Being Georgiana by Spring Turkey
I was happy for the first time in a while. It was a Hogsmeade weekend. And while I didn't have anyone to go with, I always enjoyed myself. I was almost skipping when I left the Great Hall with my coat on. But then I saw him.
"Oh no. What do you want?" I asked Zabini. Count on him to ruin any joy left in my day.
"Georgiana, wouldn't you rather stay in the castle?" he asked, approaching me. "With me?"
"No, I'm good thanks." I tried to shove my way past him, but he grabbed my arms.
"Are you sure?" he whispered into my ear. It sent a shiver down my spine. My mind went slightly foggy and I couldn't remember why I was rejecting him.
"Yes, I'm sure. Now can I go?" I said finally. This lack of self-control thing was really frustrating.
"Fine. But be careful." He looked really reluctant too let go of my arm, but he did eventually. I sighed and began trudging down the path.
"George, wait up!" Finally, a normal person was calling from behind me. It was my little brother, Simon.
"What's up?" I asked when he caught up to me. He was in Slytherin, like most of my family, so I didn't see him much. Not that he would want to see much of me.
"Can you lend me a few sickles? I lost all my pocket change to Jamie Armstrong on the last Quidditch game," he almost begged. I rolled my eyes and gave him the silver. I always had extra money. "Thanks!"
"What are you going to buy with all that money, little brother?"
"Nothing. First years aren't allowed to the village. I just need some spare change to bet on the next game." My eleven year old brother; in school for two months and already gambling. I patted his blonde head as he ran back up to the school.
When I finally reached the village, it was already swarming with students. I really needed some new quills (that chewing habit was costing me a fortune), so I went to Dervish and Banges first. Or at least that was my plan.
"Stephen! What are you doing here?" I cried, hugging my older brother, Darcy's friend. He smiled at me. A really cute, dimpled smile.
"Just in the neighbourhood. Wanted to say hi." However weird that sounded, I was happy to see someone I could call my friend that I didn't care.
"How's Darcy? Staying out of trouble?" I inquired. My nineteen-year-old brother was in Auror training and I hardly saw him when I went home.
"He's great. Him and Marina are still going strong," he replied, beginning to walk. I walked beside him.
"And what about you? Do you have a lady love yet?" He laughed and shook his head. "No? A gentleman love, then?"
"Don't be ridiculous. I don't swing that way. Hey, I've got some time before I have to head back. Want to grab a butterbeer?"
"Yes!" I was exhilirated by this human companionship that I was so not used to. He led me into the Three Broomsticks and sat me down at a table while he went to grab drinks. That was when I noticed Zabini, Malfoy and Parkinson sitting at a table across the room glaring at me. I was too contented to pay attention so I looked away. Stephen was cracking some jokes with Madame Rosmerta while waiting for the drinks. I was so preoccupied watching him that I didn't noticed Zabini beside me until I was in his shadow.
"I had no idea you had a boyfriend, Georgiana," he commented nonchalantly.
"What's it to you?" That wasn't an outright lie. Maybe these apparent nutjobs would bugger off if they thought I was taken.
"Just an observation. Look, I think we started off on the wrong foot. Why don't we just be friends for now?" I looked at him incredulously. Blaise Zabini was not ever just friends with a girl. I think Hell's temperature had just dropped by twenty degrees. I still hadn't answered him when I noticed Stephen walking back over. "Have fun with Waverly."
"Who was that?" Stephen asked, giving me my drink.
"Just a friend. So, what've you been up to lately?" He answered me but I hadn't heard anything he said. Zabini had known Stephen's last name. But he would have no idea who he was. After racking my brains I decided they must have been on the Slytherin Quidditch team together when Stephen was still in school. That's what I wanted to believe. But what was nagging me was that Stephen didn't recognize Zabini at all.
"George, are you listening to anything I'm saying?" he asked.
"What? Oh, yes. Sorry. I was just thinking about an assignment I have due," I lied. "What were you saying?"
"I said that I'm getting a job at the Ministry. In the Department of Magical Transportation. Isn't that great?" he asked, sounding a bit exasperated. I vaguely wondered how many times he had said it before.
"Wow, that's wonderful!" I exclaimed, trying to sound as excited as possible. He'd wanted to work for Ministry as long as I'd known him. "I suppose your dad is happy?"
"Ecstatic. Mother actually cried when I told her. So how is my dear sister?" he asked. I cringed internally. His sister and I were mortal enemies, but we did well to keep that from our tight-knit families. At any gathering, we acted as if we were best friends and it worked just fine for us.
"She's great," I said, hoping he wouldn't pry.
"Oh, look! There she is!" he cried happily. Before I could stop him, he called her over. "Clare!" I shrank into my seat. She was with her best friend, Kirsten, whom I hated more than Clare herself.
"Stephen! What are you doing here?" she squealed in mock enthusiasm. She did love her brother, but hated that he liked me.
"Just stopping by. Won't you join us? I'm sure I'm boring Georgiana to death and she'd love some female company," he suggested. As he was looking over his shoulder, I was able to give Clare some dirty looks that meant 'get lost.' But of course she didn't listen.
"Of course, brother. Have I introduced you to my friend, Kirsten?" she said, sitting down right beside me. She really enjoyed making me look like a total ass in fron of her brother.
"Hi there. Let me go grab you girls some drinks." And he left me. Alone in the lion's den.
"Why do you insist on throwing yourself at every man who will look your way?" Clare spat as soon as her brother was out of earshot.
"Excuse me? I believe that's you who does that. I wasn't - nor have I ever - throwing myself at anyone."
"What about Blaise Zabini? Everyone knows you've been bothering him, following him like a lost puppy," Kirsten spoke. They were both smiling sinisterly.
"Not that it's any of your business, but that is something I would never do. Everyone can believe what they want. If you want him, go get him." The look Clare got on her face told me she'd already tried. "Wow, you must be hideous to be turned down by Blaise Zabini," I laughed.
"Did I miss something?" Stephen asked me, placing the two bottles on the table.
"No, nothing at all," I replied, smiling sweetly. "But I really have to get back to the castle. I have a lot of homework, and I don't want to intrude."
"That's ridiculous! It's Saturday. Please stay," he begged. I think he subconsciously grabbed my hand, but I shook my head. He tried to insist on walking me back to the school, but I declined. My mood had soured in the last five minutes.
"I'll see you around," I said before exiting the pub as fast as possible, trying to avoid the seemingly unavoidable. It was not Zabini, however, but Malfoy that followed me out. "Can you two leave me alone for one bloody day?" I cursed, continuing to walk.
"I'm sure we could, but then wherever would we get our amusement?" He had moved incredibly fast and stopped in front of her.
"I'm a nobody! You create no effect on anyone else by toying with my feelings! The whole godforsaken school thinks I'm throwing myself at you two! I've half a mind to get my brother to kick your ass," I seethed.
"Hah! Darcy wouldn't lay a finger on me. And I don't know when Clare Waverly became the whole 'godforsaken school', but I must say, I don't really approve of her brother."
"Well thank you, father. Your opinion has been duely noted and filed in the circular file." I shoved him with all my might and kept walking. I really wished they would leave me alone. Nothing could have been worse than me starting to believe one of them and walk right into this stupid trap. Nothing.
"You are the most stubborn girl I've ever had the misfortune to meet."
"Good. Then leave me alone." I stomped off once again.
"What is this shield you build around yourself?" he yelled, though he did not follow me. That comment got under my skin enough for me to turn around.
"Don't pretend that you know anything about me," I said angrily.
"I know more than you think, love. Care to challenge that?" he asked. I think he took my angry glare and silence as a yes. "What I do know, Georgiana Elizabeth Robins-" I flinched at the use of my middle name. "Is that you have no friends at this school. That you've never had a boyfriend, and I do believe your first kiss was me. I'm also aware that most of your family has been in Slytherin and that you have shunned your noble birth." I couldn't help but scoff.
"You call being pureblood noble? I call it being part of wizarding aristocracy. And that is no compliment." He ignored my comment it seemed, but all the while staring straight into my eyes.
"But you, dearest, are more than anything afraid to let people in. Why else would a seventeen year old girl have no friends and no boyfriend? You have some fear of getting to close to people and allowing yourself to be vulnerable." He spoke very slowly. And accurately. I was suddenly overcome with emotion, but I didn't cry.
"It's the safest way to live," I whispered.
"It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all," he quoted. Who knew Draco Malfoy knew anything about love? Certainly not I. "Have a good day, Georgiana," he said before turning back for the village. When I returned to planet earth, I realized I'd forgotten my bag at the pub.
A/N: I am, for the first time, switching POV's!!
Blaise Zabini POV
I checked my watch yet again. Draco should have been back already. Pansy was really starting to bore me by now, and I really wished I was allowed to off Waverly right now. That'd kill two birds with one stone - then his sister would leave me alone. I let out a big sigh when I saw him push through the door.
"Bloody hell, what have you gotten us into?" he mumbled, sitting back in his seat.
"Well I didn't know that it would be so hard to get a date with a virgin loner!" I replied. This whole thing was frustrating beyond belief.
"I still don't see why you need to date her to do this," complained Pansy. Everyone knew she'd do anything to get either one of us. And we'd do anything to avoid that.
"How else are we supposed to keep an eye on her all the time without seeming suspicious?" I challenged her. I was convinved she was actually a blonde somewhere not so deep inside.
"But nothing can happen inside the castle. And its much easier to follow her around unnoticed in the village. Did he say 'You must date her'?" asked Pansy. She never gave up.
"It's not open for argument anymore, Pansy, so shut up," replied Draco. He turned back to me. "You've dated everyone and their mom, don't you have experience with girls like her? The ones that think you're full of shit?"
"But you are full of shit," Pansy interjected. We both ignored her.
"I don't think I've ever been turned down." It was almost true. Ginny Weasley had very violently turned me down, but they didn't need to know about that.
"Do you know what I think?" I didn't care what she thought, but I let her speak while I was thinking. "If I was in that position, I would want the guy to back off for a bit, and then do small things to get to me. I think I'd start to believe after some consistency."
"You know, for once your yapping did you some good," Draco said. I agreed. "But only one of us should try at a time. You can go first."
"Alrighty then. Now that we've settled that, let's get some Firewhisky," I grinned, thumping my mug on the table.
Georgiana Robins POV
"But you are full of shit," Parkinson said as I walked in. I glanced over to see her talking to Zabini and Malfoy - too engrossed in their conversation to notice me for once. I quickly ran over to my previous, now empty, table and grabbed my bag. I was almost out the door when I heard a bit more.
"I don't think I've ever been turned down," Zabini said. I couldn't help buy smirk to myself. And then, of course, she had to speak.
"Do you know what I think?" came her shrill voice. "If I was in that position, I would want the guy to back off for a bit, and then do small things to get to me. I think I'd start to believe after some consistency."
"You know, for once your yapping did you some good. But only one of us should try at a time. You can go first," Malfoy told Zabini. I almost dropped my bag. I just realized what Parkinson meant when she had said they were full of shit.
On my way to the castle, I almost felt like crying. But then I remembered that I hadn't fallen for it. I was right. And it was pay back time.