A/N: Thanks once again to the ever benevolent CrazyRopeDragon for beta-ing! You're an absolute diamond you are!

Chapter Three - I Solmenly Swear I was not at Hogsmeade

Slipping Malfoy some hiccoughing sweets landed both Fred and George in a week's worth of detention. "Worth it. Did you see the look on his face?" Fred chuckled once he'd regaled Daisy, Charlie and the rest of the Gryffindors with the tale one afternoon at lunch.
"Too busy making eyes at Diggory I'll bet." Fred looked at George strangely for a moment, as though that were an odd comment for him to make, "He's fancied you since first year you know."
"Has he?" Daisy was surprised.
"Oh yeah," Charlie nodded, "I heard his teammates discussing what he could talk with you about for years, never thought he'd get the courage to."
"Hufflepuffs aren't really known for that though are they?" George said.
"We're known for our tolerance. Tolerance takes courage." Daisy gave George a pointed look.
Aquila sniggered. Daisy felt like she'd just won a Nobel Prize.
"Just an observation!" He raised his hands in surrender. "Not a bad fella, you'd want to watch yourself though. He's pretty popular."
"Who says I'll date him…" She mumbled.
"Why wouldn't you?" Angelina looked incredulous, "He's gorgeous, a seeker for your house team, prefect well on his way to head boy!"
"What else are you doing? Is there anyone else you can think of in your immediate circle of friends who you'd date? Anyone? At this table maybe? Speak now or forever hold your peace guys." Charlie gestured to everyone at the table, upon no one replying she banged her hand down on the table, "Adjourned. Daisy's shagging Dickory."
"It's Diggory," Katie corrected.
"Same same." Charlie shrugged.
"I don't know Oliver, what about you?" Aquila said suddenly, turning to face the burly Quidditch captain.
"Uhh…what?" Oliver frowned.
"Sorry to interrupt," Speak of the devil.
"Hi Cedric." Daisy smiled, trying desperately to keep the colour from rising to her face.
"Right!" Realization dawned on Oliver's handsome face, "Quidditch!" He stood.
"Oh Quidditch." Katie and Angelina nodded at each other and stood up as well, following Oliver's lead as he left the Great Hall with the twins.
"Quidditch," Charlie pointed out.
"Mmm. Quidditch," Aquila agreed as she also made to leave.
Charlie stayed where she was for a moment, watching Daisy and Cedric longingly until Aquila hissed at her from across the hall. Charlie scoffed, rolled her eyes and joined Aquila in leaving. "I'm gonna miss it," She complained audibly.
"…I think they're going to talk about Quidditch," Daisy said.
"I think so," Cedric laughed.
"So what brings you to the Gryffindor table?" She enquired.
"Oh, well," He rubbed the back of his neck, looking rather sheepish, "You actually."
"Me? What have I done to deserve the honour?" She placed a hand on her chest.
Cedric shrugged awkwardly and sat down beside her, "Well…I was wondering…"
"Me too."
He laughed again, "Feeling better then?"
"Spending too much time with Fred and George, sorry, go on. What're you wondering?"
"I was wondering if maybe you were going to Hogsmeade over Halloween?"
Daisy pursed her lips, "Ah…actually I can't. My mum's a bit iffy about it still. Next year she said she'd sign the form though."
Cedric seemed a bit thrown, "Oh? Right, understandable…um…well, do you want me to get you anything?"
"No thanks, Charlie and Aquila have me covered." She smiled.
"Oh…okay then." Cedric looked crestfallen.
"Well I mean…uh…" Daisy was stumped, "G-good luck with Quidditch training."
Cedric smiled at her and left just as she got up to leave as well. That was awkward. What was even more awkward was that all her friends were hovering outside the Great Hall muttering what could be described as buzzwords relating to Quidditch.
"Oh Daisy! Settle this debate for us will you? Which ball is better; the Quaffle, the Snitch or the Bludger?" Fred led Daisy into the group.
"Uhh…I don't know enough about Quidditch to answer that." She was confused, "We've got care of magical creatures in a few."
"True that," George sighed, "Wonder if Hagrid will let us have a go of Buckbeak."
The hippogriff that had attacked Draco. The entire thing had spooked Hagrid into keeping their lessons as safe as possible, but the result was that they were also terribly dull.
"We can dream…" Daisy said absently, watching as Cedric exited the Great Hall with his friends in tow.

Halloween came a lot faster than anyone had anticipated. There was excited chatter among the third years about their first Hogsmeade visit. It was all they could talk about, Hermione included. It made Daisy's study sessions with her a little less fun than they normally were.
"Aren't you going to Hogsmeade?" The younger girl frowned at her, "Oh, I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have gushed so much had I known!"
"It's fine Hermione. I'm glad you're so excited about it. It'll be great fun! It'd probably do Harry some good to get out as well."
"Ah…about that, he's not able to go either. His aunt and uncle wouldn't sign the form."
Daisy grimaced, "Poor lad…"
"But how are you going to get the ingredients you need for potions?" She frowned.
"Oh…I just use the ones I get at the start of the year, or whatever's in the store cupboard."
Hermione gasped, "That's your problem! Your ingredients aren't fresh enough!"
"What?"
"Potions is a very particular thing, right? If something, any little ingredient is even a little bit off it messes up the whole potion. That's why you haven't been doing as well as you should have! It's an easy fix, you just…um…need to…"
Daisy felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, "Thank fuck, Snape should've just said so. Awful bastard he is. 'Your acceptable exceeds expectations' he said to me, feckin' asshole…" She smiled.
"Yes, well…the thing is, in Hogsmeade there are wild herbs and plants growing used in our potions. But most of them…they're near the shrieking shack or beyond. I wouldn't know what to look for, it takes me weeks to tell one plant apart from another. I'm sorry, I'd do it if I was confident enough!"
"Right…" She frowned. Of course the answer to her failing grade in potions wouldn't be handed to her on a silver plate, "It's fine Hermione, don't worry about it. Not your fault I've been barely scraping by in potions. You've done all you can, I'm really grateful."
Colour rose to the younger girl's face and she beamed at her, "It's always a pleasure to help." She paused, "We'll think of something. You'll be flying through potions in no time at all. Now, if we just lay out what you need to know for your O. …"
"Ladies."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Could you give us a moment George?" She paused, "Please?"
"Me? George Weasley? Give you a moment? Is that what this is? Are you guys having…a moment?" He finished the sentence in a breathless whisper as he slid onto the seat next to Daisy.
"Daisy and I were discussing potions. She's having some trouble." Hermione seemed to regret her choice of words.
George raised his eyebrows, "Daisy? Struggling in a class? Well I never!"
"Oh, shut up you…" She mumbled.
"You could've asked me for help. Professor Snape himself says I'm a natural." By that he meant of course that Snape was furious that the twins were so good at it.
"Exactly," Daisy said, "Trust me when I say you'd be embarrassed for me if you knew how rubbish I was."
"And getting tutored by a third year isn't embarrassing?" He scoffed.
"At least Hermione wouldn't give me shit for it."
"I wouldn't!" George looked offended.
"I know you too well George. You would."
Hermione seemed to look over at the Gryffindor table, look alarmed and then jumped up, gathering her books, "I'm going to say bye to Harry before I head off to Hogsmeade, I'll see you later Daisy! I'll bring you back loads of sweets from Honeydukes!"
Daisy waved her off and noticed that Aquila was giving Hermione a kind of stern look. Had she done something?
"Still not allowed in Hogsmede then?"
"I suck at charms and real magic in general, I can't go to Hogsmeade, I'm the worst witch, I get it." Daisy sighed, exasperated already. "Are you done now?"
George frowned, "I wasn't teasing you Daisy. I just don't get why your mum won't sign the bloody form. You're in a magical school already, what harm's a magical town going to do?"
"It's unsupervised. And I'm only fifteen."
"You'd be surrounded by hundreds of other students though."
"I've explained this all to her but…" She shrugged, "She won't listen. I'll probably never get to go at this stage. Not while I'm in school at least."
"So rebel. Sneak out. Teach her she can't keep a hold on you."
"Easy for you to say."
"Oh really?"
"You've been breaking rules since before you even made it to Hogwarts. It's almost second nature to you. You've got your tricks to get away with it, I don't."
"I could teach you." He raised his eyebrows and slid closer to her.
"I hardly think Fred would approve of you divulging the Weasley Twins secrets of escape from discipline." She glanced at him.
"He doesn't have to know darling, it'd be just you," He took one of her hands, "And me– bloody hell your hand is freezing!"
"Or yours is just freakishly warm."
"Oi, red hair, if anyone's got bad circulation it's me."
"Can I have my hand back now?"
"Mmm. Nah. Tell me, what keeps your hands so very soft?" He held her hand in both his.
"I swear to god George I'll fuckin' cut you if I have to."
"You know; I think we should switch hands. What do you think?"
"You can keep your calloused ass hands to yourself, ew." She wrenched her hand away, slowly losing any and all patience she had with the redhead. She really wasn't in the mood for his shenanigans today. And if Fred showed up too…
She gathered up her books and finished the last of her pumpkin juice. "I'm going to the library…" She mumbled miserably, hoping George would take the queue and leave her alone.
She was about halfway up the narrow staircase on the second floor when she heard him calling after her. He gently took her by the arm to a quieter corridor. "George! Seriously, just buzz off!"
"There's a way you know, to get to Hogsmeade. Fred and I came across it in our second year." He rushed.
"What?" Daisy looked confused, "What do you mean? Flitch is by the door watching like a hawk for any students who shouldn't be there. And the Dementors are on patrol this year and all. Don't be so…ridiculous."
"You wouldn't be going near either of them. It's underground…" George trailed off as a young first year Ravenclaw with a stack of books passed them by. He waited until she'd rounded the corner to speak again, "You wouldn't get caught. I can go with you if you want."
He did know the castle inside out at this stage. And she was very well aware that he knew about secret passages and rooms that no one else – not even the teachers – seemed to know about. The twins had made a small business out of it with some older students; money for the location of a private, secluded place to make-out or shag.
She thought about it. She weighed up the risks. She could get her ingredients for potions and actually do better, or she could get expelled. "I…I don't know… I don't want to go that badly. It's fine."
"Oh come off it Daisy, it's written all over your face." He folded his arms across his chest.
"What is?"
"You're scared to leave school."
"What? No I'm not."
"Yes you are." He was smiling smugly.
Daisy lost her patience. "You know what, yeah. I'm scared. Scared of leaving school for-feckin'-ever. What if I get caught and expelled? End up getting my wand snapped in two? I never finished school in the muggle world because I came here. What the fuck am I supposed to do if I can't do magic? Feck all George. I'd be a bloody failure. So yeah, I'm terrified." Her voice was trembling. She never could get angry, it was always just upset with her. She was terrified of losing her chance at learning magic. At becoming what she wanted to be. She needed that N.E.W.T level potions class…but Snape wouldn't have her. Not unless she got an outstanding.
"Stupid," He put a hand on her shoulder, "I wouldn't let you get caught."
"George…" She was going to kick his teeth in. Or burst into tears. She wasn't sure.
"Offer'll still stand next Hogsmeade visit." He let her go, "You know where I'll be." He looked disappointed as he left her alone in the corridor.
She needed those ingredients. If she didn't have them she wouldn't get into Snape's N.E.W.T level class, which meant her options for future careers were incredibly limited. She may as well kiss being a dragonologist goodbye. George seemed to be so willing to help her…but at what cost? Endless and ruthless teasing, he'd badger her for favours in return for letting her know about this secret passage (if it was even real), Fred would likely do the same…
"Your acceptable exceeds expectations at this stage miss Morgan." His nasal-y voice still bounced around her head, making her feel sick, disappointed in herself, and utterly mortified.
"Oh for…" She went after him, "Wait-wait-wait!"
A grin spread across George's face, "Changed your mind? Might want to get your coat. Didn't your mum send you a new one?"
"No- Well yes she did, it's lovely. Anyway, could you do me a favour?"
"Depends on the favour and the reward for doing it."
"I need you to get some potions ingredients for me, from near the shrieking shack."
"Oooh, that's steep Dais'. Shrieking shack is the most haunted building in all of Britain. Violent spirits run rampant there…could be risking my life you know."
"Oh please, every building in Ireland is haunted. This bloody castle is haunted! I know for a fact you've got a ghoul in your attic! And you're the most Gryffindor Gryffindor that ever did walk these halls for heaven's sake, you'd be fine!"
"Oh stop it Daisy, you're making me blush!" He let out a high-pitched giggle.
She rolled her eyes, "Do you know what valerian root looks like?"
"Uhh…no."
"And you were making fun of me?"
"Hey, I bring the charisma and the good looks, Fred does all the grunt work. I'm just a pretty face. Besides, you're the one with a sister who studies plants for a living!"
"Botanist, George," She sounded like her aforementioned sister in that moment, "Feck…I…"
"Daisy." George said seriously, "Get your coat. I swear on my honour as a Gryffindor you will not get caught. I'll go down before you do."
She chewed her lower lip, "...where will I meet you then?"

The secret passage George had spoken of was indeed very real and not some hair brained scheme to embarrass her. It was behind the statue of the one-eyed witch on the third floor. The passage itself was pitch black, damp and seemed to go on forever. Even with both of their wands lit Daisy felt more and more sick with nerves the further away from the castle they got. At one point she got so jumpy that she'd started to cling to George's arm. He made a comment but seemed not to mind so much.
Then, they came to the end. No going back. Just do it.
George lifted a wooden panel above him and peered out of the gap. Daisy could hear soft music playing amid the sounds of people.
"Right," George said, "You're going to have to go first. Don't think you'll be able to get up on your own. Just run up the stairs and slip out." The colour drained from Daisy's face and she felt like she might just faint.
George must've noticed because his face all but fell and he held onto both her shoulders, "Hey, hey you'll be okay. Just make a run for it."
"Wh... what if I'm caught?" She whimpered, realizing that she was probably going to cry.
"Just dazzle them with your smile." He grinned, "Or...burst into tears and say you got lost...?" He offered upon noticing that humour wouldn't help the situation.
"Okay...right...okay..." She took deep breaths, "Okay..."
"You've got this. You're a Hufflepuff; unafraid of toil, right? Right."
"Yeah, I got this. Not afraid of toil. Let's get this over with."
"Glad to be of service," George said as he put his hands on her hips. She pushed the trapdoor open and George lifted her off the ground. She crawled out of the trapdoor, and scurried up the wooden stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. She came to a slight pause at the door, but slid out very quietly and was met with a mass of young people crowded into a colourful sweet shop.
She'd done it.
"Oh well, fancy seeing you here Dais'." George had appeared beside her.
"Weird..." She wasn't sure if she was joining in with his joke, or talking about all of the bizarre sweets she was seeing.

Overwhelmed seemed to lack the kind of flurry of thoughts and feelings Daisy was being assaulted with at Hogsmeade that day. Firstly, she wasn't supposed to be there. She kept her hood up at all times and tried to stay at least three steps behind George to make it look as though she wasn't with him. George kept forgetting this and would hang back to tell her about all the different shops, or to reassure her that everything was fine. Secondly, everything was absolutely beautiful. The buildings, the displays in the widows, the signs, even the roads and paths were lovely. Daisy wanted so badly to gaze at everything but felt she couldn't because of the first reason. Thirdly, everything seemed to ooze magic. It was, after all, a magical town. The only magical settlement in Britain (she wondered if there was one in Ireland now). People were doing magic idly, almost as though it were second nature to them to whip out their wands and summon this or that. And finally, George kept on tempting her to venture into shops she did not need to venture into. "Come on," He'd say, "No one even knows you're here! Daisy Morgan? Breaking rules? They'd bloody faint at the thought! You'll be fine!" But she remained stubborn. She was here for one reason and one reason only.

"Waste of a good opportunity if you ask me…" George mumbled as they made their way slowly towards the edge of the town and into the forest nearby.
"It's not worth it. Don't make me repeat why."
George was quiet for a moment, "What makes you think you'd be a failure if by some bizzare stroke of bad luck you were kicked out of school?"
"Because, George," She tried to keep a lid on a temper she never knew she had until now, "In Ireland's muggle schools you go from five to twelve learning stuff in primary school. Then from thirteen to eighteen you go to secondary and complete two state exams. You don't finish primary school you're pretty much doomed to life of unemployment and poverty."
"That hardly seems fair to me. What about people who can't go to school?"
Daisy considered his question for a moment. "I…dunno actually." She looked at him, "My mum told me I'd end up like that."
"Could be scare tactics, keep you out of trouble." He went on ahead of her as they came to a steep hill and held out a hand for her to hold, "Been raining, could be slippy," He said.
She took his hand and slowly shuffled down with him, "Could be…" She wondered…there were plenty of people who wouldn't have been able to finish school. Would the Irish government – esteemed for their educational system – really allow for such a thing?
"You're a clever girl Daisy, you'd figure it out. Besides, no teacher in their right mind would let a bright young witch like you get expelled. They'd be daft to let it happen." George put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Shrieking shack ahoy." He gestured to an old, dilapidated building in the distance. It definitely looked haunted. Whether or not it actually was they'd find out soon enough.

The building creaked and groaned, the windows were boarded up and the door seemed to be sealed shut both inside and out. While Daisy was on her hands and knees looking for ingredients in what seemed to be an old herbal garden around the back, George kept watch, jumping every now and then. Daisy thought to comment on it, but didn't. Being a coward herself she was in no position to judge.
"George, come here," She called.
"Nah, I'm good here!"
She stood up, "George. Now."
Reluctantly the tall redhead scuffled over, "What is it? Are you done yet? This place is–"
"Fred?"
No. No. Nononononononono.
"'fraid not Cedric, just lil' 'ol me." George spun around, making sure to keep Daisy behind him and (hopefully) out of view.
"My apologies," He smiled, "Do you know where Oliver is? The match between Gryffindors and Slytherins has been changed to one with Hufflepuff. I thought he ought to know, we've only just…who's that?"
"Girlfriend. She's shy. You sort of interrupted."
Daisy was just about ready to slap him across the face.
"Oh!" He gasped, "Oh, so sorry. I'll…um…leave you to it."
Daisy heard the sound of Cedric walking away and waited a solid five minutes before she started to hit George everywhere she could reach as he roared laughing. "You absolute fecker! You arse bandit! You geebag! You maggot! You feckin' gobshite!" She hissed, "Feck you! I'm done, I'm so done! We're leaving!"
George was laughing too hard to respond but he followed her anyway. He laughed all the way back to the small village.
"Pfft…geebag…what does that even mean?"
"It's an insult what more do you need to–"
"Ah, mister Weasley there you…" Professor McGonagall. "Miss Morgan?"
"Match against Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin right professor?" George cut across her.
Daisy was frozen to the spot, staring at her feet and willing herself not to burst into tears and beg for mercy.
"Yes. I thought I'd have found you with your brother but it seems not." McGonagall had a very strange note in her tone of voice. A pleasant one, but strange for Daisy to hear no less. "Well, I'll let you two carry on. Back at the school by five." The Professor bustled away and Daisy was left standing there in total shock.
George put an arm around her waist and started to lead her away, "What did I tell you? No one in their right mind would think you'd break the rules."

Daisy didn't say a word until they were back inside the dark passage.
"She'll cop it sooner or later…" Her voice trembled, "She'll find out. McGonagall'll find out. I'll be expelled for sure. Getting past the Dementors and Filtch…"
"As inconceivable as you breaking rules Daisy." George walked on ahead, "You need an arm to cling to or…"
Daisy couldn't hear what he said next. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, she couldn't speak. She'd almost gotten caught. And it was only a matter of time before McGonagall figured it out. She would be expelled from Hogwarts and sent home. Her wand would be taken and snapped. She would never, ever be able to do magic again. She would never be part of that world again. She would lose all her friends in Hogwarts, like she did when she moved from Holy Cross primary to Hogwarts to begin with. She'd have no one. Nothing.

And all because she'd been stupid enough to trust George Weasley.