A Friendship Broken

By Kukaburry

Chapter 1

It wasn't every millennium one saw Arie Williams in a dress, even when you had known her for ten years. She was the only girl in school that chose to wear trousers instead of skirts and scoffed at the word 'makeup'. In short, she was a true tomboy. "This is complete shit!" She roared at Fred's vast grin, "The only reason you won, Weasley, is because you cheated." Arie's short-cropped, red hair frizzled around her face, and her ice blue eyes burned with ill-hidden malice.

"You never said we couldn't tell him," he chirped from his lounging spot, immune to her icy stare. "We have a contract remember? Hop to it."

"Damnit, damnit, double bloody damnit!"

"Don't you mean triple?" Fred baited her with fluttering eyes.

"I'll mean whatever I want to mean! I hate betting with you." She ground her teeth and turned her beat-red face away from Fred towards George. "George, what is my torture again?"

George snickered and pulled out a roll of parchment written by Hermione and cleared his throat theatrically. "Upon the termination of the bet, one of two events will occur: Arianna Williams will be required to wear dresses for two months or Fred Weasley will be required to give up practical jokes for one entire month."

Arie stamped her foot impatiently and flung her arms into the air. "Fine, I give up. I can't win. You two are the worst." She gave Fred her nasty glare and retreated upstairs to change into a dress as promised. Everyone in the common room watched in amusement as she hurdled up the stairs.

Arianna Williams was a seventh year and had known the Weasley family for more than half of her life. Her dad worked in the Department of Muggle Security and had become fast friends with Mr. Weasley when they had discovered that their sons knew each other. Arie's two older brothers had been acquaintances of Charlie and Bill Weasley, but nothing more.

Mr. Weasley and Mr. Williams were shocked when the twins had taken seven-year-old Arie into their group of friends, especially since Arie was a very rambunctious and hard-headed girl. She grew up with a fiery attitude to match her fiery red locks.

"This'll be a laugh, won't it Fred?" George chuckled, patting his brother on the arm. "Way to pull through for us and win the bet. You've done civilization a favor," he grinned cheekily before being pulled away by the small crowd to tell the story about how Fred won.

"You see, old Freddie here bet Arie that she couldn't go an entire class without cursing out Lee," he took a bold step towards Lee and patted his head jokingly, "Of course we told Lee all about it, and being the good chap he is, he harassed her the entire class."

"Isn't that unfair?" Hermione piped up from the fireplace, bushy head buried behind several stacks of dusty books and parchments stolen from the library.

George and Fred pretended to look hurt, "Are you saying we're cheaters?" Hermione looked up from her scribbling and quirked an eyebrow making Fred laughed merrily. "Well, she should have said we had to keep it a secret bet."

Angelina turned to Lee with a knowing smile plastered on her lips, "What did you do to piss her off this time?"

Grinning like a Chessire cat, Lee tossed back his head and said, "I put a singing charm on her hawk so that every time she tried to transfigure it, the hawk started to sing." Fred and George high-fived him and several people burst into uncontrollable laughter. "She was so mad, I thought her head would burst into flames."

"That ginger is hot-headed my friend," Fred agreed. "You're lucky she couldn't string two proper words together or else you'dve had your ears hexed off."

"Are you being mean to my sister again?" A brown-haired, second-year boy squeaked from near the ground. Fred and George looked around and found Arie's brother staring up at them with big, sappy, hazel eyes. "You guys are always picking on her. Stop it." He puffed out his cheeks and his pale skin turned a slight shade of red.

"Look Fred, we have a little bug here who's squawking."

"Oh he looks like an angry one George, just like his sister."

"Maybe we should just sweep him under the couch?"

"Yes, he is pretty small. Actually I think he'd fit under the rug. Want to try?"

"After you Fred."

The twins reached out to take Joshua by the arms when they were forcefully tugged backwards. Several gasps and a hushed giggle floated around them. "Leave my brother alone, he's only twelve years old he's supposed to be short." Both twins dropped their arms and whipped around to face Arie. "Need I remind you that you were both shorter than that when you were twelve?"

Fred and George opened their mouths to retort, but found no words left their wide-open jaws. George quickly recovered and whistled appreciatively, "You look like a girl."

Arie snorted in desertion. "Is that all you can say? 'You look like a girl'." She mocked, rolling her eyes in aggravation. She wore a knee-length black skirt with a Gryffindor cardigan over. "I was more expecting 'Gee you look hot'," she snapped sarcastically.

Fred slung an arm around her shoulders. "Gee you look hot," he purred.

"I guess we can't call you the fourth Williams boy anymore," George chimed while appraising her.

"And we can't call you Double A," Fred added and poked her in the chest between her breasts with his slightly calloused hand.

Arie threw Fred off her arm and smacked his hand away. "You are such a pervert. These," she gestured to her chest, "are not for touching."

Leaning in secretively, George cupped a hand around his mouth and whispered, "I can teach you to change your mind about that." Only Arie and Fred heard what he said, but everyone noticed when Arie's entire body flushed red with embarrassment.

"Um, oh look at the time, gotta go study with Marty at the library," she gasped and hurried out through the portal in a frenzy. George watched her leave, confused by her weird reaction.

"Who is she kidding? She doesn't even know what a Library is," Fred laughed, knowing exactly why Arie had run away so suddenly.

"I think she took that the wrong way," George murmured to Fred as they turned back to Lee for a game of exploding snaps. The colorful cards wobbled dangerously on the tabletop.

Fred rolled his eyes. "You think?" George just shrugged and plopped down at Lee's left side. "Maybe you should go talk to her?" Picking up several green and red cards in his hand, George made no reply and Fred sighed in defeat.

Arie found a quiet, secluded spot outside the corridor to sit and think. Dark clouds rolled across the sky and threatened rain from the window above her. 'Was George flirting with me?' She pressed a hand to her ear, recalling the warmth of his breath on her face as he leaned in towards her. 'He must think I'm a loony for running out like that.'

Footsteps tapped lightly on the stone floor and stopped in front of her. "I think that was the first time I've seen you lose your cool in front of George since fifth year when you tried to trap him under mistletoe."

Looking up through her lashes, she found Fred standing directly in front of her with an impish grin on his lips. "I think you got his attention finally."

Arie sighed and leaned her head against the stone. "You think? I'm not so good at this girl thing," she stated for the millionth time and Fred snorted a laugh. "What? I'd rather play practical jokes and quidditch every day than wear a dress and gossip with girls."

Fred cracked a small smile. "Fine I'll agree with that, but you should wear dresses more often. They do a lot for you."

She tugged at the hem of her dress and pulled her shirt up higher. "I feel too exposed. Do you tell your girlfriend to wear skirts and dresses?" She asked, suddenly curious.

Fred flinched at the term 'girlfriend'. "No, she wears them without me saying anything," he shifted uncomfortably and looked out the window.

"See what I mean? I just cannot do that. I'm not a girl's girl." Sometimes she lamented her lack of curves. She had been flat as a stick for 15 years and suddenly last year her boobs had decided to grow two cup sizes. Sagging her shoulders, Arie slumped sideways and banged the floor, frustrated. The scratchy wall snagged on her shirt which rode up to mid-belly.

Fred coughed and turned slightly red and pointed at his own stomach. Arie looked down and gasped, pulling her shirt to cover her stomach. "Why don't you just tell him? You've only liked him since fifth year right? What's there to lose?"

Arie suppressed a groan. She had never told Fred that she had liked George since she was eight so she had her entire childhood of pining to lose. "Yeah, you're right," she replied evasively. "Maybe I will tell him this year."

Fred considered her for a moment. "Well we're going down to Hogsmeade tomorrow, remember? You could wear something cute for once."

Arie narrowed her eyes and snapped, "Like I have a choice?" She was now subjected to wearing a dress or skirt every single day. Balancing on her left arm, Arie pushed herself up to head back to the common room.

Fred grinned broadly and clapped his hands. "Well that's it for me tonight. I'm all out of advice for you."

"Thank you love guru," she mocked, bowing to him. "You speak wise words." She was very glad to have Fred to talk to about George. "Let's get back before a teacher finds us wandering the halls at night," she paused and grinned mischievously, "again."

Arie patted him on the shoulder and loped back to the common room with Fred following behind. 'I have to pull up my courage and stop acting like his tomboy sister tomorrow. Sometimes when you like someone, you have to change yourself to get their attention.' This had been her mantra for several weeks now, and only today had she begun to believe it.

"You look pretty and George thought so too," Fred said as the Fat Lady portrait opened.

She quirked a smile backwards and walked towards George who now had a three-level stack of cards against Lee's two-level stack. Sitting down right next to him, she leaned forward and whispered something inaudible to him. Whatever it was, George whipped towards her violently and his cards exploded in his face.

Arie hid a broad grin and retreated to a nearby sofa next to Fred. "What did you say to him?" He asked, impossibly curious about his reaction.

"I said 'I don't know what you can teach me that I don't already know.'" It took a lot of effort for Fred not to burst out laughing.

"I think you have his undivided attention now," he smirked, looking over her shoulder at George who continued to gape at her.

Arie stretched out her legs and arms and sighed, "I win."

Here we go with another plot line I have been thinking over for a while now. I 3 Fred and George and I've never written a story centered around them, so here we go. As always reviews are most graciously appreciated.

~Kukaburry