FIVE

RORY HAD A STRANGE LOVE of musicals. She was obsessed with the wonders of live theater and she couldn't grasp that her friends at Hogwarts had never heard the wonders of The Sound of Music or Grease. A nickname she developed for Fred over the years was Freddie, my love, and mostly everyone took it the wrong way. She felt like a girl in a musical as she woke up the morning of her date and searched for the perfect outfit and ways to do her hair. She laughed to herself and wondered if after the date when she told Angelina and Marina about what happened, Cedric would be telling his mates just like in Summer Nights. Her life was not a musical though, she needed to remind herself to live in the moment.

"I think you should wear the blue dress," Angelina said.

Marina shook her head, "Plaid skirt with the little black cardigan. You outgrew the blue dress a while ago. Accept it."

Rory looked at the two outfits laid in front of her and agreed with Marina. She slipped into the outfit and added a pair of black tights because she knew the February weather wouldn't be kind to her. She decided to keep her hair down because it would be able to warm her neck until Cedric hopefully handed over his Hufflepuff scarf.

"Okay," She took a deep inhale, "How do I look?"

"Amazing!" Marina smiled. "I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. What if he kisses you? Oh my goodness!"

Rory laughed and rolled her eyes jokingly, "He's not going to kiss me. Don't be silly, Mar."

Angelina shrugged, "I heard he kissed Kirsty Blaine over the summer."

Rory blushed, she hoped that Cedric wasn't actually going to hurt her like Fred thought he would. Sure maybe he had been on dates with other girls and kissed other girls, but those were other girls and Rory was Rory. She couldn't compare herself to all of them when she didn't know Cedric's intentions.

"He can kiss as many Scottish girls as he wants." She sighed applying the slightest bit of lip gloss. "You two will keep the twins company while I'm gone and make sure they don't try and intervene, yeah?"

The girls nodded and Rory smiled. She went down the steps and out of the common room. Most of the students eligible had already begun gathering around the entrance waiting to head off. Cedric was waiting at the bottom of the steps next to the entrance waiting for Rory. She had extreme butterflies as she headed towards him.

"Oh hello, Rory." He smiled, "You look lovely."

Rory giggled nervously, "Thank you."

"Should we head down then?" He asked. Rory nodded and followed him out of the castle with the other eager students.

The walk to Hogsmeade was about twenty minutes, but in the cold it felt much longer.

"Where do you wanna go first?" Cedric asked her as they headed down the frosty grass.

Rory shrugged, "Not sure. I love Zonkos, obviously. Honeydukes is great... Did you have anything in mind?"

Please don't say Madam Puddifoot's, please don't say Madam Puddifoot's. Rory thought to herself. She knew the small tea shop had a reputation for lovers, and the thought of that stressed her out.

"Want to just walk around for a bit? Maybe until we get hungry and hit up some shops after? Maybe stop by the Shrieking Shack?" He suggested as they neared closer.

Rory smiled, "That sounds lovely."

A fierce wind hit them quickly and felt almost painful against Rory's skin. She shuddered but kept walking alongside Cedric. He looked at her concerned.

"You chilly?" He asked, "Fancy taking my sweater? Or my scarf? Or my gloves?" He joked.

"All of the above," Rory replied, "I'm sure your scarf will be just fine."

Cedric stopped walking as they met the sight of the Shrieking Shack and so did Rory. He turned to her and gracefully took off his Hufflepuff scarf. He bowed slightly and put it around Rory's neck.

"Here you go m'lady," He said with a wink. Rory laughed and bowed back. She didn't know Cedric would be so charming yet slightly dorky at the same time. They laughed and stared at each other for a bit. Cedric was handsome. Very handsome. High cheekbones, chestnut hair with a slight curl, and sparkling grey eyes. She wanted to kiss him right then and there. How romantic for her first kiss. In front of the most haunted place in all of Great Britain as the snow began to fall.

But, she resisted and turned towards the shack.

"I wonder what that place is like on the inside," She said, almost admiring it.

Cedric shrugged, "Let's find out."

"Very funny," Rory shook her head. "Curiosity killed the cat, remember?"

The two spent another fifteen minutes chatting at the shack before they found themselves in The Three Broomsticks for lunch. Madam Rosmerta brought out their butterbeers and they began slowly sipping on the frothy beverage. The pub was crowded with Hogwarts students, which made Rory nervous almost. Everyone was going to see her with Cedric, people would probably speculate wild things. Rory looked around a few times for the twins, in fear they might try and sabotage somehow. However, not one ginger head was in sight.

"I really like you, Rory," Cedric said, bringing her back to him. "Do you know why I asked you out?"

"Because you really like me?" She asked with a nervous laugh.

"Well yes but I mean why I like you. I really admire you, and I've always thought you were very beautiful but I never said anything." He shrugged. He seemed a bit shy for a moment, which was out of character for someone who was definitely on the charismatic side. Rory blushed at his kind words.

No one had ever called her beautiful before.

"Really? You admire me? You're basically a prince, Cedric. You're phenomenal on the Quidditch pitch, in your classes, with the ladies I'm sure... you don't have an awkward bone in your body." She said. She tried to not take his compliments too personally as she was sure it was part of some script.

Cedric nearly laughed at her words, "That's where you're wrong, Rory. We only beat you last game based on luck, you clearly haven't seen my potions grade, and it took me all year to get the courage to say anything to you and I couldn't even speak it, I had to write it down."

"You've liked me all year?" She asked, trying not to smile, "Why were you so afraid to say something? I mean... it's just me."

"That's the thing," he said, "You're terribly extraordinary, interesting, smart, and the prettiest girl in our year. I mean it. I honestly didn't think I had a chance with you."

Rory nearly spit out her butterbeer, "Cedric, you're joking! Every single girl in our year and then some want you. I'm sixteen and haven't had my first kiss or been on a real date, I think I'm the one who shouldn't have a chance with you."

As soon as she admitted it, she was embarrassed at what she said. Plenty of sixteen year olds didn't have their first kiss, right? Or even been on a date before...? Probably.

Rory covered her mouth and awkwardly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Cedric was still smiling though, he leaned in across the table and Rory, on instinct, leaned in with him so they were now nose to nose. "Is that so?" He said in a quiet voice sending goosebumps down her back. "Too bad we're not at Madam Puddifoot's then." He gave her a wink and returned to his normal sitting position.

Rory almost melted in her seat and was at a loss for words. Anything she could have said after that would have been too stuttering and awkward. She sat back up and soon after their food came out, causing them to change the subject to something more appropriate.

The two ate their meal, deep in conversation about Quidditch. Cedric told her he'd be going to the Quidditch World Cup. Rory remembered George saying Mr. Weasley usually got tickets through work, so she hoped that was true more than ever.

After lunch, they walked around and stopped in a few shops. They hit up Zonkos and Honeydukes (where Cedric bought her coconut ice and a chocolate frog). After walking about for nearly an hour and a half, they decided to hang out around the shack again, since it was the quietest place in the village (ironically enough).

"Today has been... really amazing." Cedric smiled. He turned to her and tucked a small lock of her dark hair behind her cold, almost pink ears.

"Yeah, I agree." She said, the butterflies she felt when she first greeted him were still very present. She never really thought to see Cedric in any romantic way before. Probably because she assumed he would never in a million years reciprocate. But she always found him attractive and admired him from afar.

He took her delicate hand and placed a soft kiss on it. It was such a gentleman move but still sent tingles across her whole body.

They made eye contact and for a second Rory was hoping he would kiss her. He even leaned closer to her so their noses were nearly touching. She surely wasn't going to initiate anything, she didn't even know how to kiss.  She was probably going to be bad at it, that made her nervous. A lot was going through her mind at one time as he leaned even closer and then...

He kissed her on the lips, very soft and very polite. She didn't know how to react, it was a very good kiss. She couldn't wait to do it again.

She didn't know how to react after that, she stood there almost frozen. Quickly though, she snapped back to reality.

"Do you kiss all your ladies at the Shrieking Shack?" She said, part of her was joking, part of her wasn't. She was slightly upset with herself for saying what she did but... thinking clearly wasn't her specialty in the moment.

He didn't seem to mind and cracked a smile, "Nah, only the most beautiful ones which last time I checked... was only you."

Rory smiled and together they walked back to the castle, at first brushing hands next to one another, but eventually Cedric intertwined their fingers.

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"SO..." ANGELINA SMIRKED LATER THAT evening in the Gryffindor common room, "How was it?"

"Yeah, Rory." George said, "Tell us all about your date with Pretty Boy."

Rory couldn't help but smile widely just at the thought of it. "It was really great."

"And..." Marina said, waiting for Rory to give them more details.

The girl gave Marina a look and continued, "Well, he gave me his scarf... and we walked around for a bit and had lunch at The Three Broomsticks... it was really lovely."

"C'mon, Rory, spit it out!" Lee groaned, he was just as invested as Marina and Angelina which made Rory laugh a bit.

"He kissed me!" She shrieked, not able to keep it in any longer.

"Yes! I knew it! I could tell you were like a new woman." Marina giggled.

Fred rolled his eyes, "Don't be ridiculous, Mar. She's not a new woman just because she's kissed someone."

The girl glared at Fred, "Excuse me? Have you ever kissed someone? Yeah, I didn't think so! Neither has George, or Angelina, or... Lee has?" Marina look at Lee with a confused look.

"That's rubbish," Fred sneered, "You can't tell if someone's kissed someone just by looking at them!"

"No, she's right." Lee winked.

"Lee!" The girls chorused, giving him a harsh look.

"A gentleman never kisses and tells!" He said throwing his hands up in surrender as Angelina smacked him.

"Whatever," Rory laughed, "It was just a kiss. It doesn't mean he's my boyfriend or anything."

"But you want him to be?" George asked.

Rory shrugged. She honestly wasn't sure of an answer. The thought of having a boyfriend scared her. She felt like relationships would end in nothing but heartbreak which was technically true. She knew she wanted to take things slowly with Cedric before slapping a label on it. She just hoped he would be willing to be a bit patient with her.

A/N:

listen y'all better not dog on me for giving Rory another "relationship" even though this is a Fred fic... people are allowed to have more than one romantic relationships in their life. it's part of being a teenager <3

call Rory a pick me girl again and see what happens....