Pranking hearts

The entrance hall was packed with students, all milling around waiting for eight o'clock, when the doors to the Great Hall would be thrown open. Those people who were meeting partners from different Houses were edging through the crowd trying to find one another. The same was the situation for a couple of Gryffindor boys who were waiting for their dates. Fred and George were standing at the bottom of the staircase with Lee Jordan, waiting for the girls to come down.

Since they didn't feel like lingering in the common room any longer, with every girl above the third year there spraying their perfume around the room. It was truly not the best mixture of scents. And Fred and George of course wanted to set up a prank or two since Fred was sure Angelina wouldn't allow him to do so once they enter the Great Hall together. Lee was going with Alicia. He took pity in how miserable the girl was after not being asked by anyone. So he took it upon himself to make his friend happy.

"How long do you reckon it'll take?" Fred asked in annoyance, moving with his dress robes for maybe a tenth time already. He was just making it worse. It made him look just more dishevelled than before. George rolled his eyes, stepping closer to his brother and correcting his vest and robes to make him look somewhat presentable.

"We are not waiting for that long Fred, it's fine." He dismissed his older brother, who frowned at the way George all of a sudden looked more mature than him. He pushed his twin away with a huff.

"Bugger off mate, you are worse than mum." All of a sudden it got quiet in the filled entrance hall. Eyes of the people staring at the stairs leading to the common rooms of Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Many students descendent those stairs today. But by far none had made the crowds stop in awe as this particular group of girls.

Angelina Johnson stood on the right, wearing a dark purple dress that hugged her sporty figure perfectly, making her look like a goddess. The hair and makeup made her look more professional and almost like an adult. Which she kind of was since she was over seventeen already. On the left stood Alicia Spinnet, looking so proud and beautiful in her bright yellow dress. The boys could remember how long it took for Alicia to pick it out. It was torture, but now she looked so breathtaking with it. Now there were many disappointed guys of Hogwarts and Durmstrang that realised how they blew their chance with the stunning girl.

And the last one was the girl in the middle. Her blonde hair was curly and she wore the most stunning purple dress. She looked like a princess. Princess Rhea Black. Just like Fred kept calling her all those years, she was now resembling the exact picture. Her father would be proud, she looked just like her mum. Even McGonagall who came through the big oak door was left staring at the girl in amazement. It was like a trip down the memory line. Seeing that same dress once again on one of her best students.

The room got filled with ridiculously loud whispers as the girls descended the stairs. Revealing Katie behind them who didn't look as traditional as other girls with her dress robes that usually a wizard would wear, but she wore it better than most male students of Hogwarts. The girls came down going to their dates right away. Angelina walked over to Fred with a smile, but the boy was staring at Rhea who stopped by George who didn't waste time and showered her with compliments right away.

"Um, so...how do I look?" Angelina asked after a while of awkward silence between her and the Weasley. It got Fred to snap out of his little trance and he looked over at Angelina, giving her his signature smirk.

"Stunning, Ange. Absolutely stunning," He said taking her arm and pulling her to the Great Hall. Totally oblivious to the way Rhea was gazing after them, a longing look in her eyes.

"You're going to be okay?" George asked with slight concern in his voice. Rhea could have anyone she wished for. Many eyes of the male even female population were on her. Staring at her longingly, wishing they could be with her. Yet she was still set on that one boy that seemed to not even notice her dazzling presence. "We don't have to go to the Ball if you are not comfortable with it. I wouldn't mind just going to the common room and playing Exploding Snap or something." George said quickly trying to lift Rhea's spirit.

"No, no it's fine. I can do it. I didn't doll up like this just to sit in the common room, now, did I? We are going to have fun right?" George's smile got even bigger at the look Rhea gave him. A slightly forced smile but also the gleaming happiness in her eyes.

"Absolutely." With that, he took her hand and they made their way inside the Great Hall where a night full of fun was waiting for them.

***

Rhea's night went by quite well actually. She was enjoying her time with George. The two laughed together the whole night and even danced for a bit. The slow couple dances really weren't something they enjoyed immensely. It was quite awkward dancing together to a slow song. Neither of them could keep a straight face for long enough.

It was fortunate that the Weird Sisters had a great performance on the Yule Ball. Everyone went berserk. People jumping around and screaming. It was a blast. George and Rhea slipped out of the Great Hall after a few fast-paced songs just to go set some pranks around the school.

Later that night when Rhea got back to her dorm Alicia and Katie were already there. Both of them were glaring at each other and it looked like Rhea stepped right into a fight. Again. The two calmed down when they saw the blonde in the doorway of their room. Both pretend that nothing happened.

Rhea went to take off the make-up and the fancy dress. Exchanging it for something a little more comfortable and better suited for her. She couldn't say that the dress wasn't absolutely glamorous because it was. But it wasn't something Rhea would be wearing all the time. Her pyjamas sounded more inviting.

When Black was combing her hair whilst sitting on the bed and getting ready for sleep Angelina came through the door. It was well past midnight when the girl came. Luckily none of the girls were asleep already because of the way Angelina burst into the room. She was giggling to herself and her hair were no longer nicely combed. It was as if she came from some wild rave. Which might have been true.

The girls chuckled to themselves watching Angelina waltz into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Rhea wanted to be happy for her friend who looked like she enjoyed herself on the Ball. Unfortunately, she was with a boy that Rhea craved to be with for the whole night. It was like a battlefield inside her. One part of her wanted to be supportive while the other was green with envy.

But since Rhea was taught by her uncle to be a good friend and to always be kind she put on a rather forced smile to her face. It was not easy to act cheery when her heart was being stabbed hundred times over and over again. However, Rhea still managed just that. And when Angelina exited the bathroom holding a brush in her hand with a smile on her face she managed to ask.

"So? How was your night?" Rhea asked putting her hairbrush to the side. Angelina stopped in the middle of the room, looking over at her friend with a smile. A sigh escaped her lips.

"It was fine," she shrugged. Rhea couldn't believe how ridiculously vague Angelina's answer was. If she went out with Fred she would be blabbering about the finest details, including her exact emotions and the smallest pieces of information she could remember. But Angelina? She didn't seem all that phased as if it was just a normal thing. Of course, she was happy, but her expression didn't speak about a fairytale occasion. More like an everyday thing.

"Just fine?" Katie asked with a slight laugh of disbelieve. If she could remember Angelina was excited to be going with Fred. Why wouldn't she be? Fred was one of the best looking and most popular boys of Hogwarts. It was like a win in a lottery going out with him.

"Come on give us more," Alicia prodded. Once again in her usual mood. Although she seemed to be a little less focused on impressing boys around her ever since Katie came out to her a week ago. Angelina chuckled, walking over to Rhea's bed and she sat down there, handing Rhea her brush. Rhea understood and started gently combing through Angelina's hair, detangling the small knots.

"Well, I thought that going with the Fred Weasley would be the highlight of my night..." Angelina started.

"And?"

"Other than being an outstanding kisser he has nothing to offer to me," Angelina concluded and Rhea behind her almost choked on air. Fred and Angelina kissed. Now that was a blow. The room was silent, Rhea seemed to freeze, holding the brush midair. Katie seemed to notice how tense Black got and she immediately felt bad. Alicia on the other hand was pleasantly surprised.

"Shut up, you two kissed?"

"More like snogged...I saw them, it was rather disgusting." Katie revealed her rather disturbing experience from when she was getting back to the common room.

"Oi," Angelina yelped, throwing Rhea's box of tissues at Katie, but Rhea was too stunned to notice. Alicia went on rambling about how amazing it was while Angelina was trying to cool her by saying that it meant nothing to her. Rhea got stuck when braiding Ange's hair. The other girls noticed.

"What do you think Rhea?" Alicia asked, trying to include Rhea in the conversation. Black woke up with a jolt and looked around, eyes still slightly dazed.

"Oh, um...it's great Ange," Rhea answered with a stutter. Angelina could sense something was wrong now. Her friend's voice was strained and her eyes held sudden heartbreak in them. It was confusing and alarming, to say the least.

"Is something wrong Rhea?" She asked carefully, turning around to face the younger girl. She took her hair from Rhea's hands, finishing the simple braid on her own while trying to figure out what was bothering her friend. "Did you not enjoy your time with George? Did something happen? Did he do something?"

"No, no, no...it's...it was...nice" Rhea answered somewhat unsurely.

"Nice isn't perfect." Angelina pointed out. And all of a sudden Rhea felt like screaming. She wanted to be angry at Angelina. Of course, her night wasn't perfect since the core element wasn't there. But she somehow managed to keep control over her emotions.

"I enjoyed being there with George. He was great and we had fun he just...wasn't the one I wanted to go with." Rhea answered solemnly. Feeling a jolt of bravery admitting her thoughts out loud. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell them who she had in mind as her date.

"Aw, are you sad that Edmund went with Althea?" Alicia asked. "I thought you were the one who encouraged them to get together last year..."

"I did..."

"I told you not to do that," Angelina said matter of factly, taking her brush while standing up to get it back to the bathroom. On her way there she kept talking. "You should've looked more at your emotions. You can't always put your friends first you know. It's bound to leave you miserable in the end." Angelina walked back into the room.

"Oh for Godric's sake shut up!" Katie practically yelled in annoyance. Glaring at Angelina who was successfully making Rhea dismal without even knowing. Both Angelina and Alicia looked over at Katie confused while Rhea looked slightly alarmed. "It wasn't Edmund."

"What?" Both dark-haired girls asked at the same time. Katie gave out an aggravated sigh, throwing her head back before standing up.

"She didn't want to go with Edmund, she wanted to go with Fred." Katie practically yelled and Rhea was silently praying that no one could hear her outside the room. It was bad enough Katie blabbered her secret out to Angelina and Alicia who both looked stunned. Angelina more than Alicia.

"Really?" Alicia asked carefully. The small ashamed nod that Rhea gave caused both older girls to share a look. Angelina felt so guilty at that given moment. She had no idea her friend had such feelings, of course, it was kind of obvious but they always thought that it was just natural behaviour. That Fred and Rhea flirted jokingly all the time and that it had no deeper meaning. This revelation shed a whole new light on the circumstances.

"You wanted to go with Fred?" Angelina asked after a second of deafening silence. "You like him?" She asked carefully. Wanting to know if Rhea was certain of her feelings. The younger girl nodded with slight difficulty due to embarrassment.

"Yeah...I'm sorry." Rhea appeared to be ashamed of her feelings. It wasn't the fact she was embarrassed by liking Fred, it was more like guilt from keeping it away from her friends.

"Hey, no sorry. You don't say sorry when there is nothing to be sorry about girl." Angelina said, stepping closer to her friend. Sitting down on her bed and hugging her close for comfort. "I told you to follow your feelings. And if Fred is who you like go for it girl. I just wish you would tell me sooner so I could dump his ass before the Ball." The comment made Rhea laugh.

"For what it's worth, I think you and Fred would be perfect with each other," Alicia stated, walking over as well.

"Yeah, we can do something about it if you want. Make that stupid ginger realise the obvious." The two older Gryffindors high-fived agreeing with each other.

"No, no it's fine. I can manage."

"No! Don't be ridiculous Rhea."

"Yeah, if you leave it solely on the hope that Fred will notice, you are setting yourself to fail," Katie stated, leaping on the bed next to the three girls.

"What should I do then? I don't want to go to him being all like 'Hey Weasley I like you, date me' that is just insane, don't you think?"

"Hm, seems a bit too straightforward." Alicia shrugged.

"Maybe show him how he hurt you," Angelina suggested out of the blue.

"What?"

"It's brilliant see, you try being a bit cold towards Fred. Let him know that he did something wrong and knowing him he will notice when you are distancing yourself from him. He will be desperate to know and we might gently nudge him in the right direction." Angelina explained.

"Oh, come on that is stupid."

"Actually that might work. Needs a bit of time and finesse but it will work by the start of summer you and Fred will be dating." Alicia said triumphantly. It was natural for Rhea to feel a bit dubious about it. But she was desperate. One more occasion like this where Fred will be all glued to some girl and Rhea will lose it. So she will let her friends help her. Even if their idea seems to be on the brink of lunacy. She is still willing to try it.

***

It was a few weeks after the Yule Ball. Rhea, with the help from the girls, was doing a very good job at keeping away from Fred and the boy was starting to notice. To say that he wasn't all that thrilled would be an understatement. But he was sure it was just a phase, maybe she just wasn't in the mood to talk or prank with him. He was sure that once they go to Hogsmeade together for their usual butterbeer everything would be back to normal.

His ideal plan for the day got ruined when he saw Rhea, wearing her sweater and holding her winter jacket in her hands. She didn't have the usual F there. Instead, she had a big purple R with white around it. It definitely wasn't his old sweater that was just too big on her, and which she wore every winter. She always wore his sweathers in winter. Why not now? If he thought about it, he never saw her wearing her own sweater when she was going out. This was new. And Fred didn't like it.

"Where are you going?" He asked quizzically from his spot on the couch in the common room. George was sitting next to him and at the sound of his brother's voice he looked up to see who Fred was talking to. Rhea stopped in her track, already about to exit the common room.

"Out." She stated plainly.

"Out where?" And the interrogation continued.

"I have plans."

"Plans? But we are having a Hogsmeade trip today. What about our Butterbeer, the Zonko's visit. You can't bail on that Black." Fred said standing up from the sofa, trying to get his point across.

"We can go some other time, it's no big deal." Rhea shrugged, pretending it didn't matter to her. On the inside, she was fighting with every fibre of her body not to just give in and stay with Fred and George. Maybe help them plan a prank or write another letter to the ministry official that is owing them money. The sweater with her letter on it was made from the same fabric as Fred's. Yet her's seemed colder, itchier, it wasn't what she wanted to be wearing. But she had to be strong.

"No big de...okay what is going on here?"

"I told you, I have plans. I am already going to Hogsmeade with someone."

"Who are you even going with? Some desperate bloke, I bet." The hurt in Fred's voice was greatly masked by the faked anger.

"If you need to know, Cedric asked me to go out with him. And I said yes." Rhea snapped back, surprising the red-haired boy. George was only silently listening to the conversation which was slowly turning into an argument.

"What? With Diggory? Are you serious?" Fred yelled outraged. His voice was so loud that the girls from Rhea's dorm emerged from the girl's door, staring wide-eyed at the situation downstairs. Rhea was very aware of the stares and of all the eyes that were spying on the situation that was happening in such an open space. It was like the next episode of some dramatic soap opera. She gazed up at the balcony where she saw the trio of girls standing. They nodded at her to encourage her in going. It was all part of the plan after all.

"Yes, Fred. Stop throwing a tantrum and let me go to my date in peace." Rhea stated coldly when looking back at her best friend. Her usually friendly pale green eyes were now looking so cold and full of hostility. It was a bone-chilling sight. She didn't wait for his reply, knowing she would break down if she were to stare into his warm brown eyes any longer.

When the portrait closed behind her Fred fell back in his place in defeat. A pained sigh escaped him. George looked over at his brother. This was the first time he saw him so defeated.

"You fine mate?" He asked carefully while Fred merely nodded. His mind already racing for what to do.

"Go grab Lee, we are going out," Fred stated simply, standing up from the couch to go change into his dorm. He was on a mission. But no one yet knew what his aim exactly was, not even he knew.