An Unfortunate Miracle
Chapter Thirteen
Christmas Surprises
Author's Note: Yay! Christmas!
I had decided to bewitch my Harry Potter books to look like something completely different to everyone but me, using a charm I found in the Hogwarts library. I did this as soon as I got home, and kept them under my bed. Sometimes, I crawled under there to read the fifth book, which was changing to include Scott and I.
I knew that if I found another fifth book in my universe, it would have already completely changed, given that it was 2005 there, but here, it was only 1995. It was amazing, that time difference. It meant that the other Ivy, wherever she was, was only six years old, since I had been born in 1988.
The first time Fred and George came to visit, it was three days before Christmas. I was under my bed, rereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, when they Apparated into my room.
CRACK.
CRACK.
The noises startled me, causing me to hit my head on the underside of the bed. "OUCH!"
"Hey, George," said Fred, "the bed's talking!"
"It's not the bed, you idiot," I said, crawling out from under the bed, rubbing my head, "it's me."
"Ivy!" They hugged me tightly, and George asked, "What were you doing under the bed?"
"Reading."
"Under the bed?"
"Yes," I said, then changed the subject. "Why did you Apparate into my room?"
"We thought this was Lee's room," said Fred, looking around. "Where is Lee?"
"Shopping with Aunt Becky."
"Really?" asked Fred.
"I thought we told him we were coming," said George.
"We'll come back in an hour, then," said Fred, before Disapparating.
George, however, hugged me. "See you later, Ivy." He smiled before following his twin.
I stared at the spot where he had been, thinking. Why had George taken the time to hug me when Fred hadn't?
Scott opened my door. "Who were you talking to?" he asked.
"Fred and George," I said.
He gave me a weird look. "Whatever," he said before closing the door.
An hour later, they reappeared in my room. This time, I was reading a non-Harry Potter book on top of my bed.
"Is he – ?" Fred began.
"No," I said simply, turning a page of A Series of Unfortunate Events, by Lemony Snicket. I had gone to a bookstore in my own universe to buy "Book the Twelfth". I didn't touch a Harry Potter book, for the same reason I couldn't tell anyone in the Wizarding world about the books.
"Damn!" Fred swore before Apparating away.
I didn't hear George follow, and I looked up. He was watching me. "So..." he said awkwardly. "How've you been?"
"All right, I guess," I said. "What about you? How's your dad?"
"He's okay. We visited him on Friday at St. Mungo's." He sat next to me. "What are you reading?"
"A Muggle book," I said, showing him the cover.
He frowned. "Muggle books confuse me."
I laughed. That was funny, considering his younger brother's best friend's life was written down in Muggle books.
He smiled. "I've missed you."
I raised an eyebrow. "George, it's only been a couple days."
"So?" he said defensively. "I can't miss you?"
"I didn't say that." I looked back at my book, not really seeing the words. "I missed you too," I said quietly.
I looked up when he didn't say anything. He was looking at me strangely. Then he suddenly leaned forward and –
CRACK.
Startled, I fell backwards off the bed. George swore and got up to help me.
"Mum wants us back for dinner," said Fred. He looked at us suspiciously. "What are you doing?"
"Talking," said George quickly. I looked at him. Had he been about to kiss me?
"Well, hurry up, Mum's going crazy wondering where you are." He gave us another suspicious look before Disapparating.
"I'd guess you'd better go," I said. He nodded. "I'll tell Lee you were looking for him."
"Fred was looking for Lee. I wanted to see you." I blushed slightly, and he hugged me. "I'll come back tomorrow," he promised, before he Disapparated.
Scott opened the door again. "Stop talking to yourself!"
I was unable to fall asleep that night, because I kept thinking about George, wondering if he had really been about to kiss me. I gave up on sleeping again and got out one of my Muggle notebooks and began writing to Kailee about George (not mentioning his last name, of course). I was just addressing the envelope when George Apparated behind me.
I spun around. He looked surprised to find me awake. "George Weasley, what are you doing here? It's three in the morning!"
He seemed to be searching for an answer. "I – er – wanted to see you?" He smiled hopefully.
"It's three in the morning!" I hissed. "People are sleeping!"
"You're not."
"That's not my point!" I told him, exasperated. "What if someone else had heard you? One day, you're going to get into serious – Why are you smiling?" A grin was spreading across his face. "It's not funny!"
"You're pretty when you're angry," he said, so quietly that I was sure that I had misheard him.
"I – what?"
His eyes widened and he swallowed nervously; he had obviously not meant to say it out loud. "I – I said you're pretty when you're angry."
My anger vanished, and was replaced by immense confusion. "You think I'm pretty when I'm angry?"
"I think you're pretty all the time," he said. My face felt hot. George surprised me by suddenly kissing my cheek. "See you later." He Apparated away.
After a few seconds, I sat back down at my desk and tore open the envelope I had been addressing. I had to revise my letter.
I did eventually fall asleep, and woke up around noon. I put the letter to Kailee in the mailbox, and then spent the rest of the day in Diagon Alley, which was packed with Christmas shoppers.
Most of my time was spent in Flourish and Blott's, looking for a spell that would take the tarnish off my mother's silver locket. I had tried removing it the Muggle way, but it wasn't working too well. After I found the charm, I performed it on the locket (while the manager of the shop wasn't looking) and re-fastened it around my neck.
I then went to Madame Malkin's, where I bought simple dark green dress robes for Christmas. I also went to the stationery store, where I bought color-changing ink. I was tempted to send a letter to Kailee written with it, but I knew it would lead to questions I couldn't answer legally. I also stopped at the Apothecary to re-stock my Potions supplies.
After I finished my school shopping, I began to look for Christmas presents for my friends. I went to Gambol & Japes for Fred, George, and Lee, of course. I wandered around a bit before I decided to get them each a bag of Dungbombs. I had already sent Angelina, Alicia, and Katie their presents (I had conjured beanie babies that looked like each of them, dressed in Gryffindor Quidditch robes). I bought sugar quills for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. As for Scott, I bought him the same thing I knew he was going to get me: candy.
I didn't see George again until Christmas Day. I walked back into my room after dinner and found George sitting on my bed.
"Happy Christmas, Ivy," he said brightly, standing and hugging me. "You look nice."
I blushed. I was wearing my new dress robes, and I had curled my hair with my wand. "Thanks."
"I would have come earlier, but we visited Dad at St. Mungo's. Did you get the present from me and Fred?"
I nodded, smiling. He and Fred had bought me a Beater's bat with my name carved into the handle in a fancy script. "Yeah, I loved it, thanks."
"Thanks for the Dungbombs, we've been meaning to buy more, but we hadn't gotten around to it." I knew those Dungbombs would end up going off in the corridors at school. "I really like your hair," he told me, touching one of my curls. "You should wear it like this more often."
I blushed again. Normally, I tied my hair back, and rarely wore it down. "I don't know, tying my hair back is easier, I guess." I looked at him. He had a strange smile on his face. I frowned. "George?" He hesitated for a second before leaning forward and kissing my lips.
When he pulled away, he saw the shock on my face. His ears turned red to match his hair. "Sorry." I didn't know what to say. He avoided my gaze. "I – I'll see you."
I found my voice. "George – " But it was too late, he had gone. I sat down on my bed, totally confused by what had just happened. Maybe I should have seen it coming; George had always been more open to me than Fred had. But I still had feelings for Justin.
I stood up. I needed to write another letter to Kailee.
Author's Note: I hope you liked it! Review, please!