Chapter 2 - Artifact

Summer, 2003

George, left entirely alone with a very red-eyed girl who was still clutching his arms convulsively, became still more uncomfortable. "Er – are you alright?" he asked finally.

"Of course," said the unsteady reply. She pushed herself away from him, as if embarrassed by his help. "Do you mind telling me what the hell that was all about? Mummies aren't supposed to MOVE!"

"I'd better let Bill explain," George said warily.

The girl, now standing on her own two feet, was precisely his height and looked straight into his eyes, making him look away. Then, suddenly, her attention was captured by the leather satchel that had been slung over her shoulder all this time. She turned away from him abruptly and opened the flap. George noticed a strange blue glow coming from it before she snapped it closed, satisfied, and turned back to him.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I'm the one who was nearly eaten by mummies, I'll ask the questions!" she exclaimed defensively.

A knowing grin crept over George's face. "Did you find something in there? Is that why they were chasing you? You must be a great curse breaker. Bill said the Gringotts team has been trying for ages to find something in this pyramid!"

"Gringotts?"

Instantly, George realized his mistake. He'd thought for a moment that she must be a witch after all, but it seemed he was wrong. He thought fast and put on his most charming grin.

"Come on, show me what you found! I won't tell."

If she'd known the trouble that usually followed that grin, she might have taken her chances with the mummies. Instead, she looked warily around the darkened passageway, then opened her bag again.

Her soft features were instantly bathed in a pale blue light, which only brightened as she lifted the source out of her bag. George was surprised to find that he was so interested in her face, and forced himself to look at what she held, hoping the bluish glow would hide his flushing cheeks.

Her hands were small, and the artifact was obviously rather heavy. Pulsing faintly in her hand was a large scarab beetle crafted from a single blue gem. "Wicked!" he exclaimed. He reached out a hand to touch it and she pulled it away slightly. "Is it warm?" he asked.

"A little." She brought the gem back to its original place, then held it out to him. He laid a hand over it, blocking some of the light.

If you'd asked him later what happened, and several people did, he would have told you that he didn't know, that he'd woken up to see his family crouched worriedly over him. But it didn't really happen that way.

For an instant the blue glow shifted to a deep purple and pulsed brightly. The tips of George's fingers were on the palm of her hand, and they seemed first to burn, then freeze, though his brain only vaguely registered the difference. Their eyes snapped together and she gasped, as if only just realizing he was there. The purple faded to a perfect black, and he thought for a moment that he'd passed out, until he felt lips pressing hungrily against his.

He'd thought about kissing Alicia Spinnet at the end of the last school year, but he hadn't imagined doing it quite like this. Still, he found himself somehow in need of the feeling that was beginning to take hold of him. A feeling he would one day recognize as the purest form of lust, with maybe a little something more. He kissed back. Then there was a pause, and a whisper in the darkness. "I can't do this."

He wasn't sure how long after that he was awoken by Bill shaking him. The rest of his family had also returned. His father and Fred were kneeling beside Bill with worried expressions on their faces. But before he noticed any of them, he noticed that the girl was gone.

"What happened?" he asked groggily. No one had any answer. On the way to dinner, George and Fred walked a little behind the rest, in unaccustomed silence. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were arguing with Charlie and Percy about what exactly was to be done to find the muggle girl and erase her memory. Ron kept casting concerned glances over his shoulder at George, then reassuring Ginny that he was fine. Bill, however, was thinking hard as he led the way to dinner.

The restaurant was situated on top of their hotel, open to the stars that were just beginning to come out. They took seats at the table Bill had reserved, Ginny asking Ron again if he'd seen the mummies. She seemed to have developed a troubling interest in dangerous things since her experience with Riddle's diary the year before, and Ron, oblivious to this, told her again that he'd seen just what she had: Nothing.

When George, who'd been silent throughout the meal, got up to use the loo, Bill followed him. As soon as the door closed behind him, he began firing off questions. "Those mummies didn't chase her for no reason, George. Did she show you something she'd brought out of the pyramid?"

George shook his head, knowing full well that Bill wasn't going to buy it. He felt somehow like it was his job to protect her.

"How did she get away from you, anyway?" Bill was leaning casually against the doorframe, but his shoulders were stiff. He suddenly felt like George wasn't telling him everything. It wasn't like either of the twins to be this quiet.

"Don't know," George mumbled, as purple light seemed to tint his vision. His odd tone made Bill even more suspicious. George splashed some cold water on his face. When he looked up into the mirror, the face that greeted him was not his own, but hers, bathed again in pale blue light. She looked for all the world like a marble statue. When he blinked, the image vanished, and he saw only himself, his eyes glazed, and mouth turned down in a frown that looked foreign on his face.

Bill watched all this worriedly, then made his way back to the table. When he arrived, he whispered in Fred's ear. "Keep an eye on him. There's something funny about all this."