All of the students are gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast. Most of the students are sluggish this morning; it doesn't help that it is raining or that it is Monday. The ceiling reflects the torrent outside. The clouds don't look like they will be breaking any time soon. The perfect way to begin a Monday. There is only one student who isn't affected by the dreary day: Fred.
Fred is turned away from me on the bench to face Lavender Brown. He's been flirting with her all morning; I don't think there is anything that he hasn't complimented. Her eyes. Her smile. Her hair. And that isn't even the tip of the iceberg. She did become pretty in the time that we were gone, but the words coming out of Fred's mouth still make me want to vomit. It makes me angry to hear him talking to her like that, but I don't know why.
"Lavender, you exquisite woman, if I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?"
Where does he come up with this stuff? It is disgusting. The grip on my fork is turning my knuckles white. My eggs sat uneaten and untouched, the orange juice has been equally ignored. I don't think that I can stomach this for much longer; I have to end this. I can't listen to him talk to her any longer.
"Fred, can we have a moment?"
"Give me a minute. Lavender and I are talking now."
He didn't even have the decency of turning around to look at me when he brushed me off. He's too focused on her eyes that he got lost in or something along those sickening lines. My built in best friend isn't supposed to brush me off for some girl. Jealously rears its ugly head at the thought of Lavender stealing Fred from me.
"Fred..." I pathetically begin.
"Georgie, you're being rude. I'm in the middle of a conversation."
My fork drops to my plate. The clatter echoes, and the room goes silent; Hogwarts students are always ready for drama or our pranks. Every eye has turned towards us in order for them to catch every detail. Fred turns to face me to see what is wrong. The anger on his face washes away when he looks at me.
"What's wrong, Georgie," his brow furrows in worry. "You don't look so good."
"Of course, I don't look well. I'm nauseated from what I've seen here. It's disgusting. Do you actually want to date her, or are you just teasing her like every other girl so far. We aren't even supposed to be here. You are too old for her," I rant softly in hopes that the whole school won't know what I'm saying.
Fred and all those within hearing distance drop their jaws at what I said. Fred closes and opens his mouth repeatedly as if he was trying to figure out what to say. I've never spoken to him like that in all of our years together. He reaches out to try to touch my forehead, but I move out of his reach. A puzzled look crosses his faces as he reaches out to grab my arm, but, again, I wiggle away.
"Sit sill and tell me what's wrong. I just want to see if you have a fever," Fred whispers in agitation.
I scoot over more, but I've run out of room because Neville is blocking my way over. Fred creeps over in an almost comical way and reaches for me, but I hop up and start walking away.
"Don't make me hex you," I hear the threat but keep going as every eye follows me out.
I feel my twin close behind me, but I don't care. I don't feel well; something is wrong, but I don't know what it is. My chest aches as if I have been punched. All I can think about is Fred. All I can ever think about is Fred.
I march out of the Great Hall without a backwards glance because I already know who is following me out. I walk down the first hallway I come to. A first year sees my hell driven stomping and flees, and the hallway becomes eerily deserted. All of the other students must be in the Great Hall.
"George, please wait," I stop when I hear the desperation in his voice and my given name; he's called me Georgie for as long as I can remember.
Fred catches up and circles around me. The worry in his eyes is overwhelming; it is so overwhelming that I can't maintain eye contact with him. Fred grabs both of my shoulders and squeezes lightly to comfort me.
"Hey, Georgie. What's wrong? Was it Lavender? I'm sorry that I brushed you off for some girl. You're my brother, my twin. You are more important to me than any girl," he pleads as if his life depends on it.
My gaze is cast to the ground. I can't look into his eyes; the eyes that are so similar to mine. I focus on the 'G' on his mom-made sweater: we decided to see how many people we could confuse today (so far six, including Ron). A firm hand pulls my chin up to look into his eyes. Love not disappointment meets my gaze.
Without thinking, I lean forward and press my lips to his. His lips are soft unlike my chapped ones. Something different about us. I feel Fred freeze at the contact; he must not know how to deal with the situation, not that I blame him. The moment seems to last forever but not long enough. As I pull my lips away, I open my eyes to the sight of pure shock. Fred's eyes are as wide as I imagine they'd be if I had killed our mother right in front of him or grew a third arm. Our eyes meet; I can usually read them, but this time I don't know what I see.
I jump back and direct my vision back to the speckles on the floor that had caught my attention earlier. I feel my cheeks flaming red to match my hair.
"Fred, I-,"
"Listen, Georgie-" Fred tries to say at the same time.
"NO, Fred. I haven't been well. Something is not right."
"Georgie, I," I hold my up hand to stop anything that he might have said.
"I'm going to the Hospital Wing to see if I've been hit with a spell or slipped a potion. I'm sorry for that, umm, thing."
I turn around and head towards the Grand Staircase. I can feel his eyes on me, but I know he won't follow me. I'm glad that he won't because I have no intention of visiting Madame Pomfrey. I need to get a grip before I get taken to St. Mungo's for wanting my twin.
I make it to the top of the staircase and turn to look at Fred. He hasn't moved except for the hand that he moved to cover his mouth. He seems too horror-struck to move. I hope I didn't hurt him or ruin our bond. I don't know what I'd do if I lost my best friend.