October 31 Sunny (Part 1)

No one overheard the little secret exchanged between Joey and Fred, but the two quickly settled back into their seats under Hermione's stern reminder. The arrival of new guests—Mr. Barty Crouch, always serious, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, never serious—demanded their attention.

"Look at Crouch," George said, smirking as he watched Flami politely decline a Durmstrang boy's attempt at conversation. "I can't imagine Percy falling in love with someone so old."

"Who? Percy's in love with someone?" Lee asked, scratching his head in confusion.

"Don't listen to him," Hermione interjected, rolling her eyes. "Percy just admires Mr. Crouch. He's his assistant now."

"Ms. Granger, you're no fun," George complained. "Don't you have a sense of humor?"

"She just doesn't share your terrible taste in jokes," Ron shot back, defending Hermione.

George's eyes darted between Ron and Hermione, and he leaned over to Fred and Joey, who were watching the exchange with amusement. "See that? Ron's about to have an epiphany."

"I don't think so. He's more like Joey's little brother. Ow!" Fred yelped as Joey bit his hand, leaving a deep mark.

The group burst into laughter, and Angelina chimed in, "Nice one, Joey!"

The playful banter between Fred and Joey had long been a source of entertainment at the Gryffindor table.

Fred, undeterred, whispered in Joey's ear, "You're adorable when you're jealous."

Joey's face flushed, and she turned away, slapping her cheeks to cool down. She quickly changed the subject. "Did you notice Bagman avoiding eye contact with you?"

"Probably because of this IOU," Fred said, pulling a note from his pocket. "But don't change the subject so bluntly, darling. It's charming, but I'm not letting you off that easily."

Angelina, noticing Joey's plea for help, coughed and asked, "What IOU?"

Fred shot her a look, but George explained, "We bet on the Quidditch World Cup. We predicted Ireland would win, but Krum would catch the Snitch. Bagman tried to pay us off with Leprechaun gold, but Flami spotted the fake coins. He had to write us this IOU instead."

"Wow, you guys are the biggest winners!" Angelina exclaimed.

Ron, who had been listening intently, suddenly looked horrified. "Leprechaun gold is fake? I paid Harry back with that! Harry, you're not getting a Christmas present this year!"

Harry scratched his head sheepishly, but Ginny jumped in. "You said it yourself, Ron. Harry's saving money this year!"

"Then Harry's marriage fund just got a boost," Joey added, teasingly.

Ginny and Harry both turned red, while Ron groaned about his lost Christmas gift.

The feast was the most lavish Hogwarts had seen in years. New dishes appeared out of thin air, and even the Beauxbatons girls, who had drawn so much attention earlier, were now enjoying the meal. One of them even thanked Ron for passing her a bowl of soup, leaving him stunned.

Fred, meanwhile, behaved far better than Ron. He laughed at his brother's awkwardness but didn't ogle the girls or whistle like Lee. Joey, who had been tense when the Beauxbatons girl approached, relaxed and decided not to break up with Fred—for now.

"You're just as charming when you're jealous," Fred said, pinching Joey's nose playfully.

"I'm not jealous," Joey muttered, though her red face betrayed her.

The excitement in the Great Hall peaked when Dumbledore unveiled the Goblet of Fire. The enchanted cup, with its blue-white flames, was placed within an age line, and the students erupted in cheers. The Triwizard Tournament was finally here.

Joey and the twins were already plotting how to bypass the age restriction. "I don't think ageing potions will fool Dumbledore's spell," Hermione said as they walked back to the common room.

"Stop being such a buzzkill," Ginny said, grinning. "If they succeed, we can try it too. Don't tell me you're not curious about the challenges."

Hermione fell silent, torn between her desire to follow the rules and her curiosity about the tournament.

The twins and Joey sneaked into the Room of Requirement, which had long been their potion-making haven. Joey, exhausted, yawned and collapsed onto a soft couch the room provided.

Fred, noticing her drowsiness, gently urged her to rest. "Wake me if you need me," Joey mumbled before falling asleep almost instantly.

George smirked at Fred. "I'm worried about your future nights, brother. If you keep procrastinating, you'll have to solve your problems alone."

Fred sighed. Procrastination was indeed his biggest flaw.

By the time Joey woke up, George had already left with the finished ageing potion. Fred had been watching her sleep, his thoughts wandering. Joey, still half-asleep, stretched and yawned, her sweater slipping off one shoulder. Fred's breath hitched as he fought the urge to kiss her again.

"It's almost dawn. We need to get back," Fred said, shaking Joey awake.

Joey, still groggy, sat up and realized her disheveled state. Her face turned crimson as she fumbled to fix her clothes. "You... you took advantage of me!" she accused, though her voice lacked any real anger.

Fred chuckled, closing his eyes as she adjusted her sweater. "I only did what I had to. Now hurry up before we get caught."

When Joey finally sneaked back into her dormitory, Angelina was waiting. "Out all night, messy hair, and your clothes look like they've been rearranged. What happened? Did the ageing potion have side effects?"

Joey screamed in surprise, clutching her chest. "You scared me!"

Angelina raised an eyebrow. "So, did something happen with Fred?"

"No!" Joey shouted, her face burning.

Angelina smirked and turned off the light. "Boring. Go to sleep."

Joey lay in bed, her mind racing. She couldn't shake the memory of her dream—or the lingering feeling that she wanted more.