Beth Black wasn't sure why, but she had a good feeling about today. It was already beautiful, and as she sat by a tree near the lake reading, she would glance up at the sky every now and then to feel the warmth of the sun bounce off her skin. It felt like it washed all her worries away, all her fears, all her sadness. 

Until she heard an annoyingly familiar voice shouting her name. She looked over her shoulder, frowning. 

"Beth!" Fred shouted, running awkwardly down the slope of the grounds. He was panting and his hair was all sweaty. He stopped in front of her and bent down, placing his hands on his knees to pant and breathe. "Whoa, I am so out of shape..."

Beth rolled her eyes at him and shut her book, turning her entire body around to face him. "You've just interrupted me forgetting about your existence. How did you find me?"

Fred didn't seem fazed by what Beth had said, and instead stood straight and walked towards her until he was staring down at her. Beth glared up at him and before she could even think, she was standing up and holding her book against her chest as her arms folded. Beth glared at him as he simply stared at her, his eyes scanning her face. In that moment, noticing that he was examining her face, she wanted to take her book and hit him across the head with it. But at the same time... at the same time she found herself fighting against a blush. 

"I thought you'd be in the library but who can resist being outside on a day like this?" Fred said quickly, still panting slightly. Beth said nothing as Fred put his hands on his hips and looked out at the lake, breathing loudly. As she stared at him, she began to feel like she missed him. Fred looked at her and she looked away. "Your new boyfriend isn't any good."

Beth almost choked on air and then felt her eyelids fluttering as she stared at Fred's shoes. She glanced up at him, narrowing her eyes. "Excuse me? Boyfriend?"

"Yeah, that Durmstrang bloke," Fred spat, but he looked as though he didn't mean to as his eyes looked at her apologetically. "You'd be surprised to hear what he has to say about you behind your back."

Beth scoffed at the Gryffindor. What a jealous liar!

"You see me talking to one boy and suddenly you've got nothing better to do with your jealousy than to make up stories... how low can you stoop to, Fred?"

"What? I'm not lying... even ask George, he was there!" Fred argued. There was something about his face that looked as though he truly believed what he was saying... that or he was one hell of an actor. "He's only playing you because of who you are."

"I didn't tell him my last name, you liar. Really, why can't you just leave me alone? I was enjoying myself until you came along!" Beth snapped, feeling her face grow hot with anger. 

"Beth," Fred said exasperatingly, almost pleadingly, with so much emotion that it made Beth double back and blink at him. "You're kind of famous. You don't have to tell him... he knows. I just don't want to see you get hurt again."

Beth swallowed and felt her eyes turning into slits as she glared at him. She picked up her bag and stormed past him, making sure to bump his shoulder with her own. "Well you were happy to do it the first time."

She thought she'd have the last say, she really did, until she heard a groan and a set of footsteps jogging towards her and suddenly a hip was in line with her own as she made her way up the grounds. Beth looked to her side to glare at the boy. 

"Leave me alone, Fred, I'm not in the mood to deal with you today!"

He tried to grab her hand but she yanked it away. Beth began to walk faster, but there was no way she could outrun Fred. He was taller and used to running away after setting off pranks. 

"Beth, please stop and just listen to me... I'm sorry that I did what I did, but if you could just find it in your heart to trust me -- just this once!" Fred argued, not giving up on telling her what he had to say. 

He was just jealous... that's all. Aleks was new and foreign and sort of handsome... of course Fred would be jealous. 

"I won't let you ruin anything for me," Beth said, stopping in the shade by the giant oak doors. She spun around, feeling her emotions on her face. Fred stopped quickly, almost bumping into her. "How can you ask me to trust you after everything you did? You lied to me and you toyed with me, all for some stupid joke."

Fred groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. Beth was tired of him repeating himself when it came to him saying how sorry he was, and she knew that he was too, but an apology will never make up for playing with her heart like he did. 

"Just -- just tell me what I can do to make it up to you," Fred said, exhaling loudly as he was still out of breath. "Please."

Beth almost lost herself when it came to the desperate look in his eyes, almost told him what he wanted to hear. But she swallowed hard and pushed aside her feelings. She looked up at him and shook her head. 

"What can I do for you to believe me?" Fred shouted as she began to walk away into the Entrance Hall. He ran after her, grabbing her shoulder and jumping around in front of her. "I'm not kidding, Beth, I don't want to see you get hurt."

"The damage is done, Fred, I don't care what you have to say to me."

"Everything all right here?"

It was an accent almost identical to Beth and Fred's, but it also wasn't something either of them were used to hearing. Beth and Fred looked to the side to see Aleks approaching with a broad smile on his face. This couldn't be good... his timing was awful. 

"No, everything's not all right here," Fred spat, beginning to approach Aleks. 

Aleks didn't back away, only quirked an eyebrow and adjusted his bag over his shoulder as he watched Fred near him. 

"Fred," Beth warned, moving over to stand in front of him. She put her hand on his chest and pushed him back lightly. He looked down at her, hurt. She gave him a pointed look. "Don't. Don't make a scene."

"What's his problem?" Aleks asked, bewilderment but also disgust in his voice. 

Students passing were beginning to pause and watch the inevitable scene that was bound to unfold if Beth didn't put a stop to it.

"Fred, please," Beth whispered to him as he began to move again, anger in his eyes. Beth grabbed his hand and he looked down at her again. She pleaded with him through her eyes. "For me."

Fred swallowed and nodded, gripping her hand back lightly. "Just be careful," he said, letting go of her hand and giving Aleks one last look of contempt before he stalked off up the stairs. 

"Crazy ex-boyfriend?" Aleks laughed softly as he joined Beth at her side. 

She gave him a weird look. "No," was all she said, turning to head up to the library.

"Where are you going?" Aleks followed her, and she stopped and looked at him funny. 

Beth couldn't help but not shake off Fred's warning. Why was she the only Hogwarts student Aleks was so interested in? 

"Why?"

Aleks shrugged. "I dunno. I don't really have anything to do and I'm bored."

"So go hang out with your friends," Beth said slowly, trying to make the point in her voice clear but he either didn't get it, or didn't care to leave her be. 

"Or you could show me to the Hogwarts library," Aleks said just as slowly, with a hint of a smirk. 

She was suddenly beginning to feel uncomfortable; she wanted nothing more than to just be left alone. Aleks seemed to notice this and dropped his smirk with a sigh.

"Rain check?"

Beth felt herself relax. She nodded at him. Aleks smiled and saluted her as he jogged back down the stairs. She just hoped that Fred was wrong.