Every Step of the Way

Ch 2- Take a Chance

When George woke up the next morning, he couldn't help but grin. Mary McDonald was definitely unlike any girl he had ever met. Even Fred was surprised and a bit infatuated when he heard about the previous evening's encounter. "You've got to be the luckiest guy at Hogwarts," Fred had said. "Are you still nervous?"

"No, she actually made me feel really comfortable…I'm back to my flirtatious roots."

"Don't flirt too much before you're sure she likes you," Fred suggested. "After hearing about that Malfoy thing I'm glad mum molded us into gentlemen…" George laughed while Fred cringed.

"You're up early," Fred said groggily when George returned from having a shower.

"No, brother, you're in bed late. We've got charms in fifteen minutes."

Fred let out a stream of profanities and climbed out of bed. "I hate having class at 9 a.m., it's a drag."

"But we've got to do it…we're doing voice changing charms today and I know you don't want to miss that. Dead useful that is for our next product line."

Fred grumbled a bit, but got ready in record time. He and George were only ten minutes late, their customary time, so Flitwick wasn't as annoyed as he would have been if Fred hadn't shown up at all. The boys got to work and had perfected the charm within a quarter of an hour, much to their professor's amusement. They practiced a few more times and then left the rest of the class at it while they joked about Lee's abysmal performance.

As the day wore on, George got more and more anxious for the end of classes. Fred snickered at his expense, but he didn't really mind since he had at least gotten a date with Mary. He let his twin go on about the uses of love potions in George's personal life, only chiming in to say that Fred was one to talk. By the time his last class, Care of Magical Creatures, let out, he was more than ready to see Mary, who was in Ancient Runes last. He made his way down to the lake as casually as was possible given his excitement and flopped down onto the lake bank to await her arrival.

George had his sleeves pushed up and his tie was loose when Mary first caught sight of him. She couldn't help but smile as he looked up at her with those warm, sparkling eyes. "Hello love, fancy meeting you here," he greeted her as she joined him on the bank.

"Not like we had a date or anything…" she replied with a grin.

"How was your day?"

"Alright…saw your brother Ron spill ink down the front of some first year's robes, then get yelled at by his girlfriend for being so rude," she told him with a grin.

"Not the most delicate of creatures, Ron," George laughed.

"So I learned."

George smiled at Mary for a few moments before talking again. "So you'd like to get to know me better, eh?"

"Well I know you're a funny guy, and chivalrous, but we've never really had a heart to heart, now have we?"

"I dunno if I'm the heart to heart type," he said with a grin.

"Ah…ok…tell me something no one knows about you," she suggested.

"Fred knows everything about me," he protested.

"Then tell me something only Fred knows."

"Erm…let's see." He thought for a moment. "I wanted to be Minister of Magic until I learned that he had to go through a four year training program. And that I couldn't bring Fred along with me."

She grinned. "That's sweet…and a bit lazy of you."

"We can't all be academics," he replied, not at all fazed. "Your turn."

"I prefer muggle orange juice to pumpkin juice," she said immediately.

"Never tried it…sounds tasty though." He winked. "If I tell you this one, you'll have to promise to keep it between us."

"Alright."

"I've been keeping a giant turtle in our bathroom."

"What? Merlin! I want to see it!!!"

George laughed. "What will I get out of it?" he asked, mimicking her response to being asked to the Yule Ball.

"You'll have to keep a secret as well if you want to know!"

"You've got a secret?" he asked, his eyes glinting with excitement.

"I got a tattoo over the summer that my mum has no idea about. Only Erin knows."

"If I show you Harvey I get to see your tattoo," he told her, his eyes positively dancing.

"Is Harvey the turtle?" she asked. George nodded. "Ok. But we'll have to do it somewhere fairly secluded."

"Where is this tattoo?" he questioned gleefully.

"I'm only showing you this because I've already tested you, George," she warned. "And I'd hate to have to reevaluate my position on you."

"Alright…I am the gentleman that you think I am…but I want to see this ink." She laughingly led him back to the castle and they made their way up to Gryffindor tower. George took her into the boys dormitories after making sure that there was no one around and led her into the bathroom. She gasped, catching sight of the eight foot turtle. The twins had painted his name on his back in flashing purple paint and she grinned at George before conjuring a carrot to feed the beast. "How are you keeping this a secret?" she wanted to know.

"This bathroom is only for sixth year guys. Me and Fred, Lee, and Mitchell Davies are the only blokes who know about him and they've all signed a form that makes it illegal for them to talk about it unless that person is shown Harvey immediately thereafter."

"So you've got some kind of protection on him?"

"'Course. Can't have him found out until the Yule Ball. We're planning something special for him. A coming out, so to speak."

"Does Dumbledore know?"

George grinned. "Not yet." She laughed with him. "Alright, now let's see your tattoo…I held up my end of the deal."

She blushed a bit for the first time George could remember and gave a small nod, then slipped out of her school robes. He felt curiously like he was experiencing déjà vu until she turned around and untucked her shirt, then pulled it up a bit. He moved closer and pulled the hem of her skirt down a bit to reveal a scorpion on the small of her back. George ran a finger over it as it snapped its pincers and moved its stinger as though trying to hit him. "Wicked," he breathed. He fixed her skirt and allowed her to rearrange her clothing until she was fully clothed once more, her robes and all.

"Why a scorpion?" he asked after a moment.

"Just liked it…he seems to be pretty fond of me as well," she smiled. "You're in on my secret now, Weasley, and I expect you'll keep it."

He grinned. "Oh this is just between the two of us for sure." George was liking Mary McDonald more and more.

"Good." She smiled softly at him. "Dinner?"

"Yeah." They left the boys dormitories for the Great Hall, where they joined Fred, Katie and Lee. Before the end of the night George had kissed her briefly for a second time and found himself even more attracted to her than before he had asked her to the ball. Fred waggled his eyebrows suggestively and George joined him in speculating about possible pairs for the night of the ball when the returned to the dormitory. For the first time, George had a secret that he wasn't about to tell his twin…not yet anyway.