Freckles
.
Danielle Jewel woke up from her peaceful slumber to the smiling face of George Weasley.
Immediately she screamed.
“Why the bloody hell are you so close to me?” she screamed as she pulled the covers up around herself.
“You’re been sleeping for forever Danny!”
“So you decided to wake me up by invading my personal space?”
“You never used to mind.” he exclaimed as he moved away from her.
“That was when—”
“When what? When you weren’t dating—”
“No, of course not.”
“Sure, whatever.” he said with a roll of his eyes.
He turned his back on her and stormed out of the room. Danielle sighed and flopped down onto her bed. Ever since the Yule Ball during their previous school year, she and George kept getting into fights. Ever since then, she felt like she had been losing her best friend, which was ironic since everything she was doing was to get him to notice her.
“Why so sad, fair princess?” Fred asked as he sat down next to her.
“George is going with Angelina to the Yule Ball.”
“And so the princess is sad because her prince is courting another princess?”
“What? No. Of course not,” she denied unconvincingly. “We’re only friends, you know that, Fred.”
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.” Fred flashed her a bright smile.
“It’s not like that.” she muttered.
“If you keep lying to me, Elle, I may soon believe that you don’t trust me.”
“Fred—”
“I can see it in your eyes Elle. You’re in love with my brother. The only thing I do not know is exactly how long you’ve been in love with him.”
“I’m not—”
Fred sent her a look and she knew it would pointless to lie. “Since third year.” she muttered.
“Blimey, Elle!”
“I know, I know!” she groaned. “I’m pathetic.” she huffed as she fell backward into the snow.
“Not that, Elle. I’m surprised George hasn’t noticed in three years. My brother must be a bloody idiot. He’s lucky he is so good-looking.”
She had been friends with the Weasley twins for all of her life. She had very few memories that did not involve the pair of pranksters. As they grew up—in age, definitely not in maturity—Danielle couldn’t ignore the pangs that hit her every time she saw George Weasley.
He was her best friend; he was as close to her as his brother was. But she loved him. She loved his vibrant red hair and his freckles. She has studied his face so diligently that she knew where every freckle on his face was. She had fallen in love with her best friend and was too afraid to ever say anything about it. And now he kept getting mad at her and she didn’t understand why.
“You wanted him to go to the Yule Ball with you.”
“I wanted him to want to go with me. But he has always liked Angelina…I do not know why I bother—”
“Elle, he cares about you—”
“As a friend, as a…a little sister.” she scoffed. “Him looking at me as a little sister isn’t exactly going to get me anywhere.”
“Well then…maybe we should show him that you aren’t just a little girl.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“Come to the Yule Ball with me.”
“Fred, be serious.”
“Look, it’s a perfect plan. You make him jealous by going with me and I make Alicia jealous by going with you.”
“Alicia?” she asked with raised eyebrows as a smile tugged at her lips.
The plan had seemed like a good one, at the time. She didn’t have a date, so going with Fred would be beneficial to both of them.
“You’re here with Fred?” he said in surprise. “That’s cool.”
“Cool?” she stumbled out. “You…don’t care?”
“No?” He laughed, “Why would I?”
“I...uh…you wouldn’t…” she fumbled quickly for an answer. “I just…thought that we didn’t tell you…you’d…you know…” she gave him a small smile as she trailed off. “The Great Hall looks great, doesn’t it?”
He’d thought they were just friends. So Fred decided that they had to heat things up. During the last dance of the night, Fred kissed her as George looked on. George had looked surprised, but not jealous.
She wished their plan would work. She had hoped that George was jealous but their ploy didn’t seem to be working…until a week or two later.
“Hey George.” she smiled up at him.
“Hey.” he grumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“How long have you and Fred been—”
“Dating?” she supplied as George said,
“—Snogging?”
She blushed. “We’re more than just ‘snogging,’ George. Fred and I are…dating.” she said.
“Why?” he said bluntly.
“Why?” she repeated with a furrowed brow. “Because I…I uh…” she looked into his eyes and she wasn’t sure if she could lie to him. But the image of Angelina and George flashed through her mind. “I like him.” she muttered.
George started to distant himself from Fred and Danielle. The thought made her heart sink every day. She didn’t want to lose her best friend and she couldn’t take the heartache of seeing him with Angelina every day.
With a sigh she got out of bed, changed, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She was staying at the Burrow. She had always spent her summers with the Weasley family as her parents were often away on business.
“Good morning Mrs. Weasley.” she smiled as she sat down at the table next to Fred. George sat a little ways away from them, glowering down at the bacon on his plate.
Fred sent her a questioning look as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She only sighed in response and stared down at her plate forlornly. They’d continued their façade, hoping that George would take notice of her. But it seemed that their plan was working against them.
Flicking her light brown hair out of her green eyes, she fought to keep her characteristic smile on her face. Lately, she’d found it hard to smile. She was hurting. She missed George and she was starting to wonder if trying to be with him was worth ruining their friendship.
After breakfast, she and Fred excused themselves and went up to the room Fred and George shared.
“This wasn’t a good idea, Fred. I’ve ruined my friendship with George…and now he’ll barely even speak to you. I should just…give up this.”
“No, Elle, you can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t see the way he looks at you. I know he feels something…”
“I just—”
A cough from the doorway secured their attention.
“Can I talk to Danny for a minute?” George asked with his hands in his pockets.
“Sure.” Fred said as he quickly left the room. Danielle glared at him as he left; how could he just leave her like that with George?
George closed the door after his brother and sat down on his bed. She sat down on Fred’s across from him.
“Sorry about this morning.”
“Me too. I was really tired this morning. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
George shrugged and looked away.
“George.” she whispered in a strangled voice. “I have to tell you something.”
“Hm?” He looked hopeful for a moment.
“Something about Fred and I.”
His shoulders slumped. “Oh.”
“We…we aren’t dating.”
“What?” His head snapped up and his eyes met Danny’s. “What do you mean? Did you guys break up?”
She took in a deep and shaky breath as she shook her. “In order to break up we would’ve have to have actually dated first.”
“What does that mean?”
“Fred and I dated to make the guy I like jealous. And to make Alicia jealous. We weren’t really dating.”
“So you aren’t dating my brother.”
“No.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“What?” she had no expected that question.
“Who’s the guy that you like?”
“D-doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Well…” she shrugged as she looked away from George “Look at me. I’m…average. I’m not all that thin and I’m not all that tall. And I’m really pale and…why would he ever want me? Besides I think he’s dating someone and I—”
“You’re perfect.” he muttered. Her eyes cut to his quickly and she found that he was kneeling before her. With their height difference they were at eye level. “You have gorgeous hair and beautiful eyes.” He murmured as he held her face in his calloused hands. “And you have these…light freckles all across your face and I. swear I—” He cut himself off. “What’s he like, this guy?” he muttered. “What’s he like that he’s so stupid that he doesn’t know he’s got a girl like you waiting for him?”
“He…” she found it hard to find her voice. “He’s not stupid. He’s really smart. And really brave.” she laughed as light tears sprang to her eyes as she whispered. “And he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. He can make me laugh and he has never made me cry. He has…freckles and red hair…and I swear that he only thinks of me as a sister.”
“Then he’s a fool.” George croaked out. “This boy you like with freckles and red hair…I guess he just doesn’t know you like I do. I guess he doesn’t know how beautiful and smart and kind you are. And I bet,” George’s voice dropped even lower and softer, “I bet he can’t tell you where every single freckle on your face is like I can. I bet he’s realizing what a fool he’s been to have never realized that you were right before him this entire time. And I think he has finally decided to not waste anymore time.”
With that, he kissed her.
Immediately she screamed.
“Why the bloody hell are you so close to me?” she screamed as she pulled the covers up around herself.
“You’re been sleeping for forever Danny!”
“So you decided to wake me up by invading my personal space?”
“You never used to mind.” he exclaimed as he moved away from her.
“That was when—”
“When what? When you weren’t dating—”
“No, of course not.”
“Sure, whatever.” he said with a roll of his eyes.
He turned his back on her and stormed out of the room. Danielle sighed and flopped down onto her bed. Ever since the Yule Ball during their previous school year, she and George kept getting into fights. Ever since then, she felt like she had been losing her best friend, which was ironic since everything she was doing was to get him to notice her.
“Why so sad, fair princess?” Fred asked as he sat down next to her.
“George is going with Angelina to the Yule Ball.”
“And so the princess is sad because her prince is courting another princess?”
“What? No. Of course not,” she denied unconvincingly. “We’re only friends, you know that, Fred.”
“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much.” Fred flashed her a bright smile.
“It’s not like that.” she muttered.
“If you keep lying to me, Elle, I may soon believe that you don’t trust me.”
“Fred—”
“I can see it in your eyes Elle. You’re in love with my brother. The only thing I do not know is exactly how long you’ve been in love with him.”
“I’m not—”
Fred sent her a look and she knew it would pointless to lie. “Since third year.” she muttered.
“Blimey, Elle!”
“I know, I know!” she groaned. “I’m pathetic.” she huffed as she fell backward into the snow.
“Not that, Elle. I’m surprised George hasn’t noticed in three years. My brother must be a bloody idiot. He’s lucky he is so good-looking.”
She had been friends with the Weasley twins for all of her life. She had very few memories that did not involve the pair of pranksters. As they grew up—in age, definitely not in maturity—Danielle couldn’t ignore the pangs that hit her every time she saw George Weasley.
He was her best friend; he was as close to her as his brother was. But she loved him. She loved his vibrant red hair and his freckles. She has studied his face so diligently that she knew where every freckle on his face was. She had fallen in love with her best friend and was too afraid to ever say anything about it. And now he kept getting mad at her and she didn’t understand why.
“You wanted him to go to the Yule Ball with you.”
“I wanted him to want to go with me. But he has always liked Angelina…I do not know why I bother—”
“Elle, he cares about you—”
“As a friend, as a…a little sister.” she scoffed. “Him looking at me as a little sister isn’t exactly going to get me anywhere.”
“Well then…maybe we should show him that you aren’t just a little girl.”
“How do you propose we do that?”
“Come to the Yule Ball with me.”
“Fred, be serious.”
“Look, it’s a perfect plan. You make him jealous by going with me and I make Alicia jealous by going with you.”
“Alicia?” she asked with raised eyebrows as a smile tugged at her lips.
The plan had seemed like a good one, at the time. She didn’t have a date, so going with Fred would be beneficial to both of them.
“You’re here with Fred?” he said in surprise. “That’s cool.”
“Cool?” she stumbled out. “You…don’t care?”
“No?” He laughed, “Why would I?”
“I...uh…you wouldn’t…” she fumbled quickly for an answer. “I just…thought that we didn’t tell you…you’d…you know…” she gave him a small smile as she trailed off. “The Great Hall looks great, doesn’t it?”
He’d thought they were just friends. So Fred decided that they had to heat things up. During the last dance of the night, Fred kissed her as George looked on. George had looked surprised, but not jealous.
She wished their plan would work. She had hoped that George was jealous but their ploy didn’t seem to be working…until a week or two later.
“Hey George.” she smiled up at him.
“Hey.” he grumbled.
“What’s wrong?”
“How long have you and Fred been—”
“Dating?” she supplied as George said,
“—Snogging?”
She blushed. “We’re more than just ‘snogging,’ George. Fred and I are…dating.” she said.
“Why?” he said bluntly.
“Why?” she repeated with a furrowed brow. “Because I…I uh…” she looked into his eyes and she wasn’t sure if she could lie to him. But the image of Angelina and George flashed through her mind. “I like him.” she muttered.
George started to distant himself from Fred and Danielle. The thought made her heart sink every day. She didn’t want to lose her best friend and she couldn’t take the heartache of seeing him with Angelina every day.
With a sigh she got out of bed, changed, and went downstairs to the kitchen. She was staying at the Burrow. She had always spent her summers with the Weasley family as her parents were often away on business.
“Good morning Mrs. Weasley.” she smiled as she sat down at the table next to Fred. George sat a little ways away from them, glowering down at the bacon on his plate.
Fred sent her a questioning look as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She only sighed in response and stared down at her plate forlornly. They’d continued their façade, hoping that George would take notice of her. But it seemed that their plan was working against them.
Flicking her light brown hair out of her green eyes, she fought to keep her characteristic smile on her face. Lately, she’d found it hard to smile. She was hurting. She missed George and she was starting to wonder if trying to be with him was worth ruining their friendship.
After breakfast, she and Fred excused themselves and went up to the room Fred and George shared.
“This wasn’t a good idea, Fred. I’ve ruined my friendship with George…and now he’ll barely even speak to you. I should just…give up this.”
“No, Elle, you can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because you don’t see the way he looks at you. I know he feels something…”
“I just—”
A cough from the doorway secured their attention.
“Can I talk to Danny for a minute?” George asked with his hands in his pockets.
“Sure.” Fred said as he quickly left the room. Danielle glared at him as he left; how could he just leave her like that with George?
George closed the door after his brother and sat down on his bed. She sat down on Fred’s across from him.
“Sorry about this morning.”
“Me too. I was really tired this morning. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.”
George shrugged and looked away.
“George.” she whispered in a strangled voice. “I have to tell you something.”
“Hm?” He looked hopeful for a moment.
“Something about Fred and I.”
His shoulders slumped. “Oh.”
“We…we aren’t dating.”
“What?” His head snapped up and his eyes met Danny’s. “What do you mean? Did you guys break up?”
She took in a deep and shaky breath as she shook her. “In order to break up we would’ve have to have actually dated first.”
“What does that mean?”
“Fred and I dated to make the guy I like jealous. And to make Alicia jealous. We weren’t really dating.”
“So you aren’t dating my brother.”
“No.”
“Who’s the guy?”
“What?” she had no expected that question.
“Who’s the guy that you like?”
“D-doesn’t matter.”
“Why not?”
“Well…” she shrugged as she looked away from George “Look at me. I’m…average. I’m not all that thin and I’m not all that tall. And I’m really pale and…why would he ever want me? Besides I think he’s dating someone and I—”
“You’re perfect.” he muttered. Her eyes cut to his quickly and she found that he was kneeling before her. With their height difference they were at eye level. “You have gorgeous hair and beautiful eyes.” He murmured as he held her face in his calloused hands. “And you have these…light freckles all across your face and I. swear I—” He cut himself off. “What’s he like, this guy?” he muttered. “What’s he like that he’s so stupid that he doesn’t know he’s got a girl like you waiting for him?”
“He…” she found it hard to find her voice. “He’s not stupid. He’s really smart. And really brave.” she laughed as light tears sprang to her eyes as she whispered. “And he’s one of the best people I’ve ever met. He can make me laugh and he has never made me cry. He has…freckles and red hair…and I swear that he only thinks of me as a sister.”
“Then he’s a fool.” George croaked out. “This boy you like with freckles and red hair…I guess he just doesn’t know you like I do. I guess he doesn’t know how beautiful and smart and kind you are. And I bet,” George’s voice dropped even lower and softer, “I bet he can’t tell you where every single freckle on your face is like I can. I bet he’s realizing what a fool he’s been to have never realized that you were right before him this entire time. And I think he has finally decided to not waste anymore time.”
With that, he kissed her.