Author's Note: We're gonna have a FIGHT! This obviously doesn't appear anywhere in J.K's book, so suddenly the story's kind of AU. Bear with me as I carry out my vision. Wow, that sounded pretentious!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter no mine. You know, on Dumbledore, I've actually kind of come round to the idea! After the initial shock, of course. But oh well. Long Live Gay Dumblydore!

Chapter 7

"Stop it, George."

"Stop what?"
"You know what."
"No, I don't know what."

"Stop staring at me."

"I'm not."

"You're doing it now!"

"Maybe because you're standing right in front of me!"

"Mr. Weasley, Ms. Johnson…is there a problem?"

"No, Professor McGonagall," they chimed.

Angelina glared at George and departed with the book she was pretending to borrow, but he could not tell if she was truly angry or not. Fred always asked to go to the bathroom when he was falling asleep in a lesson, to avoid detention. Today had been the case and Angelina used the opportunity to chide George, who was sitting alone in a corner of the classroom. He had been staring, part of it as defiance to Fred and part of it because he simply couldn't help it. He kept torturing himself by replaying the kiss in his mind. It had been maddeningly insufficient. Mere physical contact was not enough, skin against skin and breathing the same breath. He felt he wanted to take in her entire being until there was nothing left of her that wasn't his. And George reckoned he had to be in love because what else bring about such creepy, demented thoughts?

Fred came back a few minutes later, looking decidedly less sleepy. If looks could kill George would be a very dead wizard just then from the stare his brother was fixing him with. He sat down purposefully next to Angelina. George rolled his eyes, but a part of him ached. It just didn't feel right to fight him, to hate him. He had never felt so incomplete and alone. But there was no going back, only forward, into some unknown darkness.

George's only distraction lay in the Third Task, a day away. It was when looking at the maze that George realised how glad he really was their Anti-Ageing potion hadn't worked. George felt another pang of nostalgia. But that was soon to disappear.

McGonagall was called out of class by a rather anxious-looking Hagrid halfway through the lesson. As she left, Fred turned round in his chair to glare at George, who had been staring once more at Angelina. Their eyes locked. George raised his eyebrows expectantly. Abruptly, Fred stood. Angelina grabbed his arm, whispering something. He shook her off.

George did not but glance away as Fred weaved round to the back of the class, causing everyone else to turn to and look. They were not used to the twins being so far apart.

"What did you do?" he demanded in a tone so low only George could hear.

"In the last ten seconds?" he shrugged. "Breathed mostly."

Fred narrowed his eyes. "Don't try and be clever with me, George. You can't pull it off."

He gave an incredulous smirk and shook his head. "Bugger off."

"Not until you tell me what you did."

"What do you think I did?"

"I think you made a move on her."

"She told you that?"

"No. Just a thought."

George said nothing and picked up his pen. Passive aggression had always worked better. With one swift movement Fred shoved the book in which he was making notes off the desk. Well, maybe not always. George sat like that for a moment, pen still in hand, before bending slowly to pick up his book, then stationery. He stood, drawing himself up to his full height and met Fred's glare full-on. There was that feeling he was accustomed to of looking into a mirror. After some twenty seconds (he counted) George spoke.

"Maybe you should tell her to stay away from me." It was cold and hollow. He did not want to say it. But it came out all the same.

George had barely reached the door when Fred yanked him back by the shoulder. Angelina was on her feet.

"What does that mean?" he hissed. "What did you do?"

George shrugged, another thrill of defiance running through him. "I might have kissed her. She might have kissed me back. Who kno-" George had barely finished speaking before Fred's fist was flying at his face. He felt a dull, blinding pain in his cheek, heard Angelina shriek, "Fred, NO!" and before he could react he was being bulldozed through the door. And then he was on his back on the concrete, winded, and Fred was trying to knock his teeth out and he was having a hard time fighting back while protecting himself. What sounded and looked like a thousand students suddenly poured out of the class, whooping, jeering and protesting.

Neither Fred nor George saw Professor McGonagall charging towards them, forcing her way through the circling Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Neither heard her chiding them shrilly, ordering them to "desist". But they did hear her yell "Stupefy!" and they did see the flash of red light. And then nothing else as they fell together into darkness…

George awoke to find Madam Pomfrey peering over him. She tut-tutted. He exhaled groggily and shook his head. He turned on impulse to look for Fred. He was lying back with his hands up behind his head, twiddling his feet as if to some song only he could hear.

"Professor McGonagall will be in to have a few words with you two," she said. George nodded. It was really no fun being Stunned.

As they had been warned, McGonagall swept into the room minutes later, looking grim yet curious.

"What on Earth led you to such behaviour?" were the first words out of her mouth.

"We were just testing out our new product, Professor," Fred piped up. "Instant Antagonism! Pits even the best of friends against each other."

She looked neither convinced nor amused. "As you are both in my house…" she proceeded, "as all your siblings have been in my house…I must ask if there is an…issue between the two of you? That led you to fight?"

"Course not, Professor," said Fred. "Everything's just peachy."

She turned wearily to George. "Is there a problem, George?"

No problem he wanted to discuss with her. Or any one else for that matter.

"Everything's fine."

She seemed to catch their drift. "If you insist. I will, of course, be removing fifty points from Gryffindor for your display."

George frowned. "What? Fifty points collectively?"

"Fifty points each." And with that trademark stern look she departed.

"Cheers, Moggy!" Fred saw fit to call after her. She pursed her lips shrewdly, shook her head and exited.

As soon as she was gone, Fred swung off the bed and left, as if there was no one else in the wing. As much George would have liked to be left alone from that point on, he could not possibly be. Ron caught up to him in the corridors.

"Words going round you and Fred fought! What the bloody hell for?"

"He stole my Liquorice wand."

"Oh, come off it, George."

"No, you come off it, Ronald. Yeah, we fought. It happens. Don't go running off to tell your friends."

"Why not?"

"Because some things are best kept in the family, aren't they? Besides, Harry doesn't need the destraction, does he? They'll find out if they do, and if they don't, smashing. Now bugger off. You must have a test to fail or something."

Ron shook his head and left with a bitter, injured look.

Ginny was not as easily dissuaded. She found him in the library where he had been sure no one, not even Angel, would have thought to look.

"Does it have anything to do with Angelina?" As smart as he knew his little sister was, she always managed to surprise him.

He waited a bit too long to answer. "No."

She shook her head. "Don't waste oxygen lying to me."

"I won't waste oxygen talking to you either."

She was obviously ticked off, and a little hurt by the comment. She gave him something of the same look Ron did. But she would forgive him in the end. She always did. Fred was not so much of a certainty.

The last confrontation was the worst. George was hoping to grab some pillows and a blanket from the Common Room and camp out with Hagrid or something. It was late when he got there. He did not expect to see Fred, Angelina, Katie, Lee and Alicia gathered, waiting for him. George felt a pang at the sight of Katie, sitting with her knees pulled up into her chest on a squidgy red armchair, blonde curls tumbling into her eyes. She looked anxious and uncertain. He had not thought of her all this time. If they could carry on without her knowing, without her getting hurt George wouldn't feel so terrible. But by the look on Fred's face it was not to be so.

Lee and Angelina leaned against the fireplace, the source of all this mess staring at her feet. Fred and Alicia shared a couch.

"Brilliant!" said Lee, trying desperately to sound cheery and efficient. "You're here! Now will one of you just bloody tell us what's going on?"

"I just came for a pillow."

"Well, you're not getting a pillow!" said Alicia. "Come on now, you two. This isn't normal. We're all allowed to fight. You're not. Talk to us."

"Talk to them, George," Fred muttered.

"Shut it." Fred stood.

"Say that again."

Lee stepped forward hastily. "Stop! You're weirding me out, man! Acting like a bunch of girls. No offense, you three."

"George." Katie ignored this and spoke softly. "Please. What's the matter?"

"He kissed Angelina, that's the matter!"

Hers was the first expression George looked for and he wished he hadn't. He knew Katie was about to cry as she always looked at her hands to conceal it. He turned away. Alicia was shaking her head. Lee looked like he was trying to catch flies with his mouth, it was so wide open. Angelina looked at Katie, hands covering her mouth.

"Well, tell them all about it, George!"

"Shall I mention that she kissed me back as well?"

Angelina spoke for the first time. "I did not!" But it sounded weak.

"You didn't stop me either." Katie stood and moved towards the girl's dorm. "Kate, don't go…" She did not turn back. George's shoulders slumped. "I didn't mean to upset everyo-"

"Don't." said Fred. "Don't talk. Just go."

He thought of saying sorry, but then he knew it would have been a lie. He loved her and he wanted her and for that he could not apologise. But he was sorry for the hurt it caused. George said nothing more, looked at no one else and made for the Portrait Hole.

He heard Angelina's weak plea as he climbed out.

"Let's not talk about this with anybody else, okay?"

He had been hoping she would say that.

Author's Note: Keep it in the family, tha's wha I always say! Don't want the whole of Hogwarts yappin' abou' it! Hope you enjoyed. Sorry for the late update. School. You know the story. About two chapters to go!

GBU (God Bless U!)