Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Obviously.
Always Right
"You need a nickname." That's how Fred, my oh-so-clever, handsome, jokester boyfriend greeted me one Saturday morning in the Great Hall. I scowled at him. I hate nicknames. It goes beyond hate, actually, it's more of a loathing. And now my boyfriend of two years wants to give me one of them.
"Come on, Caitlin! Just one nickname! 'Caitlin' is such a long name!" Fred implored. I rolled my eyes. He could be so dramatic at times.
"It's only two syllables, Fred; it's not that long." I replied. "And besides, you haven't nicknamed Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's." Fred stared at me.
"You don't nickname shops." Fred informed. I raised an eyebrow. Yes, you do. Honestly, I don't know how he ever passed his OWL's. It'll be a miracle if he even gets one NEWT. Come to think of it, I'll be lucky to get one NEWT. Don't get me wrong, I'm fairly intelligent, and I get good marks, but Umbridge is just horrid! I'm telling you, she's has it out for us Gryffindors.
"Fred. You yourself have used a nickname on a shop. Honeydukes, for instance. You don't go around calling it Honeydukes Sweet Shop, do you? Or Zonko's. You don't call it Zonko's Joke Shop all the time. So, yes, you do nickname shops." I replied. Fred rolled his eyes.
"Of course, Kate. Whatever you say." Fred responded. I glared at him. If he made it out of this conversation without his head being hexed into twice it's normal size or some other deformity, it would be a miracle. But I'm sure Professor Snape wouldn't mind. Hey! I just might get points for hexing him! Oh, who am I kidding. It's Snape I'm talking about. He'd probably take points off for not letting him hex Fred.
"Don't call me 'Kate', Fred. You know how I feel about nicknames." I ground out. Fred grinned. That. Boy.
"But, Kate! You're eyes sparkle so beautifully when you're aggravated!" Fred whined. My 'sparkling eyes' narrowed.
"I'm sure I could make you sparkle." I said. "Remember Jack Randolf?" I watched in satisfaction as Fred's eyes widened in horror. Jack Randolf is a fifth year Slytherin who thinks he owns the world. One day, he made the mistake about insulting Fred behind his back while I was listening. Let's just say they had to call Professor Dumbledore down to get him to stop sparkling and puking. I pride myself on my ability to layer charms and jinxes so that it's hard for someone to remove them. I've read ahead to Charms books past the NEWT level. And Fred knows this.
"Okay, I won't call you 'Kate'." Fred conceded. I smiled, nodding in satisfaction. Then I scowled at Fred's next comment. "I'll call you Caity-blue!" My eye's widened in horror. I'd rather be called Kate! Sure, my eyes are blue, but 'Caity-blue'!? That's horrible! Vile, abhorrent! Just kill me now! I can just picture it now; all the Slytherin laughter. And the Ravenclaw. And most likely some of the Hufflepuffs as well. My life is over! Okay, so maybe I'm a bit dramatic. Fred laughed. Opps. I guess I said that all aloud. Shoot. Fred laughed again. I sighed.
"Honestly, it's not that bad, Caity-blue. Besides, it has a nice ring to it!" Fred made an attempt at persuasion. Fred, Fred, Fred. You are forgetting one important fact: I'm a Gryffindor; I can be extremely stubborn. Well, two can play at this game.
"Very true, Freddy-brown, very true! Oh! 'Freddy-brown'! That has a nice ring to it!" I exclaimed, pretending to be ecstatic. Fred cringed. "My point exactly." I said, noticing his facial expression.
"All right, all right. So maybe that wasn't such a good nickname." I rolled my eyes. 'Maybe'? There's no 'maybe' about it! It is a bad nickname!
"Glad you see it my way." I said. "Just drop it, Fred. I don't like nicknames, okay. I'm telling you, you're not going to find a nickname that I actually like." Fred got a determined light in his eyes. I should have worded that differently. Stupid, bloody Griffyndor. Can't say no to a challenge.
"Oh, I beg to differ! I can and will find a nickname that you like! And that shall be your new name!" Fred declared.
"The only time I'm changing my name is if or when I get married and not a day sooner, Fredrick Weasley." I told him sternly. Fred grinned and leaned forward in his seat. Shoot. I should have seen this coming.
"Are you trying to tell me something, Caity-bell?" Fred asked suggestively. I immediately blushed to the roots of my hair. Fred just smiled harder. "You look so cute when you're embarrassed!" Fred exclaimed. This made me blush harder.
"N..no! O..of course not!" I stammered in response to his question. "I...I was merely p...pointing out t..that.." I was saved from explaining further by Fred's laughter. Life's little blessings.
"I know what you meant." Fred told me.
"Couldn't you have saved me some embarrassment then?!" I exclaimed. Fred laughed again.
"But where'd be the fun in that?" Fred asked innocently. I rolled my eyes and smacked him playfully on the arm.
"Honestly, Fred! You are so incorrigible!" I exclaimed. Fred grinned.
"But 'ya love me!" I sighed.
"That I do, that I do." I said before muttering, "But I wonder why sometimes." Fred raised his hand over his heart in mock hurt.
"How you wound me, Caity, my love!" Fred declared dramatically. I rolled my eyes. Fred can be such a drama queen sometimes! Oh no. "That's it!" Oh no, oh no, oh no. "I've got it!" Merlin help me! "You're new nickname is...." Fred made a drum roll my drumming his hands on the table. "Caity-Love! It's brilliant!" I groaned.
"Fred!" I whined. "That's...."
"Absolutely wonderful! It's brilliant!" Fred interjected. He made me think on it. Caitly-Love. Hmm....that wasn't...bad. It was strangely me. And it was totally Fred. He grinned and leaned forward to kiss me. "I knew you'd like it!" Fred had always been been able to read me like a book. I sighed.
"I admit defeat." I said. Fred grinned and kissed me again.
"Of course you do! Because Fred Weasley is always right." I giggled. Oh Fred.
"Not always." I replied. Fred rolled his eyes.
"You're supposed to go with the flow, Caity-Love." I looked at Fred in wide eyed innocence.
"But where'd the fun in that be?" I asked in equal innocence. Fred just smiled.