbled, looking ahead.

I could feel his eyes on me, studying me thoughtfully, before he looked ahead, too. "You know, you've been keeping to yourself a lot lately... d'you not like it here?"

Finally, I looked to him with a deadpan expression. "Do you?"

He quirked a brow, glancing at me. "It's giving us a place to sleep, food to eat, so for now, yeah. People aren't so bad either."

I rolled my eyes and looked ahead again. He sighed quietly, leaning back against the hut peacefully.

"I haven't seen you talk to Alicia in a while," he said after a moment, trying to bait me. And I hated to admit it, but it worked.

"Since when do you like her?" I asked with annoyance. "Shouldn't you be glad I'm keeping away from her?"

He shrugged, stretching his legs out comfortably. "I hated her for what she did," he admitted. "But it wasn't her fault. And she did bring us here which she didn't have to do."

"Are you forgetting that you tried to shoot her?" I reminded him.

He frowned guiltily. "I know. And I've already apologised to her for that. We've made peace with it. With all of it. So has mum." When I didn't say anything, he added, "Have you?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes yet again. "I don't need to."

"Y/N," he called gently, and I looked to him, seeing his worried expression. "I hate to admit it, but Alicia cares about you a lot. I can see it every time she looks around for you. And every time she tries to ask me about you without making it obvious."

I pressed my lips together firmly, not expecting to hear that.

"It was nice seeing you have a friend again," he added with a small smile. "Someone to have, y'know, besides me."

"It was only two days," I told him, referring to how long she'd spent at our house. Despite the connection we'd made, it had only been two days which was barely anything.

"That's a long time for a world where anyone can go at any second," he said knowingly.

I groaned lowly, looking up at the blue sky to try and distract myself from feeling even more guilt, but it didn't do much to help.

"Figure it out," he said sympathetically, "because I don't like seeing you like this."

Unsure what to say, I closed my eyes briefly, before opening them when I felt him kiss the top of my head. He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before standing up and leaving me be.

I knew he might have been right, but I couldn't just go to Alicia and make everything good between us again. And it wasn't a stubbornness thing – I physically didn't have the e energy to do so. I was simply exhausted, sleep-deprived and hurting, and the last thing I needed was to fix a friendship I wasn't sure would ever be the same.

The nightmares weren't disappearing with time, they only got worse.

It had been almost a month since being at the new settlement and I wasn't feeling any better, but I couldn't confide in anybody. My family were loving it here, already settled and making the best of their situation – I couldn't ruin it for them. But it was starting to seriously effect me, more than I realised.

I was working in the greenhouse one day, simply planting some vegetable seeds, nothing out of the ordinary. The issue lay in my lack of sleep and the utter exhaustion I felt, which made me sloppy, careless and irritated. When I grabbed the scissors to cut open a new pack of seeds, I didn't mean to slice into my finger. It woke me up in an instant, the blade slicing into my finger so deeply that I let out a yelp and dropped everything.

It was only because somebody nearby spotted me that I was taken to the infirmary to be treated, and I was seriously not in the mood. A woman called June was treating me, passing me some gauze to stop the bleeding whilst she got some first aid equipment.

"Do you want me to get someone to bring your family in?" June asked as she moved around the room, gathering supplies.

I immediately shook my head. "No! No... don't call them. I'm fine. It's not a big deal."

June raised an eyebrow, glancing at me thoughtfully before nodding. I sighed quietly, wincing at the sting in my finger, and waited for June to help me.

"So, you gonna tell me how this happened?" she asked when she stopped before me, grabbing my hand and removing the gauze.

I pulled a face at the bloody mess that was my finger before looking away. "It was an accident. Just cut myself with some scissors."

June hummed, unconvinced, and began to clean up the blood and disinfect the area, much to my disgust. "It could happen again."

I glanced at her, watching as she focused on the task at hand. "It won't," I assured her, tensing my jaw.

She looked at me, making me look away, before saying, "Have you slept much lately? I understand that moving somewhere new can be tough, but sleep is important."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm sleeping fine."

Pausing, her expression softened with concern. "Y/N–"

"I'm fine," I cut her off before she could lecture me, hating the growing irritation inside of me.

She looked like she wanted to say something more, not the slightest bit offended at my irrational anger, but was interrupted by the sound of somebody calling my name.

I raised my eyebrows, following the sound, and immediately narrowed my eyes when I realised it was Alicia.

"For God's sake," I mumbled as the brunette spotted me and approached me.

"Oh my God, what happened?" she asked worriedly, stopping by June and I.

I rolled my eyes and avoided her stare. "Nothing. I don't need you here."

Ignoring my bitterness, Alicia continued, "Y/N, what happened?"

I stayed quiet, pretending I couldn't see her staring impatiently into the side of my head, but it was difficult. We hadn't spoken much still, at the fault of me, but I couldn't look at her without being reminded of what I'd done, so it was best to avoid her. Of course, Alicia was persistent and never made it easy.

When she looked to June questioningly, I looked up at her, too and gave her a pleading look, hoping she'd stay quiet. But I must have pissed her off with my attitude before, because once she finished wrapping my bandages, she looked to Alicia.

"Y/N here sliced her finger on a pair of scissors because she hasn't been sleeping," June explained knowingly, making me scoff at how quickly she gave me up.

"Gee, is doctor-patient confidentiality not a thing anymore?" I asked rhetorically, but June ignored me.

"Y/N...," Alicia began, and I finally looked to her to see a frown on her lips and concerned eyes looking over me.

"I'm fine," I muttered. "Leave it."

"I knew something was wrong," she said, shaking her head. "What's going on?"

Not in the mood to talk, especially not to Alicia, I looked to June questioningly. "Am I done here?"

June wasn't impressed, but nodded. "I guess so."

I forced a smile. "Great. Thanks."

Pushing myself off the bed, I stood up and began to walk to the door, but not before hearing June telling me to get some rest and not work with my hand. Well, that was my day ruined.

Alicia followed after me, trying to fall into step with me, but I instantly stopped walking and turned to face her, startling her.

"I don't want to talk to you," I snapped, glaring at her. "Just leave me alone, Alicia."

She exhaled slowly, trying to disguise the hurt in her expression, but I caught it and began to feel slightly guilty. It wasn't fair. I was exhausted, hurt and angry at everything and nothing at all. I didn't know how to deal with it, so I told myself to ignore her hurt expression and leave. It was easier.

Since I couldn't work in the gardens now, I stayed at home, passing time by cleaning up a little, trying to think of a way to explain my hand to my mum without worrying her. At one point, I sat outside to take some of the sun in, only to recognise the sight of Alicia yet again. Just when I was about to ignore her and head back inside, I realised my mum was trailing behind her, the two of them approaching me, and I realised what she'd done.

"Seriously?" I exclaimed, standing up and looking to Alicia accusingly. "You told my mum on me?!"

Alicia tilted her head apologetically. "You wouldn't listen to me, Y/N."

I crossed my arms frustratedly. "Baby."

Not as indifferent to my attitude as I thought, Alicia scoffed quietly and clenched her jaw.

"I can't believe you tried to hide this from me," my mum said, earning my attention when she lifted my bandaged hand to get a better look.

I pulled it away and gave her a knowing look. "Well, I clearly wasn't going to since it's very obvious I've got a bandaged hand. I was just going to tell you later, but little miss nosey over here butted in first." At this last part, I directed a glare at Alicia.

"Sorry if I'm worried about you," she retorted, matching my glare with an intimidating stare down, but I didn't flinch.

"I didn't ask you to worry!" I exclaimed, wondering when she'd get the hint. Before I could say anything more, my mum interrupted.

"Alicia, honey, please can you give Y/N and I both a moment?"

Alicia nodded, eyes never leaving mine despite my glare. "Of course."

I watched her leave, staring daggers into her back, before taking a deep breath and preparing myself for a lecture. I looked back to my mum, waiting for her to raise her voice any second, but she didn't. To my surprise, she moved forward and hugged me.

It was unexpected, so I froze at first, but the longer she held me, the tighter it was, the more I realised how badly I'd needed this. The tension in my body momentarily left as I relaxed in her arms, beginning to return the hug.

"You haven't been sleeping," she said sadly, pulling back and running a thumb over my under eyes, no doubt at the dark circles that were appearing. "I knew something was up, but I thought I'd give you space. God, I'm an idiot."

My heart ached at the guilt in her voice and I sighed, shaking my head. "Don't blame yourself. I'm fine, mum. I'm–"

"Hurting yourself," she finished for me, a frown fixed on her face. "You're drifting at work, people have noticed. Everybody is worried, Y/N."

"You mean Alicia," I corrected her resentfully.

"Everybody including Alicia," she said, before studying me curiously. "And she has every right to be... Y/N, what's going on?"

I swallowed hard, shaking my head, signalling I didn't want to talk about it.

"I can't make things better if you don't tell me what's wrong," she said gently. "And you can't tell me it's nothing. I know it's something."

This was exactly what I had wanted to avoid. The plan was just to get over it myself, but that wasn't an option anymore. And maybe I should have been upfront in the first place. Maybe it would have spared me so much pain.

"I can't help but feel like I've fucked up," I admitted quietly, reluctant to meet her gaze because I didn't want to see the disappointment. "Dad risked his life to protect the house and now it's gone... Our home is gone because I– I let my guard down. You've been telling me not to and I still– I still did it."

I closed my eyes, feeling tears burn my eyelids. My lips curved into a frown, embarrassed and ashamed before her.

"His death was a waste because I fucked everything up," I said, trying to swallow down the lump in my throat, but it was only rising. Opening my eyes and looking to my mum, I shook my head apologetically. "I keep seeing him. Him and Y/S/N. The house burning. I close my eyes, but they don't disappear. And then I open them and they're still there. And I– I hate it. I don't know what to do. I– I can't sleep. It's my fault, mum. It's– it's all my fault. It's–"

"Don't say that," she cut me off as I broke into tears, pulling me into her arms once more. "You're wrong. None of this is on you, Y/N."

I sobbed quietly into her shoulder, squeezing my eyes shut shamefully. She rubbed soothing circles on my back, calming me down, but my head was hurting and my body was tired and nothing was making sense.

"Your father didn't risk his life for the house," she told me during our hug. "He risked it to keep his family safe and protect us all."

Sniffling, I pulled back and met her teary eyes.

"You didn't do anything wrong," she repeated, giving me her best smile, but it still broke my heart to know I'd made her cry. "You were only doing the same thing, Y/N, you were keeping us all safe. And you weren't wrong to trust Alicia. She didn't bring those people there, not on purpose. You helped her when she needed it. And yes, the house is gone, but we're all here together, safe. And it's about time we were with others."

She made it sound so simple, her words giving me a sense of peace that I hadn't felt since before we'd lost the house. I guess that's what mums did.

"None of this is your fault," she told me, wiping away the tears from my eyes. "You can't blame yourself for something that isn't your fault, Y/N. You're not guilty for a single thing, you hear me?"

I hadn't thought about it like she'd said, too busy wallowing in self-pity to think rationally, but it was beginning to make sense. And if she didn't blame me, that was all I'd wanted...

"If you can't go to sleep because of the nightmares, you wake me up, okay?" she asked with a warning look. "I want you safe and healthy, not with one hand."

I pressed my lips together, looking down at my shoes and nodding slowly. "I'm sorry, mum."

"Stop apologising." She squeezed my hand gently. "And don't keep things like this to yourself. I'm your mum and it's my job to care."

I nodded, trying to remember that for future reference, and fell into her arms again, not wanting to be so angry anymore. She held me, sensing my exhaustion, and pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

"On another note," she began after a moment, and when we pulled away, she gave me a sympathetic look, "Alicia is trying to make things right."

I sighed, closing my eyes at the mention of her. "I know."

Hesitantly, she continued, "It might be worth talking to her. If not for yourself, then for me. The amount of times that girl asks how you are– God knows how resilient she is."

I winced, a bittersweet ache in my chest. I hadn't realised she cared that much, and here I'd been treating her like shit.

"There's no rush now," my mum suddenly said, detecting the inner conflict I was facing, and wrapping an arm around my shoulder, pulling me in for a side hug. "You've got to be okay before any of that."

I nodded, letting her lead us both into the house. "Right."

Figuring things out with Alicia would come in time, but I knew I had to fix myself first. So, that's what I would do. And now that I could confide in my mum again, I knew everything would be okay. It had to be.

#alicia clark x you #alicia clark x reader #alicia clark imagine #alicia clark #alycia debnam carey #ftwd imagine #ftwd #fear the walking dead imagine #fear the walking dead #feartwd

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rogue-durin-16 · 4 years ago

Text

OUT OF TROUBLE

Summary: After a Quidditch match, both George and Y/n sneaked out to grab a drink at the Three Broomsticks with their respective teammates. The tension between the two groups might end up causing more trouble than imagined.

Pairing: George Weasley x Slytherin!Reader

Genre: kinda angsty kinda fluffy

Tags:

George Weasley: @meph1stophelian

Permanent taglist: @elia-the-bibliophile @randomparanoid @karlthecat15722 @thebutchersdaughtersblog @amourtentiaa @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @skarlettmikaelson

Warnings: blood, injuries, violence, concussion, language (?)

A/N: idk what to say apart from the idea of George losing his shit big time won't leave me alone and idek why (blaming it on that scene in the Order of the Phoenix in which George and Harry beat Malfoy the fuck up) so enjoy <3

Rogue-durin-16 masterlist

"Well," McGonagall's severe eyes scrutinized all six of us from the other side of her desk. "who is going to give us" she briefly motioned at Snape, who stood by her side with an unimpressed yet disappointed look on his face. "a proper explanation of why Madam Rosmerta so kindly let us know that not only seven of our seventh year students were on Hogsmeade without permission,"

"But also making a scene and coming to blows." Snape finished, quirking a brow. "Do you know how lucky you are that Madam Rosmerta picked on the fact that you were students?" The potions teacher's eyes fixed on the three Gryffindors before inquiring, "Who started it?"

Silence.

"Merlin's— There is a student in the hospital wing!" McGonagall exclaimed outraged. "You all ought to come clean about this one."

More silence.

"Mister Weasley, you seem to be unusually quiet." The Head of Slytherin pointed out.

"Well, you see, professor," George's head, which had until that moment been resting on his arms over the school desk, was tilted up slightly. "I've got a bit of a headache going on." He motioned at the back of his head, in which a patch of dried blood had glued his hair.

"Weasley, I must insist on you to go see Madam Pomfrey." McGonagall's tone, although remaining severe, softened a bit.

"Nah, 's not that bad." George gave Warrington a side look and forced himself to sit upright.

"I'm going to ask again." Snape spoke. "Who started it?" He weighed the possibilities before inquiring, "Mister Weasley?"

"Why me?!" George flinched at his own shouting.

"Do you want me to believe the state Mister Montague was left in was Miss Spinnet's doing? Miss Bell's, perhaps?" The Gryffindor girls grumbled under their breaths, catching the professor's attention. "What was that?"

"I said why us?" Katie questioned with a tinge of indignation. "Is it because we're Gryffindors?"

"Obviously." Snape spat, earning a roll from Mcgonagall, though she didn't oppose her colleague.

Alicia only laughed humorlessly and folded her arms over her chest.

"We can stay here all night, if you'd like it that way." McGonagall stated after around five minutes of just silence.

"Ugh, fine." George let his head fall in the comfort of his forearms again and groaned, "it was me— I started it. Can we go now?"

"What the hell?!"

"Miss Spinnet!" McGonagall scolded her, stomping her desk.

"Can we go now or not?" George's eyes met my shocked gaze briefly.

"Everyone but you, Mister Weasley." McGonagall stated.

"Wait, no." I tapped my foot nervously against the tiles and took at deep breath. "It wasn't him, it was me."

"Miss Y/l/n!" I refused to meet McGonagall's and Snape's face, so I left my eyes casted down, but I still heard the professors' quiet whispers. "What on Godric's name happened?"

Two Hours Earlier

After a Quidditch victory in Slytherin's favor, some of us had resolved to sneak out of the castle and go celebrate with a drink in Hogsmeade.

Turns out some Gryffindors had had the same idea, though the drink they were having was definitely not a celebration.

"Look who's here," Montague nodded in the Gryffindors direction, purposefully walking in their direction. "You're missing half of the team!" He chuckled, not stopping more than a couple of seconds. "Are they crying on their dorms?"

"Get lost, Montague." Katie Bell spat, earning faces from both Graham and Cassius. Alicia Spinnet flipped us off, and George limited himself to give me a small wave, which I returned with a little smile.

"How's the place this crowed?" Kevin questioned with a frown as we tried and failed to find an empty booth.

"No idea." I replied, taking a look around. "I'll go grab the drinks, you look for a place, yeah?" Cassius nodded and I made my way to the counter; I could feel Bell's and Spinnet's dirty looks on me while I ordered the butter beers.

"Celebrating, are we?" My head turned to meet George's form, leaning on the counter besides me.

"Yup." I shortly answered with a proud grin.

"You're missing your seeker." I rolled my eyes at his comment. "I wonder where he's at."

"You know where he's at." I quirked my brow when he played dumb, a smug smile dancing on his lips. "I'm very aware it was you who sent him to the hospital wing."

"It was actually a bludger." He pointed out, giving Madam Rosmerta the coins for a butter beer.

"Oi, what are you doing?" I attempted to shove his hand away, but there was no use.

"Smoothly buying you a drink?" He winked and I felt blood going up to my cheeks. "Just her drink, though." He added, looking at Rosmerta.

"No you're not— he's not." The owner of the Three Broomsticks gave us a look but ended up accepting my money instead.

"Aw c'mon, Y/n" George pouted while Rosmerta passed me the drinks. "I've just lost an important match, let me have a win?"

"You can buy me the next drink," I resolved, chuckling at the way his expression lighted up. "but only if you don't cause trouble."

"Pfft I'm too depressed to cause trouble." I could tell he wasn't joking, though he still made it sound humorous. "Need help with that?" He motioned at the four drinks I was attempting to grab.

"No she doesn't."

George visibly grimaced at the sight of Cassius but, instead of snapping at him, he only leaned on me and pecked my cheek after saying, "No trouble, see?"

"Piss off, Weasley."

"No need to be that rude." I spat, taking two glasses in my hand.

"No need to consort with the enemy." He responded, picking up the remaining jars.

We approached the spot our Quidditch team had taken and had a surprisingly uneventful good time, until Montague started to run his mouth.

"Look at them, they're so pathetic." He obnoxiously laughed.

"Look at whom?" I questioned, a bit lost in my thoughts to know what he was even talking about.

"Don't play dumb." He hissed. "As if you haven't been staring at that Weasel since we entered."

"Ugh, honestly Graham." I lazily played with my jar. "Can't we just enjoy the drink without focusing on the only three Gryffindors in the room?"

"You're one to talk." Cassius mumbled.

"Meaning?"

"Graham's right, you've been staring at him." I pinched the bridge of my nose. They've done this little number so many times that I was no longer embarrassed. "What was that kiss about?"

"Cassius!"

"What kiss?" Graham inquired.

"He kissed her."

"Oh my gosh—" I threw my head down to my forearms in desperation.

"Ew!" Kevin gagged dramatically. "Did you let a blood traitor kiss you with that filthy mouth?"

"You did not just say that." My tone held a serious warning as I looked up at our keeper.

"Great, he's staring." Cassius grumbled.

"Frankly, he could use a lesson." My eyes widened at Graham's words; at first I thought he was joking, but then he grabbed his wand with a wicked smirk.

"Don't make a bloody number." I whispered. "We'll get in trouble."

"Y/l/n, I'm starting to think you're not on our side."

"Montague, if you earn us detention—" my words were cut off by another statement of his.

"No one's gonna know if we're sneaky enough." I looked at Bletchley and Warrington for some back up but they both seemed to be on board with Montague's plan. "What about a little... cruci—" before he could finish the word, I kicked his chair, making him fall to the floor.

"What's wrong with you?!" I shouted, kicking his wand away after standing up myself.

"Y/n, calm down." Cassius said.

"He was gonna use the Cruciatus, so maybe no?!"

"Careful, Y/n." By then, Montague had already gotten up; Bletchley had to tug him back for him not to go against me. "If you get along with scum, you're scum."

I didn't fully realise that I had slapped him until I heard a few people gasping; all from sudden, I was very aware that I had attracted unwanted attention.

There was a moment of tense silence between Montague and me, quickly followed by him grabbing my hair and hitting my face against the table, too fast for me to do anything about it.

"OI!" Cassius pulled me away from Montague, my hands covering my most likely broken nose, debating on whether to hold it to stop the nosebleed or not touching it to avoid more pain.

GEORGE'S P. O. V.

"They're talking shit." Katie whispered, squinting her eyes at the Slytherins.

"Of course they're talking shit." I responded.

"I'd love to go there and shove those—" Alicia grumbled, tightening the grip on her glass.

"Don't." They both looked at me expectant and I only shrugged. "Y/n asked me not to cause trouble."

Alicia snorted when my eyes travelled to Y/n and Katie mocked me with a silly grin. "Awww, Alicia, he's in love."

"George Weasley is in love" Alicia faked a gag. "With a Slytherin."

"Oh my— you're two shut up." I felt blush creeping up my neck, though I couldn't help the smile twitching up the corners of my lips.

"I mean," Katie shrugged, sharing a look with our friend. "Could be worse."

"Could be Warrington." Before I could respond to Alicia, a loud noise was heard behind me. "Ooooh your princess just kicked Montague." Our chaser commented; we all turned around to look at the Slytherins. "This is gonna be fun."

"Why do I feel like they're talking about us?" I said with a laugh.

"Did... Did she just say 'cruciatus'?" Katie questioned, a tinge of worry in her voice.

"Damn! Okay, time to go." Alicia whispered, getting up right after Y/n had slapped Montague. Katie and I were already following her to the exit when a thud made us stop in our tracks.

"He did not—" Katie started.

"He did." Alicia replied; she was quick to double check on me, but I was quicker to stalk towards Montague. "George no!"

READER'S P. O. V.

I came to the conclusion that we were already in trouble, so I might as well go for it and get Montague back.

Cassius saw that coming and held me back by my forearms, but Graham was being pushed against the table behind him in the blink of an eye.

It took us all aback the way George had stormed in scene; we stood there frozen for a hot second, until Bletchley realised Montague was trying to shake George off in vain while the Gryffindor threw blows at him whilst tackling him to the table.

"George! Stop!" Alicia yelled, coming to stand by my side, unsure of what to do.

"Get off him!" The keeper was the first one to try and remove George from Graham, whose face was starting to look as bloodied as mine. He did succeed for a split second, giving the Slytherin chaser enough room to get back at George.

I shook Cassius off the moment Montague jumped on George to aid the ginger, but before I could do anything, he was punching Graham again, though now he sported a swollen lip himself, along with a cut on his cheek, probably caused by Graham's rings.

This time, when Bletchley tried to shove him off Montague, he ended up with George's elbow digging into his stomach.

"He's gonna kill him!" Bell exclaimed, genuinely worried about the outcome.

"George!" I called his name, hoping it would have an effect, but the beater was too lost on the fight. "Wait— No!!" I tried to grab Cassius' hand when I saw him reaching for one of the heavy jars, but he was quicker to crash it on George's crown.

He hissed, losing balance instantly; his hands went to the back of his head, releasing Montague from his hold. My teammate took the opportunity to kick him off, but before he could try to punch George again, I reached to them, pulling the ginger away and not so accidentally stomping on my Montague in the process.

Just when everything seemed to have calmed down, I noticed Spinnet had thrown herself to Cassius.

Bell was struggling to tug her friend away, Cassius was being pulled back by a mildly hurt Bletchley, Montague was curled up in a ball on the floor and George and I stayed knelt not far from him while I checked his head.

It was only when Madam Rosmerta appeared with a towering, strong employee who managed to separate Spinnet and Warrington that it came to an end.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Graham tried to use the Cruciatus curse on George, professor." I explained without meeting McGonagall's eyes. "And I stopped him."

"He— he what?!" The Head of Gryffindor yelled horrified.

"Miss Y/l/n, did you send Mister Montague to the hospital wing?" Snape questioned wearily.

"That was me." George replied before I could make anything up. "And Warrington broke a glass on my head."

"Spinnet tried to kill me!" Warrington shouted.

"If I had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead!" Alicia yelled back.

"Don't lie to yourself darling!" Bletchley hissed.

"Don't 'darling' her dickhead, I'll jump on you right here!" Bell spat, leaning over her table.

"Shut up, Bell!"

"ENOUGH!" McGonagall shouted. "Fifty points will be substracted from each of you. Your families will be informed of this, and needless to say you won't make any more trips to Hogsmeade."

"Minerva, I think Weasley has earned himself detention for the rest of the year." Snape commented.

"And so did Mister Montague and Miss Y/l/n." She responded. "Now off to sleep, all of you— except from Weasley and Y/l/n, you two go see Madam Pomfrey— no but's, Weasley."

"Yes professor." George sighed, getting up and following me out of the class and into the corridor. "You okay?" His voice was so soft as he fell into step with me that I had to refrain myself from kissing him.

"Nose's probably broken." I shrugged, stealing a look at his crown. "How's your head?"

"Hurts a bit." He was obviously playing it off, but I didn't say a thing about it. "I'm sorry for that little number."

"Nonsense! As if it was your fault Montague's a douche." I reassured him.

"So... you're not mad at me?"

"I'm only mad at the fact that I didn't get to punch him." I replied with a chuckle triggering a smile on his. "Plus," I chewed on my lower lip, hesitating for a moment before adding, "it was kinda hot."

George let out a shocked snort, his whole face redder than mine while words stumbled incoherently out of his mouth, preventing him from forming a coherent sentence.

"Don't do it again, though."

"Uh- yeah— NO- I mean, no- I-I won't— I don't do this often—" I giggled at his stammering and brushed his pinky with my own. He cleared his throat and took the hint, intertwining his fingers with mines. "You know, technically it was you who caused trouble so..."

"So?"

"Can I still buy you a drink?" He sheepishly requested, his thumb drawing circles on the back of my hand while we reached the hospital wing.

"We're banned from Hogsmeade, though." I reminded him.

"Well, I might know a way of getting there without being noticed."

"I'm in then." I stated. "Only if you promise we'll stay out of trouble."

"Can't promise that." He squeezed my hand and let it go when Madam Pomfrey spotted us. "But I'll do my best."

"I'm sure you will." I tugged on his sleeve and placed a kiss on his cheek before following the healer's directions.

#george weasley headcanon #george weasley drabble #george weasley one shot #george weasley fanfiction #george weasley #george wealsey x reader #george weasley x slytherin!reader #george weasley fluff #the order of the Phoenix #george weasley x y/n #george x y/n #george x you #harry potter

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acciocriativity · 4 years ago

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Yule Ball|| Harry Potter

Pairing: Fred Weasley x Reader // Harry Potter x Reader

Summary: It's been a year since you had a huge crush on Fred Weasley, but you never had the courage to confess it to the redhead. What will change when the Winter Ball takes place at Hogwarts?

Word Count: 3.2k

The fifth year of Hogwarts couldn't be more confusing and crazy, the students from Beauxbatons and the Durmstrang students had just settled in the Great Hall, when the principal made the announcement that it was going to be the joy / despair of all the girls. That's right, with no middle ground.

- Along with the Triwizard Tournament, the Yule Ball will also take place, just as it is in tradition - he said calmly as always, with a smile on his face.

Professor McGonagall explained the details but my mind was already far away, obviously my case is one of despair, not for lack of confidence but for opportunities. There was only one boy I would like to invite, but how would I do that if not more than one word we have already exchanged? I would not like to go with a stranger, a friend at the very least.

I was already 5 years old at Hogwarts, why haven't I done anything yet? This is easy, two very simple reasons. We are from different houses, as a Ravenclaw I don't have many Gryffindor friends, unfortunately. It is very comfortable to form a social circle restricted to the home itself and I was a shy child, can anyone judge me ??

I clearly remember the day I saw him the first time, it was the same day that I got my first Gryffindor friend.

I was hurrying up the stairs to the first floor, where the library is. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone, but this time it was more urgent, it was two weeks before the 4th grade exam season and I didn't feel ready for the Arithmancy exam.

I had barely stepped into the hall when I heard two excited voices talking, I didn't have to look more than once to find out who they were. The Weasley twins had quickly formed their own fame at Hogwarts, the only ones who didn't like them were the targets of their pranks, I still haven't had that bad luck, and probably their Slytherin opponents.

It was the first time that I had a chance to see them without a circle of people around wanting to buy their limited products or their own friends around, and I didn't imagine what that little moment would do to me.

Although they were identical, one in particular had caught my attention. I didn't know what his name was and I didn't even have time to ask, as they walked to another corridor, opposite where I was.

It was his warm smile and bright eyes, that enchanted me at that moment and even though neither was for me, I couldn't forget it and I tried.

Later that day, I was trying to find a specific Arithmancy book when I noticed Angelina, a gryffindor and a year older than me. Difficult not to recognize since she is also popular, being on the Quidditch team but we never really spoke to each other, until that moment.

- Are you in 5th year ?? I never saw you in any of the classes - I remember her saying looking at my hand, in which I was carrying an advanced potions book.

- Oh no, I like to advance some subjects when I finish studying - I replied calmly with a small smile as I took my book, right next to her head.

- So are you good at potions? - she asked looking at me and I just nodded before she continued - and could you help me? It's a little difficult to pay attention to the class, when Fred and Jorge are there - she finished with a giggle, as if remembering something.

From then on, we met at the library when they had no training and during those two weeks we got close enough, but not to the point of mixing our social circles and going out together.

I turned to face Angelina, even though she was away she met my gaze and smiled, she knew I felt something for Fred Weasley but I never said how deep those feelings were or she would have managed to help me a long time ago.

I noticed that she made one of the signs that we invented to communicate when we were far from each other, that one meant that we were going to talk later in my dorm and I just nodded before I started eating. Too bad I didn't notice the attention of a certain redhead, because of my silent conversation with the girl.

In the months that followed, because Harry's name came out in the Goblet of Fire and the first task was around, the atmosphere became extremely tense within the school and the animosity with the ball cooled. People commented on all sorts of nonsense and I did what I could when something like that happened in my presence, because it bothered me a lot. The whole school was against Harry, basically and I had made it clear that it was ridiculous, even though I didn't know the boy well.

Because of that, I ended up getting away from some friends who disagreed with me and thought that Potter wanted to get attention again, but the good part is that I ended up spending a lot more time with Angelina in the Gryffindor Common Room, she always told me the password although the Fat Woman didn't like it that much.

Today is Saturday and one of those days, I left my dormitory early because I had nothing to study and walked unhurriedly through the almost empty corridors. It seems like a rule, teenagers don't leave bed before 9 am. I saw the girl alone in the middle of the Gryffindor table so I walked right over there, sitting next to her.

- Good morning Angie - I greeted with an excited smile while taking a look at the already full of food table

- You dreamed of the 10 N.O.M.S. today, didn’t you? - she smiled at me before completing - or was it with a certain someone?

I felt my face heat up as she laughed at me, the mornings when we are in a good mood usually start with these morning teasing and then we move on to the same topic…

- When are you going to invite Fred to the Ball? You know that when it comes to perceiving feelings, he is slow - she insisted just like every day that I should do something.

- He must have been invited already, It’s almost a month away- I gave her my most common answer, there are some days that I say I would invite him, but that never happened.

- He is still available but at some point he will be not! Do you really want to see him dancing with another girl? - She looked at me defiantly even knowing the answer.

- If I promise that this time I will ask him to come with me, will you let me eat in peace ?? - I asked, holding her gaze and received a satisfied smile in return.

Sometimes I didn't even understand the reason for all this nonsense, at times I just wanted to be able to confess my feelings and if I was rejected, I would just move on. But then I got close to him and couldn't, at least that way I had hope. The gryffindor in me will have the courage today, thanks to Angelina and my stupid promise.

Gradually the students arrived and among them were our friends. Alicia Spinnet, Dino Thomas, Olivio Wood and Lino Jordan. Soon the trio, Harry, Hermione and Ron came down and then Fred and Jorge with the usual good humor.

- Good morning girls - they both winked at us at the same time with a smile from someone who’s up to no good.

- Good morning - we answered together but with different reactions, Alícia simply ignored it, I controlled myself not to blush and Angelina just smiled more.

Fred sat two chairs to the left in front of me and Jorge beside him, there was no way I could talk to him during breakfast and I thanked him for it, but I regretted it soon after.

- And haven't you became a man yet to ask someone to the Ball, Ron ?? - I heard Fred's super discreet voice, interrupting my conversation with Lino.

Obviously everyone there turned to pay attention, the teasing between them was always fun, especially in the morning.

- You didn’t ask anyone too, where's YOUR courage Fred? What are you afraid of ?? - I never had seen Ronald Weasley with such a satisfied smile on his face or an expression so outraged on the elder.

- I'll show you the courage, look and learn Ronald - he had made a point of getting up and I held my breath when I saw him looking in my direction, it couldn't be ...

- Hey Johnson, do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me? - He asked without realizing my expectations and a piece of my heart breaking after that.

She replied an yes after looking at me quickly, I didn't mind her accepting it. They are friends and I already knew that she wanted to go with Jorge, the reason why she had not accepted any invitation until now. I had already thought about what it would be like if this situation happened, in my head it was much worse.

The next few days followed with little change about Fred, at all times if I could avoid him, I would. Not out of anger or anything, I wanted to take my focus off him. I had declined 2 invitations because I hadn't imagined myself with another guy, and that was going to end.

Alicia and I had just returned from London, we went to look at some new dress options, as many girls would go to the witch shops nearby. We barely stepped into the Great Hall when Hermione walked out furious and a little upset, she didn't even greet us as she always did.

- What did you do to make her so upset ?? - I asked facing Harry and then Ron, before sitting down next to Harry.

- I just said that she could come with one of us to the Ball - explained the redhead while devouring the food on his plate.

- Now? It’s a month away, I would have been angry too - they both looked at me without understanding and I had to take a deep breath - you don't understand anything about girls, do you?

- She felt like the last option, nobody would like to feel that way, obviously, you should have invited her long before - Ali replied without patience, while the realization seemed to hit their faces.

Ron seemed to reflect for 3 seconds before eating again as if nothing had happened, so there were only the three of us left to talk.

- And your partner Harry? Mcgonagall is going to freak out if you have to open the Ball alone - I commented while getting me some soup.

- I haven't found the right girl yet ... - he replied a little uncomfortable and looked to the side as if he had remembered something.

- Not wanting to intrude, but already intruding, you two could go together. Just as friends - she completed as soon as she saw the boy look at us petrified but relaxed shortly thereafter.

- No problem for me, I was thinking about not going, but at least it could be fun - I spoke with a small smile and he nodded.

For the rest of the month, I ended up getting closer to him and consequently to the most unbearable couple that ever existed. I love Hermione and Ron, but how can two people be so stubborn? I don't know, it's a mystery but at the same time, it was good entertainment and I managed to disconnect from my feelings for Fred.

It was getting close to the time to start the Ball and I had barely stopped to think that I would be forced to deal with Angelina and Fred dancing together, even though I had never been jealous of the two before, the scene didn't seem pleasant.

I took one last look in the mirror analysing my dress, a long red velvet dress with sleeves and a slit up to my thigh that defined my body in the right measure. I was feeling incredibly beautiful the way I was and nothing could ruin my good mood, not even my unrequited crush.

I agreed to meet my friends near the stairs and there they were, Hermione in a pink pretty dress talking to Vítor Krum further away, Ron was about to explode at any moment and Harry, as usual, seemed to be trying to find an excuse to get out of there and I preferred to help with that. .

- Hi boys - I said quietly standing on the first step of the stairs and as they had their backs to me, they jumped and I couldn't help laughing.

- You can't come like this and scare others, I almost had a fit… - the redhead put his hand on his heart dramatically, it seems that the hatred has vanished too.

- Everyone will go down the stairs, you should be gossiping in a more discreet place. It's about Hermione again, right? - I asked shamelessly without caring about the complaints about my comment.

- And why would I waste my time talking about a traitor? - his face went from white to red in a few seconds, it seems that the anger had returned.

- I only know one thing, we can't be late, right Harry ?? In fact, I need to talk to you quickly - I didn't even let him agree and I pulled his arm and walked to a spot nearby without anyone

- Did something happen? - he said while adjusting his glasses and I just denied it with a smile, making him even more confused.

- I just wanted to give you a break from Hurricane Ronald Weasley but if you want to go back there, I don't mind - I said looking behind his shoulder and there it was, a clear image of the redhead fighting with an innocent student.

- In fact, a few minutes without having to listen to his rudeness is great, not that he's a bad friend, but sometimes it's a little ... too much - he replied with a small smile of thanks.

We talked for a few more minutes before Mcgonagall officially announced the start of the party, where we would have to dance first. We had rehearsed a few times, so we weren't ashamed, although I wanted to laugh at the memories that came to mind and I could see the same in Harry's eyes.

After that moment, the other champions also danced with their partners and then the party really started. I preferred to avoid dancing more than necessary, because that would be shameful but it doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it.

I was sitting at a table with Harry and Ron because apparently his partner was not very happy, but I decided not to go into that. Until I see Angie approach and place her hand on my bare shoulder.

- Can we talk for a moment?? - She said and by her expression, it seemed to be important.

I nodded and as the two continued talking to each other, I preferred not to interrupt and just went with the older girl to a corner with fewer people.

- Did something happen? - I asked calmly and noticed that she looked towards the direction where Fred and Jorge were with another girl.

- Yes, I already knew it would be a complete mess, since you wanted to come with one person and I with another, but I think you can fix it in time - she said looking back at me.

- I don't know Angie, just with a Time-Turner and a little bit of luck, then I would be able to ask him to come with me.

- It was wrong but I just overheard him saying something to Jorge, he said he wanted to invite you. I was noticing for a while, I was pretty sure he liked you and I just had the proof - she said with a small smile and then immediately took my hand and continued - I don't want to see you two suffering.

I barely knew what to say so I preferred to demonstrate it in the best way I could, that is, with a hug even though it wasn't much of a hug most of the time.

- Thank you for telling me but I think I'll be forced to steal your date now - I replied with a small smile and stepped back from her.

- Someday I'll forgive you for that, but this conversation is for later - she winked at me and walked away to the other side of the party.

I took a deep breath and as soon as I looked back in the direction where the twins were talking, I realized that there was no one there anymore and I couldn't help being disappointed.

- Looking for me, love?? - a voice well known to me spoke at a minimum distance from my back and I immediately turned around.

- Actually, yes, but you came here, so it must be important - I replied with a smile without being affected by his proximity, since it was not uncommon for him to try to frustrate me with this type of provocation.

- Since when is something I have to say unimportant ?? - he spoke in an indignant voice but his smile denounced him - let's go for a walk, what do you think? It’s too full here - he said and then held my hand, how could I refuse such a request?

I just nodded and then we left the Hall, walked, still holding hands, to the garden. I am sure that did not fail to pass through the attentive eyes of my friends, but it was not the time to think about that.

- I know we've only really known each other this year - he started talking and then stopped walking - but I really started to like you a lot - his voice were softer and even a little uncertain.

- Of course, we all became fast friends - I replied with a satisfied smile, maybe it was mean but I was loving this moment and I didn't want it to end so quickly.

He looked away and took a deep breath before looking back into my eyes with a lighter expression.

- You're having fun, aren't you? It's pretty funny, isn't it? - He asked and I could see his eyes shine, the kind of glow that appears when he has just made a prank.

- Yes I am. How could I not be when I left Fred Flirt Weasley frustrated? - I replied holding the desire to laugh, for the situation and the new nickname I invented.

- I had a much more fun idea, love, you'll like it - he said confidently.

Before I could ask what it was, one of his hands found my face and the other on my waist, pulling me closer. A second later we were giving our first kiss, the first of many to come.

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