Hi guys! I'm back from exams! Between me finishing exams and now, I've written a Pensieve-load of stuff! YAY FOR YOU! :D

Recap: Lyra is fully recovered, everybody is happy...except George...

ONWARDS!
The shit has hit the fan...so how will Lyra clean up this mess?
A game has unexpected results as Lyra and George learn new things about what they mean to eachother...

I stood, staring at the spot where the boy had been standing a split-second ago. What in Merlin's name would I do now?

"Give me your stuff."

"Huh?" I looked at Ginny. She was watching me, having come to some sort of decision. "Give me your stuff," she repeated. "Go after him. I'll get Mum to take it back for you."

I stared at her. "What good would that do?" I said, bitter. "It's too late. He'll never trust me again."

Ginny scowled. "Give me your stuff and go after him, or Merlin help me, I will show you my Bat Bogey Hex."

"But you can't carry-"

"I'll manage. Now go!"

I met her gaze, then slowly placed the things in her hands. She grimaced, but held on bravely.

"Thanks Ginny," I said softly. She only nodded.

I took a deep breath, then turned on the spot.

Darkness. I felt like I was being squeezed through a tube. I'd forgotten how disorientating it was. When the ground finally materialized under my feet, I staggered. The last time I'd Disapparated, George had helped me recover, I remembered, a lump rising to my throat. Quickly I checked my threatening tears, then practically ran for The Burrow house, bursting through the front door.

"Hello."

"Bill?" I stared at the older man in surprise. He was sitting on an armchair, reading a letter. He smiled up at me. "What are you doing here?" I managed.

Bill shrugged. "I just stopped by. Dad told me you guys went to Diagon Alley to shop for school supplies. Back so soon?"

I ignored his last question. "Have you seen George?"

Bill studied me. There was no way for me to read the expression in his eyes. "He went out about 10 or so minutes ago, then suddenly returned looking like he'd been hit over the head. He's in his room now."

I nodded.

"George?"

A knock, then silence.

"George?" The voice quavered in the air.

I swallowed and took another breath. "George, please let me explain." My voice came out steadier this time. "Please open the door."

Silence.

Pain spilled over into frustration. "Alohomora!" When that proved useless, I glared at the wood. "Dammit George, if you don't come out I will blast your door down."

No reply.

Well, he'd asked for it. I raised my wand. "Reduc-"

The door open. My voice stuttered to a silence after my eyes met George's face. The boy looked down at my wand. His face tightened, then he grabbed my wrist, holding it so my wand was pressed against his chest. "Go ahead. Do it. You'd be doing me a favour."

I stared at the boy. "You don't mean that," I whispered, appalled. "You can't mean that."

"Try me," hissed the boy, yanking me closer. I gasped in pain. The wand dropped from my hand, clattering on the ground.

We were so close that my nose almost brushed his lips when I looked up. "I wanted to explain about before." When George didn't respond, I fumbled on. "It was an accident, really. I bumped into Verity in Diagon Alley, outside your shop. That's all. She's been going every week, to make sure everything's accounted for. She had to take the Pygmy Puffs home-they needed taking care of." Stop babbling, ordered that distant part of my mind. I shut up, looking down. "I'm sorry. I should go."

I tried to pull away. George didn't let go. If anything, his grip tightened. "George," I muttered, trying to pry his hand free, "that hurts."

George pulled me into his room and shut the door.

Inside, he let go so suddenly that I stumbled backwards before regaining my balance. "What-" I began, but he cut me off.

"When I saw you there, with Verity, outside the shop…she had the key. I thought the worst. I thought…that you'd been going behind my back. That you'd been trying to…I don't know. But, it hurt, that you would be there. To see you there. When you're supposed to be shopping for school…" George made a loud frustrated noise and raked his fingers through his hair, then sat down hard next to me on his bed, burying his face in his hands. "I didn't know what to think." His voice came out muffled.

I hesitated, then placed a tentative hand on his back. When he didn't shrug it off, I left it there.

Suddenly the boy lifted his head. "I want to play a game."

I blinked. "Okay," I said warily.

George met my gaze. "When we…" he swallowed, then continued, "when we were younger, we used to play it when one of us was confused, or upset. What you do is I ask you questions, and you have to answer with the first thing to come to mind. You're not allowed to skip questions, or think. You have to say whatever you think first."

I nodded, only wanting to comfort George.

The boy was silent for a moment, meeting my gaze, before he spoke suddenly. "Why are you going back to Hogwarts?"

"Because I want to."

"Did you really bump into Verity by accident?"

"Yes."

"Are you Head Girl again?"

"Probably."

The next question startled me. "Will you be the Quidditch Captain this year?"

I blinked before replying. "Probably." I was surprised by his sudden change in topics. I thought he would focus on more serious subjects. Then again, when had either twin been serious? I quickly swallowed against the lump in my throat

George again startled me with his next question.

"Fred?"

"Gone."

My word was certain and soft in the room. George's breath hitched before continuing.

"Best memory of Fred?"

"Teaching me the Bludger Backbeat in fifth year."

George's breath hitched again, and he allowed himself one short, sharp nod, before taking a deep breath.

"Best memory of me?"

"Dancing in the Yule Ball, fourth year," I replied promptly, then clapped my hands over my mouth, going crimson.

George blinked, also surprised. "Why?" This wasn't part of the game. I could tell that George actually wanted to know.

I spoke, thinking about my answer. "Because you weren't his twin, or his partner-in-crime that night. That night, you were just George. And you were having fun. You were happy that night." Without Fred. The words remained unsaid, but I could tell from the glint in George's eyes that he'd heard them as clearly as if I'd shouted in his ear.

"What do you think about me?"

I was so caught up in the game and the rhythm that I answered automatically. "I like you."

The words left my mouth, stones dropping into an undisturbed pond. I could feel the ripples spreading throughout the room.

Mortified, I sprang to my feet. "I have to go…um…pack," I mumbled, forgetting that I'd left my stuff with Ginny.

George made no move to stop me, but I could feel his eyes on me as I ran from the room.

OH NO! YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! MUAHAHAHA CLIFFHANGERS ARE SO EVIL!

See you next chapter!

Love MagicalLeaves