exercising my right to this recess; OPEN

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

Well, he was bored. He'd just had detention the other day and, truth be told, Fred wasn't particularly looking forward to another one. Cleaning out the damn sheets in the hospital wing was a pain. And without magic! Even with magic, Fred was horrible at cleaning spells. He had absolutely no talent in those. Really, the only spells Fred excelled in were offensive ones. Or the kind that could help his dad with coming up with new products, but Fred quickly found out his dad didn't need him for that. He was brilliant, coming up with the most hilarious things. He'd told Fred his brother and him had constantly been thinking up of different things ever since they were young.

And Fred felt it again. That pang in his chest that told him he wasn't worth it.

"Stop it, don't think about it," he muttered to himself, hitting himself on the forehead. Hard. Well, that was surely a way to get him to stop thinking stupid, angsty thoughts. Yes, Fred tended to avoid those like the plague. It just wasn't ... him. Or at least, what he showed people.

Fred placed an arm over his eyes, as he laid down on the bench. There weren't that many people around, surprisingly. If there were, they were away from him - something Fred was both grateful and ungrateful for. He did want some company, but at the same time he wanted to be alone. He hated mixed emotions.

He sighed, taking out his wand and started making small birds from the tip. He just wanted to do something to get him far, far away from his thoughts.

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

She skipped out onto the cobblestone courtyard, feeling and probably looking a little ridiculous. The last class of the day had finally finished, and the sun had finally given out, shining weakly as it sunk below the horizon. The courtyard was always a nice place for her to breathe for a few seconds; even though it was always bustling with crowds, if she could find to other relief for her mind, she could just people watch. However, today it seemed to be nearly empty, and Nero wondered if she should head back into the castle, and perhaps see if her friends were hanging out in the dungeons. But then she saw a hand reach up out of a nearby bench, and fall back down. She walked over to it, more dignified this time, and saw that it was Fred Weasley, covering his eyes with the crook of his elbow and shooting small birds with his wand.

The first thought that popped into her mind was a rather nasty one: why isn’t he in detention? Fred, like his father and late uncle - and namesake, was always up to some high-jinks or another. Nero found it rather brilliant, amusing in the dull halls of Hogwarts, but once her friends told her they found him juvenile, she decided that he was in fact childish. She was unused to seeing him look so sad. Usually he wore a mischievous grin that showed he would dazzle you, and he delivered. However, today he looked downright glum. He was hitting himself over the head with his hand, after all. They weren’t really friends, but they were friendly to each other for the most part: even though he was Gryffindor and she was Slytherin, his parents liked each other. Fred and George didn’t even mind that much when her father was dating Ginny, but that was all too weird to think about. She was sure that if she had gotten into Gryffindor with the rest of her family, her and Fred could have been good friends.

She looked down at him, tossing her curls over her shoulder, and asked as genuinely as possible, “Are you all right? Or is this some sort of elaborate prank designed to first get my sympathy,

[/color]” Maybe that was a little mean. She sat on the edge of the bench so that his legs were behind her back, and adjusted her skirt so it looked somewhat proper. It was foolishly short, but all her friends wore even shorter and she didn’t want to be labelled as a prude. She turned towards him, wondering if she was wasting her time trying to talk to someone that just wanted to be left alone.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

The birds were flying. Flying, up up and disappearing in a wisp of smoke. He wasn't exactly the best at Charms. Fred found it difficult to keep something like the birds flying for a long time. Really, it was weird how he was so much better at Transfiguration than Charms. Mostly because it was so interesting for him - to change something into another thing. It was the most useful (for Fred), more so than Defense Against the Dark Arts. Fred always wanted to be a metamorphagus, ever since he heard of the trait. Now, he did think he had dashing good looks, but would it kill to be just a bit different from his namesake sometimes? And, really, it would be so much easier to pull a prank on people when in disguise, letting them run around like gnomes trying to look for him. What fun that could be.

"Are you all right? Or is this some sort of elaborate prank designed to first get my sympathy."

He almost shouted at the sudden voice. Dear god, he was not expecting anyone, and the fact she just jumped up there like that made him drop the arm covering his face and sat up - thankfully missing the girl who just attempted to give him a heart attack. Now that he'd sat up (his feet cross-legged on the bench), he could see who had interrupted his little bit of rumination. Nero Thomas. He knew her, of course. A Slytherin in his year, and it wasn't hard to notice she was usually with a group of girls of the same year. A bunch of girls who didn't like him, who thought his pranks were stupid and juvenile. Pff, people with no sense of humor. His jokes were awesome and hilarious, how can they not like that? No, how can Nero, of all people, not like that? They were friends, weren't they? Well, no, their dads were friends. His parents had a lot of friends who had kids in Hogwarts (well, of course), which made knowing people that much easier.

Fred and Nero would have been friends. You know, if it wasn't for the house, and the fact her friends didn't like him, and more so the fact she listened to them.

"Oh, Nero, don't do that! Your pretty face gave me a heart attack!" He placed a hand over his heart, a look of mock hurt on his face. His tone was teasing, his eyes closed, before opening them up again. "Who knows? I could be genuinely hurt, you know. Sitting here, lamenting over a lost love, heartbroken and miserable until someone comes along and picks up the pieces." Partly a distraction and partly his humor coming out. Mostly the latter. "So what are you doing here, in this ... fine, sunny day, Nero?" He dropped his hand, still sitting improperly on the bench. Fred looked around, expecting more people to come. Surely her friends must be here. "And where's your little group of lovely Slytherin females? You know, the unfunny ones. I'm naming them that now. The Unfunnies." A dramatic pause as Fred stared over at the horizon, before snapping back to reality and at Nero. "You're exempted, of course. I'd never hurt your feelings by calling you unfunny. I'm sure we can still help you."

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

He seemed rather surprised that he had company, sitting bolt upright, nearly colliding with her head. The charmed birds faded away in wisps of smoke, and Nero felt a weird sense of longing, like homesickness for a place she had never been. He crossed his legs on the narrow bench, and she dangled her legs off the wooden side, looking at her lap. She wasn’t really sure why she had decided to approach the boy. It was probably because he was usually so happy, with a wide smile on his face, that in his previous position, sprawled out hopelessly, arm covering his eyes, he looked unnatural, completely unlike himself. When her father told her stories of Peeves, the poltergeist that had apparently gone into retirement after the Second War, she always pictured him with Fred jovial face. He was rather good-looking, but she was pretty sure he was unattached. Girls liked boys that were funny, but it was hard to want to be in a relationship with a jokester. Perhaps they took everything so lightly.

She blushed a bit as he started his regular antics. Even if it was a joke, being called pretty was very flattering and she felt her face grow hot. She was hardly pretty compared to her friends, so she would take what she would get. She snorted lightly as he said that he could be wasting away, broken because of love long lost. “You’d better keep waiting, loverboy, because I don’t think you want me picking up your pieces.

[/color]” Looking into his mock-serious face, she felt the pull of extreme charisma on her already easily-swayed mind. She really wanted to be his friend, to be close to him. Scooting a little towards him, aware that her skirt covered nearly nothing in the quickly-chilling air, she gave him a sly smile. It was the trademarked Slytherin one, one that you were either born with or learned quickly after initiation.

He dropped his hand, as well as his silly demeanor, and she fixed him with a more serious look. “Just killing a bit of time before dinner[/color]” It was an awkward hour and a half that most students used to get started on their homework, but Nero was feeling tremendously unmotivated. It wasn’t like she was smart enough for any advanced classes, so her homework wasn’t big, nor was it imperative that she finish it all. There were people that performed much lower, after all. She giggled softly. “You say “unfunny” as if it the most heinous insult possible.[/color]” Of course, she did take offense that he would think so lowly of her friends, as she was rather proud of the fact she had squeezed in with the in-crowd. She picked a bit of lint of her gray sweater, edged with forest green. She thought that they were rather funny, but probably in a way that Fred wouldn’t agree with. Their humor derived from insulting people, which was all well and good if you weren’t the one being insulted. Fred, on the other hand, make jokes to make himself happy, but also to make other people smile.

“Oh really? I’m surprised that you care so much about my feelings.[/color]” she asked, arching one brown eyebrow. “And how exactly would you go about helping me?[/color]” If it meant that she would turn into that bubble-gummy Rosalie, she was so not in. Nero enjoyed a healthy dose of snark, especially when it was self-deprecating. She swung her hair forward, over her left shoulder, and began to braid it loosely.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

He'd never expected Nero would come, really. James, sure. Violet, sure. Rosalie'd probably even throw water at him, but he'd never had thought Nero would come over and ask what was wrong with him. He wasn't entirely sure if she was worried about him, or just curious. Nero was always with her little posse of Slytherin girls, that Fred was almost sure he didn't quite know her anymore. Not that he knew her much at all before. She was a friend, or an acquaintance, if we have to be really formal about it, and Fred did consider her as one of the nicer Slytherins but he never really had much to support that. All he knew was that he liked her dad, and her dad liked his, so they should, obviously, be friends. It wasn't like he was opposed to that idea, anyway, but it was always so hard to talk to her when she was always (or to him it was always) with her group of friends. Who apparently think he's not funny. Unfunnies. At least Nero seemed like she had a heart.

He smiled, noticing her face turning red. Oh, wasn't that cute. Was it the 'pretty' comment that did that? Well, at least he was right in his assumptions that she indeed had a heart. "Oh? So you'll be willing to pick up the pieces of my poor, broken heart?" he asked, grinning, a teasing tone in his voice. Fred leaned forward a bit, that cheshire grin on his face, only to sit casually again when she started scooting closer. He glanced down a bit, noticing her skirt, which he figured didn't really help with keeping her warm. "Or, you know, you might die of the cold, and someone else will have to pick up the pieces once again." He looked at her again, copying her sly smile (which wasn't at all close to hers - it had to be a Slytherin thing). At least he was right on the being pretty bit.

“You say “unfunny” as if it the most heinous insult possible.”

"You mean it's not?" Teasing again, of course, but truth be told, being unfunny was one of the worst things that could happen to him. Thanks to genetics (and his growing up in the joke shop), though, he was perfectly comedic. "Really, though, why would you want to hang out with unfunny people? I'm so much more awesome." He gave a smug smile, patting his chest with his fist lightly.

He leaned forward a bit again. "But of course I care about your feelings, miss Thomas! We're friends! ... Starting now." He seemed pleased with himself, the smile on his face reflecting that as he sat back up again. How was he going to help her? "Oh, you know, throw some dungbombs at the caretaker, make you learn a joke or two. You can learn a thing or two from m'dear apprentice. Rosie's got to be better than you when it comes to being funny." He chuckled, rather proud of his so-called apprentice.

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

The sun was slowly but surely setting, obscured by the heavy blanket of clouds. Nero could feel the temperature drop dramatically and her skin prickled in discomfort. It was really, really stupid of her to wear such a skirt as this, and she wanted to face-palm right there, if Fred wasn’t watching. The cold seemed to nip at her caramel- colored skin, and her dark green sweater wasn’t any good at keep the chill out either. She enjoyed fashion, mostly because it established status inside her circle of friends, but this was sort of ridiculous. Shivering slightly, she wondered if she could say “gotta go now see you later bye” and run into the castle, which would be magically warm to suit her preferences, a little on the cozy side. She lifted her eyes up to the sky, and blinked. There was no way it was snowing. But indeed, to her chagrin, little flakes were tumbling down from the sky. She inhaled deeply, feeling the snow graze her eyelashes and cheeks. It was pretty, but she felt as if the cold was restricting her breathing, if that was even possible.

They were sitting rather close now, and even though they weren’t touching, he still radiated enough heat that her teeth didn’t chatter. “I suppose if you begged a little, I could.

[/color]” Fred Weasley was not someone she was currently salivating over, but this was just a little joke between friends, right? Her smile slipped a bit as her face winced, emphasizing his point that she might die of cold. “I’m tougher than I look.[/color]” she said, unconvincingly. Nero was pathetically un-athletic, unlike Fred, who was pretty much a Quidditch star. She was just a little wisp of a thing, which was conveniently in fashion but she chilled easily, and this was more than just a chill. It was snowing, for gossakes, white flakes sticking to her thin sweater. She contemplated a quick incendio, but she was no good at Charms, and it would probably backfire, causing a greater mess than the one she was currently in.

She didn’t think that being called unfunny was that big of a deal. There were much worst things to be called. Nero’s skin always prickled in distaste whenever the word “slut” was tossed around, although she could never put her finger on exactly why. It wasn’t as if it was directed toward her often, she usually hooked up with guys just to please her friends. These same friends had called Fred a slut, though, and it pained her. Apparently, he did get around, but there was a reason that they called him a slut instead of a stud or another word with positive, manly connotations. It was rumored that Fred liked boys and girls, and the hate that he got for that from her house made her skin crawl. She never stood up for him, but she knew that it was wrong. Her father had awkwardly confessed to her that he and Seamus had a thing after he had broken up with Ginny, and while it was weird to think about, it prevented her from being prejudiced.

“They’re my friends,[/color]” she said quietly. Every time she returned to Hogwarts, she fell back into step with them, not considering the differences in opinion and temperament. She belonged with them, right? “And you’re too awesome for me, I could never associate with the divinity that you are.[/color]” She regained her joking, easy tone, difficult to maintain as she was so cold, she thought she was going to cry. She undid the soft braid in her hair, letting it hang, smattered with snow. He was just so silly, she wanted to laugh and possibly curl up to sleep for a decade. “Friends. Just friends and nothing more?[/color]” She draped her wrist over her eyes dramatically, and lay back onto the bench, daintily crossing her legs and posing reminiscent of Fred’s before she approached him. She sighed, but her body was wracked with shivers and she concentrated on staying as still as possible.

Mumbling from under her arm, she said flatly, “I’m willing to be officially friends with you, but if I start picking up tricks from Rosalie, my house will kick me out.[/color]” Rosalie embodied the Gryffindor optimism and spirit than all of her house could not stand. “Maybe...[/color]” she murmured, unable to finish her suggestion properly. She was being pathetic, pitiful, but that was nothing new.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

As the sun started to set, as did the cold. Fred had a jacket and a sweater over him and he still found himself getting chilly. He should have figured it was going to be cold, considering it was November. Still, he wished he had something that could warm him up more. He found himself longing for the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. Why didn't he go there in the first place? Because he was torn between wanting to be alone and wanting to socialize. So he chose the courtyard, which he now realized was definitely the wrong decision. Aside from getting to talk with Nero, though. He'd heard things about her, and considering her dad was a friend, he wanted to actually befriend her. Who knows, it may be nice to have a Slytherin friend. Most of them didn't want to go near him, which was understandable considering most of his prank victims were Slytherins. It wasn't his fault they were pricks.

And suddenly, there was snow. Little flakes of snow falling from the sky. He only noticed when he saw flakes of white falling onto Nero's head. Laughing at her statement, he leaned closer, pulling off the bits of white off her hair. "Me? Beg? I have my pride, thanks," he said, grinning, soon giving up on getting rid of the snow. Ah, well, let it fall. "Of course you are, my Slytherin friend, did I ever say anything otherwise?" he asked, changing his voice a little to sound more ... well, upper class, just as he started to take off his jacket. "Would your pride allow you to accept this, though?" He held out his jacket, dumping it on her lap. He was pretty sure she was getting cold because he sure as hell was.

"They’re my friends."

He wouldn't have been able to hear her if it weren't for the lack of people in the courtyard. They probably all went inside because it was so damn cold. He wasn't sure if she was feeling bad that he was practically insulting them or not, though, and Fred, not wanting to get on Nero's bad side when they were that close to being friends, said nothing more in regards to the subject. "Come now, lowly peasant, I know you can never reach my level of awesome, but you can always try." He regained his easy, joking tone, starting to rub his arms through his sweater. He knew he dislike the cold. Snow was pretty, snow was fun to play around in, but only if he had dozens of layers of clothes over him. "Oh, Nero, I didn't think you were interested. Surely you can do better than little ol' me." He chuckled, watching her lay back on the bench. He noticed her shivering slightly. He really should fix that soon.

At her suggestion that they be officially friends, Fred's face lit up again. "Done!" He can always convince her to do pranks like Rosie as they went along. Baby steps. "Now solemnly swear you'll be up to no good," he said, grinning at her. It was something his father once told him, a quote Fred figured was from his father's own teenage years. Probably a joke between his father that Uncle Harry shared in, considering he'd give a knowing smile whenever George mentioned that.

"Merlin, it's cold," he muttered. He really couldn't stand the cold anymore, and finally took out his wand. "Now, I'm not an expert at this. There's a good chance I'll fail, but hey, it's cold." Trying to remember the incantation, Fred finally waved his wand like he'd seen his aunt do a thousand times. From the tip of his wand erupted blue flames, the success of the charm making the grin on his face spread. Wonderful, he managed to do it, spouting bluebell flames. An incendio would have worked, but he was pretty sure the headmaster wouldn't appreciate him burning stuff in the courtyard for heat.

"Man, I'm awesome." The grin never left his face as he carefully scooped the flames and held it up. "Go on, you can say I'm awesome again," he said, in his usual teasing tone as he placed the flames back on the floor, sitting properly on the bench now. He scooted closer to Nero, pressing his arm against hers in an attempt to keep warm. "You know, we can always go back to the castle."

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

She just wanted to be held. It was so cold, it felt like her brain was spitting out thoughts at complete random. She remembered, in vivid detail, her first visit to the dentist and the taste of her own blood. She remembered curling up in her four poster, pulling her comforter close, and she emitted a small sigh at the memory. Her vision was going weirdly black and white, which happened sometimes when she was really really tired or out of it. Pressing her side against Fred’s she sought attention and warmth, and she stopped acting like she had been born sixteen years ago. She acted more like a newborn kitten, eyes not quite yet opening, and she fought the impulse to mewl into Fred’s neck. Seriously, if that happened, he would be the one running away from her, not the other way around.

He brushed the top of her head with his hand, and Nero breathed contentedly. “Of course not,

[/color] she said rather dreamily. “Weasleys never beg.[/color]” She smiled, albeit a little weakly, disoriented by the world in monochrome. “Although I did hope that you might have made an exception for me.[/color]” She smiled blankly at the jacket at her lap, wondering how in got there, and realizing that it was Fred’s. “Oh. Thanks.[/color]” She shrugged on the jacket before she could think to ask him if he was sure. He was human, he was cold too. Wrapping her arms around his chest, she squeezed him, hopefully not tight enough to restrict his breathing. It felt natural, which was odd: Nero was known among her friends as the prudish one, the one that couldn’t stand the smallest innocent affectionate touch. Maybe she didn’t find Fred sexually threatening. She looked up into his face and realized that was definitely not it.

She didn’t want to see him rubbing his arms through his sweater like he was just casually keeping himself from insanity. He might as well use her for the same reason she was using him: for a space heater. There was really no one else around to cuddle up with, and although Nero was hesitant to cross House lines for fear of what her friends would think, being caught in Fred Weasley, the blood traitor’s arms was better than turning into an icicle. “Little old you? I thought you were awesome.[/color]” She pouted, mood lifted by the warmth of his jacket on her arms. “Like there isn’t any student, boy or girl, that doesn’t secretly lust after you.[/color]” It was an exaggeration, but not a gross one. Nero had heard her very anti-prank, anti-Gryffindor friend sleep talk about Fred. She reminded herself that file that away for some friendly blackmail later.

His grin was infectious, and it was apparent why people put up with him. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good,[/color]” she repeated, as solemnly as possible, although he vibrant eyes revealed her amusement. She rested her cheek on the wooden bench, and prodded Fred with her top-sidered foot. “What does that mean, anyway?[/color]” she queried. If she was more outgoing, brave, she would have put on the latent but obvious double entendere. But the jokes were Fred’s job, so she would trust him to be the funny one. It was hard, joking around him, knowing that she couldn’t be dead serious, but also that he would judge her harder than anything if a punchline fell flat. There was a certain pressure to be witty, but not as witty as he was.

His wand tip emitted blue flames, and she gaped like a child confronted by a wonder. They were beautiful, and most of all, warm, She ached to get nearer to them, but that was selfish. “Wow.[/color]” she whispered. “That was brilliant.[/color]” She sat back up again, positioning herself so that her legs could be as close as possible to the flames that Fred had placed on the floor. Giving him another child-like hug, she mumbled into his sweater, “No. The castle has people in it.[/color]” She scrunched up her nose. She considered herself a people person, but it was good to focus on just one at a time now. And Fred Weasley had her full attention. “Unless you are willing to admit you are less manly than me,[/color]” she teased, smiling sweetly up at him, arms still wrapped around his waist.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify] [/size]

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

It seemed only yesterday that the world wasn't freezing. He never did like the cold, barely able to tolerate it. But he was, at heart, a Gryffindor, and he could never leave a girl - or anyone else, for that matter - in the cold, no matter how freezing he felt. Daring nerve and chivarly, and all that. Still, it was terribly cold there, more so without his jacket. At least he still had his sweater, which did very little in warming him up. It wasn't this cold earlier. Maybe it was because it was getting darker and darker, Fred resorting to rubbing at his neck to give it more warmth, only to stop when Nero pressed against his side. He couldn't help but smile, feeling her own warmth, the warmth of another body beside him. It didn't dispel the cold, but it certainly made him feel a little bit better.

"Well, of course not. We're a really proud clan - bigheaded, even," he said, grinning, noticing how ... well, weak her smile seemed. Or had she always smiled like that? No, there couldn't possibly be someone who'd be as lifeless as that. "Oh, you know, I'm already making an exception for you. Slytherin and all." Which wasn't exactly entirely true, considering Albus himself was a Slytherin and Fred didn't have much trouble when it comes to some Slytherins. And by some, he meant less than ten. Nero was, of course, one of those ten. "You're welcome! Have to keep up my gentlemanly image, after all." A non-existent image, really. The grin on his face was momentarily wiped away, though, when he felt arms around him. Nero's arms. Well that was unexpected. Very unexpected in fact. He didn't think of Nero as the type who was affectionate, and while he was himself, he didn't think she'd approve of any sort of ... well, affection. "Well, not the reward I had in mind, but this'll do." He laughed, before wrapping his own arms around her.

Really, if this was any ordinary Slytherin, he'd never do that. Sure he liked giving (and receiving) affection, but well, before this, he'd barely even talked to Nero. More on the account of her being surrounded by girls who hated him than her being a Slytherin, of course.

"Oh, you think I'm awesome, too? See, I knew I was pretty awesome." He laughed at her next comment, on secretly lusting after him. He couldn't help it! While he did believe he was pretty awesome, he knew he didn't have as much ... experience than say, his cousin James. Fred just didn't seem to be the one people chased after, at least that's what he saw. He was the funny one! Not the sexy one, though he wouldn't mind if anyone did think of the latter. "Hm, does that include you, then?" He winked at her, then laughed again. And yes, he did purposefully ignore the 'boy and girl' comment. They weren't close enough for Fred to actually admit it to her.

He heard her speak the words he often did, and put on that signature grin of his, feeling the foot prodding him. "Means what it means! That you're up to no good!" He sat facing her again, pushing her feet slightly to make room for his own as he placed it on the bench, close to him. A more wicked grin spread across his features, leaning towards her slightly. "Which would mean the sexy way, too." He gave another wink, and another laugh. "Dad made me say it before, said he couldn't have his son be a goody goody two shoes. ... No, he didn't say that in front of mum, course." Of course. His mum would throw a fit.

And she was hugging him again. Fred couldn't stop the proud grin that fell on his face. It was rather nice to impress someone like Nero, who always seemed so ... well, cold. "Aw, thanks, Miss Thomas, that means a lot. You can continue with the praise," he said, in his teasing tone as he scooted closer to her and pressed his body against hers, even wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Oh, you don't like people?" he asked, genuinely curious as he looked at her then back up at the castle, before back to Nero. "Is that a challenge? Ha! I can stay here all night!" Lies. But he had his pride to protect.

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

She felt faintly guilty as he rubbed his arms though his sweater. He would have probably been much warmer with the sweater that was wrapped around her now. The Slytherin in her screamed “Tough luck, right? He gave it up and he’s not taking it back” And she knew that if he took it off, she would definitely feel the temperature continue to drop as it got increasingly cold. It was almost completely dark now, and she felt oddly more comfortable next to Fred, now officially her friend. The absence of light gave it an air of anonymity, so she was no longer pressing herself up against Fred Weasley, Gryffindor and prankster. She was sitting next to the vaguely redheaded Fred, who had given her his jacket. And she was no longer the Slytherin prude, either, the tagalong that supplied the only common sense in the group. She was the giggly, affectionate girl clinging to someone that she found increasingly attractive.

She smiled, and said, “I’m not sure your family would appreciate you telling me this.

[/color]” The Weasleys seemed almost like a mob family, taking over the school with their sheer numbers, maiming those that displeased that. She bet that there were a few cracks in between them, especially because Rose Weasley was such a bitchy person and all the others weren’t, really. “I’m flattered. But really, I think that it’s more acceptable for Gryffindors to befriend Slytherins that for Slytherins to befriend Gryffindors, if that makes any sense.[/color]” She gave a small shrug, she wasn’t sure she was putting across what she meant in words. “So I’m probably giving up more for you than you are for me.[/color]” His arms wrapped around her, and she sighed contentedly.

“Oh really?[/color]” She looked at him coyly, something that her friends reluctantly thought was pretty good, but she had never applied it. “What exactly did you have in mind?[/color]” He probably was being his normal flirty self, but this conversation was a bit of a stretch for her. Her heart was pounding faster than usual, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was kind of freeing almost, this casual flirting thing. She had never in her sixteen years really explored a relationship of any sort, leaving that to the more outgoing friends. She decided that Fred Weasley was not a bad experiment, even though he was a Gryffindor, and she had been conditioned to hate him.

It was easy to get close under the semblance of survival, and she pressed her cheek against his warm neck. Their skin tones were so different, even though they were both half black, and Nero wondered about this. Bella Zabini was also very light. She wasn’t jealous, she just felt kind of left out. “You are very awesome,[/color]” she said into his collarbone. “I’m not sure people want you just ‘cuz you’re awesome, though.[/color]” If she was asked two days ago whether she was interested in Fred, she would have said no, and it would have been the truth. Now, though, she was a little unsure. It wasn’t that he was particularly handsome, although he was rather adorable, it was just his attitude that was so refreshing among the sulky Slytherins.

“Up to no good? Oh dear.[/color]” Nero wasn’t really one to break the rules unless her friends told her to. “Can I un-swear? I’m rethinking this whole sexy thing. [/color]” she asked, feigning disgust at his wink. He was grinning wickedly at her and she felt something in her chest flutter pleasantly. His laugh was so natural, and she felt herself smiling along with him. She scooted even closer to him so she was kinda maybe sorta sitting on his lap. Maybe she was doing this whole coming-on-to-people thing wrong, and he was just humoring her. She wondered how people knew what was attractive. Were they just born with it?”Merlin forbid if his son didn’t live up to his expectations. You don’t think that my family is pleased I’m in Slytherin?[/color]” She said that perhaps a bit too bitterly, and hoped retroactively that he wouldn’t get too mad. If he got upset with her after all the friendliness today, she might cry.

She smiled cautiously, looking into his blue eyes for any negative emotion. “You do have many wonderful attributes, but wouldn’t you like to keep modesty among them?[/color]” She felt almost normal again, with his arm draped on his shoulders, and the fire on the courtyard floor. It was comfortable, and she didn’t really want to move, because that would inevitably mean that they would part ways for who knows how long. They had Transfiguration together, but Zahara Crabbe was in that class and Nero usually spent the whole hour kissing up to her. “I do like people, usually...[/color]” She trailed off. “I’m not quite up to hanging out with the Unfunnies quite yet. I though you would approve.[/color]” She gave him a quizzical look. Was he judging her? “Really? Then it’s on. First one to head back to the castle is a, a,[/color]” she retorted, breaking of when an adequate descriptor wouldn’t come to mind.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]

[FRED CARSON WEASLEY]

the world will roll their eyes,

Well, he wasn't going to bitch about the cold in his head. It was better to keep talking to the girl than think about how his arms were starting to get so much colder. Distract himself. Yes, he needed to distract himself. He also needed to warm up a little. Or a lot. The weather was getting terribly cold, he could feel his face freezing. He resisted the urge to reach up and rub his face because he can do this, he can withstand the cold. Maybe. Hopefully. Maybe if Nero keeps talking to him.

"What? Tell you what? Oh, that we're bigheaded?" he asked, that amused smile back on his face. "Nero, we all know we're bigheaded. 'Cept for Vi. ... And Hugo. Okay, fine, the Gryffindor Weasleys are bigheaded." Which was, more or less true. Rose, for example, quickly came to mind. He often wondered why she was like that, and Fred rarely hesitated to tell her what he thought. Fred often held himself back, after all, and when he doesn't like something, he'd say it. "But hey, we're awesome. It's a charm point!" Unlikely, considering he knew a lot of people who thought he was rude. Then again, he could easily win them over with his humor, though some still thought he was arrogant. Pricks. "You think so? Hm, I don't know about that." He shrugged, thinking back to the other Gryffindors he overheard talking about his cousin in Slytherin, how weird it was that a Weasley (much less a Potter) would be found in that house. He may or may not have taken out his wand at them. "Either way, I'm honored that you like me that much."

And he was really starting to wonder if she liked him that way. Not that he wouldn't welcome the attention. He wouldn't deny she was pretty, and this Nero he was starting to know about was quite interesting. He initially figured Nero was the type who wouldn't even want to go near him, that she'd rather laugh at him than with him, and that she was ... well, typical Slytherin - hate him, not want to be friends with him, that sort. He was fairly sure she had Slytherin qualities, but those didn't necessarily need to be bad, right? Not all Slytherins were, he knew that, but he'd never shake off the notion that most of them were.

Fred would admit, that expression on her face was very attractive. The coy look she gave drew him in, and she seemed much more ... confident than before. And he rather liked confidence. "You know, something a bit more... intimate?" He had to admit, he really was a flirty person, hitting on most people, but for the most part, it was just all casual. Even when she was nuzzling against his cheek. He paused at the affection, a bit confused as to when she started being this bold, but he welcomed the affection anyway. And the compliments.

"Oh, do you mean my dashing good looks and charm?" He gave that wicked grin again, hoping to show his claim of attractiveness. But that was wiped away, when she implied he wasn't sexy.

"What? You don't think I'm sexy?" he asked, as if the very idea was appalling. Truth be told, he really wasn't particularly 'sexy'. It was difficult to label him as such, because he was just so carefree most of the time, always cracking jokes, always laughing in that manner. He really was more 'adorable' than 'sexy', although he was far from innocent. He didn't even protest when Nero was practically sitting on his lap. A bit forward, yes, but he didn't mind. What he really started to mind about was her comment. Oh, if she only knew. He was just glad he inherited the 'funny gene'. But he didn't want to talk about that and instead, focused on the bitterness in Nero's tone. "Er, well, I'm sure they've gotten over it. Your being in Slytherin, I mean. Their your parents, after all."

God, he was such a hypocrite.

"Modesty? But I'm plenty humble, Nero dear. You just haven't seen it yet." And he was picking up his cheerful attitude, mostly because of the ... well, fairly emotional topic. Fred can talk about his parents, of course, but not for long. Okay, no, he can't talk about his dad for long, because it brought so many ill feelings and he just... couldn't. "Oh, maybe I'm doing some good if you're choosing not to hang out with the Unfunnies - Oh! You called them the Unfunnies! I approve immensely." He was grinning, laughing, leaning against Nero. "... Blast-Ended Skrewt?" And then he had the most marvelous idea, that made that grin on his face spread even more. "Tell you what, whoever ends up in the castle first has to sit in the other's table during meals." He crossed his arms in front of him, smug smile on his face, fully confident he was going to win this, despite the fact he hated the cold and would probably freeze to death. "For a week."

[NERO ELODIE THOMAS]

It was completely, very dark now, and she only saw by the flickers of the magical fire. She felt herself half longing for the warm and light of the castle, and she looked hungrily at the shining, winking windows and for a moment she felt desolate, like she would never be part of that easy happiness again. As soon as she realized how melodramatic she was being, she remembered that she was with Fred, who was probably the happiest, funniest person that she knew. There was no reason to be mopey, and she hugged him tighter, hoping to absorb some of his care-free attitude through osmosis. There was no doubt that he was cold as well, and probably for the first and last time she wished that she was heavier, more blubbery, to act as more of a blanket rather than a broom, angular and uncomfortable.

She nodded, but she really didn’t know enough about the Weasleys to say something funny and/or interesting. And insulting Rose probably wouldn’t go so well either. “I wish I had a big family,

[/color]” she said quietly. It was just her and her dad now really, her mother gone and her older brother graduating soon. She felt lonely more often than not, and she tried to immerse herself in friends, but it was unclear if anyone actually liked her. “An awesome big family,[/color]” she corrected, smiling slightly. He was really quite cute, and Nero didn’t want to push him away. ”Well, maybe that’s just how I feel,[/color]” she amended. Plenty of her friends were attracted to the whole forbidden fruit thing, although most of the guys seemed disgusted by the thought of canoodling with a blood traitor.

“I like you thiiis much![/color]” she sang, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. She felt like a little kid, and it was a good feeling. It was hard trying to be all mature and sexy sexy sex all the time in the Slytherin house. She felt like she had lost most of her childhood trying to be five years older. She didn’t even really care if he liked her - romantically or not - she just enjoyed his company today and was reluctant to let him go. The signals she was sending out were pretty clear; she was interested, probably more than she had been with any guy. She hadn’t even thought far enough to fear rejection. It was just one night, and nothing was going to happen. “Intimate? This isn’t intimate enough for you?[/color]” she joked, speaking low into his ear. She shuddered.

She smiled sardonically, watching his face fall, taking some sort of twisted pleasure in it. She was a Slytherin, after all. “You’re definitely very charming.[/color]” It was the truth. Nero might have been easy to influence, but she didn’t tumble into every stranger’s lap. She believed that she had high standards, she really didn’t find any boys in the Slytherin house interesting, although they were objectively sexy. Fred wasn’t muscular and didn’t have that angular face that everyone seemed to like, but he was so cute and amiable she just wanted to stuff him in her pocket and carry him around as a good luck charm. So she supposed that he was sexy. But not in the conventional sense. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,[/color]” she said, giggling slightly. “I find you very attractive,[/color]” she whispered honestly, blushing a little.

Frowning slightly, she contemplated Fred’s words. “I’m sorry,[/color]” she mumbled. “I didn’t mean to get all heavy on you.[/color]” It wasn’t fair for her to dump all of her insecurites on Fred, who had humored her through this evening. Reaching desperately for a subject change, she wondered out loud, “I wonder if anyone knows that we’re missing.[/color]” She imagined Professor Poulter’s displeased look and his fierce blue eyes when she was caught hanging around outside the school after curfew. Not that she was totally sure what time it was. She felt her face flush with the idea of people getting ideas. Would they think that a simple chat between two official friends was some sort of rendez-vous? Not that Nero would mind, but maybe Fred would.

Scoffing at the proclamation that he was humble, she grinned at him widely. Fred Weasley was charming and funny, but he was proud, and that wasn’t a problem. She was surrounded by proud people all the time, anyway, she was used to a bit of self-importance. “I’m glad you approve. Your approval is something I’ve always wanted, Freddie-dear.[/color]” Her tone was light. “I rather like Blast-Ended Skrewts,[/color]” she joked. Care of Magical Creatures was by far her least favorite class, and the mutants that were taught in honor of Hagrid were terrifying. “You’re on,[/color]” she agreed, pressing her lips to his cheek in a way that was definitely not a kiss. Sitting at the Gryffindor table couldn’t be that bad, her brothers were there after all, and if Fred would talk to her, it would probably be better than sitting with the Slytherins.
[/blockquote][/blockquote][/justify]