Summary: Harry's twin sister, Holly, is a spitting image of her father with her mother's temper. But why is she so insistent to deny how much she's like their parents? Why is she so interested in the Weasley Twins?
Disclaimer: Do not own. Never have; never will.
A/n: NO FLAMES! Not accepted. Thank-you. VGxx
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
Chapter 9 – Accepting Who I AmIt was a few weeks later when Fred and Holly started talking again. And this brightened both up a bit but Holly still refused to tell Hermione and Ginny who had asked her to the Yule Ball. She saw it as none of their business and told them so when they asked her again.
"Come on Holly! We won't tell Fred we swear!" Ginny pleaded as Hermione nodded in agreement.
"Girls! I'm not going and even if I was – it's none of your business." She told them. They would groan then search the room for her dress that they knew she would wear but they never found it. Holly had hidden it that well that they could look right at it and not see it (and no it's not invisible).
The whole school was studying in the Great Hall and Holly had placed herself beside Fred. Opposite Ron. He had tried time after time to find out whom she was going with and she kept refusing to tell him. Fred flicked a piece of parchment across the table to Ron who read it then looked up and whispered harshly.
"Who you going with then?" Fred jerked his thumb towards Holly who froze.
"Uh Fred? I'm already going with someone else. Sorry." Holly said, her eyes a picture of apology.
"Who?" Fred asked.
"I promised him I wouldn't tell." Holly whispered.
"Is he Gryffindor?" Fred asked. Holly nodded.
"Yeah." Holly said, she gathered up her things and stood up, she handed her book to Professor Snape then walked back up to the common room. She had to make sure no one worked out whom she was going with. She didn't want Fred to get upset at her or at George. It wasn't worth it. She sighed and slid to the floor against the wall between her bed and Hermione's. She had to get used to this idea she had of being a Potter. Everyone had drilled it into her head for years.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
As the evening of the Yule Ball crept closer more and more Gryffindor boys asked Holly to go with them, even Harry risked it. But she told them again and again she wasn't going. As Hermione and Ginny got ready for the ball Holly lay on her bed reading.
"You really aren't going are you?" Hermione asked.
"No I'm not." Holly replied absently, curling her hair around her finger.
"Well, George says he's not either, maybe you'll get to chat about who you would've gone with had you been asked." Ginny snapped not realizing what she'd said. Making sure Ginny and Hermione had left, Holly quickly showered and dressed for her date, she heard the other leave and when it was silent, there was a knock on the door. Holly opened it and there stood George, dressed in his very own dress robes looking very nice indeed. If Holly didn't have her heart set on Fred, she'd be dating him.
"One second I'll just…actually can you do the zip up?" She asked turning so her back was too him. His fingers brushed her skin and Holly felt herself blush. Get a grip Potter! A voice in her head snapped this is your crushes brother! She heard the zipper on her dress rise up her back to her shoulders, before George's hands rested there.
"You know…Fred was nuts not to go down to the common room and ask you when I did. You look gorgeous." He whispered…again making her blush. Holly suddenly had a feeling that maybe George had feelings for her, beyond friendship.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Fred and Angelina heard Ron's harsh whisper 'thought she said she wasn't gonna be here!' before they heard Ginny's soft 'Oh, you look gorgeous!' They turned finding George had arrived a little late with Holly on his arm. Fred felt something stir near the pit of his stomach. This was not what he wanted his brother to do to him. Didn't George know that Fred liked her? As more than a friend? Holly caught Fred's eye and gave him a small smile. But when Fred tried to return he found that he couldn't and just turned away. By the end of the night Fred and George weren't talking and Angelina and Holly were the best of friends. Hermione and Ginny also had asked her how she had gotten a dress so gorgeous in without them knowing and she told them that whole story about Hogsmeade.
"I thought you said you weren't going!" Holly, Hermione and Ginny turned to see Fred and George talking, rather heatedly, by the door.
"I wasn't going to tell you that I was going with her! I'm pretty sure she didn't tell you who she was going with!" George replied.
"That's different! Maybe she didn't want to hurt me!" Fred argued.
"So? Maybe I didn't want to either! It shouldn't matter to you anyway! It's not like you're in love with her or something!" George returned.
"Excuse me? It sounds like you are! You're my twin! You should know if I'm in love with someone or not! What's to say I'm not?" Fred challenged.
"How would I…wait a minute…you are in love with her aren't you?" George paused and his voice dropped in volume.
"So what if I am!" Fred shot back angrily.
"STOP IT!" The boys froze at Holly's voice, "just stop it." Tears had formed in her eyes and they threatened to fall, they both looked at her – equally as upset to see her crying as she was.
"Holly…I'm sorry." Fred said, his voice had dropped so only George and her could hear him.
"I knew George liked me. I could tell by the way he spoke to me tonight. But Fred…you weren't sending me any signals! I had no idea." Holly told them.
"And you?" George asked.
"Me? What's to say I want anything more than friendship with you two? I'm 14. You two are16. I'm not ready for that yet." Holly said.
"What's to say you want more?" Fred asked.
"Exactly. I'm not sure." She said, she accepted hugs from them before she left the great hall and went back up to the Common room it was short time later that she was joined by Ron and Harry.
"Kicked out by Hermione?" She asked casually, running her hand over her dress.
"Sent away more like. Ron and her have been fighting." Harry said slumping down beside her.
"You wanna hear something funny?" She said. Both looked at her and shrugged, "Tonight when I was getting ready…I had George zip my dress up, when his fingers brushed my skin I blushed, but you know how you get that voice in your head telling you to get a grip?" Harry nodded, "I heard it, you know what it said?" They shook their heads, "it said 'get a grip Potter.'"
"Potter? I thought you said you were never going to admit it." Ron said. She shook her head.
"What's to keep me from doing it now?" She said, "I guess I can't keep hiding it."
"What was keeping you from admitting it earlier?" Holly and Harry ignored Ron.
"So that birth certificate you showed me…was fake?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, total fake." Holly said, "I'm sorry Harry. But James and Lily…I was just…I dunno." Harry merely laughed softly. When Ron and Holly looked at him quizzically, he smiled and wrapped an arm around Holly's shoulders.
"You are so like Dad…Remus and Sirius have told me about him…you are so much like him." Harry said. But something was still off. Something that Harry was about to ask, when Fred and George returned. Fred sporting a bust lip and George a blood nose.
"Boys!" Holly cried getting to her feet, "what on earth brought this on?" She said looking at both of them. Both noted that her eyes flew to Fred's lip first before snapping to George's nose.
"We fought." Fred admitted.
"Over me?" They nodded slowly," I'm not worth hating your best friend over! Really! I'm not all that." She said, she dashed out of the common room and then back down in her robes before using what Harry told them was muggle medicine to patch them up.
"It'd take longer than Madam Pomphrey's expertise – but I saw her at the dance. She won't be back til much later. So you'll have to deal." She said dabbing at Fred's lip with a disinfectant that made him wince. George was easier, she handed him some tissues and told him to tilt his head forwards and to pinch the bridge of his nose. He did so. And soon enough the bleeding stopped. Fred needed to have a little more care. But Holly was now able to accept who she was she chatted animatedly about why she had decided to accept it.
