It looked like it just wasn't meant to be.
Like fate somehow tried to keep them apart, never giving them even a second alone.
And it was starting to annoy George.
Very much.
Every time he found a way to even find Alicia, Katie, Angelina or someone else came into the picture.
And a lot of times, the person interfering was Draco Malfoy.
George had the feeling that he showed up on purpose, but of course he couldn't be sure about that.
It had been nearly a week since the ball and he hadn't had the chance to talk to Alicia alone once. It didn't seem possible, but somehow it continued.
George was sitting in the Common Room, late one night.
Everyone had already gone to bed.
He hadn't seen Alicia all day except in their classes.
His eyes were consuming the words on the old yellow pages of his Potions book.
Of course, he had absolutely no idea what he was reading.
The writing in front of him was growing blurry, as he slowly started to nod off.
A loud bang made him jerk out of sleep and he looked around.
Alicia was sitting on the floor, picking up a her book bag.
"Alicia?" George asked startled, his heart starting to pound uncontrollably.
She jumped to her feet and stared at him, a flush creeping into her cheeks.
"Oh, George. Hi." She mumbled.
"What are you doing up so late?"
"Oh… nothing." Alicia said quickly.
Here we go again with the lying and the secrecy.
"Right." George said, being fully aware how cold his voice sounded.
Without another word or a glance at her, he got up and walked towards the stair case.
"Where are you going?" Alicia asked behind him.
"To bed, where else should I be going?" he said coolly, without looking back.
"I wish I could." She said quietly.
George stopped, but he didn't turn around.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"I wish I could tell you, what I'm doing so late at night, and with Malfoy and everything. I really do." She whispered, looking down, her silver hair falling in front of her face.
"Then why don't you?"
She was silent for a very long time, and George snorted.
"Forget it." He said and walked up the first step.
"It's not that simple." Alicia mumbled.
George sighed in irritation, turned around and walked toward her.
"Of course it's simple! You just tell me what you're up to! What on earth is so difficult about that, huh?" he yelled.
"It just is!" Alicia said, looking torn.
"No it is not!" George exclaimed, loosing his patience.
"It's not that difficult telling someone something! I managed to tell you how I feel about you, didn't I?" he felt his ears grow hot, as he spoke.
Alicia looked up, her cheeks flaming up again.
"It's easy." George added.
"It's not the same thing." Alicia said, wringing her hands.
"I really wish I could tell you. I so wish I could." She said, her voice shaking, her shoulders sagging.
She looked so vulnerable standing there, so small, that George's anger was immediately replaced by guilt and wanted nothing more than to hug her.
"Just talk to me, Alicia." He said softly.
"I swear I won't tell anyone else."
Alicia bit her lip.
And shook her head.
George sighed, anger welling up inside him again.
"I'm sorry." She said, tears sparkling in her eyes.
George walked towards her, until they were standing just inches apart.
He tucked the hair behind her ear.
Her eyes were red and her pale cheeks were wet.
A single tear escaped out of the corner of her eye and George brushed it away.
"Alicia." He said quietly.
"It's okay if you think you can't trust me."
She opened her mouth to protest, but he interrupted her.
"I don't need to know."
That wasn't exactly true.
"But it looks like you would really like to talk about it.
And I don't like seeing you cry at all.
I just want to help you."
Alicia sobbed and looked at him, her grey eyes boring into his.
"Okay." She whispered.
"What?"
"I'll tell you."
"Oh…okay." George said, rather pleased with himself.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a second.
"You know, that I've been talking to Draco Malfoy a lot."
"I have, yes." George said stiffly.
"He's not that bad, you know."
"Oh really?" George snorted.
"Yes, really." Alicia said, her voice growing louder.
"Maybe he's nice to you. Not to me."
"Then tell me, does that really bother you?"
"That he's nice to you or not to me?"
"Both."
"Of course it bothers me, that he's nice to you! He's a Malfoy! A Slytherin! And he's ugly. And it doesn't bother me at all, that he's not nice to me."
Alicia smiled slightly and George's stomach turned.
"George… he's two years younger than me. I'm not a paedophile."
"It still annoys the crap out of me. And he knows it."
"That's true."
"So….what about him?" George asked.
"About the, uh … the ugly-thing…"
"Huh?"
"You said he was ugly…"
"He is."
"Whatever. Have you never noticed… anything particular about him?"
"What do you mean?" George asked puzzled.
"I mean his hair colour, his eyes… stuff like that."
"Alicia, he's a guy. I don't check guys out. I don't even know Fred's eye colour."
Alicia rolled her eyes.
"I know you're not gay. But still…think."
"Well, he's blonde. Has to be of course, seeing as he has the IQ of a troll.
And he has grey eyes I think. Complexion of a vampire…"
"Exactly."
""What? I don't understand…"
"Now, answer all those questions. But think of me."
"Well, you're blonde. You have grey eyes. And very light skin. You're tall and athletic. And-"
"That's enough. Don't you realize?"
"Realize what?" George nearly yelled in frustration.
"He is blonde, I am blonde. He has grey eyes, I have grey eyes. He is pale, I am pale."
"What are you saying?"
"He's my cousin."
George couldn't speak. He just stared at her, his mouth wide open.
"He's your what?" he yelled.
"My cousin."
"No, he's not!" George said, shaking his head.
"He is. We found out at the end of last term."
"What? So these midnight meeting have been going on for nearly a year?"
"Yes."
"I don't believe it. You're cousin? No way. He's lying."
"He's not, George. We figured it out together."
"Oh really? How come?"
"We served detention together. After Flitwick caught you and me hexing Marcus Flint and put us in separate detentions. Malfoy was there as well. Of course we insulted each other at first and everything. We were just starting to jinx each other, when Flitwick left the room for a second, when he saw my necklace. You know, the one with the silver and green pendant."
She reached inside her blouse and held it in front of George.
"He asked me where I got it and I said I had inherited it.
He wouldn't believe me at first. He thought I had stolen it, which I declared ridiculous.
And then he told me, that it was impossible, that I had inherited it. Apparently it was the symbol of his mother's family. And that only the female descendants could even wear them. On others it would simply melt, leaving a mark on the person forever.
And even though we despised each other we decided to try and find out why I could wear it. I started to research and he asked his parents. At first they acted as though they had no idea what he was talking about. But then his mother told him something.
She told him, that it was indeed possible, that I could be related to them.
She said, her mother had had four daughters, not three. But one married a muggle, so they never talked to her again. They thought she was a disgrace to their family.
Nevertheless, if they ever had children…" she broke off.
George gaped at her.
"Well?" Alicia asked.
"You can't talk to me yet. My brain is suffering from information overload." He said.
"So you're saying, that Malfoy's mother is your mother's sister?"
"Yes."
"And that she was kicked out of the house, because she married a muggle?"
"Yes."
"And that muggle was your father?"
"Yes."
"And you're his daughter."
"Of course, you idiot."
"So Malfoy's mother is your … aunt?"
"Yes."
"And Malfoy is your cousin?"
"Yes."
"And you're serious?"
"Of course I am."
"You're not drunk?"
"No, I'm not."
"And I'm not hallucinating?"
"No."
"I need to sit." George mumbled and fell into an arm chair.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Alicia was looking at him expectantly.
"What?" he asked.
"Well? Aren't you going to say anything?"
"What should I say?"
"How about: This means the end of our friendship. You're a Malfoy, go to hell?"
"Do you really think, that I would say something like that?"
"I don't know." Alicia mumbled, shrugging.
"Well, if you do, you're the stupidest person I've ever happened to meet."
"Excuse me?" Alicia asked, her hands on her hips, glaring at George.
"You heard me."
"I did."
"Why on earth would that change anything about our friendship? It's not like it's your fault, that you're related to the Malfoys. You're just extremely unlucky."
"I don't think so."
"You don't?"
"No. I've met them. And … well Narcissa is really nice."
"Who?"
"Draco's mother."
"Right."
"His father… well he sort of lives by the pure blood rules, but he's been very nice to me, whenever I'm over there."
"Over there?"
"Yes."
"Over where?"
"At their house."
"You've been to the Malfoy's?" George asked incredulously.
"Yes. I spent two weeks there in the summer."
"Two weeks? You survived?"
"Of course I did. It was really nice."
"I can't believe it. This is too much."
"You see?"
"See what?"
"That's what I was waiting for. That you would say it was too much. That you couldn't handle it."
"I don't know what you mean by that."
Alicia turned red and looked at her feet.
"Well… umh…remember the night of the, uh….the ball?" she asked, her voice unusually high.
George felt his face burn and he cleared his throat.
"Yeah."
"Well, you said you liked me. And I asked you if you really meant it….and you said … well you said yes."
"I know." George said his voice hoarse.
"And I knew, that… that if I told you who I really was… that you wouldn't want …" she broke off.
"Wait a second." George said.
"You think, that because you are related to the Malfoy's I wouldn't like you anymore?"
"Well, yes." Alicia said, nodding.
"That's…I mean…that is just…Alicia!" George said appalled.
"What?"
"How could you even consider that? What kind of an ass would I be, if I would change my mind about you? You're perfect! As a matter of fact, the fact that you have a bad relation eases my mind. That way there's at least one fault about you. Thank goodness."
Alicia smiled at him shyly.
"So…you still like me?" she asked sheepishly.
"Of course I do." George answered, his ears growing hot.
"Well, I like you, too."
George felt, like his heart might burst.
"You….do?" he asked.
"Yeah." Alicia muttered, not meeting his gaze.
"Right." George said and an awkward silence followed.
"Alicia-" he said, at the same moment she said "George-"
They both laughed nervously.
"You first." Alicia said.
"No you." George said.
"Oh my god! Do you know what we sound like?" Alicia exclaimed.
"I know. Utter horror." George muttered, shuddering.
"We're us! We should be able to talk normally!" Alicia said.
"I hear you." George agreed, nodding.
"I mean, we've been friends for a very long time, and now we like each other, but it shouldn't change anything, should it?"
"Not really. Except for the occasional snog." George said grinning.
Alicia raised one eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.
"Do you really think, that you're going to get some?" she asked.
"Why, I most certainly do."
"In your dreams." Alicia snorted.
"Oh, I don't think so." George growled and leapt from the arm chair towards her.
Alicia squealed loudly and ran away, George on her heels.
He raced her around the Common Room for nearly three minutes, before she suddenly stopped, holding her side and gasping for breath.
"Alright, that's it. I can't do another round. I'm definitely not in shape." She wheezed.
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." George gasped, looking at her.
"George." Alicia hissed, punching his arm.
"Ouch!" George yelped. Alicia grinned at him triumphantly.
"Why, you little-" he growled and before she could move, he had grabbed both of her hands and had pulled her towards him.
"Are you going to punish me now?" she whispered, her breath hot on his face.
"What if I am?" He said, his heart beating fast.
She was so close.
"I would encourage it." She said, and smiled, moving closer.
Finally…
"What are you two doing down here at this time of night?"
They jerked apart.
Percy was standing at the bottom of the stairs, glaring at them.
"Er…" George said dumbfounded.
"Whatever." Percy said sternly.
"Go to bed. Now."
George let go off Alicia's arm.
She walked towards the staircase and looked over her shoulder, smiling at him.
"George! Don't stand there like a wet poodle! Up to your dormitory! I mean it!" Percy barked.
Without even looking at his brother, George went up the stairs, anger boiling inside him.
When could he finally kiss Alicia?
Did people train special skills, as to know when to interfere?
Still angry, George went inside his dormitory and slammed the door behind him.
Wow, that was a long one. Took me some time. Hope you like it.
Yeah, the Alicia/Malfoy thing might seem a bit far fetched, but I think it works.
And yes, that stupid kiss! How can I be so cruel? ;-)
Please, people, REVIEW! I really like reading reviews, answering questions, etc.
Thanks!