The Spark Takes Hold

As the days went by, Fred found himself stealing glances at Maria throughout the day, his eyes drawn to her like a magnet. He started to notice small things about her, like the way her hair fell in loose waves down her back, or the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. It was as if he'd never really seen her before, and now he couldn't help but notice every detail. Fred's friends, George, Ron, and Harry, teased him mercilessly about his newfound distraction. "What's got you so smitten, Fred?" George asked, nudging him with his elbow during breakfast. Fred shrugged, trying to play it cool. "Just... school, I suppose." Ron raised an eyebrow. "School? You've never been this spaced out before. Is there someone new?" Fred's face grew hot, and he quickly looked away, focusing on his porridge. "No one, okay? Just drop it." His friends chuckled and left him alone, but Fred knew he couldn't shake them off for long. They'd been friends for too long, and they knew him too well. As the day went on, Fred found himself glancing at Maria in class, trying to catch her eye. He sat a few rows behind her in Professor McGonagall's Transfiguration class, and he loved watching the way she concentrated on the complex spells. During lunch, Fred mustered up the courage to approach her table in the Great Hall. Maria looked up, a sandwich in her hand, and smiled as he approached. "Hey, Fred," she said, her voice husky. "What's up?" Fred slid into the seat across from her, trying to appear nonchalant. "Just grabbing some lunch. How's your day going?" Maria shrugged, taking a bite of her sandwich. "It's going. Just trying to get used to the new classes and schedules." Fred nodded sympathetically. "I know the feeling. It's always a bit of a shock after the summer holidays." As they chatted, Fred found himself feeling more and more at ease around Maria. He loved the way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about something she was passionate about. Before he knew it, they'd been talking for nearly an hour, and the Great Hall was starting to empty out. Fred glanced at his watch, feeling a pang of disappointment. "I should probably get going," he said, standing up. "I've got a study group meeting with George and Ron." Maria nodded, smiling up at him. "Yeah, I should probably get some work done too." As they parted ways, Fred couldn't shake off the feeling that he'd just had a great time with Maria. He felt like he could talk to her for hours, like they'd known each other for years. The rest of the day passed in a blur, with Fred's thoughts drifting back to Maria whenever he had a spare moment. He couldn't wait to see her again, to talk to her, to get to know her better. As he walked back to Gryffindor Tower, he felt a spark of excitement ignite within him. He had a feeling that this was just the beginning of something special, something that would change his life forever.