Day Eight
Prompt: Amethyst
"It's not fair," Capella said with a whine. George laughed a little and rubbed her shoulder. "Aw, George, it's not funny." She rolled her eyes and sat down on a bench next to her sister. "I want to go to Hogsmeade with you."
"I want you to come to Hogsmeade with me too," George said. He glanced down at her and realized she was watching him intently. "And, you too Vega," he added, tearing himself away from Capella's gaze.
Vega closed the book she was reading, using her forefinger as a bookmark, and shrugged. "Of course I'd like to go," she said. "But you know it's against the rules. You have to be a third-year to go on the trips."
Capella rolled her eyes again. "That's such a stupid rule. We just turned 13 yesterday," she said. "Some of the third years are still 13. We should be able to go."
"You can," a voice said suddenly from behind the trio. They all turned quickly to see Fred standing there with his trademark devious smile. "All you have to do is sneak out," he said with a shrug. "Simple as that."
"Oh, Pell, no," Vega said immediately as she turned to her sister, hugging her book to her chest.
"Why not? George tells me they've done it before," Capella said.
"Tons of times," George said. "It's not hard, we've never been caught."
Vega glanced up at the twins and then leaned in close to her sister. "I couldn't," she whispered.
Capella nodded to her sister and then looked up at George. "We're going to stay here. I couldn't go without Vega," she said.
"I'm sorry," Vega whispered.
"Do you think she'll like it?" George asked his brother. They had had a great time on the Hogsmeade trip. They had spent most of their time, and money, at Zonko's. But George had wanted to get something for Capella. It had turned out to be harder than he thought. But he had finally found something in a little shop he had never been in before.
Fred groaned. "She's going to love it. You've asked me a million times." He smiled and raised his eyebrows. "She likes you. You could give her a dung bomb and she'd be happy."
George looked up in surprise. "She doesn't like me," he said. "Not the way I like her, anyway." He glanced back down at the little bag he was carrying.
"She probably thinks you're sunshine too," Fred said with a wicked smiled.
"Oh Merlin's beard," George groaned. "You promised!"
Fred shook his head. "You told me not to say anything to her. I didn't promise to not bring it up at all."
"George!" Capella's voice cause both twins to look up in surprise.
"George?" Fred sighed and threw his hands up. "Just George? What about Fred?" He pouted, his hands on his hips, as Capella came down the hill towards them. "I guess I'm not sunshine, like you are," he added with a wicked grin.
"Don't bring it up again, alright?" George begged. He waved at Capella, and then leaned in closer to his brother. "Or I'll tell Katie about that dream you had." Fred's eyes grew wide and then he mimed locking his lips and tossing out the key. "Good," George said as Capella stopped in front of them.
"How was it?" She asked excitedly. "Did you do anything fun?"She glanced between the two boys but her gaze rested on George.
"Oh, yeah. We had a great time at Zonko's," George said. "Right Fred?"
Fred shrugged his shoulders and tapped his mouth in an exaggerated fashion. He patted them both on the shoulder and then headed up the hill towards the castle.
"What's up with him?" Capella asked as she watched him go.
"Oh, you know Fred," George replied. "Anyway, I got you something."
Capella turned back to George, her eyes wide. "You didn't have to do that."
George laughed and made a show of tucking the little bag into his pocket. "Well, if you don't want it…"
"No, no. I do!"
George held out the bag, feeling very nervous again. "Since it was your birthday yesterday we'll consider it your present."
Capella took the little black velvet bag and loosened the drawstring closure. She peered inside for a few seconds and then dumped the contents out into her hand. Half a dozen little pearl sized objects rolled out and clinked together musically. They were a beautiful amethyst color. She looked up a George with a curious smile. "These aren't going to explode on me are they?" She held her hand out away from her body.
George laughed. "No, I wouldn't do that to you." He took the little bag from Capella and put all the little pearls back into the bag, except for one. "Hold it in both hands," he said. She glanced at him quickly, a little apprehensive about what would happen, but then covered the little amethyst pearl with both hands. She looked up at him expectantly and he laughed at her impatience. "Just wait."
Capella smiled up at George and he reach forward to brush her bangs, which were falling into her eyes, out of the way. They looked at each other and George felt his breath catch in his throat. Suddenly Capella looked down at her hands with wide eyes. "It's moving!"
"Okay, open your hands," George said, happy to have some distraction from what he was feeling.
Capella looked down at her hands again and slowly opened them. A butterfly, the same amethyst color of the pearls, was sitting on her palm slowly moving its wings. She didn't say anything for a few seconds; she just watched the butterfly in her hands. "It's so beautiful," she said with a soft sigh. She looked up at him and they locked eyes. Suddenly the butterfly took flight. Together, they watched it fly away, an amethyst colored spot against the endless expanse of sky.