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Fred was tired of seeing Tammy wrapped practically wrapped around Krum at every turn. He knew that she was only doing it to wind him up, and while he didn't want to tell her that it was working, it definitely was. She was punishing him for him telling her that there wa nonway that they could go public with their relationship and so she had walked away.
He was pretty sure that this was what it felt like to be hit with the cruciatus curse. His heart felt like it was ripping into a million pieces as he watched Tammy and Krum walk hand in hand together down the road towards Hogsmeade. He doubted that they knew that he was behind them. No-one would really have expected him to go to the village for Valentine's Day when it was painfully clear that he didn't have a date himself. He couldn't even use George as an excuse. George was on a date with Alicia Spinnet, who had offered to set him up with Angelina Johnson (who he had in fact taken to the Yule Ball a couple of months ago) but Fred had declined saying that Angelina should go with Lee instead. He hadn't expected Lee or Angelina to go along with that but for some reason they had, leaving him as Billy-No-Mates.
His plan had backfired magnificently, and he was doing his best not to be too bitter about it all when he knew that it was all self inflicted, but he couldn't help it. He was miserable. It didn't help one little bit when Tammy and Krum disappeared inside Madam Puddifoots. Of course, they would choose the most romantic spot for their date.
Fred let out a sigh as he dropped onto a bench across from Zonkos. He wanted to go inside. It was the only reason that he had left the castle that day if he was completely honest, but now he couldn't bring himself to go inside. It was a sad day when not even the possibility of a good prank was enough to cheer him up.
"What are you doing here?" An unmistakable voice asked after he'd been sat there for an undetermined period of time. Fred didn't need to look up to know that it was Tammy or to know that she was in fact pissed. He was used to her being angry with him now anyway.
"Research." He told her matter-of-factly, his eyes were still fixed on the joke shop. That was a half-truth at least but he didn't think that mattered. Tammy would assume that he was there to stalk and while it did look that way, he was prepared to swear on George's life that it wasn't his intention.
"I'm on a date, Fred. You have no right to be here." Tammy's temper had been shorter than usual as of late and he knew that it was partially because of the amount of stress that she was under and partially because of him being a complete and utter idiot.
"I know." He said quietly as he glanced up at her, swallowing thickly. She looked so beautiful when she was angry, that was for sure. "And I promise you, I'm not here for you."
Tammy let out a sigh as she dropped onto the bench beside him. "Why does it feel like I'm the bad guy in all of this?" She sounded defeated in a way that broke Fred's heart.
"Do you like him?" He found himself asking. He had to know if the date was a real one or if she was simply using Krum to get back at him. Honestly, it had been so much easier when people had assumed that his own younger brother was Tammy's boyfriend. Unfortunately she had been put under pressure by that blasted Rita Skeeter to be open about all of her relationships, which was why he had all but pushed her into another's arms. Selfishly, he hadn't been ready to have the press know the ins and outs of their relationship so he'd called it.
"He's different."
Fred had no way of knowing what that meant, whether it was good or bad, so he just gave a small nod and turned his head away again.
Tammy was silent before he felt a gentle hand squeeze his knee. "He's not you." She whispered. He heard her swallow before she continued. "There's no-one else like you."
Fred gave a light laugh at that. A lot of people would have said otherwise. George was meant to be exactly like him, but still Tammy chose him. Or she had before he'd pushed her away. "And there's no-one else like you." He said softly. That was the truth. She might have been The Chosen One, and a Tri-Wizard Champion, but she was special to him in a completely different way.
"I miss you, Fred. I miss you so much. I just… I couldn't do the whole sneaking around thing anymore. Not with everything else that's going on." Fred hated how much older she looked now, like she had ages two years since last summer. "I… I wish you could understand."
"I do." Fred told her, her voice a little more high-pitched than he would have liked. "I do understand. I'm sorry I panicked. I'm sorry I told you we couldn't be together.." He wanted to beg her to take him back, but she was with Krum now and he needed to respect that, so instead he placed his hand atop hers to give it a squeeze and pressed a kiss to her cheek.
He managed to make himself get up but before he let himself disappear into the joke shop he made sure to say "I hope you can still enjoy your date." He meant those words. She deserved to be happy, no matter what that happiness took the form of.