George wasn't quite sure how to react. Or how he felt for that matter.
One the one hand, he was happy for Alicia, because she had found someone, but on the other hand … he didn't like Roger Davies and he was afraid that he might hurt Alicia.
And let's face it. No guy will ever be good enough for her.
He was striding down the marble staircase, when someone held onto his arm. He turned around and found himself looking into Katie Bell's face.
"Hey, Katie." He said, only managing a weak smile.
"Going down to breakfast?" she asked.
"Yeah. Care to join me?"
"Why not." She said and they continued down the stairs.
"So, found anyone for the ball yet?" Katie asked. George groaned.
"Is that all you think about?"
"George. I'm a girl. Of course it's all I think about. We only care about our clothes and the latest celebrity wizard. You know, I'm not really on the Quidditch team, because I like playing it. To be honest, I think it's quite dull. I'm on it, because it might make guys think I'm special."
George gaped at her, his mouth open. Katie rolled her eyes.
"I was joking, you fool!" she exclaimed. "D'you really think I don't like Quidditch?"
"I was shocked to hear the words Quidditch and dull in the same sentence coming out of your mouth." George answered.
"Good. That means your brain shows at least some level of function." She grinned.
"Oh, sod off!" George retorted.
"So, have you found someone yet?"
"No, I haven't, if you really need to know. And I'm not planning to. Not interested in anyone."
"Aw, that's a shame." Katie said and gave him a funny look.
"What?" George asked bewildered.
"Nothing." She said quickly, as they entered the Great Hall.
They sat down at their table and George was already digging into his overloaded plate, when a voice behind him said:
"You know, it really is a miracle how you can eat food in quantities like that and still manage not to look like the Fat Friar."
George turned around and saw Alicia winking at him.
"I think I'll take that as a compliment." He said, grinning.
"Oh I wouldn't say so." Alicia said lightly and squeezed into the space between Katie and George. "It was more of a statement."
"Well, seeing as the statement was made about me, I'm going to take it as a compliment, no matter what you say."
"Do what you have to." Alicia said smiling as she filled her glass with pumpkin juice.
"So, Alicia" Katie said in an innocently boring voice, that fooled no one whatsoever. "I hear you're going to the ball with … Roger Davies."
George stopped chewing. Alicia seemed not to have heard Katie, because she simply kept on scraping butter onto her bread.
"Yes, I am." She said suddenly.
"Oh my god!" Katie squealed and several people looked at her in alarm.
"Katie, please. You'd think Alicia had just proposed to you." George said.
Alicia grinned at him and turned towards Katie again.
"What did he say?" Katie asked, her eyes gleaming.
"Well, he told me that-" Alicia stopped and turned towards George who was looking at her.
"Do you mind?" she said, flushing slightly.
"Er, what?" George asked confused.
"She doesn't want you to hear it, you idiot." Katie said from behind Alicia.
"Well, I'm not going to abandon my food just because Davies filled Alicia up to her hair roots with mushy stuff." George said coldly.
"Well, I don't want to be responsible for you starving, so we'll just go." Alicia said, just as coolly.
They got up and practically ran out of the Great Hall.
George sighed and pushed his food around his plate, suddenly not feeling very hungry anymore.
"Don't play with your food."
George turned to see Fred coming towards him, followed, as always, by Angelina.
"Whatever." George mumbled and threw his fork onto the table.
"What's the matter with you then?" Angelina asked, as they both sat down.
"Nothing." George muttered.
"Oh come on." Fred snorted. "Did you forget who you're talking to?"
"To myself in the mirror?" George sighed.
He looked up to find them both staring at him. Angelina was looking mildly surprised, but Fred had a look of utter horror on his face.
"What?" George asked alarmed.
"You just made a bad joke!" Fred whispered. "Are you ill or something?"
"No, I'm not." George said, rolling his eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"Will you drop it already?" George yelled.
"Keep your voice down." Angelina said coolly. George glared at her.
"You've been in this foul a mood all week!" Fred exclaimed.
"Is it that time of the month for you?"
Ha ha." George said, while Angelina giggled.
"Does this have something to do with Davies asking out Alicia?" Fred asked.
"Of course not! Why on earth would it?"
"Because you're jealous." Fred and Angelina answered in unison.
"I'm not jealous." George said through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, you are." Angelina said as Fred snorted.
"You know what?" George yelled, finally loosing his patience.
"Why don't the two of you just shut up? I'm sick of you two always telling me how I feel, when you have no idea, whatsoever! So why don't you worry about your own feelings?" He jumped to his feet and threw his napkin onto the table.
"And if you two don't mind, I'm going to leave now. Because honestly, the sight of you two, makes me sick." He spat and quickly walked from the Great Hall.
He was still furious as he walked through the corridor, towards the Common Room, when he heard two voices. One of them was Alicia's. And the other one, was a boy's.
George stopped dead in his tracks and pressed himself against the wall.
"What did he say?" Alicia asked.
"He said, he's going to think about it." The other voice answered. George was sure he had heard that voice before, but he couldn't place it.
"Good. Do you think he'll do it?" Alicia asked, her voice full of hope.
"I'm not sure, Liz." George was startled. No one, not even he, was allowed to call her 'Liz'.
"But I'll try to convince him, whatever it takes."
"Thanks. I wouldn't ask you to do this, but-"
"I want to. You're not making me do anything."
For a moment there was silence and George thought, that they must have left, but then Alicia said:
"I'm not sure I can do this much longer."
"You don't have a choice." The voice said, sounding cold.
"I know." Alicia said defiantly.
"Look. I don't know if this is such a good idea." The voice said suddenly.
"Why not?"
"He's not going to do it, if there's nothing in it for him. And I don't know what you'll have to do."
"I'd do anything." Alicia said hard.
"Even die?" the voice asked. Alicia didn't answer immediately.
"Yes, even then." She hissed.
"Good. Then I won't worry." The voice said and then George heard footsteps moving away from him.
He looked around the corner and saw Alicia standing there and just a hem of black robes vanishing behind the next corner.
Damn!
"George!" Alicia said horrified, as she saw him.
"Hey!" George said lightly and smiled at her, as he walked towards her.
"How long… how long have you been there?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.
"Huh? I just came." George lied and Alicia relaxed a little.
"Why?" he asked.
"Oh, no reason." Alicia said quickly, shrugging.
"So, where are Fred and Angelina?" she asked, quickly changing the subject.
"Oh." George said, his mood growing darker. "breakfast."
"Are you okay?" Alicia asked, looking at him in concern.
"Yeah, sure." George said a little too bright.
"George," Alicia said, shaking her head.
"I know you. What's wrong?"
George sighed and looked at his feet.
"I was getting so sick of them! They were always nagging me and telling me I was- well, always telling me how they thought I felt, when they didn't have any idea. And I just got mad and…" he broke off, looking at Alicia.
"Let me guess. You yelled at them." She said.
"I may have." George mumbled.
Alicia smiled and took his hand. Blood rushed into George's ears.
"Well, I'm glad you did. Otherwise I would have had to do it." She said smiling.
"Oh, so you're letting me do your dirty work?" George exclaimed.
"Why, I suppose I am." Alicia said winking.
George looked down. He was still holding her hand and she didn't seem to be in a hurry to let go. Quite the opposite. Slowly she interlaced her fingers with his.
George swallowed and looked at her. Her face was obscured by her hair. He reached out and brushed it away. She looked up at him with her enormous stormy grey eyes.
George thought his heart was going to burst.
Alicia took a step toward him, still staring intently at him.
As if on its own accord, George's other hand found its way to her jaw line.
He heard Alicia taking a sharp breath, but she didn't move away.
They were now inches apart and she was looking up at him.
George lowered his head a little, his brain fogged, not able to work normally.
Their lips were not even an inch apart and George could feel Alicia's hot breath on his face, when:
"There you are!"
George and Alicia jumped apart. George removed his hand from her jaw and she yanked her hand out of his.
Katie was coming down the corridor.
"George." She said, obviously not having realized what had nearly happened.
"Fred told me to tell you, that he'd like to talk to you, but if you start acting like an ass again, he'll kick you."
"Right." George said, his face hot and he didn't dare look at Alicia.
"He's waiting for you outside by the lake." Katie said.
"Okay."
"Well, aren't you going to go?" Katie asked after nearly a minute, when George hadn't moved an inch.
"Of course." George said blinking and started to move.
He shot a quick glance at Alicia, who's cheeks were flushed brightly, but she was avoiding his gaze.
George practically ran behind the next corner and leaned against the cold stone wall.
What on earth was I thinking?
His breath was short and his heart still racing.
I have to get this under control…
He didn't even know why he had done it.
Probably because of the lack of a girlfriend.
Because there was absolutely no way, that he liked Alicia … like that!
Right?
Who would have thought it? They're getting closer…yay:P