1992
"Ninety-eight... Ninety-nine... One hundred." I sighed, staring at the ceiling "Still nothing."
The clock read 2:05 in the morning. 'Try counting sheep, they said.' I mulled.
It was a cold night. No sound, no noise, everyone lay asleep in their warm cozy beds. But not for George Weasley, no. The Weasleys just received news of Ginny's kidnapping into the Chamber of Secrets and no one was taking it easy.
"Nipping a cuppa with Harry's fanged servant now are we, Ginny?" I heard Fred mumble in his sleep.
He might not show it but he's worried. Laughing off the problem was sometimes the only way the twins knew how to cope with things. Not very admirable, yes, but that was just how they did it.
Ellie wasn't very pleased with us when she found out about that habit of ours. But she understood. She didn't try changing our minds about how we acted but sometimes she did give us a nudge or two when we'd go too far.
Sighing, I lifted myself out of bed and made my way to the Kitchen. 'I guess I won't be sleeping tonight'. Closing the door as gently as I could, I shuffled down the stairs quietly and exited the Common Room.
Rounding the familiar corridors and hidden passageways, I found my self tickling the pear in the painting as the entrance to the Kitchen opened its doors to me.
"G-George?"
There sitting by the counter, huddled up in blankets and a mug of hot chocolate in hand, was Elizabeth Reed. Or Ellie as Fred and I call her.
"Hey. What're you doing here this early in the day?" I went in and made myself comfortable beside her as she waved her wand, handing me my own warm cup of hot chocolate that she made herself. "Where are all the house elves?"
"Sleeping." She replied with a smile "They u-usually go to bed at aro-round eleven after washing and cl-cleaning the Kitchen and Great Hall. A-As for your f-first question, I could ask you the same thing."
Sipping on my hot chocolate, I wrapped myself with the other end of the blanket she used and scooted closer, making ourselves comfortable in the cold kitchen. "Couldn't sleep." I simply said, resting my other arm around her shoulders taking another gulp from the mug.
"Hmm. Same" She murmured, leaning quietly beside me.
Ellie was always a soft person. And I mean that on the inside and outside. There was a reason she was sorted in the Hufflepuff House, me and Fred agreed, but that still didn't stop the disappointment we felt in our Sorting Ceremony a few years ago. Her long chestnut brown hair flowed straight down until it reached its tips where they naturally curl. Every time I run my hands through them, like what I'm doing right now, they always tend to tangle around my fingers until that curly end of her mane decides to let me go.
"Stop that." She giggled. She said it hurts when I tug on them but she says it with a smile so I still kept on doing it despite her protests.
"Hey your stutters' getting better." I chuckled.
Ellie had a stutter problem ever since she was a child. She'd trip on her words a lot in class and conversations with people and sometimes, students make fun of her 'cause of that. But they won't get away with it that easily, thanks to Fred and I.
She's been having speech therapy sessions with Madam Pomfrey every end of the month since first year. Fred and I have been helping her out of those sessions as well like playing word games with her or tossing out flash cards she could read out loud. Little stuff, really, but she'd always give us a tiny peck on the cheek each for that. Thankfully, her therapy'll be over this summer, says Madam Pomfrey, and she'll be able to talk normally by then so I admit I'm pretty excited about it.
It was difficult being with her like this knowing that not a few weeks ago did Fred admit he fancied her the same way I did. Of course, I told him I fancied her first somewhere during the first term but I could tell by the way he looks at her that he liked her too, so I didn't make any moves.
"George?"
"Yeah?" I replied looking down at her little bundled self.
"H-How are yu-you? You and Fr-Fred... I mean, about Gi-Ginny and... all." She looked down, playing with one of the buttons on my shirt "...I-I'm worried, George.."
"I know... I know..." Shuffling closer to her, I sighed "I'm worried, too."
"But you know something, Ellie?" I whispered.
"What?"
"I just have a feeling everything's gonna be ok. I don't know how or why, but I just do." I shrugged " Gut feeling, I guess."
"Oh.. W-well,if you say so, George, then I-I guess I'll have to take your word for it, then." Smiling, she settled herself back into my arms as we downed our mugs of hot chocolate and patiently waited for the morning.
A short one-shot of a GeorgeXEllie scene before the start of my FWxOCxGW main story(Check my profile if you want). Hope you enjoyed it!