Dreamless.
For the first time in a long time, she woke up from a completely dreamless sleep.
Her alarm clock blared at 8:00 but she stared at Sadie's empty bed without a thought until 8:15.
Eventually, her subconscious won over and was able to disrupt her state of peace by conjuring the same sinking dread that had plagued her chest last night. George's look of pity and sadness played in her head over and over again. It was just uncomfortable enough to get her to drag herself out of bed, shower quickly, dawn on a black sweater dress, and a puffy black coat, and make it out of the dungeon by 8:50.
The low murmur from the Great Hall was tempting as she walked by, to get to the courtyard and even though she knew it would hurt her feelings, she peeked inside. Her eyes hit the group of redheads instantly and inexplicably, she would've given her left arm to be talking excitedly amongst them. They sat near the end, their faces pink with strained expressions and gasping breaths between laughs.
Happy. They always looked so happy.
She could tell that George was the one leading the conversation with some story that his siblings were hanging onto every word of. Maybe he would tell her later. She tore herself away from the view and stalked towards the courtyard before her mind could remind her of the absence of her parents and Olivia.
She sat on a stone bench and clicked her lug heel boots against each other in the cool fall air. George was bound to still be angry but she wondered what his wrath would be like. The issue was convoluted and even though she wanted to be hurt and angry, she couldn't anymore.
It felt like fighting for a cause she didn't even believe in. Fruitless and energy wasting.
His anger was directed at a rough sketch of the truth but nowhere near the root of the issue. It was difficult to put her heart into a fight that was hardly even real, especially when she knew exactly how tragic it would inevitably end.
"Morning Violet."
She looked up from her boots to see Ginny excitedly leading the pack of Weasley's over to her.
"Morning," she replied.
"Ready to go?"
She returned the smile and stood up to follow them out of the courtyard. "Yep."
"Hang on," Ron bellowed, furrowing his brow. "Charlie said this was supposed to be a secret. Why does she get to come?"
She felt her cheeks go pink and glared at him. One angry Weasley was more than enough this morning and two just felt uncalled for.
Fred hung an arm around his brother's shoulders and smiled down at her. "What's got your knickers in a twist, Ronnie?"
"Shove off," Ron said, stalking off towards the dark forest, turning his back on the whole group.
Fred had never been the white knight she'd needed in previous tension-filled moments and she suddenly felt more grateful for his presence than ever. She chanced a glance at his partner in crime but George had already turned his back to follow after Ron.
Great, she thought, her strongest tether to this family wasn't even going to look at her and she had to spend all morning with them.
"You in the dog house or something, Wilkes?" Fred laughed, elbowing her and eyeing his twin's retreating figure.
"Something like that," she mumbled, letting Ginny take her arm and lead her down the stone path and through the dark forest.
She, Fred, and Ginny talked about the tournament and their progress on the ton-tongue-toffee as they walked but she couldn't keep her eyes away from George. He didn't look angry by any means, just forlorn. He and Ron were talking about something in hushed tones a few paces in front of them but she couldn't make out what it was. She watched them whisper rapidly back and forth until George said something that made the perturbed Ron throw his head back in laughter, which dissolved the raincloud above them into a sort of ease that was only possible with family.
She half wondered as the tension released from George's shoulders and sunshine returned to his face if he'd forgotten that she was there.
And then she was stuck in toffee.
As if he could read her mind, he turned ever so slightly and made eye contact. By the sudden rise of his eyebrows, it was clear he was not expecting her to be staring at him adoringly, but she didn't look away. He masked the glance as an innocent check-in on the three of them but he seemed to forget to look at the other two. His eyes flitted back to his younger brother as he forfeited their staring contest but she could see the ghost of a smile on the corner of his mouth.
"Charlie!" Ginny yelled abruptly, letting go of her arm and waving frantically.
The second oldest Weasley appeared from the underbrush and took long, almost threatening steps to embrace his family. He looked just like he did in the pictures except the camera didn't pick up his rugged features and borderline dangerous air.
His tall frame disappeared behind the taller twins but his arms made it all the way around the group of Weasley's. Last year, that amount of red hair all in one place would've made her sick but now…well the hug didn't look half bad.
She focused on the back of George's head subconsciously. Even from behind she could tell which one he was, mostly from the large cowlick that plagued his poorly groomed hair.
Sunlight kissed the top of his head and bathed his floppy hair in golden light. Red, orange, or gold didn't do the color any justice. The longer she stared in wonder at his fiery crown, the more difficult it became to hold any animosity towards him.
Charlie glanced up at caught her eye from the dogpile and she shot him a smile, trying to hide the fact that she'd been staring admiringly at his brother.
Noticing the glance, George cleared his throat and turned around. "This is Violet…erm and Violet this is Charlie."
He wasn't speaking directly to her, but she would take it.
Charlie spoke first after eyeing his brother teasingly. "Violet, nice to meet ya."
"You too. Thanks for letting me tag along," she said, shaking the large man's hand. It was rough and calloused. She couldn't imagine why it wouldn't be, dealing with dragons was definitely not a desk job, and yet it was rather jarring.
"This one practically begged me so—" He was cut off by a rather hard elbow to the ribs from George.
"Alright, alright," he giggled, winking down at her. "Let's see some dragons, shall we?"
George avoided her eyes but she watched his pink cheeks from the cold turn a deep red before stalking off after Charlie.
The last of her anger and frustration vanished into thin air. The beating of her heart, suddenly audible, signaled her worst fears come true. George could anger her beyond belief by calling her a coward a thousand times, or a myriad of other things but the affection she held for him would never budge. He could scold, yell, beg, hiss, groan and not look her in the eye but unfortunately, it didn't matter. She could hold grudges like air in her lungs and if anyone else had said the things that George had last night, they would've earned a lifelong spot on her hit list. And yet, something blinded her. Looking at George now, she couldn't see the harsh words, or angry expressions, only the softness of his eyes and the way his mouth looked when he said her name. She kicked herself mentally and groaned, wondering at what point she'd gotten so soft.
As they made it out into a clearing she scurried closer to the boy who brought her so much grief and pretended that it was an attempt to stand next to Ginny. The group stayed quiet as they came upon four huge cages covered in green and brown tarps. Thundering snores shook the trees and the heavy material swayed slightly as if there was a breeze.
"Pretty dull lot," Fred said, eyeing the relatively quiet cages.
"You'll be thanking Merlin they are, too," Charlie said, rolling up his sleeve. "Got this one last night trying to pump 'em full of sleeping draught."
His already wrinkled and cracked forearm glistened with some sort of salve on top of a fresh burn. She stared at the scar but was thrown into her own little world.
They use potions on dragons?
"Bloody hell, there's gonna be nothing left of you," Ron exclaimed.
"You sound like mum," Charlie scoffed jokingly.
"You use a sleeping draught?" Violet asked, eyeing the cages of sleeping dragons.
"Ah right, I heard something about you and potions," Charlie said. "Yeah, we do, only way to get 'em to sleep without stupefying."
"The normal recipe works on them? They aren't too large?" She questioned further, ignoring the butterflies in her chest. Maybe Ginny or Fred had told Charlie about her love of potions but she seriously doubted it.
"Nah, we brew it special," he said, nodding over to large buckets of dark purple liquid. "Extra strength."
"What makes it extra strength?"
"We use the whole Valerian plant, not just the sprigs."
She pondered the answer for a second and broke out into a huge smile. "That's brilliant!"
"Thank you," he said, nodding happily. "Work's like a charm."
"He didn't come up with it himself," George mumbled from somewhere behind her. Ginny giggled and the rest of the family glanced at him.
Charlie looked like he was about to say something to rile his younger brother up further when a loud snarl snapped their attention back to the cages.
"Looks like someone's awake!" Charlie bellowed, walking over to the beast that had made the sound to start unfurling the tarp that kept it hidden.
She braced herself for a terrifying sight but a beautiful green dragon looked up at them through the metal cage, ruffling its scales, flexing its wings, and stretching its legs. It blinked a few times and then widened its tawny eyes to stare at them. She held her breath a little at the intense gaze and took a step backward, hitting her back on something warm.
"I gotcha," it whispered.
It was George.
If he thought she was a coward before, he definitely would now. She mumbled a soft sorry and tried to pull away but he snaked a hand underneath her open coat and around her waist, so no one could see. She shuddered at the touch and let him pull her closer.
"This beauty here is a common welsh green," Charlie began before explaining what made it unique from the rest of the dragon breeds that were still sleeping.
She half-listened but it was impossible to concentrate with George holding her so close, just like he had been last night when they were looking at his family pictures before things got complicated.
The public nature of his affections didn't even register. It was just comforting to know that he didn't hate her beyond repair. Certainly, they weren't in the clear just yet but he seemed eager to forgive. Under normal circumstances, she'd drag it out, make him suffer, and beg for forgiveness but now she wanted to get her side of the apology to be over with.
She'd decided sometime in her peaceful state this morning that taking the blame was her best bet at getting him to drop it. He was much too stubborn so there was no changing his mind without any new information, and that wasn't something she was willing to do.
Slowly, she relaxed into George's chest, letting him prop her up and hold her waist tight, soaking in any affection that he was willing to give, despite his anger. He must have sensed her silent apology and forgiveness because his thumb began working circles just below her breast. She bit back a whine at the delicate touch and pressed her legs together to quell the sudden burning ache.
"They won't be hurt in the tournament, will they Charlie," Ginny squeaked out, staring at the beautiful beast.
"You're worried about the bloody dragons," Ron scoffed. "I reckon they'll be just fine against four teenagers."
"Can't tell ya much," Charlie said. "But I wouldn't put 'em in harm's way, Gin."
"What about Harry?" Ron practically yelled.
"I can't tell you anything," Charlie reiterated, with an amused smile tugging at his lips. "I shouldn't even be showing you this!"
"He'll be fine," Fred chimed in. "Besides, what're a few more scars on his face?"
George chuckled at his brother, but remained silent, still holding her tight.
A second growl from the other cage ripped through the trees and she leaned into George further, hoping that he hadn't felt her practically jump out of her skin. His chest jostled with a light giggle and she nudged his stomach as if to say a gentle 'shut up.' He caught her elbow and used the momentum to snake his other arm around her waist, pulling her against him fully.
She panicked for a moment before eyeing the rest of the family contently chatting away in front of the cage. She and George's canoodling was hardly the most interesting thing going on. She watched them a second longer before concluding that they were safe from prying eyes.
Charlie led his siblings a few more steps forward, talking rapidly about the next beast waking up. She and George stayed frozen at the very back of the group, holding their breath until they were sure no one was turning around.
George's hands dug punishingly into her waist and he seemed possessed by her proximity as he held her. Reality nearly ceased as her head slotted perfectly against his shoulder and his hands spread wide across her stomach. All her years at Hogwarts had been spent wondering if she fit in anywhere. Slytherin didn't always feel right, in her family she felt misunderstood, but here, in George's arms, the world went quiet.
She let her eyes unfocus and absorbed the feeling of pure content. George sucked in a breath and exhaled, his breath caressing the top of her forehead giving off the faintest scent of cinnamon. It triggered a memory from potions when she had made sure not to smell their Amortentia.
What would she have smelt if she did? The potion only exposed attraction, and if last night was any indicator, she would probably smell him. She'd dreaded the possibility then, but now, she didn't hate herself for it quite as much. Sure, it was less than optimal but there was no resisting it now. He inhaled and exhaled again, lulling her further into repose.
She was so focused on the calming rise and fall of George's chest that she almost didn't notice Charlie beginning to turn around. With a grunt of displeasure, she took a step forward, out of George's embrace and furrowed her brow as if she'd been listening intently the entire time.
"Alright, alright, I have to get back to work," he said, motioning to the other Dragonologists containing the very vocal beasts.
"You can watch a little longer if you stand by the path back there," he bellowed, moving towards the second cage. "And don't tell anybody about this, champions aren't supposed to know!"
The buzz from touching George came to a sobering end as Ginny, Fred and Ron turned around to walk back from whence they came. She joined them, not looking at the twin with his hands in his pockets, back through the clearing and trees that blocked the dragons from view.
She stopped at the edge of the path to watch Charlie uncover the last few dragons and called back to the rest of the Weasleys who were already halfway down the path.
"I'm going to stay a bit longer, see you later," she waved and watched Fred and Ginny turn to give her big smiles, and Ron not acknowledge her in the slightest, trudging on ahead.
She avoided George's eyes and turned back towards the cages. She'd been distracted by him since they got there and didn't get a chance to actually look at the amazing beasts. She thought that tonight she'd be sure to write Olivia, to tell her all about it.
The sound of footsteps disappeared through the forest, leaving roars and the clatter of scales against metal, as the only sounds breaking the silence. Before she could appreciate the peace, a new set of footsteps started behind her. She half hoped that Ginny had changed her mind and come back but by the length of the stride, she knew it wasn't.
He didn't press himself against her or even stand close, just hovered behind her, watching the dragons wake up and begin to squirm against their confinement. One particularly large one took no time at all to wake up and begin shooting fireballs in every direction. She gasped as one came hurtling so close that she felt the warm remnants of the deadly force as it disappeared into thin air.
Finally, he spoke. "That's what you look like when you get angry."
She wanted to whip around and shoot her own stream of fire at him but couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. He must have heard it because he came closer and brushed his hand against hers lightly, eyeing her cautiously.
"You're going to ship me off to Romania?"
He chuckled and shook his head. "Nah…anger management, maybe."
She elbowed him in the rib but he caught her arm and pulled her into him again, wrapping his other arm around her waist.
"If I have to go, then so do you," she mumbled.
He was quiet then. She could feel his heart fluttering against her and knew that he wanted answers. If she was smart, she would've pulled away and reignited their argument from last night, possibly making their anger at one another permanent, but she wasn't.
A concession was the best plan of attack, she reminded herself. It would result in the least amount of questions.
Lose the battle, win the war.
"I'm sorry, about last night," she whispered leaning her head back against his shoulder and reaching up to cup his cheek. "That's a sensitive subject, and I haven't talked about it in a while so I just kind of lost it. I know you just wanted to help."
Another half-truth. Hopefully, it would be enough for him.
"I'm sorry too," he breathed, catching her hand and pressing a kiss into her palm. A shiver slipped through her whole body. "Malfoy is a git and I just…I just…hate knowing that he hurts you." He dropped his head and rested his chin against the top of her head with the final word. "I didn't mean to make it sound like I was angry at you."
She closed her eyes and breathed him in deeply. "I know."
They fell silent again as George peppered her palm and wrist with delicate kisses.
"Are you angry with me," he asked quietly, pulling her back fully against his chest.
"What do you think?"
"Yes," he whispered, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.
"No," she breathed, closing her eyes as his lips made contact with her pulse point.
"Last time you stormed off, you were angry at me for nearly a week."
"That was different," she whispered. "And if I remember correctly, I forgave you pretty quick."
He hummed in agreement against her skin.
"I remember," he said slowly. "It went like this right?"
His breath ghosted across her face as he ran his lips up and down her jawline, nibbling at the most sensitive spot below her ear.
"Yes," she breathed, stuck in place by the overwhelming sensation of letting George kiss her out in the open.
"But now I can't seem to remember," he huffed. "Was it like this?"
He craned his neck to lick a slow stripe across her neck.
"Or like this?"
She jumped and let out a gasp as his teeth made contact with her clavicle. He chuckled lowly, before covering her chest in large, sloppy kisses, all but abandoning his meticulous, teasing method.
She giggled and turned to face him. He held her body tight but leaned down to finally bring his face to hers.
They collided; timid, and sweet, with parted lips and bated breath.
His lips weren't needy, or hungry. She didn't move against him and neither did he. With the mutual admittance of feelings deeper than desire, the knot finally snapped. No more nerves, or uneasiness; only certainty. The certainty that if she could, she'd kiss him like this every day for the rest of her life, despite the consequences.
She knew she shouldn't have let him kiss her, and yet, it felt like she had no other choice.
He was brilliant, intoxicating, beautiful, and here.
It was a fantasy, with an impossible ending. She knew as soon as they broke apart, her mind would do everything it could to distract her from this ultimate desire, but maybe she could entertain it for just a little while longer.
"Come with me."
Her eyes opened in an instant to see George grinning wickedly with a hand open towards her between them. She grabbed his hand without question and let him pull her back down the path, and further into the tree line.
George turned around suddenly and lifted her off the ground so that he was standing between her legs with her back against a large tree. She was breathless and the bark was rough against her back but the delicious feeling of him between her thighs canceled everything else out.
It wasn't like last time, when they were both meek and unassured, not really knowing what to do with their hands or lips. This time, he dipped down to her face and captured her lips with bruising force. She sighed against his tongue as he rolled his hips into hers, pining her to the tree. Her hands clung to the front of his shirt in tight fists, gripping his shirt, pulling him close.
A fierce roar from one of the dragons, in the distance, sent adrenaline through her veins and she skirted one of her hands down his torso. Despite flying blind, she managed with his belt just fine and found the zipper in record time. George grunted against her lips as he quickly realized what she was doing.
Her hand made contact with his boxers and he stopped moving. She froze too, for a moment, afraid that she'd done something wrong until George pulled back from the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers, eyes wide with hunger.
"You don't have to," he whispered. "I know that I —"
"I want to."
He watched her carefully, chest heaving.
"Let me," she whispered finally before he gave her a slight nod in concession.
She let out a shaky breath and continued slowly, letting her palm glide over soft skin. He kept his eyes open and glued to hers but sucked in a harsh breath and bucked his hips slightly, pressing himself into her grasp.
"Merlin, fuck," he hissed, as she gripped her fist around him.
His brows furrowed and his expression tensed like he was trying desperately to remember something or perhaps just stubbed his toe.
He shifted her weight into one arm underneath her thighs and brought a hand up to tangle in the hairs behind her neck, bracing the back of her head as he slowly pumped into her hand. She mimicked his movement until they found a steady rhythm.
"Oh fuck me….you're amazing—you feel amazing."
His incoherent, obscene sputtering ignited something new inside of her. Possessive, dark, and dominating. His husky voice, and intense eye-contact being only for her felt like madness. The thought that he could be hers and only hers made her dip her chin and devour the rest of his moans.
He held her cheek, pressing her into him before dragging his hand down to brush past the neckline of her dress until his thumb caressed her nipple. He rolled over it, again and again, drawing moans out of her with every touch. The heat of his hand against her chest accompanied by the cool breeze on her now exposed skin made her shudder.
He let out an animalistic rumble from deep in his chest and thrust into her hand faster and faster, sputtering curse words and adorations. In his haste he gripped her chest hard, making her hiss and moan with him until a shattered gasp escaped his lips and she felt something wet against her wrist.
He pulled away first but kept his eyes closed, pressing his forehead against hers, leaning in to run his lips across her cheeks, nose, and jaw. She muttered a drying spell and moved to stand on her own two legs. He let her, but kept a hand on her thigh, letting it run up her backside as he put her down. His hand met bare skin as he pushed her dress up to her hips where his fingers began playing with the seam of her underwear. She threw her head back against the tree with the anticipation of his fingers sliding into her folds but it never came. George ran his tongue down her neck and what was exposed of her chest before kissing a line down her torso, bringing himself to his knees.
She furrowed her brows and looked down at him as he peppered kissed onto her exposed legs.
"George," she whined, feeling something searing below her navel as his tongue danced on her upper thigh. "What are you doing?"
He looked up at her with his thumb looped around her waistband. Her breath caught in her throat so she gave him a shaky nod in permission.
"I have dreamt about you longer than I care to admit, Violet," he growled, between kisses.
A moan ripped through her chest, as his teeth nipped at the sensitive skin.
"And just in case you're going to run away again, I'm not giving up my chance to taste you."
Closing her legs and running away seemed like the best option. Sadie had talked to her about her various boyfriend's attempts at going down but according to her, they always looked like they were having less than a good time, thusly, making it an inadequate experience. She dwelled on it a second longer before his nose brushed her inner thigh.
The burn she felt every time he touched her was searing as his tongue traced her slit.
Her head went fuzzy. If she hadn't been leaning against the tree she would've topped over. Before she could even register what he'd even said, he pressed his tongue through her folds, to suck hard on her core. She bucked her hips and brought a hand down to his head, silently pulling his hair, asking for more.
It wasn't lazy or uninterested, but rather, eager and starved. He licked her core just right and threw her head back, seeing stars and moaning into the branches above.
"Fucking perfect," George hissed, as his tongue swirled over her core in a delicious, quick, firm motion.
She could barely register his words as his tongue lavished her for every moan, sigh, and curse word she could produce. The sound of his wet, open-mouthed kisses against her was intoxicating. She could listen to it forever, and it seemed, based on his enthusiasm, that George wouldn't disapprove.
"Right there," she groaned, inadvertently grabbing his hair to pull him closer.
He moaned against her, creating an overwhelming vibration that threw her over the edge.
She yelped as she came down from euphoria and the reality of the outdoor situation returned.
George's onslaught hadn't ceased despite her loud apex. His mouth was no longer hungry or urgent but intentional and adoring. He caressed her with slow, long licks and sucked delicately at her core.
"Fuck," she moaned. "George—fuck it's too much I —"
He lazy continued, even as she twitched and writhed beneath him.
"Come for me, again," he mumbled. "Taste so good—"
She gripped his hair to steady herself. It was harder than she'd meant to but he let out an approving grunt and doubled his efforts.
"Taste fucking amazing — wanna do this all day…"
She lay in the valley of her last orgasm and suddenly rocketed up the hill again, with the trajectory feeling earth-shattering.
She came again on his tongue, babbling his name in heated pants and rolling her hips against his face.
He licked her clean and pressed kisses against her slit and inner thigh before letting her dress fall free and standing up to look her in the eye.
His lips and chin were damp with her and his eyes looked borderline crazed. He stared at her as if she held all the secrets of the universe. It made her shutter and launch forward to capture his lips.
She tasted herself on his tongue bristled at the tang. The way that he was devouring her only moments ago, she would've thought that she tasted like candy. He pulled her close by the waist and trapped her in a deep embrace. He pressed her back up against the tree and for half a second, she considered asking him for more.
A tree shaking dragon's roar ripped through the forest, making them both jump and move away from the tree.
"Alright, let's get out of here before we're burnt to a crisp," George groaned, catching her lips lightly a last time. He grabbed her hand and lead her back down the path. Again, she complied wordlessly.
The sun had never felt warmer, and she'd never felt lighter. If they could, she would've stayed out in the middle of the forest for the rest of the day, tangled in a web of each other, right there on the dirt and earth, but the voices of their peers congregating near the lake, and in the courtyard was a rude reminder of reality. A reality where she could not afford to be seen holding hands with George, it was a gamble to even be seen walking out of the forest with him.
"Charlie seems great," she said, swinging their arms.
He giggled at the movement and rolled his eyes. "He's a bloody show-off, is what he is."
She dropped his hand and sunk it into her pocket, hoping he'd think it was for warmth. He must have known better though because he shot her a hurt look and hung his head to watch the Hogwarts lawn beneath them.
"Thanks again," she said cautiously as they came out of the forest. "For letting me come with you guys."
"What are you doing for the rest of the day," he said abruptly. "Do you want to do something?"
She flew through her mind, searching for an excuse, or anything to prevent her from having to reiterate the hurtful truth that he already knew. His eyes pleaded with her silently to not say no. To not dismiss him. To just say yes and grab his hand in front of all their peers. It was compelling but not enough.
"Oh um — I have a lot of homework to catch up on and—" she stuttered, staring down at the ground. "Sorry….I just can't erm hang out today but maybe another time?"
He stared down at her in silent acceptance. She could see hurt, and sadness beneath his small, tight smile but he never let it show completely. He let out a final sigh and looked up to stare at the castle wistfully.
"I wouldn't mind, you know," he whispered, glancing over to her. "If they knew…. If they all knew. I'd actually be happy if Malfoy knew that you were mine."
She stared at him wide-eyed.
Mine.
Her mind whirred in a silent flurry of desire, happiness, and guilt.
"George…I….I can't, it's not —" She stopped talking, the somber look on his face was too much. It hurt; worse than a punch to the face, worse than cruel words from housemates, worse than nightmares.
"I know," he breathed, looking back down at his shoes, away from her. "I just wanted you to know, in case you ever change your mind."
He cleared his throat. "Right, see you later." She opened her mouth to say something, anything to get him to stay just a little bit longer but he was already jogging off toward the castle.
The pit in her stomach deepened.
It really did hurt to watch someone run away from you.
Her heart was heavy all weekend. The library brought her no peace or solace. Even Sadie's excited ramblings about the tournaments first event on Tuesday couldn't distract her.
He was everywhere; at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each time he laughed at something or whispered along with his friends, her stomach sunk deeper. She could be there too, laughing with him, meeting his friends, hanging out with his family but she was too scared. At this point, she began to wonder if she was more afraid of the fear itself.
Maybe it wouldn't be the end of the world?
People didn't really pay that much attention to her so maybe it would be the least of their worries. It was entirely possible that no one would care, even Malfoy.
If only the problem was as easy as a potion, she mused.
If it was, she could follow exact instructions and brew a first batch, and then a second, and then a third, until it was right. Nothing messy about that; meticulous trial and error.
Although, despite the lack of brewing instructions, she might actually be able to test a first batch.
If she chose correctly, she could do a controlled experiment and test drive the news on someone to better gauge the school's reaction. She ran through her rolodex of possible choices.
Hermione had seen them that day on the chair, and although she hadn't really brought it up again, surely she was suspicious. It was a good option but she knew deep down that the sweet Gryffindor would just be happy for the both of them.
No. Hermione wouldn't work. She needed someone more judgmental, someone, more prone to flying off the handle.
She stared at Sadie across the table at dinner on Sunday night. The guilt from keeping a secret from her gnawed at her sanity. That seemed to be her only option, everyone else she knew was too nice.
"Sades," she said.
"Hm?"
"I heard a rumor…and I was wondering if you'd heard it too?"
She only needed to test the waters. Just a toe, nothing more, in case of a sudden tsunami.
"Oh, do tell," she said excitedly, with wide eyes.
"Hardly anything exciting. It's just something about the Weasley twins," she started, aimlessly trying to figure out how to stay anonymous. "I heard that one of them is dating someone in Slytherin."
She gasped, and her hand flew to her mouth. "You're joking!"
"Just a rumor!" She assured her. "I don't even know which twin, or who in our house it is but that's what I heard."
She squinted at her friend, waiting for a dismissal, or roll of her eyes but Sadie's face cracked in a wicked smile of delight, horror, and intrigue.
"What a fucking idiot," Sadie cackled. "What sad girl is so desperate for a boyfriend that they would settle for a Weasley?"
Her stomach dropped. She'd half expected it but hearing the words still hurt.
"Right," she said, trying to match her best friend's tone. "So mental."
"That's hysterical, I have to know who it is so I can set her straight before the rest of the house does! I mean could you imagine taking a Weasley home to your parents?"
Yes. Yes, she could.
She solemnly told her brain to shut up.
"No, never," she whispered and shook her head. "That would be mortifying."
"Well, that solves the mystery of why one of them was sneaking around the dungeons a few weeks ago! I cannot believe you heard about this before me! Who do you reckon it is?"
"No clue. I was hoping you would know," she said half-heartedly.
Sadie looked frantically down the table and pondered each face intently for the rest of their meal without luck. She ran through every girl in their year but didn't once bring up Violet's name. It was what she had wanted and yet, somehow worse than she could have ever imagined.
"You have to tell me if you find out who it is," she said, getting up from the table after dinner, to join Anastas for an evening stroll. "Love you lots!"
Not likely.
"Of course, have a good night," she said, waving to the retreating figures.
She rested her head on the table and tried to drown out the noise around her.
A fucking idiot.
That's what they would say; that she was a fucking idiot. They already called her a traitor so what was one more insult? Then again… what a peaceful existence she had. Keeping sneaking around with George, and the rest of Hogwarts away from one another.
Regardless of how good it was, she felt… selfish. Surely that was why George had looked so hurt when she pulled away from him, and when she told him that no one could know.
Her house's reaction really didn't matter though. The only thing that mattered was that they would surely tell the only person whose response really mattered.
Malfoy was evil, chaotic, and utterly without remorse.
She was certain that Malfoy's twisted and sick sense of humor would make him spill her dirty family secret to the whole school as soon as he found out about her and George. He'd shout "Weasley and the Death Eater" to anyone who would listen.
The revelation would sever any ties to George, or Ginny or Fred, ruining the entire thing, and give her no choice but to remain in the shadow of Slytherin, because no one else would have her.
George didn't know it, but she was distancing herself from him because she wanted to protect him.
Well, attempting to distance herself from him.
She pressed her fingers to her lips and sighed.
Giggles from the Gryffindor table drove the stake further into her heart. It would be easy, to go sit with them and join in, but that was the problem. If she did it again, it'd be harder to sit alone at her own table every single day. And the inevitable horror and shock from them when the hammer finally dropped, would hurt that much worse. She sucked in a large breath and opting for self-control, got up quickly and marched back down to the dungeon.