AN: Just feel like I should give a warning that this chapter has some mild spice, so read at your own risk lol

Part 11 - Taking Flight

George laid in bed, listening closely. Fred's breathing had slowed to a steady, even pace, confirming he was finally out. George waited a few more minutes, just to be sure, before slowly pulling the covers off and slipping out of bed. He carefully pulled on a thick jacket and crept out the dorm and down the stairs, being conscious of each step. George and Fred both had memorized every squeaky board of these steps and knew how to avoid them.

He slipped out of the entrance to the common room, using his hand against the wall to guide him in the blackness of the dark castle. He dipped into a secret passageway that would lead him outside, not far from the Quidditch field. He walked down the passage and with every step he took, the twisting in the pit of his stomach tugged more and more with excitement.

The passageway let him out a little ways away from the Quidditch field. It was too dark to make out a whole lot, but as he got closer he saw the outline of a figure leaned up against the backside of the stands and eventually he could tell without a doubt it was Eve. The moonlight made her blonde hair almost glow through the darkness.

Eve was dressed in loose fitting, tan colored pajama bottoms and a flowery tank top, seemingly unbothered by the cold evening air. She seemed to be preoccupied with a book, using her wand as a light, and didn't acknowledge George's approach. Even when George was only a few feet away from her, her attention was still on the book.

"Whatcha reading?" George asked as he approached her.

Eve looked up suddenly, her wand pointing at George and her free hand flying to her chest with a small gasp. Her face relaxed when she realized who was standing beside her. George laughed as he sat on the ground in front of her.

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he said with a smile.

Eve shook her head and then stared down at the book in her hand for a moment, before holding it out to George. He took the book and looked at the cover, though he admittedly wasn't entirely sure what he was looking at. The cover featured a man sitting on some sort of two-wheeled vehicle he had never seen before, kissing a girl who was sitting in front of him. The title didn't help much either, although it did make George feel like giggling.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Ride Hard?"

Even in the pale moonlight, George could see Eve's cheeks flush. "It's a muggle romance," she said quietly.

"Muggle… romance?" he repeated, glancing back down at the book again. "What's it about?"

"Nothing."

He was about to open it to check it out when Eve quickly snatched it back. He looked up to find that her whole face had gone red now. Well now he definitely wanted to know. George was quick to grab the book again and opened it to a random page somewhere in the middle of the book.

"George!" Eve cried out, trying to grab the book back.

George leaned back slightly, so he was just out of her reach. He held the book open with one hand while using his free arm to block the frantic waving of Eve's arms and the clawing of her hands. The more flustered she got at the idea of him reading from the book, the more determined he became. He started reading from the first spot his eyes landed on.

"Haven scooted forward on the railing so her body pressed harder against his. Her hips rocked and jerked against his…"

George's voice trailed off, suddenly losing the nerve to keep reading aloud. His eyes were wide as he read the rest silently to himself.

Her hips rocked and jerked against his cock, pulling shuddering, gasping breaths from her throat that ricochet to his balls, making them hot and heavy with need.

George looked at Eve, his mouth agape. She took his moment of surprise to quickly grab the book back and set it to the side. Even her ears were red with embarrassment at this point. George was at a loss for words. He hadn't even realized muggles were so … well, he wasn't really sure what the word was for it, and he certainly had no idea little bookworm Eve with her perfectly blank expressions was wandering the halls reading that.

"Can we talk about something else?" she pleaded, her voice tense.

George couldn't help but laugh. She never ceased to surprise him. He decided not to push the subject anymore, but made a mental note that he would definitely have to ask her more about her taste in books another time. He was quite curious if they were all like the one he had just read, or if he had just gotten lucky.

As George watched Eve, he could see just how uncomfortable she was, and he knew it wasn't just about the book. It was obvious from the moment she agreed to meeting him that she was a little unsure about it. George wanted to know everything he could about Eve, but he knew he was going to have to start slow. He needed her to be comfortable, and maybe the best way to do that was to let her take the lead.

"Tell me something, anything," he prompted.

Eve glanced at George. He only caught her eyes for a moment, but they made him feel like he was melting. Those eyes always got him, but seeing them gleaming under the moonlight was something else entirely. It was enough to take his breath away. She looked up to the sky after, and smiled.

"On a clear night, there are approximately 4,584 stars visible to the human eye."

George blinked a couple times. He wasn't sure what was more surprising, the fact that that was what she chose to answer with, or the fact that she even knows that off the top of her head. Eve looked at him, with a smug smirk. He was sure his expression gave away his disbelief.

"You said anything," she teased.

That he did. George chuckled, shaking his head, but the truth was, he was ecstatic. The fact that she was joking around with him must mean she's more comfortable with this than he had originally thought. Or, at the very least, she was willing to give it a try despite whatever worries she had. And that was more than enough for him.

"Alright, tell me something about yourself." Eve opened her mouth, but George held his finger up. "Something I don't already know," he clarified.

Eve laughed lightly. "Good save," she said and George smiled triumphantly.

Eve looked up again, staring at the stars, seeming to give her answer some serious thought. She was really a sight to behold in the night, the stars twinkling in her blue eyes that almost looked black in the darkness, the moonlight gleaming off her white hair and glistening against her pale skin. Perhaps he was a bit biased, but George decided right then that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"I'm a terrible flyer," she said, finally looking back at George with a smile.

George stared for a moment, trying to judge if she was joking or not, but she simply held his gaze with no change in expression. "Seriously?"

"I was the only student in history at Estellacadre that had to repeat flying lessons their second year," she admitted with a slight chuckle.

George really tried to control himself, but he couldn't help the laughter that came from him. He was relieved to see Eve laughing along with him. A full laugh from her. Was that really the first time he'd heard her laugh like that? Her laugh was loud, awkward, and a little nasally, a complete contrast from her delicate features and usually soft spoken voice, and George already adored it. He definitely needed to make sure he heard it more often.

"So, you just weren't any good at it?" he asked.

"Well, actually, my first year I just flat out refused to even attempt it."

George was about to ask why when it hit him. It had nothing to do with her abilities. "You're afraid of flying, aren't you?"

"Petrified," she clarified with a laugh. "I did what I had to to pass the class my second year, and I haven't been on a broom since."

"I don't even know what to do with that information," George responded, shaking his head.

"Yeah," Eve said, an odd tone in her voice. George looked at her curiously and she smiled brightly. "Must be pretty hard to imagine, being on the Quidditch team and all."

George couldn't hide his surprise. They weren't playing Quidditch that year, so he couldn't imagine how she would have known he was on the team. He was about to ask when she offered the answer.

"Draco told me," she said quietly.

"Ah," George mumbled, looking at the grass on the ground. "I always forgot you and Malfoy are related…"

An awkward silence settled between them after that. He still didn't quite understand her relationship with Malfoy, but George wasn't sure they were ready for that conversation, so he didn't want to push it any further. He was desperately trying to find another topic, not wanting to waste a single moment he had with Eve, when an idea came to him.

"Would you go flying with me?" he asked eagerly. Eve's looked at him, her eyes wide.

"Absolutely not!"

"Aw, come on, Evie," George whined. Eve's breath hitched when he called her Evie, and George couldn't help but wonder what that reaction could mean. He reached towards her, brushing her cheek with the back of his hand. "I promise I won't let you fall," he said gently, in a singsong voice.

Eve seemed to be lost in the feeling of his hand on her cheek. She had closed her eyes and was leaning into his touch. She was distracted, so George took the opportunity to pull his wand out with his free hand and summon his broom. Her eyes shot open at the sound of his voice muttering the spell.

"George, that's not funny," she scolded, her eyes scanning the black sky carefully.

George smiled, watching as her eyes caught sight of the silhouette of an object heading towards them across the night sky. His eyes never left her, even as he heard the sound of his broom whooshing through the air. Eve's eyes were glued to the broom as George reached his arm out and caught it effortlessly. He quickly hopped to his feet, offering Eve his hand.

Eve eyed the broom nervously, as if it were about to come to life and attack her. George waited patiently, his arm still outstretched towards her. With a shaky hand, Eve reached out and took hold of George's hand. He hoisted her off the ground, pulling her towards him. She stumbled forward, catching herself against his chest, and George's hand quickly grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her face to his until their lips met.

Eve's body was tense, her kiss hesitant, but George persisted. He kissed her passionately, taking her bottom lip in between his teeth and pulling lightly. A quiet moan radiated from the back of Eve's throat, and George could feel her body slowly relax as she melted into the kiss. Once he was satisfied that her mind was fully on him, and not the broom, he broke away, a smug smirk on his face.

George mounted his broom and bobbed his head back, gesturing for Eve to sit behind him, but she just stood, staring at the spot behind him. Eve shook her head.

"I can't," she breathed.

George frowned, giving Eve the best pleading eyes he could. "Please, Evie?" he cooed.

There was that reaction again. The same little hitch in her breath at the sound of the name Evie, like it made her forget how to breathe for a moment. George didn't understand her reaction, he would have to ask her about that at some point, but it seemed to work once again and once she had remembered how to breathe, she slowly mounted the broom behind him.

Eve's arms snaked around George, wrapping around just at the base of his chest. George waited until she seemed situated and then kicked off the ground as gently as he could, hovering just a foot or two above the ground. Eve's grip immediately tightened around him, squeezing him so hard it was a little tough to breathe, and burying her head in his back. He chuckled lightly, gently rubbing her arm with one hand while the other stayed firmly holding the broom.

"Relax, I got you," he assured her.

Eve didn't respond, but her grip loosen ever so slightly, enough that George could take a full breath again, so he takes off slowly. George stayed low, leading them through the grounds until they reached the lake. As he flew just above the water, George could feel Eve's head lift off his back slightly. He glanced behind him to see her looking around. He felt accomplished. And maybe a little cocky.

"Do you trust me?"

"What?" Eve asked.

"Do you trust me?" he repeated.

There was a pause before Eve responded. He could hear the smile in her voice when she spoke. "Not really."

"Ouch!" George gasped dramatically.

Eve crackled behind him. "Fine!" she yelled in defeat. "I trust you."

Those words made George's heart flutter in a way he hadn't been expecting. He pulled up suddenly, flying almost straight up, climbing in both height and speed. Eve squealed, once again tightening her grip on him but this time, she didn't bury her face in his back. George couldn't help but laugh as they soared back towards the school grounds. Eve may not have agreed, but to George, this moment was as close to perfect as it could get.

George expertly maneuvered around the school, diving under bridges, weaving in between the towers, and twisting around the walls. In half the time it took them to get to the lake, they were already back where they had started. George made sure to come down slowly, landing gracefully in the middle of the Quidditch field. Eve didn't hesitate to hop off.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" George teased as he dismounted as well.

Eve met his gaze, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It was terrible," she responded with a smile. Before George could react, Eve had jumped at him, tackling him to the ground. He landed hard on his back with a laugh, Eve smiling down at him. "And I'll never forgive you for it."

"Oh really?" George mused with a smirk. George grabbed onto Eve's wrists and in one swift motion, he had flipped their positions so he was now hovering above her, pinning her arms down above her head as she laughed. George leaned close, putting his lips right up to her ear. "Are you sure about that?"

George pulled back slightly to look in Eve's eyes. They had changed, the mischievous glint replaced with a familiar hunger. Eve lifted her head, meeting George's lips eagerly. He let go of her wrists using one arm to keep himself propped up while the other caressed her cheek. Eve's hand found their way to George's sides as soon as they were free, slipping under his shirt. He let out a groan against her lips, partly from the shock of her cold hands pressing against his warm skin, but mostly just from the pleasure of feeling her skin on his.

As Eve's hands explored his chest, George trailed his lips across her jawline and down her neck, his free hand gripping at her hip. When George placed a kiss just at the crook of Eve's neck, she inhaled sharply. Smiling against her skin, George stayed there, sucking and nipping lightly in that same spot. Eve's back arched under him and a small moan escaped her lips, encouraging George to keep going.

His hand slipped under her shirt, caressing her soft skin, his thumb running along the edge of her bra. He wanted more, he wanted everything she was willing to give to him, and he was eager to find out just how much that was. But the sound of nearby footsteps made him stop. George and Eve both were frozen, listening carefully. The footsteps were definitely getting close. George swore under his breath, earning a quiet giggle from Eve.

"We should probably go," Eve whispered.

George groaned in frustration, looking her in the eye. "I was afraid you'd say that."

Eve smiled lightly, her hands slipping out from under his shirt. He could feel the absence of her touch and it only made him more frustrated. Eve's hands found their way to George's neck instead, pulling him in for a kiss so different from any he had ever had with her before. It was soft and gentle, a side of Eve he didn't get to see often.

As Eve pulled back, still smiling, George's frustrations subsided. While he definitely still wished they could have continued their night, Eve was finally letting him in, if only a little. And that was more than enough for him. George hoisted himself up, offering his hand to Eve again. She didn't hesitate to take it this time. They made their way back to the castle, careful to avoid whoever it was they had heard.

As they reached the castle, Eve turned to face George, meeting him for one last gentle kiss.

"Goodnight, Mr. Weasley," she said with a smile as she began to walk away.

"Goodnight, Evie…" George said quietly, mostly to himself as Eve was already out of ear shot. He watched her walk away, thinking only of how much he already couldn't wait to see her again.