Written for the 335 Pairing Bonanza Challenge (GeorgeHestiac)
Written for the Prompt Relay Challenge (genre: young adult)
They're Not All Bad
"Stay clear of the Slytherins."
That was the first thing George Weasley said when he arrived at Hogwarts. He had joined a compartment that had Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan. Alicia was sitting in the middle of them, appearing terrified.
She was a Muggleborn, never having seen a bit of magic in her life.
The piece of advice George gave her that day was what he really believed, for it was what he had been told. He stood true to that for many years, thinking all were scum.
Two years later, Draco Malfoy proved that theory, and four years after that he really questioned himself.
He'd seen her around often, but he'd never really put much thought into her. After all, she was a Slytherin, and Slytherin were scum. He passed her in the corridor, and then two seconds later, he passed her again in another corridor.
Lee laughed when he wondered how she Apparated.
"They're twins, you idiot," he said. "Hestia and Flora Carrow."
"How do you know that?" George demanded.
Lee shrugged. "I asked."
He saw them over the breakfast table. Lee caught him staring.
"If you fancy them, tell them," he said. "I'm sure they're willing to do a lot of things together." He winked as George blushed, but didn't respond. He returned to staring at the twins.
He found one of them crying in an empty corridor late at night. He shouldn't have been up, and neither should she. Imagine the embarrassment if his own little brother got him into trouble for being out of bed.
But he went over to her, sitting on a chair beside her. "Anything the matter?" he asked curiously.
The girl looked up with bloodshot eyes and tear streaks down her face. Close up, he realised she was young. Ginny's age, perhaps.
The girl studied him for a while, probably trying to work out if she could trust him. Eventually, she broke down into heavy sobs. "We-we had a fight," she cried.
"Who?" George wanted to know, feeling something strange swell inside of him. Jealousy, perhaps? "Your boyfriend?"
"No!" the girl shrieked. "My sister!"
"Oh." The jealousy vanished as he shuffled closer to her. "What about?"
Rather than replying the girl buried her face into her hands, breaking down into loud sobs. George patted her back comfortingly. "I'm sure it's not that bad," he said. "I fight with my brother all the time."
At that, the girl looked up, staring at him with red, watery eyes. "You're a twin, too, aren't you?" she asked.
George nodded.
"Are you Fred or George?"
"I'm George."
"I'm Hestia," she responded. "Eldest."
George chuckled. "Me too."
Hestia smiled.
"So, you going to tell me what the fight was about? Maybe I could help."
Hestia shook her head. "I doubt it," she said. "It's really stupid now that you think about it. I should probably go and apologise to her."
"That depends," George said. "Was it her fault or your fault?"
"Both of ours."
"Then she needs to apologise, too."
"I know, but… it'll be easier that way, I guess. We all have different opinions. We can't agree on everything. I know that."
George gave her a smile, his lips curving all the way up to his eyes. Hestia blushed.
"Well, anyway, it's getting late, Hestia," George said after a moment. "You don't want the prefects to catch you out of bed. Best be going."
Both got to their feet.
"Um, thank you, George. It's not everyday somebody comes up to me to ask if I'm okay."
"Well, they're stupid," George answered.
Hestia shrugged and then laughed bitterly. "Not easy being a Slytherin sometimes."
"Not easy being a twin, either."
Hestia really did laugh that time.
"Goodnight, George."
"Goodnight, Hestia."
They each went in their own direction, a smile on their lips.
…
Her eye caught George's from across the Great Hall, and she smiled at him. He returned it, his elbow almost landing in the bowl of cereal he had forgotten about.
Fred and Lee burst out laughing.
"Oh, look!" Fred said rather loudly. "Georgie's in love!"
"With a Slytherin, too," Lee cooed.
"Oh, shut up!" George snapped, turning away from the girl. "She's not that bad."
Fred and Lee blinked.
"Green instantly makes them bad," Fred said.
"No, not all," George growled, feeling anger bubble inside of him at his brother and friend. "Just like not all twins are pranking gits."
Fred faked hurt. "I'm wounded!" he said.
Rather than biting back George turned back to the girl eating her breakfast beside her sister. Well, at least they made up, he decided. That was something. She looked happier with her twin.
Fred and Lee went back to teasing him, and soon the rumour had spread around the school.
Apparently, George Weasley was dating Hestia Carrow.
"Perfect," George muttered when Malfoy and his crew walked past, wolf-whistling.
…
"Don't listen to what they're saying," George said to her. "Who cares what they think. I mean, if I was dating anyone, I'd gladly say it was you."
The girl blushed profusely at the compliment.
George grinned. "Well, we may as well make the most of the rumours, right?" he said.
If it were possible, she turned even redder. "What do you mean?"
Grinning from ear to ear, George leaned forward in the middle of the corridor and kissed the girl. Well, he didn't just kiss her; he grabbed her and pressed his lips with more passion than he'd even kissed Alicia Spinnet in their year-long relationship.
Upon breaking apart they had managed a small crowd.
"Well, that was something!" he exclaimed breathlessly.
Hestia giggled before diving back at him. She was something to behold, that girl (and rather adventurous, as George would learn when she got a bit older).
…
Rumours spread faster than fire that George Weasley and Hestia Carrow were dating. When Ginny had found out she had almost cried with disgust.
"It's like you're dating me!"
George ignored her, as well as Ron's questions as to why he was dating a Slytherin.
Fred and Lee simply teased him; they would have regardless of who it was.
George didn't care, though. Everyone was so filled with prejudice that they didn't stop to see the beautiful girl that was behind the green. She was sweet, caring, and possessed none of the ideals Slytherins were stereotyped for. She just wanted to live in a peaceful world.
Eventually, Fred warmed to the idea.
"So, if she's a twin and you're a twin, that means you'll have quadruplets, right?"
"Merlin, I hope not!" George exclaimed.
Fred sniggered. "Imagine that," he mused.
"Oh, shut up!" George said. "At least I have a girlfriend."
A simple comment sparked one of the biggest fights between the brothers in their seventeen years. Of course, they couldn't stay mad for long and made up the next day.
…
George was happy with Hestia, and he thought she was happy with him, too. Even after his and Fred's infamous exit from Hogwarts, they stayed in touch. Through the battle and after. She helped him grieve, he helped her to extract from her pureblood family.
Oddly, it was a match made in heaven.
As they laid side by side, arms wrapped around each other in the early hours of the morning and noses pressed together, George whispered words he never thought he'd say.
"You're not all bad."
Hestia merely laughed, kissing him. "I love you, too," she said.
This took me a while to write, but I hope you liked it. This challenge is seriously making me think, but I think I've made this pairing work well.
And speaking of pairings, if there's something (any character/pairing/friendship/familial) you would like me to write, please don't hesitate to PM me. I am taking requests for anything apart from incest and I will upload them to my If You Dare collection. Unless you request incest, I will not say no to any request, so request away, my lovely readers!