Title: Fred and George or Gred and Forge?

Rating: PG-13

Summary: chpt4 up! fred and angelina in the forbidden forrest... together... alone....need i say more?!

Disclaimer: why do i bother?

Author's Note: I love you guys!! ; ) thanx for all u'r reviews! : )

Jennifer- thanx for reviewing my other poem!!! (ANYONE ELSE READING THIS- U'R WELCOME TO REVIEW MY POEM "A SMILE" [or any other poem i wrote]**wink**wink**!) yeah, i suppose u could read my poem at Poetry Nite... just as long as u give me credit for it, k? : ) thanx

Chapter 4- In the Forbidden Forrest

ANGELINA's POV

"Go ahead! Laugh!" I glared at him, daring him to make one single noise. He looked ready to explode; his cheeks were as red as his hair and his face was contorted, trying to keep from grinning. I don't think he'd be grinning if that bloody plant happened to sneeze on him! Turning, I wiped the greenish pus off of my face. To my horror, it stuck to my fingers and glued them tightly together.

"ARGHHHHH!!!" I screamed, voice echoing throughout the small patch of trees.

"Blimey, that must take a lot of lung power."

"If my hands weren't a bit preoccupied at the moment, I'd strangle you," I snapped back.

"Only joking," Fred replied in a rather small voice. "Here, lemme look at that."

"No, I'll be fine, thank you," I protested, jerking my hands out of his reach. He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, get off your high horse and just lemme look at it!" he grabbed my arm. I shut my mouth with a snap and scowled as he examined my hands.

"Hmmmm, very interesting...."

"What?" I demanded.

"You've got dirt under your nails."

"FRED!!!"
"All right already," he held his hands up in mock surrender. He grabbed his wand out of his robes and said in a serious voice, "I'll see what I can do." He worked in silence, melting the pus which had frozen in and around my fingertips, turning them purple and blue.

"You never told me," he asked suddenly, "Why you were in the restricted section with Davies." He emphasized "Davies" a bit too harshly. I raised an eyebrow. "Not that I care," he added quickly, averting his gaze, "If you and Davies-"

"Relax, Fred, Davies blackmailed me into helping him get a book from the restricted section."

"He what?!" he yelled in disbelief.

"Fred-"

"So you're serving this detention because of him?"

"Fred-"

"The nerve... Wait till I get my hands on that prat-"

"Fred! It's not all his fault," I reasoned, "I was out in the Astronomy Tower, too, and ran into him on the way down," I looked pointedly at him. He muttered an 'oh' without looking up, a faint blush on his cheeks. I gave a smug smile in spite of myself.

"You never told me what you were doing out of bed," I said breaking the silence. He shrugged, face flushing even more.

"Alicia said you were gone so I..." he trailed off, keeping his gaze firmly on the palm of my hand. I bit my lip, feeling a strange sensation in my stomach. I didn't know whether to feel guilty, angry, or.... happy?... The guilt was because he was caught on my account and the anger was because he was following me around... or maybe that was the reason for happiness. Did he care enough to get up in the middle of the night to look for me? Why was he looking for me in the first place? Millions of questions swam inside my head. Taking a breath, I dared to ask one of them.

"Er- Fred?" I whispered. He made a small noise at the back of his throat to tell me he was listening. "Why were you looking for me?"

He didn't answer me at first and finished wrapping the bandages around my fingers.

"Thanks," I murmured after he was done. But he wouldn't let go of my hand. He studied it for a moment, tracing the curved lines across my palm thoughtfully.

"I wanted to talk to you, Angelina," he said abruptly, "I know these past few days have been strange.. between.. us.. and I-I just want us to stay as friends, if- if you want..." No, that's not what I want. "We are friends, aren't we?" His hazel eyes stared into my chocolate brown ones, pleading, begging almost.

"Of course," I croaked, giving a strained smile, half relieved, half incredibly disappointed. He gave a wide smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Good."

FRED's POV

More like terrible. Horrible. Just- wrong. Why can't I just say how I feel? I don't understand what she does to me. I'm suppose to be Fred "Cool-and-casual Big-Shot" Weasley. The leader. The wise guy. The smart aleck. Right now I felt more like Fred "Tongue-tied-fidgety-and-moronic" Weasley. How does she do it?

Girls mystify me completely. George and I made a pact when we were younger to stay away from them. I had no desire to break that bargain; all the girls our age just giggled and whispered wherever they went- yes, even Angelina, Alicia, and Katie, though not as much as the other girls our year. It was only two or three years ago that I finally noticed them- I mean really noticed them. George and I usually amused ourselves with them, switching back and forth, confusing them. It was fun at first and we had good laugh with Lee, but it began to change. We began to get rather taken with them. It became rather uncomfortable when a girl one of us fancied couldn't tell either of us apart.

I glanced at Angelina who was using her gloves to gather the roots of a poisonous plant. Does she consider us as "Fred-or-George-doesn't-matter-to-me"? I wouldn't be surprised. Many girls thought of us like that- completely identical. But then again, Angelina isn't an ordinary girl.

"Fred!" An arm shot out in front of me, stopping me from moving on.

"What?" I broke away from my thoughts to look at her. She was staring at the ground, with a disgusted look on her face. Confused, I peered down to what she was staring out. Hundreds of tiny spiders crawled around and about the dead tree trunk obstructing our path.

"Let's go another way," she begged, backing away slowly.

"Oh, come on they're just spiders!" I replied, grabbing her hand, dragging her towards the stump.

"No, why don't we go down this way instead," she gritted her teeth, pulling me in an adjacent path.

"Look, all we have to do is walk around the stump, not so hard," I grinned, "Unless you're scared." She frowned. "I'll hold your hand if you want." She jerked her hand away from mine and proceeded to walk around the stump, head held high. Suddenly, a wicked idea came to my mind. Without hesitation, I pulled out my wand and muttered a spell under my breath just as Angelina made it past the tree trunk. The trunk burst into flames, the noise of barbecued spiders in the air. Most of the spiders swept off the trunk and down the path- to Angelina. With a shriek, she dove off the trail, hand fumbling for her wand. In moments, the fire was gone and so were the spiders. All that was left was a dead tree trunk, black from the fire, a raging Angelina, and me... unfortunately. I climbed over the trunk and went up to her, barely containing my laughter.

"You-" she sputtered.

"Should have seen the look on your face!" I grinned. She glared at me.

"You are the most obnoxious, most annoying, most- ARGGHH!"

"Hmmm, no one's ever called me that before," I said in a thoughtful voice.

"That's it, I've had it!" she yelled, continuing foreword. "I just had to be stuck in detention with you! Out of all people- you! If George were here, he wouldn't have done that, but nooooo, you have to be so impulsive, so pig-headed! Why aren't you more like him!"

ANGELINA's POV

He stood rigid, as if taking in what I had just bellowed. My own words hung thickly around me. My anger melted away instantly and I felt horribly ashamed.

"Oh, Fred, I didn't-"
"S'all right," he replied thickly.

"No, it's not all right," I replied, "That was incredibly cruel of me... I'm really sorry, really I am-"

"I said it's all right," he snapped, "It's the truth so you don't have to apologize-"

"But Fred, it's not true. I'm glad I'm spending detention with you-" I clamped my hand over my mouth, knowing my cheeks must be flaming red. I could feel his gaze penetrating down on my head, but I didn't dare look up.

"Better me then Montague," he stated.

"Better you than anybody," I whispered. What was I doing?! But right then, I felt carefree and reckless, totally ignoring the fact that I was making a total fool of myself. Fred didn't answer. Maybe he didn't hear me. But by the sound of his unsteady breathing, I guessed he heard it all.

"Angelina-"

"Blimey, it's already ten thirty and we still have one more plant to find," I squeaked, dashing ahead. I didn't care whether or not he'd follow me; I didn't care that we had till eleven and it was really ten o'clock. I just wanted to get away from him. Part of me wanted to pour my heart out, the other part was still quite wary.. and afraid. Afraid of what he'd say, or rather won't say. 'She's just a pretty face...' It hurt. It really tore my heart to hear him say that.

"Angelina!" Huh? I blinked. I hadn't noticed he had fallen into step beside me, tugging my sleeve.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Look," he pointed to a purple bush by a small brook. "Isn't that what we're looking for?"

"What? Er- oh yes, yes it is," I made my way towards the stream. Searching for my gloves, I dug my hands into the pockets of my robes.

"Why bother?" Fred asked, plucking a single flower off.

"No, don't!" I exclaimed. But it was too late. Fred gave a yelp, dropping the purple flower to the ground and it crumbled into ash.

"Don't you pay attention in Herbology?" I snapped. "One touch of that plant without gloves could give you a third-degree burn!"

"Enough already!" I winced. Here I was lecturing him about lessons when he was hurt.

"Sorry," I mumbled, "Let me look at that." I took his hand in mine, turning it over to look at his palm. It was dark red and his skin was peeling off a bit. I took out my wand, muttering a spell under my breath.

"Bloody hell, that hurts!" he complained, fingers twitching convulsively.

"Calm down, I'm almost done," I replied calmly. Within moments, his hand held a faint color of maroon, a memoir of the burn. The skin began to heal, the cracks disappearing gradually.

"There that's the best I can do," I sighed, putting my wand away.

"Thanks," he murmured, flexing his fingers unconsciously. So we're back to square one again. Fred Weasley continues to amaze me. One minute we're bickering loudly, the next minute we act so shy and reserved, barely looking at each other.

"No problem," I replied in a clearer tone. Enough of this foolishness. Did he or did he not confirm the friendship between us?
Several minutes later after a few more burns and wrestling with that bloody plant we sat down near the brook, washing our hands from the filth.

"What do we do now?" Fred asked.

I shrugged. "Wait, I suppose, it's only ten o'clock." Fred lay down on his back with an exhausted sigh. I picked at a burn on my cloak as an uncomfortable silence had settled in again.

"You never told me," he said abruptly, "What you were doing in the Astronomy Tower."

"Wallowing in self-pity," I responded. It was suppose to be sarcastic, but I could tell he read into my bitter expression.

"About what I said in the Common Room-"

"No, forget it, I over-reacted, it's my fault-"

"No, I shouldn't have said anything that would have upset you," he reasoned. I opened my mouth to argue, but realized I had nothing to say. I also thought it prudent to stop arguing; it wasn't often Fred was so sweet.

"Angelina," he continued, finally looking up at me, "What were you upset about? Was it something I said? I know-" he paused, "I know you overheard what Lee and I were talking about... were you, were you upset about that?"

"Of course I was!" I burst out, staring down at him in disbelief. He blinked at me, confusion on his face.

"But, why-?"

"Why?!" I replied, anger bubbling up inside me. Was he being stupid on purpose? Or was he just trying to get me to confess my feelings about him and totally humiliate me? Right then, I didn't care I was too angry to care about my pride or dignity.

"For your information, Fred Weasley," I answered curtly, "I am not just-a-pretty-face! I thought that after knowing me for seven years, you would not consider me as just-a-pretty-face! And you ask why I'm mad!" I gave a bitter laugh and continued on recklessly. "Here I am thinking you actually saw something inside me! And I thought that you were beginning to love me because of that-" I stopped suddenly throat sore and eyes watery. The meaning of my words had begun to sink in me. I suddenly felt terribly ashamed. What was I thinking! I needed to get away- fast.

"Angelina! Wait!" A rough hand pulled me back down.

"Let go of me," I replied trying to uphold every scrap of dignity I had left. But his grip was too tight on my arm.

"You thought that I was talking about you?!" he asked breathlessly. I nodded slowly. Gradually, a large grin crept on his face, making the corner of his eyes crinkle up. Suddenly, he let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. I struggled to get free.

"You're laughing at me!"

He stopped laughing at once, relaxing his grip on me. "No! I wasn't laughing at you! It's just that- this whole feud-" he shook his head smiling. "I was talking about LeBlanc, not you!"

"Leblanc?" I blinked. He nodded eagerly. "Oh." I felt the heat rushing to my face.

"You thought I was talking about you." It was a statement, not a question. I looked up at him, curiously. His hands were in his pockets again and his serious gaze upon me did not waver. "Angelina, you know I could never, ever, consider you as just a pretty face," he continued in a low voice which sent the blood rushing to my head and sparks fly up my spine. It thrilled me to hear Fred talk like that, so serious and solemn; the look in his hazel eyes confirmed his words. When he looked at me, I saw something I had never seen before making me feel afraid, intrigued, and excited all at once.

"Isn't that what I am to everybody?" I whispered, eager to hear what he would say.

"Not to me." He lay back down again, staring at the stars above us. His words rang triumphantly in my ears. He didn't think I was just a pretty face. I began to smile, but a certain thought brought back the frown on my face. Disappointment yet again. I just can't win, can I?

"What about Alicia?" I asked quietly.

"What about her?"

"I- I saw you- you and her down at the Quidditch Field..." I admitted. He gave me a confused look.

"I wasn't on the Quidditch Field today," he replied, "I was with Lee the whole time." I let out a sigh I didn't know I had been holding in.

"Oh," I smiled.

"You thought Alicia and I-?" I shrugged, still smiling rather sheepishly.

"So if it wasn't you, it must've been-" I gasped. Fred gave knowing smile.

"Well, well, well, George has a little bit of explaining to do..."

I didn't hear what he'd said after that. I was too busy thinking of Alicia. I had been so cruel to her and it wasn't even her fault. I pulled my legs up and rested my head on my knees. What a mess I had made of things! First thing I'm doing after this detention is to apologize to Alicia.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," I murmured, banging my head lightly into my knees.

"I hope you're not talking about me." I smiled into the cloth of my robes as I shook my head. Silence drifted upon us yet again. But the air between us seemed different somehow, more relaxed. When I finally looked up, I found Fred staring up at me.

That look in his eyes.

Wow.

He licked his lips once and I found I could not take the pressure of his eyes piercing through mine with such intensity. Somewhat reluctantly, I wrenched my gaze away from his own. I suddenly felt empty, wanting more, yet afraid of more.

Through my peripheral vision I saw that he had not taken his eyes off of me. I felt quite conscious of what I looked like. Is there pus still on my face? I shifted my weight.

Fred reached out to me. I tensed up, holding my breath. I let it out slowly as his hand rested lightly on top of mine. Slowly, I twisted my hand palm up and let his fingers interweave with mine. He scooted closer to me, resting our bound hands on top of his chest. Even with the back of my hand, I could feel the play of his muscles on his torso.

I bit my lip, wondering what to do. Should I-? I looked down at him again. His eyes were shinning and a ghost of a smile played on his lips. Heat rushed to my face as I eased down beside him. In seconds, his arm crept around me. I turned on my side and hid my cheek into his shoulder, heart beating fast. I twisted my neck up to look at him. He didn't look away. He took my hand in his and spread the fingers apart slowly. One by one, he pressed every one of my fingers to his lips. I sucked my breath in through my teeth as I willed my fingers to stop trembling.

"What's wrong?" he whispered hoarsly. I blinked several times before answering.

"N-nothing."

"You're trembling." He shifted my hand up and kissed the palm. I didn't answer. Taking my chances, I nestled my forehead in the crook of his neck. I heard him swallow hard, adam's apple bobbing up and down in the corner of my eye. I wanted to press my lips over his pulsing throat, but I was too afraid to move. But I had to do something or suffer drifting off into insanity.

Taking a breath, I twisted my face up to his the same time he turned his head.

Our eyes locked.

Our noses touched.

I could feel his unsteady breath on my mouth. Unable to control myself any longer, I narrowed my eyes, shifting forward, and locked our lips together. I felt lightheaded and dizzy but surprisingly calm. I was no longer trembling. I was safe. I felt safe. With Fred. Like this.

FRED's POV

I can't believe I'm doing this.

My hands seemed to move involuntarily, one around her waist, the other pressing close to her back. After all the times I had to force myself to keep away from her during our little feud, I couldn't stop touching her now.

Recklessly, I rolled forward, pinning her down to the ground. She made a soft noise against my mouth, tugging at my robes. I pressed my lips more intently onto hers. If my lips weren't numb from shock and pleasure, I could have felt every line, every crevasse on her lips.

Boldly, I parted her lips, seeking the sweetness of her mouth. I felt her hands grip me tightly, as if afraid I would stop.

Gasping for breath, I pulled away, but lay my forehead across her cheek. It felt soft and warm. I have never felt so content, being with Angelina. Like this.

A sudden thought came into my head, like a single rain cloud on a sunny day. "Angelina, what do you see in me and- and not George?"

Silence. I was afraid to look into her eyes and see guilt. Slowly, she tilted my head up to face her. But I saw no guilt. Nor embarrassment.

"I see a head-strong, pig-headed person who does everything on his first impulse and completely infuriates me," she replied unmercifully. I flinched. "But I also see a born leader, a person who is bold, resolute, and will never give up," she whispered. "I see a sweet boy who shows his love through anger and protection. I see you, Fred."

I brought her close, still hardly believing what she was saying, what this wonderful, extraordinary girl was saying to me- me, Fred Weasley! Not George, not anyone else. Me!

"Fred," she murmured, pulling her lips away. I protested, claiming her lips again. "We have to go," she murmured several moments later. "Look." She pointed up to the sky. I twisted around to see what she was talking about. Green sparks. Damn.

With a sigh, I heaved myself off of her and held out a hand. She took it with a smile and I pulled her up. I didn't let go. She didn't complain. Without another word, we walked down the sullied path hand-in-hand. I brushed a strand of hair from her face and was rewarded with a heart-warming smile.

Still silence. I wondered if we'd ever stop being so shy around each other. We should be able to talk more.

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a dead tree stump, infested with large insects. Taking the wand out of my robe with a large grin plastered on my face, I thought, 'Maybe things between us won't be so different.' Shaking my head, I stuffed my wand back inside my robes and tightened my grip on Angelina's warm hand. Then again, maybe it will.

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well, that's it! whaddya think? i know i said this wouldn't be the last chapter, but... **grins apologetically** don't worry ! i'm thinking of a sequel!