Author: Sunnycouger (sunnycouger@lineone.net)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, JKR owns all and makes the billions from it :( I just borrow them on occasion to have my wicked way with them ;)
Category: Fred and Angelina. Ron/Hermione with some George/Hermione, Lee/Alicia and other pairings which will reveal themselves in time ;)
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Chapter 5: Open Mouth, Insert Foot
George had finally arrived at the hospital wing and stood outside the door nervously. What was a good excuse that didn't involve the phrase 'I was beaten up by my little brother'? Stupid rules that said they wouldn't heal injuries caused by fighting - what was the point of having magical medicine if they weren't going to use it?
"Well, George - let's get it over with. Just say you fell off your broom..."
He shook his head and barged the door open. He was a Weasley and he could lie to the best of them, besides, Madam Pomfrey knew that sometimes certain things happened and that she should heal you even if you had broken the rules. "Hello, Madam Pomfrey - my favourite person in the whole school..." he looked around for her. She wasn't there? "Hellooo? Come out, come out wherever you are..."
He stopped when he heard a soft laugh come from behind one of the curtains. "She's not here, I'm afraid..."
He gave a grin at the sound of the voice - it sounded pretty, and where there was a pretty voice there was a girl worth getting to know better. He immediately walked quickly over and jumped on the bed that was beside the closed curtains. "Oh well, I guess you'll just have to entertain me then..."
"I'm guessing from the way you were smarming as you came in you were trying to butter her up?"
He smirked. Oh yes, this girl knew him so well. "Me, never. Trust me - I'm the innocent party here."
He heard her reach over and pull the curtains back causing him to jump slightly as she looked at him, jet black hair falling over one shoulder as she let the curtain fall away from her hand. "Oh yeah, I'm sure a Weasley twin was the innocent party..."
Cho Chang? Wow, Harry would be wishing he was here right about now. "It's true...well, not exactly true..."
She gave him a warm smile before her gaze fell on his hand. "Oh, look at your hand! How are you going to play tomorrow with that? How could you be so stupid as to go and injure yourself before a Quidditch game? You think she'll fix it?"
He sighed as he looked at the broken hand. "Hence the smarming - I'm hoping she's going to believe I fell off my broom."
Cho shook her head and gave a low whistle. "Well, good luck with that, George. If you get her to believe that I will be truly impressed..."
He mentally took a step back - how did she know it was him? "Excuse me?"
"Good luck with that."
He shook his head. "How did you know it was me?"
She looked at him like he had gone crazy. "I'm not a complete idiot you know, I've played against you for the past three years? You wear your hair shorter than your brother during term time, you are a bit saner, you talk a bit quieter, you dress differently...why?"
He felt himself smile, so some people could tell that they were two different people after all. "No, no reason - so, what're you doing here? You not playing tomorrow?" He realised he probably sounded too hopeful at that but added a quick smile. "Or are you? What you in for?"
"Um, I...twisted my...ankle," she said with a slight blush which gave George the feeling that she wasn't being entirely honest. "I'm definitely playing though - we owe you guys."
He let out a laugh. "You guys don't stand a chance, you should cut your losses and play the injury card."
She didn't look amused as her dark eyes flashed and she sat up on the bed and glared at him. "We don't stand a chance? Really? Well we will when you guys have only one beater."
He gave a laugh. "Trust me, Pomfrey will fix this in a minute - even if she doesn't believe me, she will still fix it. Just because I know persuasion..."
Cho smiled mischievously. "You know, I could be the bitch that the Slytherins think I am and tell her exactly what happened." She gave a wink as she looked at him. "Then again, I don't want to give you guys any excuses for getting a good beating tomorrow."
He laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. We could play with one beater and two chasers and still beat you all - I mean, other than you, your team is empty."
Cho smiled knowingly. "Oh I wouldn't say that, Sally is an outstanding player this year. In fact, I think Harry's been giving her some pointers..."
George coughed. Harry had been doing what? Wait until Angelina heard that. "You guys have been spying on Harry?"
Cho looked offended. "No! What do you take us for? Slytherins?"
"Cheats?" he said with a small voice but with a grin to soften it. She merely began to laugh.
"We'll do our talking on the pitch to prove that wrong. So, tell me - what happened? Who were you fighting with?"
He grimaced as he sat back - he had a couple of options here, he could make up an elaborate story of fighting a large troll and saving the whole school which, even he had to admit sounded incredibly impressive or he could tell the much more embarrassing truth. "Would you believe me if I said I fought a troll and won but during my act of incredible bravery, which I have received no thanks for by the way, the troll broke my hand?"
She looked contemplative before dissolving into laughter. Her eyes twinkled as she looked at him and tried to compose herself. "Um, it sounds plausible I suppose but I would have to say no, I don't think I believe you..."
He sighed dramatically. "I try and give you a good story and you don't want it? Okay, here's the deal - you know Harry, right?"
She sat up and looked at him in shock. "You fought Harry?"
He shook his head - that would have at least had a bit of dignity attached to it. Harry was, after all, a pretty handy fighting machine, even if he was scrawny. "No, don't I wish...no, you know Harry's best friend? I fought him..."
She looked puzzled for a second. "Is...isn't Harry's best friend your..."
"Brother, yes...yes he is."
Her eyes widened as she bit her lip. "Um, okay...it, clearly went well..."
George shifted uncomfortably. "Well, he's messed up as well - but he cheated - he ducked when I was going to punch him and I got the wall..."
"Oh you poor baby," she said, he voice laced with sarcasm as she gave him a disapproving look. "You know that doesn't really make a person go on your side. What were you fighting about? Or is it private?"
"A girl - I made a stupid, stupid, stupid mistake and Ron didn't take it well - but I think it's sorted now. It's this stupid Yule Ball - I wish they'd never arranged another one."
He turned around to see Cho looking down as she answered softly. "Me too - I wish that as well. I'm not going this year..."
"You mean some guy hasn't asked you yet?" he asked in shock. How could some guy be that big an idiot?
She shook her head as she looked up at him and he got the distinct feeling that it was a forced smile that she was using. "No, I'm just not going this year - it would be a bit of an anticlimax after last year..."
George mentally slapped himself - last year she went with Cedric Diggory before he was murdered. The whole thing must be bringing up a lot of unpleasant memories for her. "I'm sorry, I forgot all about..."
She quickly raised her hand to silence him. "Oh, don't be silly - I just don't fancy it this year."
He sunk back on the bed. "That makes two of us..."
"Ah, Ms Chang - I made that potion for you so you can go, if you want. Seriously, why you girls insist on playing Quidditch when you know that it's not convenient at certain times is be..." He heard Cho cough loudly in an effort to halt the medi-witch's speech as her cheeks began to flush with colour. He tried to stifle his laughter as Cho buried her head and reached over for the potion.
"Ankle, huh?" He asked as he leant close to her with a grin.
"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey," Cho said as she lifted her head, her face now pink. "That's great."
Madam Pomfrey nodded her head and gave Cho a warm smile before turning to George and the smile evaporating. "Mr Weasley, please tell me you haven't been fighting?"
Cho looked at him as she swung her legs round the side of the bed and leant close. "Maybe you should tell her the troll story? You never know, someone might buy it."
"Wait and see the expert at work," he said with a wink as he got up and walked to Madam Pomfrey. "Oh please, does this look like a person who's been fighting? I simply fell down the stairs and on the way down I accidentally landed on a particularly enthusiastic dramatic interpretation of the Goblin Rebellion by some first years and got whacked in the face by a flaying arm."
He flashed his most charming smile as he reached over to take Pomfrey's hand. "I don't want to get the little kids in trouble, after all."
Pomfrey looked at him and shook her head. "Nice try, but I'm sorry. I promised the heads of houses that I wouldn't fix self-inflicted injuries. You have to go, I'm afraid."
He gasped. But...if he couldn't play? He reached for his throat - Angelina would kill him, and then Harry who still hadn't forgiven him. If he caused Harry to lose a game...he would...it wasn't worth thinking about what he would do. "Please, please, please fix me! I swear I wasn't fighting...please? I'll help out here for a week? A month?"
"As much as I wish I could, I just can't. I'll give you a pain potion but that's the best I can do, Mr Weasley. You have to go and let this be a lesson to you."
He turned to look at Cho and felt his face fall. "I'm not playing - Angelina's going to kill me."
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Ron had walked away from his meeting with George feeling rather confused about the whole thing. When he woke up he hadn't expected his day to involve a fist fight with his older brother or the realisation that his 'friend' was involved with said brother in what was a clear progression in the long list of infatuations with older men. Nope, as the day had went on he had definitely become more and more confused about everything. And now he had to go and face Hermione. He walked towards the courtyard where he knew Harry and Hermione would be so he could get it over with. It wouldn't take long after all to say 'hey, didn't want to go with you anyway - knock yourself out with George.' He would say it and that would be it, things could get back to normal. He didn't feel bad about it at all.
"Harry, I didn't mean for anyone to find out!"
He stopped behind the bush as he heard her voice - oh, she was planning on deceiving them? That made it so much better.
"Hermione, you think it makes it better knowing that you were going to deceive him? I mean come on! If he had done that to you what would you be saying?" Harry's voice echoed back. "It would be like Ron snogging Lavender and you finding out from someone else. You should have known better."
"Harry, you can't make me feel any worse about this - please, I know you're angry but..." She sniffed loudly before continuing. "But I didn't mean to hurt anyone and now you both hate me. It was a stupid, stupid mistake. I just...I just didn't...didn't want to be second choice again..."
Ron waited on Harry's response saying that she had been stupid but, as the time passed he realised that it wasn't going to come. And sure enough when Harry had eventually began speaking Ron was horrified to hear that he was actually comforting her. Worse was, he had the distinct feeling that Harry was...hugging her.
"Hermione, we don't hate you. I mean, Ron's just angry and I'm just surprised at you. I'll see George later because he knew about Ron - but you haven't done a lot wrong. Well, you have but it's nothing that can't be made right," Harry said through the bushes, much to Ron's shock. "Although making it right might take a while - a long while and for once you can't complain that Ron is in the wrong."
He had heard about enough - he accepted that Harry always liked to keep the peace but he didn't need to hear it. Besides, he wanted to have his say before Harry had made her feel too much better...this was one of the few times where he could say he was the injured party and he had to be allowed to express it. He coughed loudly to announce his arrival as he stepped around the bush to see Harry giving him a smile. "All right, Ron?"
He nodded as he looked at Hermione. "Great."
"What happened to you? You didn't fight him, did you? Ron - he has a Quidditch match tomorrow!" Hermione said as she stood up. Ron was shocked - where was his apology? Why wasn't she asking for his forgiveness? Why was she concerned about him???
"Yes and tough. I don't care..."
Harry winced and stood. "I think I'm going to go and let you two talk - I'll see you later. Um, Ron? How...bad is George?"
Ron sighed as Harry walked past him, now what would be the best way to tell him this? "He broke his hand when he tried to punch me."
"Oh, brilliant! Just what we needed," Harry's eyes widened before he opened his mouth in shock. "I am going to kill him - what's he doing punching anyone after what he did?"
"I don't know, you know what like he is..." Ron said without a shred of guilt. "See you, Harry."
Harry nodded and walked away leaving Hermione and Ron on their own.
"I can't believe you're letting George take all the blame," Hermione said sternly.
"Not all the blame, you do get some of it."
Hermione blinked and sighed. "I am so sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen."
He shook his head as he shoved his hands in his robes. "Doesn't matter. I don't care, you can go to the Yule Ball with whoever you want. I don't care."
She looked down and shook her head. "I don't want to go with him!"
Ron shook his head as he looked away from her. He would not fall for it - Fred was right, women knew how to manipulate men and he would not fall for it. He wasn't going to be made a fool of by any woman. No, he was smarter than that and no matter how much she looked down, her big brown eyes glistening, her lip trembling slightly...it didn't bother him. He was in the right - he was being smart... "Why did you kiss him? I mean, I don't care but he is my brother. Is it some 'older man' obsession?"
She looked at him and sat down. "Excuse me?"
"You know, you like older men - first it was Lockhart, then Viktor and now George. You've never had a thing for anyone your own age. I mean, you pay awfully close attention in potions - is it maybe something to do with wanting Snape's attention?"
She gasped and in that second the mood of the conversation changed. Gone was the apologetic feeling, gone was the glassy eyes and gone was the trembling lip. No, for some reason he got the distinct idea that she was angry at him? "I can't believe that you just said that! Lockhart was a crush! You know like all children get? Viktor was a dear friend who happened to be a few years older and I kissed George twice! How dare you insinuate that, Ron Weasley! Snape? You think I like Snape?" she said as she stood up and walked over to him and pressed a finger into his chest. "The reason I try harder in Snape's class is because I want to prove to him that I'm as good as any of the others. But you wouldn't know that because you never ask! You think I enjoy it? No, but if he asked me a question and I got it wrong then it would give the Slytherins ammunition!"
He took a step back as a feeling of guilt washed over him. What had happened? How had the shoe been switched to the other foot as quickly? "I'm so..."
Before he even had the chance to apologise she had barged past him abruptly. He turned to look at her as she turned towards him. "And for your information - I have had a 'thing' for someone my own age, but quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered because he is nothing more than an idiotic, insensitive, crazy...idiot!"
He flinched. Her insults were usually much better structured than that. Whoever she had a thing for had clearly ticked her off. He looked at her as she wiped her eyes and marched off. Now he had to deal with the fact that not only had she been with George but she had her eye on another boy in their own year - how could he have missed that? "Well, that's not my fault! Who is he anyway?"
Rather than the details he expected she merely threw her hand up in the air and ran off towards the school leaving him standing on his own. Okay, now he was confused - what had he done wrong? He shook his head and began making his own way back to the school - he had to speak to Fred. The little outburst had to mean something and it wasn't fair that she was making him feel bad when she was to blame. He was the wounded party and now she was storming off like he'd done something wrong? How did that work? He shook his head. He would never understand women, but Fred did and he'd know what to do...
TBC
In part 6 - Fred announces his date to Angelina, who shows that men don't have the monopoly on immaturity when she extracts her much deserved revenge while George makes a little announcement of his own...one question? How many players are on a Quidditch team again - someone might want to remind Angelina of that fact...