"You've got to go with someone," Hermione said in an exasperating tone.
Harriet gave her a hard look. There was only one person she wanted to go with to Slughorn's party, and as Hermione had asked Ron, and Harriet couldn't think of a way of disguising George without causing some sort of scene there was only one option left "I'm going solo."
"It would stop half the boys in the school from flirting with you if you went with someone." Hermione said, "Tell her Ron."
Ron shrugged, "Hermione has a point, guys think there's a real chance of having a shot with you if they can snag a date."
Harriet rolled her eyes. "There's no one I want to go with."
"Talk some sense into her," Hermione told Ron, "I'm going to bed."
Ron watched Hermione walk up the stairs to the common room.
"She wouldn't have asked you if she didn't like you," Harriet said.
"More than a friend?"
Harriet shrugged. "This is what sucks, having two best friends that question each other's motives - so figure it out, Ron. I can't help you. Stuck in the middle here."
Ron gazed at the stairs in a daze. "You know I'm not good at this stuff, it's what I've got you, girls, for."
Harriet laughed softly, "I know. But this one is all you."
"Is there really no one you want to take to Slughorn's party?" Ron asked. "No one at all?"
Harriet turned her face to the fire. She really didn't want to have to lie to him.
"You know you could ask anyone you'd like. The bloke would be lucky to have you-"
Harriet let out a snort.
"As long as you've not got a secret thing for Malfoy after all-"
Harriet sent him a nasty glare. "Hermione is barking up the wrong tree. I know she thinks I'm obsessed. But I tell you he's up to something."
"Well, then I don't mind who you - ask if you want to ask someone to go with you." Ron said, his ears starting to turn red, "just try to not - you know- snog each other faces off - in front -"
"Ewww," Harriet said when Ron gestured to himself. "What type of girl do you think I am, I'm not running around Hogwarts kissing every bloke I can! Let alone in front of you."
Ron stared at her wide-eyed and defensively said. "Not what I meant."
Harriet stared at him. What exactly did Ron think she was going to do. She thought her best friend knew her better than this! But then she hadn't told him about George yet and that they were - well she didn't have a name for what they were. It was whatever they called "this" and "us" was. Thankfully Neville walked into the common room, giving Harriet the perfect opportunity to deal with the unwanted attention.
"Hey, Neville do me a favour and come to Slughorn's party with me. As a friend. Please?"
Christmas at the Burrow so far had given Harry a relaxing break. Though so far no George. She didn't think that it would be this hard. Just exactly what were they? What was "this" and "us", if she didn't actually - well George couldn't help that, Harriet had given them the money to start up a joke shop. They were living out the dream. She was proud of the twins for that. But not having him around made her feel miserable. She wanted more than the secret life she held with him. It made her think of what happened between them, this time last year. The kiss that had started it all.
George glared at his mum pointedly. He swore his mother was doing this on purpose.
It was Christmas eve when he got to see Harriet again, and from the moment he walked through the door, Harriet and himself had been placed together doing chores for Christmas Dinner. George so badly wanted to kill his brother for mentioning that they were dating. George loved having the excuse to be in the same room as Harriet, but he didn't want Harriet to feel uncomfortable in his presence around his family. It didn't help that his mother gave him encouraging smiles.
"I missed you, that's the only reason I've not used magic to speed this tedious task up," George whispered. Harriet was sitting next to him at the table, they were on chopping and peeling duty, the evidence of which had laid between them. Harriet's green eyes sparkled with joy, when she looked up at him, there was a slight smile forming at her lips, though he could tell, she was trying not to. Harriet looked around quickly, then suddenly her lips were upon his.
"I've been wanting to do that since the moment you got here," Harriet said, causing George to snigger. He looked around, then deeming as she had just done that the coast was clear, he leaned in to kiss her again.
Everyone was wearing their new jumpers when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, included a reluctant-looking Fleur. Mrs Weasley was sporting a brand-new midnight-blue witch's robes glittering with what looked like tiny star-like diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.
'Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?' Mrs Weasley said with delight.
'Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, mum, now we're washing our own socks,' George said waving his mothers' words away. His arm brushed Harry's as he put it down. His hand brushed her own, he squeezed it quickly before passing on the bowl on parsnips.
If things kept going like this. They soon would be caught. But Harriet found whilst she sat next to George eating away at her lunch, that in this precise moment in time she did not have a care in the world.
