Driving Me Mad

by klg193

Quinn has a reputation for dating around and ending her relationships the minute she gets bored. But when her nearly perfect boyfriend pulls this stunt on her, she uses the help of an old friend to try and win him back. (Inspired by the 90s teen movie Drive Me Crazy) [George Weasley/OC]

FLASHBACK

"1…2…3…4…" I heard Fred calling. I took off at a run to find my spot. We were playing hide and seek, like we always did at these reunions. The Burrow was the best venue for hide and seek because there were so many great hiding spots, both inside and out. Fred and George seemed to be the best at this game, but I had one secret spot where no one could ever find me. Since Fred was the seeker, I thought it was time to bring out the secret spot. I ran down the stairs quickly, hoping I wouldn't be heard or spotted. My parents were in the sitting room with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, waiting for the roast to finish and I tip-toed to the one area that I shouldn't have been, the kitchen. It was an unspoken rule that the kitchen was off limits when Mrs. Weasley was preparing dinner, but I was never one to follow rules. I heard the adults talking in the other room and knew I had a very limited time window to get situated. I opened the cabinet under the sink and went to climb in when I realized there was already someone in there.

"Hey! This is my spot!" I whispered, still trying to keep my cover.

"Well too bad, I was here first," he spat back.

"READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" Fred called. My eyes went wide in panic and I shoved myself into the cabinet.

"Slide…over…" I said as I nudged him over. We knocked over stacks of bowls and pans and I quickly shut the cabinet door hoping to muffle the noise.

"I can't believe you took my spot," I grumbled.

"Your spot? I don't see your name on it," he teased. I smacked him and he winced. "Now, that wasn't very nice."

"Shh…you'll give our position away." I heard footsteps coming across the tile floor and held my breath.

We sat there for what seemed like hours, whispering insults back and forth and laughing about stupid things. The hardest part in sitting there was that dinner was starting to smell amazing. It was torturous. That was the downside to having a great hiding place; you were stuck there until you got found.

"Okay, I give up. You guys win. Just come out now," We heard Fred calling.

"Should we?" I asked him.

"Nah. It's more fun this way."

By this point all of the kids were looking for us, and maybe even the adults. It was hard to tell for sure, considering we were curled up in a cabinet, but we could hear lots of footsteps and our names being called repeatedly.

"Kids, come for dinner!" Mrs. Weasley called.

"What about now?" I asked George, thinking that the seekers would stop looking for us the minute their eyes caught sight of the meal.

George shook his head no and I trusted he knew what he was doing. "Just wait for it…" he whispered.

As if on cue, both the cabinet doors suddenly flew open. We had been caught. I then realized, it was Mrs. Weasley who had caught us and she had yet to notice two children were in place of her kitchen supplies. She was turned and was calling for the older boys to come and set the table.

Slowly, very slowly, she turned around and bent down to tend to the cabinet. George's face broke into a warm smile, knowing what was coming next.

"AAAH!" she shrieked upon seeing our childish figures cramped into such a small space. George and I erupted into laughter at her reaction as everyone else scurried in to see what had happened. Mrs. Weasley was leaning against the counter, clutching her heart before she essentially beat us with a dishtowel to get us to come out.

"George! Quinn! What on earth where you thinking? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley! We didn't mean to. We were just playing hide and seek," I spoke, innocently enough. Her mood completely changed and it was as if nothing was wrong.

"Well…alright. Go wash up for dinner," she said.

Fred approached the two of us, "That was brilliant. Couldn't have done it better my self," he said, giving us both high fives.

Dinner was full of laughs and merriment as our two families conversed over a lovely meal. George sat across from me at the table and every now and then would kick my legs and give me that evil grin of his. This was our relationship. I was essentially the second Weasley girl, and according to the twins I was more fun to torment because I could dish it back.

Dinner drew to a close, which meant we could continue playing again. The adults stayed and talked more over tea as all the kids made up imaginary games, pretending to be people we weren't. Then, soon, my parents would call me and give me the twenty-minute warning, which always meant we were leaving in an hour. I would say my goodbyes like it was no big deal, but once we started heading home I grew infinitely sadder knowing I'd be playing by myself for a while.

CURRENT DAY

A lot of time had passed since the hide and seek days. Now, hide and seek was used when you were avoiding someone you were pissed at or playing hard to get. I was now a fifth year at Hogwarts, which meant I was 15 years old (although, I acted like I was 25). Hogwarts had been great to me the past five years. Not only did I have good grades, but I had a lot of friends too. I was a prefect, I was popular, and I had the perfect boyfriend. What more could a girl want? Despite some of the people I aligned myself with, I actually was a decent person. I might seem shallow but I do have genuine interests. I was raised well and had a good head on my shoulders, but I sometimes went along with bad ideas. I always did have a knack for getting into trouble. Luckily, I could usually talk my way out of it.

Before we get too far into this story, let me give you some background. My name is Quinn O'Brien. As I mentioned, I'm a fifth year and I was sorted into Gryffindor, which was some sort of miracle. My father was a Ravenclaw, cultured, wise, and thought-provoking while my mother was a Hufflepuff, happy-go-lucky, joyful, and even tempered. My sister, Meredith, was the spitting image of my father. She was six years older than me and had been sorted into Ravenclaw. She was currently on her way up to becoming editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet. Everyone said I was a lot like my mother, except a bit more mischievous. It was the surprise of a century when I was sorted into Gryffindor instead of Hufflepuff, but I was happy with the decision. The Gryffindors were more my speed.

And now we move to the Weasleys. I had known the Weasleys pretty much my whole life. My parents were in Hogwarts with their parents and had become close friends over their seven years. In fact, Arthur and Molly actually set up my parents on their first date and the rest was history.

We used to have dinners together about once a month but it had been difficult to keep them up throughout the years. My parents' work became more demanding and the Weasleys always had a lot going on. But, no matter how frequent they occurred, I always had a great time. The Weasley boys were like the brothers I never had, and Ginny was like my little sister. Since Meredith was six years older than me, she never really wanted to play with me. No matter how old I was, she was just out of range to share my interests. That's why I loved spending time with the Weasleys. I had people to run around with and even get into trouble with. Doing everything on your own just wasn't as fun. It wasn't easy essentially growing up on my own, but it did teach me to be an individual and be my own person, which is something that sticks with me to this day.

As the time passed, my relationship with the Weasleys changed. The twins were a year older than me, and Ron a year younger, but we weren't all the best friends I imagined we would be. We ran in different circles. Ron was always with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger and they always seemed to be facing some critical problem. Fred and George were all over the place, pulling pranks and getting in trouble. They never sat still and constantly had some plan in the works.

Now my core friend group may not be the best people, but I wasn't complaining. They kept me entertained and invited me to all the right places. They made sure I met all the important people that would help me throughout life. Being a prefect, I became close with the other prefects in my year. We shared notes and helped each other with academics, among other things. We had an unspoken bond that I couldn't really describe and that no one understood. We were there for each other, no matter what.

On to this fantastic boyfriend of mine. Let me start by saying I have a little bit of a bad reputation when it comes to dating. Yes, I'm the girl everyone hates. I'm the girl who always seems to have a boyfriend. I wasn't sure why that was exactly, but that's just how it was. While I had quite the laundry list of ex-boyfriends, none of it mattered anymore because currently I was dating the boy every girl wanted. No, not Cedric Diggory. Better. Roger Davies. He is truly the full package. Handsome, athletic, intelligent. What more could a girl want? And for some strange reason he picked me and I loved every second of it.

We had started dating about halfway through my forth year and everything was perfect. We had a bunch of mutual friends and everything seemed natural between us. We were happy. In fact, he was probably the best boyfriend I'd ever had. We would do cute, date like things every now and then but we also could just hang out casually. And we both liked to make out a lot.

This year, everything was different. Hogwarts was hosting the Triwizard tournament, which was extremely exciting. Roger put his name in the Goblet but unfortunately he couldn't quite match up to Cedric Diggory. And Harry Potter for that matter. He was disappointed a little at first, but he learned just enjoy the frenzy at the school.

Okay, back to real time. I was walking with Cho Chang and Marietta Edgecomb to the Room of Requirement. Someone was throwing a party to celebrate the completion of the first task. Cedric and Harry had both done well and, as Hogwarts students, that was reason enough to celebrate. We walked in right on time. Just about everyone had arrived and there was butterbeer and firewhiskey scattered all around. I scanned the room looking for Roger. He said he would meet us here but I suppose he was coming fashionably late.

"Here ye, here ye!" Someone called out. My attention shifted to the center of the room where the Weasley twins were making an announcement.

"As you all know, we are here for two reasons. To celebrate the success of our fellow Hogwartsians," One of them spoke. The crowd cheered and clapped. Cedric's friends clapped him on the back. Harry stood awkwardly in the corner with a handful of Gryffindors from his year. I think this must've been Harry's first party. I didn't recall seeing him here before.

"And the second reason is…to have a bloody good time!" That caused for more applause. They carried on about something else but I zoned out as I found a drink for myself. These parties usually started out pretty casual. People socialized and did the rounds for a while. Then anyone who wasn't drinking headed back to the common room. And once they left, other activities continued, usually some sort of drinking game.

I walked around and greeted all the people I knew, with Cho and Marietta in my wake. The whole time I searched for Roger and I was starting to worry when he wasn't around. I tried not to think about it too much. He was probably not feeling well or something. My train of thought came to a sudden halt with one simple phrase.

"Who wants to play spin the bottle?" That certainly caught my attention. The remaining party-goers gathered in the center of the room and sat in a circle on the floor.

"What rules are we playing tonight?" Cho asked.

Everyone shifted their attention to me, as I was a frequent player. "Spinner gets one spin. Whoever the bottle lands on can decide if they want one kiss in front of everyone or five minutes in the closet. You only get a re-spin if the bottle lands on yourself. And all wands in the middle of the circle. We don't need people charming the bottle to land on them. Sound good?" Everyone nodded in agreement and the festivities ensued.

Since Cedric was the champion, we let him spin first. His bottle landed on Marietta and she chose to enter the closet with Cedric. Cho looked pissed. Her and Cedric were unofficially hooking up, and Marietta knew. It was the typical teenage drama that I tried to avoid but most of the time got sucked into. The two emerged from the closet, Cedric looking sheepish and surprised and Marietta trying to hide the grin creeping up her face.

I waited and waited for my turn, as I was starting to get bored. There were exciting moments (Lavender and Cho shared a steamy kiss) but I felt like there was something missing. I kept thinking about Roger. Part of me was ready to leave because I wanted to go check in with him.

"Quinn, you're up." The bottle slid over to me and I made the conscious decision to leave after my turn was up. I held the glass in my hand for a moment before placing it in the middle of the circle and giving it a good spin. The bottle was almost mesmerizing as it completed rotation after rotation before finally slowing down to land on someone. I slowly looked up to see who was at the receiving end of my spin and internally cringed to see that familiar smile.

"Alright Q, I will see you in the closet," he said. Everyone 'oohed' like we were preteens as he stood up and made his way to the closet. I reluctantly followed, knowing this was my ticket out of here.

"Well if it isn't my first girlfriend," he smiled as I made my way through the door.

"You wish, George. We we're six…it didn't count."

"That's what you think." I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Just so you know, nothing is happening in here. I have a boyfriend."

"I don't remember that ever stopping you before," I shot him a glare at the comment, "But how are things"

"Things are going great between us. We've been together almost a year and-"

He cut me off, "I wasn't asking about Roger. I was asking about you. We haven't talked in a while."

"We run in different circles, George. We have nothing in common. We aren't kids anymore. We aren't even friends."

He clenched his heart, "Ouch. That hurts."

"Well it's true!"

"Just because we don't hang out or talk doesn't mean we're not friends."

"Yeah, whatever," I mumbled.

"I bet I know more about you than Cho and Marietta. In fact, I think I know more about you than Roger."

I raised an eyebrow at him, "Is that so? Prove it."

"Well, I know that your favorite color is purple, your best subject is Charms, and you hate the cold but you love Christmas."

"That is not that impressive. Roger knows all of that."

George took a step closer to me, "Does he know that you secretly love watching Muggle movies, you're ticklish on your left knee and that there's a little star shaped mole just behind your ear." He gently tucked my hair behind my ear and ran his finger right over the hidden mole. I looked up into his eyes and felt an unusual feeling that I wasn't sure how to define. For a moment, I thought I saw him leaning in towards me. He was going to kiss me and for some odd reason, I was going to let him. Just as our lips were about to touch he turned away as there was a series of knocks on the door.

"I think our time is up," I spoke softly. I slid from under his gaze and opened the closet door. "They all bolted…" I stated. The room was full of discarded cups and empty bottles, but no familiar faces to be seen.

"Filch or someone must've come by," he said, "The knock was a warning." I shrugged and without talking we made our way out of the room. "Heading back to Gryffindor tower?" he asked me. I was originally planning to go to the Ravenclaw common room to check on Roger, but I nodded and decided to walk with him back to home base.

Our journey was silent, for the most part. Neither of us felt the need to talk. We were just making our way back and we happened to be together. Just as I was about to turn the corner, George grabbed my wrist. I turned back at him confused and he said, "Not that way, we'll get caught. Filch is usually patrolling that corridor." I gave him an unamused look, thinking he was just trying to make things difficult when he added, "Trust me."

I wasn't sure why, but I did. I followed him down a dark hall that I wasn't sure I'd ever been down. I hoped he knew where he was going. It was dark and I couldn't see very well but I didn't want to give away our position by using Lumos. Out of nowhere, George took my hand and helped guide me down this hallway. I didn't really understand why he was being so nice to me. We had barely talked over the years, aside from the occasional family gathering. It made me rethink some things on my end. I was kind of a bitch to him and I didn't really have any reason for that. He had been friends with me before I blossomed into the pretty girl I am today. And he always seemed to stand up for me whenever people were making snide remarks.

My thoughts were interrupted by a sudden pop of light. I looked up and the two of us were face to face with Professor McGonagall.

"Professor," He spoke.

"Mr. Weasley…Ms. O'Brien. Is there a reason you two are out of bed past curfew?" she asked us sternly.

"Yes, but it's not a very good one," I said. I knew we were toast. If it had been Flitwick or Moody I could've talked us out of this one, but McGonagall was too strict. I only hoped our punishment wasn't too severe.

"Ten points will be taken from Gryffindor. Each. And you will report for detention later this week."

"Yes ma'am," George spoke.

"Now back to bed, both of you!" We scurried past her as we realized how close we were to the common room.

"So much for not getting caught," I muttered.

"Hey, lay off me okay. I was trying to help," he snapped. "Why do you always have to be such a bitch?" That stung a little. I wasn't expecting him to lash out at me. I made comments like that without thinking, not to be hurtful.

We reached the common room and I went in and immediately went up to my room. I felt awful and I didn't want to talk to anyone. I curled up in bed and tried to sleep as best I could.

X

"Morning babe," I said as I planted a kiss on Roger's cheek. I took a seat next to him and started building my plate with breakfast items. His mouth was full and he managed to spit out a greeting.

"What happened last night? Where were you?" I asked casually.

"I just got carried away with some studying and I totally forgot," he said. It sounded a little rehearsed but I didn't question it.

"Well, you didn't miss much. Same old shenanigans. Although, I did get caught heading back to the common room. Detention on Thursday."

"Oh, bummer."

"Are you okay? I feel like something's bothering you."

"I'm fine," he said shoveling more food into his mouth.

"So, I'm thinking for the Yule Ball I might get a navy blue or a purple dress. But don't get your dress robes until I pick one out. I just wanna make sure we match."

"Quinn, you're getting ahead of yourself. The Yule Ball is over a month away."

"I can't help but be excited! And I want us to look perfect."

Roger slammed his fork down on the table, "God, you're making this so difficult."

"What?"

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the Entrance Hall. "Look, I didn't want to do this right now, but you're giving me no choice," he spoke.

"Roger, what are you talking about?" I grabbed his arm and looked him in the eye, thinking no good could come of this.

"I…I think we should break up."

I was speechless, unable to process what he had just said. This was the last thing I expected.

"Please don't be too upset. It's nothing you did. I just…I've found myself interested in someone else and that's not fair to you."

"…Someone else?" I asked, holding back tears. I felt like such a hypocrite. I had done this to boys multiple times without batting an eye, but now I was the dumpee. Karma.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen."

"We can work through this Roger. It doesn't have to be the end."

He merely shook his head, kissed my cheek, and walked away. I sat on the staircase and just thought to myself, Wow, it's really over. I felt heart broken and blindsided. I knew Roger and I were never going to get married, but we didn't have any serious issues. Things were always great between us.

I sat there a while longer, waiting to see if someone would find me or if my emotions would change but nothing happened. I went about my day, attending classes, as if nothing had changed even though I was questioning my being on the inside.

DENTENTION

I arrived to McGonagall's office ten minutes before my detention was to start. I assumed George and I would be serving together but never received any confirmation on the fact. Since he wasn't here, I began to think he might have a different punishment. About a minute before six, he dashed into the room, out of breath and took a seat next to me.

"Excellent, now that you are both here, we can begin your punishment. This evening, you will be polishing the trophies in the Trophy Room, by hand. Once every trophy has been polished and is up to my standards, you may go." She summoned cloths and polishing liquid for us and sent us to the trophy room. We walked in silence to begin with. I knew it would be a long evening if it kept up like this, but I wasn't sure I was ready.

"I'm sorry. About what I said the other night," he said as he started on the first trophy.

"Don't be sorry. You were right. I am a bitch and it's finally caught up with me. I'm sorry I treated you so poorly all these years."

"S'okay," he mumbled casually.

"I don't know how I got this way. Just caught up in unimportant aspects of life. I guess I wanted to be popular and I cut others down to get there. Now look where it got me."

"I heard about Roger and Fleur."

"Fleur? That's the broad he left me for? Bloody hell, my life keeps getting worse and worse."

"Sorry, I thought you knew…" he muttered.

"Is everyone talking about it?" I asked him seriously.

"I…I only overheard it from some Gryffindor girls. That's all I've heard about it.

"Yeah, well my so-called friends are notorious gossips so I can't say I'm surprised." I moved past him to work on the next trophy. "The worst part is, I still want him back." I caught myself before revealing any more, "Sorry. I know you don't want to hear any of this," I chuckled.

"No, it's okay. We did used to be friends at one point. You can tell me things. But if you want my opinion, you can do better than Davies."

"Hardly, he's the school's most eligible bachelor, behind Cedric and maybe Harry Potter now that he's been crowned champion."

"So what's your plan then? How are you gonna get him back?"

"I…I don't know. How can I complete with Fleur? She's part veela for God's sake."

"That doesn't mean anything. You're just as beautiful as she is. Plus I guarantee you have a better personality."

"Oh yeah?"

"Absolutely. You're actually funny, and you have a toughness to you which means you can stand up for yourself. Fleur's more…delicate, fragile."

"And since when do boys look for personality in a girl?"

"Personality is the biggest factor in looking for a lass to bring home. Guys want someone who is confident and comfortable in their own skin, and who can actually talk about things other than clothes and makeup. Someone…real. And you have that quality."

"No offense, George, but I don't think any of my ex-boyfriends dated me because I'm 'real'."

"Perhaps you should be questioning your taste in men, then." I was offended at first, but then I reflected on my past boyfriends. Cormac McLaggen, Blaise Zabini, Roger Davies. He might have had a point. "Do you really want to get back with Davies?" He asked me.

"Yes." At least, I thought I did.

"Then you have to get back at him."

"What did you have in mind?"

"You gotta get even. He has a new girl, so you can't try and win him back. Instead, you have to make him jealous."

"Okay, okay. I see where you're going with this. But with who?"

"That I don't really know. I would say someone who is well known by everyone, but different than your usual type. Someone unexpected; someone who will shock everyone. Who that is, I'm not sure."

I stopped cleaning my trophy and looked at him, a sly smile creeping onto my face. The gears were turning in my head and there was no turning back now. He questioned the look on my face and said, "What…you know someone?"

I nodded my head and said, "Oh I know someone alright…"

"Who?" he asked. I didn't say anything. Instead I let my smile grow a little bit and tilted my head, hoping he would pick up what I was putting down. It took him a moment but I saw his face change when he realized who I was talking about.

"No, no absolutely not," he said, shifting his attention to the latest trophy he was polishing.

"Oh come on. You're perfect. Everyone knows you, and loves you for that matter. We run in different circles so it would be totally unexpected, yet we've known each other for years so it's believable."

"Q, this is crazy."

"Is it really that crazy? This whole thing was your idea and I actually think it could work."

"Okay, say I do agree to this. What's in it for me?"

"Easy. One: you elevate your social status, become one of the popular kids. And don't argue that, everybody wants a taste of popularity. Two: You can get the attention of a certain girl on the Gryffindor quidditch team I know you have your eye on. Act like an awesome boyfriend to me and she'll be more inclined to date you. And three: we get to spend more time together. Just the other day you said you wanted to hang out more-"

"I did not say that. I said 'we haven't talked in a while.'"

"Whatever, details. Still, I make a convincing argument. So what do you say?"

He didn't look at me; he continued to polish the already spotless trophy in front of him. I walked over to him and put my head on his shoulder. "Come on, look at how cute we are together," I looked at our reflection in the trophy and he did the same. "And you know it'll be fun," I said shooting him a winning smile. "Help me out here and I'll owe you a favor. Or five." I hoped my last statement might set him over the edge.

He sighed, "Okay fine."

"Really!?" I chirped.

"But on one condition, an easy out clause. If at one point, either of us wants to end things, we end things. No questions asked."

"That sounds perfectly reasonable. But, I just want you to know that I don't half-ass anything. If we're doing this it has to be believable. We have to be attached at the hip; inseparable."

"This takes commitment from both sides. You can't go around making out with other guys if we're supposed to be a couple."

"Ouch, cheap shot. But you have my word I will not make out with anyone while our fake fling is going on."

"Then I'm in." He held out his pinkie to me and I interlocked mine with his, making this deal quasi-official.

"You really are something else Quinn," he laughed. We continued working through our punishment and somehow we made the best of it. I forgot how funny George was. I found myself laughing at almost everything he said and every now and then I would send a joke or a funny comment his way. I forgot what it felt like to laugh. My friends joked around about stupid stuff that wasn't funny. I would chuckle but it was never sincere.

The laughing made the mundane task go by much quicker. I wasn't sure how much time had actually passed but a moment later I found myself polishing the last trophy.

"Looks like it's time to call McGonagall in for approval," he said. She closely inspected every cup and plaque and gave us the okay that we could head back to the tower.

"Any plans for tonight?" he asked me as we started our trek.

"Probably just catching up on school work tonight. Nothing crazy going on. What about you?"

"I have some business to attend to…" he said.

'Wow, vague."

"I can't spill all my secrets to you just yet."

We reached the common room and I gathered my books and started working on my latest essay as George disappeared, probably up to no good.

LATER THAT EVENING

"Still up?" George asked me as he found a spot next to me on the couch.

"Yep. Trying to be as productive as possible. What about you? Finish up with that business?"

"Ah yes, the pitch went quite successfully."

"Let me guess…another prank? Who was it this time, Filch or a group of first years?"

"We decided to mix it up this time and go with some Slytherins."

"Ah, a justifiable prank. Well done."

"So have you thought about how we're pulling this ultimate plan?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" I hoped he wasn't backing out.

"Like, are we doing this gradually or just going full force?"

"Uh, up to you. What do you think is more believeable?"

"Personally, I think we need some sort of build up. Instead of just emerging as a couple, we should build up the suspense. Make people speculate."

"Okay, I can agree with that. So right now we just need to do a lot of public appearances. Nothing overly touchy or flirty, just spending time together."

"Excellent. I just wanted to check with you before telling Fred about the situation."

"Wait, what? You…you can't tell him about our arrangement."

"Q, he's my twin brother and my best friend. I can't hide anything from him."

"No, no, no. You can't tell him. He is a key player in this situation. His reaction to us needs to be genuine."

"I tell him everything. I feel like he'll know something's up if I don't say anything."

I paused for a moment, as I realized I wasn't being fair. "Look, I know that I'm asking a lot of you, but please don't tell Fred. At least not yet. Please."

He looked at me with a pained expression and said, "Okay, if that's what you want."

"Thank you, George. Now go get some sleep and I'll see you at breakfast."

THE NEXT DAY

Breakfast was awful. At this point, everyone knew about my split with Roger. And everyone was studying me to watch me crack, but I wouldn't give them the satisfaction. Cho and Marietta were giving me pseudo-pity but really didn't make any attempts to cheer me up. They made meaningless conversation at breakfast while I sat there and nibbled on my toast.

I caught George's eye at breakfast and he gave me one of his infamous grins. I shook my head and smiled at the prospect of this scheme actually working. In all honesty, I think I was more excited to shock people than anything. People were always tracking my behavior and it was kind of exciting to know that in less than a week we would be the latest gossip of Hogwarts, topping Roger and Fleur. I made eye contact with George again and he tilted his head up in a head nod, signaling I should come over. I briskly excused myself from my friends without many words and walked over to where George was sitting with Fred and Lee.

"Morning boys," I said sitting down across from George.

"Hey Quinn," George smiled at me. Fred and Lee exchanged quick confused looks before greeting me. I sipped on my cup of tea as they continued eating.

"Okay, I'm going to say it. Is there a reason you're here?" Lee asked.

"Not that we don't love your company. It's just…different," Fred added.

"I don't really know. I just needed a change of scenery from my usual crowd and I haven't hung out with you guys in a while. Plus George and I bonded during our detention so I figured I'd say hi."

"Ah, makes sense."

"How's the break up going?" Lee asked.

"Ugh, what a headache. I feel like I can't go anywhere without people whispering about me. It doesn't help that he's prancing around with the perfect Fleur Delacour all the time. Very classy on his part."

"Sorry to hear that," George said.

"It's fine, I can handle it. But how've you all been? Still getting into trouble?"

"Did you really just ask that?" Fred countered.

"Cut me some slack, okay! I'm trying to be personable. We haven't talked or hung out in a while so I'm taking things slow."

"Quinn, I've known you for 15 years and you've never been one to take anything slow," Fred pointed out.

"Should I just skip to the personal questions then?" I joked. They all lightly chuckled and I was happy I could make the jokers laugh. I glanced at the clock and noticed it was time to finish up breakfast. I had just about finished my grapefruit and I saw George was finished while Fred and Lee still had some food on their plate.

"You done?" I asked George. He glanced down at his plate and nodded. "Want to walk me to class?" I smiled and gave him a wink. This was the first step to reaching our end goal.

"Uh, sure." His acting skills were perfect.

"What about us mate? Just gonna leave us here?" Lee said.

"Sorry boys. If you're lucky, one of you can escort me tomorrow," I said, flashing them my signature smile.

"Tomorrow? You coming back tomorrow?"

"Play your cards right and I might be here all week." I stood up from the table and walked away as George did the same on the opposite side of me.

"God, that was brilliant," George said as we met at the end of the table.

"Yeah? Like things never changed?"

"Exactly like that. You're one of the few people who can dish it back to Fred."

"What can I say, I've basically been doing it my whole life."

"It's a good thing you fit in with them so easily. I imagine you'll be spending a lot more time with Fred and Lee over the next few weeks."

"Yeah, you're right. But you'll be spending some time with my friends too. I'll try to keep it to the minimum since I know they can be a lot to handle, but we do need to make this believable."

"So when do I get the big introduction?"

"Soon enough. Let's just take things a day at a time." He nodded at my statement in agreement and I could tell he was glad I had given this some thought. George was definitely a little more laid back then I was. The only planning he did was for his pranks and products and usually those didn't account for the unexpected.

We reached the Transfiguration classroom where my first class was to take place. I thanked him for accompanying me and we made indefinite plans to catch up later.

GEORGE'S POV

"Alright mate, spill it," Fred said as I turned in for bed. We were just out in the common room, casually chatting with Quinn as she attempted to get some homework done. Fred had left shortly after but I stayed out there and spent more time with her. Part of it was for this whole show we were putting on but the other part of me genuinely liked spending time with her. It had been such a long time since we acted like friends and I forgot how awesome she was. Sure, she has her faults, but deep down I know she's a good person.

"What are you talking about?"

"Bloody hell, how dim do you think I am," he said, hitting my arm with an outdated Daily Prophet that was still rolled up. I merely shrugged and he added, "Since when do you hang out with Quinn O'Brien?"

"Dunno…we sort of just reconnected recently. We spent hours together polishing trophies. It just gave us an opportunity to catch up."

"George, don't go down that road."

"What?" I said, nonchalantly.

"It's no secret that you've had a crush on her forever. And now she's single and she's suddenly taken an interest in you. If you even entertain this possibility, she'll break your heart and I can't let that happen to you. She's bad news mate."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Look at her track record! Look at all the guys she's dated and broken up with, only to immediately move on to someone else. The difference is, those guys are all pricks. You are a good person and you don't deserve to be treated like that."

"Fred, she's been our friend for 15 years. If something was going to happen between us, it would've happened by now. But I'm not going to stop spending time with her."

"Whatever you say. But just remember I told you so." He jumped into his bed and turned off the light to get some sleep.

His doubt hurt. It hurt me that he had such a low opinion of Quinn and that he didn't see the good in her like I did. I knew she had a reputation but I didn't let that change the way I saw her. And I didn't appreciate him attacking me either. He was so quick to assume I would fall under her spell that he couldn't even entertain the fact that I might just want to be friends with her. It made me nervous for how he would react once we started "dating." I thought about telling him about this plan but I didn't think his reaction would be much better. It was hard to lie to him but Quinn was adamant about keeping everything a secret. He would just have to wait until everything was said and done.

I tucked myself in bed and tried to sleep, without much success. I just had so many different thoughts whizzing around my head. I felt like things with Quinn and I were good but Fred's comments made me nervous. It's not that it created doubt in my mind because I trusted Quinn, but it gave me some more to think about. I wasn't turning my back on her, I just needed to be careful. Fred was right in that I've always had a crush on her. It was a passive crush, but present nonetheless. I just liked spending time with her and that was all that mattered to me.

LATER THAT WEEK

"Hey you! Heading to breakfast?" I caught George just as he was leaving the common room.

"That is the plan."

"Wanna eat with me and my friends today? No pressure if you don't want to, just thought I'd throw the offer out there."

"Uh, maybe…" he answered vaguely.

"Hey, no need to let me down easy. I can handle a declined offer."

"Maybe isn't no."

"I mean, it sort of is. But seriously, it's cool. We'll catch up later." We parted ways as I found my gaggle of friends at the Ravenclaw table. Instead of facing the Gryffindor table like I usually did, I decided to sit on the other side of the table today. I didn't need to see George planning pranks with Fred and Lee. I was fine with him sitting with them, I just knew if I watched them I would become distracted, thinking about how exactly we would pull this scheme off.

Cho and Marietta greeted me warmly and caught me up on their latest gossip and boy prospects. I listened attentively and added slight comments when necessary. Soon Cormac, Blaise and Cedric joined our table and the girl talk ended abruptly.

"So Quinn, how's the break up treating you?" Cedric piped up. The entire group turned to catch a peek at Roger and the flawless Fleur, cuddling up over breakfast, whispering sweet nothings. Blaise and Cormac tried to hide their sly grins but I knew what they were thinking. They thought I got what I deserved. I essentially did the same thing to them, breaking off our relationship to fall into the arms of another. They got over it just as easily but no one liked being dumped. I would still consider them my friends, or at least my acquaintances; things weren't awkward any more.

"Eh, obviously not ideal but I'll be fine soon enough. I just wish they'd be a little more discreet about it."

"I'm sure it's not intentional. Fleur doesn't seem to do anything discreet," Cedric said.

"I'm just surprised you haven't found a new boyfriend yet," Cormac commented. It was meant to be more a joke than spiteful but I could still tell from his tone the comment had a little bit of venom in it.

"Careful mate. You may have spoken too soon," Blaise said with a head nod in my direction. Everyone turned towards me and I followed looking down the hall. A tall ginger made his way toward the table and gave me a playful smirk.

"Is this seat taken?" he said to me. I gave him a smile and replied, "It's all yours."

I turned back to the group to see delightfully surprised faces. I ran through introductions quickly, even though I was positive they all knew who he was. Their conversation continued and I felt him lean close to me as he said, "See, maybe doesn't always mean no…"

I hadn't really thought out how George would assimilate into my group of friends, but it turned out I didn't have to. It was effortless. He was cracking jokes and making fun of the guys while impressing the girls with his charming nature. I had to say I was quite impressed. Soon the table dissolved as everyone gathered their things for class. George received a few pats on the back as the guys left and some smiles from the girls. Soon we were left on our own and I was pretty speechless.

"What just happened?" I managed to spit out.

"What d'you mean?"

"You just came over here and charmed all of them into loving you all while I didn't have to lift a finger."

"Didn't think I could socialize, eh? Planning to hold my hand and guide me through the first introductions?"

"I…I just didn't expect that. Is that why you didn't give me a straight answer? You wanted to come over here and surprise me?"

"Truthfully I hadn't planned on doing that. I sat down with Fred and Lee this morning and it was just like every other morning. And I wanted a change, so I came to eat with you and your friends."

"What did you think of them?"

"They aren't as bad as I expected. You can tell that there's a level of animosity but they aren't bad to spend time with. In fact they're rather entertaining."

"Well I think they loved you. Now I just have to work on getting in with Fred and Lee."

"Fred and Lee like you!" he spoke, perhaps too quickly.

"You know, you really aren't a good liar."

George went to defend the accusation when I interrupted him, "I'm not dim. I know that I'm gonna have to work a little harder to charm the two of them. I've been out of the picture for so long it's going to take a little time But, we've been friends forever and we probably always will be so I think they'll warm up to me."

"We'll work on it. I'll try and talk to Fred. I think things would really be easier if I could just tell him."

"I know that you don't want to keep secrets from him but I think telling him is too risky. I want things to appear natural and in a way, I think Fred's feelings towards me helps our case a little bit."

"Yeah, I understand. Whatever you think is best."

"Regardless, good work today. Let's go to class."

THE NEXT DAY

"Hey, what are you doing?" I was sitting in the library taking notes and completing assigned reading.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" I responded, peeling my eyes from the text to shoot George a look.

"I could use your help."

"My help? What could you possibly need my help for?"

"Come with me and you'll find out." My curiosity peaked as I raised an eyebrow at him. He gave me a pleading look and moments later I agreed. I packed up my things and followed him out of the library. I assumed we were heading to the common room but George grabbed my hand and pulled me around a different corner.

"Where are we going?"

"We may or may not be sneaking out."

"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"Just wait. It will soon become clear."

We reached an isolated hallway in the castle where the One-Eyed Witch statue was perched.

"Here we are."

"Here?"

"Yes. Now I will be lookout so you can go first."

"Go where?" Instead of answering my question he cast a spell and the hump on the witch opened up, creating a passageway.

"Climb in there when I say go. I'll follow you down a few seconds after." I decided not to question his instruction. I trusted him and I knew our window of time was constrained. He gave me the signal and I hoisted myself up and slid down into the statue. I fell roughly down the corridor and let out a little squeal, unsure of what was ahead. After a short slide I was airborne and barely landed on my feet. The ground was rough and uneven. I stood up, wiping the dust off myself and I cast the Lumos charm to illuminate the hallway. I heard movement a few seconds later and George landed swiftly right behind me. This clearly was not his first time.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded and curiously looked around.

"Okay, I tried to keep my questions to a minimum, but where the hell are we going?"

"Hogsmeade of course."

"Hogsmeade? Why?"

"Now I know you're aware of the party happening tonight."

"Of course."

"Someone's gotta supply the butterbeer."

"Ah, I see now. And pray tell why am I accompanying you on this journey instead of Fred?"

"Fred's been avoiding me lately. I offered to get everything tonight so I imagine he's spending time with Lee and some of the other Gryffindors."

"Anything happen?"

"We just got in an argument. It's fine."

"That's not like you two. You never fight. Seriously what happened," George was quiet, putting his words together carefully. It didn't take me long to jump to conclusions. "No…no. This isn't because of me is it? I don't want to drive a wedge between you."

"No, Q. Its not because of you."

"If it was, you would tell me right? There's an easy out clause for a reason, we don't have to go through with this if it's causing tension."

"It's not because of you. I promise," he lied.

"Okay. That's all I needed to hear," I said.

"So, will you be my date to the party this evening?"

"I sure will."

We made our way through the dark and dusty corridor until we reached a stopping point. I was expecting a door way or something and was confused that the hallway just stopped. I looked at George, about to ask him where to next and I followed his eyes up the ceiling.

"You're joking," I spoke. He shook his head back and forth. There was no way I could get up there. George stood up on his tiptoes and reached his long arms up to displace a trap door. "Come here," he instructed me. I moved closer to him as he crouched to the ground. "Sit on my shoulders. I'll hoist you up through the door."

"Are you sure about this George? I don't want to hurt you."

"What you don't think my broad man shoulders can handle it?" he joked.

"No, it's not that-"

"Just hop on. You're light as a feather." I rolled my eyes and followed his request. I slowly put one leg over his shoulder and braced myself before swinging over the other. I gently rested my hands on his head, to keep myself balanced and I tried to lean some of my weight forward. "You ready?" he asked me.

"Go for it." He slowly stood up and took a few steps forward until he was directly under the trap door. He fully extended his legs and I found myself looking into a dusty shop room. I held onto the sides of the trap door and hoisted myself up ever so slightly, extending my legs. George took my feet in his hands and pushed them up so I could sit on the floor above. I sat there as George completely let go of me and I stood up. I saw George's fingertips claw the side of the opening and soon he was pushing his torso through the hole in the ground. I offered him a hand but I knew he didn't need it. He had done this so many times before, he had the process down.

"And where are we right now?"

"Honeydukes cellar. Fred and I know the owner. He lets us come and go as we like in exchange for free marketing. That's why we always have free samples of the latest sweets."

"How do you have all these connections?"

"Dunno. Fred and I have a knack for getting into trouble and then talking our way out. Make a lot friends doing that." George placed the cover diagonally over the trap door and led me upstairs. The shop was closed but he continued walking through the aisles towards the front door. He magically unlocked the front door and we made our way to the Three Broomsticks.

It was a cool night, but mild for October. The air wasn't as crisp as usual, which was good because I wasn't exactly dressed for cold weather. We made small talk as we walked down the empty streets. Most of the shops and stores were closed at this time of night. As we neared the pub, I heard the buzz of the regulars and drunks carrying on and having a laugh. Part of me wanted to stay and enjoy a butterbeer here with George, but I knew we didn't exactly have time for that.

"Madame Rosmerta! And how are we doing this fine evening?" George said as we approached the bar.

"No! No, you're not getting any more butterbeers! I told you last time."

"Now that is not fair. You know this is a special occasion. We're hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year. We have to make sure our guests enjoy themselves and have a good time."

"I don't care. You're not getting anything this time."

"Oh, come on. You're making me look bad in front of my new girl." She stopped pouring beers, turned to look at us, and cocked her eyebrow. I shot her a smile, trying to help George's case.

"Now, I recognize her. She's always in here with a group of giggling girls. What's your name love?"

"Quinn," I answered.

"Well Quinn, you've got yourself a good one. Underneath all the pranks and scheming, Georgie's a catch."

I nodded at her statement and looked at George, trying out my acting skills, "He's so good to me. I'm a lucky girl," I said rubbing his shoulder.

Madame Rosmerta looked charmed and I could see her starting to soften up. "All right, all right. You'll get your butterbeers. But this is the last time, you hear me!"

"Rosmerta you are truly a saint. Thank you."

"Save your flattery. Meet me around back. Quinn, look after the bar." I shrugged and agreed as she led me behind the bar and gave me nowhere near as much instruction as I needed. I made conversation with the patrons as I poured refills and collected empty mugs. I had to admit it was a little bit fun. Once everyone seemed to be taken care of, I snuck out from behind the bar to find George. Surely we were on our way out. I headed to the back office and saw George carrying a crate filled with bottles of butterbeer.

"She's beautiful that one. You make sure you treat her well, ya hear? Heaven knows she deserves a good guy to take care of her," I heard from around the corner. I waited a moment to hear his response, my curiosity getting the best of me.

"Trust me, I won't hurt her. She's special." I grinned to myself at his response for a moment before returning to reality.

"So everything's all taken care of back there. Glasses are full, bar's wiped down, and everyone's happy. Well…almost everyone. Keep an eye on Henry out there. He's about to start weeping over his ex-wife."

"Ah, I suppose it is about that time," George chuckled.

"You handled everything?" she asked me, stunned.

"Yeah, I think. Everyone seems to be in good spirits."

"No one's ever done that before, aside from me of course. Listen here, if you ever need a job in the future, you come straight here and I'll hire you on the spot."

"Wow, I will keep that in mind. Thanks!"

Rosemerta gave George a pat on the back and came over to me to give me a kiss on the cheek, "You best be off. Have fun tonight you two."

"Thanks again Rosemerta," George said as we made our way out the back door.

"And if you get caught with that, it didn't come from here!" she added. We both laughed as we stumbled outside into the cool breeze.

"She loves me," he stated as we walked through the empty road.

"Oh is that so."

"Oh absolutely. I mean every time, without fail, she starts with a stern no. Then I talk to her a little bit and she remembers how much she likes me, minutes later she's shoving a crate of contraband into my hands. Look, she even put a bottle of Firewhiskey in this batch."

"Wow, well done George."

"I should say the same to you. You really know how to tend bar. Anytime Fred steps behind there to hold the place over, about five different things go wrong and there's always broken glass and some sort of spill. Rosemerta returns and goes ballistic; until Fred reminds her he is a wizard and magically cleans everything up. But she was thoroughly impressed with you. I wouldn't be surprised if she asks for you next time around."

"I would be more than happy to accompany you. Who knows, maybe I'll end up taking her up on that job offer."

"Q, you can do a lot better than running a bar. What's your long term plan?"

"To be honest, I have no idea."

"That's a joke. You're a Gryffindor prefect. You're brilliant in all your classes. You have so much ahead of you and you don't know."

"It's not like that's uncommon. Are you telling me you already have a plan post-Hogwarts?"

"Course I do. Fred and I are opening a shop where we can sell our brilliant products."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I can't imagine doing anything else."

"That's actually great. I wish I had that kind of clarity."

"Well, what are you good at?"

"I'm fairly decent at every subject, but I don't feel a strong connection to one subject over the others. Maybe charms or transfiguration if anything."

"What do you like? And don't just limit yourself to school. Just in general."

I had never really thought about this before. Whenever the subject of the future had come up I changed the subject or completely stopped thinking about it.

"I suppose…I like people. Being around people and talking to people. That's not much to go off is it?"

"It's a start. You'll find your calling soon enough. You're smart and personable, people love that combination."

"Thanks George. That is oddly reassuring."

By this point we had reached Honeydukes, I led the way inside and we ended up scanning the aisles, salivating over all the sweets.

"Here," George said, handing me a giant, heart-shaped lollipop. "Thanks for coming with me."

"Wow, stealing candy for me. You're too generous," I joked. He rolled his eyes and I gave him a genuine thank you as we made our way back down to the tunnel.

THE PARTY

We arrived back at the castle just as the party was about to begin. I imagined everyone was there at this point. The party was sure to be exciting tonight; it was all anyone could talk about this week.

We made our way to the Room of Requirement where people were excitedly awaiting our arrival, mainly for the goods we were bringing with us. As we walked into the room, we were greeted by the sound of applause and cheering. It was like we were celebrities. As George made his rounds, he handed out the occasional butterbeer before placing the crate on a nearby ledge. A mob began surrounding us and George grabbed two brews and we quickly slid out before the crowd could attack. We made an unofficial plan to socialize and catch up with our friends and then later on in the night we would find each other again.

I spotted Cho and Marietta across the way and sauntered over to them, mentally preparing myself to be bombarded with questions.

"Well, well, well. Look who's decided to grace us with her presence," Marietta spoke.

"It's about time Q! We've been dying to know about your new beau," Cho added.

"Not much to tell. We're just friends, at least for now."

"No need to be coy, it's just us. You can give us the details," Cho edged me on. Although I knew if I spilled anything to them it would be all over the school tomorrow.

"Honestly Q, people are already speculating."

"Let them speculate, it's none of their business anyway," I smirked, knowing my plan was going perfectly.

"Just promise you'll tell us when things become official. I'd hate to hear about it from someone else," Cho added.

"Of course I will tell the both of you if something happens. For now though, I'm just happy to have an old friend back."

Some more members of our friend group gathered around us and we made small talk, waiting for some drama to break out or a game to begin. I stepped away from the group to grab another drink. The table was pretty much empty so I anticipated no wait or issue.

I approached the crate and nonchalantly grabbed a brew from the crate when another hand reaching for the same bottle interfered with mine.

"Oh, sorry!" I said pulling my hand back. I turned to see who I was apologizing to, when I spotted a familiar face. "Roger…"

"Hi Quinn. How've you been?" he asked me.

"I, uh, I'm-" before I could fully answer, Ms. Fleur Delacour was by Roger's side, practically hanging off his shoulder. She spoke something French to him and it was only then that she noticed I was standing there. She gave me a confused look and Roger interjected.

"Fleur, this is my friend Quinn," he introduced me. I gave her an awkward smile and a small wave as she responded with a, "Bonjour." Seconds later she was whispering with Roger again and I ran through my options of how to get out of this situation.

"Q, there you are!" I heard George say a few paces behind me. I could tell he was close so I turned to locate him and was blindsided when I found he was suddenly inches away from me. He gently wrapped an arm around my waist to draw me close to him and he cupped my face with his free hand as he lifted my jaw up to meet his face. He kissed me with such passion and I tried to hide the surprise that had come over me, since I knew we had an audience in Roger and Fleur. George slowly released my lips and moved his arm to rest around my shoulder.

"Oh, sorry mate. Didn't see you there," George commented with a smirk. I looked toward Roger and Fleur to see them both surprised as well. Roger made some small comment to excuse them from the scene and I turned to George, unsure of what I wanted to say.

"I'm sorry if I took you by surprise. I just saw you were ambushed and I did the first thing I could think of to help."

"Thank you," I whispered.

"You…you're not mad?"

"Mad? No, of course not. I mean, you took me by surprise but I'm not upset about it."

"Good thing, because I think just about everyone knows about us now so we're gonna have to keep this up." I turned to face our peers and found everyone gossiping in their respective cliques, trying to hide their looks in our direction.

"Well George, I'd say we are officially a couple." I squeezed his hand and returned to my group of friends. I needed a moment to catch my breath. The kiss was so unexpected and I didn't want to admit it, but it swept me off my feet. Was I in too deep with this plan of mine? At this point, did I even want Roger back? My mind was spinning and I didn't really want to field all the questions from Cho and Marietta. I impulsively made the decision to just leave and return to the common room, where the only people there would be some Gryffindor first and second years who didn't know or care about my situation. I grabbed a book from my bedroom and curled up by the fire, trying to distract myself from the current situation at hand.

"Had enough of the party?" A voice called to me. I looked up, half expecting to see George when it was his twin brother standing in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah. I don't know I just had a lot on my mind and I wanted to sit and think away from everyone."

"Mmm," he responded, merely nodding his head. "I thought you'd be with George."

"I could say the same for you. But evidently he's escaped both of us." I thought that would be the end of our conversation since Fred had been so short with me lately, but he surprised me by sitting next to me on the couch.

"What are you doing, Q?" he said to me.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean. What's your angle here?"

"My angle? Look Fred, I don't know why you've been cold to me recently. We've been friends forever and I don't get this."

"We have been friends forever, but the minute you hurt George we won't be. I know how you are with guys and George is different. He can't take the rejection like those conceited ex-boyfriends of yours."

"I know that. He's probably my oldest friend and I'm not willing to lose him over something stupid."

"You don't get it, do you? I know how you are. You like to have fun with boys and then you get bored and move onto someone else. Don't do that to George. He deserves better than that." And with that, he stood up and walked away. I was a little taken aback. Fred had been icy toward me, but I never imagined he would confront me with such spite. I knew he was just being protective but it still hurt. We were friends and the fact that he didn't trust me with George made me think he didn't like me with George. It was hard knowing I couldn't please Fred, and I doubted George would ever date someone who Fred hated so much.

I didn't know what to think. My heart was telling me one thing while my head was in complete disagreement.

GEORGE'S POV

I saw Quinn make a quick exit and I knew I had messed up. I acted on impulse instead of thinking through the situation and now things were different. She may have said things were okay between us, but actions speak louder than words. The worst part was I didn't even know what I should say to her. Instinctually, I wanted to follow her back to the common room where she was likely lounging. But I hadn't the faintest idea of what I could say to remedy the situation. The worst part was everyone was now gossiping about us and approaching me for details. After one too many brush offs, I decided to leave and go for a walk to the astronomy tower. This was my spot to think and get away from everything and I knew I could be alone here.

I was confused on multiple levels. After kissing Quinn, I was rendered speechless. The spark was everything I imagined it would be, but I wasn't sure that feeling went both ways. She seemed so calm after everything, almost like it didn't phase her at all. I was stupid for thinking she actually had feelings for me.

But what to do next? Should I cut things off now before things changed too much between us? At this point, our friendship would be changing in one way or another. I could use the easy out clause we decided on to end things before the effects set in. The only downside was it seemed a little too late to pull this move. We had kissed and everyone had seen it. They assumed we were together and it would be tough to explain a sudden separation between us.

I went back and forth with both ideas and eventually decided I wouldn't make any decisions before talking with Quinn. She was definitely thinking a lot of things and I didn't want to assume I knew what she was thinking.

I felt nervous walking back to the common room, as I figured Quinn would be there, waiting for me so we could talk. I stepped into the common room and found my theory was partially correct. Quinn was curled up by the fireplace with a book resting on her chest, sound asleep. I didn't feel the need to wake her and normally I would've carried her to bed, but something about that didn't feel right considering how we had left things. Instead, I gathered a blanket from my bed and laid it on top of her. I extinguished the fire that was burning and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.

THE NEXT MORNING

I woke up and found that I had fallen asleep on the sofa in the common room. I wish I could say this was a rare occurrence but it happened a little too often. I liked spending time in the common room where there were a lot of people moving through. I spent a few nights up late reading on the couch or pulling all nighters doing homework and many times I fell asleep. The surprising thing was that there was a quilt draped over me on this particular morning. A quilt I recognized to be homemade and "Stitched with Love" by Molly Weasley. I had a similar one when I was a child and I knew this particular quilt belonged to George. I folded the quilt as I gathered my courage to approach George. I wasn't sure how he felt after last night but now we weren't so emotional since we had the night to sleep on it. Before approaching his room, I thought about where I stood regarding this situation. Did I want to pursue a relationship with George? Yes. But I wasn't going to. I didn't need Roger back, but this deal wasn't solely for me. George was doing this for Angelina, and I didn't want to break things off and ruin his chances with her. That was the incredible selfishness I was looking to avoid at this point in my life.

I carried the blanket in my arms and softly knocked on the door of his dormitory. The door opened shortly after and I found a bed-headed Weasley in the doorframe a moment later. A shirtless bed-headed Weasley at that.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I just wanted to return this," I said to George.

"Oh no, it's fine. Do you want to come in?"

"Eh, is Fred asleep?"

"No, he left for breakfast already. Please, come in. I actually wanted to talk with you after last night."

"Oh. Okay," I followed his recommendation and made my way into the room that was slightly a mess. "Sorry to barge in on you like this," I said as I took in his current appearance. Seeing George shirtless was making things more difficult for me.

"No, you're fine," he said as he pulled on a T-shirt. "So, about what happened last night…"

"George, you don't have to explain it to me. I know it was just part of the role you were playing and that it didn't mean anything. Don't sweat it." I was trying to convince myself this was the truth, but I didn't believe the words coming out of my mouth.

His face looked a little…disappointed. "Yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna say. It meant nothing," he trailed off.

"We do need to prepare for the aftermath of it all. Rumors and gossip as well as acting coupley. I hope you're okay with public displays of affection because that's basically what has happened in all my relationships."

"Oh trust me, I know," he joked. He finally seemed to return to his normal self. "Just the usual then? Hand holding, arm around the shoulders, hugging…?"

"That and more. Just follow my lead and you'll be fine. Now I'm going to get changed and we can head down to breakfast as a couple."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted. I scurried out of his room and walked back into my room for a change in attire. The interaction went better than expected. I was worried things were going to be awkward but things seemed to return to normal pretty quickly. Now I just had to keep my feelings under control as we pretended to be a couple. No big deal.

I prepared for breakfast as quickly as I could and found George waiting for me in the common room. "Ready boyfriend?" I winked at him. He smirked back and put his arm around my shoulder. "About as ready as I'll ever be."

A FEW WEEKS LATER

The weeks went by and word quickly spread that George and I were the new it couple of Hogwarts, if ever an it couple existed. Much to my delight Fleur and Roger quickly faded into the background of the social scene to the point where I wasn't entirely sure they were still an item. The only noteworthy pairing who came close to our status was Hermione Granger who had managed to catch the eye of Viktor Krum himself. I had to commend George on his stellar performance. While playing the girlfriend was no challenge for me, George was completely convincing as my new man. He had a knack for sneaking up behind me and kissing me on the cheek or grabbing my waist, creating a genuine element of surprise for all to see. At first, George would join us in eating with my crowd consisting of Cormac, Blaise and the Ravenclaw girls but we started to drift ever so slightly to spending more time simply with each other for meals. Even when we were alone, it seemed as if we were a couple. We would sit on the couch and laugh about nothing for hours and hours. We'd stay up late and talk about life as I rested my head in his lap and drifted off to sleep. In fact, it was to the point where I had to remind myself that I was not actually dating George and this was all a ploy.

The only person who appeared strictly opposed to this pseudo coupling was Fred. Despite my best efforts, he still suspected I was using George for something. And he was right about that; but he didn't know the other half of it. So many times I considered telling Fred or instructing George to tell him about the arrangement, but I didn't think it would help anything. Fred's opinion would likely remain the same and he would probably just chew out George for keeping secrets from him. Instead, Fred kept his distance from us, and it pained me terribly. I knew that this was affecting their relationship and I only hoped that everything between them would clear up as soon as our deal was over.

Our plan didn't have a set timeline, but we knew it ended with a very public breakup. I would run off and "cry myself to sleep" while George would mope around the common room in the hopes of accepting some sympathy from Angelina Johnson herself. We hoped that by this point Roger would be sick of pampering Fleur and would feel a reconnection coming with newly single me. However, gaining Roger's attention didn't seem to be a priority to me anymore. I just wanted to help George find his happy ending.

"Hey you, ready to go?" George interrupted my thoughts and I found him bundled up in a matching hat and scarf set, surely knitted by his mother. I was bundled in a similar manner, preparing for the brisk air about to reach our cheeks. It was a day full of excitement as the first task of the tournament was about to occur. I convinced George to sit with Fred and Lee as opposed to my friend group and he reluctantly obliged. I knew things between them had been tense and I wanted them to spend some more time together whenever possible. We walked down to the arena designed specifically for the task. George had hinted to me that the first task involved dragons in some way, since his brother Charlie had helped to deliver the beasts. We were ushered into the crowd where we saw Fred and Lee sitting with two seats open that they must have saved for us. Maybe Fred was making an effort. I wasn't expecting him to save us seats of anything.

We made our way through the crowd and walked through all of our peers to reach our seats. George took the space next to Fred and squeezed my hand through the mittens I was wearing. We sat down as we waited for the event to actually begin. The scene in front of us was a rocky terrain with giant boulders and miniature cliffs arranged in an uneven and jagged manor. In the middle of the arena was a golden egg that appeared to be the size of an ostrich egg. I was about to inquire whether George knew anything else about the task when I heard the bellowing voice of Albus Dumbledore amplify through the arena.

'The first task of this tournament requires our champion to retrieve a golden egg that is being protected by a dangerous creature. This task is designed to test the champion's daring and bravery, as well as their ability to think on their feet and utilize the magical knowledge and skills they have learned. At the sound of the cannon-" Dumbledore was interrupted by the blasting of the cannon, which seemed poorly timed and must have been an accident. Yet Cedric Diggory made his way into the arena as he was up first. I cheered for my friend as he sauntered into the unknown terrain and I elbowed George to join me. I knew he was pulling for Harry to win the whole thing, but Cedric was one of my friends too. Cedric looked confident, yet very alert, almost as if he was looking for something to come at him. Seemingly out of nowhere, a blue dragon landed on top of the egg that had been sitting in the middle of the arena. The crowd gasped in surprise and shock as they realized what the champions were being asked to do. George whispered in my ear, "That's the Swedish Short-Snout. Charlie told me all about them over the summer break." I nodded at his comment but was unable to peel my eyes from the scene in front of me.

Cedric took a few steps closer to the Short-Snout as the dragon zeroed in on him as a new target. Steam came out of the dragon's nostrils as he prepared to barbecue his newest intruder. Cedric was quicker though, he cast a spell and one of the boulders lying near the entrance was transformed into a dog, what looked like a German Shepherd. The crowd cheered as the dragon now chose to focus solely on the animal running circles around him in a taunting way. The shepherd made its way toward the edge of the arena and the dragon slowly followed, planning its attack. With each step the dragon made away from the golden treasure, Cedric ran a few steps closer. Just as Cedric was about a foot away from taking the egg, the dragon lost interest in playing games with the dog and headed back toward the egg he was guarding. Cedric froze as the Short-Snout grew angry at his intrusion and flames shot from the dragon's mouth. I squeezed George's arm, unsure of what was about to happen to my friend while also feeling slightly amazed at the power of this dragon. We could feel the heat from the stands which only meant Cedric must be close to frying. The flames hadn't quite reached him yet as he lunged toward the egg, covering his face with his arm. Once the egg was in his possession, the dragon vanished and Cedric celebrated by holding up his treasure and key to the next task. The crowd went wild with applause, even though Cedric just made it out alive. His face was almost entirely black with dirt and soot and it appeared he sustained some sort of burn on his face. Regardless, he had defeated the dragon.

Fleur was next to take on her dragon which she did with utter finesse and minimal difficulty. She enchanted her green dragon to sleep and scurried over to collect the egg. The only mishap occurred as the dragon was snoring and exhaled the slightest bit of fire which ignited Fleur's light blue skirt. She quickly put out the flames with her wand and continued towards the golden egg.

Viktor sauntered out onto the pitch and bravely faced the Chinese Fireball that was ahead of him. He circled around the dragon, decided what to do next, as he dodged the occasional flames. George nudged me and I turned to look at his grinning face.

"This is pretty awesome isn't it?" he said to me.

"Yeah, I mean completely frightening and borderline unethical but very entertaining." He put an arm around me and brought my head to his shoulder where I stayed until something exciting happened. Viktor had his wand raised and conducted a very forceful spell which seriously impaired the Fireball. It was difficult to determine what exactly he had done, but it seemed to be working. The dragon was wincing in pain and Krum took the opportunity to tread toward the golden egg.

"What's he done?" I asked George, hoping he understood what had happened.

"I think he's blinded it…" George replied. I nodded and almost immediately George's suspicion was confirmed moments later as the dragon was stumbling around, disoriented. The beast became agitated and he let out an angry, firey breath while lashing his tail about, striking Krum to the ground. I gasped and unconsciously grabbed George's hand with anxiety. He turned to me with a smirk on his face and I casually recovered saying, "Sorry." He chuckled and shook his head, gripping my hand tighter.

Krum was thrown a few feet across the pitch and appeared to be in pain, however he found his strength again as a dragon blindly sauntered around the arena. Krum was determined to collect the egg and once he did so, he let out a masculine grunt and held the egg up, to which all the Durmstrangs began chanting "Krum! Krum! Krum! Krum!..."

"Three down, one to go. How do you think Harry'll do?" George asked me.

"I mean these three made it look kind of easy. But I don't know if Harry has that sort of knowledge or confidence even. We'll see if he can pull it off."

A few moments later Harry emerged into the arena, seeming a little shaken and nervous, much like the other champions. His dragon must have been released but was still hidden behind some boulders. This dragon was smart. Harry looked confused, shrugged and started walking toward the egg, under the impression he might just be able to grab it.

He was wrong. The dragon leaped from behind a boulder and flames and steam were erupting from its nostrils. Harry jumped back and was completely startled. His only move was to hide behind a boulder, which didn't seem like a long-term solution. The dragon, which Fred mentioned was a Hungarian Horntail, was slowly burning the rock Harry was hiding behind and the outcome seemed pretty bleak. I grabbed George's arm and nuzzled my head into his shoulder as a reflex, not wanting to see the firey event occurring in front of our eyes. I suddenly realized I was doing all of this stuff without even trying to act coupley. It was just happening. Perhaps I was overthinking things or I wanted to hide my feelings but as George looked down at me to make sure I was okay, I gave him a wink and a soft smile to assure him this was just for show. Even if maybe it wasn't.

At that moment, Harry cast the Accio charm and his broomstick appeared just in time. Harry hopped on and flew a circle around the Horntail. Everyone started cheering at this sudden turn of events, including George and I. We soon realized that Harry didn't quite seem to have a plan and was simply just escaping the dragon at this moment. Harry's sudden ability to fly seemed to disturb the dragon and it was fighting the chains holding it toward the ground. Seconds later the Horntail ripped the chains from the ground and this chase suddenly became much more real. Harry recognized the dragon was no longer being held down and flew up over the section where all the teachers were seated and out of the arena towards the castle. The dragon followed suit, taking out the teachers section on its way.

"Well done dragon!" Fred and George shouted in unison, high fiving each other. It was a rare moment with these two as of late and it made me smile. Harry flew towards the castle and all the excitement was gone as there wasn't much to see. The crowd was hushed and whispering about what might be going on off the pitch.

"Now what?" I whispered to George. It was a very high tension moment and not being able to see anything was stressful and also a little dull. People around us were speculating the outcome of the event, whispering theories and extremes.

"He'll make it through this, I think. Harry may be young but he's got good instincts. And a lot of luck."

"Very true."

We made small talk as the crowd started to lose focus on Harry's current absence. I spotted Hermione a row ahead of us beginning to panic as Ron tried to calm her down, assuring her things were probably fine.

"What's that?" I heard Dean Thomas say, as he pointed to something appearing in the sky. The clouded, grey sky became a bit brighter as some royal blue sparks appeared in the middle of the arena. The sparks took the form of a quill and began to write a message in calligraphy.

Quinn,

Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball?

- George

I felt the blush creeping up my cheeks as everyone turned to look at me, awaiting my answer.

"So, what do you say?" he asked me.

I tried to hide the smile that was spreading across my face. "I would love to," I replied.

George wrapped his arms around my waist and surprised me with a kiss. I put my arms around his neck in response and I heard the people around us cheer and clap. We pulled away and I gave George a hug. He really had a way of making me feel special. I knew he was different, but I didn't expect anything like this. I wasn't even sure we were going to the ball together. I thought he might try to ask Angelina, but apparently not. Maybe this was real.

As we were hugging, George whispered in my ear, "Had to put on a show right?" Of course this was all for show. Had to make people jealous of us. I assumed it also was a ploy to impress Angelina with his thoughtfulness and romanticism. I was fooling myself by thinking we had something special.

The attention was shifted off of us and back to the arena as Harry slowly flew into sight. The arena erupted into cheers, particularly the Hogwarts section. Harry flew down and scooped up the golden egg, holding it high above his head as if he had just caught the Golden Snitch. The buzz in the arena was wild. Barty Crouch came out to give the rankings based on time it took to defeat each dragon but no one was really listening. We were all just happy they had all succeeded and made it through alive. While the task itself was exciting, I knew there would be some sort of celebration in the Gryffindor common room that would be equally as fun.

LATER THAT NIGHT

The common room was alive with excitement. Gryffindors of all ages were gathered around to celebrate Harry's victory. He was currently being hoisted up in the air as everyone cheered him on. George and I laid back a little and let the younger Gryffindors grovel over the famous Harry Potter that we called our friend. Harry was enjoying the glory and he suddenly quieted everyone down. He was holding the golden egg in his hand and everyone was waiting to hear his next word.

He casually lifted up the egg and said, "Who wants me to open it?" Everyone erupted in cheers of positivity and Harry played dumb and egged the crowd on. Finally he twisted the top of the egg and the sides fell open. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was taken by surprise when a high pitched shrieking sound filled the room. I covered my ears and turned toward George instinctually. He put his arm around my shoulder and held my head to his chest. Harry struggled to close the egg but once he did everyone sighed a breath of relief. That event seemed to disperse the crowd a little bit and encouraged more socialization. Of course Harry was surrounded by a crowd of friends and admirers. George and I took a seat on the couch away from much of the excitement.

"You have a dress for the ball yet?" he asked me.

"I don't actually. To be honest I hadn't even thought that far ahead."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I wasn't even sure if our little ploy would still be going on then."

"I thought about that, but this just seemed like the right thing to do. I figured we would still be acting a couple and since people are starting to solidify dates I didn't want either of us to be dateless."

"Good thinking there Weasley," I remarked.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something," he started. He looked…hesitant, and it made me nervous.

"Yeah, sure," just as I replied, Fred and Lee came in with some butterbeers. Fred looked over towards us, seeking George's company. I saw George's eyes light up and knew he was dying to join them. "Go ahead, we can talk later."

"Meet me in stairwell in 20?" he suggested. I nodded and assured him I would be there. I couldn't help but feel butterflies in my stomach. Maybe things were really happening for us. I was trying not to live in a fantasy world and be more realistic about things but everything seemed to be falling into place. I caught George's eye for a moment as he was chatting with Fred and Angelina, but he soon redirected his attention to the conversation ahead of him. I decided to head to my room and freshen up, looking for a way to waste 20 minutes.

X

I was making some small talk with Hermione when I glanced up at the clock and realized it was just about time to sneak away. I made a quick exit and scurried away to the spiral staircase within Gryffindor tower. I would be a few minutes early but I was okay with that. I crept quietly down the stairs when I realized there were people here already. I froze unsure of whether I should continue or not, but my curiosity got the best of me. If this was a new couple, I wanted to be the first to know. I cast a charm that would keep all my movements hushed as I climbed quickly down the stairs, anxious to see who was…snogging it seemed.

I could tell I was getting closer to the two lovebirds so I slowed down to ensure I didn't interrupt them. I spied around the corner and found a familiar red head facing away from me. My heart dropped. It was George. And pinned against the wall was Angelina Johnson. His hand was cupping her cheeks, like he had done with me before, and Angelina was softly moaning and giggling. She pulled away for a moment and whispered to him.

"I have to say, I'm surprised. I did not expect this at all. Especially with everything that's been going on with you lately. But I've been waiting for this to happen for years. I always thought we would end up together and here we are. And now you can ease the tension with your brother."

I put my hand to my mouth to keep quiet. Even with the charm I cast, I was worried I might make a sound anyway. George didn't even respond to this, he just returned his lips to hers and resumed the macking. I retreated, seeing everything I needed. I tried to hold back the tears that were welling in my eyes. I felt like an idiot. George probably wanted to break off our arrangement because he had won the attention of Angelina. I was dumb enough to think he wanted to become an item for real. My heart had dropped into my stomach and I felt nauseous. This feeling was all new to me. Is this what it felt like when I broke up with guys? Even Roger's breakup didn't make me feel like this. I panicked with where to go, since I knew the common room was full of people and I certainly didn't want to be seen like this. On impulse I ran down the hall and made my way toward the Room of Requirement. It was the only place I could think of where I could truly be by myself.

THE NEXT DAY

"Quinn, I missed you last night. What happened?" George found me at breakfast. I was there pretty early and none of my friends had made it down yet. I was actually pretty impressed that George was here this early.

"Hey," was all I offered him.

"You okay?"

"Oh yeah. I'm fine."

"So about last night."

"Don't worry about it, honestly. We created this easy out clause for a reason and I don't want you to feel guilty about cutting things off."

"What are you talking about?"

"I know about you and Angelina and I'm really happy for you guys. I always thought you would make a cute couple. Oh and you're off the hook for the Yule Ball too."

"Quinn, it's okay. I-"

"George, don't pity me. I'm fine on my own. I don't need you to fake this relationship anymore okay? We weren't even a believable couple. Everyone knows I can do a hell of a lot better than you," I snapped. As soon as I said this I immediately regretted it. I let my frustration and devastation with the situation get the best of me and I took it out on George. I didn't want to admit it but he had hurt me and now I did the same thing to him. An eye for an eye. George gave me a look of disgust before storming off. I watched him go and tried to call after him but it was too late. I dropped my head to the table in defeat. I had ruined yet another relationship and this one was with someone I genuinely cared about.

X

It was the night of the Yule Ball and it was pretty much decided I wasn't going. Once the school got word of my "breakup" with George it was all anyone could talk about. I became the bad guy yet again, ridiculed for breaking such a sweet guy's heart ("I mean did you see the way he asked her to the Yule Ball? She doesn't deserve him anyway"). The only slightly positive side to our uncoupling was that George was now the school's most eligible bachelor. Every girl was vying for him now and even Fred was reaping some of these benefits. Girls figured if they couldn't have George, Fred was the next best thing since clearly twins are exactly alike. I had to admit, I was surprised that Angelina and George weren't the school's next big couple. They were definitely spending a lot more time together but there was little evidence of any exclusivity. Perhaps they were still keeping it a secret just for the thrill of it. I tried not to imagine the endless possibilities.

At the end of the day, I was feeling lower than ever. I was upset with myself for messing things up with George. I shouldn't have snapped at him and should have just talked rationally about the situation. But it was too late. The worst part was, hanging out with my usual group wasn't even fulfilling. I didn't feel like I belonged with them any more and I started spending more and more time alone.

I didn't even want to think about the Yule Ball situation. The one social event that would come around once in a lifetime and I wasn't even going. I received no other escort offers after George and I split, not that I would have accepted any. It was a bummer though. I loved getting all dressed up and now I was the one missing out. It was what I deserved though.

Somehow I was coerced into the common room to gawk over all the dresses and see everyone off for the social event of a lifetime. I gave my most genuine smiles and compliments as girl after girl twirled around and tried to hide their excitement. Once the last few had left, I pulled out a book and got comfortable in a corner armchair. The plan was to read a few chapters and head to bed early, quite the exciting night.

"Hey stranger," I heard from behind me. I turned around and saw an old friend standing behind me.

"Cormac. Hey." He was dressed in his finest dress robes and I had to admit he looked nice. "Don't you look dapper?"

"While I appreciate the compliment, I'm actually in a bit of a situation and I could use your assistance."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" By this point he circled around the armchair and took a seat on the ottoman in front of me.

"You see, I was supposed to go with this lovely girl from Beauxbatons but unfortunately she's fallen ill and is unable to attend."

I knew where this was going, "And…"

"And I didn't get dressed up like this for nothing. "

"So go? I don't understand where I fall in all of this."

"Q, I can't show up stag. That's just not my style. Besides, I was hoping we could have a very public break up and more girls would flock to me," he said with a smile. I was unamused by his mocking comment. I closed my book and stormed off. "Quinn, wait I was just joking."

"Ha ha."

He lightly grabbed my wrist and kept me from moving, "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. Do you really want to miss out on this though? I know you've been upset about this whole situation but maybe this will help you take your mind off of things. I'll make sure you have fun. And I won't hit on any other girls if you don't want me to."

"I don't know, Cormac. I really don't want to be gossiped about any more."

"And if anyone does that, I'll make sure they stop. Come on, you've been drifting and we all want you back."

"I don't have a dress," I used as the only excuse I could really think of.

"I'll take care of it. Just promise me you'll go?"

I thought for a moment, unsure of what to say. It was the first time I felt wanted in a while, even if it was just for Cormac's semi-superficial reasons. Regardless, I was actually considering his offer.

"…Okay. I'll do it."

"Excellent," he held out his arm for me to link with, "let's go get you a dress."

As we made our way out of the common room he added, "So…does this mean we can make out?" I smacked his bicep and scoffed at his comment. "Yeesh, I'm just joking. Relax."

We walked down the empty halls, seeing as everyone was already on the ship. I had a sneaking suspicion as to where we were going. Cormac stopped in front of the Room of Requirement and opened the door, allowing me to enter first. When I stepped inside the room was filled with racks of formal dresses of all style and color.

"Wow, I never thought to use this place as my own personal closet. There must be hundreds of dresses here."

"I figured you'd be able to find something here," he took a seat on a plush ottoman located near a three way mirror.

"Are you going to sit there or are you going to help me sift through these dresses?" He looked up cluelessly at me before finally making his way toward a rack.

"What sort of dress are we looking for here?" he said, slowly looking through the gowns. I hadn't really had anything in mind but I just figured I would know it when I saw it.

"I don't really know, just something I would look good in I guess."

"Quinn, you would look good in all of these."

"No need to flatter me Cormac, I don't need your pity."

"I'm serious. We did used to date and I genuinely like you. You look good in whatever you're in."

"I wish I felt that way about myself nowadays," I mumbled.

"You just need to regain your confidence. That's what first attracted me to you. You're gorgeous of course, but you are so comfortable in your skin and so sure of who you are and that's incredibly sexy."

"Easy tiger. Just because we're going to the Yule Ball together does not mean we are getting back together."

"That's not what I'm getting at here. I'm just a friend trying to help out another friend," he said. This statement seemed a little off but after looking in Cormac's eyes I could tell he was being genuine. I could still read him pretty well. We hadn't ever really hung out one on one since the breakup, yet I did feel comfortable around him. Instead of responding I just nodded my head and continued skimming through dresses.

"So can I ask what happened between you and George? It all seemed kind of sudden."

"Do you want to hear the real story of how everything happened?"

"Sure."

"Well, it all started when Roger dumped me. I was upset and I didn't want to lose him. I had detention with George and he sort of planted this idea that I needed to make Roger jealous. I convinced him to act like we were an item and told him it would make Angelina Johnson interested in him. He could show off his boyfriend skills and become more eligible. But we made a rule that either one of us could break off the fake fling whenever for whatever reason," I paused, picking up a dress that I thought maybe could work, but I put it back realizing it wasn't right. "George was absolutely perfect. He made our story seem realistic and he did all these cute things for me. I forgot that we weren't even a real couple. I found myself wanting to spend every minute with him and it was then I realized I might have caught feelings. I ignored them, saying it was just situational and it wasn't real. It got to the point where I didn't even want Roger back, but I didn't want to stop hanging out with George."

"Well what happened then?"

"The night after the first task, when there was that party in the common room, I…ugh…I accidentally walked in on George and Angelina making out in the stairwell. And it really hurt. I wasn't expecting to ever feel that way. The next morning I kept things simple with him and cut it off quickly. He was fighting it and I sort of snapped and said some things I shouldn't have. And he hasn't talked to me since." It was just then I noticed a single tear was dripping down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, hoping Cormac didn't see my vulnerability, but he did.

"Can I give you some advice?"

"Please don't tell me to make him jealous."

"When you were with George, that was the happiest I've ever seen you. There was a glow about you and you just seemed so…happy about everything. It was like nothing could bring you down. If you think you have genuine feelings for him, you need to tell him or you'll always regret it."

"When did you become so insightful?"

"I've always been this way. We just made out every time we were together instead of actually talking."

"True. Now if only I could find a dress…"

"Oh I have the perfect dress already. I just needed you to fill me in on everything."

"What? So we've been wasting time looking through all these dresses for nothing."

"Hey, relax. I had good intentions. Now go put this on." He handed me a white halter dress. The collar featured strands of thin gold chains that would fall right on my collarbone. The dress was backless except for an upside down T that was made from the chains that fell from the collar. It was simply stunning. Simple and classic, yet very striking. I slipped behind a curtain and tried it on. It fit me perfectly, the length was just long enough that there was a little bit of a train but it wasn't anything I would be tripping over. I emerged from the makeshift dressing room and Cormac was waiting there with a pair of peep toe gold heels.

"So, does it look okay?"

"See for yourself," he turned me towards the full length mirror. I let out a sly smile when I saw my reflection. The dress looked like it was made for me. The cut, the coloring and the shape was flattering in every possible way. It was almost unreal.

"You look incredible," Cormac said. He placed the heels on the ground and helped me to step into them. I pinned some of my perfectly straight hair back and found a pair of dangly gold earrings to put on. Once I put some basic makeup on, I was ready to go. My stomach was turning at the potential of seeing George with Angelina but I had to face my fears. I knew Cormac was right and that I had to tell George how I felt, or else I would always wonder what if.

"You ready to go?"

"I guess so…" I muttered. Cormac put a friendly arm around me and steered me out of the room.

THE YULE BALL

Our arrival certainly took people by surprise. Luckily the ball had already started and we managed to sneak in essentially unnoticed. However a few third years spotted us by the punch bowl and the word spread like wild fire. We found a seat at a table when everyone started staring at us. I turned away towards Cormac and bowed my head, trying to avoid the attention.

"This was a stupid idea. Let's just go back," I commented.

"Nonsense, we're just getting started," Cormac boldly waved at the students keenly watching us and they all turned away, embarrassed. "Look Quinn, you were sorted into Gryffindor for a reason. You are courageous. There's no way your going to let some underclassmen define who you are. It never bothered you before, why does it matter now?"

"I don't know. I'm just scared of what might happen and my reputation here."

"That's not a bad thing. It's just more to overcome. Can't make things too easy for you, am I right?"

"I mean, I guess…"

"Now go talk to George. Then maybe you can relax and enjoy the rest of your night." Cormac put his arm around me and directed my gaze across the room, where Fred was seated alone. "Maybe start with Fred. Get some good intel before tackling the big one." I nodded. It was a genuinely good idea. He squeezed my hand, giving me the ounce of courage I needed and I walked across the room to find Fred.

"Hey," I said sitting next to him at his table. My presence took him by surprise, but his look quickly turned to loathing.

"What are you doing here? Thought you had already moved on to Cormac. Again," he mumbled.

I took a deep breath. He wasn't going to make things easy. "Look I know you aren't very fond of me at the moment but I want to make amends. With you and with George."

"You did exactly what I told you not to. You hurt George, and badly. Where do you get off thinking that you're better than him?"

"I don't think that at all. The truth is I was hurt and I said some things I didn't mean. It was hard to be around him knowing he didn't share the same feelings as I did. I pushed him away as a coping mechanism."

"What? What do you mean about feelings?"

"He didn't tell you what happened?" I asked puzzled. I know we had an agreement to keep Fred in the dark but I thought he would have at least talked to him about what led to our parting.

"He told me you stood him up the night of the first task and that the next morning you snapped at him for no reason."

Just as I was about to explain the situation to him, someone came up from behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I would have never agreed to come with you if I knew you weren't going to dance with me all night."

"I'll be there in a minute. Quinn and I are just wrapping things up," Fred said.

"Hi Quinn," she said softly.

"Hi Angelina," I smiled.

"Just give us one more minute," he said, planting a soft kiss on her cheek. It wasn't until I picked up on their demeanor that I realized I had made a huge mistake.

"Oh my God…" I breathed to myself.

"What?" Fred questioned.

"I…I made a huge mistake. Where's George?"

"And why should I tell you that?"

"I know you don't think I'm good enough for him, and you're probably right. But I just need him to know I love him and that I never meant to hurt him."

"You love him? You really love him?" he asked, sort of in disbelief. I nodded and he looked torn. "He's sitting at the top of the stairs. He's been there all night."

I let out a relieved smile, "Thank you." A moment later I was up and moved as quickly as possible to the grand staircase that served as the main entrance to the ball. I took my time walking up the many steps and saw a familiar red head sitting on the top step, fiddling with a Zonko's product. He didn't look up as I approached but once I sat down he caught a side glimpse at me and returned his attention towards his hands.

"Hey," I whispered.

"Why are you here," he stated more than asked.

"We need to talk. Well, I guess I need to talk and I need you to listen," I took his silence as encouragement to continue. "So I screwed up, majorly. I know what I said hurt you and you have to believe me when I say I did not mean it. I was hurt because I thought you wanted out and I was scared, so I pushed you away. But I had it all wrong."

"What do you mean you were scared?"

I took another deep breath before baring my soul to him. "Our fake fling stopped being fake for me. It got to a point where I didn't care about getting Roger back and I was just enjoying being with you. To me, we were actually dating and I was starting to get feelings I'd never had before. Then, the night after the dragons, I went to meet you in the stairwell and I saw what I thought was you making out with Angelina. And I was hurt, so I ended things. It was only just moments ago that I realized it was Fred with her, not you, hence some of my regret. But I was scared because…because I had never felt like that about anyone before. Being with you was the first time I ever felt in love."

He looked at me but remained quiet. I suppose he still wasn't happy with me and I knew there was a chance my words wouldn't change his mind. At least I could say I tried. I stood up to make my way back downstairs and potentially convince Cormac to let me leave. I took one step down and turned toward George.

"I know I don't deserve you and truthfully I want the best for you. But I just wanted to let you know that you made me happier than I ever imagined I could be. And no matter what happens…I love you," he looked up from his hands as I spoke. I gave him a small, awkward smile and turned around, leaving him to his thoughts.

What he didn't know is that as I walked down the stairs I was fighting back the tears that were starting to form in my eyes. I couldn't let anyone see me cry, so I held it together. Just barely. I felt like I couldn't get down the stairs fast enough, but I had to walk carefully because of the heels. Not to mention the fact that as I started descending down the stairs pairs of eyes started to gaze upon me. Attention was the last thing I needed right now. It seemed like the closer I got to the bottom, the more people were staring at me. I was about five steps away from facing the crowd when I felt someone gently grab my hand and turn me backwards. I looked up to see George, dressed to the nines in his dress robes. He pulled me in towards him so we were merely inches away. Then he placed his hand on my neck so that his fingers landed right on my jawline.

I looked into his big brown eyes and he spoke, "I love you, Quinn. I always have. I always will." And with that he brought his lips toward mine. The moment our lips met, I felt a spark of electricity radiate through my body. My arms found their way around his neck and he held me close, wrapping his arms around my waist. I felt him pick me up of the ground ever so slightly and I pulled away for a moment to let out a little laugh. I saw George's smile spread all the way to his eyes and I'm sure mine looked about the same.

"It's about time, inn'it?" Cormac spoke from the crowd below us. The two of us looked down to find the whole school watching us. A blush crept up onto my cheeks at our very public display of affection. "Well, come on then. Give 'em a hand." All at once everyone started clapping and cheering for us, even the teachers. George put his arm around me and guided me back down the stairs, waving like he was the Minister of Magic himself. I couldn't stop smiling as the crowd gave us their best wishes and hugs. Professor McGonagall broke up the frenzy, after shooting us a surprisingly warm smile.

"So Quinn, may I have this dance?" George took my hand and led me to the dance floor before I could even answer. Once again, I wrapped my arms around his neck as he placed his hands around my waist. We softly floated on the dance floor and I never felt more alive.

"So George, who are we making jealous now?" I asked, jokingly.

"Everyone, Q. Everyone."

I just smiled at him as he twirled me on the dance floor. For the first time, I could just be in his arms without worrying about what he was thinking. He taught me how to feel and how to actually care about someone, not just my own reputation. From this moment forward, I could tell things would be different. I'd be a better person and I'd have my best friend standing by my side, ready for adventure.