Chapter Text
The envelope wasn't such a big surprise: he'd always known he was going to get the badge. Still, his mother insisted on throwing this huge party with the Fortescues, and everyone and their grandmothers were invited, apparently. Which is why he's currently hiding in his room, pretending to be sick and flipping through the pages of a muggle comic his dad sent him. It's absolutely ridiculous: they're all wearing bright, flashy colours and underwear over their tights. Still, it's cool. Everything about his dad is cool. Frank only wishes he'd have bothered showing up, just this once.
"She's hot." A voice interrupts his thoughts. "The girl on the cover, I mean." Frank finds himself grinning.
"I don't remember letting you in, Fortescue; in fact, I distinctly remember locking the door."
"There's a certain word that starts in "a" and ends in "mora". You should look it up."
"There's another word that starts with "ex" and ends with "pulsion". You're breaking the law here Alice, you do realise that?"
"Oh pleeeease." She sits on his bed, putting her dirty shoes near his pillow."Nobody'll ever find out, too many wizards and witches downstairs to confuse the signal."
"Why are you even a prefect?"
She shrugs. "Beats me. I get why a nerd like you-" she smiles pointedly at him "would get the spot. I mean, have you ever even been in detention?"
"No? Also, get your dirty boots off of my bed."
"Aww, sorry."She takes them off and props her feet back up again. "D'you like them? They were my older cousin's. Anyway, I was saying, you're boring, whereas I-"
"I'm not! Boring. I'm not boring."
She moves a little closer to him, wiggling her eyebrows. "Prove it."
"Wha- how?"
"Oh, there's tons of ways: jump out of the window, turn your hair green, kiss me," Frank feels his cheeks redden, but Alice just gives him an exaggerated wink and goes on. " pull a prank. Ruins the party, of course, but also spices things up a little. What say you?"
"You know who you sound like?"
"Myself...?" She laughs at her own joke, making him roll his eyes.
"Those idiot second years. Or third years now, I guess."
"The Marauders? I'm taking that as a compliment." She grins even wider as he rolls his eyes. "So, what's it going to be?"
Well, there's no way in hell he'll risk making his mum angry, especially after she's had a couple drinks, so the prank and hair are out. And he does enjoy his bones being whole, so the window's staying shut. So, as casually as possible, he leans forward and pecks her on the cheek, as quickly as he can and hoping its not to wet or loud or embarassing in any way. Alice giggles.
"That." She says after a moment. "Was a kiss in the same way a kneazle is a cat. Which is to say, not at all."
"You kiss me then, if you're so brave and interesting."
"Mkay." She shrugs again, cups his face and gives him a quick kiss on the mouth. Then, before he can even react, she's already left the room with another wink.
"You are not." Frank whispers to himself under his breath. "Allowed. To fall for Alice fucking Fortescue. She's mean and disruptive and bonkers. And probably a lesbian."
He nods to the air, grabs the idiot's boots and heads back to the party.