AUTHOR'S NOTE - This is a complete rewrite of my original story idea, Yours. The further I got and the more clearly I pictured how I wanted things to end, made me unhappy with the original drafts. After talking with the author Malebron, I have been given ideas to better improve each chapter by editing out all unnecessary dialog, unneeded characters, and seemingly repetitive chapters. Now that I know for sure exactly where I want to go with this, chapters should be more interesting with enhanced details that were originally not there from the start. Also, things will not be as fluffy as they were before, but there will still be feel-good parts. While this story will mostly follow along with the movie versions, there will be added details from the books. Without further ado, let's give this a go!

DISCLAIMER - All characters from the original Harry Potter series belong solely to JK Rowling. I do not own any rights to characters/movie scenes/book scenes except all OC characters and events not mentioned or shown in the books/movies.

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Chapter One
Stars Don't Compare

I lightly laughed while tucking a loose strand of my black hair behind my ear. My friend Riley's date had made a joke while we all sat around one of the tables adorning the Great Hall. It was the night of the Yule Ball, a day that the majority of all the students at Hogwarts had been anticipating. The first dance had ended and practically every student after that had gone up to dance. All except for us, Harry and Ron, and their dates, the Patil twins.

Both of my friends, Jessica and Riley, had managed to successfully obtain dates for the night. Jessica had been asked by an older boy in Ravenclaw and Riley had been asked by a boy from Hufflepuff. I, on the other hand, hadn't been asked by anyone. It didn't come as much of a surprise to me, though, as most students tended to avoid even looking at me.

When I was seven years old, I had gone riding on the horse my parents had bought for me for my birthday. He hadn't yet been broken so my parents had told me I wasn't to ride him until he was. But I had been too excited to wait, and without their knowledge, I decided to take him out and ride him anyways. He immediately threw me off of him the moment I had pulled myself into the saddle and I landed on a sharp rock. The end result was a jagged scar that ran down the left side of my face starting just above my eyebrow and ending by my cheek, framing my eye.

No matter how much makeup I applied, there was no covering it up. The scar was a few shades darker compared to my pale complexion which made it stick out like a sore thumb.

While most other students would be heartbroken that they weren't asked to an event as big as this one, I really didn't mind. I most likely would have said no to anyone that did ask me except for one person; George Weasley.

Ever since I first saw him during my first night at Hogwarts, I was irrevocably smitten. He had been one of the only people to ever look at me and not grimace as soon as they noticed the scar. Instead, he had watched me captivatingly as I took my seat on the stool and was sorted into Ravenclaw. The moment I took my seat at the house table, I either had other students bombarding me for answers about my scar, or they made it a point to actively avoid even looking at me. From that night on, I did what I had always done before; keep to myself and disappear into the background.

And that's how it stayed for the next 4 and a half years. Me watching from a distance while trying desperately to work up the nerve to finally approach him and say hi. No matter how hard I tried, though, it was never enough. I always panicked at the last second and ran.

Although I had agreed to come out with my friends under the impression of having fun, I secretly wanted to see if George would be there as well and see if he had a date. The entire time I was there, I saw no sign of him. Fred had shown up with his date, Angelina, but his brother was no where to be found. I found it strange that one twin was here, but the other wasn't as the two of them always did everything together.

After a while, Jessica and Riley's dates both stood up and walked away from the table. When they were gone, both of my friends leaned in and began to whisper to me.

"The guys have been asking us to go and dance with them for a while now," Riley said first.

"We've been trying to make them understand that we don't want you to feel like we are abandoning you," Jessica said next, fidgeting with her nails.

"Would you mind if we went and danced for a bit, do you?" Riley asked with a yearning look in her eyes.

"Of course I wouldn't mind! It is a dance, after all," I answered, forcing a smile. "I was thinking of heading back to the dormitory anyways. Please, don't let me keep you from having a good time! Thank you for inviting me out." The truth was, I did feel a tad disappointed but not because my friends wanted to go and dance.

"Thanks, Maryse!" they both chimed happily while standing up to chase down their dates.

After they were gone, I stood up myself, scanning the dance floor once more. Convinced that he wasn't here, I turned and made my way out of the Great Hall, holding the skirt to my silver ball gown as I went. I walked past the doors and rounded the corner before I collided with someone else who was walking towards the Great Hall.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't see you! So stupid…" I apologized quickly as I looked up and to see who it was I had walked into.

To my surprise and unmitigated horror, it was George Weasley, wearing dress robes.

I tried to think of something to say but my mind drew an incontrovertible blank. Everything I had thought about what I would say to him if I had ever been given the opportunity to talk to him alluded me in that moment.

To my arrant shock, he smiled at me and gave a little chuckle. "It's quite alright. Nothing broken."

I wasn't sure how to respond, so I just gave a small smile in return.

"Your name is Maryse, correct?" he asked after a few moments when I didn't say anything.

"I…uh…c-correct," I sputtered unintelligibly. "Maryse Shaw."

"I remember watching you get sorted. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you were placed in Ravenclaw? My apologies in advance if I'm wrong. Too many bludgers, you know," he jested, pointing to his head with a smirk.

Before I could stop myself, I laughed. "Sorry. That was probably ill-timed and inappropriate on my part. But you are correct. I got sorted into Ravenclaw."

"Better than Slytherin," he commiserated, grinning widely. It was the most gorgeous smile I had ever seen and it made my breath fluttered.

"Exactly," I managed to say, returning his smile.

He looked at me for a little bit longer before he spoke again. "I couldn't help but notice the ball hasn't ended yet. You weren't you planning on leaving were you?"

"I was," I admitted, shrugging my shoulders unabashedly. "Both of my friends wanted to dance, and I figured I could be using this time to study for my OWLS so…"

"You don't have a date either, huh?" he asked empathetically.

I shook my head and looked down at the floor with humiliation. His hand reached under my chin and pulled it up until I was looking directly into his soft, brown eyes. "You have the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen," he said quietly, studying them intently. "I know you said you were leaving, but I was hoping that maybe you'd like to dance first?"

"With me?" I asked dumbfoundedly.

"There isn't anyone else here, so I guess that answers your question," he answered, holding out his arm in my direction.

With my hands shaking and nothing else to say, I took a hold of his arm and let him lead me back into the Great Hall. Harry and Ron, both now alone, were still sitting at a table, staring reticently at the students packed on the dance floor. George and I walked swiftly down the center of the hall until we reached the dance floor where he expertly turned me until we were facing each other. His left hand went to my waist while mine found his shoulder. Before I knew it, he was pulling me close and leading me around the dance floor.

I spotted my friends staring at me with mixtures of incredulity and elation as they were spun around to the music by their dates. The only response I could give them was a teasing smile and a slight shrug of my shoulders. Every time he spun me around, the bottom of my gown would flair out, resembling a blooming flower fast-forwarded. Whenever he would pull me back into him, I would see his face light up in a smile, knowing that I was enjoying myself.

One dance turned into two and soon the thought of spending the rest of the night alone in my dorm room dissipated entirely. We found ourselves dancing to each song, changing the style to match the tempo of the music that flowed through the air as the band played well into the night.

Before we both knew it, the ball was over and we were being forcibly ushered out of the Great Hall by Filch as he grumbled under his breath about the mess left behind for him to clean up.

We left the Great Hall behind hand in hand, sweat glistening on our skin, and a smile on both of our faces. Once we were clear of the Great Hall, we stopped and I turned to look at the boy who unexpectedly became my date for the evening. "I should probably get back to my room before I get into trouble," I told him, the smile leaving my face. "I had a really great time tonight. Thank you for that."

"The night isn't over yet if you don't want it to be," he said mischievously, a small smile remaining on his face.

"Won't we get caught?" I asked, feeling my heart beat a little faster at the thought of spending more time with George.

"I won't let that happen," he laughed, letting go of my hand. "But if you don't want to, I'll understand."

I watched his hand fall away, every inch of me saying I should decline and go back to my room before we were spotted and called into Dumbledore's office the next day. But seeing the hopeful glimmer in his eye was enthralling enough for me to take the risk. I also wasn't sure I was ready to go back to the way things were before, where we both were nothing more than students attending the same school.

He must have seen my change of heart because he held out his hand for me to take once more. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and grabbed his hand tightly before he decided to rescind the offer. The moment my hand was in his, he was pulling me behind him at a brisk run

.
"Wait!" I exclaimed after we had only gone a few feet. He turned around to look at me after we stopped, watching as I bent down to lift up the skirt of my gown and take off the high heeled shoes I had worn to the ball. "I can run faster barefoot," I explained with a grin.

I grabbed my shoes in one hand and put my free hand in his again before we both took off running down an empty corridor.

I found myself giggling like a giddy school girl. The last time I had felt like this was when I was 5 years old and learning how to ride a horse for the first time at my family's riding stables. It was thrilling to know that at any moment we could be caught and the more we ran, the less penitent I felt. This activity didn't seem to phase George in the slightest, but that didn't surprise me. George and Fred were well-known around the school for their pesky antics.

While I was lost in the exhilaration of being pulled along through empty corridor after empty corridor, I almost didn't notice when George came to an abrupt stop. He placed a finger to his lips, indicating that I should be quiet. He peered around the corner, looking both ways before determining that the cost was clear. Turning back to me, he motioned for me to follow him. I couldn't place where we were at first until I saw the stairway that lead up to the Astronomy Tower.

And we were headed in that direction.

"George, should we be going this way? What if Sinistra is up there?" I asked, suddenly becoming the habitually nervous Maryse.

"Not tonight she won't be. Not with the Yule Ball. The tower is completely empty," he assured me, stopping in front of me and placing both hands on my shoulders. "If you don't want to go, though, we can turn around right now. I won't force you to do anything you don't want to do."

I looked down at the ground, running through every scenario that could happen if we were to go up there past curfew. Most likely we wouldn't be expelled, but detention was not something I really wanted to have to go through, either. I knew it didn't bother George because he had received enough detention throughout the years, but this would be my first one. When I looked back up, he was waiting patiently for me to give him my answer.

I nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go before I change my mind."

Once again, we were on the move, making our way quietly to the stairs that would take us up to the empty classroom. We took the steps two at a time, always looking behind us for any signs of other students, professors, or worse, Mrs. Norris.

After what seemed like forever, we finally made it to the top. Just as George had said, we neither saw nor heard anyone to indicate that someone else was up here with us. We made our way around the armillary sphere and the stone Earth replica, each of us going around separate sides.

"Follow me," he said, motioning for me to follow him over to the observation railing that overlooked the castle and grounds.

I followed behind him, folding my arms over my chest and rubbing them to keep them warm as the wind flowed through the large, open area. The winter air was frigid, and I regretted choosing an off-the-shoulder dress to wear to a winter ball.

"You look like you're freezing," George said, taking off his dress robes until he was wearing only his white, long-sleeved undershirt. He proceeded to drape the robes over my shoulders. I grabbed the sides and pulled them closed against me. "Better?"

"Much, thanks," I responded, smiling softly at him. I approached the railing, George sidling up next to me. He placed his hands on the railing and looked out at the night sky, both of us admiring the tapestry of stars in the sky.

"I've always liked coming out here at night. There's just something about the view that doesn't compare to anything else in the whole world," he said after a moment.

"I always have, too. Astronomy was always a favorite class of mine. Too bad I failed it," I said back, snuggling into his dress robes. They smelled like cedarwood and pine and I immediately became intoxicated by his scent.

"Oh good. I was starting to think that Fred and I were the only failures at Hogwarts," he chuckled humorously.

"What do you know. We have so much in common," I responded, feeling a blush steal across my cheeks.

"We probably shouldn't stay outside long. You look pretty cold. Don't hold it against me, but I just wanted to spend a little more time with you before the night was over," he said reluctantly after a few silent moments.

"You did?" I asked wonderingly, looking at him.

"Of course. We were having so much fun that I didn't want it to end too quickly," he answered sincerely, looking back at me.

I smiled and felt my heart flutter in my chest. "We did have fun, didn't we?" I asked before returning my focus to the stars. "I don't think I've ever seen anything more beautiful," I said softly.

"I have. Everyday," George said immediately in response.

I turned to face him again, about to ask him what he meant. The question caught in my throat when I realized that he was still looking at me. Before I knew it, his hand was cupping my left cheek, stroking my scar gently with his thumb. He lowered his head until his lips met mine, kissing me gently.

My heart thundered in my chest as I closed my eyes and kissed him back, my hand moving unconsciously to the back of his head. I never imagined my night ending like this, but I was overjoyed that it had.

…

George

George walked Maryse back to the top of Ravenclaw tower, holding her hand the entire way. When they reached the top of the stairs, he raised her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it, watching a blush tint her cheeks red. She smiled at him, told him goodnight, and went disappeared into the Ravenclaw common room. When she was out of sight, George leisurely made his way back to Gryffindor.

While he was making his way back, he couldn't shake the memory of the way Maryse had looked inside the Astronomy tower. The way her hair was messily pinned up on her head, the way her silver dress radiated with the white of the snow, and the way the stars reflected in her blue eyes, turning them an icy grey color. He had never known anyone to coalesce so well with the night, almost as if she had been wearing it, instead of his robes. Robes that he intentionally left in her possession to entice her to seek him out on her own.

Upon entering the common room, he noticed that it was completely empty. Dying embers burned in the fireplace, casting a warm glow around the room. He made his way up the stairs to his dormitory where he found Fred still awake in bed. When he saw his brother enter, a cheeky grin spread across his face.

"Looks like I wasn't the only one having fun tonight," Fred teased, winking at his twin.

"Unlike you, I don't kiss and tell," George ribbed, loosening his tie. "But if you must know…"

"Which you know I do," Fred admitted slyly.

"Nothing happened," George said, smiling amusedly. "We did a bit of stargazing and I walked her back to Ravenclaw. I'm a tad more chivalrous than you, dear brother."

"That's too bad," Fred sighed before crawling underneath his blanket. "What's the point in being twins if they both don't end the night the same way?" Fred razzed his brother.

George laughed silently, shaking his head. "Goodnight, Fred," he said quietly before undressing and slipping underneath his own covers.