Chapter 8: New Developments?
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The Quidditch game against Ravenclaw went very well. Everyone was back to their normal color by that point and Gryffindor won 210 to 40. The celebratory party lasted well into the night, until McGonagall was forced to come break it up and send them all off to bed.
The next couple weeks passed smoothly enough. The seventh years were getting use to all the homework they were being given, in the hopes of preparing them for N.E.W.T.s, though none was all that happy about it.
Alinora's schedule had returned to its hectic pace with classes, extra studies, homework, talent show preparation and her desperate attempts to get a little time among it all for herself. She'd gone back to skipping dinners in an attempt to stay caught up.
George, noticing her absences at meals again, began making it a point to bring her back something from dinner and then sit with her until she'd finished it. Just to make sure that she'd take the time to do so, is what he told himself, but he was enjoying those brief times of conversation, away from the rest of their classmates. He was learning more about her, though he still had a feeling that there were things she was holding back. Not from a lack of trust in him- more from habit he thought.
She had asked him a lot of questions about his family. She seemed fascinated by them- all those siblings! She had none herself though she had 'adopted' Colin the previous year. He suspected that at the time it had been partially in self defense to keep him from continuously following her around, as he'd had a rather blatant crush on her. She appeared to have convinced him that it wasn't such a good idea of his and they were now quite close. Despite her busy schedule she made time each day to spend with him, helping him with his studies or catching up on what was going on in his life. It hadn't been easy to do though recently.
George wanted to tell her to relax, to take some time off again, but with the talent show happening in a little over a week he had a feeling she'd just laugh. She had gone with the group of them to Hogsmeade the previous weekend and he'd been happy to see her relaxing and cutting up with the Ladies (he liked her name for the girls- it seemed to fit them well- and it had been generally adopted by all). They disappeared for a while to do a little shopping on their own and turned up later to meet them for a Butterbeer, carrying bags labeled with the name of a local dress shop. When Fred asked them what all they'd bought, they just laughed and turned the conversation to what everyone wanted from Zonko's.
The day had passed all too quickly and she'd returned to her studies. Thank goodness the talent show would take place soon- he was looking forward to seeing what had been taking up so much of her time and energy.
And, he thought, glancing over at her- head bent over her books and the firelight glinting off the red in her hair- I'll be very happy when she has a bit more free timeā¦
