Katie Bell was by herself in a remote corner of the common room. She had gotten back early from winter holiday. It was one in the morning.
"Hi, Lizzie," George said, coming over to her.
"My name's not Lizzie, George," Katie said, dully.
He set down a mug in front of her.
"Thought you might like some hot chocolate for consolation, Liz," he said, smiling.
"Now's not a good time, George."
"Sure thing, Lizzie." He wandered back over to the fire. Katie looked around for a couple of seconds and then picked up the mug.
Xxx
"Hey, Lizzie," George said to her the next day.
"My name is Katie," Katie repeated, setting down her book.
"How are you today?"
"Why did you come back?" she asked, ignoring the question.
"Because you did," he replied simply.
She considered him for a moment. "Well, you needn't have," she said.
"Well, you needn't have either, Lizzie."
"Katie," said Katie. "And what do you mean I needn't have? Would you have wanted to hang around your ex-boyfriend while he snogged your ex-best friend, both of whom have no consideration that they betrayed you at a stupid school ball while you were away on skiing holiday?"
George nodded. "I suppose you have a point."
"You're bloody right, I have a point. Now you can go back."
"I'd rather stay here with you, Lizzie."
"George," she said. "My name is Katie. Katie Bell. Or Katelyn, if you prefer. You could even call me Katherine like half of the school does without realizing it's not my name. Merlin, I'd even settle for Bell. But it is not Lizzie. Does Katie Bell sound anything like Lizzie to you?"
"No," he said.
"Do you know my middle name?"
"Of course," he said, appearing to be mortally offended.
"What is it?"
"It's Jane."
"Right. That doesn't sound like Lizzie either, does it?"
"Of course not. I'm not stupid."
She rolled her eyes. "Well, I would have thought five years of knowing me would have taught you that I didn't have any other names, least of all Lizzie."
"I know that, Lizzie."
She sighed. "George, why are you here?"
"I love you, Lizzie."
"Now's not a good time, George."
"Fred's an arse," he said, with half-hope. "So forget him. I'll even throw Angelina in there as well. Liz, I love you."
"George, go away, please."
"Alright."
Xxx
"If you don't address me as Katie, I won't answer you," Katie said upon seeing George make his way over the breakfast table to her.
"Then I won't address you at all," George said, sitting down across from her. "Why are you all by yourself, Lizzie?"
She eyed him.
"Sorry," he said. "Slipped. Five years of one name gets stuck in your head, you know."
"Maybe if you'd started calling me by the right name you wouldn't have this problem," Katie said, quietly spooning through her oatmeal.
"Maybe if you would have had a problem with it earlier, we wouldn't have had this problem."
Katie sighed. "I used to think it was cute," she admitted.
"Now?"
"Now I just want to be Katie."
"That's all?
"That's all."
"Why?"
She sighed again. "Because," she explained, "Fred cheated on me. With Angelina. Angelina who is about ten times as smart, pretty, athletic, and all around amazing as I will ever be. Obviously I wasn't good enough. Now not even my name is good enough, even for you."
"That's a pretty big stretch to make between the two, Liz."
"I don't care."
There was a pause.
"I wish you weren't all by yourself, Lizzie."
"You expect me to sit with them?"
"Well, no. But why not Alicia? Or Lee?"
"Because they sit with them."
"Or me?"
A pause again. "You remind me of Fred," she said finally.
"But I'm not like him," said George. "I'm different."
"George," she said.
"Lizzie," he whispered. "I love you."
Katie shook her head, exasperated. "No you don't, George."
"Yes, I do. I really do."
"Trust me on this one. You don't."
"Lizzie, you know I do. I told you so, remember? Right after you started dating my brother."
"This isn't a good time, George."
"Well, when is a good time?"
"I don't know! Can't you understand I'm still grieving??"
"But that's the thing; you don't have to be grieving."
"George, please leave me."
He sighed. "Fine, Lizzie."
Xxx
Katie and Alicia were sitting on Katie's bed.
"Are you feeling any better, Katie?"
Katie shrugged. "I guess."
Silence.
"Erm…George has spent a lot of time hanging with you."
"Yeah, he has."
"Well. That's pretty nice of him."
"Yeah."
"And…"
"What are you getting at, Alicia?"
She shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't know," she said. "You get on well."
"He's my friend," Katie said, eyes narrowing.
"You don't think it's time to—er—move on, at all?"
"Alicia, it's been two days!!"
"Things were on the rocks before, and you know it."
"Well I didn't imagine he'd be cheating on me!" Katie exploded. She lay back on her bed again and sighed. "Besides," she said. "He calls me Lizzie."
"I think it's cute. Fred never had pet names for you."
"I know," Katie said. "Good night, Alicia."
"Whatever, Katie."
Xxx
"Lizzie."
"For Merlin's sake, George, it's Katie! Katie, Katie, Katie! Kaitlyn. Jane. Bell. Katie! I resent being called a name you mistakenly called me when we were twelve!"
"It wasn't a mistake! I just like that name for you. Why are you so angry?"
"Why aren't you?"
"Because I'm with you, Liz, and I like being with you."
Katie sighed, exasperated. "George," she said softly, "this isn't going to work. You know it."
"Why not, Lizzie? I like you."
"You just think you do. That's all."
"Lizzie, don't say that. I like you. And there was a time you liked me too."
"Don't talk about that, George."
"Why not, Liz? You kissed me, remember??"
Katie looked like she was going to cry. "George, stop it!"
"No," he said stubbornly. "You did. And then a week later you said you'd go steady with my brother. What did you do that for, Lizzie??"
"George, please. This isn't a good time! It's just not! Now please, just go."
"Not this time, Lizzie. You're going to hear me out. I love you. I love you, okay? Way more than my idiot of a twin brother did. He didn't appreciate you like I did. I visited you in the hospital, remember? I took you out for your birthday. I did all those things, Kate! Me!"
She paused. "You just called me Kate," she said.
He shook his head, frustrated. "Well that's what you wanted, wasn't it? Katie?"
She sat down on the couch looking miserable. "I don't know what I want, George."
He sat down next to her and silently handed her a tissue. She took it and then looked up at him.
"Why aren't you holding me by now?"
He nodded and took her in his arms and kissed her on the top of her head.
"And why aren't you kissing me on the mouth?"
Again, he complied.
"I love you, Katie."
"And why aren't you calling me Lizzie?"
For the first time, both of them smiled.
"I love you, Lizzie."
"I love you too, George. More than anything."
"Glad to see you've finally come to your senses, Lizzie."
She smiled and kissed him again.