Let's SEE What Happens

She was exactly the way Fred had Seen her...well except that she didn't have a blurry face. Her hair was full of chestnut brown ringlets, her eyes were a dazzling shade of pale green, and her fair skin was dotted with tiny freckles. She took Fred's breath away. The girl had her nose buried in a copy of Standard Book of Spells: Grade Six. Fred, being so stricken and nervous, was about to abort his mission, when she made eye contact.

"....Er...um," sputtered Fred as he stared into her curious eyes. He had never been at a loss for words, even in front of Fleur Delacour (who was part veela).

"Hi, er, Fred is it?" She grinned shyly, put down her book, and tousled her hair so it was off her face.

"Yeah, I'm Fred. How could you tell me apart from my brother? My own mum can't tell us apart sometimes! She's a bit of a nutter sometimes though...er, I'm sorry. I'm rambling on too much," finished Fred as his face began to feel hot.

The girl giggled and replied, "oh Fred, it's okay. I do that all the time. I could tell you apart because I have twin brothers myself, so I can really define differences in facial features. Bloody hell, I'm rambling too..." she trailed off and turned a bit pink herself. She decided to distract herself by putting some more potatoes on her plate.

"So, what's your name?" asked Fred.

"Oh, how rude of me! My name is Saundra...Saundra Halo," she replied, offering her hand for him to shake. "I'm from Surrey...my parents are muggles of course. I'm the only one in my family to display magical powers, actually. So I try to make my mum proud by trying to get top marks. You know, I received O.W.L.S in every subject last year...I mean, they weren't all Outstanding, but my mum still cried a bit..."

Both Fred and Saundra sat talking for the remainder of dinner.

*****

"So, do any of you kiddies know who that girl Fred's talking to is?" inquired George after 10 minutes of Fred's absence.

Without looking up from her Arithmancy book, Hermione answered, "that's Saundra Halo. She's in our year, and has been quite a bit of competition for me with grades. Yes, but she didn't receive an Outstanding in all her O.W.L.S. like I did."

"Wait a bloody minute!" Ron started, "you said she was in our year. How come I don't remember ever noticing her around class with the Ravenclaws, or around school?" Both Ron and Harry gave Hermione inquiring looks.

Hermione returned with quite an annoyed tone, "Well, you wouldn't really notice her, would you? I mean, she's in all the advanced classes, and most of her time she spends in the library studying. Her only extra curricular is Choir."

"Bloody hell, why does Fred always find the smart girls?" sighed George. "He had a bit of a fling with Alicia last year. I never get that lucky."

"Well George, don't worry. I'm sure there are plenty of smart girls out there just waiting for you to trick them into liking you," finalized Hermione, a sly grin spreading across her face as she stared at her book.

At that, George gave Ron and Harry a bit of a nod, and all three threw their dinner rolls at her.

*****

"Well, this was an interesting conversation, indeed," said Saundra as they neared the Ravenclaw dorms. Both Saundra and Fred had talked about everything from their childhood to their theory of why Umbridge could have such a girlish voice when she looked quite like she should croak instead of talk in the first place.

"So, Saundra," Fred began, "why don't I ever see you around the halls?"

Saundra blushed a little looking down at her feet. "Well, I guess you can say, I'm not all that popular. I mean, I get along well with the Ravenclaws, but other than Hermione Granger, who's always in the library with me, I don't really know many other people from other houses. Well...unless they play Quidditch."

"Oh! Is that how you recognized me?" asked Fred. "Because I'm a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Well, not during the year Umbridge kicked me off."

Again, Saundra blushed and looked at her feet. "Actually...oh, it's nothing really. Just stupid..."

"Oh, it's okay, I say stupid things all the time," Fred blurted out with a hammed up smile.

"Well..." she began, "I did notice you as a Weasley twin on the Quidditch pitch, but...you, er, helpedmeinth..."

"What was that?"

"I said...well...people don't really notice me walking in the corridors, right, so I get bumped into every once in a while. Well, last year, Malfoy pushed me more on purpose, and my books went everywhere. You were right behind him, so you jinxed him and helped me pick up my books."

"Oh..." Fred grinned sheepishly, "well I'm glad you noticed me, because you're wonderful." He blurted this last part out. He didn't see how it even fit in with his scheme of conversation, but it was lingering in his mind and shot out of his mouth.

"Why, thank you so much, Fred," said Saundra. At that, she leaned over to him, kissed him sweetly on the cheek, and gave her password so she could enter her common room. "Well, I hope we get to talk again soon. Bye Fred."

"Bye..." Fred said in somewhat of a trance, touching the spot on his cheek where she had kissed.