Another upload! xD

This chapter is set after the party...the Quidditch-ish game is played into the evening before dinner. Now, I shall not reveal anymore of the plotline! xD

"So?"

I continued to wave my wand, collecting and stacking plates before magically directing them to Molly and Arthur in the kitchen. When I'd delivered the last pile, I lowered my wand, pleased, ad turned.

Ginny was staring at me, her hands planted on her hips.

"So what?" I said politely.

"So, what were you two doing out there for so long?" demanded Ginny crossly.

I shrugged, turning back to collect some glasses this time. "Nothing."

Ginny grabbed my wrist before I could finish my spell. I scowled at the inert glasses. "Nothing? Please," snorted Ginny, "do you take me for a fool?"

I rolled my eyes. "We just sat there, alright?"

"That's not what it looked like," Hermione said calmly, having drifted over. She grinned at me. "Come on. Spill."

"Maybe she came out to find me after I disappeared in the middle of a truly excellent party."

We turned at George's words. He continued patiently, his eyes finding mine. "Maybe we comforted eachother about Fred. Maybe we decided that we would like to just sit there for a while."

There was an awkward silence. Fred was still a touchy subject, especially around George, but he spoke the name as easily as if he'd been speaking Ron's or Ginny's. Ginny and Hermione stood there silently, not sure what to say. Finally, Ginny went to find Harry, while Hermione muttered something about helping out and disappeared.

I smiled up at George (My eyes were level with his nose). "Thanks for backing me up."

George shrugged. "It's nothing. Did you enjoy yourself?" he asked.
I nodded. "Very much."

"You know," remarked George thoughtfully, "we were outside for a long time. What was your brother doing when yo left him here by himself?"

I chuckled wryly. "He seemed to be getting on okay with Hermione when I left," I replied.

George's gaze sharpened. "Lyra Malfoy, have you been playing a prank?"

I shrugged. "Not this time. I think something happened while I was unconscious. They seemed to be very friendly when I woke up."

George shook his head. "You have played a prank. A completely unconscious one." He sighed, then grinned. "Well, that will make it easier for Malfoy to be accepted around here."

I grinned back.

~oOo~

"Did you enjoy yourself?"

The blond boy's head jerked up at my question. "What?"

I smiled, joining him next to the shed. "How much of my conversation with George did you see?" I asked as the thought occurred to me.

Draco shrugged. "Not much. Enough to know what you two were doing. I knew you were out here with him. I tried not to intrude."

I leaned against him, taking comfort from the fact that our bond was reforged, and stronger than ever. Draco put an arm about my shoulder. "Yes, I did enjoy the party. Are they all like that?" he asked.

I nodded. "More or less."

Draco chuckled. "I'll have to find a way to get invited more often then."

I smiled. "I'd like that," I said softly.

We sat in silence, leaning against the shed, when Draco suddenly spoke again. "Is there something going on between the two of you?

"Not you too," I complained. I paused, studying my twin. "If you ask me that question, that means you're gonna tell me all about what's between you and Hermione."

Draco pulled back, startled, then laughed softly. "I walked right into that one, didn't I?" He shrugged, staring up at the sky. "There's not much to tell. I guess we…connected…while you were unconscious."

"That's all I can say about George and I," I replied. "We just connected." I smiled at Draco. "We're just friends."

"For now," Draco murmured.

"Is that comment directed at me and George, or you and Hermione?" I asked, startling a chuckle out of Draco.

"I've got another question," he began again.
I scowled. "Who am I in love with this time?" I demanded, glaring at him.

Draco ignored my joke and cocked his head at me. "All those years ago…did you really see a cloud that looked like my face?"

I was still laughing when the others came to find us.

"Come on," said Ron cheerfully. I glanced at him, but he was watching my brother. "Fly with us."

For a moment I was startled. Ron Weasley, inviting Draco Malfoy to fly with us all? If someone had told me in first year that this would happen, I would've laughed myself sick. A look at Draco told me he was equally startled. They were all waiting, grins on their respective faces. I counted. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, George, Draco, Charlie, and me. I rolled my eyes. "We can't play with seven, idiot."

Ron rolled his eyes back. "Hermione's not gonna watch this time. She'll be playing too."

I raised a brow at the brunette. "Well, I have to learn sometime," she said brightly.

I snorted. "If you say so."

"We thought we could just form two teams, and pass the ball around," said Harry, lifting the very old soccer ball in his arms. I shrugged. "Sure."

Quickly we descended into argument over the teams. My friends didn't want me paired with Draco, as they felt it would be an unfair advantage. They didn't want me with George either-I had no idea why. In retaliation, I refused to let Ginny and Harry be on the same team.

Soon we had the teams sorted out: Me, Charlie, Ginny and Ron vs Harry, Draco, Hermione, and George.

"I heard my old Cleansweep saw a fair bit of action," remarked Charlie as we handed around brooms.

I smiled. "That's right."

Charlie grinned. "Well, it's good to know that it's not just sitting there collecting dust," he said, mounting said Cleansweep.

George emerged with a pair of brooms, handing one to me. I looked at it, and felt my jaw drop. It was Fred's old broom. "George," I began, looking up at him.

"Save it," he said quietly. "Charlie is right-Fred's broom won't do any good just sitting there collecting dust. Fred wouldn't be happy if his broom was treated like that."
On any other day I might've argued. But, looking up into those blue eyes, I saw what it cost George to hand over something so close to his heart.

Wordlessly I took the broom from him. "Thanks," I whispered, not sure what else to say. George only nodded.

"If you two lovebirds are finished," Ron yelled. We both looked over at him, me going pink. "I'll make you eat those words, Weasley!" I yelled back.

George shrugged. "You might want to watch your cup at dinner tonight Ron," he added, "or you could be fainting at the table. Wouldn't that be a sight to see?"

"What are you talking about George?"I asked very loudly. "Ron can faint all by himself. He doesn't need your help."

Ron scowled as the others laughed.

It quickly went from an actual game to a mess. While Ron, Harry, Ginny and Charlie actually played, laughing and throwing the ball around, George would try to distract me with a wide variety of taunts and laughs. Often he would try to knock me out of the air. Pretty soon we were all bruised and breathless with laughter. I glanced over during a brief interlude. Hermione was carefully manoeuvring her way around. Draco was hovering next to her, close enough that he would be able to help if she got into trouble, but not so close that he was in her way.

"They make a good couple eh?" I heard a voice say as the owner smacked into me on purpose. I whipped around, shaking a fist at George as he zoomed away laughing. "You're in trouble now, Weasley!"

"You gotta catch me first Harp!" he retorted.

The game had wound down long before it had became too dark to even see the ball, much less pass it around. Harry and Ginny were lying in the grass, Ginny's head pillowed on Harry's chest while he idly combed his fingers through her flaming locks. Ron and Charlie sat against the shed, chatting and joking while watching Draco's efforts to teach Hermione how to turn without slowing.

George and I were also still flying. I was trying to curse him now while he dodged, laughing. We had left the others far behind now, and we were still whipping over the massive field, so low that our feet occasionally brushed the long grass. An idea occurring to me, I touched down in the field just as George looked behind him. He slowed, frowning in surprise. He looked around carefully-just as I erupted from the grass. I flew straight into him, tackling him with a thud. Laughing, we tumbled to the ground in a breathless tangle of arms and legs, before I drew my wand, pointing it at his face. "Caught ya."

George grinned, his chest heaving. "Yes, you did." Grinning, I rolled away to lie on my back and stare at the stars for a moment. George let out a long sigh. I looked at him in time to catch him watching me. "What?" I demanded.

George smiled faintly, excitement still burning in his gaze. "Nothing." He stood abruptly, offering me a hand. I took it and stood, dusting myself off. "We should get inside," said George. "Dinner should be ready soon."

He walked away to snatch up our brooms, handing me Fred's, before mounting and kicking off. I watched his back as he rose, feeling like I'd just missed something important.

"Oi Harp!"

The name jolted me out of my trance. I shook myself, only just realising that I'd been staring straight at nothing like an airhead. Quickly I mounted Fred's broom. "Coming Mother!" I yelled back, hearing the faint sounds of George's laughter drifting towards me through the starlit night.

I always wanted Charlie to feature more in the books. I wanted to know all about him! So, I gave him a role here :)

I did warn you all before, and now I'll warn you again: I'm a Dramione fan. So this is gonna be Dramione. Sorry if anybody disagrees with that, but that's how I prefer it. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this!

Love MagicalLeaves