Second Year,
You Don't Lie to Friends

Fred sat opposite her while they waited for George in the Great Hall, he had gone back for the map. Today would be the last time for them to do one final prank, Rhea had already set her sights on Terrence Higgs and Adrian Pucey.

George and Fred were hoping for a different target but after hearing how they upset her sister. They figured they were worthy targets after seeing for themselves just how upset she was. Rhea and Fred sat in silence, only when their post arrived did they seem fine with each other.

Rhea couldn't understand why he was awkward with her, there wasn't any need to be. Was there? She smiled when she saw she had a letter from her mother. She hid the contents of the letter from him as there was something inside that she didn't want him to know about.

Rhea,

Hi darling, Jack kept wanting to send you a letter, I told him, I'd send them to you for him.

Mum.

She smiled as she opened Jack's letter.

Dear Rhea,

I can't wait for you to come home, your mum said you might be staying at school for Christmas, I hope you don't. I really want to see you, it's been so boring without you. Your brothers are cool, but I'd rather spend my time with you.

Will your friends be visiting, I'd like to meet the boys who have stolen you away. I actually don't know anything about your school, do they teach different things to my school? What's your uniform like, I remember you having to go and buy everything for school.

Tell Phoebe and Laura, I miss them too.

Jack.

"How romantic," Fred mocked,

"Shut up, he's my friend," she took some paper and a muggle pen, it was the easiest when she had to write to him. Fred flicked his eyes to the page as she wrote her letter

Dear Jack,

Phoebe and I are coming home, Ethan and Laura decided to stay, I don't think my lessons are different, there's still English, Maths and Science. I'm learning French which is kind of fun, my weekends are the most fun there's a little village nearby where we can go to joke stores, the big old fashion sweet store. They sell some of the best sweets. I'll have to bring you some back.

As for my friends, they're so much fun to be around though truth be told I don't think one of them truly wants to be my friend. He keeps acting weird around me, I don't think I've done anything wrong, maybe I have...

"Why do you lie to him?" he interrupted her train of thought

"Well, he's a muggle, I can't tell him what school's really like,"

"I think you're silly, you don't lie to friends-

"Oh really," she cocked her brow at him, "tell me Fred, do you want to be my friend or are you just playing nice for George," when he did answer she continued, "in that case, I'll take back the Quidditch shirt I bought you, I did buy it for a friend after all,"

"What are you going to do with a Quidditch shirt that has Fred written on it,"

"Please I could easily change it, Rhea," he looked away from her,

"I thought I was your friend," he muttered

"You have a funny way of showing it, you're fine when we're alone, but the second someone else is around, you shut off or push me aside, why?"

"I don't know, it's just new for me,"

"What being friends with a girl?"

"No, being friends with someone who's just like me, I realised how irritating I can be,"

"Well, I suppose I do come on a little strongly," she said, looking down at her letter. "What do you say we start over, just us two spending the day together,"

"How will that help?"

"I don't know we'll have to wait and see,"

"Wait and see for what?" George asked sitting beside his brother, Rhea notice Fred's posture change.

"The outcome of our prank you must admit we've never done something like this before,"

"I guess so, it'll be fun though,"

"If you don't mind I'm going to sit this one out," Fred stood up leaving the Great Hall,

"What's up with him?"

"Wait here, I'll go see,"

As she left George opened the map, checking for the best route to follow for the prank, he creased his brows when he spotted Fred and Rhea. They were both in an empty classroom, he wondered what they could be talking about. He hoped that Fred was being nice to her, she could handle him but he hoped he was at least being friendly to her. Unless she had given him a reason to be rude to her.

"Fred, please do this with us," Rhea pleaded

"Why?"

"Because it was your idea, I'd feel bad if we did it without you" he sighed looking down at her, "come on, please, you aren't going to have me begging you again," he chuckled

"I'll always have you begging it's amusing to me," he sighed, "fine, I will" she nodded

"After the holidays I'll back off a little if that's what you want so you can spend more time with your brother,"

"What?"

"I kind of feel like I'm getting in the way, I don't want to get between you, I hate when people get between me and Phoebe, I understand,"

She left him to join George as they prepared their prank. Rhea glanced towards the empty classroom hoping he would come and join them, they didn't have long until the Slytherins would be making their way to them.

Fred patted his hands on George and Rhea's shoulders crouching down between them, grinning between them as they. Watched their unsuspecting victims fall right into their trap, he traced his hand down holding her hand, she looked up at him, smiling as he winked at her.