Chapter 19 – The Day After
The next morning, I walked with Luke to the great hall. We had transfigured his robes into something more comfortable. We were talking as we walked through the corridors.
"So, why did you need the distraction?"
"Did I say I needed it?" He asked.
"No, but you know." I shrugged. "Misery finds misery. Is this about Maggie?" I saw him flinch at the name and looked forward. "I'm sorry." I looped my arm through his and leaned my head on his arm. "You deserved so much better."
"Thanks, Gwen." A smile appeared on his lips as he pulled an arm around me, still looking forward.
"Hey, you called me Gwen."
"Well, that's your name, isn't it?" He grinned as he looked at me.
"As far as I know." I chuckled. "But you always call me Northon."
"Hm, after last night I think we're on first name basis. I had a great night, if you – you know want to do that again sometime..."
"I know where to find you." I winked and leaned in to kiss the corner of his mouth. Neither of us had noticed we were standing in front of the great hall until cat calls were heard. I turned to look at the noise and saw the boys from the Ravenclaw table clapping and calling out.
"I'm sorry. They are idiots." Luke frowned at the Ravenclaw table and looked to me.
"It's okay. I'm not ashamed." Luke let his arm drop from my shoulder and grabbed my hand. "I'll see you later, Luke. Thanks for last night." I squeezed his hand. He smiled and gave me another kiss on the cheek before he walked to the Ravenclaw table with a glare. I rummaged in my bag and headed over to the Gryffindor table. The twins had watched the whole ordeal and I saw George clenching his knife in the table. Hermione, Ron, Harry, Lee and Katie were sitting with them.
"Good morning, everyone." I put on a fake smile. "I had my muggle camera with me and enchanted it to take pictures throughout the night." I started pulling out the ones full of Gryffindors and turned to Fred. "I'm glad to see you asked Hermione to dance." I whispered before I turned to the others, pushing the photo over to them.
"It looked like you all had a great night." I spread the photos on the table and let the one of George with Angelina fall right under George's nose. "You just look them over, keep whichever you like." I say with a forced smile when I looked straight to George, who had gone pale when his eyes fell on the photo. "Bye." I said and without waiting, turned to the Hufflepuff table.
I ignored the murmurs that were going around the Gryffindor group and walked to Cedric, who to my surprise was sitting alone. And hopped next to him and his arm instantly went around my shoulder.
"Morning." I said as I started to fill my plate.
"Morning." His voice a little distant. "What just happened?" He asked, when I looked up, I saw him nudging his head to the Gryffindor table.
"Oh, you remember my camera?" He nodded. "Well, all the pictures appeared right into my purse, and I thought I give the ones from Gryffindor to them." I saw that he was waiting for more. "And… I thought I would hand over George's photo with Angelina in person."
"He didn't?" His voice shocked and laced with anger.
"Yep." I popped the P as I buttered my toast. "Them snogging in the alcove around the corner."
"I'm sorry." He rubbed my arm before letting it fall between us and looked at me seriously. "Do you want me to kill him?"
"No, I'm good." I chuckled and patted his hand. "Thanks though. How did it go with Cho last night?"
"Oh." He suddenly rubbed his neck. "Uhm, we – we broke up."
I let my knife clatter to the ground in shock. "What?"
"Yeah. I – she told me I had to choose. You or her. The decision was easily made."
"Ced-"
"It's okay, it wasn't going to last, we all knew that. I think Lyra and Odin are going to be thrilled." He chuckled.
I laughed as I picked up my knife from under the table grinned at him when I resurfaced. "You have no idea."
"I get it, I get it. No one liked her." He laughed. "So, want to tell me about Luke?"
"What's there to tell?" I said innocently as I tossed few blueberries in my mouth. I heard him groan next to me. "Ced, we decided we're staying friends and I don't want things to be awkward." I sighed. "I can tell you that we are not a couple."
"Because you want George." He pointed out and I let a bowl of oatmeal fly in his face.
"At this point I don't want anyone." I grumbled but a smile escaped when I saw the oatmeal drip down on his face. I knew that we most have gathered the attention of others, I dared a glance around me. I saw the lovey-dovey couple Lyra and Odin walk in laughing at Cedric. I saw Hermione grin from the Gryffindor table and Fred clutching his side as he laughed. Then I saw George… I took in a deep breath to steady myself. "I have to go." I said and stood up without waiting for Cedric to answer as he was still cleaning himself up. I smiled and waved at Lyra and Odin as I passed and walked out of the great hall.
"Guinevere, wait!" I heard George call out for me. I wanted to run faster, to hide but I didn't. I stopped and turned to look at him. Which he certainly wasn't expecting because he was running towards me and couldn't stop in time. He slammed into me, letting me crash to the floor.
"Shit!" George cursed kneeling down next to me. "Are you okay?" His hand going to my head.
"I'm fine." I pushed his hand away and stood up. "What do you want, George?" I said as I patted the dust off my clothes.
"Can I talk to you?" Without waiting for my answer, he dragged me inside an empty classroom.
"George, what?!" I frowned as he closed to the door.
"I'm sorry."
"For?" I looked down to my shoes.
"For not asking you to the ball, for royally messing things up, for…"
"Angelina?" I finally looked to him, and I shouldn't have. His pleading eyes, full of sorrow and hurt looked at me, his deep brown pools fixed on my silver blue ones.
"Yes." He took a step closer. "I didn't know what I was thinking." He shook his head. "I just heard you had a date, and I was … hurt. And Angelina asked me right after. I know I shouldn't have. I'm sorry."
"It's okay, George." George looked hopeful at me for a second. "We're not together and now you can try with Angelina again." The hopeful look disappeared in an instant. "You kissed her for a reason." I looked down and turned around to reach for the door handle, but George stopped me. He placed his hand on mine and I felt electricity run through, he turned me around, so we were standing chest to chest.
"I didn't kiss her. She kissed me and I pushed her away. I went to look for you, but I couldn't find you anywhere. Fred said you left with Luke not long before. The only one I wanted to take to the ball, the only one I wanted to kiss was you." He placed a hand on her cheek and without thinking I leaned into his touch.
"George. I-" I started but I was cut off by his lips. He placed them on mine, soft, careful, hesitant, but it made the butterflies in my stomach soar. My hands went around his neck, and I pulled him closer. That move made him put his other hand on my cheek and pushed me against the door. I gasped as I hit the door and George took the opportunity from my parted lips to deepen the kiss. The kiss was electricity, it was fire. It was something that made my head spin. One of George's hands went in my hair, while the other went to my waist. "George." I murmured to his lips and pulled back. He leaned his head against mine, breathing heavily.
"I - I need to tell you about-"
"Luke?" He opened his eyes and gave me a sad smile. "You don't have to explain anything. Just are you two-?"
"We're not together." I gave him a small smile.
"Thank Merlin." He pulled my lips back against his.
"Hold up." I said pushing his chest a little and he pouted, making me chuckle. "This feels... right. But I don't want to go too fast."
"I get it." He traced his thumb over my cheek softly. "I'm crazy about you, queen Guinevere." I slapped his chest playfully. "We'll go as slow or as fast if you want to. I'll wait another five years for another chance to kiss you."
My smiled went wide as I looked up to him, his eyes only filled with honesty, kindness and a little bit of lust. I let my hand slide over his cheek. "Well, not that slow." I chuckled and pulled him back to me.
We still had a week of break left and the next morning, I walked out with Cedric out of the common room to see George waiting there. Cedric looked from me to George and when I gave him a nod, he walked out of the corridor leaving the two of us alone.
"Goodmorning, fancy seeing you here." I grinned at him.
"I was on my way to the great hall, but I must've taking a wrong turn." He gave me a lopsided grin that made my stomach flip. "Care to walk me back? I'm terribly lost." He pouted and gave me his best puppy eyes.
"Fine." I said after an eyeroll and took his offered arm.
"There's actually was something I wanted to ask."
"Thank Helga, you found me then." I nudged him and he chuckled.
"Two questions actually."
"You're pushing it, Weasley." I laughed. "How long were you waiting outside the common room, anyway?"
"Not that long." He shrugged. "I was wondering if you wanted to go on a date with me. You know, no rushing things, a real date."
"I would love to." I stopped walking and turned to look at him.
"Brilliant! Tonight, after dinner?" He looked down at me excitedly, I nodded fiercely with a smile on my lips. "I have to meet up with Lee, I'll see you tonight." He kissed my cheek, but before he had time to walk away, I pushed him in a cupboard, he looked at me with raised eyebrows.
"Lee can wait a few more minutes." I said before a stood on my toes and planted my lips against his. I felt him grin against my lips before his arms went around my waist and picked me up, putting me against the wall. After a few heated minutes, we pulled apart grinning.
"Now that's what I call a good morning." George whispered in my neck. I pushed my hands against his chest, and he lowered me to the ground.
"I'll see you tonight." I kissed his cheek and left him in the cupboard.
"Tease!" I heard him shout from the cupboard and I laughed as I went inside the great hall. I slide onto the bench next to Cedric as the room started to fill.
"Where is George?"
"He had to meet up with Lee."
Cedric nodded. He looked from the Ravenclaw table to me. "I talked to Luke earlier."
"What?" My head snapped to him.
"Don't worry, I didn't ask him anything, but he told me to say to you that he had put them straight."
"Who?" I frowned, not following.
"His fellow classmates. He told them he just met you right before you entered the great hall."
"Oh." I said slowly, finally understanding. "He is a real gentleman. He deserves better."
"Maggie is a little shite."
"Can't argue with that." I laughed. "Why didn't he tell me himself?" I asked as I looked to the Ravenclaw table.
"He's going home for the last week of break, he's probably at the train station right now."
I nodded as I scooped up some eggs with my fork. After a few minutes of silence, an envelope appeared in front of me. I looked up at the ceiling, looking for an owl but there was not one to be seen. I frowned as I reached for the letter. It looked safe, so I opened it and my eyes scanned the paper. I hopped up from my seat, my eyes still on the letter.
"I'll meet you back in the common room." I said to Cedric, not looking up as I walked out of the great hall. I walked through the corridors, and I was so fixated on the letter, I didn't hear the twins call out for me. I stopped in front of the dark wooden door where I had walked to blindly. I let the letter go with one hand and knocked on the door.
The door opened a second later, revealing Professor Sprout. "Good morning professor, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes, yes come on in Gwen." She stepped aside to let me in. I propped the letter into my pocket and sat down in front of her desk. "I'll start with saying that your brother is fine, but he had an accident."
"Accident?" I squeaked and clutched the railing of the chair tightly, my hair turning slightly white.
"Yes, Charlie Weasley contacted me. Like I said, he's going to be fine. He's already out of the hospital and is resting at his cabin. But Charlie invited you to spend the rest of break with them."
"Really? Can I go?"
"Yes." Professor Sprout smiled. "I already cleared it with the headmaster."
"How am I getting there?" I asked with a frown.
"Floo. You'll be flooing over the burrow, the Weasleys house. Their floo is connected to Charlie's, it will be open until noon. So, you better start packing."
"Right." I nodded. "Where do I floo from?" I asked when I stood up.
"You can use mine." She nudged her head at the floo on her right.
"I'll be back soon. Thanks professor."
I quickly made my way to the common room and rushed to my room. Cedric was already sitting on the couch in the commons and followed me to my room. He found me already tugging out clothes out of my closet and putting them in a bag. He hopped onto my bed.
"Are you running away?"
"No." I stopped my frantic packing and looked to him. "Bash had an accident, he's fine." I quickly added. "But they invited me to stay the last week of break with them."
"You're leaving me all alone." Cedric sighed dramatically, falling on his back on my bed.
"Drama queen." I chuckled and tossed a pair of socks at him. "Lyra and Odin are here." I turned back to my packing. "That should do it." I closed the bag and tossed it over my shoulder.
"How are you getting there anyway?" Cedric asked as he walked me out of the room.
"Floo. I have to floo over to the Weasleys, because their floo is connected to their cabin."
"You're going to meet George's mum?"
"So? I already met his dad."
"Yeah, but this is his mum and now you're dating."
"We aren't dating, we haven't even had our first date ye- Shit!" I stopped as I rummaged in my bag.
"What? What's wrong?"
"George asked me on our first date this morning. For tonight!" I took a piece of parchment from my bag and scribbled a note on it against the wall. "Can you give this to him, please? I don't have time to go and find him."
"Sure." He accepted the note and we walked into Professor Sprouts' office that was still open. "I'll see you in a week." He hugged me and kissed my cheek before I stumbled in the fireplace.
"Ready?" Professor Sprout asked with a smile.
"Ready." I nodded and clutched my bag in my hand.
"The burrow." The professor said as she tossed floo powder at my feet and I disappeared from Hogwarts with green flames.