Chapter 13: About Time

Hello, everyone!

As always, thank you to everyone who takes the time to follow, favorite, and review. And two extra big thank yous to CrowningAster and bellatrixD, both of whom helped me with this chapter. I'm sorry the chapter's not as long this time, but I'll try to make up for it soon with the next chapter. :)

Enjoy, and review!

As the exams drew nearer, I could almost feel the tension in the air. It surrounded the entire fifth year like a heavy, choking fog. Several students had already been to Madam Pomfrey for Calming Droughts, even though the O.W.L.s were two months away. Kenneth Towler actually came out in boils, although I was pretty sure that Fred Weasley had had something to do with that, because he and George had been snickering about it. It wasn't at all uncommon for me to walk into Ravenclaw Tower each night to find Megan practicing Switching Spells, or Kathy repeatedly reciting the twelve uses of dragon blood under her breath. That was why late March found Cedric and I sitting in the castle courtyard, using our textbooks to quiz each other on anything we thought might come up in our O.W.L.s.

"Okay," I said, flicking through A History of Magic. "So, how was the Statute of Secrecy breached in 1953?"

"Erm..." Cedric frowned, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "There...um...All right, I don't know."

"Carlotta Pinkstone," I reminded him."'Stop-'"

"'-Spell Suppression,'" he nodded. "I remember now. She wanted to expose magic to Muggles. She got into trouble for it several times."

"Correct," I grinned. "Okay, my turn."

"Right. Let's see...what's the main ingredient in-?"

"I have a problem!" George Weasley's voice announced from behind me. I groaned and closed my eyes.

"There aren't two of them behind me, are there?"

"No," Cedric assured me. "Just one."

I sighed in relief and turned around to look at George. "I'm not your bloody therapist, you know."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Are you coming?"

"I guess," I huffed, gathering up my books. "Ced, I'll see you later, yeah?"

"Sure," he grinned. "If you want, we can finish studying in the library after dinner?"

"I'd like that," I smiled. "See you then."

He chuckled and waved as George looped his arm through mine and hauled me away. I struggled to pull my arm away, but it was useless, as he was much stronger than I was and didn't seem interested in letting me go.

"So, what's the problem?" I asked, once I'd given up on getting loose.

"Remember the other day when Flint was harassing that girl after Potions, and I hexed him?"

I nodded. Of course I remembered, I'd been there. I'd written Flint's detention up myself.

"Her name was Mary, wasn't it?" I asked.

George nodded and took a deep breath. "She won't leave me alone now."

If he hadn't looked so distressed by this, I would've laughed. As it was, I barely suppressed a smile.

"George?"

"Yeah?"

"...You know you can tell her that you're not interested, right?"

"I tried!" he exclaimed. "But she kept going on about how I'm her hero and how she owes me. What am I supposed to say to that?"

"Um... 'Thanks, but I'm not interested.'"

He elbowed me. "You're no help, you know that?"

"Sorry," I sighed. "Look, the next time she's stalking you, or whatever you want to call it, you have to tell her no. Otherwise, she won't get the hint. All right?"

"All right. Thanks, 'Lyssa."

"It's what I'm here for," I teased. "Did you tell Elena about your new friend?"

"She's not my friend, she's just madly in love with me," he smirked. "And who could blame her, really? No one can resist my charming personality and dashing good looks."

He puffed his chest out. I rolled my eyes and poked him in the side. He winced and smacked my hand away.

We ended up walking the corridors and chatting until it was time for dinner. Fred and Elena were already seated in the Great Hall when we got there.

"Where've you two been?" Fred asked. "I thought you only wanted to talk to her for a minute."

"She's my therapist now," George said, as though that explained everything.

I rolled my eyes. "She's going to smack you if you keep talking about her like she's not here."

"Did you hear something, Gred?"

"Not a thing, Forge. Must've been your imagination."

Elena and I rolled our eyes in unison.

"How was your day?" I asked her, helping myself to shepherd's pie.

"Not too bad," she shrugged. "Do you mind helping me with Vanishing Spells tonight? I can't quite get the hang of it."

I sighed and shook my head. "I already told Cedric that I'd study with him after dinner. Tomorrow?"

"Sure," she agreed, although she looked a bit put-out.

"'Lena..."

"It's fine," she chuckled. "Enjoy your study date."

"Who's got a date?" Fred asked, apparently deciding to acknowledge our presence.

"It's not a date," I said, scowling at Elena. "Cedric and I were just going to study in the library tonight."

He didn't say anything. Actually, he hadn't said very much to me since my birthday. Half of me was relieved. The other half was a bit offended. I tried to ignore that half.

"George, you'll help Elena with Vanishing Spells tonight, won't you? Since I can't be there."

"I can, yeah." He glanced quickly at Elena. "Is that okay?"

"Of course it is," she said, smiling at him.

I rolled my eyes internally. I'd be saved so much trouble if they'd just hurry up and get together already. Megan had even started to take notice of the potential between the two of them. I'd had to order her not to meddle, even though she'd really wanted to.

I shook my head, clearing away the thought as I finished eating.

"Are you leaving already?" Elena asked as I stood.

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm going to go ahead to the library, try to get some homework done before Cedric gets there."

"Well, don't work too late," she said. "You get crabby when you're tired."

I snorted. "Yes, Mother. I'll see you in the morning."

Elena's PoV

"I still think you're cheating," Fred grumbled, trying to peer at Alyssa's cards over her shoulder.

"I'm the one cheating?" she asked incredulously, sliding away from him and closer to Elena.

The four of them were sitting on the wooden bridge outside of Hogwarts, playing Exploding Snap. It had been George's idea, suggesting that they take a break from all the work the teachers had been piling on them. He and Fred didn't seem very concerned about homework or their O.W.L.s, so Elena suspected that they were out there for hers and Alyssa's benefit. The air was still chilly, and Elena had forgotten to take her jacket outside, so George had lent her his, despite her protests that he would be cold.

"Can't have you freezing to death," was all he'd said, winking at her. She'd felt like her heart was tap dancing.

She liked him. She couldn't deny it. Just as friends at first. After all, she'd only been eleven when they met. Much too young to be preoccupied with thoughts of romance. Until recently, she hadn't realized just how much she liked him. It had scared her. She and George were friends, best friends, and she was terrified of messing that up.

It had taken her weeks to try to pinpoint the exact moment when she had started to see him as more than just one of her best friends. Of course, Carson had pointed it out for her several weeks ago, but she'd liked him before then. She thought it might have started during Christmas holiday, when she'd stayed with him instead of going home to see her brother. In the end, she'd decided that there wasn't really an exact point when she'd started liking him. Their friendship had just grown during the five years they'd known each other, and now there was the potential to be more.

If George said anything about it. Which, so far, he hadn't.

"Earth to Elena Michaels..."

Alyssa thumped Elena on the side of the head, jerking her back to reality.

"Ow!" she complained, rubbing her head. "What was that for?"

Alyssa sighed exasperatedly. "I've been talking to you for the past five minutes. Your brain is out to lunch."

"Sorry," she chuckled. "I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing, really." Elena shrugged, hoping she sounded nonchalant. "Hey, did you-?"

"George!"

They all turned at the voice. Mary Willis, a Gryffindor sixth year, was striding toward them, her heeled boots making sharp clicking sounds against the floor of the bridge. George groaned quietly and swore under his breath, although Fred and Alyssa looked amused. The four of them stood up as Mary approached. She brushed right past Alyssa and Fred as though they weren't there, stepping in front of them to give George a dazzling smile. She tossed her platinum blonde hair back, so that it smacked Alyssa in the face. Alyssa glared so fiercely that Elena wouldn't have been surprised if she'd burnt a hole in the back of Mary's head. She started forward, but Fred caught her around the waist and pulled her back to him, holding on to her a bit tighter than necessary.

"I've been looking for you everywhere," Mary said, placing a hand on George's arm and taking a step closer. "Could I talk to you...alone?"

George's cheeks went pink. "We were in the middle of something, so I'd rather not leave. Whatever you want to say, you can say in front of them."

Mary's smile faded somewhat. "All right, fine. I was wondering if you wanted to come to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday."

Elena didn't mean to, but she must've gripped her cards too tightly, because they exploded before George could answer.

"'Lena!" Alyssa cried. She must have magically cleared away the smoke, because when it was gone, she had her wand in her hand.

Elena could smell burned hair. Before she could ask, Fred burst into laughter, leaning against the bridge railing and holding his stomach. Alyssa sent him a disgusted look before turning back to Elena, turning her head this way and that.

"What is it?" Elena asked warily.

"It's nothing," Alyssa said hastily. "It's just...one of your eyebrows is sort of...singed."

Fred snickered louder, prompting Alyssa to give him a kick to shut him up. He scowled at her, mouthing 'Ow!' and rubbing his shin.

"Anyway," Mary said, sending them an icy glare. "George?"

"Hm?" he asked absently, gathering up the cards.

She sighed impatiently. "I'm asking you out. Are you going to give me an answer?"

"I'd have to say no thanks," George said with a shrug. "I'm not interested."

Mary's false smile disappeared completely, her lips curling into a sneer. "That was why I didn't want to ask you out in front of them. Especially her. I knew you'd be uncomfortable agreeing to go out with me in front of her."

It took Elena a minute to realize that she was the one Mary was talking about. Alyssa opened her mouth, looking angry, but George beat her to it.

"Excuse me?" he said sharply. Elena stole a glance at him. He'd drawn himself up to his full height, his arms folded across his chest.

Mary rolled her eyes. "Well, come on! I can't even talk to you for the American freak attached to your hip all the time. Nice eyebrows," she added sarcastically, raising one of her own perfectly arched eyebrows at Elena.

"Are you really that big of an idiot?" George demanded, looking furious. "She's my best friend! You think insulting her is going to make me want to go out with you? I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot broomstick, especially not after the way you're treating her!"

Mary at least had the decency to look shocked. Her eyes started darting back and forth between George and Elena.

"Are you two together?" she finally asked.

"Yes," George snapped. "And all three of our eyebrows are very happy together."

Mary gave an indignant sort of sound, before turning on her heel and stomping back the way she'd come, now wobbling slightly as she walked.

"I could still get her from here," Alyssa muttered, her fingers closing around the wand in her pocket. Elena was too much in shock to say anything to her. George was standing next to her, his arms still crossed, breathing heavily.

"George..." Elena said hesitantly, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

He heaved a sigh. "Oh, to heck with it."

Elena was expecting him to apologize, or to say that he didn't mean it. She wasn't expecting him to kiss her. But he did. Despite the suddenness of it, he was surprisingly gentle. Careful, even. He slid one hand along her cheek and up into her hair. She couldn't help smiling against his lips. Fred's wolf-whistling was what finally broke them apart.

"Oh, you idiot!" Alyssa cried, smacking his arm. She looked stunned, but she was smiling smugly. "Took you two long enough. Guess my work here is done."

"What work?" George snorted. "You didn't do anything."

"Oh yes, I bloody well did!"

"You did not!"

"Would both of you shut up?" Elena chuckled, leaning on George's shoulder. "You sound like siblings."

Alyssa and George both rolled their eyes. Fred nudged Alyssa.

"What do you say, Princess? We could try synchronized kissing."

The last thing Elena saw before George pulled her in for another kiss was Alyssa chasing Fred across the bridge, throwing her Exploding Snap cards and threatening him with his life.