Chapter 15
George sat nervously in the library, picking at his quill. When he noticed Summer coming his way he tried to suavely pat down his hair, which revolted and stuck out even more. Summer giggled and sat down across from him.
"You're hair looks fine." She whispered across to him.
His ears turned red and he absently tried to open his potions book as she pulled out a stack of parchment.
"I can't believe Christmas is coming up so fast." She said awkwardly, trying to make conversation.
George nodded. "It's in um…it's…" Why couldn't he think of days all of a sudden?
Summer smiled. "In three weeks. It's December."
Fred looked confused. "Already?"
Summer nodded. "Time flies when drama runs around."
George sighed heavily. "That's for certain. All this nonsense is giving me a headache. I actually look forward to studying these days if it gets me out of everyone else's hair." He looked down at his book and frowned. "I take it back. I'll never look forward to studying."
Summer smiled and nodded. "Why can't we just go back a few years when things were less complicated?" She looked back wistfully as George began to chuckle.
"I forget you were at a different school for a while. This is actually not as bad as the last six years. Harry and Alex have almost been killed several times, THIS drama hardly compares to all that."
Summer smiled thoughtfully. "This is true. Defeating the dark lord does seem to trump secret relationships."
George looked slyly over to Summer. "So uh…speaking of relationships…."
Summer looked up from her work, but didn't speak.
George faltered for words. "So uh…Draco is…."
"Nothing to me." She said firmly, furiously going back to her essay.
George leaned back in his chair. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."
She sighed and looked up at him again. "It's just a touchy subject. I broke up with him and that's that."
"So you're available?" He smiled brightly.
Summer cocked her head to the side and couldn't help but smile.
"Maybe." She said teasingly.
"Oh now it's a maybe? Who else do I have to beat off to win your affections?" George sat up straighter and tried to look gallant.
Summer rested her chin on her hands and looked over to him with twinkling eyes. "Who said you didn't already have my affections?" She said silkily.
George smiled and leaned into her, she lifted her head to meet his and kissed him gently. She leaned back and smiled up into his eyes. She felt her whole body warm as she leaned in to kiss him again, this time more deeply with a passion she'd never felt before.
When they parted George noticed a figure in the corner of his eye. He turned to see Hermione, white-faced and a little confused. She was just standing in front of the table, holding her books to her chest.
"Um. Hi Hermione." George said awkwardly.
"Hi." She said faintly. "Summer, can I talk to you?"
Summer snapped her eyes to Hermione's, taken aback. "Me?"
Hermione nodded. "Please?"
Summer looked over at George. "Um, sure. I'll be right back George."
He nodded and watched the two girls walk away; still basking in the glory of his first kiss with Summer, he smiled to himself and mentally patted himself on the back.
Alex sat in the common room for an hour still unsure of what she would do. How would she get Fred back? How would she talk to Harry without punching him in the face? So many questions ran through her mind. Suddenly the portrait opened and Seamus walked through. He smiled at her and walked over to where she was sitting by the window.
"Alex, you look nice today." He said happily.
Alex stared at him. "Seamus, I don't look any different than I do any other day."
He shrugged. "I think you get more beautiful every day, to be honest."
Alex rolled her eyes and sighed. "I don't want to be rude Seamus, but I'm also not in the mood for this right now."
Seamus could hardly contain himself; He bounced on the balls of his feet and brought up a finger, "But wait, what if I can help?" He said, completely pleased with himself.
"What on Earth are you talking about?" She crossed her arms and looked at him curiously.
"Look, don't be trite I know what's going on between you and Fred." He said to her.
Alex took a step back. "How did you-?"
Seamus shrugged. "I pay close attention, that's all."
Alex bit her lip. "Ok, so how do you think you can help me?"
Seamus looked at her seriously. "You could date me."
Alex burst into laughter. "Are you serious?"
Seamus stared at her evenly. "Of course I'm serious. I mean, at least pretend to. I'll talk to Harry first, then pretend to elaborately ask you out while Fred is in the room, in front of Harry, and then Fred will be jealous, and Harry will just have to get over it and-"
"And what do you get out of this?" Alex asked him suspiciously.
Seamus looked around the room quickly. "Well it's not really a secret that I've adored you since the first moment I saw you, but you've made it clear that you're not interested. So I figure this will give me at least a few days of what I want, a few days for you to get what you want, and for the rest of my life I can say, 'yes I did date Alexia Potter, I'm a bad ass.'"
Alex looked at him questioningly. "You're a strange little man."
Seamus nodded. "I know."
"But what if he doesn't go for it?" She asked, sitting herself on the window sill.
"Which one?"
Alex shrugged. "Either?"
"Harry I'll have to just be blunt with. I have it all figured out, I've been practicing my speech to him for years."
Alex shook her head. "Seriously, you're probably the weirdest person I know."
Seamus laughed. "If Fred doesn't get even the tiniest bit angry, then you should really think deeply about your relationship with him, and if it's worth saving."
Alex sucked in a breath. What he said had hit her like ice water. She wanted to defend the words but none would come out. What relationship did they even have? It was all based on lies, secrecy and lust. She looked blankly back at Seamus.
"If he really loves you, he'll fight for you." He said comfortingly. Holding out his hand he asked, "So do we have a fake relationship?"
Alex took his hand. "It's what I'm an expert at apparently."