Peach Gummies

by AshGopal

Summary:

Georgiana Weasley loved her snacks the way her heart was: sweet, soft and squishy, covered in sugar and easy to share.

 

Or:

 

George Weasley is pure of heart and dumb of ass. Fred and Cedric suffer.

Notes:

• For Tsume_Yuki, lulu_lisbon.
• Inspired by A Hundred Winks of Sunshine by Tsume_Yuki
• Inspired by Love on the Brahms by lulu_lisbon

Hey guys, welcome to my new story!!

So, this story was inspired by Tsume Yuki's 'A Hundred Winks of Sunshine', and I wanted to write about a character who could see the magic of the little things in life and actively find happiness for herself. That story brought so much hope and warmth into my life when I was going through a dark time, and I hope this story can make you smile at least once!! ❤️❤️❤️

I was also inspired by Lulu Lisbon's 'Love on the Brahms', and you'll see evidence of it in the Triwizard Tournament arc. This story was the one that inspired me to write a Cedric-centered story in the first place 😁 For real, it is one of the funniest and cutest things I have ever read, I love it so dang much ❤️❤️❤️

But yeah, please enjoy the show!!

Chapter 1: Pre-Hogwarts

 

7 years old

 

Fred cuddled into the warm form of Georgie. He was feeling slightly sleepy after their supper. Mum had made roast pork with mashed potatoes, his favorite. He had filled his tummy till he was about to pop and was scolded by Mum when his face went green. Thankfully, he didn’t throw up.

Georgie had just laughed like she always did. Of course, the sound of her joy calmed Mum down enough for her to sigh and smile fondly at Georgie in turn.

No one could ever be mad at Georgie. She was just too… bright. 

Georgie turned and snuffled into his chest and he tightened his hold on her. Dad had made them a bunk bed, which was super cool and made Percy, Ronnie, and Ginny super jealous, but it was for them, the twins, so ha. They had to suck it up.

When they saw it, Fred immediately claimed the top bunk, and Georgie just smiled at him like she always did and gave it to him without complaint. Fred loved her so much. She always gave them what they all wanted, even if it meant that she would get less. Whenever Mum made carrot cake, she gave her slice to Charlie. Whenever she found a cool leaf or rock, it went to Percy. Trifle went to Dad. Instead of playing, a lot of the time she’d sit with Mum and simply watch in awe as she cast spells to cook and clean, exclaiming how amazing it always was, making Mum blush in pleasure.

Sometimes, Fred thought as he watched her smile at Ron and give up her portion of banana bread pudding (even though the muppet already had three servings, bloody hell), she was too nice. 

Thankfully she had him with her to stop people from taking advantage.

Every evening during bedtime, the twins would peer angelically up at their parents kissing them goodnight, and inevitably one of them would migrate over so that they could cuddle each other to sleep, leading their parents to wake them up with exasperation in the morning. 

They could never stay angry in the face of Georgie’s sleepy smile, though.

Georgie snuggled closer and breathed out.

“Heya, Freddie?”

“Yeah, Georgie?”

She was silent for so long that Fred began to get sleepy again. But her next words wiped that away in an instant. 

“I’m sorry, Fred. I’m not really your sister.”

Fred let go of her and sat up. “What? What are you talking about? Of course you’re my sister!”

Georgie shook her head and sniffed. Her eyes welled up. “I’m a fake, Freddie. You were supposed to have a twin brother named George. You would be best friends.”

“But you’re already my best friend, yeah?” Fred couldn't wrap his head around the concept.

“Yes, but I’m not supposed to be. I’m a thief.”

Fred hugged her as the tears finally began to fall from her big blue eyes. “What are you talking about, Georgie? How do you know you’re not my sister?”

Georgie sniffed. “It’s a secret.”

“Oh, come on, you know I won’t tell anybody. When have I ever told your secrets to anyone?”

Georgie regarded him for a long moment, then sighed. She looked… tired. Like Dad would sometimes when he came home from work, when he wouldn’t smile no matter what they would do.

“I… read it in a book. I know the future.”

Fred’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

Georgie giggled wetly. “Yeah. Pretty wicked, huh?”

“Which book? And when?”

“Uhhh. A long time ago.”

“How long? Like, last year?”

“No. Way longer than that. Years ago, before I was Georgie.”

“Before you-”

“Yup.”

“How?”

“Dunno. That's the question, isn't it?”

“Huh. Wicked. So, you’re like a, what did Billy call them, like a Seer, yeah?”

Georgie hummed. “I guess so, in a way. But I don’t know how much I remember, or how much is actually accurate. Like I said, George is supposed to be a boy. I’m not supposed to be here.”

“Hey, hey.” Fred’s mind was whirring with the revelation that his baby sister was a Seer (bloody hell), but he knew that he needed to nip this in the bud. “I don’t care how it’s supposed to be. Right here, right now, you’re my twin sister and I love you. I don’t care what some dumb book has to say about that, yeah?” He puffed up in anger.

Georgie stared at him before more tears ran down her cheeks. Before Fred could panic, she giggled again. “Oh Freddie, you make it sound so simple.”

“That’s because it is,” Fred huffed.

Georgie smiled and settled back down. “I guess it is, then. I love you, Freddie, so much.”

Fred yawned. “Love you too, Georgie. Now stop worrying about stupid stuff and go to sleep, yeah?”

Georgie laughed softly and did just that.

8 years old

 

The summer was sweltering. Birds didn’t seem to mind the heat and chirped happily among the fruit trees. In the distance, George watched as a family of rabbits dug a new burrow near the roots of a grapefruit tree. 

Lying next to her in the shade of a peach tree were Fred and Cedric. They were camped out in Cedric’s beautiful garden. His mother, Abigail, was an avid gardener, but of a simpler variety than you would expect from a magical household. Instead of exotic plants like mandrakes and devil's snare, she tended to a forest of fruit trees.

It was one of the points she and Molly bonded over, their love of cooking. Mrs. Diggory’s fruit jams, cakes, and pies could rival her mother’s. But of course, George would never ever tell her mother that.

Besides, that taste of love in Molly’s food was irreplaceable.

George would never have expected to become friends with Cedric, because she knew very well that Arthur found Amos Diggory obnoxious. But still, after that first play date with Cedric, he was adorably insistent on hanging out with her and Fred, and George was overjoyed by the opportunity as well. A new friend! How wonderful!

Secretly, George thought that Cedric was a little lonely, being an only child, and George was happy to fix that. See if loneliness could come and bother him if she was his friend, ha! 

Since then, the twins and Cedric had been inseparable for years, much like how Charlie had attached himself to awesomely cool Nymphadora Tonks and Ginny had glued herself to tiny little Luna Lovegood. Being a limpet ran in the family, it seems!

She munched on a peach she had found near their shady resting spot. Mmmm, juicy. Ced had tried to tell her to wash it, but George just laughed. A little germs never killed anyone! Buffed up immune resistance, here she comes!

“Georgie.” Fred’s voice cut through the balmy air.

“Hmmm?” George was still busy watching the rabbits. Oh, the baby one fell over! How cute! Get back up and go for it, little bunny! Don’t give up!

“Georgie. I think that you should tell Ced, yeah?”

“Tell me what?” Cedric was sprawled out next to her, lazily gazing at the clouds.

“Yeah, tell him what?” George turned away from the bunnies and peered at her twin. His face was slick with sweat and his rusty hair was arranged in a messy halo around his head. How precious! She loved her silly, silly brother.

“About the thing.” He made deliberate eye contact with her and she immediately knew what he was talking about. 

That tended to happen a lot. They were just on the same wavelength. They finished each other’s sentences and spoke on behalf of each other. Billy called it twin voodoo, but to her, it was simple. Freddie was Freddie. She knew him better than she knew even herself.

“Oh. I mean. If you think so?”

Freddie glanced at a curious Cedic and regarded him for a long, hard moment. He met her eyes and nodded.

Well, alright then. She trusted Freddie’s judgment better than she trusted her own. He was razor-smart in a subtle way that he didn’t show anyone but her and Cedric. He would never allow her to get hurt, just like she would for him.

“Heya, Ced?

“Yeah, Jo?”

“I have an important secret. If I tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone.”

He turned to her, his pretty gray eyes dancing in the shadows the leaves made. “Sure. I promise.”

“It may sound pretty silly, but I know the future. Or, at least a version of it, maybe.”

“You’re a Seer?” He sat up and regarded her.

George shrugged. “Well, sort of? I’m not a real Seer, I just know some stuff that might happen in the future.”

Cedric met Freddie’s eyes who deadpanned, “She’s a Seer.” Cedric seriously nodded.

George sighed. Her silly, silly boys. “I’m not a Seer, guys. What I know is only a possibility.”

Freddie and Ced ignored her and continued to talk amongst themselves. How rude!

“Who else knows?”

“No one. Just us. Not even Mum and Dad, right?”

Cedric nodded. “Good. We have to keep it that way. We can’t let anyone else know, otherwise…” He trailed off and both her boys turned to look at her before they shuddered.

George smiled at them. “Or else what?”

“Nothing.” They made deliberate eye contact.

George tilted her head before she decided to ignore them. Probably they can’t let anyone else know or she’ll be committed in the looney bin. That’s what happened to people who went around saying that they knew the future.

But hey, there’s magic here, right? So it might be okay? Or would that make it even more not okay? Ugh, it made her brain hurt. Well, whatever, it should be fine! George is sure that it’ll all work out in the end!

George hummed happily to herself and looked at the bunnies again.

Fred gestured to her. “See?”

“Yeah. We have our work cut out for us.” Cedric grimaced. They continued to observe George happily off in her own little world.

“Heya, Jo?”

George turned back to Cedric. “Yeah, Ced?”

“Tell me something that you’ve seen.”

“Hmmm, like what?”

“I dunno. What have you seen about me? Or Fred?”

George hummed. Great question! What can she tell them without scarring her boys’ delicate young psyches? No no, all the trauma belongs only to her! Freddie and Ced deserve happy endings! George is gonna work hard to make that happen! Happily ever after for everyone!

“Well, Ced, you grow up suuuuper cool and handsome! And you’re so cool that you’re selected as the best student in Hogwarts! Amazing! I can’t wait to see it!”

Cedric gaped at her as his cheeks steadily grew redder. Oh no! Looks like they’d been out in the sun too long! Abigail would be distressed if Ced’s cute apple cheeks got sunburned!

Freddie sniggered at Ced. Rude Freddie! Sunburns are nothing to laugh at! They should know, they’re redheads!!!

Before she could tell Freddie off, her twin turned to her. “What about me, then?”

George lost her previous train of thought for this new, more exciting one. “Oh! Well, in the future, we open up a joke shop! Better than Zonko’s!”

Freddie’s jaw dropped. “No way.”

“Yup!” George beamed. 

“Wicked!”

George laughed. She loved her boys and she would make sure that they would be happy! Happily Ever Afters for everyone! 

“Children! Come inside! I have afternoon tea ready!”

But for now, time to go enjoy some sweets! Yay!

9 years old

 

“Happy birthday, Ced!” George crushed him in a hug, Freddie wrapping his arms around both of them and laughing at their squeals for him to loosen his grip.

“Thanks, guys!” Ced’s cheeks were flushed in pleasure.

George beamed at him. “This is so awesome! All of us have iconic birthdays!”

Freddie tilted his head at her. “We do?”

George scoffed haughtily at them. “Of course we do, Freddie! For Morgana’s sake, we’re born on April Fool’s Day! It’s a sign from the gods that we were put in this world to bring chaos upon it! It is our fate! Our destiny!!!” 

“Alright, you chipper numpty, settle down,” Freddie wrapped his arm around Cedric. “What about our Birthday Boy here? What’s so iconic about September 21st, yeah?”

George gasped. “You don’t know?”

“I wouldn’t be asking if I-”

“The song! September!”

“The what now?”

“Do you remember, the 21st night of September? Love was changin' the minds of pretenders, while chasin' the clouds awayyyyy…” George belted out.

Freddie cringed back. “What the bloody-”

“Our hearts were ringin', in the key that our souls were singin', as we danced in the night, remember, how the stars stole the night awayyyyy-”

“Shut yer hole, Georgie, you’re screeching like a banshee-!”

“BA-DEE-YA, SAY, DO YOU REMEMBER? BA-DEE-YA, DANCIN’ IN SEPTEMBER!”

“Georgie!!”

“BA-DEE-YA, NEVER WAS A CLOUDY DAYYYYYY!!!” she wailed.

“Shut the fuck up, woman!!!”

Cedric laughed so hard that tears streamed down his cheeks, his chest warm from the impromptu serenade. Truly the best present he could have ever gotten.

“See, Ced? Your birthday’s epic! I’ll make sure to sing to you every birthday you have, you hear? Prepare yourself!”

“Oi, you’re swearing to torture him on his birthday every year? You’re a sadist, are you, Georgie-?”

“Torture?!”

Cedric smiled as he watched them bicker. “It’s a promise,” he whispered.

10 years old

 

“Jo?”

“Yes, Ced?”

“I think I’m scared to go to Hogwarts.”

“What? Why? We just talked about how excited we were to go! What happened?”

I don’t know. Maybe… I think I’ll be in Hufflepuff.”

“That’s alright.” 

“But you and Freddie will be in Gryffindor.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“I don't want to be separated.”

“Oh Ced, you silly boy. You’ll always be my best friend even if you’re in Hufflepuff.”

“You promise?”

“Haha, of course! I’ll always love you!”

“... I’ll hold you to that, Jo.”

 

 

 

Notes:

So yeah, when I was writing this, I reeeally needed a shot of serotonin, so I listened to fluffy bubble-gum pop and K-pop edits non-stop while devouring wholesome edits of optimistic characters like Luffy, Pavitr Prabhakar, Polites from Epic, and Leslie Knope, so yeah, the vibe was probably conveyed.

In the end, I think I ended up with single brain-cell, golden-retriever energy, and you know what, I don't think that's a bad thing.

Chapter 2: First Year

Notes:

And here we go!!

 

11 years old

 

Diagon Alley was always a vision of absolute splendor. George had visited the magical market several times in the past, usually accompanying her older brothers on their Hogwarts shopping trips, but somehow, it felt different for her own trip. It was as wondrous and magical as it had been the first time.

George’s eyes sparkled at the sights of the spelled products that shopkeepers advertised. Sure, they couldn’t afford any of them, but that was alright! It was amazing enough just to be able to see the spectacular displays.

“Wicked! Georgie, look at this!”

George trotted up to Fred and peered over at what had caught his attention. A beautiful, shiny broom! The Comet Starshooter! The newest model currently out on the market!

“Isn't it beautiful, Freddie?”

George loved flying, just like the rest of her family. Percy wasn’t the most interested in participating in their impromptu Quidditch games, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t fly circles around them when he wanted to. It amused George to no end, her amazing, talented brother!

George absolutely loved playing Quidditch! It was just so fun, swooping around and keeping track of the balls! She was happy playing any position, she didn’t really mind, especially when her brothers and sister were particularly adamant about playing a specific role. She had fun anyway! 

But secretly, her favorite position was Beater, especially if her partner was Freddie. Their weird twin connection allowed them to synchronize flawlessly, allowing them to be an unstoppable team. George always savored the rush, as if Freddie was an extension of herself. They moved as one cohesive unit that always demolished their competition. 

That was why they were forbidden from being Beaters together when they played at home. The others complained that it was unfair. 

But that’s alright! As long as she got the chance to play at all, George was happy!

George admired the broom wistfully. They’d never be able to afford this broom in their wildest dreams, but that was fine! They didn’t need fancy brooms to dominate! She couldn’t wait till second year when she and Freddie could play for the House Team. They would outshine everyone! Watch out, Hogwarts, the Weasley twins are coming!

Finally, Dad ushered them away from the display, his eyes sad despite his warm smile. Oh no, that wouldn’t do! George clung to him and gave him a gigantic cuddle. They were already sooo happy! Arthur was already the best parent anyone could ask for! They didn’t need fancy brooms to make them happy, he was already enough!

Arthur’s smile brightened as if he knew what George was thinking and he warmly hugged her back before he took her hand. “Come on, twins. It’s time to head over to Ollivander’s.”

George gasped in excitement. Yay! It was finally time!

Getting a wand was the fantasy for any little kid who had read or watched Harry Potter, and it was finally coming true for her! Sure, it’s been decades and she doesn't remember the plot of Harry Potter very well, but that doesn't diminish the magic of, well, magic!

Ollivander's Wand Shop smelled just like she imagined, like wood polish and dust. George was busy looking around so only Freddie and Arthur jumped at Ollivander’s sudden entrance.

“Welcome, welcome. Here to buy the little ones' wands, is it?”

Arthur cleared his throat and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The man nodded and examined the twins. Freddie looked up at him in suspicion, wary from the scare that they had received earlier, but George beamed up at him. He had odd, silvery eyes that looked like they peered deep into your soul. Pretty cool! George was envious. 

“Alright, we can start with the young lady. Your wand arm?”

And so the process went. George was handed wands and described how they felt. Some immediately sparked and spit spells, but some just vibrated in her hand or turned cold.

Ollivander hummed and handed her another one. “Hmmmm. Try this one. Pearwood with unicorn tail hair, 9 inches, sturdy.”

George grasped it and tilted her head. This one felt a lot better than the others. It warmed slightly in her hand.

Ollivander snatched it from her. “No, no, not quite. Almost.”

He scurried to the back of the store and dug through his vast collection. He hummed in satisfaction when he finally retrieved the wand he wanted.

“Here. Try this one. Peachwood with unicorn mane hair, 12 inches, flexible.” It was engraved with elegant designs on the side and was a beautiful ombre, lightening out to the tip.

George took it and gasped as a wave of pure heat rushed through her. It flowed all over her body and left her cheeks heated until it circled back to the wand and released a shower of beautiful pink sparks.

Ollivander clapped in glee. “Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! We have a match!” He turned to George and smiled gently. “In general, fruit tree woods only bond deeply with people who have a kind, gentle heart and disposition, and the people they link with usually end up being quite popular, understandably. There are variances, of course, and certain cultures hold certain fruit tree wood in high esteem, such as cherrywood in Japan. Peachwood is a little on the rare side over here in Europe. Our American brothers and sisters, however, tend to look upon peachwood very fondly. Regardless, peachwood combined with unicorn hair indicates an especially kind, gentle nature. I hope it serves you well in the future, Miss Weasley.”

George beamed up at him. How kind of him! And that made sense, since she was American in her previous life. What a nice homage! And peaches! Lucky! She absolutely adored peaches!

Ollivander turned to Freddie. “And now for you, young man. Your wand arm, please?”

George watched as Freddie went through the same process. Several glasses shattered and once a shelf tilted over, spilling dozens of boxes, but Ollivander didn’t seem to care about any of it. 

Soon enough, Freddie was matched as well. A bolt of blue lightning flowed from the end of his wand and Ollivander nodded in approval.

“Spruce with dragon heartstring from a Portuguese Long-Snout, 13 inches, whippy. Just like the dragon the core was taken from, a very, very playful and mischievous wand, which is exponentially amplified by the spruce. However,” Ollivander eyed Freddie, who straightened himself, “like a dragon, it has very protective instincts as well.” He made meaningful eye contact with Freddie, who nodded seriously.

George grinned. What a wonderful match! She couldn’t think of anything that described her darling Freddie better!

“Thank you so much, Mr. Ollivander!” She smiled sweetly at the wandmaker, who smiled at her in return.

“My pleasure, young lady. Make sure to take good care of your wands.”

“Of course!”

George could barely believe it. Her own wand! She was a real witch! She could do magic! Amazing! Unbelievable! Wonderful! 

The feeling didn’t dissipate all throughout the summer, and in no time, the twins found themselves on the Hogwarts Express (alongside Cedric, of course) headed to their wonderful magical school adventure.

The sweets trolley lady came by with her wares and Cedric was considerate enough to buy some treats for her and Freddie as well. Ced was the best! 

“Thank you so much, ma’am! By chance, does there happen to be any gummies on your cart?”

The older lady tilted her head quizzically. “Gummies, dearie? I’m afraid not.”

Freddie sighed. “She means jellies. She insists on calling them gummies, right?”

“Oh! That makes sense! I’m sorry dearies, Honeydukes made them a seasonal item so they’re unavailable right now.”

Darn! But that’s alright! Chocolate frogs were spectacular as well! George wasn’t going to complain, especially in the face of Ced’s generosity.

In no time at all, they arrived at Hogwarts and were ushered into the boats by Hagrid. He really was absolutely massive, no joke! But his warm smile clearly indicated that he was a gentle giant, what a cutie pie!

George’s breath was taken away at the sight of the magnificent castle. Hogwarts was simply… otherworldly. Chills ran down her spine at the sheer enormity and splendor.

Wow.

McGonagall was there to receive them and George was instantly in love with her no-nonsense aura. So imposing! So impressive! 

The Sorting Hat serenaded them and George clapped enthusiastically. 

Their names were called, and when it was time for Ced’s, his hand squeezed hers painfully tight, but George didn’t mind. She squeezed his back and smiled at him. He stared at her for a long moment before his face set and he walked forward.

“HUFFLEPUFF!”

A cheer erupted from the yellow and black table, but Fred and George’s cheers could be heard over the din. Hufflepuff! George was so proud of him! 

As he walked over to the table, he caught George’s eye, smiled, and nodded. George grinned back at him. 

The number of first years trickled down until it was left down to the twins.

“Weasley, Frederick!” 

Freddie caught her eye, and before she could react, pulled her into a tight bear hug. George laughed, startled, and automatically hugged him back. In a second, he released her and resolutely walked up to the stool.

“GRYFFINDOR!”

The house whooped and applauded their approval as Freddie trotted over. His face looked serious and grim. Awww, why the long face, Freddie? There’s no room for that here! This is a moment for celebration!

“Weasley, Georgiana!”

George stepped up to the stool with a wide smile on her face, the very last student to be sorted.

The Sorting Hat engulfed her head and a voice sounded in her skull.

“Ahhhh, another Weasley? And the twin of the other one, hmmm?”

Ah, that would be me!

“So you’re the one the two boys are so worried about. And for good reason. You’re a Seer-”

Haha, I don’t know about that! I just know a little stuff here and there! Nothing special! No prophecies here!

“- and it’s clear that you have an alarming lack of self-preservation and self-awareness.”

Haha, rude! You’re kinda funny, Mister Hat! 

“Hush, you have the maturity of an adult, I don’t have to mince my words around you. Now, where should I put you? Slytherin is right out, for obvious reasons.”

Yeah, they probably wouldn’t like me because I’m from a ‘Blood Traitor’ family, right?

The Sorting Hat’s voice was droll. “No, oblivious child, because you would terrorize them with your optimism.”

Haha, you’re rude, Mister Hat! I’m sure that I would win them over eventually!

“Hmmmm.” It sounded skeptical. “Ravenclaw is out as well because you’re curious and enamored with magic, but not interested in pursuing or exploring academics.”

I would agree!

“That leaves Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Now, where to put you?” The Hat pondered for a long moment, before, “I’ve got it. Better be-”

“GRYFFINDOR!”

A thunderous cheer erupted, and right before the Hat was removed from her head, George could have sworn she heard “Those poor boys have their work cut out for-”

Haha, rude hat! But George immediately forgot all about it as she skipped her way down to her waiting brothers. 

Freddie immediately pulled her into another bear hug and was immediately joined by Percy and Charlie joining their hug till she was gasping for air. George laughed breathlessly, basking in the affection she felt for her precious brothers. She loved them so much!

Eventually, they all separated when Dumbledore cleared his throat to commence his speech, but her brothers had a satisfied glint in their eyes. Her silly, overprotective brothers! She was an adult! She could take care of herself!

Over the tables, as Dumbledore began to wind down his speech, she met Ced’s eyes and smiled warmly at him. He stared at her for a long moment before his shoulders relaxed and he smiled. His eyes left hers and he nodded at someone to her right. Turning, she caught Freddie nodding back at him, a smirk on his own face.

George wondered what that was about but she was distracted by the feast that appeared before them in all its splendor.

Time to dig in!

Before they made their way over to Gryffindor Tower, George snuck away for a moment to give Ced a hug. She buried her head in his shoulder and inhaled his comforting citrusy scent.

“Congrats, Ced. I’m proud of you.”

He squeezed her tighter. “You too, Jo. I’m proud of you both, too.”

George pulled back and smiled at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class! Sleep well!”

George accompanied her Gryffindor yearmates as the prefects led them throughout the school, pointing out the landmarks for them to remember along the way. The entire castle was just so full of amazing magic and George was almost slightly overstimulated from it all.

Her new female dormmates were the girls that she knew would later join her on the Quidditch team, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet. They were remarkably friendly and marveled over Fred and George.

“So, like, you two are twins for real? That’s mad. You both look absolutely identical, yeah? Can’t find a single bloody difference, I can’t. But aren’t you a girl?”

George laughed. “Yeah, we get that a lot. Many times the only way you can tell us apart is because I have to wear a skirt. It was chaos when we were younger, lemme tell you!”

“Mad, girlie.”

Their dorms were wonderful, with four poster beds and soft, luxurious red curtains surrounding them. George loved it immediately.

She settled in, but sure enough, no matter what she did, she wasn’t able to drift off to sleep. She sighed and made her way out of the room and down the stairs to the Common room.

Sure enough, Fred was coming down the stairs from his side too. He spotted her and sighed as she laughed softly.

Twin voodoo, as Billy would call it. Or, maybe the easier term was separation anxiety. 

They huddled together on the cushy sofa in front of the fireplace and sure enough, sleep found them easily.

In the morning, they were greeted by Charlie’s unimpressed face looming over them, but he folded like a piece of wet paper at their beseeching looks and sighed before ordering them to run up to brush their teeth.

He hollered up after them that they needed to sleep in their own beds, but they all knew that wasn’t going to happen for a while yet. Codependency for the win!

George was awestruck by the castle and could easily lose hours as she walked through Hogwarts’ ancient halls. She was happy to stay and chat with Portraits and Ghosts and all manner of other creatures and beings that called Hogwarts home!

George was determined to make friends with the Giant Squid. She was pretty sure it existed, nonetheless. Either way, she made sure to walk by the Black Lake and try to talk to the Great Squid and threw in a few hunks of meat that she would squirrel away from her meals. 

Haha, Fred and Cedric seemed to be a little nervous, but in the end, they acquiesced in the face of her stubborn determination. She could befriend the Squid or die trying!!! 

Classes were absolutely spectacular. George loved every moment of them. Her beautiful wand was eager to be used and it felt so good channeling magic in Transfiguration and Charms. Herbology was lovely and George adored running her fingers through the damp soil. It reminded her of helping Abigail and Molly in their gardens. 

Of course, they always, always sat with Cedric if Gryffindor and Hufflepuff had classes together. They were inseparable, to George’s delight. 

Defense against the Dark Arts was interesting. It was taught this year by a younger woman named Ariella Ridgeway. She was a specialist in aquatic creatures, salt-water merpeople in particular, and she had been inflicted with a particular curse that induced Narcolepsy. She tended to randomly pass out with no notice. She was unable to be roused until the curse decided to release her from its hold.

She was a decent enough teacher, but the class had constant interruptions. Either way, George was having a splendid time!

George loved spending time at the library, for several reasons. Firstly, it was amazing! Such a wonderful resource! So many tomes about magic! Magical books! How cool! She’s still not used to it!

It was wonderfully cozy, so it was a great place to settle in and do the homework that the professors assigned. But most of all, they were free to hang out with Ced there for as long as they liked! 

The one drawback was that they had to be careful of Madam Pince’s owl ears which picked up anything louder than a careful whisper, but hey! It was still pretty great!

And then, Potions. The class that George was most excited for.

See, George had tried reading her older brothers’ books when she was bored, and though she was enthralled by all magic, she felt a special connection to Potions. Maybe it was the preciseness of it, George doesn’t know. It sort of reminds her of the Chemistry classes she had taken in her past life, and she had absolutely adored those, seeing how the compounds reacted to each other and the mechanisms behind reactions. 

And, of course, she was excited to see Snape in the flesh! The unparalleled genius greasy rat man himself! An absolutely iconic character throughout all media! What a spectacular opportunity to meet him in real life!

Of course, George was under no delusions about his abrasive personality, but hey! Snape was pretty cool for a tortured genius-type! She just hoped that he didn’t actually bully the other sweet little kiddos.

It culminated one day when Snape abruptly called on her to answer his pop quiz.

“Weasley.”

“Yes?” She and Freddie answered in unison.

Snape grimaced. “Five points from Gryffindor. Cease mocking me with your annoying twin speak. The female Weasley.”

Upset whispers sounded from her other housemates and George felt Freddie tense up next to her. She grasped his hand under the desk and squeezed it in reassurance as she smiled up at the scowling Professor. 

“Yes, sir?”

“If knotgrass is used instead of thimbleweed, how would that affect the potion?”

Freddie’s jaw dropped in affront. That wasn’t a first-year question! 

George, however, continued to smile. “That would change the potion altogether, professor. Depending on how you cut the knotgrass, of course, you would prepare the Gluegum serum instead.”

Snape stared at her for a moment before he sneered. “Fifteen points for cheating.”

“How? How can you even cheat? That’s not even in our textbook, isn't it?” Fred hissed dangerously next to her. 

George squeezed his hand to calm him down. She kept a smile on her face. It’s alright, it’s only House points. Sorry guys, but she promises to make them up in the other classes! 

Snape eyed her unfazed demeanor and his lips curled cruelly. “Oh? Is losing points so amusing to you, Miss Weasley? Let’s see if you find Detention as funny. My office, 7 o’clock.”

Fred practically vibrated on the bench next to her. She squeezed his leg and continued to smile at Snape. “Yes, sir!”

That night after Dinner, George knocked on the door and was greeted by Snape’s sour expression. 

“You’ll spend the evening juicing slugs. I want no complaints, is that clear?”

“Yes, Professor!”

“Hmph. You will complete the entire bucket before you will be allowed to leave. Get to it.”

George got started immediately. Sure, the texture wasn’t the most pleasant, but hey! It was pretty rhythmic! It didn’t require a lot of brain power! She would get it done in no time and could rejoin Freddie in the common room! She could use this time to outline Professor Sprout’s essay that was due in a few days!

George absently hummed with a smile on her face as she methodically cleared the bucket.

“Cease your incessant humming, Weasley. Ten points from Gryffindor.”

“Haha, oops! Sorry for bothering you, professor!”

In what felt like no time at all, George completed the bucket and beamed up at Snape. “All done, sir! May I be excused?”

Snape came over to inspect her work and scowled when he couldn’t find anything to criticize. He turned to her with a glare and sneered when he saw her smile.

“You may go now, Miss Weasley, but you will join me tomorrow for detention as well. It seems like the message hasn’t quite sunk in.”

Awwww, dang! They were planning to hang out with Ced tomorrow! Oh well!

“Alright, sir! See you tomorrow!”

Snape looked repulsed by her enthusiasm and quickly ushered her out. 

The next day, George was made to scrub some corrosive cauldrons with gloves on. George got to it, happily daydreaming about what she would eat for breakfast tomorrow.

“The humming, Weasley! Fifteen points from Gryffindor!”

“Sorry, Professor! Habit!”

The next day, she was made to boil Skunk Spray till it was reduced down to concentrate. Charlie, Percy and Freddie were livid when she arrived at the tower reeking to high hell. Even McGonagall’s spells trying to banish the stench didn’t work. They had to get a tub full of tomato paste so that the smell would finally release its hold on her.

“Haha, sorry guys! I know I’m being a pain in the butt, what with Snape taking so many points in Detention and me going around smelling bad. I’ll make it up to you guys! Promise!”

The detentions continued on for three weeks. The whole school knew, by now. Apparently, people thought that she was battling Snape in some grand feud. George was always surprised by the fertile imaginations of kiddos! 

Fred and Cedric were absolutely furious with the entire situation. George did her best to calm them down, but that seemed to make them angrier.

It was fine, though! George didn’t mind at all! She even enjoyed it at times, like when she prepared ingredients! It gave her practice and experience that was sure to come in handy in the future! Sure, it was a bummer that she didn’t have a lot of free time in the evenings and she started to have to do her homework at lunchtime so that she could complete it all on time, but it could be a lot worse!

It all came to a head when George accidentally zoned out and began to hum as she de-shelled turtle-back seeds.

Snape finally snapped. “Miss Weasley! Again you torture me with your infernal humming! If only you were as intelligent as you were impoverished, perhaps you would be able to attain the bare level of comprehension required to understand my orders!”

Slowly, George’s smile slid off her face. She stared at Snape for a long, uncomfortable moment.

“My apologies, sir. It wasn’t my intention to irritate you. I know that I can come off as abrasive, but I hope you can believe that it is not intentional. You have told me that you don’t appreciate when I sing, and for that, I am sorry.”

She made direct eye contact with him. “However, what you said was very inappropriate and unkind. I understand that you are probably under immense pressure, but as a teacher, you have a responsibility to look out for the student’s well-being, and that means that you cannot abuse them even if you lose your temper.”

Snape’s eyes widened and George frowned at him. “In the future, I would ask that if you feel the need to let out some steam verbally, you direct it to me. It can be devastating for a child to bear the brunt of your insults, so I ask that instead, you have me as your target, because I can handle it in a healthy way without taking it personally.”

George stepped away and met a dumbstruck Snape’s eyes. “Have a good night, professor. I’ll take my leave. I forgive you for your unkindness. Again, my apologies for overstepping my bounds. I would appreciate it if you consider my words. My offer is always open.”

After that, Snape didn’t call her in for any more detentions. However, he barely spoke to her, and every time she met his eyes he would scowl meanly at her. 

George always smiled at him in return. The offer was always open.

Later, she was informed by Ced and Freddie that she had gained notoriety for allegedly breaking Snape. George could only laugh. The only thing she did was lecture him like a child, like that did anything. No, it was her ‘loss’ completely.

As the weeks ticked by and they fell into a routine, Freddie and George began to play some pranks.

George was adamant though, that they would never, ever play a prank on anyone that could be construed as bullying or harassment. In her past life she had been exposed to the wave of ‘online pranksters’ and the cruel actions they would take under the umbrella of ‘It’s just a prank, bro! Learn to take a joke!’ and she swore that she would never be like them. 

If they pulled a prank, then everyone laughed, even the target. 

Freddie and Ced sighed at her, but ultimately conceded to her demands.

They pulled a variety of practical jokes and tricks and the use of magic allowed them to be endlessly creative. Charlie was always down to help them construct a good prank, as were several of the older years. That would happily give them tips and tricks and would point them in the right direction to the resources that would help them troubleshoot.

The twins made use of the fact that they were absolutely identical many, many times. Fred was unashamed of wearing George’s skirt and didn’t react to any teasing he received. He was single-minded in the face of his goal: to create as much chaos as physically possible.

George mentioned that she wished that she could give the victim of their prank a little good-faith gift afterward, just to make absolutely sure that there were no hard feelings, and Ced dragged them over to the kitchens and introduced them to the army of House Elves that practically ran the school.

As Freddie would say, wicked.

After a prank, George always made sure to go to the kitchens and ask for the target’s favorite treat, and she would personally deliver it along with an apology in case any feelings were hurt.

All in all, George was having a boatload of fun. Classes were going great, the teachers were super cool, they made a ton of new friends and she had fun spending time with her favorite people.

In the middle of the year, Billy sent over a letter with silly old Errol saying that he had been accepted into the prestigious accelerated track for Curse Breaking at Gringotts and that he was set to travel to Egypt immediately.

He informed them that he would be unable to travel back to England for a few years, especially because it would have to come out of pocket, and international travel was expensive no matter if you were muggle or magical.

George was overjoyed! Curse Breaking in Egypt! All those tombs and curses! Mummies!!! So exciting! She was so happy for him! It was sad that they’d be unable to see him for a bit, but it would all work out! George was sure of it!

As the final exams approached, Ariella Ridgeway had a breakdown and declared that she was not interested in merfolk anymore, but rather she wished to turn her study towards magical cephalopods, as she had developed a deep attraction towards the giant squid during her research of the creatures living in the Black Lake. McGonnagal was absolutely scandalized and Dumbledore politely informed her that she was not invited back because he feared for the virtue of the poor giant squid. The Slytherins looked surprisingly cagey and muttered something about protecting the Admiral as they side-eyed Ridgeway. Hmmmm, wonder what that was about?

The whole drama was quite exciting, though it did admittedly make studying for the finals a little difficult.

Right as the year was coming to a close, George blindly led her boys around the seventh floor till they stumbled upon the Room of Requirement when fleeing from Filch. She knew it was around there somewhere, but for the life of her, she could not remember how to access it. It led to Ced pacing in agitation as Filch and Mrs. Norris crept closer and closer for it to finally open up for them.

It was glorious, something out of her wildest imagination. Over the course of her new life, George had been exposed to a variety of wonderfully magical things, but without a doubt, this was the most beautiful.

“Seer stuff?” Freddie asked.

“Seer stuff.” Ced confirmed.

“Still not a Seer!” George complained.

They couldn’t wait to explore it further next year.

 

 

Notes:

So apparently, Georgie is a min-max build. Decently high wis and a frankly ungodly charisma, but a stupidly low int. Rest in peace, my girl

So yeah, lemme know what you think! The adventure begins!!!

Chapter 3: Second Year

 

12 years old

 

The summer was marvelous. It was wonderful to see Molly and Arthur again, along with Ronnie and Ginny. Her younger siblings badgered her on what she had done at Hogwarts and she was happy to sit with them and tell them all about their adventures as they cuddled up against her.

The twins met up with Cedric often and worked on their summer assignments together, much to Amos’ approval. Apparently, he was happy that they weren’t a bad influence on his precious Cedric and wouldn’t impede his future. 

Poor Ced always looked embarrassed when his father went on one of his rants. Freddie always made ridiculous faces behind Amos’ back when he was able to get away with it. George simply blankly smiled and daydreamed until Amos was satisfied. Poor Ced was always left mortified but George always did her best to cheer him up.

In what felt like no time at all, they were on their way back to school. 

They easily slid into their old habits with no trouble, taking to the new material like a duck to water.

Snape still gave her the stink-eye and ignored her but George didn’t let it bother her. She still adored potions and she swore that she would win Snape over one day!

Their new Defense against the Dark Arts professor was a very, very, very old man named Peregrine Garlick. Apparently, he was born in the 1780s and he looked every inch of it. 

He looked almost mummified, with a blank look in his milky eyes. He was very kind and kept a bowl of Bertie Bott’s Every Flavored Beans that was open for the students to take, but it was quite difficult to understand him because he wheezed with every word. 

But still! George liked him! He was like a great-great-great-great grandfather! How unique!

In the rumor mill, Ced informed them, the word was that he took the position because of the alleged curse on the DADA position so that he could finally die. Strange reason, but George wished him luck! Being over 200 years old? Terrifying concept!

They spent their free time together in the Room of Requirement, a place where they could study, practice spells, or simply hang out in peace. It was absolutely lovely, especially because George didn’t get her ear pinched anymore from laughing too loud in the library from Madam Pince. Ouch!

The trio continued their pranks on people, which continued to be received very well. Awesome! Just like George wanted! No bullying or targeting here! 

Somehow, people gained the impression that Cedric wasn’t involved with the pranks in any way and that he was the innocent bystander trying to curb the Weasley Twins’ chaos. The teachers all looked at him with fondness and affection and praised his efforts in holding the Twins back. He always just smiled back demurely and stuttered out that he was trying his best.

George cackled at the irony. She had no idea how Cedric was able to convince everyone that he was this sweet, innocent angel when he was the most unhinged of the three, but it was simply genius. The best prank by far!

Quidditch Team try-outs opened up and George signed herself and Freddie up immediately. Of course, Ced signed up for Hufflepuff’s tryouts as well. The trio vibrated in anticipation until the fateful day came.

Unfortunately, they weren’t allowed to see each other’s auditions for fear of scouting out the competition but they promised to describe what happened in detail afterwards.

The captain, a seventh-year named Riorson Prestly conducted the trials. They were looking for people to fill the position of both Beaters and one Chaser, as Oliver Wood was already their very, very enthusiastic Keeper, Charlie was the Seeker, and Prestly, along with another seventh-year named Esperanza Itzel Vasquez-Alfaro, claimed the position of Chasers.

The prospects went one by one, first filling the Chaser Position with another seventh-year named Hanzi Ardelean. 

Then, people tried out for the beaters. George pulled Freddie along to go but Charlie stopped them.

“The twins go last,” he insisted to Prestly. “You’ll see.”

Finally, it was their turn.

Simply put, they demolished their competition. They easily batted the Bludgers around like they were playing tennis and hit their targets with impeccable accuracy. They moved perfectly in sync without having to say a word. They were a tornado of destruction who targeted their enemies with pinpoint accuracy.

George was having the absolute time of her life. This was what true freedom felt like!

It wasn’t even a contest.

Charlie smiled smugly at Prestly and Wood’s dumbstruck faces. “I told you so.”

“I thought you were just exaggerating! There’s no way second-years can be this good!”

Oliver Wood ran up to the Twins and gave them such a tight hug that he choked them. Freddie whacked his arm as he gagged and George wheezed through her smile as she hugged the blubbering fourth-year back. “Blimey! We’re so gonna win this year! The Quidditch Cup is ours!”

Cedric got on the Hufflepuff team too! And as Seeker! Fred and George were so proud of him!! 

They decided to run together in the mornings around the Black Lake to help their fitness, much to Oliver Wood’s vehement approval. It didn’t seem like it, but Quidditch required an insane amount of stamina and core and thigh strength to successfully ride their brooms for a long period of time.

Of course, before the runs, George would try to talk to the Squid and throw some chunks of meat in the lake as an offering. She hadn’t heard a response yet, but she refused to lose hope!

George also made time to study with Percy. She knew that he very much cared about academics and enjoyed the mentor role, and she was happy to indulge him. He said that it was a good way to review information in preparation for his OWLs, but George knew that he secretly just liked spending time with her. It was a small thing for her, but it made his entire day. George adored her cute swotty older brother, he had such a gentle heart.

On one particularly chilly day in December, she stumbled upon a duo of Gryffindor third-years bullying a group of Slytherin first-years. They were transfiguring their robes into strange shapes and laughing when the poor kids stumbled and cursed at them.

"Hey now, what are you two doing?”

Immediately the duo froze and turned to her. George crossed her arms over her chest and stared her upperclassmen down. “Felix, Marcellus, I thought better of you. Shame on you for targeting first-years.”

Marcellus scoffed. “Oh come on, Georgie, they’re Slytherins, it’s not like anyone cares, lighten up. You pull pranks all the time, you should know.”

George frowned. “Please don’t call me Georgie, Marcellus. Only my brothers can call me that. And second, when Freddie and I pull pranks, we’re very careful to not hurt any feelings. This is bullying. Please stop.”

Felix and Marcellus looked at each other before they scoffed and turned away. “Whatever, it was getting boring anyway.” They stalked away without a second glance.

George sighed and turned back to the tiny Slytherins, who were still futilely trying to right their robes. “Here, let me help.”

In no time their robes were sorted out and four pairs of suspicious eyes glared up at her. George beamed back at them.

“I’m so sorry that you had to experience that! If anything like this ever happens to you again, please feel free to come to me! I’ll do my very best to help out!”

“Why would we ever ask you for help, you ugly Gryffindor?” One of the Slytherins scoffed cruelly. “It’s your house that torments us the most. What can a poor Blood Traitor like you even do?”

George laughed softly. “I’m sorry about that. I apologize on behalf of my House. It’s unkind that you all have been targeted like this. Though I may not be able to completely stop it, I’ll try my hardest to help however I can.”

Another kiddo glared up at her. “Yeah? Well, what do you want in return? Don’t think that you can ask us for money, you poor Muggle lover!”

George blinked at her slowly. “What do you mean? I don’t want anything from you.”

“What?” The girl asked suspiciously.

“I just want to help! I didn’t help you guys with the intention of getting something in return. I know that sometimes it’s unfair to be judged by something you can’t control, like the house you’re in! The least I can do is be kind!”

George grinned down at them before she quickly ruffled their hair. “Just remember, the offer is always open! Come to me for anything, I’ll always be happy to help!”

George skipped away, happy to do her good deed for the day, not noticing the guilty look on the tiny Slytherins’ faces.

Later it was Fred who noticed that all of a sudden the Slytherins were not as antagonistic as they had previously been to Georgie. Not that they were nice, no, but they were decidedly… neutral. He didn’t pay it any mind and simply attributed it to the 'Georgie-effect' and moved on.

Cedric, however, was not so easily placated and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Jo was too kind for her own good and both him and Fred were the main line of defense. He’d make sure that they wouldn’t do anything that would vanish her pretty smile.

It was a surprise when after Transfiguration, McGonagall held her back and told her that Dumbledore wanted to speak to her.

“Dumbledore? What does that old bag want with her?” Fred scoffed. 

“Language! Ten points from Gryffindor!” McGonagall snapped.

“Is this about the bathroom prank, Professor?” Cedric asked sweetly. “If so, then it is only right that Fred and I go with her to be punished together. It’s not fair if Jo is the only one who is punished.”

McGonagall smiled at him. “No, Mr. Diggory, it’s not regarding that prank. Take ten points for your kindness and responsibility.”

Fred grumbled beside her and George giggled. 

“It’s alright, guys! I’m sure that it’s nothing! You guys head on to lunch and I’ll see you later!”

She gave them both a kiss on the cheek before she skipped away, not seeing how Cedric’s cheeks reddened and how Fred sniggered at him. 

McGonagall led her to Dumbledore’s office and George marveled at the gargoyles standing guard at the staircase. So spooky! So cool!

Dumbledore was seated at his desk and smiled at her as she came in. “Welcome, young one! Come, please take a seat.”

George happily bounded over and seated herself in front of his desk. “Hi there! It’s nice to finally meet you! And can I say, I really love your clothes!”

Dumbledore paused for a second before a wide smile split across his face. “Is that so? Thank you, my child. Would you like a lemon drop?”

“Thank you!” George helped herself to a candy and puckered her face when the sweet-sour taste hit her tongue. Her eyes widened when they fell on a snoozing Fawkes in the corner.  “Your phoenix is really cool! Also, the house elves are awesome, life is amazing, you know? These are fantastic! Ced would love them! He loves lemon-flavored food!”

Dumbledore looked stunned by her barrage of information. “Ced? Are you referring to Cedric Diggory?”

“Yeah! And Freddie loves anything strawberry flavored!”

Dumbledore smiled at her, his eyes twinkling in amusement. “And you, child? What flavors do you prefer?” 

George beamed at him. “Peaches! I love everything peach! Have you ever tried peach gummies?”

Dumbledore looked intrigued. “No, I can’t say I have.”

“You have to, trust me. They are life-changing.”

Dumbledore laughed. 

“So what did you call me here for, Professor? Am I in trouble? Whatever it is, I probably did do it, but I tried my best to make sure that no feelings were hurt.”

Dumbledore laughed again. “You’re very forthright, child. I have never before had anybody sitting in this chair admit to alleged crimes without even knowing what they are.”

George grinned at him. “Well, let’s be honest. There are probably a lot of things I can get in trouble for, I just want to save us the whole song and dance of denial when we both know that I probably did it. By the way, I really am sorry for the toilet explosion. We really didn’t anticipate that the Grottle legs and the cow dung would have that intense of a reaction. I really did do my best to clean up afterward, I promise.”

“Ah. Well, mistakes do happen, child, and I am happy to hear that you did your due diligence in cleaning up after yourself. On a side note, do you understand why they caused that reaction?”

George frowned. “Well, from what I can understand from Professor Snape’s lessons, the Grottle legs are severely alkaline, and when they came into contact with the water in the cow dung, it reacted. In turn, the hydrogen gas produced from the reaction exploded the pipes.”

“Wonderful, child! That is some advanced alchemy for your age!” 

George beamed in pride. “Thank you, Professor!”

“Well, as to why I called you here, I received some information that stated that you aided a few younger Slytherins some time ago. I wanted to commend you for looking beyond House lines and standing up for others when they are unable to do so themselves.”

It took George a long second to recall what he was talking about. “Oh, that! I saw a few other Gryffindors giving those poor kids a hard time, so I decided to help them out! Nothing special!”

Dumbledore examined her, his twinkling blue eyes intent. George didn’t notice, focused on popping another lemon sorbet in her mouth, lips puckering at the fresh wave of sourness.

“Nothing special?”

George stared up at him. “Well, yeah. I mean, if a group of kids were being bullied, wouldn't anyone stop them?”

“Hmmm.” Dumbledore smiled enigmatically at her. “Well, I think it best to award you with 40 points for Gryffindor for your selfless deed.”

George blinked. “Selfless? Why? I didn’t help those Slytherins out for points.”

“And that, child, is precisely why you deserve them. That was all I wanted to discuss with you today, so you may rejoin your friends at lunch.”

George was a little confused at the logic, but she smiled at him. “Thank you! Are you going to be eating, too? Would you like to walk together?”

“That would be lovely.”

As they walked to the Great Hall, they discussed basic Alchemy and George preached the virtues of peach gummies. Dumbledore looked amused and intrigued and promised to try them. As they diverged, George gave him one last bright smile. “Thank you for the visit, Professor! It’s always nice to make a new friend!”

He looked surprised and smiled back at her. “Indeed, it is. Enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you! You as well!”

George obliviously skipped over to the Gryffindor table where Fred saved a spot for her, not noticing the looks she had garnered from entering the hall with Dumbledore. 

“What did he want, Georgie? Are you in trouble?”

“No, he just wanted to chat, Freddie! He’s really nice! He gave me candies and we talked about alchemy! So interesting!”

Fred harrumphed. “Georgie, you know that you can’t trust people just because they give you candy, right? It’s like the stories Dad tells of the muggles in their vans, waiting to snatch kids up, right?”

“Haha, don’t be silly, Freddie!”

Fred didn’t respond and turned to eye the headmaster suspiciously.

George had a suspicion that Dumbledore somehow felt that the vibes around her were wonky, and rightfully so, because she was a reincarnated soul who technically knew the future (still not a Seer!), so he was probably trying to make sure that she wasn’t another Tom Riddle or something.

George paused in the middle of eating her casserole. Wait, wasn’t Dumbledore a master Legilimens? Maybe he read her mind? But she wasn’t thinking about much other than peach gummies and exploding dung bombs. 

George put it out of her mind. Her head was a frightening place. Dumbledore was probably too taken aback by the vicious, depraved thoughts in her head. Yes, that was probably it. She hoped that he stayed out of her head. It would be terrible if he got traumatized by the horrors in there.

A few weeks after Christmas break, George was walking with Fred and Cedric down the stairs when she saw a fifth-year Ravenclaw storm his way up towards them. His face was red and his eyes held a hard glint in them.

She recognized him as the victim of their latest prank. They had put a spell on his quill that made everything he wrote come upside-down on the paper. It was a clever bit of spellwork and George was quite proud of it. She had made sure to leave him a chunky slice of Pecan Pie afterward, as the house elves informed her that it was his favorite de-stressing snack.

George noticed him before the boys did and immediately stepped in front of them.

She could hear the boys’ terrified cries as she was hit with a spell that caused her to fall down the stairs. Someone’s hand tried to grab hers but she slipped through and was met with the agonizing sensation of her nose exploding in blood as her head collided on a step.

She must have lost consciousness because when she woke up, she was tucked into a bed in the infirmary. Her head pounded and her entire face throbbed something fierce. It was dark, only the light from the moon spilling through the windows illuminating the room enough for her to see.

Before she could do more than blink, a commotion in the hall grew louder until the door burst open and a stream of professors flooded in, horizontally levitating a figure behind them. George tried to lean over to see what was going on, but a wave of pain and exhaustion washed through her and she slipped back into sweet oblivion. 

The next morning she woke up to Cedric and her brothers sitting at her bedside. They panicked when she tried to sit up and she long-sufferingly put up with their fussing and laid back down again. 

As she ate breakfast off a tray, she grimaced when the shiny metallic surface showed that she had two black eyes and her nose was swollen like a tomato. Combined with her frizzy red hair, she looked like a clown. Move over, Pennywise, there’s a new horror queen in town.

“Hey, at least now people can tell me and Freddie apart, right?” she laughed.

The boys were not amused in the slightest.

As she chatted with them, she noticed that Charlie and Percy’s knuckles were blackened with bruises. She tried to ask them about it but got distracted by Cedric talking about the recent Hufflepuff-Slytherin match. Hufflepuff won, meaning that they were playing Ravenclaw next! Exciting!

The boys needed to head off to their classes and George shooed them off before they were late. They were reluctant to leave her and they told her that they’d join her for lunch. 

George snoozed for a few more hours and was woken up by Madam Pomfrey to take a potion. Apparently, she broke her nose, cheekbone, and the frontal portion of her skull and she also sported a nasty concussion, that’s why she’d been feeling so wretched. Wild.

Later, she needed to use the restroom, and she eased herself out of bed and gingerly walked along the wall to make sure that any bouts of dizziness didn’t incapacitate her.

As she made her way back to her bed, she was shocked to find out that the patient that was brought in late last night was the same Ravenclaw fifth-year that had cursed her. His face was red and swollen and his arm was wrapped in a cast. He was sitting up in his bed, reading a textbook, and when he saw her looking, he scowled filthily and yanked the curtain to hide himself away.

When Fred and Cedric arrived during their free period, she forced them into the bathroom behind her and turned on the sinks to drown out the noise. Unfortunately, due to it requiring a lot of magical power, they still weren’t capable of producing the Muffliato spell.

“I need you boys to be honest. What happened?”

They avoided eye contact with her and tried to deflect, but George was relentless. Eventually, she made them confess to their crime. They, along with Charlie and Percy, had jumped him when he was walking back from the library alone. They dragged him into a classroom and Fred and Cedric had wrestled his wand away from him before Charlie and Percy had kicked the shit out of him.

“What?! Are you guys insane?! This is assault!”

The look on their faces was black.

“You didn’t see yourself, Georgie. It was bad. Real bad, right?”

“We thought you died, Jo. He deserved way worse.”

“Why did you use muggle methods?”

“Well, we didn’t know if they would check our wands, did we? We’re obviously the prime suspects because of what happened to you, yeah?”

George shook her head as it spun. “Mental. All of you boys are absolutely mental.”

When a house-elf came to deliver her next dose of Skele-Gro and Brain Patch, she politely asked if he could bring a slice of pecan pie, to which it enthusiastically bobbed his head and agreed.

Pie in hand, she made her way over to the fifth-year Ravenclaw’s bed, Fred and Cedric desperately trying to convince her to stop, but George remained undeterred.

“Hello. Can we please talk for a minute?”

It took a few minutes to cajole (or, more likely, annoy) him into responding. He whipped the curtains open with an ugly sneer and glared down at her.

“What do you want, you stupid little bint? Haven’t you done enough already?”

George’s eyes welled up as she took in his injured features. His arm was encased within a cast and every inch of his skin looked to be bruised black. He was shaking as he was sitting up and his dark eyes were filled with hate.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered out.

He continued to glare at her. She gathered her courage and walked closer to place the pie on his bedside table.

“I didn’t mean to make you mad. I noticed how hard you were studying for the OWLs and how stressed you were, so I wanted to play a little prank that would make you smile. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or make you mad. I’m also really, really sorry that you got hurt because of me. If you’d like, I’ll let you curse me and I’ll just take it.”

He looked at her like she had lost her mind. “What?”

George nodded decisively. “Yes. If cursing me will make you feel better, let me know and I’ll meet you later, after you’re healed up. It’s not right that this happened. I’m really sorry.”

He just gaped at her and she tearily smiled at him. “In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy the pie. I heard that it was your favorite.”

Her brothers and Cedric were furious that she was the one to apologize, but she refused to budge from the opinion that the entire mess was her fault in the first place, as she never wanted any victim of their pranks to feel cornered and targeted.

George recovered quickly and by the end of the week, she was able to go back to her classes. It took a while longer for the Ravenclaw to recuperate and later when she passed him in the hallways, George always made sure to smile at him and wave. He pointedly ignored her, but she didn’t let it get to her.

George was called into another meeting with Dumbledore.

“I heard that you got involved in a little incident, my girl. What happened?”

George took a deep breath, but despite her best efforts, fat tears ran down her cheeks. “Oh, Professor. I feel so bad. I played a prank and I really hurt someone’s feelings. I feel horrible.”

“Oh, child.”

George blubbered out her story and Dumbledore looked on with kind eyes, at the end, after handing several neon-colored handkerchiefs and stuffing her full of sweets, he smiled at her. 

“I’m proud of you, my dear.”

“For what?” she sniffled.

“For forgiving that student for harming you. That was very mature of you.”

“N-Not really. See, I was the one in the wrong for messing with his stationary. It’s understandable he had a severe reaction to the prank, I saw how stressed he was with OWLs coming up, and yet, I still jinxed his quill and messed his notes up. It’s not okay that he cursed me and caused me to get hurt, but again, it is understandable. He’s still a kid who’s under a lot of stress. Please don’t punish him.”

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment before he said, “If you insist, Miss Weasley.”

“I do.”

From there, the conversation moved on to happier matters. George was delighted to hear that he had managed to get his hands on some peach gummies. He said that he found them lovely, however, he did prefer his lemon sorbets for the pop of sourness. George didn’t mind, they weren't for everyone!

“I seem to have bought too many for me to finish, my dear. Would you be so kind as to take them off my hands?”

George gasped in delight. “Oh, of course, I’d love to! Thank you so, so much! How much do I owe you?”

Dumbledore sternly shook his head. “No, it's a gift. I will not take payment from a friend.”

George beamed in happiness. A friend!

The day that finals ended, the entire school celebrated, not just because exams were over, but because Professor Garlick had finally died. He had passed away at his desk, the completed pile of graded exams neatly stacked before him. He had a smile on his face, which looked kind of ghoulish with how gaunt and decrepit he was. When they tried to move his body, he unfortunately burst into dust. The house-elves were most displeased.

A few days before they were to leave for the summer, Filch caught them in the act of hanging toilet paper from the Great Staircase’s banisters spelling out ‘CONGRATS GRADS, TIME TO PAY TAXES’ and hauled them off to detention. 

While Filch was busy breaking up a fight between Fred and Mrs. Norris, George managed to snoop in his drawers and pull out a piece of parchment.

She grinned. The legendary Marauder’s Map.

Afterward, safely ensconced in the Room of Requirement, George stated, “I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”

Fred laughed and said, “Well, we know that, but what possessed you to declare it out loud, yeah?”

She grinned and showed her boys the map and smiled smugly as they realized just how valuable the map really was.

“Wicked,” Cedric breathed. “The things we can do with this…”

“How did you know the password, Georgie?”

George bit her lip. “Well…”

Fred and Cedric raised their eyebrows and turned to each other. “Seer stuff,” they concluded in unison.

“I’ve told you both, I’m not a Seer!”

On the Hogwarts Express ride back home, they played one final prank on Lee Jordan. George had exchanged clothes with Fred and Lee spent the entire ride gushing to her how fit Alicia Spinnet was. He was comically shocked when he finally found out the truth and smiled widely when George winked at him and said that she would put in a good word for him to Alicia.

All in all, she thought as she munched on peach gummies, she had a wonderful second year.

 

Notes:

Lol, I'm just imagining Dumbledore watch Georgie and squint at her suspiciously as she makes friends with people all across the school. Hmmmm, seems suspiciously Tom Riddle-shaped to me...

But when he peeks inside her head, there's only the Wii Song, along with flashes of Fred, Cedric and peach gummies.

Oh. Ohhhh.

She's not evil.

She's just dumb

Chapter 4: Third Year

Notes:

Hehe, finally we enter canon era, where the fun actually begins

 

13 years old

 

This summer had more activity than the last one. Ron was vibrating about finally being able to attend Hogwarts in the Fall, and in response, Ginny was fairly inconsolable and demanded attention from all of her siblings.

The twins spent much time with Cedric finishing up their summer homework, and they discussed which electives they were going to take for the upcoming year.

Ever since George mentioned that she had seen them open up a Joke Shop in the future, both Fred and Cedric had been obsessed. They constantly planned for and tested out future products and they were already saving up money for the future. 

It was decided that they didn’t have the freedom to take the useless electives, so they all decided to take Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. George wanted to take Alchemy for her NEWTs and resolved to have stellar grades in Potions, Transfigurations, Arithmancy, and Herbology in order to qualify.

Their relatively peaceful summer exploded into chaos when Charlie absconded in the night to Romania, leaving only a note declaring that he was going to be a Dragon Keeper. 

A Dragon Keeper!!! Wicked! Amazing! So exciting! George was so happy for him!

However, Molly disagreed. She sobbed for days and insisted that Arthur called the Aurors to bring him back and that he was going to get himself killed. Arthur wasn’t the most pleased either, but he tried to explain that because Charlie was seventeen, the Aurors couldn’t do anything.

George spent a lot of time cuddled up with her mother, allowing her to sob into her hair. Finally, after a few days, George decided to speak.

After a silent, morose dinner, only she remained down in the sitting room with her parents. She snuggled up between them and told them that she loved them and was proud of them for raising such smart, resourceful sons.

She reassured them that Charlie would be fine, and just like Billy, he had to go out and chase his dreams. She insisted that they knew how well they raised them and refused to let them leave without acknowledging it. 

After all, Charlie was their son, wasn't he? A small thing like a dragon wasn't going to be able to bring him down!! 

At the end of it, they were all in tears, but finally, Molly began to smile again.

Ron was especially excited to go to Diagon Alley and get his wand, Willow with Unicorn Tail Hair. George made a note to herself to make sure that Ron didn't get into any shenanigans that would lead to him breaking his wand, even if it was necessary to trick Lockhart. 7 galleons, woof.

In what seemed like no time at all, they’re on their way to King’s Cross station and they’re piling their way through Platform 9 ¾. 

After they got on the train, Fred and George decided to pop through the compartments to say hi to all their friends and find Cedric. 

There, George finally got her first glimpse of Harry Potter. The legendary hero was a cute little thing, weedy-looking with wild black hair and wide green eyes. They’re startling, his eyes. Bright and almost haunting. George’s heart hurt.

“Hey, Ronnie,” she began.

“Mum told us-” Fred continued.

“To make sure-”

“That you remembered-”

“Her sandwiches, yeah?” she finished.

Poor Harry looked overwhelmed, like a deer in the headlights. Ron rolled his eyes, long used to their antics.

“Yeah, yeah, I have them.”

“Wonderful!” George beamed at them and Harry looked almost alarmed at the full force of her smile. Haha, what a cute kid!

“Here!” She grabbed Ron’s hand and handed him a couple of peach gummies. She only had a few left, but that didn’t matter! They tasted best when they were shared!

She gave a few to Harry as well, who looked startled to be included, poor guy. After a final cheerful wave, the twins left the boys to their own devices and went to find Cedric.

The sorting proceeded like normal. A titter ran through the crowd when poor Neville ran off with the Sorting Hat, and the hall exploded into whispers when Harry ended up being a hat stall. Finally, after what felt like hours but was probably only a few minutes, Harry was sorted into Gryffindor to the House’s raucous cheers. It took McGonagall several tries to get everyone to calm down again, and by the end of it, she huffed with her face red.

Fred, George, and Percy cheered extra loud when Ron was sorted into Gryffindor. He grinned widely, his freckles disappearing under the force of his blush.

Finally, the food appeared before them. A bag of peach gummies sat in front of George, and when she looked up at the head table, Dumbledore winked at her. She beamed up at him before digging in.

Soon enough, everyone stumbled their way off to the dorms. George jogged over to hug Cedric and wished him goodnight before she ran off to join Fred and the others.

In the Common room, she grabbed Ron and peppered him with kisses. He hissed and yowled like a cat and tried to wriggle away, but he couldn’t escape from George’s iron hug.

Off to the side, she saw Harry watching them with loneliness and envy. Poor kid. 

She released Ron, who took the chance to scurry far away from her grasp and she made her way over to Harry and wrapped him in a big hug. He was stiff in her arms, obviously unfamiliar with hugs, but George didn’t mind. She cuddled him close and whispered, “Well done, Harry. Congratulations on being sorted into Gryffindor. Welcome to the family.” 

She pulled back and met his eyes. They were filled with shocked awe. He just stood there blankly and George decided to take pity on him, knowing that he was more than likely overwhelmed by everything. With one last squeeze, she released him to turn to find a sea of first years looking at them with jealousy.

George sighed. Well, guess it’s now her moral duty to smother all these tiny first-years in hugs till they forget that they were homesick. She grabbed a stuttering Neville and got to work.

Third year was pretty fun! Except for Defense, which Quirrel was teaching. He stunk like garlic and his stutter was unbearable. Every time she looked at him, George made sure to keep her head blissfully empty so that Quirrelmort couldn’t creep on her. Peach rings. Yum. Quidditch is awesome! Cedric’s eyes sure are pretty, aren’t they? Wonder what socks Dumbles is wearing today? Peach rings!!!

They didn’t have as much free time as they used to, what with taking three extra classes, but the twins always made time to see Cedric every day. Every morning they got up early to go jogging around the Black Lake, to the now-Captain Oliver Wood’s enthusiastic approval. His eyes held a manic gleam when he talked about the Quidditch cup that George found endearing and Fred found frightening. 

Two positions for Chaser were open, and both of George’s roommates, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnett, managed to snag them. They had good cohesion and teamwork, though they needed practice to smooth out all the edges. The position of seeker was taken by a seventh-year named Gerald Buttons, who was pretty decent.

GASP!!! The Squid finally responded to her!!! After years of trying, the Squid was finally ready to be her friend!!! He was named Admiral Squidwin Darkwater, he informed her through British Wizarding Sign Language. He got his rank after he fought in the war. Which war, you ask? Squidwin refused to elaborate. His tentacles just shuddered in terror whenever she brought it up. Ah. So even Giant Squids had PTSD, how sad. Apparently, the Slytherins spent a lot of time teaching him BWSL through the windows in their common room which displayed the Black Lake. Ohhhh, those adorable, dorky Slytherins, George sees how cute you all are, you can’t fool her!!!

Cedric and Fred were absolutely horrified the first time a giant tentacle rose out of the water and pet George’s head before it snagged the hunk of ham she was holding in her arms. As the weeks went on, however, they got acclimatized. After all, Squidwin was happy to become friends with them as well, even if they weren’t as passionate as her about learning BWSL.

George continued her study sessions with Percy, knowing that it made him happy to spend time with her, and after she noticed Hermione’s isolation from her peers, she invited her as well. It was clear that she respected them as older students, but she was quite abrasive when it came to academics. If she read something, then she would firmly be of that opinion unless there were clear sources to contradict that information. 

George was forced to pull her aside and gently explain to her that while her passion for academia was admirable, it was important that she listen and understand other’s viewpoints without dismissing them just because they weren't as smart or well-learned as her. Hermione cried at the criticism, but George made sure to hug her extra tight and emphasize that she just wanted what was best for Hermione, and of course, she wanted to make friends of her own, right? Hermione nodded wetly against her and hugged her back.

As Percy dissected a very dry text on the History of the Goblin Wars in 1679, George mentioned to him that he would make an absolutely fantastic magical Barrister.

Percy looked at her, surprised. “What do you mean, Georgie?”

George hummed. “Well, you’re one of the smartest people I know. You’re able to absorb an insane amount of information and piece it together very well. You have infinite patience when reading dry texts and the willpower to muscle through them. You have a fantastic presence when public speaking. You’d make a wonderful Barrister, is what I thought.”

He looked contemplative as he processed her words. “A Barrister, huh? I’ve never thought about it. I always envisioned myself in the Ministry after I graduate.”

George giggled. “Doing what? Going into the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts, like Dad? Into Games and Sports? Magical Transportation? You’d be miserable, Perce. You’re not the kind to be happy doing dredge work for years just in the hope of a promotion. You’re built for something greater. If you’re looking to go into politics, then being a Barrister will help. You’ll know the laws in and out. You’ll be respected, with a fancy education behind you. You’ll make important allies in your cases and you’ll be linked with the Wizengamot, the only way people like us can without a fancy title and an inherited seat.”

Percy stared at her. “Have you been thinking about this?”

George shrugged. “Well, only a bit. I just want you to be happy, Perce. I don’t think you’d be happy working as a low-level grunt for years. Soul-sucking, yikes.”

Percy smiled and wrapped her in a warm hug. “Thank you, Georgie. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”

She loved her sweet, sweet, older brother. “Anytime, Perce.”

George spent time with her roommates as well. They all had fun experimenting with magical scents and makeup and loved giggling over boys. George loved them, all of them were so sweet. Angelina was tough, no-nonsense, and badass. She was always decisive and confident, the epitome of a Gryffindor. Alicia was softer-spoken and gentle, but in no way could she be considered shy. She was on the sassier side. She always had a clever, snide comment ready that made them roar with laughter. 

Along with them came sweet little Katie Bell, who was a year younger than them but had attached herself to the older girls. She was the girliest and was the most sensitive of them all. She was the boy-crazy one who loved to tease them and egg them on. She pictured herself as a matchmaker and loved involving herself in other people’s business. They always had a fantastic time together.

The entire school was surprised after the first years’ first flying lesson when Harry received the position of Seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Gerald Buttons was a good sport about it, saying that he wasn’t all that passionate about Quidditch anyway and that he only joined because his best mates insisted and that he’d rather focus on his NEWTs than have to undergo Wood’s insane training sessions. George made sure to go down to the kitchens and get a plate of Black Forest Cake for his kindness, which he happily appreciated.

After the fuss died down, she went to Harry to give him a big hug. He wasn’t as stiff anymore, but he still didn’t hug back. He did lean into her, though, so George was happy. Progress! She’d make a cuddle bug out of him yet!

“Great job, Harry. We’re really proud of you.” 

He smiled shyly at her and looked away. “Thanks, George.”

She gave him a peach gummy, which he happily chewed on.

“Harry.” She looked him in the eye. “I want you to know that I love you and that Freddie and I will always, always be there for you. You can come to me for anything, anytime. I will always listen to you. I need you to understand that.”

He stared up at her, his big green eyes slowly tearing up. He nodded slightly and leaned into her and she hugged him tightly and rocked him back and forth. 

Since then, every so often Harry would come and sit with her while she hung out in the Common Room. Ron complained about hanging out with his boring older siblings, but George was happy to have Harry cuddle into her side as she giggled over the latest edition of Weekly Witch with the girls.

George met up with Dumbledore for their monthly meetings. She adored spending time with him, he was just a fountain of knowledge and he was happy to listen to her babble about the latest alchemical theory she had been researching or the shenanigans she was planning with Fred and Cedric. 

He handed her a new bag of peach gummies and George squealed in joy. “Thank you, Professor!”

“You’re very welcome,” he chuckled.

George happily popped a gummy in her mouth and delighted in the sweet, sugary gooeyness. She closed her eyes in pleasure. She heard a sad warble from Fawkes and watched as he burst into flames, a waterfall of dust forming at the base of the perch. After a few seconds, a cute chirp sounded from the pile and a tiny pink head burrowed its way out.

George smiled, her heart filled with joy and wonder.

“You know, we’re so lucky to be born with magic. To be able to experience this marvelous world… just beautiful.”

Dumbledore hummed in agreement as he took a sip of his tea. “Just so, my dear. We are very lucky indeed.” 

They both watched as Fawkes stumbled around as a cute little chick. 

“Do you ever think how you’d be without magic?”

“Hmmm. I can’t say I ever have. Have you, Miss Weasley?”

“Of course!”

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Enlighten me, my dear.”

“Well, I really don’t think I’d be all that different. I think I’d still be me. I’d still want to pursue my dreams, even without magic. It’s wonderful to be a part of this world, but it’s not all I am.”

They sat in silence for several long minutes, simply enjoying their tea and pondering their existence. Dumbledore smiled. “You’re very wise, my dear.”

George blushed. “Oh, shush, you. Of course I’m not. I’m just normal. If anyone’s the smart one, it’s Freddie and Ced.”

Dumbledore chuckled. “I said wise, Miss Weasley, not smart, though you are both.”

“Professor! Stop!” George was pleased as her blush intensified. A compliment from Dumbledore? How rare! How special!! George was touched! 

“Now then, my dear, tell me: How is young Harry? Has he been settling in well?”

George tilted her head. “Harry? He’s wonderful! So kind! But also sad inside. Becoming Seeker makes him both happy and sad.”

Dumbledore looked at her sharply. “What do you mean, Miss Weasley?”

George leaned back a bit. Woah, for an old man he was pretty intense. “Well, you know. Harry is adorable, just darling, but he’s a really shy kid. He doesn’t want to stand out. He wants to be Just Harry. Becoming Seeker made him happy because he loves Quidditch and he can connect with the memory of his Dad, but it makes him stand out. It puts a spotlight on his fame again. He hates his fame. It’s a constant reminder of how his parents died. Getting special treatment like this makes it obvious that he’s on the quidditch team as a first-year not because he’s a once-in-a-generation talent, which he is, don’t get me wrong, that kid sure can fly, but because he’s Harry Potter. If he were anybody else, even, say, Viktor Krum, you know, that new Bulgarian prodigy that’s making the circuits in Europe right now, he still wouldn’t have made the team as a first year. He knows it, everyone knows it, just the Gryffindors are happy and the other Houses are angry at the favoritism.”

Dumbledore just stared at her.

George beamed up at him. “But Harry is good! Really good! He doesn't flinch away when I hug him anymore!”

Dumbledore put his cup down carefully. “I feel that you may be overanalyzing the situation, my dear.”

George smiled. “No, I don’t think so. Harry is happy, of course, but ultimately he doesn’t appreciate the special treatment. To him, it’s the equivalent of the treatment he gets from Professor Snape, unearned and because of other’s actions. It’s not fair to him and everyone around him. Believe me, everybody notices.”

They sat in silence till George cheerfully told him that she had to run to meet with her boys, don’t be a stranger, and thanks for the gummies again, friend!

Halloween rolled around and of course, the chaos occurred. When Quirrel stumbled in wailing about trolls, Fred immediately grabbed George and hauled her over to a waiting Cedric, who practically scooped her up and ran from the hall. Their departure broke whatever stunned silence grasped the hall and pure pandemonium erupted from within. 

George attempted to tell them to go to the girl’s bathroom, but Fred exasperatedly told her that they were in the middle of an emergency and she could hold it for a few minutes.

By the time they were able to make their way into the Room of Requirement, George was still trying to explain to them that they needed to go back to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione. 

“What do you mean, help Harry, Ronnie, and Hermione?!”

“What are you saying, Jo?”

“They’re fighting the troll! We have to help them!”

“What the bloody FUCK?! Fighting the fucking troll?! Those ickle little firsties? Are they fucking mad?! This is some Seer bullshit, isn't it?!”

Cedric whipped George around to look at him, holding her by the shoulders and bending down to peer directly into her eyes. “Jo. Tell me honestly. Will they be okay?”

George sighed and slumped. “Yeah. Yeah, they’ll be fine.”

Fred collapsed against a wall. “Bloody hell.”

Cedric didn't release her. His bright gray eyes were piercing and George had trouble breathing. “I think it’s time that you told us what you’ve read, Jojo.” It wasn’t a request.

George swallowed heavily. This wasn't what she wanted. She didn’t want to have to reveal the horrible-future-that-will-never-be to her boys. Her precious, beautiful boys. All the trauma and despair was meant to remain with her, so that their precious, pure light would never be diminished. But of course, here she was, too weak and incompetent to actually fix the problem herself. Of course she would need her wonderful, gorgeous boys’ help because she wasn’t enough. A wave of disgust and self-loathing ran through her.

“All right,” she breathed. “All right. I will. I promise that I will. Just… let's go and check on the kiddos, first. Please.”

The boys huffed and agreed. They made their way to the tower to find the shell-shocked Trio making their way back as well. George immediately sprinted to them and crushed all of them in a hug. None of them fought it, not even Ron, and they leaned into her, shaking.

“Thank Merlin, you're all safe. You stupid, reckless, children.”

After fussing over them a little longer, they ushered them all upstairs into bed. Percy was seated by the fire, his piercing gaze on Fred and Cedric, and some sort of silent communication ran through them before her older brother nodded decisively and retired for the night, his silent vigil finally over.

They settled themselves in the couches.

“Alright, Jo. You promised.”

George sighed heavily and began.

She was very careful not to tell them everything. 

There was just some stuff she would never put on her thirteen-year-old twin and best friend, regardless of how competent and mature they were. She made sure to only stick to the relevant details in the next one or two years.

George did her best, but she didn’t recall every little detail, as it was almost impossible to after thirteen years and however many years before that after she read the books and watched the movies, and she didn’t want to risk writing anything down even through code, especially with sneaky spies like animagi running about. 

Speaking of…

“Right. Well, first order of things, we need to get that fucking rat Pettigrew kissed by a fucking Dementor as soon as possible, yeah?” Fred seethed. 

Cedric nodded in fury. “That fucking pervert has been sleeping in Percy’s, and now Ron’s room since they were children. He needs to be taken care of. Now.”

George looked at them, heartbroken over her own powerlessness. “But how?”

Cedric smiled grimly at her. “I’ll take care of it.”

A few weeks later, the entire Great Hall was in a commotion over the headline of The Daily Prophet: “NOTORIOUS MASS MURDERER SIRIUS BLACK RECEIVING TRIAL AFTER 10 YEARS OF UNLAWFUL IMPRISONMENT.”

George snatched the paper from Alicia’s hands and skimmed through the article. 

'...has received evidence that the famous friend and victim of Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew is alive and currently on the run for framing… most notable for the betrayal leading to the ultimate deaths of young heroes James Potter and Lily Evans Potter… righteous and upstanding Amos Diggory demanded that the trial records for Sirius Black be released, leading to the revelation… Barty Crouch Sr, who imprisoned his own child… currently housed at St. Mungo’s for treatment before his trial, which will be closed, Wizengamot only, though rest assured that this humble reporter will get the scoop for all you loyal readers.'

George gave the paper back to an annoyed Alicia and sat down heavily. “Bloody hell.”

Fred grinned viciously. “Old codger works fast, doesn’t he? He’ll do anything if Cedric tells him, right?”

George’s head spun, but her eyes searched for Harry. The poor boy looked angry and terrified, gripping the paper till it began to tear.

Poor baby. She went over to him and wrapped him in a hug, which he greedily accepted.

Over the next few weeks, the trial was an absolute sensation in the papers. The whole Wizarding world was watching how it all played out. Barty Crouch Sr and other members of the old guard were investigated and fined. He was quoted saying that it didn’t matter that he didn’t have a trial anyway because everyone knew that Blacks were rotten. It wasn’t the best PR move.

Peter Pettigrew was apprehended and jailed under extra security for animagi after Fred, George, and Cedric trapped him in an unbreakable glass jar and owled him to Amos Diggory, who was waiting with Aurors at his side. His trial would be conducted after Sirius Black’s. Until then, he was being held in maximum security at Azkaban, specifically bound with cursed handcuffs that prevented Animagi from transforming. George would rather prefer that he stayed in the jar, but apparently, it was ‘inhumane’ and ‘against basic human rights’. Hmph.

Sirius Black received treatment at St. Mungo’s until he recovered enough to stand for trial. Under Veritaserum, he was able to acquit himself and prove his innocence. His lawyer, a young muggle-born woman named Shivani Ganesan, received international acclaim for her handling of the case. She was a shark, cutthroat and ruthless as she went after the British Ministry of Magic for damages to her client. George wasn’t sure of the amount, but he received a hefty, hefty settlement.

Throughout it all, Percy was wide-eyed and awestruck. George knew for certain that he was going to apply to Barrister programs out of Hogwarts. Evidently, he had a new hero!

At the end of the trial, Sirius sat in an interview where they asked him about his experiences, and at the end, when they asked him what he was going to do next, he decisively declared that he was applying for custody of his godson, Harry Potter, who he was going to raise into a fine young man, just like Lily and James would have wanted.

The day that article came out, Harry cuddled up with her and Fred and sobbed into her shirt the entire night. He was so, so hopeful that he would never again have to go to the Dursleys. George was hopeful for him too, though she knew that it likely would take some time before the entire matter was able to be settled.

“Keep your head up, Harry,” Fred encouraged. “It’ll be alright. Ced and I will make sure of it, ya savvy?”

George huffed. What was she, then? Chopped liver?

Herry peeked up at him, his bright green eyes wet with tears. “You promise?”

Fred ruffled his hair. “Yes, I promise. It might take some time though, but I promise, yeah?”

Slowly, life settled down back into its usual routine.

George and Fred received a letter from Charlie saying that he was going to be flying in for a night and that he’d like to see them before he had to fly back to Romania. Something about picking up a dragon.

Of course. Norbert. She almost forgot. 

With the help of the Map, the twins were able to sneak into the Astronomy tower and spend a few hours with Charlie before he had to fly off with baby Norbert. George was ecstatic to see him and spent the entire time just cuddled up into him. He’d only been gone for a few months, but he’d already put on a lot of muscle and gained quite a few shiny new burns that looked wicked cool. He was still super snuggle-able, so George was happy. 

On their way back, they heard chaos and dipped into an alcove to see that Harry, Ron, and Hermione had gotten into a scuffle with Draco Malfoy of all people, and had gotten themselves caught by Filch.

“Amateurs, yeah?” Fred silently sniggered into her ear as she giggled in agreement.

The temperamental trio headed into the Forbidden Forest with Hagrid and got themselves into trouble. George inquired about it, but they all shiftily looked away and refused to tell her. Kids.

Of course, that’s when she ran into Draco Malfoy for the first time.

He was a little shit, but George enjoyed the way his hair was slicked back onto his head like a helmet. It was so unique and iconic!

When she told him so, he turned red and sputtered out insults about her entire bloodline her poverty, and how stupid and ugly she is, did she know that? She looks like a boy, like her brother! Isn’t she embarrassed? She’d never find a husband looking like that, even if she wasn’t poor and a blood traitor! Did he happen to mention that she was ugly and stupid, too?

The entire time, George was fighting the urge to laugh. He was just so… adorably riled. Like an angry squirrel chittering at her and waving its arms threateningly. She loved it. When she told him that, he pulled out his wand and tried to curse her with the Jelly Legs jinx. So cute!

“Haha, you’re funny, Draco! You’re kinda mean, but you’re adorable!”

“Shut up, blood traitor! Stand still and let me hit you!” he snarled out as she danced around him.

“Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I heard that you encountered some kind of monster out in the Forbidden Forest and I wanted to check on you. Are you alright?”

“Are you mental, Weasley? Of course I’m alright, and I’ve told my Father everything! I wouldn’t be surprised if he came down tomorrow to burn the entire forest down, honestly. But why would you want to check on me? I’m your mortal enemy!” 

George laughed and laughed. “M-Mortal enemy? Morgana, you are just so cute!” Like a vicious little pomeranian slicked down with too much hair gel!

Draco’s face turned a vivid pink and he snarled at her. “Stop calling me cute, blood traitor!”

“But you are, Draco!”

“Don’t call me Draco, either!” He actually stomped his foot in frustration.

“Haha, then what do you want me to call you?”

“Malfoy! Just call me Malfoy! Actually, you know what, never speak to me again!”

“Pfffttt, nope! I’m gonna call you Draco. We’re friends now, Draco! Here, have a peach gummy.”

“No! And no we’re not! Stop calling me that!”

“Haha, no!”

Since then, George made it a point to always smile at Draco. Sometimes when she was close enough, she’d reach over and smooth down his shiny hair so that it formed the perfect helmet. Every time she did that, he hissed and spit like a cat and turned a bright, angry red. It was adorable, George loved it.

The tittering Trio loved it too. Harry, Ron, and Hermione always watched in awe as Malfoy was reduced to blushes and stutters.

After witnessing her teasing, Cedric shook his head and sighed. “That poor boy. Leave him alone, Jo, you’re gonna give him a complex.”

George giggled. “Aww, don’t run my fun, Ced, look how red he turns! He’s so cute!” She stuffed a peach gummy into his mouth.

Fred laughed at Cedric’s pout as he mulishly chewed it, and both of them wouldn’t tell her what was so funny, the jerks.

The rest of the semester passed the same. It was slightly more challenging, due to the added number of classes and the more advanced material, but with their regular study sessions and her time with Hermione and Percy, she felt well-prepared.

As the end of the year approached, she noticed that she and Fred were going through a growth spurt. Thank Merlin! Finally! They’ve been virtually identical since birth, and now they’re finally taller than Cedric, who was not happy with the development. Every time someone brought up how much taller than him the twins were getting, his smile would turn strained. He tried to laugh it off, but Fred pulled him aside to whisper to him when Cedric's face filled with too much irritation. 

George didn't think much of it, though. There wasn't anything wrong with going through puberty late! Nobody thought any less of Cedric because he was a late bloomer! As the weeks went on, she noted Cedric's stormy mood but assumed that he would bounce back like usual in no time.

One nippy spring morning when they were out jogging, she playfully teased Cedric about how he had to hustle to keep up due to how much longer her legs were than his. Unfortunately, Cedric did not react very well. 

Usually when she teased him, his pretty gray eyes were humored and warm and he readily teased her back till they were both leaning against each other, laughing.

This time as she pointed out their height difference, his eyes were cold and his face was severe.

“Drop it, Jo.”

“Ced?”

Her heart broke a little in her chest when he glared coldly at her. 

“I’m sorry, Ced. Please don’t be angry. You know I love you. I love you just like I love Freddie.”

Unfortunately, that appeared to be the wrong thing to say. From next to her Fred winced and shook his head.

Cedric’s jaw ticked and he looked away from her. His gray eyes were dark and murky. She didn’t like it.

“Just like Freddie, huh? Yeah, dunno what I expected.” He scoffed and shook his head before gaining speed and running off. George prepared to run after him to apologize for whatever set him off but was stopped by Fred’s firm arm around hers. He shook his head. “No, Georgie. Leave him be.”

“But-!”

“No,” he firmly declared. “Let him cool off. You know that it was unkind to tease him like that, especially because you know that he doesn’t like it, yeah?”

George’s heart sank. “I didn’t want to hurt him,” she whispered. “I just wanted to play.”

Fred sighed as he turned back to the castle. “You know Georgie, I love you. You’re the most important person in my life. But sometimes you’re so dense that it’s unbearable, innit?” He took off as well, leaving her alone in the cold fighting tears. Even Squidwin’s sympathetic pats couldn’t make her feel better.

For weeks after, Cedric ignored her. He wasn’t mean, but he just avoided her. It broke George’s heart. 

Nothing she tried worked. She tried gently joking with him and slipping peach gummies into his hand, but he refused them. She gave him her annotated Potions and Charms notes, but he silently gave them back without looking at her. She gave him the special scarf that Molly had knitted for her on a particularly chilly day, but she found it folded in her bag.

When George couldn’t take it anymore, she went to the kitchens and wept. The house elves panicked and skittered around her, desperately trying to offer her her favorite foods to cheer her up, but she was inconsolable.

Finally, a stern female house elf with a shower cap perched on her floppy ears named Boopsi scolded her out of it.

“Yous giving up too easily, Misses Wheezy. Yous been going ‘bout it the wrong way. Boopsi will tell you that yous needs to cook for Misters Diggy. Yes, yous cook for him to show yous very very sorry.”

“Cook?” George sniffled.

“Yes. Boopsi teaches Misses Wheezy how to make lemon pie,” Boopsi insisted firmly.

Every evening after classes ended found George in the kitchens struggling to make Lemon Meringue Pie. The house elves helpfully tried to give her tips, but it was a little overwhelming when dozens of squeaky voices barraged her about flakey versus graham crusts and the perfect consistency for the whipped egg whites.

When George was finally confident in her recipe, she took her perfected pie and made her way to the Hufflepuff dorms. Both she and Freddie were familiar faces there, just as Cedric was in the Gryffindor dorms. Well, usually. Lately, she hadn’t swung around much.

After knocking, she was let in by a second year who was surprised to see her alone. George asked him to call Cedric down, and she squirmed on the cushy sofa as she gripped the pie in her hands.

Cedric soon appeared, warily looking at her, and George shakily smiled.

“Hiya, Ced.”

“George.”

Her heart hurt when he refused to use his nickname for her.

“Well. Um. I just want to tell you that I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I just… Here. I made this for you. You don’t have to eat it,” she hurried to explain. This was going worse than she thought. “In fact, you should probably throw it away. It’s not as good as the ones Auntie Abigail or the house elves make. I… Um. I should go.”

George put the pie down and half-jogged to the entrance of the dorm room, where she swiftly let herself out.

Stupid, stupid, stupid! Of course he wouldn’t like a pie made by a loser like her! What was she thinking? Oh god, all that time and effort by the poor house elves, wasted by an idiot like herself. She was the worst. Pathetic. She was absolutely pathetic. No wonder Cedric hated her now. It was what she deserved.

George was focused on blinking the tears out of her eyes and didn’t notice Cedric calling for her until he was close enough to grab her shoulder.

“Jo. Jo! Stop, Jo, you’re too fast.”

George stared off to the side, desperately trying not to let the tears in her eyes fall. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

Cedric sighed. “No. I’m sorry, Jo. I shouldn’t have ignored you. I was being a right arse.”

“No, no, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me. It’s my-”

Cedric let out a grunt of frustration that cut George off. “See? This is why you drive me bloody insane, Jo. You have to stop apologizing for everything. You’re too sweet and kind and as dense as a bloody brick, Merlin’s tits, you drive me absolutely mad. It was my fault, not yours, understand?”

“But-!”

“Do. You. Understand?” Cedric glared at her, his striking gray eyes narrowed.

George mutely nodded.

Cedric sighed and pulled her into a hug, which George immediately relaxed into. Merlin, she loved the way he smelled, crisp and citrusy with a hint of musk. It always made her head go foggy.

“... Are we okay, Ced?”

“Of course we are, Jo. We will always be.”

Fred was relieved the next morning when he finally saw that the tension between them had finally broken. He was having a miserable few weeks mediating between his best friend and his sister and was happy to finally return to the status quo. 

“What did you eat for breakfast, mate? Did you try the new green grape jam? Banging, right?”

Cedric grimaced. “Nah, mate, didn’t eat nothin’. Stuffed myself silly with pie last night.”

“Pie? What kind? Did you go down to the kitchens? Feeling a bit peckish, were you?” Fred teased.

“Lemon meringue. And something like that.”

“Was it any good?”

“Yeah. The best I’ve ever eaten.”

“Ha! I’ll make sure to tell your mum that, yeah?”

“Don’t you dare!”

As George trailed behind them, she smiled, her heart filled with warmth and love.

She was so glad to have her boys back.

At the end of the year, the troublesome Trio had their war of wits with Quirrelmort and Harry underwent the boss battle by himself, emerging triumphant with the Philosopher's Stone in hand.

Fred, George, and Cedric scolded them fiercely as they recovered in the infirmary, and when all the adults left, they insisted on being told all the details. All of them, even the embarrassing ones. Hermione hid under her covers, mortified, as Ron sniggered over how she forgot about magic when they were entangled in the Devil’s Snare. 

George was especially proud of Harry and Hermione’s recounting of Ron’s prodigious chess skills. She forced him into a hug and kissed his face as he struggled and wailed and the others laughed.

And Harry. Poor, poor, Harry. It was clear that he was more than a little traumatized by his whole confrontation with Voldemort, but he obviously didn’t want to worry them and stayed silent. George made eye contact with Fred and he bounded over to the tiny brunette and scooped him up into his lap to cuddle.

It seemed to help because soon Harry relaxed enough to doze off in Fred’s lap, which George was glad for, the poor dear looked like he’d gotten no sleep since the incident.

Everybody was happy to attend the End of Year Feast and Ron stuffed his face with three chicken legs at once. How he could hold them, she had no idea, but she was impressed nonetheless.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and the hall settled down. 

He caught George’s eye and she smiled.

“I’m sure that all of you have heard by now that some courageous young students have gotten into an adventure. Fortunately, they stepped up to prevent Professor Quirrel from stealing an item of immense value. For that, I would like to award Gryffindor 200 points.”

A roar erupted from their table and George smiled but didn’t break eye contact.

Dumbledore waited for the noise to settle down. “This puts Gryffindor in the lead. Unfortunately, a recent incident has come to my attention. The staff room has been turned into a swamp, complete with beavers, alligators, and piranhas, although I am told that piranhas are not endemic to swamps.”

He raised an eyebrow at George and she shrugged. Sue her. She wasn’t an expert in swamp life. She just thought it would be funny. 

“I am forced to take action against this egregious breach of school rules, and thus, I shall be taking 20 points from Gryffindor. This leaves Slytherin as the winner of this year’s House Cup!”

George grinned as her housemates groaned and the Slytherin table clamored in joy and excitement. She could see the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs smiling as the Slytherins celebrated and George was vindicated that the obvious favoritism didn’t make anybody happy.

Good job, Dumbles. Maybe you can learn.

Notes:

Haribo Peach gummies are the GOAT. I don't make the rules.

Lemme know what you think!

Chapter 5: Fourth Year

Notes:

Haha, puberty anyone?

Btw, I imagined George to look like early to mid 2000's Lindsay Lohan, circa Mean Girls era. But really, imagine her however you want and just have fun and enjoy the chaos

 

14 years old

 

On the Hogwarts Express, Cedric informed them that his father just got a promotion because of his contributions for the Sirius Black case and that as a family they’re going to be in MACUSA for the summer.

America!!! How amazing! George is jealous! She wanted to go! 

Cedric smiled at her gently and promised her that one day, he would take her. For some inexplicable reason, this made her blush.

They parted ways at King’s Cross Station with tight hugs and promises to write over the summer. As Fred and Cedric said their goodbyes, George spotted Harry staring morosely at an angry tubby-looking man with an impressive mustache. 

She pulled him into a hug and he snuggled into her without hesitation. “Don’t worry, Harry, it’ll all be fine. Sirius will swoop in and take you from them any day now, I promise.”

He nodded sadly at her before turning to go, promising to write to her and Ron. She sent him off with one last affectionate hair-ruffle.

The first few weeks of summer break were excruciating. George and Fred were going through a major growth spurt. They had already started at Hogwarts, but it hit them like a hammer the minute they arrived at the Burrow. They were wracked with brutal growing pains and were absolutely ravenous, no amount of Molly’s cooking enough to satiate their endless hunger.

When George wasn’t eating or sleeping, she took Ron with her on a bus into the Muggle world, which was mercifully free for student-age children. She asked around at a library to find when the next local chess tournament was and signed him up. Ron was a little reluctant, but George could tell that he was excited. There wasn’t anyone they knew that could challenge him anymore.

George was happy to practice with him regardless, though, and it took Ron some effort to play Chess the muggle way rather than dictating his moves out loud and expecting the piece to jump to his command. 

They entered the tournament and he whooped every single person’s ass. It wasn’t even a contest. Ron looked startled as George beamed in pride. She laughed at the huffy, well-dressed moms dragging their precious little preppy boys away from them, mumbling about how poorly they were dressed and how they had no manners. Sore losers! George loved to hear their complaints! Her little Ronnie was the absolute best, a prodigy, a genius, a Grandmaster in the making!!!

To their unbelievable fortune (have you somehow gotten your paws on some Felix Felices, Ronnie?), there was a man scouting out talent. An older gent named Hector Wingstrom decided to mentor the next generation after his wife passed and time alone at home showed that he needed to involve himself out in the world again. He was a former professional Chess player ranked as an International master before he retired to help his wife’s bakery, which he sold after her death. He found himself unimpressed by the pretentious kids boasting prestigious lineages but unpossessing of the sheer, raw talent that interested him.

And then along came raggedy little Ron Weasley with his cute, smiley sister who destroyed all his preconceptions.

He offered to be his Coach and mentor Ron so that he would be able to make it on the circuit. George explained that they went to a private boarding school for the majority of the year, but Hector was adamant that they could make it work. Blast the inconvenient circumstances, the boy had a once-in-a-generation talent and Hector wasn’t going to let it go to waste, dammit!

With his help, Ron was able to enroll in several exclusive tournaments and he climbed the ranks at an astronomical rate. During this time, Ron lived, breathed and ate Chess. Anytime he wasn’t sitting before a board and frowning at the pieces, his nose was buried in a Chess strategy book or he was scribbling out potential plays out on old bits of parchment. 

Molly and Arthur were befuddled by the apparent spirit of a Chess Master that had possessed their youngest son, but they were happy and supportive, as Hector insisted on fronting the costs, declaring that money was a ridiculous barrier to entry to such a Chess genius. George’s parents were proudly self-sufficient and fiercely independent, but gracefully conceded when they understood just how great of an opportunity this was for Ron.

As the weeks passed, George’s trousers grew ever shorter and her shirts ever tighter. She exercised regularly with Fred to keep in shape for Quidditch, but with the amount they were eating, it was inevitable that she gained weight, though, to all her brothers’ chagrin, it wasn’t around her midsection, but rather in the bust and hips.

Molly pulled her aside one night and sat her down to talk about becoming a woman. George was happy to humor her, though it was unbearably awkward, because she knew how much this meant to Molly and how much she enjoyed bonding with her daughters. She happily accepted the hand-me-down bras, shushing her mother when she tried to apologize for being unable to buy new ones for her.

Billy and Charlie surprised them with a visit during the middle of the summer. They had somehow managed to pool their money and hitch a ride alongside some international couriers that made their winding way down to England. It was a long, unpleasant trip, but they were happy for the opportunity to spend time with the family. They were adamant that they wanted to see Ginny off before her time at Hogwarts, her insisting in her barrage of letters to them that they needed to be there for her.

George happily spent time with Bill as they pruned Molly’s garden and threw gnomes, listening intently to his adventures in Egypt. She loved hearing about the never-ending desert, the wonderfully dangerous curses hiding within ancient tombs and the perfectly preserved magical mummies. She laughed as Billy pulled on her longer hair, the length she decided to grow out as opposed to Fred, who wanted to cut it short. This would be the very first time that they wouldn’t be identical, and George felt both happy and sad at the development. She teased Billy that his hair was growing out to the length that hers was and they laughed together and she badgered him about getting a girlfriend, insisting that he looked like a muggle rockstar with his shaggy hair, piercings and magical tattoos.

With Charlie, she play-wrestled and chased him around on brooms, happily absorbing his time with dragons in the Romanian wilderness. Charlie had put on a lot of rippling muscle in the short year he had been gone, looming over them like a fiery viking with his towering height, huge build and well-groomed auburn beard that he was working on growing. He told her about his wonderful coworkers and his favorite dragons, listing each one’s coloring and favorite meat fondly. She fretted over his claw-marks and burn scars, but he laughed giddily and exclaimed that he loved them and that they helped him pull in the ladies. She shoved at him and told him to be careful, otherwise he’d be explaining to Mum and Dad about how they’re now grandparents. She cackled at his comically alarmed face.

Billy and Charlie were not pleased to see how George had… blossomed. From the first moment that she had run to them to leap into their arms, they had known that they were in trouble and had a long road ahead of them. From over her head, they could make out Percy, Fred and Ron’s grim faces and knew that they too had recognized the imminent problem.

George had always been cute, moreso her personality than her actual face, more interested in rolling around in mud and playing Quidditch and cuddling her brothers than dressing up all doll-like, but now…

George was… fit. She was very, very fit. She was a right, certified babe, she was. It was quite distressing, Charlie almost had a panic attack at the realization.

They'd never had to worry about any of this except for that Diggory boy who followed her around like a puppy, but he was harmless and had Fred to keep an eye on him, right?

But this?

Oh, they were in big, big trouble. 

With her bright, sky-blue eyes, freckles artfully decorating her nose, messy rust hair, beaming smile, long, lean legs, frankly ridiculous knockers (how the bloody fuck was she even able to grow those? Merlin) and obvious ditzy vibes, every single male in a mile’s radius would notice her like a bloodhound. She was straight catnip.

They were buggered. 

George was happy to accompany Ron to his Chess tournaments, but all her brothers, including Ron, who was especially adamant for some reason, refused to let her sit alone in the stands waiting for him to crush his competition.

Percy accompanied her, happy to bring some notes or a textbook to review (hidden behind a handy book jacket, of course, lest the poor muggles get confused by advanced charms reversal theory). He kept a hawk’s eye out to glare at any teenage boys who were a little too eager to talk to George.

She pouted at him for chasing away potential new friends, but Percy was unmoving to her pleas and continued to ward off any flies like a vicious guard dog, always willing to spit scathing comments that would send them running. 

To George’s dismay, Hector was also willing to help in her brothers’ crusade, clapping any too-enthusiastic young men on the shoulder with a friendly smile and bruising grip, firmly leading them away from an obliviously beaming George. Crikey, those poor boys had their work cut out for them, looking after that pretty, air-headed sister of theirs. He shook his head in pity.

Harry sent them a letter exclaiming that Sirius’ custody claim was finally able to go through and that he was staying with him in a creepy house in London! Amazing! Fantastic! Stupendous! George was sooooo happy for him!!! No more Dursleys, ever!!!

George was extra happy to spend time with Ginny and tell her all about Hogwarts. She wanted to know everything, from their classes and pranks to her dormmates and Quidditch practice. George was happy to indulge her, she missed spending time with her little sister! The girls need to stick together to take over the boys! Girl power!!

Ron played so prodigiously that by the end of the summer, he was offered a position to play for the England National Team. He was ranked tenth amongst the ten members, but everybody was astounded by his insanely fast rise. The rest of the National team consisted of boys who had been trained from a young age with prestigious educations behind them, mostly Eton, Bedford, and Harrow. Poor Ron was self-conscious in his ratty robes, tugging at the frayed hems in embarrassment. Thankfully, with Hector’s protective presence looming behind him, clothed in well-tailored suits looking like a proper dapper gentleman, nobody gave Ron a rough time.

Ron received a hefty monthly stipend when he was accepted onto the National team. He was ecstatic and tried to share it with George, saying that everything was because of her in the first place, but George vehemently refused and insisted that it was his money and he could do whatever he wanted with it. The rest of the family firmly agreed and the consensus was to open up a Gringotts account for him.

Hector left Ron with a strict study guide that he was expected to follow throughout the school year to prepare for the next year’s summer tournaments. Ron solemnly promised to practice diligently and hugged Hector hard, thanking him for everything he’d done for him. Hector gruffly told him off about being too sappy and discreetly wiped his eyes when no one was looking. The Weasleys were a wonderful family and all of their children had turned out quite well. He was sure his darling Miriam was looking down at him from Heaven, smiling at how he was able to find joy after she left him. 

They headed to Diagon Alley to gather supplies for the upcoming year. Harry was able to meet up with them, but unfortunately, Hermione had an important academic research summer camp of some kind that she couldn’t miss. How delightfully swotty! George approved! Hermione lamented that they wouldn’t be able to meet up but expressed how excited she was to see them at King’s Cross.

George finally met Sirius Black for the first time. He was tall and wiry, and the years at Azkaban had obviously taken their toll on him, but he was still fiercely handsome. His hair was dark and fell to his shoulders in lush waves and his eyes were a startling silver. His face was on the leaner side, but it was obvious that he had put on a ton of weight in comparison to his pictures in the paper from almost a year ago, where he was clearly emaciated. He wore a fashionable leather jacket and black jeans and his hands were adorned with thick gold rings. He looked like a cool ’80s rocker dude who was out to have a good time and pull star-struck girls out to have the ride of their lives on his motorcycle, wink wink.

Harry launched himself at Ron to give him a bruising hug, then turned to tackle George into one as well. George noticed Ginny standing in the corner, wide-eyed and blushing and snickered. Ah, young love! She was going to tease her sister about it till the day she died, yes she was!

As introductions were made, Sirius gave George a once-over and a smile tugged at his lips. “Wotcher, Harry. Was this the bird you were tellin’ me ‘bout?”

George beamed at him and waved. “Hello, Mr. Black! It’s so nice to finally meet you! Freedom looks great on you!”

Sirius smirked. 

Harry immediately bristled like a little porcupine and turned on Sirius. “Don’t you dare, Sirius. Don’t you even think about it.”

“Don’t think about what?”

“I’ve seen your room. Don’t you dare.”

Sirius raised his arms in surrender, which was good for him because unknown to George, her brothers were close to sending him back to Azkaban in a box.

The group moved on, chatting happily within themselves. Fred looped an arm around Harry’s shoulders and subtly murmured to him, “Good boy, Harry. I think you may be interested in a very special project we Weasley boys have put together. Figured you should know since you’re part of the family and all, right?”

“What sort of project?” Harry smiled at him, warm from the acknowledgment of being included as a part of their family. Even though he had Sirius now, he will never, ever forget the kindness the Weasley clan showed him, Ron reaching his arm out to be his first, true friend, Mrs. Weasley sending him Christmas gifts just as she would for her own children, Percy always happy to slowly explain any foreign wizarding concepts to him, Fred patiently teaching him the ins and outs of Quidditch and George being the very first person who showed him what love and affection actually felt like. He would be forever indebted to them and would do absolutely anything for them. 

“Well. It’s something along the lines of keeping curious vultures from sniffing around my darling twin, you savvy?”

Harry turned to look at George, who was laughing with Percy and Bill. She looked like one of the pin-up models that Sirius had permanently stuck in his room. As he watched her rusty hair shine like a flame under the sunlight and her blue eyes sparkle as she giggled, a bad feeling grew in his stomach.

“Ohhh yes. I see what you’re talking about. You’re gonna need a lot of help.”

Fred grinned savagely and ruffled his hair. “Yeah, that’s what we reckon. We need all the help we can get, yeah?”

Ginny was ecstatic to receive her wand, Yew with Dragon heartstring from a Chinese Fireball. She excitedly showed it off and George was happy to ohh and ahh over it, much to her baby sister’s pride and pleasure.

They made their way through the busy streets, popping in from shop to shop while Arthur fretted about prices in the background. Sirius offered to pay for them, but Arthur looked so mortally offended that he immediately backed down. 

They finally reached their last stop of the day, Flourish and Blotts. It was surprisingly crowded and they had to squeeze their way inside.

Ah. Lockhart. That would explain it.

George did her best to ignore the hullabaloo and scrounge some second-hand books for her and Freddie in the clearance section. In the distance, she could see Lockhart perk up and almost attack a very alarmed Harry in excitement and demand him to share in the spotlight.

It was satisfying to see Lockhart sputter in surprise at the attention of Sirius, but soon enough he recouped and pulled the ex-convict into the limelight as well.

George giggled at their disgruntled expressions. Clearly, Harry was picking up on Sirius’ mannerisms even after only spending barely a few months with him.

At her side, Molly was simultaneously in rapture from the star in their presence but also fretting over the cost of the Lockhart’s entire set books for the upcoming year, which, wowee, were not cheap in the slightest. They were already running a little low on funds due to the twins eating them out of house and home, a fact that they were very guilty about.

Absolutely not. George made sure to sternly stress to her mother that they wouldn’t be buying any of the sets. They were all plagiarized garbage, anyway.

Molly protested, but in the end, easily fell victim to George’s pleading blue eyes. Success.

As they were winding up, a fresh commotion occurred at the front.

Oh, it was Dad and… who was that?

George pushed her way to the front of the gathered crowd and saw her father beating the absolute shite out of a platinum blond man. Yeah, Arthur Weasley was an absolute beast, what of it? Where do you think the Weasley Clan kids got their killer instinct from?

She rushed forward to break them up and pulled the stranger away from Dad, but rather than express gratitude, he growled at her and recoiled, roughly snatching his arm away from her hand.

“Unhand me, you filthy low-class trash, you’ll stain my robes with your poverty!”

George could practically feel her brothers bristling in rage, but she just laughed and beamed up at him. Ah. Lucius Malfoy. That explained everything.

“That was kind of rude, Mr. Malfoy, but it’s okay! I always thought you high-class types preached bout manners, but obviously, it must be an exaggeration!” 

Lucius’ cheeks pinked as his scowl darkened, but George didn’t notice as she barrelled on. “It’s alright, though! You don’t need to worry too much about that! Even if you’re kind of ugly on the inside, at least you’re absolutely gorgeous on the outside!”

Everybody just stared at her as she beamed up Lucius. Behind her, Freddie was wheezing.

George lost interest in their blank looks and found Draco gaping at her like a fish. She turned the full force of her smile onto him.

“Imagine if you grew up this pretty, Draco, you’d have all the girls falling over you! That’d be splendid, haha!”

Draco turned an alarming shade of red and looked like he was about to have a stroke, but George turned back to Lucius and grasped his hand. Oooh, it was very soft, probably because of all the fancy hand creams he slathered on. 

“It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Malfoy! Hopefully next time you won’t be such a wanker!” She smiled genuinely up at him and shook his hand before she released him and turned around to her choking twin. He looked like he was about to explode from mirth.

“Hey, Freddie! I just found the coolest thing! Let’s go!”

She was blissfully oblivious to the psychic damage she had inflicted on everyone else and Fred was determined to keep it that way.

Soon enough, they were back on the train back to school. George was ecstatic to rejoin her dormmates, who shrieked and cooed over her changed looks. George laughed and said that it was a shame that she and Freddie couldn’t be mistaken for each other anymore.

Alicia gave her a considering once-over, looking impressed. “Tha’s an understatement, girlie. Feckin’ hell, I’d pay to see Fred bloody walkin’ around with fake knockers lyke yours.” 

The other girls cackled in agreement. 

“Awww, come off it, we haven’t changed that much,” George laughed. 

“That’s true.” Angelina had a mischievous glint in her eye. “I mean, from the back, you both still have the same peachy arse. Twins gonna twin, yeah?”

Katie grinned. “Nah, it’s all those peach jellies she eats, isn't it? Gave her a right peach bum, it did. Blimey, George, you hafta share some with me this year. Grow a peach of my own!”

They screeched in laughter. George loved them so much.

From next to her, Ginny stared at them in awe and hero-worship, especially because George had described just how good the trio of girls were as the Gryffindor Chasers on the House team. George almost forgot that her precious little sister begged to come along to their compartment, and as always, she was all too happy to oblige. Fred hadn’t minded the separation in the slightest, happy to bounce off and find Lee and Ced. 

Of course, George was more than excited to see Ced again, but she was equally happy to reunite with her wonderful girlfriends and introduce them to her precious baby sister.

The girls took to Ginny immediately, cooing over her like she was a tiny ginger kitten. In the middle of the trip, a shy knock sounded on their compartment and a tiny, fairy-looking Luna peeked her head in and dazedly asked if she could join them.

Of course! George loved little Luna! She was so delightfully unhinged! So cute and pure! Adorable!!!

The compartment was filled with chatter and laughter as the girls gossipped and speculated about how their year and studies were going to go. It was almost a shame when they arrived, George was having so much fun!

With promises extracted from Luna to come to her if anything at all happened to her possessions, Yes Luna, even if it was the Nargles, George was happy to wave Ginny off towards the boats and skip her way over to find her other half and best friend.

She managed to find Fred in the crowd, and there Ced stood, with his back to her, listening to whatever nonsense her twin was telling him.

George grinned and ran, jumping onto Ced’s back with a gigantic hug. “Ced! I missed you! How was MACUSA? America!!! I’m so jealous!”

Cedric laughed and allowed her to cling to him like a koala. George slid off his back and danced around to his front where she could give him a proper hug. When she pulled back, he was staring at her with a blank look on his face, mouth open. He looked like he had been hit with a confounding spell. 

George forgot all about his strange reaction as the horse-less carriage finally pulled up and she happily hopped on. 

From outside, she heard a thump followed by Freddie’s exasperated drawl. “Get a hold of yourself, mate, you're embarrassing yourself, yeah?”

Cedric’s strangled voice answered him. “You didn’t say-”

Fred cut him off. “Yes, I did. Warned you proper, didn’t I?”

Cedric choked. “No, you didn’t. Not like that.”

George pouted as they boarded the carriage. Were they keeping things from her again? Not fair! “Like what?”

“Nothing!” Her boys blurted in unison. George sulked. Stupid boys.

Throughout the ride to the school, Ced continued to stare dazedly at her, but George didn’t mind. He must have just missed her, just like she missed him! She just beamed back, which made him look like he had taken a bludger bat straight to the skull.

Fred looked unfairly amused the entire time. Why, Freddie?! Share with the class!!

The sorting ceremony went off without a hitch. Lockhart bowed theatrically, the dingbat, and it caused quite a stir among the female population, but it wasn’t anything unexpected.

Throughout the sorting, George felt like she was being watched, but when she brought it up to Freddie, he rolled his eyes and had that same amused look. 

Surely she was imagining it, right? Why would people be looking at her? She was the same ol’ George as always!

From behind her, she didn’t notice Fred glaring murderously at the prats that had the bullocks to ogle his sister. Harry, Ron, and Percy were eager to aid him on his crusade. 

Fred watched in amusement while Georgie beamed as she stuffed her face with peach cobbler. She was so radiant that sparkles practically bloomed around her. He could feel the staring intensify. Fred sighed. They really had their work cut out for them, didn't they?

Over at the Hufflepuff table, there was a singularity that radiated intense bloodlust as the fork bent under Cedric’s grip. 

Fred grinned to himself. Yeah, he couldn’t really blame Cedric for his reaction to Georgie’s glow-up, but flippin’ heck, it was funny as hell. Poor, poor Ced. He was in for a rough time, wasn’t he?

They really did have their work cut out for them.

Lockhart was a right tit. George sweetly ignored him. He tried to engage with her in class, but she just smiled blankly at him and dissociated until he was uncomfortable enough to give up and call on someone else. The entire thing made Freddie’s eyes slit in suspicion and he kept a gimlet eye on the teacher.

George’s glorious reunion with Squidwin included tossing him a dozen or so spiced lamb flanks as she babbled about her summer. Squidwin would occasionally sign a question to her to clarify, and George would happily indulge him. She was getting rather proficient in BWSL if she did say so herself!!

George was happy to cuddle with Ginny and have her precious baby sister vent to her about how stupid boys are and how mean Snape is. She insisted on having special nicknames for each other, possessive over her only sister, and would only respond if George called her Gigi and she only called her Jojo. George was charmed and happy to indulge her. She kept a close eye on Ginny in case she was possessed again, but strangely, she saw no sign of it.

It was a relief and she informed Ced and Freddie, who were not nearly as optimistic as her.

Sure enough, on Halloween, there was blood on the walls again detailing ominous warnings to the enemies of the Heir of Slytherin.

Bugger.

It wasn’t Ginny, George was sure of that, but now they had no fucking idea who it could be. 

Of course, predictably Harry was once again accused of being the perpetrator, because of his Parselmouth abilities that were revealed during the dueling club.

Oh yeah. By the way. The Dueling Club?

Fucking incredible. It was absolutely amazing seeing Snape whoop Lockhart’s arse, though Snape looked like he had smelled something unpleasant when George cheered heartily for him. What a sourpuss! You shall not dissuade your #1 fan, Severus Snape!!!

As expected, Lockhart blustered about how he was taken by surprise and how he would have won if he had his super special necklace on at the time. Apparently, it was some kind of rare artifact that deflected or absorbed spellfire? Yeah, okay cheater, George doubted that even with that necklace on, he could have stood up to Snape, he was just on another level.

The school was up in a frenzy about Harry and a few, non-fatal attacks occurred, but the Weasleys and Hermione formed a tight barrier around Harry against the accusations. The poor kiddo was grateful for the support, even though Sirius was apparently absolutely frothing in his letters. 

Don’t worry, sexy Sirius! We’ll look after the munchkin! Rest easy!

The Daily Prophet continued to detail the fallout from Sirius’ case. The funny thing was that the Fudge administration was so eager to publicize the details of the case, assured by the fact that Sirius’ wrongful imprisonment occurred during the Bagnold administration. Uh, sorry to break it to you, buddy, but the general public doesn’t really care. To them, the Ministry did an oopsie, regardless of who was steering the ship at the time. But hey, go off, kings! George would always celebrate transparency!!

It turned out that Amos had Crouch Sr investigated, and Crouch Sr got the sack and actually got jail time! Will wonders never cease! Win for punishing misuse of power! Yay! Though, there was still no news about Barty Crouch Jr, much to Ced and Freddie’s consternation. Oh well. George was sure that he would turn up sometime soon with the Aurors on high alert.

In November, the entire school was abuzz. When George looked closer at what all the fuss was about, surprisingly it wasn't Harry in the center of attention, but rather her precious little Ronnie.

After a rather heated altercation, Ronnie had challenged Draco to a chess match and the blond had immediately, arrogantly accepted. They had proposed terms for a bet, the terms of which George wasn’t able to find out no matter how much she pestered her brothers. They were so mean sometimes!!!

Oh well, boys will be boys! It couldn’t be too concerning, right?

On the day of the match, they set up in the Great Hall and a majority of the school came to watch. Somehow, this match generated as much hype as a Quidditch game. What was going on?

Of course, Freddie and George took bets in the background. Surprisingly, even the teachers pitched in!! Lockhart was the only one who bet on Draco, all the rest of them (even Snape!!! What!!!) placed chunky sums on Ronnie. Aha, of course they would, after they discovered how much of a genius her brother is after last year’s debacle! Apparently, McGonagall had bragged in the staff-room for weeks about how Ronnie had beat her chess obstacle on the first try!

Nobody bothered to correct Lockhart when he went on and on about how much better the odds were on the Malfoy heir because of course he would have received specialized instruction in Wizarding Chess from a young age, Chess was such a dignified skill that all well-bred young pureblood heirs were expected to learn, of course Lucius wouldn’t allow his son to be uncultured, poor Ron Weasley had bitten off more than he could chew this time!

Even Dumbledore had simply smiled at him as he rambled on. Nobody was in a hurry to dissuade him of his notions.

Ron and Draco agree to play best out of three.

Ron went into hyperfocus gamer-mode and absolutely demolished Draco. He won two matches back-to-back much to the school’s absolute shock.

Freddie and George grinned like the gremlins they were as they collected their money. Of course, the Professors and a good chunk of the Gryffindor house received awesome payouts because of the absolutely stacked odds against Ronnie, but hey, it wasn’t their fault they assumed that Draco’s fancy Chess lessons would do jackshit against the sheer genius of her brother, was it?

Either way, they had the beginnings of a nice little nest egg that would help them when it came time to starting their Joke Shop. George was ecstatic as she hugged a grinning Freddie and Ced.

George laughed and hugged Ron in celebration before she released him to enjoy the jubilation of the Gryffindor house who carried him away like a Quidditch hero. 

George turned and reached out to pat Draco’s head, poor Draco turned a deep shade of red, awwww, probably because he was embarrassed because of the loss! Poor kiddo, there was nothing to be ashamed of!

“Awwww, Draco, don’t be embarrassed! It was a really good try! You did so good! I thought that you would last only a few moves against Ron, he’s been training really hard for the National Chess Team representing England, you know! You did amazing! Here, have a peach gummy! You were marvelous for a beginner!”

Draco gaped at her with his cheeks a blazing red, peach gummy hanging limply from his hand as the noise in the Great Hall exploded in response to the revelation that Ron was apparently on the muggle National Team. 

Yes! George beamed as everyone turned to her genius brother in disbelief and awe and Ronnie grinned with his cheeks flushed, basking in the attention. He deserved the world, her precious little Ronnie, and George was so happy that everyone was finally able to see just how special he really was!!

Afterwards, they had a celebration party for Ron’s overwhelming victory that McGonagall reluctantly allowed them to have, inviting members from all the other houses including a few Slytherins, Adrian Pucey and Theodore Nott looking like the cat that got the canary due to their praiseworthy winnings they made off of betting on Ron. Apparently, Pucey was quite involved in the Muggle Chess scene and his family had donated a considerable sum of money over the years to the teams, so he actually had an idea of how this was all going to go down. Nott had simply been pissed off at Draco and had spitefully bet against him and had surprisingly won, much to his smug delight. 

Afterward, McGonagall pulled George and Percy aside and interrogated them on Ron’s position with the National Team. She was a Chess maniac deeply involved in the Wizarding Circuits and was heavily invested in Ron’s progress, insistent in the belief that he was a once-in-a-generation talent that could lead to Wizarding Britain's dominance in Chess in a few short years. McGonagall’s eyes held the scary glint of a fanatical believer in their god, but George was happy to indulge her even if Percy leaned back in alarm. Her little brother was the best!!!

Afterward, George tracked down a smug Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

She raised an eyebrow and asked, “So, how did this entire event come to be?”

The Trio shiftily looked in between themselves and finally, Hermione cleared her throat. “Well, you see, it was because Malfoy called me a Mudblood, so Ron got mad and challenged him to the Chess Match. Malfoy accepted immediately.”

George stared them down until they finally cracked. Hermione huffed. “Oh, all right. We planned it out months ago when Ron told us about how well he was playing during the summer. We knew that little berk wouldn’t be able to resist Ron’s challenge, he would think it’s an easy win and fall for it hook, line, and sinker.”

The trolling trio grinned evilly and George laughed. “I suppose I owe you three congratulations on such an amazing prank. Well done! Whose idea was it?”

Harry beamed at her. “Mine.”

George pulled them all into laughing cuddles and praised them on their cleverness and cunning before sending them back on their way to enjoy the party.

The Trio watched her walk back into the fray and Fred and Cedric stepped up to them. The older boys watched George leave in satisfaction.

Cedric ruffled Ron’s hair, and the redhead beamed up at the cool older boy. “Well done, you lot.”

Fred grinned. “Yeah, like George said, epic prank, wasn’t it? You did well.” 

The tiny second-years puffed up in pride. 

“You’ll make sure that Malfoy boy keeps his promise, won’t you?” Cedric’s gray eyes glinted in the light. 

Hermione nodded in determination. “We’ll hold him to it. We don’t want him coming anywhere near George.”

Harry and Ron smiled smugly as they recalled the terms of the bet. If Ron won, Draco would never make fun of George or Hermione ever again. Draco had sneered and accepted his terms. With a scowl and blushing cheeks, Draco insisted that if he won, then the territorial Trio would have to help him ask George out when they were older and convince her to go out with him.

Ron had gone as still as a statue, Hermione’s hair had puffed up like an angry lion’s mane, and Harry’s green eyes had flashed with a scary light. The audience around them gasped and the news of the bet exploded through Hogwarts’ prodigious rumor mill, leading to a gigantic turn-out to see the results of the high-stakes bet.

Of course, Fred and Cedric were less than pleased with the circumstances, but the tenacious Trio were determined. Defeat wasn’t even an option.

The triumphant Trio would savor the look on Draco Malfoy’s face for years to come as they watch him struggle to speak with George Weasley without insulting her, smug in their complete and utter victory over him. True to form, tiny Colin Creevey was a faithful shadow to Harry and helpfully immortalized the moment in several priceless photographs. 

Epic prank, indeed.

During their monthly meeting, George was happy to inform Dumbledore that Harry was doing very well under the scrutiny of the school due to the attacks.

“Yeah, Freddie, Ced, Perce and the trustworthy Trio are there to support him. He was a little down, but I think it was cathartic to beat Draco during Quidditch, even though the Slytherin team had better brooms. Goes to show how money can’t buy skill, haha! I’d like to see those Slytherin beater prats outmaneuver Freddie and me! I’ll show them!” George playfully flexed her biceps and laughed.

Dumbledore chuckled. “Ah, yes, speaking of young Mr. Malfoy, I’d like to offer your brother congratulations on both his victories. He allowed me to win quite a sum of money.”

George tilted her head. “Both his victories?”

Dumbledore smiled inscrutably. “Think nothing of it, my dear. You mentioned that he has been recruited to the England National Team? Quite a feat!”

George beamed at him. “Yes! He’s a starting member of the Junior Team! Our little Ronnie’s a genius, I’m so proud of him!” She grinned challengingly at Dumbledore. “I bet in a year or two, he might even be able to give you a run for your money.”

Dumbledore guffawed. “We shall have to see, my dear,” he replied with a competitive glint in his eyes. 

George excitedly discussed alchemy theory with him and related it to both potions and muggle chemistry, something Dumbledore was quite impressed with.

“Tell me, dear, is Severus giving you any more trouble? I recall the commotion your stand-off generated a few years ago.”

“Haha, Professor Snape’s a peach! Yeah, he’s not really all that nice, but he’s an awesome teacher! Thank Merlin he’s not the most hated teacher anymore!”

Dumbledore straightened up. “‘Not the most hated teacher anymore?’ Please elaborate, child.”

George chewed on a peach gummy. “Well, that title’s gone to Lockhart now. Not much of a contest, really.”

“Professor Lockhart?”

George nodded distractedly as she watched pretty Fawkes preen his gorgeous feathers. Pretty, pretty birdie! “Yeah. Lockhart’s a bit of a creep. Sure, he’s kinda pretty, in a Ken-doll kinda way, but he has uncomfortable vibes.”

Dumbledore’s face hardened. “Why, Miss Weasley?”

George shrugged. “Well, you know, he pays a lot of attention to some of the super pretty older kids. I’ve seen him rub their shoulder and push their hair behind their ears and fix their ties.”

Dumbledore’s bright blue eyes held no hint of his usual sparkle. “Miss Weasley. I need you to be honest with me. Do you understand?”

George cringed under his sudden intensity. “Yes?”

“Does Professor Lockhart make inappropriate advances to the female students?”

George shifted uncomfortably. “Ummm, well… not exactly…”

Dumbledore relaxed the tiniest bit. “Yes?”

“Uhhhh. Well. It’s not… just the girls.”

Dumbledore’s posture tensed severely again. “I beg your pardon?”

George thumbed her wand, which warmed comfortingly. “It’s not just the girls, sir. The other day I saw him stroking Thorfinn Rowle’s hair, even though he clearly didn’t like it. I mean, I get it, I’d like to stroke his long blond Viking locks too, but he just looked so… grossed out. And there was that time when he was telling Ollie how good he was at Quidditch and offering to introduce him to some scouts on the professional circuit. He, um, he kinda felt up Ollie’s biceps and complimented him on how fit he was? And,” George leaned conspiratorially closer, “I noticed that he’s been staring a bit at pretty little Blaise Zabini. He’s, like, only thirteen years old!” 

“George. Has he ever touched you?” The aura around Dumbledore was dense and heavy. George shivered.

“No, sir. I mean, there was a time or two he tried to touch my hair, but Freddie always slapped his arm away. He kept me after class once, but Freddie and Ced refused to leave me alone with him. I’m okay, Professor. I don’t know if anything’s actually happened yet, but Professor Lockhart doesn’t really have a sense of personal boundaries, which is… uncomfortable.”

Dumbledore was silent for a long minute as they sipped their tea. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Miss Weasley. I’ll be sure to look into it.”

After that conversation, there was a noticeable change in Lockhart’s demeanor. He was still flamboyant and annoying, but he was markedly less touchy and more twitchy. He avoided direct eye contact with all the students, nervously looking away in a sweat.

Fred and Cedric investigated, and a few days later they came to George with their findings. Apparently, the staff had conducted a trial of some sort and he had been cursed with some spell that forced him to admit if he had assaulted any student. They couldn’t use Veratiserum, because apparently it was highly illegal to use outside of highly regulated legal channels, but of course, the genius that Snape was, he had developed another method, even if it wasn’t as all-encompassing and required a narrow topic that you asked the intended victim about. 

Thank Morgana, he hadn’t assaulted anyone, but his very creepy behavior had been noticed and he was now under the microscope, something that made him visibly nervous. 

Well, darn. George hoped that he would be given the sack, but it was probably really difficult to replace DADA professors mid-year. And also, Lockhart had a die-hard following that practically worshipped the fop. If he was fired without solid evidence, there would probably be an insane backlash that would hit the school.

Ugh. Well, hopefully, the DADA position curse kicked in sooner rather than later. George wouldn’t be sad to see him go. If there was one thing she agreed with adorable little Luna, the man was absolutely infested with Nargles and radiated rancid vibes.

The attacks continued on sporadically. Fred, George, and Cedric did their best to investigate the source, but they were met with dead-end after dead-end. It was driving the boys bonkers. Quietly, she noticed that the twitchy Trio was trying to conduct their own investigation, but George was happy to let them go off on their own misadventures with Polyjuice Potion. Let the children have fun! Magical mishaps were a part of the excitement! Accidental animal transfiguration was great character-building! Madame Pomfrey was an absolute gem, she’d be there to put them back together!  

In February, Lockhart did his whole Valentine’s Day debacle. George was happy to giggle at the silly rhymes and poems that the dwarves belted out. She mercilessly teased Ginny of her crush on Harry, which thankfully seemed a lot healthier than what had been going on before, but it was her sworn duty as an older sister to give her baby sister a hard time!

Sadly, George didn’t get any Valentines, a fact that seemed to baffle Ginny. George didn’t think too much of it. After all, why would people give her any Valentines when there were peerless beauties like Angelina, Cho Chang, Rosetta Fawley, Balbina Yaxley, and Amanda Mason walking about? Certified bombshells, the lot of them!

Still, it filled her heart and brightened up her entire day when she got cards from a smirking Freddie and a lightly blushing Ced after the Valentine's Day Feast. George loved her boys to pieces!!!

Of course, Fred and Cedric were run ragged from keeping the swarm of Valentines away from a blissfully oblivious George, incinerating any cards and punting any Dwarves that got too close. It was exhausting, but strangely satisfying glaring murder at the cowering boys who made the mistake of trying to shoot their shot. George’s pleased, beaming grin at the end of the day was all the reward they needed for their silent, thankless crusade. 

The attacks continued and even poor Hermione got petrified just like last time, with a mirror in her hand. Fred and Cedric were most displeased.

Everything culminated in a grand showdown eerily reminiscent of how things originally played out, a fact that rather worried George. Did that mean that no matter her efforts, things were going to remain the same? Was she going to have to watch the two most precious people she had die in front of her? 

No, she couldn’t think like that. In the wise words of the Bene-Gesserit, Fear is the mind-killer. They’ve already changed so much! Look at Sirius! Harry is so much happier now! George had to have hope and believe that things could be changed, otherwise… the alternative was simply too devastating. 

Clever, clever Harry and Ron outwitted Lockhart and exposed his lies, revealing him as the fraud he was, and had a brutal battle in the Chamber against Tom Riddle’s Horcrux and his pet Basilisk. 

Apparently, there was a multitude of potions down in the Salazar Slytherin’s Chamber, presumably some earlier experiments of Tom Riddle’s from way back when, and when the boys led Lockhart through a wild-goose chase through the tomb-like cavern, they stumbled upon the potions and hurled them at him like grenades. They rather effectively stopped Lockhart in his tracks and the resulting mixture of potion fumes rendered the Professor in a drunken fugue-like state where he readily confessed to his crimes and begged for his collection of Unicorn plushies. Unfortunately, the volatile mixture of potions caused an explosion that separated the boys and forced brave little Harry to face off against Tom Riddle and his Basilisk while armed with the Sword of Gryffindor and Fawkes as his loyal ally.

The unfortunate victim of the diary was revealed to be a poor Half-Blood third-year from Ravenclaw named Stella Blott. Evidently, she was at Flourish and Blotts when the Weasleys and Malfoys had their altercation, but the Weasleys had been able to make their escape before Lucius had been able to plant the diary on Ginny. Stella was a rather nerdy, withdrawn bookworm who loved to spend her vacations reading through the catalog at her family's store and was an easy target.

The poor girl was devastated at the havoc she had wreaked throughout the school and ashamed of her infatuation with the charming Tom Riddle, who was revealed to be manipulating and possessing her, the mastermind of the entire scheme.

Fred and Cedric were livid that they hadn’t been able to figure out the culprit, but George didn’t beat herself up over it. It wasn’t like they could have easily figured out the information, even with the Marauder’s Map at their disposal. Hmmmm, looks like they’d have to invest time to build some useful snooping tools for their future endeavors. Extendable Ears, perhaps? 

Harry had his confrontation with Lucius Malfoy and managed to free Dobby, who he had somehow met over the summer under Sirius’ care. Fantastic! Go live your best free Elf life, Dobby! Wear the heck out of those tea cozies and oven mitts! 

The mandrakes were finally ready and administered to the petrified victims of the Basilisk attack and thank Merlin, there were no fatalities. 

Lockhart was publicly exposed as a fraud, to much public outcry. Unfortunately, it seemed that the potions were especially potent due to their age and the mixing caused a complication that left Lockhart muddled and non-lucid. He would have to be a resident in St. Mungo’s for some time as they puzzled out the ways to fix him up, after which several devastating lawsuits would be waiting for him. 

After all the commotion died down, George made sure to treat the distraught Stella with plenty of reassurances, several trays of her favorite treat of carrot cake, and excessive amounts of peach gummies. She was still quite upset by the time the end of the year came around, but she was leagues better than she had previously been. She had also developed an unfortunate crush on Freddie, as he had accompanied George to many of her visits down at the Hospital Wing, always cracking jokes and making the younger girl laugh at his absurd stories. 

George shook her head in pity. Poor, poor, Stella, yet another victim of her charismatic twin. She wasn’t the first girl whose gaze went hooded and lingered a little too long. Her Freddie was stupidly handsome. George imagined that if a fox became human, they would look just like him, with his lean, dancer-like grace, sharp, mischievous grin, impish blue eyes, and fiery red coloring. Her Freddie could have been a Fae from the Autumn Court. Outrageously beautiful! George puffed up with pride. If only she could have a fraction of his looks! Leave some for the rest of us, Freddie!!!

Unfortunately, Stella’s crush was unlikely to go anywhere, as Freddie seemed almost oblivious to the lingering looks of girls. Oh, well. It’s not like George was going to complain about being the center of her boys’ attention for a while longer!

Speaking of, it looked like Cedric was finally beginning to hit his own growth spurt! He’d begun to grow taller! Haha, what a shame, she enjoyed being taller than him for a bit, it was nice to be eye-level with his beautiful stormy gray eyes for a while. Ah, well, it was nice while it lasted! Teenagers, amirite?

All in all, the year was a strange one, but a fun one nonetheless! George was excited to go home to see the rest of the clan and spend quality free time with her boys! Summer vacation awaited!

 

Notes:

Heh, anyone ready for puberty to hit Ced like a truck? George certainly isn't 😏😏

Hehe, lemme know what you guys think!

Chapter 6: Fifth Year

Notes:

So, listen, guys. When I was writing this, I imagined Cedric as Dacre Montgomery. Just... with his hooded eyes and deep, intense stare- unghh I just can't 💀

but of course, if you wanna stick with Robert Pattinson, I don't blame you 😏😏

 

15 years old

OWLs year! Time to get serious about academics!!!

But yeah, unfortunately, that was easier said than done due to some breaking news that occurred over the summer.

George stared blankly at Barty Crouch Jr’s deranged face laughing at her from the paper that Arthur was reading, proclaiming him on the run. Allegedly some kind of fail-safe that his late mother had left in place for him.

“Oh. That is not good.” 

Freddie long-sufferingly glanced over to her as he shoveled oatmeal into his mouth. “Understatement again, Georgie? I’m sure that you could use a much stronger word, yeah?”

“Hmmm,” George pondered as she chewed on her toast. 

“It’s bloody bollocks, is what it is, those moronic Ministry mingers losing him,” Ron grumbled into his bacon. 

“Ronald!” Molly snapped.

“Yeah, we’re right buggered, aren’t we?” Fred grinned.

“That’s enough, you two!”

Ginny grinned around her mouthful of eggs.  “Useless, incompetent wankers, the lot of them.”

Molly gasped. A round of snorts erupted from around the table. Arthur raised his newspaper to cover his growing smile.

“Hmmmm. How ‘bout, ‘we’re fucked right up the arse, I reckon. No lube.’ How was that?” George looked eagerly to her delighted twin who cackled in glee, mischief in her gaze.

“Georgiana! Language!”

Percy cleared his throat. “All right, you lot. Reign it in. You’re going to give poor Mother a stroke.”

Molly exhaled in relief. “Thank you, Percy-”

“Besides,” Percy cut her off as he primly sliced his fruit into neat cubes, “We already know that Magical Law Enforcement is filled with right fucking twats, it shouldn’t be a surprise that they can't find their arse from their elbows. No wonder they lost the evil cunt.”

“PERCIVAL!”

The room exploded in cackles. 

Merlin, George loved her family.

Percy cleared his throat again. “Alright. On a more serious note-”

“You mean, on a more Black note, yeah?” Fred grinned.

Percy rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time the twins had used the Sirius/serious pun. “On a more serious note, I’d like to make an announcement. I have submitted several applications to Magical Barrister programs. I have been conditionally accepted into a few, but they’re waiting on my NEWT scores.”

The family was silent for a long moment before they exploded into noise and commotion. Molly screeched and bundled Percy up into a crushing hug and Arthur proudly hit his back with hearty slaps. 

Percy grinned and blushed, enjoying his family’s pride. 

Ron was smiling but his nose wrinkled a little. “Blimey, Perce, a Barrister? Why that? I thought you wanted to go into the Ministry like Dad.”

Percy sniffed haughtily as he turned back to his fruit. “Well, yes, that is still my goal, but recent events have altered my perspective on the current state of the Ministry, and I have to admit that I don’t much care for it. I want to complete the Magical Barrister program so that I can become a competent, honorable lawyer and eventual Judge who will uphold the law, as opposed to the utter injustice that we have seen with Mr. Black’s and Crouch Sr’s cases in the last few months.”

Molly burst into tears. “My baby, the future Honorable Justice! Honorable Justice Weasley!” She hugged Percy tightly to her and sobbed. “My smart baby!”

Percy blushed furiously in Molly’s grasp. “Well, not yet, Mother, I’ve just applied, but all of the programs will require my NEWT scores for a full scholarship.” His face filled with a grim determination that promised pain and death to anyone who stood in his way. “They only offer a few full scholarships per year, and one of them is going to be mine.” 

Freddie smiled in that feral way he was infamous for, the same threatening leer that sent waves of dread down the spines of their Quidditch rivals, promising a world of agony. “Bloody right you are, Perce. You’re going to bloody murder the competition, yeah?” Ron and Ginny snarled in agreement, bloodlust and pride radiating from their small forms.

“Attaboy, Percy!” Arthur boomed. “I always knew that you were going to change the country! All you lot are going to help him and make sure that he doesn’t suffer any distractions, you hear?” he sternly addressed the rest of the brood, who readily agreed.

Percy bashfully turned away. “Well, it needs to be said that the credit goes to George. It was due to her that I was introduced to the idea in the first place. She’s the one who showed me how well-suited I would be to it and awoke my passion for Magical Law. It’s all because of her.”

George was startled and started to protest before she was violently dog-piled by her enthusiastic siblings who drowned out her objections. Finally, she gave up the ghost and basked in their affection and pride.

Morgana, she loved her family.

Ron continued to wreak havoc on the summer Chess Circuit. Those rich, preppy mothers had breathed a sigh of relief when he hadn’t shown up over the year, certain that they had seen the last of the Oliver Twist-like boy and almost suffered aneurysms when he materialized like a phantom with his evilly grinning pretty older sister standing guard behind him next to that menace Hector Wingstrom. Blast the both of them, Wingstrom a bloody nuisance and that older Weasley girl a confounding distraction to all their precious little teen boys, leaving them stuttering and staring after her, unable to concentrate on their matches! This is a conspiracy, I say! 

Sadly for them, Ron swept through the tournaments like a hurricane, proving that his previous performance wasn’t a fluke, rising up to 8th rank on the National Team.

Hector had watched on with crossed arms, beaming with pride as the Weasley Clan exploded in celebration. Molly made all of Ron’s favorite foods to celebrate and they invited Hector to the Burrow alongside the Lovegoods, the Grangers, Harry, and Sirius to celebrate. 

Again, the Diggorys had made their way over to America, more business with MACUSA pulling Amos and the family overseas. George was sad that she wasn’t able to see Cedric again over the summer, but she was counting down the days before they were reunited!

Fred always smiled secretively at her when she brought up Cedric, but George ignored it. 

Of course, they were acutely aware of the Statute of Secrecy, but they collectively agreed that it was time to bring Hector into the fold. 

The older gentleman had done so much for them. He had opened so many doors for Ron and had fully funded Ron’s career in Junior Professional Chess, all out of pocket. 

Over the year, the Weasleys had kept close correspondence with the man and Molly made regular trips to deliver homemade food to him, which he gratefully appreciated, not having a home-cooked meal since his wife passed a few years ago.

Hector didn’t have any children, his late wife Miriam having suffered several devastating miscarriages early on leading to her infertility, and now he was clearly lonely with no family left.

It was a unanimous consensus to bring him into the fold. They owed the man more than they could ever repay. This was the least they could do.

Of course, in his typical stiff-upper-lip manner, Hector had simply reacted to the revelation of magic with a subdued, “Jolly well. I had rather suspected something was unusual, but I could never put my finger on it. You all are quite a peculiar lot, but one that I am privileged to have met. It is my honor that you have trusted me with this secret, I shall do my utmost to protect it.” He had politely removed his hat to thank them and that was that.

Hector became a common fixture in their household, exchanging his darling Miriam’s precious baking recipes with Molly, drinking afternoon tea with Percy and discussing current policies with him, intently listening to Ginny detail the rules of Quidditch and explain how the Quidditch Premier League worked, curiously observing Fred and George cook up spells and potions for future pranks, and discussing the function of common muggle appliances like snow plows and windshield wipers (“it's in the name, my good man”) with Arthur.

He became a beloved uncle that the Weasleys adored, who adored them all in turn. The warmth and affection of the boisterous red-headed family allowed him to fill the hole in his heart that his beloved Miriam’s passing left in him.

In late July, Hector fronted the full cost of an intensive 4-week international camp exclusively for the members of Junior National Chess teams. The Weasleys protested, but Hector wouldn’t hear of it: this was an invaluable opportunity for Ron to flex his skills against peers of a similar skill level, something that would allow him to grow rather than getting stuck in the rut of playing against the same experienced adults over again, unconsciously adopting predictable patterns.

The Weasley Clan reluctantly acknowledged his wisdom and Ronnikins was off to Greece for a month.

He wasn’t able to write very often, as it would have been a little challenging trying to explain silly old Errol’s presence in a muggle summer camp, but they were afforded phone privileges, which they were able to utilize through Hector’s landline. Hilariously, Ron still tended to bellow through the phone, a fact that exasperated Hector but amused George and Fred to no end, who encouraged him to continue to do it by pretending that they couldn't hear him unless he was shouting.

The biggest surprise was when Ron went on a legendary rant about some little French girl a year younger than him who irked the shite out of him. She was a witch too, but when he tried to befriend her, she snubbed him, which mortally offended him. He proceeded to absolutely demolish her in a match, leaving her in tears accusing a smug Ron of cheating. She was apparently viciously petty and an epic prank war had erupted between them, which was how he had figured out that she was magical, when he was splattered with Billiwing sting slime, which had an unmistakable stench. 

Ron recruited Fred and George’s help, who were eager to help their genius little brother teach the snobby French Princess a lesson. They sneakily utilized Sirius’ help, who was more than eager to assist on a righteous prank crusade, a Marauder to the end, to send Ron expedited international packages with some of their perfected prank items like Canary Creams, improved concentrated Dungbombs, and U-No-Poo. Ron was gleeful to inform them of her livid screeches.

In what seemed like no time at all, Ron arrived back with his fiery red hair sun-bleached to a light, rusty ginger and absolutely splattered with freckles from frolicking out in the Greek sunshine, pleased with himself and eager to show his progress to Hector. 

Later, at George’s nagging, he confessed that he had kept in touch with the French Princess, but he insisted that they weren’t friends but were only in touch to continue a chess match over the mail. Really! That was it! He was going to absolutely destroy her! Distance wouldn’t stop him from proving his superiority!!

Uh-huh, sure Ronnie, whatever you say! George adored puppy love, it was so adorable! Sigh, if only she had a puppy love of her own!

Freddie had laughed himself silly when she wistfully confided in him. Why are you laughing, Freddie???

The school year arrived sooner than ever, however, because of notorious mass murderer Barty Crouch Jr on the run, the Ministry had been pressured to take action.

Unfortunately, that action came in the form of Dementors. 

Before they arrived, George was having an absolutely fantastic time on the Hogwarts Express reuniting with Cedric.

Over the summer, he had really… matured.

His height had shot up just like Freddie’s had, leaving her firmly in the dust even though she was a head taller than most of the other girls her age. Fred had grown into the typical Weasley height and Cedic had shot up like a weed as well, the two looming over her on either side like sycamores, the great lumps.

In his letters, Ced had mentioned that he had been introduced to a muggle gym, and it certainly showed. He had put on an insane amount of muscle. He wasn’t nearly as ripped as Charlie, Merlin no, but he was much broader than Fred and just. Solid. Toned.

Impressively fit, a voice whispered at the back of her mind.

The baby fat had melted off his face, leaving him with the sharp, chiseled features that George had known he would grow into, but still left her feeling a little breathless. His stunning, hooded gray eyes felt like they pierced straight through her. George shifted uncomfortably. He looked like a goddamn movie star, blast the gorgeous git.

“Jo!” Cedric beamed as he embraced her. “I missed you, old girl!”

Merlin, he was so warm. Were his hands always that big? Sonovabitch, why did he smell so good?!

George’s cheeks pinked, but she beamed up at him. “Ced! I missed you too! I have so much to tell you!”

In the background, Fred snorted, but George was well-practiced in ignoring him by this point.

Cedric had been made Hufflepuff’s Prefect this year! Congrats!!! For Gryffindor, Lee and Alicia had been made the Prefects, which didn’t surprise George at all. The teachers would have to be off their gourd to make the twins Prefects. The entire school would come crumbling down if they had permission to be out after hours.

Also, it would be the perfect time for Lee to finally shoot his shot! He had been carrying a flame for Alicia for years, now! Good luck, Lee! I believe in you!!

The funniest thing is how Cedric had continued to convince the Professors that he was innocent in regards to their schemes and would make a model, responsible Prefect. Ha! As if!!!

George stared into Cedric’s absurdly handsome face, his eyes dancing in happiness as he described all the beautiful sights he had seen in America. George’s stomach clenched.

Her lovely, lovely Cedric. He had finally grown into his ridiculous beauty, just as she had always known he would. Gosh, he would make Cho Chang a very happy girl one day.

Her stomach roiled at the thought, but she was forced to ignore it because they had some uninvited guests boarding the train and helping themselves to a little snack. 

Poor Harry straight fainted upon first contact with the Dementors. The kid could never catch a break, could he?

Luckily, sweet, sweet Professor Lupin was there to save the day with his breathtakingly powerful Patronus and generous hunks of chocolate.

George moaned as the rich taste of the chocolate filled her mouth. Merlin, it had never tasted so good. Warmth flooded her veins and the chill seeped out of her. She closed her eyes and groaned again from the blissful feeling. From beside her, she heard Cedric make a strangled sound and Fred reach over and whack him.

What was that all about? Actually, never mind, who cares, George was just going to focus on the chocolate, it was soooo good, almost as good as peach gummies. 

George froze. Now, there was an idea! She rifled through her bags to pull out her dwindling supply of peach gummies and popped one in. 

Yummy, chewy goodness, the pure ambrosia of the heavens, but alas, it didn’t warm her bones like the chocolate did. Darn. It was worth a shot.

George ate another peach gummy anyway. Hey, it couldn’t hurt, could it?

When they got to Hogwarts, Cedric obviously drew a lot of interested glances, as did Freddie and Percy. George wasn’t surprised. Her boys looked like models! Percy had that intense, academia vibe going on. You know, the crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to show forearms, tie just loose enough, glasses doing nothing to hide a devastating, intense gaze, red curls falling casually into his eyes, sucking on a quill in thought, the works. Hot teacher aesthetic, anyone? George laughed as she saw some Ravenclaw seventh-years absolutely drooling and walking into the table as they gazed at her brother looking like an intellectual wet dream. Godspeed, my bros. 

Of course, the combined power of Ced and Freddie was almost enough to stop traffic. In fact, she noticed quite a few male gazes follow their group in a daze, oh my gosh, her boys were so hot that they were turning the Hogwarts male population gay!!!

When she confided in the thespian Trio, they absolutely screamed with laughter, leaving George pouting at their dramatics. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were barely able to stand as they howled. They wouldn’t explain what was so funny! Why was everyone so mean?!?!

After the feast, she caught the Trio out in the halls being confronted by Malfoy and his posse, reenacting Harry’s fainting spell. To be honest, it was actually pretty funny, Draco had quite the talent for impressions. From next to her, Ginny bristled at the Slytherin, but George wasn’t too bothered. He was so cutely like an angry squirrel, even if he lost the shiny helmet look. Awwww, George loved that on him! It was so adorably ridiculous!

When Draco saw her approach, he clammed up and turned an alarming shade of red. Ginny growled and narrowed her eyes. 

“Haha, hi, Draco! Hope you had a great summer! Here, want some peach gummies?” George skipped over to him and pressed some gummies into his hand. Merlin, he was a little short, wasn’t he? He stared at her chest, eyes wide and cheeks blazing red. Oh drat, hopefully, she hadn’t stained her shirt, she had gone a little wild with the peach cobbler today, Boopsi’s recipe was just mwah, chef’s kiss. George wanted to grow up to be her one day.

Ginny snarled and smacked Malfoy, something that the glaring thorny Trio seemed inordinately pleased by. “Eyes up, twat.”

Draco looked a mix between embarrassed and affronted and even his friends Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott were sniggering in the background. Ginny walked up to him and gave him a shove, causing Draco to let out an offended squawk as he stumbled back.

George was about to intervene before Ced chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder. George immediately relaxed into his blazing warmth and wrapped her arm around his waist (what the fuck, were those abs???), conditioned by years of cuddling. Draco was mulishly glaring up at Cedric, and when George looked up, Ced looked amused and nonchalant, his eyebrow cocked and lips pulled into a challenging smirk.

“Hey! Focus on me, you little ferret!” Ginny snapped. A bright hex flew and a surprised screech sounded from the group, which then devolved into chaos.

Ced spun her around and walked them away, Fred trailing behind her, slouching casually with his hands in his pockets, lips pulled into a fox-like smirk. Of course he was enjoying this, he practically thrived off of chaos. George would bet her bottom dollar that Gigi’s attitude towards poor Draco was a result of Freddie egging her own. Naughty, naughty Freddie!

Defense Against the Dark Arts was absolutely George’s favorite class this year, sorry Professor Snape, you’ll always be #1 in George’s heart, but damn. 

Lupin was an absolute legend.  

He was easily the most competent DADA teacher that she had ever had, even though Professor Garlick came close, but it was hard to decipher his wheezing sometimes, so Lupin pulled ahead.

His demeanor was amiable and easy-going, but no student was foolish enough to cross him. 

He would just stare at you until a primal, instinctive chill ran down your spine and your lizard-brain forced you to look away from the predator.

Werewolf aura was so cool.

Lupin knew his shit. His classes were the perfect blend of theory and practical, which made sure that they never got bored and actually had enough time to practice and master spells. 

He was so good that George developed a small little baby crush on him. Oh, it wasn’t anything obvious, she just admired his aesthetic, even if he was a little shabby-looking, his gentle yet commanding presence, and his sheer competence in demonstrating hellishly complicated counter-curses.

Her fledgling crush died a swift, silent death when Harry mentioned how Sirius constantly asked for updates as to how Lupin was, if he looked tired, and if he was eating enough. It was clear to all of them that the infamous ex-convict was pining desperately after the man. In return, Lupin shyly tried to inquire about Sirius’ condition and if he was recovering all right. It was too cute for words.

Oh em gee, Wolfstar confirmed! George would never get in between an OTP! She desperately approved!!!

Lupin had Fred and Cedric’s heavy respect as well, as the Marauder held a god-like status to any aspiring pranksters. The identities of the legendary four were spoiled due to George’s foreknowledge.

Initially, they were starry-eyed in the presence of Sirius as well, but apparently, he did something to rid George’s boys of their respect and left them glaring suspiciously after him as Sirius smirked at them in glee. In Lupin, though, they found their hero and treated him like the mischief-making genius he was.

Although he insisted that they keep it on the down low, Lupin was more than happy to help them out with the development of their new prank products for their Joke Shop. He was very encouraging of their dream, saying that ever since Zonko’s gained a new owner, the quality of the products had dropped and the prices had offensively climbed to unacceptable levels, despite their customer's vehement protests. Zonko’s didn’t have any real competitors, so they could act how they wished, a fact that displeased Lupin greatly, their current business practices were a betrayal of the fond childhood memories he had.

Lupin was a treasure trove of a resource. Game recognized game. He was absolutely invaluable in the development of dozens of their new spells and products.

When they opened their store, they were absolutely going to pay some royalties, even if he tried to refuse. His help was simply irreplaceable.

George was happy to reunite with her beloved Squidwin. He informed her that he had a relatively eventful summer. A huge mermaid wedding had taken place, and he had been asked to officiate, much to his pride. Gasp! Squidwin was an ordained priest?! Wow, he got cooler with every new thing she learned about him!

Squidwin also complained about the Dementors, detesting the otherworldly chill they radiated and George commiserated with him. Yeah, absolutely no one was fond of those blasted soul-suckers, apparently even magical Giant Squids who were retired war veterans.

A few weeks into the semester, the school buzzed with the news that Draco got too cocky with a Hippogriff and got attacked by it. He seemed to be making a huge, unnecessary fuss over his injury, but George was sure that it had to hurt regardless.

She walked up to him in the Great Hall, Freddie at her heels as always, and the conversation hushed as she approached him. Clearly, all of the Slytherins were tuned in, but George didn't care.

“Are you okay, Draco? I heard that you got hurt!”

Draco’s cheeks flushed a furious red and he sputtered at her. 

“Oh Merlin, look at you! Has Madam Pomfrey looked you over? You’re as red as a strawberry, are you feverish? Did your wound get infected?” She leaned over to touch his forehead to take his temperature and the blond looked like he was going to pass out. 

Jeez, maybe he really was hurt pretty bad? The poor kid looked distraught.

“You need to be more careful! I know that Hippogriffs are magnificent creatures, but they’re as wild as lions and tigers!”

George fretted some more as Blaise and Theo giggled in glee at Draco’s suffering. Across from them, little Pansy Parkinson was glaring daggers. Yes! That’s the right attitude, Pansy! Be angry at Draco’s idiocy! 

Finally, Freddie cleared his throat, bringing the attention of the Slytherin House over to him. He smirked lazily as he drawled, “Yeah, you best be careful, mate. Accidents like this are no joke. Imagine if the board decided to execute the Hippogriff because of your stupidity, poor Georgie over here would be distraught, wouldn’t she?”

George nodded and her eyes welled up as she contemplated Buckbeak’s execution. It would always break her heart when animals paid the price for mankind’s stupidity.

Draco looked comically alarmed at George’s crestfallen aura.

Freddie smirked. “Well, we’ll leave you to it, won’t we?”

After the twins departed, Draco furiously scrambled for some parchment to draft the first of many letters begging his father to stop the execution of Buckbeak. Blaise and Theo laughed freely at him and Draco swore at them but didn’t halt his mission.

Fred observed the commotion and smirked in satisfaction. All in a day’s work. George had come to them heartbroken about poor Buckbeak’s fate, and there, he had fixed it for her, nice and easy. He really was the best, wasn’t he? 

Fred scoffed when Cedric rolled his eyes at him. Shut up, Ced, you feckless pining numpty, like you wouldn’t bend over backward for Georgie, too, yeah?

Because there was such a hole in their DADA education, Lupin held the Boggart class for all the years. However, from 5th year and above, he gave them an option to face the Boggart privately.

George immediately took him up on it.

She already knew what she was going to see, and sure enough, a vision of Fred’s lifeless body under a pile of rubble and Cedric’s blank, unseeing eyes staring up into the sky in a Hogwarts jersey appeared before her.

George turned to the side and threw up.

Lupin was mercifully sympathetic and allowed her time to collect herself before she cast the spell. She turned the boggart into a tiny girl reaching towards a bear hollering, “CaN I pEt ThAt Dawgggg?!” 

Lupin barked out a laugh in surprise at the random scene and George giggled. The boggart cringed away from them and turned into a full moon. Lupin flinched and cast, “Riddikulus.” 

The Boggart turned into a young Sirius with a hideous mullet and a crop top. He pouted at them with puppy-dog eyes. “Awww, Moony, you told me it would look good!”

George burst out into guffaws and Lupin smiled at the scene. The boggart flew away from them and locked itself in the shaking wardrobe. 

Lupin turned to her with a kind look but closed his mouth when George simply shook her head at him, smiling sadly.

Lupin understood. Both Fred and Cedric had requested to do their practicals together, and Lupin still winced at their Boggarts, the horrifying images of pretty young George Weasley’s naked, assaulted form laying on the ground, skin stained with a patchwork of bruises and semen, calling for help and begging for mercy flashing through his memory.

Afterward, Lupin refused to let them leave without an explanation, half-ready to approach Snape because he was the only other one on the Staff who would unflinchingly help him hunt the perpetrator down to torture him to death. 

Snape put up a good front, but Lupin had known Snivellus for years. He could see that the ill-tempered Potions Master had a soft spot for the ditzy redhead. He would be gleeful to bring justice down on anyone who would inflict such a crime against the sweet girl.

“No, Professor. Nothing’s happened, yeah?” Fred panted.

Lupin sternly stared them down, his eyes a pure gold as his wolf came out to listen. “Then why?”

Cedric grimaced and glared out the window. His jaw was clenched as he gritted out, “Because some fucking cunts have tried to dose Jo with love potions.”

Lupin’s lips twisted into a snarl. “What?”

Fred nodded, his expression black. “Ever since she got pretty last year, we’ve had to recruit the House Elves’ help to make sure that she didn't get drugged, yeah?”

“Does George know?”

Cedric and Fred exchanged glances. “Well, we don’t think so. One day she caught us burning some letters and chocolate, but we were able to explain it away. Attention span of a goldfish, that one,” Cedric muttered, his eyes full of tender affection.

“Why haven’t you-”

“Tell me, Professor,” Cedric interrupted. “Would the teachers have done anything? Especially without concrete proof?”

Lupin swallowed heavily. 

Cedric nodded grimly. “Exactly.”

Lupin closed his eyes for a long minute and inhaled. When he opened them again, they were back to their normal coloring. “Alright then. Remember, if anything happens, anything, you can come to me for aid. I promise I will help you.”

Fred and Cedric looked at each other for a long moment before they turned back to him with small smiles. “Thank you, Professor. We’ll remember that. But if you don’t mind, we’d prefer to keep this whole incident in between the three of us, yeah?”

“Of course.”

The Hufflepuff/Gryffindor Quidditch match before Christmas break was a disaster, as expected. A vicious storm raged and the Dementors swarmed the arena and Harry fell off his broom, but not before Cedric managed to snag the Snitch. Fred and George hurled bludgers at them to try to chase them away, but that did fuck-all against them and all the players felt light-headed and nauseous by the time they hit the ground. George was able to give Ced a congratulatory squeeze before she passed out and through her freaky twin voodoo, felt Fred doing the same.

She woke up a few hours later in the Hospital Wing surrounded by a handful of other Quidditch players, Fred, Harry, and Ollie included. A cup of hot chocolate was placed at each patient’s bedside table, steaming steadily. Ah, god bless warming charms.

The chocolate thawed her chilled bones and she felt the life seep back into her. As she drank, Ollie woke up with a groan as well and squinted up at her. George pointed to his cup and he nodded before heaving himself up and taking a sip.

They drank in silence before Ollie cleared his throat. “Ah, so the match?”

George grimaced. “Ced caught it.”

Oliver banged his head back against the wall. “Bloody todger,” he snarled in frustration.

George felt for him. She knew how much Quidditch meant to him. He was aiming to go pro and these last few matches were very important for scouts. “Don’t worry, Ollie, we’re still in. We just need to beat Ravenclaw and Slytherin back-to-back. We’ll be fine!”

Oliver sighed heavily and closed his eyes. “Yeah, you’re right. Where’s Perce?”

George tilted her head. “Perce?” Why would he ask about-

All of a sudden, it clicked for her. “Oh my god.”

Ollie turned to look at her. “What?”

“You’ve been fucking my brother!”

Her Captain froze. “Uh.”

George wriggled in glee. “You’re together?! Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Oliver winced. “Bugger. Bloke’s going to kill me. We were supposed to keep it a secret till we graduated.”

“Why?” George whined.

Oliver shrugged. “Dunno. We both wanted to focus, I guess. I want to play in the Premier League and he wants to get that scholarship. Didn’t want to make a fuss, I suppose.”

George’s expression turned crestfallen. “Oh, Ollie. If you want me to keep it a secret, I can.”

Oliver sighed and rubbed his face. “No, it’s okay, George. We’ve been hiding it long enough, anyway. Guess it's time for us to be brave and bite the broomstick.”

“Wait, hold on a second, how long have you-”

“Well, officially, since third year, I think?”

“You bastard-!”

Percy was put out at the interruption in his academics, but he anticlimactically announced his long-term relationship with Oliver Wood. Everybody accepted it easily enough since it wasn’t like the two of them were the most affectionate out in public, so most people didn’t even spare them a second glance. Molly, however, was absolutely ecstatic to learn that Percy was a taken man, and in his letter, Hector expressed an interest in meeting Percy’s young beau. 

Her adorable older brother blushed furiously at all the attention, but George could tell that he was secretly a little pleased. 

Bill and Charlie sent letters of congratulations as well as death threats to Ollie, but Percy mercilessly burned the letters before Ollie could read them. Ruthless.

During Christmas break, George was woken up by the feeling of Ginny crawling into her bed and sobbing into her chest.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong, Gigi?”

Ginny shook her head and continued to sob, but George was relentless and continued to ply her with soft reassurances and peach gummies.

Finally, Ginny croaked out, “It’s stupid. Doesn’t matter anyway.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Come on, spit it out.”

Finally Ginny confessed. “Harry’s been spending more time with me and Luna because Ron’s busy with Uncle Hector’s Chess Homework and Hermione’s running around all the time. First, I was super happy, right Jojo, because I could spend more time with him, yeah? But then,” She teared up again, “I’m such a bad person, Jojo. I’m the worst. I think that Harry and Luna like each other. I love both of them to bits, and I am happy for them, but I just feel so jealous. What do I do?” she wailed.

Oh, Gigi.

George cuddled Ginny into her chest. “Hey, you’re not a bad person, Gigi. It’s okay to feel like that. Sometimes, feelings get hurt. But the important thing is how you react. You need to decide what kind of person you want to be. Do you want to be the person who tells Luna and Harry that they can’t like each other because you liked him first?”

Ginny sniffed. “No. That seems unfair.”

George smiled and nodded. “Yeah. You can’t control other people’s emotions, Gigi. Sometimes these things happen. Now, you need to decide. Do you still want to be friends with Luna and Harry?”

“Of course!”

“Perfect. You know where to go from here. You’re not going to let this break your friendship with them. But, it is okay if you need to take time apart to heal, Gigi. Just like wounds, sometimes feelings need time to heal.”

Ginny nuzzled into her. “Okay, Jojo. Thanks.”

“Anytime, Gigi.”

George adored her baby sister. 

After that mess of a Quidditch match, George dragged Fred and Cedric with her to Lupin’s office to request that he teach them the Patronus spell. Her boys wholeheartedly agreed with her logic and backed her up.

“Are you certain?” Lupin asked. “It’s your OWLs year. Learning this spell is intensive and will take up a lot of time.”

“We’re sure,” Cedric firmly confirmed.

“Yeah,” Freddie drawled. “If ickle Harrikins can master this spell, then so can we, yeah?”

“Harry hasn’t mastered this spell yet.”

“But he will, won’t he?” Fred challenged.

Lupin sighed in resignation. “All right, you lot. I’ll do it. But you’ll need to work hard, mind you.”

“Yay! Thank you, Professor!!!”

As the months went on, George noticed Hermione growing more and more frazzled. She watched the bright young witch’s deterioration, but when she and Ron got into an ugly fight that left them both holding back tears, she decided that it was finally time to step in.

George made her way to the isolated nook in the library that she shared with Hermione and Percy when they wanted to study in silence. The poor girl looked like she had been crying and running her hands through her hair in stress until it became bushy and ruffled.

“‘Mione?”

Hermione sniffed. “Yeah, George?”

“You know that it’s okay to ask for help, right?”

Hermione’s lip wobbled. “I don’t know what you’re-”

“Shhhh.” George pulled her into her chest and wrapped her in a tight hug. 

Hermione was still for several seconds before she burst into silent sobs and cried into George. The older girl softly soothed her and hugged her till she calmed down.

When she was finally done, George pulled her back and kindly smiled at her. “Hey, you know you’re brilliant, right? They don’t offer a time-turner to just anyone.”

Hermione looked shifty. “Time-turner? What’s that?”

George gave her a look. “C’mon, girlie, who do you think I am? I know everything around here.”

Hermione deflated.

“Look, remember, it’s alright to ask for help. Me and Perce are always happy to be a resource. Don’t kill yourself.”

Hermione sniffed and gave her a watery smile. “Alright.”

Thankfully, it seems that Hermione took her advice and approached Percy, who graciously helped her organize all her classes with a very strict color-coded note-taking system that even included cross-referencing indexes and citations. 

An academic’s wet dream, ugh. Swot recognized swot, George supposed. 

Hermione looked a lot calmer and less frazzled once she was able to forcefully wrangle all of her extra work into methodical bullet points and flashcards. She even offered an apology to Ron for snapping at him, which he graciously accepted. All was well if you didn’t count the heavy bags under her eyes.

The weeks passed by, and Fred, George, and Cedric, along with the rest of their year, hit the books. They still kept up with their hobbies, but it was time to cram.

One windy spring day while George and Ced were out for their morning jog (Fred had run off ahead, proclaiming that they were too slow for him, the gazelle-like muppet), they spotted a figure stomping to them.

Upon a closer look, it turned out to be little Pansy Parkinson. What a surprise! 

She looked angry and was shouting something furiously at them. She was a woman on a mission.

Unfortunately, the wind was quite severe that day. The only things that George could pick up were “SEDUCE!”, “CEASE!” and “DRACO!” along with some furious pointing and an absolutely murderous look on her face.

What? Did she say cease? Or maybe did she say seize?

Oh! A lightbulb lit up in George’s head.

She grabbed Ced’s arm and pulled him along as she ushered Pansy inside the warm castle.

George smiled down at a livid Pansy and grasped her shoulders. “I couldn’t grasp everything you said, the wind was a bit loud today, sorry luv, but I get it and I fully support you!”

Pansy looked confused and smug. “So you do agree-”

“-To help you seduce Draco! Absolutely!” George beamed at her. “I’ll do everything in my power to help you! I don’t know if he already has anybody he likes, but I’ll do my best to help you gain his attention!”

Both Cedric and Pansy stared at George’s excited enthusiasm. 

Both of them felt a small kernel of pity for Draco. That poor kid. He wasn’t even a blip on George’s radar. Ouch.

Pansy cleared her throat and glared at her. “And how exactly are you going to do that? Just because you’re pretty doesn’t mean-”

George shushed her and sympathetically stuffed a peach gummy into Pansy’s mouth. “Don’t worry, sweetie, you did well in coming to me for help. Leave it all to big sis George. I’ll take good care of you.”

Cedric wheezed at the dumbfounded, affronted look on Pansy’s face. It wasn’t every day you saw that expression on a stoic, unreadable Slytherin.

George waved goodbye to Cedric and whisked Pansy away to the Gryffindor Common rooms, where the tactless Trio squinted suspiciously at her but let her be. 

George led her into her dorms where the other girls were hanging out and excitedly explained the situation.

Angelina, Alicia, and Katie made amused eye contact with a disgruntled Pansy and understood the situation immediately.

Alicia cleared her throat. “Heya George, you fink you might be misunderstandin’?”

George smiled cluelessly at her. “Misunderstanding what?”

Alicia sighed. Yeah, there was no use in even trying. “Nothin’, girlie. So, what can we do to help?”

It was a very enjoyable evening as they gave Pansy a makeover. At the end of it, she sniffed haughtily and flipped her shiny new bob as she rolled her kohl-lined eyes and sported glossy, flawless skin.

“Well, I suppose it’s acceptable,” she drawled out in her crisp, upper-class accent. 

George beamed. “Fuck yeah, it is! You look amazing! Come back anytime, big sister George is a fountain of great advice!”

From behind her, the other Gryffindor girls made meaningful eye contact and shook their heads emphatically.

Pansy gazed suspiciously at George and huffed. “Fine. Whatever. I guess you’re not too bad, like the others said.” She flounced off down to her own common room.

The others? What did she mean? Ah, well, it probably wasn’t important anyway!

Sirius got Harry a Firebolt since his Nimbus 2000 decided to commit suicide via Whomping Willow after the Dementor attack. The entire school went bonkers over it. Sirius heard about the commotion and offered to buy the entire Gryffindor team Firebolts a-la-Malfoy, but Fred and George vehemently turned him down. Tempting though it might be, it was overwhelmingly tacky and unfair. Harry exasperatedly informed them that Sirius was pouting at them for ruining his fun.

Finally, towards the end of the year, they were able to produce corporeal Patroni. 

Lupin smiled with his arms crossed as he watched the loping forms of a prowling, muscular tiger, a lean, nimble fox, and a chubby, playful raccoon. 

George beamed as Freddie whooped in glee and smothered her in a hug. “We did it, Georgie! We finally fucking did it, yeah?”

Cedric was grinning ear-to-ear as his tiger languidly licked its paw. “They’re bloody gorgeous. Feel like concentrated happiness.”

George agreed. The feeling of a Patronus was simply indescribable. The aura they radiated was a manifestation of pure peace and bliss, like nothing could ever hurt you. It was no wonder that they were the antithesis of Dementors.

She stared in fondness at her Patronus, which ended up being a raccoon. Already she was in love with him. He fit her perfectly: an American trash panda. It was the epitome of her soul. She adored him to bits, even though she had just met him.

“We have to name them!!!” George insisted.

“Name them?” Cedric asked in amusement.

“Yes! Ask Professor Lupin! He’ll tell you! The Marauders named their Patroni!” Well, animagus forms, really, but close enough!

Professor Lupin looked startled at their attention. “How did you-?”

“Never mind that, what should we name them?!”

Fred sighed in resignation. “Give it up, Ced. You know how she gets. Let’s just get it over with so we can get out of here, yeah?”

Cedric’s shoulders slumped in defeat. “Alright. If you’re so insistent, go on, then. What do you want to name yours?”

“Rocket!” George immediately fired at them.

“Wot? Rocket?” Fred asked skeptically.

“What’s a Rocket?” Cedric asked in confusion.

“Well, it’s this big box they send to outer space by attaching it to fireworks, I think?” Hector had mentioned something like that when he was talking about a nah-sah organization or something, Fred recalled. 

“Why would you want to name him Rocket?”

George cutely pouted at them. “Well, because there’s a really famous comic book character named Rocket who is a raccoon. It’s perfect,” she insisted.

“Oh, is that what it is? I thought it was a bloody big rat of some kind, I did. Something out of them New York sewers like you described, Ced. Glad to know I was wrong, huh?” Fred chortled as George leaped on him and tried to pinch him in retaliation for his teasing.

Cedric sighed fondly. “Here we go again, we can never escape Jo’s fascination with American culture. Guess that all of our Patroni are going to be named after famous American characters.”

George sniffed and looked down at him condescendingly. “As a matter of fact, yes they are. Ced, your tiger is going to be named Tigger.”

He stared blankly at her. “My tiger is going to be named Tiger?”

“No, Tigger.”

“That’s what I just said.”

“Not Tiger. Tigger.”

“You’re doing it again. Are you okay, Jo?” He looked at her in concern.

George sighed explosively. “Tigger. Like in Winnie the Pooh?”

Cedric furrowed his brows. “You want to name my tiger after poo?”

“Ahhhh, forget it!!!”

“I think it’s like Paddington Bear, mate, ‘cept it’s from the Colonies, isn’t it?” Fred treasured how George’s nose scrunched when he called the States that, it was so easy to rile her up.

“Ah, that makes more sense.”

“Fine then.” George pouted. “If not Tigger, then he can be Shere Khan.”

“Ah! From the Jungle Book!” Lupin perked up. “Charming little film. I watched it a few years ago. It’s a suitable name. It means Tiger King in Hindi.”

Cedric examined his tiger, who was lounging in a corner and allowing the raccoon and fox to cuddle up to it, eyes slit in pleasure. “Shere Khan it is.”

Fred opened his arms wide. “Alright, then. Hit me with mine. What is my fox going to be called? After which unfortunate American cartoon will he be named?”

“His name is Nick.”

They all stared at her. “Did you say, Nick?” Freddie asked.

“Yup.”

“Just Nick?”

“Yeah.”

“So… Rocket, a box that goes to space with fireworks, Shere Khan, the king of tigers… and Nick?”

“Oh, well, if you want his full name, it’d be Nick Wilde.”

“Nick Wilde?”

“Yeah.”

They continued to stare at her. Freddie turned to look at his snoozing fox. “Does he look like a Nick to you, mate?”

Lupin and Cedric examined the Patronus and shrugged.

“I mean, I could change it if you like, but more than your fox, you’re really like Nick Wilde, Freddie.” George peered up at him with her big baby blue eyes and smiled hopefully.

Fred blinked down at her. “I am?” Who the bloody fuck was Nick Wilde??

“Yeah!” George exclaimed. “He’s my favorite! I adore him!”

Fred turned back to his little fox and sighed in resignation. He could never say no to Georgie, could he?

“Well, alright then. Rocket, Shere Khan and Nick it is.”

Professor Lupin smiled at their stupid antics, the ghost of three other boys briefly overlapping the teenagers’ forms before it was dispersed. 

He could never get that time back, but these were good kids. 

A memory of Harry’s shy smile flashed in his head and warmth filled his chest.

Maybe, just maybe, he could stop looking back towards the past and start letting go. 

That way. Just maybe… 

An image of a roguish smirk, the scent of expensive cologne and cigarette smoke, and the sound of a motorcycle roaring filled his senses.

He could take the first step towards his future.

The end of the year approached, and the dreaded OWLs finally arrived.

Standardized tests were never fun, but George felt that she did remarkably well. She was proud of herself! And according to Freddie and Ced’s confident faces, they were confident in their performance as well!

As usual, Perce was stressing his arse off and was snapping at everyone like an absolute monster, but thankfully Ollie was around to ply him with smooches and calm him down with cuddles by the hearth.

The Quidditch fanatic was already on cloud nine due to Gryffindor’s victory of the Quidditch Cup, a feat that was achieved through some truly grueling physical training. Truly, George is the fittest she has ever been in her entire life, but respectfully, the results were not worth the months of absolute agony it took to get there.

Losing the match to Hufflepuff and making Ollie go on a rampage actually was a blessing in disguise! Well, only for Ollie, the rest of them were left puking blood and praying for death to stop the agony. 

Several scouts had been surreptitiously observing the hellish training sessions and the brutal practices where Ollie made them continually repeat maneuvers over and over again until he was satisfied. They were quite impressed with him and his captainship, as apparently, they’d seen pro-team practices less vigorous.

He was approached by several scouts who were charmed by his sadism and lo and behold, he got an offer from his top choice Puddlemere United into the reserves, but they quietly confided that with just a year or two of training, he could make the starting line-up.

When they had received the news, Percy had been so happy for his boyfriend that he actually put down his notes (even though they were less than a month away from the NEWTs) and spent an entire night, ahem, celebrating his boyfriend’s accomplishment.

Speaking of accomplishments, barely two weeks after Percy submitted his NEWTs, he received an offer for a full ride to the Cambridge Wizarding Law Program, which was also Percy’s first choice.

The Weasley Clan screamed in excitement and celebrated for hours, Percy smiling bashfully and Oliver almost giddy with pride for his smart, amazing boyfriend.

Of course, afterward, the couple absconded upstairs to, ahem, celebrate.

George looked wistfully after the couple and she smiled at the soft, gentle way they caressed each other when they thought no one was looking.

Her eyes drifted over to Ced, who was engaged in a conversation with Hermione about her SPEW project. George watched the way his bright, stormy gray eyes crinkled in amusement and fondness at Hermione’s passion and the way his smile lit up the room when he laughed.

George turned away, an ache in her chest.

On the last day before they were set to head back, George walked over to Lupin’s classroom and knocked on the door. When she entered, she sadly noted that the walls were stripped bare and all of Lupin’s belongings were neatly packed up.

Lupin looked up from a document as she approached him, a pair of spectacles perched stately on the tip of his nose. 

Gosh, she really got it, Tonks and Sirius, she really did. Lupin was a whole-ass snack.

An image of Cedric flashed through her brain, along with a whisper of and that’s a whole-ass meal.

Nope, bad George. It’s unhealthy to fixate on impossible things. 

“George? What is it, dear?”

“You’re leaving?” she asked sadly.

Lupin put his quill down and smiled gently at her. “Yes, darling. You knew this day would come.”

George swallowed. “But I hoped…”

Lupin sighed and rubbed his eyes. When he looked at her again, he looked deeply exhausted. George’s heart hurt.

“A few members of the board recently came to some unflattering personal information about me and offered me an ultimatum. Either I resign peacefully or they will expose my personal information to the press and smear my name and cause me great inconvenience in gaining another employer.”

“Oh, sir.” George felt like she was about to cry. In fact, a few tears slipped down her cheeks. 

“Oh darling, none of that,” Lupin smiled gently at her and pressed a ratty but clean handkerchief into her hand. “We don’t want that beautiful face marred with tears, now, do we?”

George laughed softly as she dabbed at her eyes. “Oh, sir, save those compliments for those who really deserve it.”

Lupin frowned at her. “George, my dear. May I be perfectly frank?”

“Always, Professor.”

“Please, call me Remus. I’m not your Professor anymore.”

“Of course, Remus.”

“While I aim to be kind to all my students, I do not frivolously compliment them. So, please be assured that my words are not empty when I say that you are a truly beautiful, exceptional soul.”

George gulped, a feeling of discomfort blooming in her belly. “Remus-”

He held up a hand, cutting her protests off short. “Please, my dear. I’m not finished.” He examined her with his fascinating eyes, cataloging her expression and her posture. “My compliment had made you uncomfortable. Why? Is it because you truly don’t believe it to be true?”

George swallowed and remained silent, which Remus took as confirmation. 

“George. I need you to understand that you are an exceptional young woman.”

“But I’m not, Remus,” she whispered. “I’m not. I’m just a fake. I’m just… just…”

His hand grasped hers, and she looked up into his eyes, which gazed down at her with compassion. “You are. I have been where you are, thinking myself unworthy of praise and love. It takes much hard work to battle that feeling of inferiority, of unworthiness.” His eyes turned sad. “In fact, some days, I don’t believe it at all.” His hand rose up to touch a scar on his face.

George’s heart broke. “Oh, Remus. It doesn’t matter that you’re a Werewolf. You’re still the best, kindest professor we’ve ever had.”

Remus looked startled before he smiled and let out a soft chuckle. “Ah. So you knew. I suspected.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

George smiled at him. “We have the Map.” A small white lie, but true nonetheless.

A grin bloomed on his face. “I knew it.”

George smiled back at him. “Guilty as charged. We’re planning to hand it over to Harry soon. He deserves that extra piece of his dad. We’re just trying to clone it first, but bloody hell, that Map is a wickedly complicated piece of magic.”

Remus glowed with pride. “Yes, it is, isn’t it? Good luck.”

“Thank you, sir. Now that OWLs are over, we’ll have more time to finish it.”

Remus leaned back against his seat. “So, you know why I’m being forced to leave, and yet you comfort me. How can you doubt that you have a kind soul, George?”

George gave him a stern look. “Here you are, sir, being forced to resign, and yet you find the kindness to show me compassion. How could you ever doubt that you’re not a monster, sir?”

He stared at her, surprised, before he laughed roughly. “Touché, darling. Touché.”

George examined him. “Remus, if I too may be frank?”

He gestured for her to go ahead. 

George took a deep breath. “I apologize if I am too forward, but I know that there is someone that deeply misses you. It would mean the world to them if you reach out.”

Remus inhaled sharply and stared at her in shock. George smiled reassuringly at him. 

“Come on, Remus. Just a little courage. Where’s that lionheart at?”

Remus chuckled roughly as he shakily lifted a hand to run through his hair. “Pardon me for saying so, my darling, but it is a little rich hearing that sentiment coming from you.”

It was George’s turn to inhale in shock, but Remus’ smile soothed the sting of his jab.

He wasn’t wrong.

Either way…

“I’m going to miss you, sir. Please take care of yourself. I’d like to be in touch with you, if that’s okay.”

“I’d like that, dear. I’d like that very much.”

As the term ended, George managed to corner Hermione and interrogate her on her mental state.

The younger girl frowned in displeasure but admitted that she had dropped some classes and had thus returned the time-turner. It wasn’t worth the trouble. 

George smiled and offered a hug, which Hermione happily accepted.

As they left to make their way to the Hogwarts Express, the news spread that the Dementors were being recalled due to excessive complaints and no proof that they were actually useful in finding Barty Crouch Jr. Thank Merlin.

On the way back to London on the train, Pansy Parkinson slammed the door open to their compartment, startling George, Fred, and Cedric.

The Slytherin strutted in and haughtily looked down her nose at George, who smiled welcomingly up at her.

Scoffing in disgust, she tossed her hair over her shoulder and announced, “I’m with Blaise Zabini, now. I suppose that I owe you some gratitude.”

George clapped her hands in glee as Fred and Cedric looked on in confusion. “Oh, wonderful! I’m so happy for you!”

Pansy stared down at her for a long few seconds and sneered. “You know, at this point, I actually feel sorry for Draco, that ferrety prat.”

George beamed up at her. “Yes! Feel sorry for Draco! He’s never going to experience your affections! You’re a queen, Pansy, and don’t you forget it!”

Pansy just blinked at her before shaking her head in disbelief and muttering, “That poor plonker. He hasn’t got a chance in hell, has he?” before she left as suddenly as she entered.

Freddie broke the silence left in her wake. “If that’s what I think it is, then I feel sorry for the pillock, too, yeah?”

Cedric snorted. “Mate, it’s exactly what you think. Even I feel sorry for him, the poor bastard.”

They both shook their heads in pity, and again, George had absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but hey, what’s new?

 

Notes:

Syndrome meme: YOU DENSE MOTHERFUCKER

 

But yeah, lemme know what you thinkkkk!

Chapter 7: Sixth Year - Part 1

Notes:

This is part 1 of 3 of their 6th year, so keep tuned for more Triwizard Tournament goodness 😊

So, I wrote this chapter out right around the time of Maggie Smith's passing, so I wanted to do something to honor her. Rest in peace, queen, you will always be the badass deputy-headmistress of Hogwarts.

Hehe, enjoy!

 

16 years old

George kept in touch with Remus after they parted ways.

His adorable Eurasian eagle-owl Diomedes was polite enough to wait for a response to deliver back to his master and George was happy to discuss potentially becoming an animagus and Alchemical theory with him. He dissuaded her from the former, saying that it was a heavy stress on a magical core for minors. He confided that it may have ultimately hindered Peter Pettigrew’s full magical potential, forcing himself to become an animagus at such a young age when his core couldn't handle the stress. Awww, shucks! Oh well, perhaps a fun project for later!

On the flip side, Remus was happy to detail his knowledge of Alchemy. It was a golden opportunity for George, as it was rare to encounter people who took the highly competitive Alchemy elective for their sixth and seventh year. Dumbledore only offered to teach it if there were more than 6 people per graduating class that fulfilled all the stringent requirements: at least an EE in Potions, Transfigurations, Charms, Herbology, Arithmancy, and Ancient Runes, as well as a willingness to forgo further instruction in all other higher-level electives, as Alchemy took up the time and effort of 3 electives. 

Also, all students who expressed an interest in the Alchemy track for their NEWTs years would receive a required list of readings to complete, the most important of which was the basics of muggle chemistry such as the periodic table and the behavior of electrons that produced the reactions they were looking for.

That was a bummer, as sixth year was when super fun electives opened up, such as Magical Painting, Magical Music, and Undead studies. Of course, there were the very useful classes that George was loath to let go, like Arthmancy and Care of Magical Creatures, but it couldn’t be helped. 

George was obsessed with Alchemy. It was just so intuitive to her, especially with her love of chemistry and physics. Understanding transmutation theory brought her pure joy, as she understood the step-by-step mechanics of how magic changed matter. With the help of magic, they were theoretically performing nuclear reactions without the, you know, resulting radiation that caused widespread death and chaos and poisoned the surrounding area for generations to come.

Wicked.

Remus was a fountain of information and advice. He generously lent her several supplemental texts that would help her in the class, and George thanked him profusely. He was happy to work through any complex theories that were tripping her up, a patient, kind teacher to the end. Remus was the rare breed of scholar that George recognized in Percy and Hermione: intellectual and cerebral, but ultimately ruled by their heart, like the Gryffindors they were.

Unfortunately, as George was exasperated to note, in this case, Lupin refused to listen to his heart and dodged all prompts to reconnect with Sirius, no matter how hard George pushed.

These stupid pining morons.

It was time to call in the big guns.

Like the absolute big-brained bitch she was, she recruited Harry to her noble cause. She knew that he had gotten especially close to the Werewolf. His beautiful green eyes shone with adoration whenever he talked about the older man and he was happy to relay information to Sirius about what an exceptional teacher Remus was.

Faced with Harry’s pitiful pleas, Remus crumbled like a lacewing fly under a garden hose. 

In Harry’s jubilant letters, he explained that Sirius was as nervous as a schoolboy asking his first crush out. He kept changing clothes, frowning at the mirror, and readjusting his hair when he wasn’t pacing.

According to him, the first few meetings (“Dates,” Harry deadpanned. “They were dates and I was the third wheel, Morgana save me,” he grumbled, but his verdant eyes were soft and affectionate) were awkward but strangely wholesome. These two grown, confident men were stuttering around each other and struggled to meet the other’s eyes, but their smiles were sweet and hopeful.

Things finally took a turn for the better after a confrontation, Harry informed. Through the use of his new pair of Extendable Ears (complimentary, of course!), Harry eavesdropped their painful apologies. They both bitterly blamed themselves for how things had turned out, angry at all the assumptions, misunderstandings, and lost time. 

Soon enough though, their tearful apologies turned into grosser noises and Harry was quick to make his escape, retching and gagging at the traumatizing sounds.

But hey, they were more comfortable around each other afterwards, so it was a win in Harry and George’s book!

Their OWL results finally came in and George was ecstatic! They all did amazing!!!! Well, except for History of Magic, she barely scraped by with an A, and that was after countless hours with Percy and Hermione drilling her on dates. Hey, you couldn’t win ‘em all.

George was especially excited, as her exceptional results meant that she qualified for Alchemy!!! Dumbledore had written a letter confirming the class as enough students had signed up!!! 

Watch out world, George Weasley was going to be an Alchemist!! Her god and idol, Edward Elric, would be soooo proud of her!!!

Her entire family wrapped her and Fred in hugs to congratulate them and George positively glowed in pride.

When they made their way to Cedric’s, Amos and Abigail came out and also wrapped them in warm embraces.

“Knew you could do it, old girl!” Amos boomed. “And you, old chap! Bang up job, the both of you! But of course, my lad is simply outstanding, with both impeccable marks and exceptional quidditch skills!”

Fred wrinkled his nose and George elbowed him, smiling at Amos vapidly. “Thank you, sir!”

Cedric face-palmed. “Dad, please.” The tips of his ears were red. 

So cute. George’s heart thumped in her chest.

“What? It’s true! You won’t find a father around who is as proud of his son as I am of you! Simply exceptional! You even beat the Harry Potter in seeking!”

“Dad!”

Amos reached up to ruffle Cedric’s hair, who pouted down at him, looking adorably disheveled. Merlin, Cedric was taller than even Amos, wasn’t he? Wow.

Amos turned to George and smiled at her. “Ced tells me that you’re taking Alchemy this year! Jolly well done! I have to say, I never thought you’d have the smarts for it! You always seemed the feather-brained type, you savvy?”

“Amos!” Abagail admonished, whacking his arm.

“Well, it’s nice to be proven wrong, huh, Abby? We always thought you were all looks, no brains! You sure showed them, old girl!”

“Dad!” Cedric looked horrified.

Haha, rude! George didn’t look stupid, did she? She didn’t think so!

“Right,” Fred drawled. “I’m sure that you could tell us all about that, Mr. Diggory, yeah?”

There was a long silence before Amos thundered with laughter. Fred didn’t flinch when he slammed his hand heavily on his shoulder, evenly keeping eye contact.

“There it is, boy! Your sharp tongue! Careful there, or you just might flay the skin of someone’s bones!”

Amos turned back to Ced and grinned proudly. “Your friends manage to be almost as exceptional as you! I approve!”

Uh, yeah. Okay, buddy.

Ron rejoined the Chess community. The rich mothers wept. Hector emanated smugness like a radiator as Ron gained the 5th rank on the National Team. Several of the other boys appeared to be throwing a fit, but strangely they stuttered and turned red when George glared at them.

Ha! Cower in the face of her sheer ferocity! Beware the wrath of Georgiana Weasley, gremlin extraordinaire!!!

Ron didn’t even look fazed. He simply smirked and slouched with his hands in his pockets as he stared down the fuming prep boys. Blimey, he seemed to be getting tall too, he was already the same height as her, wasn’t he?

Later as they made their way back to the Burrow, George saw Ron smile evilly and mumble something about finally proving his superiority over that daft minger, dammit! George wisely ignored him and decided to converse with Hector instead.

The posh older gent smiled kindly at her. “So I hear congratulations are in order. Apparently, you qualified for an exclusive class you’re interested in? Well done,” he softly praised.

George shyly smiled at him. “Thank you, Uncle Hector.”

He hummed as he relaxed into his train seat. “And that dashing young man who was with you, was that your friend that you and your twin have been telling me so much about?”

George nodded. “Yeah, that was Cedric.”

“Ah. He was the one in the States for the summer, correct?”

“Yes, that’s him.”

The two enjoyed the silence as Ron chortled menacingly off to the side.

George smiled fondly at him as Hector side-eyed his protegee suspiciously. Awww, her brothers really were the cutest, weren’t they?

“So, is that fine young lad your beau?”

George snapped her head around to look at him, wide-eyed. Hector’s bushy mustache covered his smile.

“Wha- no!”

Hector continued to intently examine her. George felt a blush bloom, blast her traitorous cheeks!!!

Hector hummed non-commitally. “Shame. He seems like an upstanding young man.”

George turned away, her heart in her throat. A treasonous thought flitted through her mind as she wistfully gazed out the window at the countryside rapidly passing by.

Yeah. It really was a shame, wasn’t it?

Nope, bad George. Control yourself.

With the end of the summer came the arrival of the Quidditch World Cup!!!!!

George was sooooo excited!!! This was the first time she’d ever had the opportunity to watch a professional game, and the World Cup?? What an opportunity!!!

Percy had departed a few weeks prior, sniffing at their attempts to make him stay for the World Cup Finals, declaring that he was more interested in settling into his accommodations for the upcoming year at Cambridge.

Secretly he revealed to Fred and George that he was actually going to watch the match with Ollie, where he could enjoy the game without the inevitable fuss from everyone. He also cheekily informed them that Ollie was going to stay with him at his dorm and Apparate to his practices with Puddlemere United, as Percy’s accommodations were also covered under his scholarship.

That sneaky bastard.

Percy’s grin was fox-like when the twins jumped on him to afflict punishment tickles for keeping this secret from them. 

Arthur had won the Ministry raffle for the Box Seats, just like before. Amos had been offered tickets for his major contributions, which he eagerly accepted. And, of course, the price was not an obstacle to Sirius Black, who generously fronted the costs for the rest of them.

They were getting the best seats in the house. George couldn’t be more excited.

When they walked up to the Box, they encountered a familiar face.

George beamed. “Mr. Malfoy! Hello!”

Lucius Malfoy looked at her like she was a flobberworm.

“Haha, looks like we’re sitting together! How fun! And your hair is still amazing, by the way!”

The stunning person standing to the side of Lucius caught her eye.

“Oh gosh, you must be Mrs. Malfoy! Wow, you’re really pretty, aren’t you? Your make-up is simply beautiful! And is that Rohanna Shiji you’re wearing? Never seen that dress in green before, custom-made, right? Just gorgeous!” she gushed.

George turned her attention to Draco, who went red and looked like he was about to explode. 

Jeez, the poor kid, she must have made him angry by gushing about his parents. George knew how to fix that!

“Sorry, Draco! I know you don’t like me, but I hope that you can enjoy the game! I didn’t mean to ignore you, your parents are just really, really pretty! You’ve got some great genes, huh? With any luck, you’ll end up as pretty as them!” She handed him a peach gummy before she patted his head, smiling affectionately at him. 

Ah drat, it looks like it didn’t work. He looked even closer to exploding now. 

Oh well, better luck next time!

As she skipped away, she heard Ginny snarl, “Don’t get any ideas, you gormless twit,” at the same time Lucius snapped, “Don’t eat that, Draco, you don't know where it's been.”

Haha! Wow, rude, much?

As she seated herself in between her boys, she noticed Freddie’s shoulders shaking in mirth. On the other side, Ced’s face was stormy, his gray eyes dark.

“What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing,” Fred sang out. “I’m just excited for the match, yeah?”

Cedric crossed his arms and peered intently at her. Was he pouting? 

“Heya, Jo?”

“Yeah, Ced?”

“Do you really think Mr. Malfoy’s attractive?”

George turned to him. Ced’s face gave nothing away.

“Huh?” A bloom of confusion overtook all her senses and her mind filled with static.

Fred sniggered. “Yeah, go on, Georgie.”

Jeez, way to put her on the spot. “Uh, well…” George stumbled. “Sure.”

They both stared at her. A grin began to bloom on Fred’s face. George could feel herself getting flustered, but she ignored it. After all, it was just her boys. And, well, they asked, didn’t they?

“I mean, it’s kind of obvious, isn't it? Just look at him!” George babbled. “He’s a really attractive older gent who’s rich and successful. He seems like the type that would be smart and civilized out in public and an absolute beast in bed,” she pondered.

A strangled noise escaped Cedric as Fred began to absolutely howl with laughter. Her twin’s contagious humor infected her as well, and she began to laugh too. The expression on Ced’s face just made them laugh harder. 

“Looks like he knows his way around that cane, doesn’t he?”

At this point, Fred was wheezing and struggling to breathe. His face turned so red that his freckles completely disappeared. Cedric looked mulish and sullen. It just made it all funnier.

“Just look at his hair, yeah? Luxurious. Like an Abraxan. Must be fun to pull on while riding him like one,” George tittered.

Fred screamed with laughter again and shook her shoulders, struggling to sit upright. George cackled in glee as she swayed with his convulsions.

Horrifyingly, another choking noise sounded from behind them.

George froze.

Sitting right behind them were Harry, Sirius, and Remus. The two older men looked like they were on the verge of exploding in hysterics and were doing absolutely everything in their power to contain themselves. Poor Harry looked like he was traumatized.

But that wasn’t the worst part, oh no.

A few seats down from them were the Malfoys. Draco was as white as a sheet and looked like he was about to pass out any second. Lucius Malfoy was clutching his cane to his chest and looked at George in alarm like she was about to come for his virtue.

Narcissa Malfoy just smiled at her. 

And.

Then.

She.

Winked.

Jesus wept.

George’s cheeks flamed so hard that she actually felt light-headed.

This absolutely had to be one of the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to George, and this was the same girl who had once accidentally farted in DADA class and caused some pixies to claw at their throats and pass out. Absolutely fucking mortifying.

George turned back to the front and did her utmost best to ignore her cackling dickhead twin and sulking asshole best friend as she focused on the pre-match entertainment.

Honestly, why did she love them again? They were the absolute worst!!!

George felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. When she glanced back, Remus’ consoling face smiled down at her. “Don’t be disheartened, darling. He does look like he would be rather fun to ride, doesn’t he?”

It was Sirius’ turn to choke and pale and Harry looked like his soul had left his body. 

Remus smirked as Cedric gaped at him with wide, betrayed eyes and Fred howled with a new round of hysterics.

“This is why you’re my favorite teacher, right? Not just because you’re a Marauder, but because you’re evil!” Fred proclaimed.

Remus smiled serenely and ruffled Fred’s shaggy hair, and the blighter just leaned into it like a big, hairy dog. Stupid Fred.

“I have some news that might raise your spirits, dear. I finally managed to figure out the error in your formula.”

George gasped in delight. Ooooh, lovely! She had shared their notes on the Malleable Fireworks that the three had been working on, but for some reason, the animal transfiguration just wasn’t able to stick for more than a few seconds. She figured that they might need to go more of a transmutation route and reached out to Remus, who was more than excited to help, calling their new idea ‘revolutionarily innovative’! Awwww, Remus, you make George blush!

The trio chattered with Remus as he explained the error in their formula until they were distracted by the horns signaling the beginning of the match.

Oh, yay!!! And there went the Leprechauns! And the Veela! Crikey, those were some sharp teeth, huh?

The Irish team was absolutely astounding. Fred, George, and Cedric were riveted to their seats, in absolute awe at the pinnacle of Quidditch. They were flawless, an absolute machine.

And then, there was Krum.

Now, don’t get her wrong, George knew what a quality seeker looked like. After all, she had flown with Charlie, Harry, and Cedric for years now.

But Krum?

He was an absolute monster.

No wonder he was getting all the media hype. The dude was a bullet. His reaction times were just inhuman. He outclassed his team by a mile, and his decision to catch the snitch to cut off their humiliation at the hands of the Irish was absolutely the right choice.

He was an athlete that was at the top of their field, like Lionel Messi, Sachin Tendulkar, or Michael Jordan. A god amongst men, and he was barely seventeen. Holy pepperoni. 

Fred and George smiled like the cat that got the canary as they cornered Ludo Bagman after the match. An Irish victory with the Bulgarians catching the snitch? The bookie owed them quite the sum of money.

At first, he looked like he was going to refuse, but then his eyes darted to the figure looming behind them, and an alarmed look flitted across his face.

When George glanced back, Ced was smiling pleasantly. 

Huh, weird. 

But hey, at least Bagman finally coughed up the money! Hooray! Yet another valuable sum to put forward towards their shop!!! Bagman despondently mumbled something about Goblins, but it wasn’t her problem, was it?

But yeah, some of the joy was diminished afterward, when Death Eaters interrupted the festivities.

Bugger.

Thankfully, nobody got hurt, but the Dark Mark was cast into the sky, encouraging the crowds to disperse and return home.

After all the commotion, Ced and Freddie noticed that she wasn’t surprised and narrowed their eyes at her.

George just laughed awkwardly and shrugged off their questions, but that didn’t stop them from suspiciously gazing after her.

A few days before they were set to return back to Hogwarts, Molly pulled George and Ginny aside and cupped their cheeks.

“Oh, my beautiful, beautiful girls,” she tearfully muttered. “You’re growing up so fast.” 

They were happy to let Molly fuss over them, basking in her love. 

Finally, she pulled away and led them to two dresses that she’d laid out on her bed. 

George gasped.

They were gorgeous. They were cut in an older style, but it didn’t detract from the timeless beauty they had. They were obviously well-cared for and loved, Molly gazing down at them fondly. 

“I can’t ruin the surprise, but you’ll need these for the upcoming year.” She gestured them forward.

“George, dear, this one is for you.” She handed her a beautiful midnight blue dress that waterfalled down to the floor. Thankfully, with George’s height, it would hang perfectly at her ankles. It had gorgeous shimmering white gem shards incorporated throughout that made the effect rather like the nighttime sky. It had a tasteful slit alongside her left leg and a gauzy translucent silk train that trailed behind her.

The gown was simply gorgeous.

“And Ginny, this is yours.” 

A beautiful purple and silver frock was pressed into Ginny’s arms. It was shorter than the other dress, coming to a stop around her knees, but it would suit Ginny, who was still too young to wear full-length gowns. This dress was girlish and charming, with beautifully pressed pleats that unfurled like a flower with movement.

Both of them gaped at Molly. “How?” These dresses must have been worth a bloody fortune. How could they ever afford them?

Molly smiled sadly. “They’re Prewitt dresses. One of the last things I have left of my family. I wanted to see them used rather than rotting away in a chest. Take care of them for me, will you?”

Ginny and George hugged Molly so tightly that she gasped for air, smiling in love at her daughters who were more precious to her than any dress could ever be.

George excitedly showed her dress to Fred, who smiled gently and hugged her. He showed her the dress robes that he was taking, simple and well-worn, but still neat and sharp. They were Billy’s hand-me-downs that he had bought for a mate’s wedding, and as the eldest still in Hogwarts, they were his.

Speaking of…

George managed to get a glimpse of Ron’s robes and recoiled in shock.

Oh my.

They were, quite frankly, hideous.

They were centuries out of date, with unfashionable lace and ruffles and the velvet jacket had an unflattering calico pattern that just looked like stains. 

Poor Ronnie. No wonder he felt resentful of their family’s poverty, if this is what he always ended up with.

Well, have no fear, for George is here to fix them up!!!

During school shopping, she insisted on grabbing the taken-aback Trio and whisked them away to buy some dress robes.

Sirius, thankfully, fully agreed with George and put his foot down in the face of Harry and Ron’s protests. 

The boys were mulishly fitted for dress robes that looked quite snazzy on them, to be honest, and Hermione was happy to sit with George and giggle at their expressions, her own dress shopping done ages ago.

In the end, Sirius wouldn’t even hear of their protests and insisted on paying for them, proclaiming that this was a golden opportunity to waste more of his family’s dirty money.

George beamed at Sirius and pecked him on the cheek, which left the man looking inordinately pleased as Remus rolled his eyes and the turbulent Trio glared daggers at him.

There! That was that problem solved! Honestly, what would her brothers do without George? Helpless, the lot of them!

Before she knew it, George was back in Hogwarts with her boys, pigging into Boopsi’s legendary peach cobbler. She looked up to see Cedric staring at her and she smiled with her cheeks full. Cedric fondly shook his head at her, his hooded gray eyes full of fondness and something else that made her blush and turn away.

Fred sniggered at her. “Quit making eyes at Ced and eat your meal. Blimey, you’re a right chipmunk, aren’t you, stuffing your face like that? Where are your manners, Georgie? I thought only Ronnie ate like a pig, yeah?”

George took another huge bite and flipped him the bird while she smiled sweetly at him. “Keep your long nose out of my business, Freddie.”

Freddie’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. “Long nose, was it?”

He flicked his wand and George felt her cheeks expand dramatically. The Gryffindor table burst into giggles all around her and Hermione helpfully transfigured a nearby tray into a mirror so that George could see that Freddie had transformed her cheeks into large gerbil-like ones.

Oh, so is that how you want to play it?

George shot a spell at her twin and watched in satisfaction as his nose grew and grew until he was stuck with an elephant trunk coming off his face.

Ha! That’s what you deserve!

They were about to devolve into a squabble but froze when they felt McGonagall’s icy glare freeze them from up at the Teacher’s Table.

Hmph. Next time.

After their meal, Dumbledore announced the Triwizard Tournament to much excitement from the student population. 

They were less excited when he declared the age restriction.

They were even less excited when he announced that Quidditch was canceled, and even George was a tad bit upset at that. C’mon, Dumbles!!!

Haha, if nothing else, George was just glad that Ollie had graduated the year prior. Hearing this news would have sent him straight into cardiac arrest, it would. They would have had to have spent the entire year keeping him from throwing himself off the Astronomy tower. Small mercies.

The year started with a low hum of excitement for the arrival of the foreign students, but they would only be coming on the 1st of October. Everybody was counting down the days and the House Elves were furiously cleaning each and every corner until the entire castle gleamed from the inside out.

Alchemy!!!!! Dumbledore was teaching the class, and there were six other students apart from George, three Ravenclaws, two Slytherins, and one Hufflepuff. Their class was tiny enough that Dumbledore forwent the use of a normal classroom and had them come up to his office, where there was a large area that allowed them to sit and practice alchemical equations and circles.

The class was unbelievably intensive, no wonder they were unable to take any other electives if they selected to pursue Alchemy. It was absolutely brutal, even with the leg-up that George had with her extensive background in muggle physics and chemistry and the help from Lupin over the summer. Dumbledore was a harsh taskmaster, stern but fair, but he was an absolute perfectionist, which, understandable, they were dealing with the equivalent of nuclear reactions here. 

George loved every second of it. She worked her ass off and happily chattered to Freddie and Ced about what they had learned and they were eager to hear, even if they didn’t completely understand all of it.

That’s okay! George was happy to handle the alchemical side of their product development. Cedric was the charms whiz among them, and Freddie was the potions prodigy, much to his and Snape’s absolute disgust.

Moody was their DADA teacher again. He was an absolute mad lad, screaming about “CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!!!” and how ‘they’ were out to get them as he threw out Unforgivables like confetti.

He clearly escaped from Crazytown.

George stared intently at him and tried to determine whether he was legit or not, but she was left with no indications.

If this guy really was an imposter, he deserved a goddamn Oscar, cuz wow, was he convincing. 

Maybe she was just jumping at shadows here?

Ced’s birthday rolled around on the 21st of September and the entire Hufflepuff House held a huge celebration. Freddie and George were invited along with the twinkling Trio and a handful of his other friends in other houses. 

17 years old, huh? Ced was an adult now.

The thought made George swallow.

She watched as he thanked everyone for celebrating with him, emanating charm and charisma effortlessly. Just like the Cedric Diggory of the story, he was universally beloved and unquestionably popular. He was the complete package: smart, kind, handsome, responsible, witty, effortlessly funny…

He was just so likable. Everyone was genuinely happy for him.

Afterwards, George was able to slip away from the party and dragged Cedric to the kitchens next door. 

George turned to him with a shy smile, a pie in hand.

“Happy birthday, Ced. There wasn’t much I could get you, but I still wanted to make your 17th birthday special, so I worked with Boopsi and baked you your favorite, Lemon Meringue Pie. It’s probably not as good as hers, but…” George shrugged.

Ced’s eyes were impossibly soft as he took it from her. “Jo,” he breathed.

George smiled up at him. “Everybody already sang Happy Birthday to you, so I’m going to sing you something different.”

Cedric ate the pie as George clumsily serenaded him with the catchy tune of September. She dramatically posed and pulled out her best dorky ‘80s dance moves and was awarded with a laugh.

At the end of it, he put the pie aside and walked up to her, engulfing her in a hug. She fit under his chin perfectly and she could hear the steady beat of his heart against her ear, which caused her own to race.

Cedric pulled back, his hooded gray eyes intense and his lips pulled into a smile. “Thank you, Jo. I couldn’t have asked for a better birthday present.”

He leaned forward and gently kissed her on her forehead, his lips impossibly soft. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers.

“Thank you,” he whispered. George’s heart thumped in her chest. 

His breath smelled like lemons.

They stayed like that for a few long minutes before Cedric pulled back to wrap her in one last tight embrace before they parted ways.

When George was back in bed, safely behind her curtains, she finally let the tears fall.

Oh, Merlin. She didn’t just have a crush on Cedric.

She was in love with him.

George cursed her stupid, weak heart. Blast her wretched feelings! She was resigning herself to a broken heart!

After all, why would beautiful, beautiful Cedric ever turn her way? Her, gangly, freckly Georgiana Weasley, who had known him from when they were wee children. They had seen each other at their worst moments, for crying out loud. Cedric had witnessed when she had accidentally vanished all the hair off her head, yes, even her eyelashes and whispy little moustache hairs, and when she had clogged the toilet after taking a fat shit.

Why would he ever want someone like her when there were girls like perfect, gorgeous Cho Chang around? Hell, she wasn’t even supposed to exist in the first place!

And more than that… 

A fresh wave of sobs rocked her.

Ced was supposed to die at the end of the year. George was doing everything in her power to prevent that from happening, but she was acutely aware of her sheer helplessness. One wrong move and it was over for good.

Gods, she was pathetic, wasn’t she? People were about to die and here she was, crying like some sort of ninny, feeling sorry for herself. She was ashamed of herself.

George slapped her cheeks and wiped her eyes as she forced away her disgusting self-pity.

She was on a mission to keep Cedric Diggory and Fred Weasley alive. It didn’t matter if Cedric never reciprocated her feelings. She would take him alive and in love with someone else any day!

The next day, George dragged Cedric and Fred with her to the Room of Requirement. Perhaps sensing her turbulent emotions, the Room provided a cozy and intimate environment, filled with several squishy armchairs around a fire with steaming tea sitting on a little table in between.

Thanks, Room.

Cedric and Fred watched in worry as George chewed on her nails while she paced anxiously, trying to formulate what she wanted to say in a coherent way.

Instead, what ended up coming out was, “Don’t put your name in the Goblet, Ced.”

Her boys looked bewildered. “What? Jo, what’s going on?”

George returned to her anxious pacing. “Never mind that, just promise me, don’t put your name in the Goblet! Promise me!”

Fred warily stood up. “Georgie, you’re worrying us. Tell us what’s going on, yeah?”

George stopped to stare at him, and to her everlasting shame, she burst into loud tears.

Fred cursed and crushed her into a hug, frantically running a hand through her long hair. “What’s wrong, Georgie? What’s happened?”

George blubbered as she felt Cedric hug the both of them and whisper soothing words. Damn the perfect git!

“Just… just… promise me!” she wailed.

Cedric paused in rubbing her back. “Wait. Is this some Seer thing?”

“I‘m not a Seer!” George bawled.

“Georgie.” She looked up into Freddie’s serious face. He looked angry and his eyes were flinty shards of blue ice. “You need to tell us everything right the fuck now, especially if it pertains to Ced’s safety, do you understand?”

“But-”

“Jo,” Ced cut in. “Tell us.” His voice was firm.

Her boys weren’t going to budge.

Another wave of self-loathing washed through her. So much for protecting her boys all by herself. Merlin, she was pathetic, wasn’t she?

A surge of exhaustion threatened to overtake her. 

Alright.

Alright.

George sat them down in front of the fire, wrapped herself in a soft woolen blanket, and told them everything.

She told them about how the original timeline was supposed to play out. She detailed poor little Harry’s adventures and misadventures with Ron and Hermione through each year. She told them about how Wormtail was supposed to escape and how Sirius was almost kissed by Dementors before he went on the run. She told them about the Triwizard Tournament and how Harry was selected as the 4th champion. About how Cedric died and how Voldemort was resurrected. About how the Ministry denied his return and sent that horrible toad to Hogwarts to torture the children. About Sirius’ death. About how Voldemort instigated a massive prison break, which led to a devastating war that lasted over a year. About how Dumbledore died and Draco and Snape’s role in all of it. About how the tortured Trio went on the run to destroy all of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. How they all came back to Hogwarts for that final decisive battle. How Fred died. How precious little Harry was forced to walk to his death for Voldemort’s ultimatum, only to come back at the climactic moment to save them all.

All of the pain, terror, and agony.

She told them all of it, each and every ugly truth she tried so hard to hide, but her lovely, lovely boys were always smarter than her, weren’t they?

At the end of it, they stared at her, their faces bloodless.

George felt empty, as if a festering wound had been lanced and drained of pus and scum. 

It was both painful and an unbelievable relief. 

Through all the shame and self-loathing, a small voice breathed, “I’m finally not alone anymore."

It was humiliatingly freeing.

“Georgie.” She felt a warm hand pat her head. She looked up to see Fred's face lovingly gazing down at her. “You did good in telling us. Let us take care of it, yeah?”

George nodded in exhaustion and her eyes drooped. 

Yeah. Her boys would take care of it. Her boys were special. They could do anything.

George felt herself being lifted and gently set down on a cushy sofa. She inhaled deeply and smelled a delicious scent, a combination of lemon, woodsy cologne, and the musky scent of man.

“Sleep, Jo. We’ll take it from here.”

George drifted off to the sound of her boys’ voices and the crackle of the fire.

The next few days passed in a blur. The entire school was on edge for the impending arrival of the other schools and the Professors struggled to keep their students' concentration on their lesson. Snape gleefully went on a warpath of deducting an obscene number of points whenever he overheard any conversation pertaining to the tournament. 

Well, at least someone was having fun, haha!

Fred and Cedric were clearly intensely collaborating on something, another fact that sent another wave of panic throughout the student body. They knew what kind of chaos that they could come up with when suitably motivated and everyone lived in fear of when the ball was finally going to drop.

Unfortunately for them, Fred and Cedric were focused on more important things rather than alleviating the anxiety of the school. George did her best to reassure everyone, but hurtfully, everyone doubted her! Jeez, play a little prank a few times, and suddenly you can’t be trusted! Mean!

The only ones who believed her were the little firsties. Cute little Dennis Creevy just nodded seriously and informed her that he didn’t think she was lying.

He beamed up at her with an adorable gap-toothed smile from underneath his nest of curly hair. “I believe you, Mrs. Rabbit!”

“Haha, what even- my name’s George, kid! Definitely not married, and definitely not a rabbit! Would consider myself a bit more of a raccoon, if I’m honest, but I guess it’s an easy mistake to make…?”

“Sure, whatever you say, Mrs. Rabbit!”

George decided to let it go.

Finally, only a few days before the Tournament was set to begin, Fred and Ced announced that Ced would be entering the tournament.

George almost had a conniption. “What?! Did you guys not hear a word I said?! What part of ‘you’re gonna die in the 3rd task’ did you not understand?!”

They just smiled down at her, the assholes. “Don’t worry, Georgie, we have a plan, don’t we? It’ll be alright!”

Argh. George could just strangle them sometimes.

The night before the arrivals, George went up to Dumbledore’s office and asked him permission for, ahem, representing Hogwarts in front of their guests.

Dumbledore readily agreed, his eyes twinkling as he handed her a heaping bag of peach gummies.

George smirked.

The entire school gathered outside to wait for the appearance of the competing schools. Soon enough, they were met with the wondrous sights of the ancient warship springing out of the Black Lake like the Flying Dutchman and the Abraxan-pulled carriage swooping through the sky.

Amazing. 

Haha, oh yeah, George hoped that the Durmstrang ship remaining on the Black Lake year-round wouldn’t bother Squidwin. She’d have to remember to check, she knew that he got territorial of his space sometimes.

Everybody was ushered into the Great Hall and eagerly anticipated the entrance of their guests.

Beauxbatons entered first, Madame Maxine’s imposing form at the end of the procession. Their students were graceful and gorgeous in their sleek blue uniforms. They moved in unison, delicate butterflies emerging from their graceful choreographed movements. At the end, a beautifully conjured Pegasus lapped the hall, illuminating the walls with an iridescent light. The students elegantly bowed and made their way to sit at the Ravenclaw table, much to the eggheads’ delight.

Durmstrang came next. They were disciplined but fierce, their choreography much more militaristic. A choreographed spar broke out and the sharp sounds of staffs impacting each other rang throughout the halls. Animals conjured out of fire attacked each other and disappeared into smoke. A gigantic roaring dragon made its way around the hall and students screamed as it got too close, singing hair and clothes. Karkaroff pulled Dumbledore into an uncomfortable-looking hug before leading his students to sit at the Slytherin table. 

The Slytherins hilariously tried to play it cool, but George could see them practically vibrating in their seats as Viktor Krum sullenly settled down next to them.

Dumbledore turned to George and smiled. Finally.

“And now, before we tuck into our warm meal, we’d like to show our guests a proper Hogwarts welcome!”

It was their cue.

Fred and George stood up, perfectly synchronized. Bless their twin voodoo. Oh yeah, the other schools weren’t the only ones who could move creepily in sync.

George relished in the alarmed and anticipating faces all around her. It appeared that she and Fred had earned a bit of a reputation, haha!

George had asked Ced if he had wanted to be a part of it, but he had smiled and declined, saying that it would be better if only the twins did it, to Freddie’s agreement. Something about symmetry and not revealing their cards? Boo! Spoilsports!

They pulled out their brooms from where they had hidden them under the table and shot into the air. 

It was showtime!

Fred and George zipped around, and when they finally threw their first firework, raucous cheers filled the hall. A gigantic red and gold lion materialized from the sparks and roared. 

From there, a swooping blue and bronze eagle, a squeaking yellow and black badger, and a hissing green and silver snake joined him. The animals chaotically flew around the hall, causing loud peels of laughter and riotous shouts.

And then came the finale.

Fred and George threw their last remaining fireworks as the four animals converged together in an explosion. The light and sound was deafening. 

From the smoke emerged a gorgeous red and gold (hey, gotta represent, don’t they?) Phoenix soared through the hall, a beautiful sound emerging from its beak. It wasn’t a real Phoenix song, no, but from what she’s heard of Fawkes’ little tunes, it was a great approximation, if George could say so.

George glanced at Dumbledore and was pleased to see a wide, genuine grin. Haha, this one’s for you, friend!

When the Phoenix finally dispersed into sparks, the hall was silent for a long second before it absolutely exploded in cheers. The Hogwarts students were up on their feet and clapping furiously while the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students looked dumbfounded. Madame Maxine’s mouth was open and Karkaroff looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel.

Fred and George looked at each other before they grinned and swooped down to high-five the arms that were held up for them. 

Oh yeah, they deserved a victory lap. That was epic.

“Give it up for the Weasley Twins, Fred and George, for this wonderful display!”

A fresh wave of cheers met them and George positively beamed. She waved down at the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, delighting in their startled looks. 

Hell no, George wasn’t going to let Hogwarts be shown up that easily, no siree! No singing the school song off-key while she was around! George had a lot of school pride and she was going to show it, dammit!

She met Cedric’s proud gaze and smiled. 

Oh yeah. She totally killed it.

Afterwards, the students swarmed the twins to congratulate them on their display and ask about their enchanted Fireworks. Fred proudly announced that they would soon be up for sale and it would be possible to commission the animal or figure they wanted the shape to take, much to everyone’s delight.

George noticed a lot of eyes from the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students, but she wasn’t surprised. After that whole display, she would be more surprised if they didn’t peek over at them. Also, more importantly, her Freddie was absolutely gorgeous! Of course they were going to stare! He was the whole package, wasn’t he? Be in awe of his fae-like beauty and charm!!!

As the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students made their way to the entrance to exit to their accommodations for the night, a loud voice cut through the chipper chatter.

“C'EST TOI!!!”

Immediately, Ron paled and slowly turned around, as if he was expecting a monster to be standing behind him.

Instead was an other-worldly stunning, petite little blonde French girl clad in the blue Beauxbatons uniform. She looked like she was about to breathe fire, her angelic doll-like features twisted in rage.

Ron looked scared for his life. “Merlin’s tits,” he choked out. “It’s her.”

George tilted her head in confusion before a lightbulb turned on. “Oh my god, is that your French Princess?”

Ron choked as the curious crowd parted like the Red Sea and the tiny girl marched to him with a vengeance.

Fred began to laugh. “Your French Princess is Gabrielle Delacour?”

The girl finally arrived and practically attacked him. Ron yelped and tried to push her off, but they could barely hear him under the streams of furious French and heavily accented English.

“You rudely challenge moi? You dare?! You send moi zat merde, you… you… Putain!!!”

She screeched and looked like she was about to go full Veela, but thankfully Fleur scooped up her sister and carried her tiny cursing form away.

Ron looked shell-shocked.

Harry and Hermione burst into laughter. “I told you not to send that last letter to her, mate! I warned you!”

Ron moaned in despair.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of it. In the following days, Gabrielle violently kidnapped Ron and forced him to play chess with her over and over, much to his protests. They attracted quite the crowd with their matches, their skill leagues beyond anyone else in the castle. These were two future Grandmasters facing off. Even Karkaroff would loom over them for hours, mumbling under his breath as he observed their matches.

If George looked really closely, her adorable little Ronniekins appeared to actually be enjoying himself despite his loud gripes and complaints. Her little brother was so cute!! Good for him!!

Dumbledore opened up the Goblet of Fire for the students to enter their names. There was a whole commotion as the students cheered as their hopeful representatives went to put their names in.

The Slytherin House rallied around Cassius Warrington with loud cheers as he entered his name in, the same for the Ravenclaws with Penelope Clearwater.

Ear-shattering cheers met Cedric as he sheepishly tossed his scrap of parchment in, his eyes belying his easy-going demeanor with a raptor-like glint.

This man didn’t come here to play games. He came here to win.

Freddie grabbed her hand and grinned down at her. George smiled back.

“Alright, guys! Let’s do it!”

Their announcement drew everyone’s attention, and they turned to the identically grinning twins.

Ron raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re not 17 yet. Your birthday’s in April.”

George cheerfully shook the vial she was holding. “That’s what this is for!!”

Hermione squinted at the tiny glass bottle. “Is that Aging Potion?”

Freddie smirked smugly. “And if it is?”

Hermione rolled her eyes. At this point, they were gaining the attention of the Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students. “C’mon, really, do you think a man like Dumbledore would be fooled by something as pedestrian as an Aging Potion?”

George bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. “Well, only one way to find out, right?”

Fred and George toasted each other and knocked the potion back. She didn’t feel any different, but she didn’t expect to, after all, they only took enough to age themselves a few months, nothing drastic.

In perfect synchronicity, the twins jumped over the line. All the gathered students held their breaths, waiting for the terrible fate to befall the trespassers.

Nothing happened.

A cheer rose as Fred and George grinned at each other. 

She knew what was coming next, but hey, that didn’t mean that they still couldn’t have some fun!!

As they slipped their papers into the Goblet, plumes of angry blue flame shot out and collided with them, propelling them back.

When George sat up and looked at Fred, she burst into laughter. His fiery hair had gone completely white and a shaggy beard covered his chin. When she reached up to feel her wrinkled face, she giggled to find that she hadn’t fared any better.

“See?” Hermione’s swotty voice rang out as she smugly looked down at them with her hands on her hips. “I told you so.”

George looked up to find Cedric heartily laughing down at them with the rest of the students. George was charmed to see even stoic, grumpy Viktor Krum and his intimidating posse crack a smile and aloof, elegant Fleur Delacour and her unnaturally gorgeous friends covering their mouths as their eyes shone in mirth.

See, this is why George didn’t mind making a fool out of herself if she was able to make everyone around her laugh. What was a little embarrassment in the face of everyone’s joy?

Of course, this was yet another reason that Cedric would never see her in that way, but you know, though it was painful, George was content with making him laugh for the rest of her life, even if she couldn't have him.

Fred’s rough noogie pulled her away from her melancholy thoughts and she shrieked in laughter as she tried to escape his playful hold.

“You sneaky bint, you knew this would happen, didn’t you?”

“I’m not telling~!” George giggled as she play-wrestled him. The Gryffindors around them began to raucously cheer them on as Ced rolled his eyes at their childish antics. 

Yeah. This was enough for her.

After Fred and George got back from the Hospital Wing, their ears ringing from the scolding Madam Pomfrey had given them, they asked Harry if they could borrow his Invisibility Cloak. He suspiciously glared up at them until they vowed to not use it for any nefarious pranking and allowed them to use it as long as they needed.

Just as well, because for a long few weeks, Fred, George, and Cedric stalked the Goblet of Fire throughout the night to make sure there was no evidence of tampering.

Haha, looking at the cloak, though, George felt like she was forgetting something… it was right at the tip of her tongue… 

They took shifts throughout the night to make sure that they at least had a decent amount of sleep to be acceptably functional throughout classes. Both Cedric and Fred insisted that George take the first shift, which was the best one, the stupidly protective and considerate dickheads, utterly deaf to her protests. 

Ced resolutely took the worst middle slot upon himself and Fred was mulish to be left with the last shift. Her boys growled at each other, but unfortunately, Cedric got his way.

They vigilantly kept watch throughout the nights only to be rewarded with nothing out of the ordinary. Occasionally, a student would enter in secret to put their name in and Flitwick would periodically come in to check on the enchantments to make sure that they were still holding strong, but nothing that was a cause for concern.

George was on the verge of thinking that this whole endeavor was a waste of time and that they were just jumping at shadows when two nights before Halloween, it happened.

George had just drifted off and was awoken by a hand around her mouth to prevent her from making any noises as she was startled awake.

She looked to see Cedric’s grim face staring down at her, and off to the side, Fred was already up and alert with his lips pulled back in a snarl and his wand trained on their uninvited guest.

George turned to see Moody pulling the door closed and limping over to the Goblet.

Goddammit. So it was true, after all.

Moody’s eye swiveled chaotically, looking for any signs of trouble, and George’s heart sank.

“Fuck,” she breathed, as the eye got closer and closer to their little hidden corner. “His eye can see through the cloak.”

Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! Moody's eye was the sole exception to Harry's cloak, how could she forget? Never mind that it's been years, this was critical information!! God, she really was a useless, idiotic piece of shit, wasn't she? The guilt and self-loathing threatened to overwhelm her, but she furiously shook it off. This was no time to panic.

Cedric and Fred’s heads snapped to her. “You sure, Jo?” Cedric whispered, his eyes hard. 

“Yeah.”

Just as they were about to be seen, Fred and Cedric threw the cloak off and shot simultaneous spells at Moody, who recoiled in shock.

They had the element of surprise and they had to finish this fast, otherwise, they were absolutely fucked. This was a man who had killed before. He wouldn’t let them run away.

As Fred and Cedric furiously dueled him, George cast a powerful Muffliato charm and locked the door shut so that nobody could witness this shitshow.

Fred and Cedric were good, but Moody (or rather, his impersonator) was terrifyingly skilled. He easily held both of them off and even fired a few spells in return while deflecting their attacks.

Finally, George stepped in and the tides began to change in their favor.

The Moody Impersonator recognized that fact too and began to shoot clearly dark spells at them, indicated by their iconic pastel coloring and sheer devastation when they made contact with the walls and furniture. The tables in the Great Hall were a casualty of their duel and lay shattered in dangerous splinters.

George got an idea.

She levitated an absolutely enormous chunk of the former Hufflepuff Table and furiously spun it around, gaining momentum, before finally releasing and slingshotting it in Moody’s direction as an absolutely devastating projectile. It was stupidly hard and George panted at the effort as her entire body went sore as if she had lifted the debris with her body rather than her magic. The magical exhaustion was severe and she acutely felt the toll.

But the gamble was worth it.

Moody’s eye widened in shock as the shard was too fast to blast, so he conjured a hasty shield around himself.

Unfortunately, the shield worked and he was unharmed, but the sheer force of the blow had knocked him back off his feet and slammed him into the rattling door (George winced; there was no way that no one heard that from the outside), leaving him discombobulated for the precious few seconds that her boys ruthlessly exploited.

Fred disarmed Moody, sending his wand flying and Cedric petrified him with a cold look in his eyes and tied his plank-like body up with steel cable ropes for good measure.

Sure enough, within a few short minutes, the doors to the Great Hall shuddered ominously before they were blasted open, revealing the night-gowned forms of Dumbledore, Flitwick, McGonagall, and Snape. The Professors rushed into the ruined hall, wands held aloft and took in the forms of the exhausted sixth years.

Dumbledore slowly lowered his wand. “Well. I believe that you three owe us an explanation, young ones.”

With the help of the professors, the devastation in the Great Hall was quickly set to rights and the entire group was urgently ushered to Dumbledore’s office, Moody’s bound form levitating alongside them after the three sixth-years pitched an ungodly fit when the professors tried to release him. George remembered to grab Harry’s cloak and stuff in her bag before she was swept up in the commotion.

After McGonagall had fussed over their minor injuries and had determined that none of them needed a stay at the Hospital Wing, the interrogation started. 

Dumbledore sat at his desk and gazed at them with disappointed eyes as McGonagall, Snape, and Flitwick loomed down at them. Yes, even Flitwick loomed. George didn’t know how he did it, but he did.

“Tell us everything.” 

And so, the story came out about how they had suspicions about someone coming to tamper with the Goblet of Fire to force a 4th champion, and when they saw Moody, they started firing at him.

The teachers stared at them in anger and disbelief and George wanted to sink into the floor. Well, okay, it sounded completely crazy and stupid when they explained it like that.

Just as McGonagall looked to be frothing herself up into a fury, Lady Luck smiled down on them.

Moody, still in his confines, began to convulse and seize. The teachers panicked and hurried to release him, but froze when his face began changing shape.

Snape immediately reached into Moody’s coat and pulled out the flask he had been sipping out of and snarled when he smelled the contents. “Polyjuice Potion!”

Everyone watched as the handsome face of Barty Crouch Jr emerged from Moody’s grisly form. The Death Eater grinned at them as his tongue flitted out like a snake.

“Surprise!” the madman sneered.

The office exploded into chaos as Crouch was stunned and wrapped up tighter than a BDSM enthusiast.

When everyone calmed down again, Dumbledore turned his attention back to the three frozen sixth-years.

“Now,” he said. “I believe we should start at the beginning. Tell us everything, this time.”

Fred and Cedric turned to her and George sighed tiredly. 

There wasn’t any point in hiding it any longer. This whole mess was already above them. Everyone in this room was trustworthy and competent and would be an invaluable ally to their mission. Might as well tell them.

And so, the story came out. Fred, George, and Cedric told them everything.

The explanation took almost an hour and Crouch had to be stunned twice more. Resilient little cockroach, wasn’t he?

At the end of it, the teachers were close to pulling their hair out. Dumbledore sat with his eyes closed as Snape snarled down at them. 

“You stupid, foolish dunderheads!” He spit. “Do you have any idea how close you came to dying? Crouch is one of the Dark Lord’s most skillful duelers, standing at the same level as Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange! What gave you the idea that you could apprehend the man, in case he did turn out to be a fake?!”

“Well, in the end, everything worked out just fine, yeah?” Fred drawled.

A vein on Snape’s forehead throbbed alarmingly. He turned the full force of his fury onto George, who shrunk back.

“And you! The first moment you realized that you were a Seer you should have approached us! Have your brains been replaced with Flobberworms or were you simply born without any?!” he seethed.

“Um…” George hesitantly piped up. “But I’m not a Seer, though?”

Everyone stared at her. Even Dumbledore lifted his head to raise an eyebrow.

“What?” Flitwick squeaked.

Fred groaned and rubbed his face. “Yeah, see, this is what we’ve been dealing with for years, right?” 

Cedric politely cleared his throat. “Well, I understand your concerns and criticisms, but I do not believe that we acted incorrectly.” He looked up at them challengingly, his hooded gray eyes resolute. “All magical children are taught from a young age to keep knowledge of Seers to a minimum, lest they get horribly exploited and taken advantage of. Surely you understand?”

Snape clenched his teeth so hard that George heard his jaw pop. McGonagall placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she glared down at them.

“Well, that’s all well and good, but we have more important concerns right now, don’t we? For example, where is the real Alastor? How should we turn in young Crouch with Hogwarts standing on the international stage from all the fuss over the Tournament right now? And what do we do about He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named’s Homunculus?” Flitwick pondered.

Dumbledore sighed. “Filius is correct. We must move quickly to fix this situation before Olympe and Igor can get any indication that something is amiss. Dear Cornelius will be ever so displeased if such a thing were to occur and may make our lives a bit more difficult, as it were. Filius, Minerva, go into Alastor’s office and investigate. I suspect that the real Alastor is close by so that Crouch could harvest his hair for the Polyjuice. Tomorrow we will inform the students that Alastor had urgent medical matters and had to make his way to St. Mungo’s. If need be, one of us will cover his classes.”

The teachers nodded and swooped out, leaving Fred, George, and Cedric at the full attention of Dumbledore’s serious blue gaze and Snape’s black glower.

“Now, then. Repeat the events of Voldemort’s resurrection, please.”

The three of them stayed in Dumbledore’s office for the entire night. They were shortly released before dawn so that they could shower and wash the dust and debris of the previous night’s duel off of themselves. The entire day, they struggled to stay awake and passed out the moment their classes ended.

Unfortunately, they weren’t able to sleep for too long as a House Elf summoned them after dinner to Dumbledore’s office. There they found the four Professors waiting for them, frowning at their bleary forms.

“Pull yourselves together, we don’t have time for you three to blink up at us like hoodwinked owls!” McGonagall scolded. 

“Sorry, Professors, what can we do to help?”

Dumbledore folded his arms over his desk. “The selection for the Triwizard Tournament is tomorrow night. Before that, we need to mitigate the threat to young Harry. It is not unlikely that Voldemort had some fail-safe in case his gamble with young Bartemius fell through. We are making a trip to the Graveyard to investigate and we need you to tell us all the information you know in case of any unforeseen threats.”

Fred perked up. “We’re coming with you to the Graveyard?”

“NO!” All the Professors screamed at once. Fred pouted, the great big berk.

Fred, George, and Cedric went through all the information once again. George described the Graveyard to the best of her memory, detailing out the poor groundskeeper’s cottage and Tom Riddle Sr’s grave.

Snape nodded sharply at Dumbledore. “It matches Crouch’s memories. I can create a Portkey to lead us there.”

In what seemed like no time at all, the teachers were armed and ready to go. Before they departed, McGonagall walked over to the giant Sword of Gryffindor hanging off the wall and pulled it off.

Everybody stared at her. “What are you doing?” Flitwick squeaked.

McGonagall sniffed at them. “It’s Riddle, Albus. For all we know, the entire area could be marked with an anti-magic ward. I’ll stab the wee cunt if that’s the case.”

Everyone gaped at McGonagall, but unfortunately, nobody was able to argue with her logic by the time the Portkey was set to go off.

The Professors departed and George, Fred, and Cedric hung out in Dumbledore’s office in case the teachers required more information upon their return. After an hour or so, they drifted off against each other, still tired from all their late nights keeping vigil at the Goblet’s side.

They were awoken by swears and curses as the teachers stumbled back in. Snape and McGonagall were drenched in blood and George’s heart almost stopped.

“You stabbed Voldemort?!” she screeched.

Snape sneered down at her in disdain as he removed his filthy jacket. “Not him. His snake.”

McGonagall grinned in triumph. “The slithery fucker attacked us when we destroyed You-Know-Who’s homunculus. Chopped its ugly head up right off.” She turned to an exhausted-looking Dumbledore. “See, Albus, this is why you should listen to me, I’m never wrong!”

“Yes, Minerva,” he tiredly agreed.

George almost passed out again, this time from relief. She leaned into Cedric’s side and he automatically wrapped a comforting arm around her.

“Thank god,” she breathed, gaining everyone’s attention, “Thank god you took the sword, Professor. Nagini was one of the Dark Lord’s Horcruxes. Morgana only knows what would have happened if you didn’t.”

The room fell into a tense silence before it exploded into frantic shouts. Through the cacophony, Dumbledore’s voice rang out, “One of his Horcruxes?”

George grimaced. It was going to be another long night.

After they concluded their panicked, thorough cross-examination (“Seven Horcruxes,” McGonagall snarled, “The blighter made seven? The deranged cunt tore his fucking soul to pieces, it’s a wonder anything was left!!”), The professors explained that they arrived at the Graveyard and made their way to the little cottage, where Voldemort’s homunculus was waiting for them. His helpless body was being taken care of by Winky, Barty Crouch Jr’s loyal House Elf.

Winky begged and sobbed as they easily dispatched the homunculus, and with no place left to go, especially with Crouch Jr in their custody, Dumbledore offered the pitiful Elf a position at Hogwarts. 

Right as they were about to leave, Nagini attacked them, lightning-quick. She managed to bite Snape, but like any self-respecting potioneer, he carried a bezoar on him at all times.

McGonagall swung her sword and killed the wretched snake in the confusion, everyone panicking about Snape’s rapidly paling face that thankfully began to regain color soon after.

George leaped up and wrapped Snape in a tight hug. He remained stiff and unmoving against her, but George didn’t care.

“I’m so glad, Professor,” she blubbered. “I’m so glad Nagini didn’t kill you again! I don’t know what we would do without youuuu! Don’t die and leave me, Professor! You’re my favoriteeee!!!”

Snape looked comically alarmed and turned to the stupid girl’s infernal twin and pathetic hanger-on, but they just maliciously smirked and left him to his fate.

Oh, from the moment he met her, Snape knew that the annoying twit would be the death of him. He hated everyone and everything and wished that Nagini had killed him so that he wouldn’t have to deal with an armful of hysterical redhead. He thought he would be finished with all this fuss after Lily’s passing, but of course, Fate had other plans for him.

Finally, after everything was resolved, Dumbledore sent them off to bed, concocting his super secret plans to save the world with the other teachers.

Fred, George, and Cedric were more than happy to leave them to it. They were exhausted and they had the Champions selection tomorrow. 

They had their own problems to take care of. Though it galled them to admit it, it was quite nice to foist their problems off onto the adults and focus on the important things, like winning the fucking Tournament.

 

Notes:

Omg. Draco. You can never recover from this. Your crush has the hots for your dad? Instant fatality. RIP little sucker

But yeah! Lemme know what you think! Stay tuned for the next chapter, it's one of my favorites!!

Chapter 8: Sixth Year - Part 2

 

Sure enough, the Champions Selection played out just like George had described: Fleur Delacour was chosen as Beauxbaton's champion, Viktor Kum as Durmstrang’s, and of course, Cedric was chosen as Hogwart’s.

George beamed at him in pride as the entire school roared their approval. 

Cedric caught her eye and winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes at him while she fought down her blush. 

God, she didn’t know why she loved the idiot.

They held their breath for Harry’s name to pop out and breathed a huge sigh of relief when it didn’t. The Champions were called up to do their whole ritual-thingy, and George basked in her victory. Crisis averted successfully.

Man, she was good. Maybe this whole ‘Seer’ thing wasn’t so hard after all!

Freddie gave her a scornful look when she shared her sentiment with him. Rude!!

George made an effort to ask the teachers about the plans they were scheming up, but they sternly turned her away and told her to focus on her own problems. George pouted but was happy to turn her attention to help Cedric win the Tournament.

Initially, both Fred and Ced were very upset at the fact that Ced had to face a Dragon for the 1st task, but George reassured them. 

They’d get through it, no problem!!

George recommended Cedric to do what Harry did and summon his broom, but after much discussion, the boys vetoed the idea. It had barely worked out for Harry, and he was an absolutely prodigious flier with a Firebolt at his disposal. Cedric was good, but not that good, he could begrudgingly recognize. He couldn’t pull off the same acrobatic maneuvers that that scrawny, specky git could as he had put on an obscene amount of weight in pure muscle.

Ahem, not that George had noticed, of course. 

Cedric absolutely stocked up on their prank products. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, Decoy Detonators, and even Portable Swamps.

Hey, you never knew, did you?

George wrote to Charlie, who was ecstatic to be coming home to Hogwarts for a few weeks for the First Task. He enthusiastically congratulated Cedric for being chosen as the Hogwarts champion and shamelessly gave him all the tips on how to deal with the dragons.

His chief advice was to get a full battle-suit made out of Dragonhide or Basilisk skin, but even though they had a ripe-for-harvesting Basilisk Corpse rotting down in the Chamber of Secrets, it was unfeasible to go down that route because Cedric would be expected to wear a standard Hogwarts jersey for the task. Bummer.

Charlie messaged them a recipe for a complex variant of Flame Freeze potion that would allow the drinker to withstand Dragonfire for a minute max, however, the side effects were fierce, leaving the drinker chilled to the bone and at risk of frostbite and hypothermia if not properly taken care of afterwards.

The three discussed the pros and cons and ultimately decided that it was worth the risk.

They cornered Snape one night and thrust the recipe at him, begging him to help them brew the Flame Freeze potion varient. 

Obviously, Snape sneered and refused them, but they were relentless. They hounded the poor man for days until he gave in, not allowing him a single moment of rest. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff’s house points fell by hundreds, but it was deemed an acceptable casualty in their war. 

Well, not to their dismayed Housemates, but hey, they had more interesting things to focus on that year than winning the House Cup. There wasn’t even Quidditch that year, what was even the point?!

It was a good thing that Snape gave in when he did. If it went on for much longer, then they would have been forced to steal from his stores and brew the potion in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom a-la-Hermione anyway.

Isn’t it wonderful when things work out?

To throw the others off their trail, they also worked to brew other potions, such as the antidote to Manticore Venom and a vaporizing red smokescreen to use against Minotaurs. It would be mighty suspicious if Cedric just rocked up to the First Task perfectly prepared to battle a Dragon. Almost as if he had known what he was about to face, hmmmm???

During the whole commotion, George noticed how Krum noticed Hermione, and she noticed how Hermione noticed him right back.

Ohhhh, did she smell love in the air???

Dragging a long-suffering Fred and Cedric behind her, she marched her way over to where Krum and his group of friends were hanging out by the Black Lake, looking out at their majestic ship.

The Durmstrang students all warily looked up at their arrival, and a tall, leanly-built brunet sitting to the right of Krum rolled his eyes at her.

“Go on, then. Spit out what you want and sod off, will you?” He spoke in perfect Queen's English with no hint of an accent. Surprising.

George was taken aback at his rather rude greeting. From beside her, she saw Fred scowl.

“Hi there! My name’s George, and this is my twin Fred and our best friend Cedric! Though, you might have already met him, being a champion and all, haha!”

The Durmstrang students looked perplexed at her cheerful reply, but the original boy recovered quickly enough.

“Charmed,” he deadpanned. He did not sound charmed in the slightest. “If you don’t mind me asking, what do you want? We’re rather busy.” He looked at them like they were insects, but George absently noted that his gaze lingered a little longer on her and raked down her form, which made Cedric rumble and step closer.

Fred whistled lowly. George winced. This wasn’t going to be good.

“Ah, you must be new around here, bruv. In these parts, you don’t speak like a right fucking wanker to people if you don’t want your lips stitched together, yeah? I’d be happy to give you the ol’ English welcome if you don’t find your manners real sharpish, you savvy?” His smile was friendly, but his tone dripped with an unmistakable threat. 

The group bristled. 

George sighed. Oh, her precious, precious Freddie. He was always so over-protective of her. He would never tolerate an insult of any kind toward her. As always, it was up to her to run damage control.

“Haha, sorry to bother you! I just wanted to talk to Krum!”

The group’s glares darkened. Uh-oh, had she stepped on a landmine of some kind?

The boy frowned at her. “Look, doll, you’re cute, right, but Viktor’s not interested. Better that you try your luck elsewhere.” His eyebrow raised suggestively. “You know, if you’re interested in Quidditch players, you could try your luck with me, I guarantee that you’d get better results.” He smiled roguishly.

What- oh! So that’s what this was all about!

George laughed as Freddie straightened up from his casual, slouched form, and Cedric rumbled like a tractor. “Oh, you silly goose, I’m not interested in Krum! Oh, not to say that you’re not attractive, sure, I guess you are, if you’re into the whole…” George gestured vaguely at him, and the Durmstrang student raised an eyebrow. “But no, I’m here on behalf of Hermione!”

At that, the Durmstrang students’ faces went slack in surprise. For the first time, Krum looked up from his textbook, his dark eyes intent and curious. Woah. Now that was a gaze. Like a laser. Impressive.

“You haff come for Herm-own-ninny?”

“Yup!” George bounced in place and beamed at him. “I noticed you noticing Hermione, and I noticed how Hermione noticed you right back!”

Everyone stared at her.

Fred sniggered. “Didya miss a ‘notice’ somewhere in there, Georgie?”

George elbowed him. “Shut up, stupid.”

“Herm-own-ninny noticed me?” Viktor hopefully asked.

“Yes!” George smiled brightly at him and resolutely placed her arms on her hips. “And I’m going to help you ask her out!”

Cedric sighed from behind her. “Jo…”

George turned to him with stars in her eyes. “Oh, come on, Ced, don’t be a sourpuss! I believe in the power of love! I have to help this poor, helpless duckling find his happy ending! Just look at him! He needs all the help he can get!!”

Viktor looked like he had seen the face of god. “Herm-own-ninny luffs me?” He stood up, and his group rose with him.

He firmly clapped George on the shoulders, ignoring the way the other two boys bristled aggressively.

“Miss Jarshe.”

“George.”

“Jeeorshe?”

“... No, not quite.”

“... Zhora?”

“... You know what, sure, whatever works for you, comrade.”

Viktor nodded decisively. “Miss Zhora. I vill not forget yor help. Ve are now partners in love. I vill give you last potato, then we vill eat plaster together to escape starvation. Blyat!”

His classmates clapped solemnly.

“What the bloody fuck?” Freddie whispered.

“No clue, mate,” Cedric returned. “Just go with the flow. You know how Jo gets.”

And that was how George befriended the best seeker in the world. Piece of cake.

Viktor Krum was actually quite friendly, if a little shy. George understood why his friends were initially so standoffish, as the poor man was constantly approached by both men and ladies asking him out or for favors. The trials of being a celebrity.

He had a close-knit, loyal group of friends that tried to protect him, very reminiscent of the way they did for Harry. There was Arnulf Bjørklund from Norway and Adelheid Von Dietrichstein from Germany. Both Arnulf and Adelheid were absolutely massive, coming up on Ced’s height and built like a tank. They looked like the Viking gods of old. Both of them wanted to go pro in Quidditch as well, and apparently, they were all quite good. 

Arnulf, or Arnie, as he preferred, was very quiet. In fact, George hadn’t ever heard him speak a single word. He was content to simply watch, like a huge, silent mountain. He had a kind smile, though, so George liked him! He was single-minded about one day playing as a Chaser for the Norwegian National Team and practiced so hard that Ollie would be weeping in pride. George bashfully tried to attempt talking to him in BWSL, and from Arnie’s delightfully surprised face, he was able to understand her a bit. He wasn’t nearly as fluent in BWSL as he was in German, French, and Norwegian Wizarding Sign Language, but he was pleasantly surprised to find someone from a foreign school trying to communicate with him despite his reticence of speaking.

The Durmstrang squad watched on as George tried to brokenly communicate with Arnie through sign language. This seemed to finally soften them up and reassure them that George really meant no harm when she tried to approach them. They were much less shy about opening up to the trio of sixth-years after that. Haha, funnily enough, when they asked George where she learned BWSL, she honestly told them that she learned it from the Giant Squid who lived in the giant lake that they were staying on. Oh, the looks on their faces, simply priceless. Freddie couldn’t stop sniggering for hours afterwards and congratulated a smug George on her flawless spontaneous little prank.

Then there was Aleksander Berezin, who went by Sasha, the one who had initially talked to them. He was half British on his mother’s side, which explained his flawless English. Sasha was tall and lean and had dark hair and eyes, but bounced with the energy of a restrained terrier. He was fiercely handsome, but in a more rakish way with a crooked grin, intense eyes, and a lethal confidence. He was Russian, but his father enrolled him in Durmstrang instead of Koldovstoretz because Sasha wanted to go pro in Quidditch from a young age, and he wanted to train in proper Quidditch rather than the version they played on trees instead of brooms at Koldovstoretz.

He was also an outrageous flirt, but George could see that he was harmless, though her boys didn’t seem to think so. They bristled like angry hedgehogs every time Sasha playfully made a pass at her and rolled their eyes at her when she insisted that he was just messing around. Hurtful!! 

Sasha and Freddie shared a love of insulting the shit out of each other, their unfortunate first interaction setting the tone of the set of their exchanges. They snarled the nastiest insults and even occasional jinxes and hexes, but under all the vitriol, George could see that they were actually having fun. 

And finally, the sole female of the group, Adelheid Von Dietrichstein.

Adelheid spoke with a thick German accent and often spouted strangely translated German proverbs and sighed when everybody stared at her in confusion. She immediately bonded with Cedric in their shared interest in muggle weight-lifting, and they had nonsensical conversations about macros and personal bests and whatever. She looked like an action movie star, over 6 feet tall with a flawlessly gorgeous face, flowing blonde hair, and rippling muscles.

Though Adelheid was brusque and had a rather frightening resting bitch face, she was remarkably girly and was shyly happy to make friends with George, lacking much female company back at Durmstrang, as several times girls had approached her with the sole motive of getting close to her best friends. 

Once George got past the intimidating exterior, she was happy to chat with Adelheid and introduce her to her girlfriends, who took to the German like a duck to water. Adelheid was delighted when Angelina, Katie, and Alicia giggled over Weekly Witch together and gave her a banging makeover that made Viktor, Arnie, and Sasha stare at her.

Adelheid simply preened and relished in the attention. George adored her. Addie was a Viking goddess, and she knew it.

Krum’s inner circle possessed that sheer drive and focus required of sportsmen at the top of their craft, the reason that they all drifted together. Birds of a feather, and all that jazz.

Simply put, they were all Quidditch nerds, the lot of them. Ginny would absolutely adore them.

They were a friendly sort, if slightly intimidating. When they walked around, they looked like ancient Viking warriors, moving with purpose and radiating an intense ‘Don’t fuck with us’ energy.

George was a fan! So cool~!

And so, George and her boys reluctantly became friends with them, mostly because Krum was absolutely hopeless.

His dark, intent eyes stared down at George, who beamed up at him.

“I follow her to Library. I vill stare vithout blink to protect her from all threat and prove my luff.”

“Haha! That’s a bad idea!”

Krum looked heartbroken. “I cannot protect Herm-own-ninny?”

“No, don’t just stare and follow her around. That’s called stalking. That’s illegal. And very creepy. Talk to her!”

“I speak to Herm-own-ninny?”

“Sure!”

Viktor looked at her like she held the answers to the universe. “Miss Zhora. You are genius. Ve vill name firstborn after you.”

“Oh boy.”

It was an endeavor.

Charlie (secretly!! Shhhh!!) arrived a week before the 1st task, and everybody was ecstatic to see him. He was even huger than before, with bulging muscles rippling with every movement and shiny new burn scars littered across his skin. His beard had grown and thickened, but Charlie kept it well-groomed, leaving him looking like a lumberjack god or something. God, George just had the prettiest brothers, didn’t she? She would be on the lookout to make sure that no one would take advantage of them!!

Charlie was happy to impart his wisdom to Cedric and patiently went through Cedric’s plan to face the dragon and informed him when he was pursuing the wrong path.

“Mate, whatever you do, do not use Fireworks or Decoy Detonators in front of the dragons. It’s not so much the fire, but the sound will trigger them something fierce, yeah? Send them straight into a frenzy. If you want to distract them, go for something large and shiny. They’re rather like cats.”

“Brilliant. Thank Morgana you told me that, Charlie, otherwise I would’ve been right buggered.”

“Anytime, mate. You’d better win, because I bet a right fat sum on you, didn’t I? I’ll scalp you if I lose it.”

“... Right.”

And so, the morning of the 1st task arrived. 

Even though it technically wasn’t allowed, Fred and George had snuck into the Champion’s tent, only to see that Krum's group and Fleur’s two inhumanly stunning friends and her sister Gabrielle had slipped in, too.

George noticed Adelheid staring intently at Fleur’s male friend. He was tall and model-like and looked scarily, inhumanly gorgeous.

Sniff sniff. Did George smell more love in the air??? 

Well, she’d have plenty of time later to pursue that train of thought. But for now…

George bounced up to Ced and hugged him tight, Fred’s arms coming up around her. He hugged them both back in a crushing embrace.

God, why did he smell so good? No, bad thoughts, George, focus!!

“You best be careful, mate. Don’t get hurt out there. Wouldn’t want to break Georgie’s heart, yeah?” Fred grinned.

“Freddie!” George whined.

Cedric smiled down at her, his eyes full of that strange, intent emotion. “Don’t worry about me, Jo. You know I’ll always come back to you.”

Butterflies erupted in George’s stomach.

Gods, this man. He would be the death of her.

On an impulse, she leaned up to her tiptoes and pecked his marble-cut jawline, the highest part of him she could reach. Though he looked clean shaven, her lips caught just a hint of his stubble, and she inhaled sharply.

She peeked up at him through her eyelashes and whispered, “For good luck. Be safe, Ced.”

Cedric didn’t say anything. His deep, intense gray eyes grew hooded as his jaw clenched.

Vaguely, George could hear Sasha saying, “Want me to give you a good luck kiss too, Vik?”

Krum’s disgusted voice reached them. “My body is for Herm-own-ninny’s kisses. If you kiss me, I vill kill you and then kill myself so that I can start over pure in my next life.”

They were ushered out when the Headmasters and the Ministry officials arrived.

As they walked back to the stands, Freddie’s amused voice drifted into her ear. “For good luck, huh?”

George blushed furiously. “Shut up, Freddie!”

He chortled and swung an arm around her shoulders as they climbed the stairs.

The thrilled Trio saved seats for them, and to their surprise, Ron was sullenly sitting next to none other than little Gabrielle Delacour.

“She won’t leave me alone,” he moaned.

“Ferme ta gueule!” The doll-like girl snapped.

Ron wisely shut up.

The horns soon blew, and the first dragon was led in. A Welsh Green. It was massive and terrifying. It was acting fairly docile, but there was no mistaking the deadliness in its languid movements.

Fleur stepped out to riotous cheers.

It played out reminiscent to the original story: she enchanted the dragon to sleep, but it let out a plume of fire that set her clothes alight. 

Gabrielle shrieked and gripped onto Ron’s arm in anguish. She only calmed down when he clumsily hugged her and patted her back, looking over to the rest of them for aid in desperation. They all pretended that they didn’t see his beseeching looks. Gabrielle grabbed his arm with her claw-like fingers and absconded with George’s panicked brother over to the Medical Tents where her crispy sister was waiting.

Harry and Hermione watched him go.

“Should we help him?”

“I mean, we could. Or we could let it play out. It’s a little funny, and to be honest, and he does deserve it.”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. I warned the git against sending her those letters, but did he listen?”

“My sentiments exactly.”

George sighed in pity. RIP Ronnie.

Next was Krum’s turn. George noticed Hermione cheering a little more vigorously than she previously had for Fleur.

Hmmmm??? 

Krum faced off against the Chinese Fireball and again attacked with the Conjunctivitis Curse. Sadly, that led to it stumbling around in a blind rampage, crushing several of its own eggs. The long, lion-faced dragon whined lowly in sadness when it realized what it had done, and George almost burst into tears.

Poor, poor dragon!!! No wonder Charlie was so against this whole shebang; this was animal cruelty!! No better than dog and cockfighting!!!!

And finally.

It was Cedric’s turn.

George’s heart was in her throat. She knew that Cedric was good. Very good.

But this was a fucking dragon.

Next to her, Fred sucked in a breath and had a vice-grip on her knee. He was thinking along the same lines. Haha, curse their twin voodoo.

Cedric swaggered out, and an explosion of cheers met his entrance. His face was hard and focused.

The gorgeous Swedish Short-Snout roiled in discomfort at the noise, and a plume of smoke rose from its nostrils. Its beautiful blue eyes fell on Cedric’s yellow-clad form, and a rumbling growl began in the dragon’s throat.

George inhaled sharply.

Cedric closed his eyes for a long second, and when he opened them, he whispered a spell that was inaudible, but the entire audience collectively gasped when they saw what he had cast.

An ethereal, glowing tiger materialized in the rocky arena and began to stalk towards the dragon.

Immediately, the Swedish Short-Snout turned its attention to the shiny new distraction and crooned in intrigue as the Patronus floated closer.

Cedric booked it. He sprinted to the nest, single-minded in his goal.

The dragon turned to look at the new movement, but the tiger darted closer, snagging its attention again. 

Everyone held their breath as Cedric finally made their way to the nest and scooped up the Golden Egg.

He had done it.

Immediately, the crowd roared in approval, and unfortunately, that was where things began to go wrong.

The sudden noise startled the dragon, who jolted out of its fascinated daze. It lifted its head only to see the human interloper near its precious nest.

The dragon bared its teeth and roared.

Fuck.

Cedric realized the danger he was in and dove behind the nearest boulder just in time for it to shield him from the dragon’s deadly blue flame.

The audience screamed. George clutched Fred’s shoulder and felt him tightly grip her knee.

The Swedish Short-Snout was a shy and elusive dragon, but immensely dangerous due to its outrageously hot blue flames.

It was clear that the boulder was melting into slag from the sheer heat of the flames.

“Buggering fuck!” Freddie snarled. Cedric had to move immediately.

Shere Khan pounced at the dragon, which was enough to startle it, halting its breath for a second.

Cedric darted out with his egg and made a break towards the exit. The audience bellowed in approval and once again took the dragon’s attention away from the Patronus.

George could spit blood. Fucking IDIOTS!!! Do you want to kill him?! Shut the fuck up!!!!!

The dragon roared and opened its mouth again. The audience screamed in warning. 

George almost screamed, too. He wasn’t close enough!

The Patronus disappeared as Cedric flicked his wand and levitated a small boulder next to him to slingshot at the dragon, which roared in consternation.

Fred squeezed George’s knee, and she laughed breathlessly. That was her move!

Cedric was almost at the entrance when the dragon finally blew its deadly breath.

It washed over him.

George’s heart shattered in her chest.

The audience screamed in fear, but when the brilliant blue flame finally went out, they turned to riotous cheers when the obvious shadow of Cedric’s form disappeared into the exit.

The crowd went absolutely ballistic.

Fred dragged George’s catatonic form up and out of the stands to the Med Tents.

George barely remembered the trip, only recalling flashes of Harry and Hermione hastily following after them.

Everything snapped back into sharp focus when George saw Cedric’s naked, violently shivering form on a bed, the remnants of burnt cloth scattered around from the dragon fire. Madame Pomfrey was shouting and frantically casting spells. “-SECOND ONE? Why, I NEVER! Treating TWO students who ingest that Merlin-forsaken potion after fighting dragons?! What’s next?! Nundus?! WENDIGOS?!”

Ron stood off to the side, sweating profusely as he levitated Cedric’s Golden Egg, which still emanated an absolutely frightening amount of heat from being hit with the dragon fire. In the ground was a clear imprint of where the molten egg had melted through the earth after Cedric had dropped it.

Holy shit.

Harry and Hermione hurried off to help Ron with the Egg and the tent filled with hissing steam as Hermione fired an Aguamenti and Harry took over the levitation from Ron, allowing him to collapse in exhaustion.

With wide eyes watched Viktor and his friends. Gabrielle gaped at them from next to Fleur’s unconscious form.

Fred and George bolted over to Cedric’s side and Madam Pomfrey shooed them away as she treated him. His violent shivering slightly reduced as his lips regained a bit of color from its pallid, blue state. Thankfully, he, he wasn’t seizing anymore.

Slowly, slowly, Cedric was returned back to normal, though he didn’t regain consciousness. Both he and Fleur wouldn’t for another two days.

He was alright. Cedric was alright. He had done it.

Fred gently wiped George’s cheeks and she realized that she had been crying. She cuddled into him as they took up their vigil at Cedric’s side.

The tent was flooded with the Professors and Ministry officials, but George only had eyes for Cedric’s peacefully sleeping form.

Later on, Fred informed both her and Cedric that he had placed first, due to his impeccable spell work, both on the Patronus and the silently cast levitation and propulsion spell of the boulder. Viktor led over Fleur by two points. Karkaroff and Madame Maxine had glared daggers at each other and declared perfect scores for their own Champions. Dumbledore had twinkled smugly at the both of them, delighted in Hogwarts’ victory, much to the other Headmasters’ disgust.

Of course, the Ministry officials didn’t know about the Flame Freeze potion that Cedric had taken, which had allowed him to escape relatively unharmed, just as it had for Fleur.

Apparently, Cedric had secretly slipped some of the potion to Viktor and Fleur before they faced the dragons. Fleur had ended up using it, leading to her being unharmed but wracked by the intense side-effects of the potion, much to Madam Pomfrey’s displeasure.

God, Ced was such a Hufflepuff. George loved him so much.

All in all, though, the Champions got through the First Task unscathed and Cedric was in 1st place.

George couldn’t have asked for a more perfect outcome.

Moody began to take his classes again, much to the student body’s relief. No one liked it when Snape substituted. He looked much thinner than he had when he had left and seemed to have trouble remembering the students’ names, but he was the same Moody as always, if a little more persnickety! Must have been some illness, to cause him to lose all that weight in that short amount of time! Hopefully his stay at St. Mungo’s helped him recover!

George observed the Real Alastor Moody and was pleased when she didn’t receive any rancid vibes from him. Sure, he was still a maniac, but in a more PTSD-veteran way, not a fanatical terrorist way. She could work with that!

A week after the First Task came the announcement of the Yule Ball.

It was complete pandemonium. All the students were in an uproar about who they were going to ask to the Ball and no one (other than maybe Hermione, that incorrigible swot) was able to focus on classes, much to McGonagall and Snape’s displeasure. House Points fell by the dozens, but again, nobody gave a flying fuck.

To George’s mighty surprise, Cedric asked her to the Ball while she went to visit him in the Hospital Wing where he was kept for observation.

“Me?” George asked, her heart pounding. Oh, she just knew her face was doing something stupid! “You’re asking me?”

“Who else?” Cedric smiled at her. It just made her traitorous heart beat even faster. Curses! 

“Um. I dunno. What about Cho?”

Cedric frowned at her. “Who?”

George felt completely blindsided. “Well, you know. Cho Chang?”

Cedric blinked at her. “What about her?”

George blinked back. “You’re not going to ask her?”

Cedric sighed fondly and stood up. Immediately George’s heart began to beat a furious rhythm as he gazed down at her with his gorgeous hooded gray eyes. “Jo. You’re the only one I want to go to the Ball with. Will you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you?” He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear.

George felt like she was on the verge of a heart attack. “Of course,” she squeaked.

Cedric smiled down at her and for a moment, George’s soul left her body and glimpsed the Pearly Gates. Did witches and wizards go to Heaven? Apparently.

“Good.” Cedric ran one last hand through her hair and George swallowed heavily. Cedric caught the movement and his eyes turned heated.

Oh god.

From the bed next to Cedric’s, Fleur sneered in disgust and flipped her long silver hair. “Will you stupid imbéciles take your ‘orrible drama elsewhere? Some of us cannot escape from your infernale mélodrame.”

“Haha, sorry Fleur! Hope you get well soon!”

“Va te faire foutre.”

Ooookay then.

McGonagall went on a rampage in trying to make the entire Gryffindor House present a good showing. She insisted that each of them dance flawlessly and wasn’t above turning her class time into more mandatory practice.

From Luna, Pansy, and Ced’s complaints, the other Heads of House were doing the same.

Fred and George firmly stuck together as dance partners. They weren’t afraid to step on each other’s toes and snarked at each other when the other one made a mistake.

George spent countless hours getting used to dancing in her heels, and Fred winced as he slowly broke in his dress shoes through all the practice.

The twins were determined: they would be absolutely flawless. People could make fun of them for their poverty and ginger looks, but they’d be damned if any one could criticize their dancing. 

It was an adventure trying to get Viktor ready to ask Hermione out. The only way George got his ass in gear was by reminding him of the fact that if he didn’t get a move on, she was going to be asked by someone else.

Viktor looked like George had killed a puppy in front of him. “My Herm-own-ninny? Go with somevone else?”

George nodded solemnly. “Yup.”

“Blyat! That cannot be. I vill murder him and go to the Gulag. I cannot be with Herm-own-ninny in the Gulag,” Viktor lamented.

George nodded in agreement. “Yes. Think of the Gulag! That’s why you need to ask her quickly, don’t you?”

“Miss Zhora, you are so wise. I vill go ask now!”

And, of course, that was an absolute disaster that somehow turned out alright.

“Hermione!” George called. “I have a friend I want to introduce you to! Come on, come say hi!”

Hermione looked up from her essay to see Viktor Krum standing in front of her. Her eyes went wide, and she flushed.

George’s eyebrows rose. Hmmmm???

From next to her, Viktor began to breathe heavily. “Herm-own-ninny.  I vatch all your moves. You cannot escape me. You are like flower in Unicorn dung: blooming beautifully in shit. Vill you go to Ball with me?”

George stared at Viktor in affront and horror. 

To George’s eternal surprise, Hermione’s blush grew brighter, and she peeked up at him through her lashes.

“Oh my… was that a Polshkrev reference? About beauty blooming through adversity? No one’s ever said anything so sweet to me before!” 

Viktor’s heavy breathing intensified. “That is yes?”

“Oh, of course! I would love to go the Ball with you!” Hermione gushed.

Viktor shuddered alarmingly. “Herm-own-ninny. I vill treasure this. Time is fleeting, like fart in wind. I vill not waste.”

Hermione looked to be near tears. “Oh, Viktor, was that from Vinogradov? That’s so romantic! I’ve never met anyone who’s read his work before!” Her eyes shone with a manic light.

George slowly, slowly backed away and made her escape as Viktor continued to grunt morbid Russian poetry at Hermione, who hung on to his every word with starry eyes.

Mission… success? Right? It succeeded, right? George wasn’t sure, but hey, they looked happy!

Soon after, Adelheid marched up to the Gryffindor Common Room, a panting George jogging in after her. She went straight up into the 6th year girls' dorm, where Angelina and Alicia were hosting Katie and, surprisingly, Pansy Parkinson.

George perked up when she noticed the petite Slytherin. “Oh! Pansy! It’s so good to see you!! What’s the occasion?”

Pansy sniffed haughtily. “Well, I feel that I’m due for a makeover. Blaise hasn’t asked me out to the Ball yet, and I want to give him a subtle hint to get a move on.”

Angelina nodded in approval. “You’ve got the right idea, Pans. Boys are hopeless. Sometimes they need a kick in the arse to get moving.”

Pansy stared up at Adelheid. “How do you do? I am Pansy Parkinson, heir to House Parkinson.”

Adelheid inclined her head. “Adelheid Von Dietrichstein of House Dietrichstein. Good to make yur acquaintance.” Her German accent was thick but perfectly understandable.

Addie turned to address the room at large. “Friends. I require yur assistance. I need to become so beautiful that I vill bevitch Gaultier Archambeau.”

Everyone perked up at that. 

Alicia tilted her head. “Wait, ain’t tha’ the fit bloke that always hangs around Fleur?”

Katie rubbed her hands in excitement for the chance to impart some gossip. “You are correct, Alicia, dear. Mr. Archambeau is very special, you see. Both he and Cayetana Aguilar are Fleur’s best friends, and for good reason! The reason that they’re both so bloody gorgeous is because they’re part Veela! Or, well, at least Archambeau is, people aren’t actually sure about what Aguilar is, since she has dark hair, which part-Veela witches and wizards don’t tend to have. But she’s as inhumanly beautiful as the other two, so that’s the main theory going on, birds of a feather and all!” Katie gushed.

Everyone tittered in excitement. George frowned. “Wait, I thought that Veelas and their descendants are always female?”

Katie nodded in excitement. “They are, until their blood is diluted enough to allow the birth of a male. According to the rumor mill, Mr. Archambeau is 1/8th Veela! Usually, males are only born in a family line when they are 1/32th a fraction! That’s why he’s so bloody fit!!”

Addie nodded in pride as the girls squealed in excitement. “Ja. My family specializes in precious stones. Gaultier is a rare pearl. I vill make him mine and polish him till he shines.” The look in her eyes was predatory.

Angelina matched her feral grin. “Well, then, my dear, we have some work to do!”

Addie nodded resolutely as she began to undo the tight braid her long blond hair was in. “Of course. I vill not allow that bumbling fool Viktor to stumble his way into romance over me. That schwachkopf has been insufferable to be around, spouting all that depressing Russian Literature. Idiot. I vill not allow him to show me up!”

Katie gasped, her eyes dancing in intrigue. “The Viktor Krum already asked someone?! Who?!”

George shot a quick silencing spell at Addie and grinned at her irritated look. “Not telling~! You’ll figure it out at the Ball!”

“Boo, you whore!”

“I regret ever teaching you that.”

That entire Saturday was spent in peals of laughter. Later on, Ginny came to peek in on the commotion and was pulled in for a beauty treatment of her own. Hermione peeked in later when Ginny hadn’t returned but unfortunately made her escape. Curses! They’d get her next time!

Adelheid was positively resplendent by the time dinner rolled around. Her hair was freshly straightened with subtle highlights that made it look like it glowed. Her brows were expertly plucked, and a gorgeous dark wine shade of lipstick adorned her full, pouty lips.

All the other girls just stared at her in shock.

Alicia roughly nudged George. “Blimey, George, she might be as pretty as you, innit?”

“Wha?”

“Never mind, yeah? Forgot you’re still as dense as Hagrid’s fruitcake.”

“Hey!”

Pansy was the only one coherent enough to still offer Adelheid her feedback while the other girls gaped at the German bombshell like she was a Unicorn. “You might want to use an Ironing charm on your skirt. Those Beauxbatons types are very straight-laced.”

“Ja. Danke, Pansy. House Dietrichstein recognizes yur contributions.”

Pansy regally nodded at her. “Thank you. House Parkinson accepts your regard. Feel free to contact me. House Parkinson has been interested in entering the goldsmithing business recently.”

“I shall.”

George smiled. All that Pureblood custom shit seemed kinda stuffy to her, but hey! Live your best Purebred life!!

After dinner, the girls watched as Addie resolutely marched over to the casually reclining Gaultier. They observed as he stared up at Addie with his mouth hanging open a bit before he said something. Addie grinned before she grasped his cravat and leaned down to boldly plant a kiss on him. When she pulled away, Gaultier looked stunned, his lips stained with dark lipstick. From next to him, everyone could hear beautiful Cayetana Aguilar squeak in surprise and raise a shocked hand to her mouth. Addie pulled back and said one last thing that left Gaultier pinking before she smirked and walked away with a flawless catwalk.

What. The. Fuck.

Everyone stared at Addie as she sashayed her way back to them. From behind the girls’ group stood the Durmstrang boys, who looked at her as if they had never seen her before. A slow smile began to grow on Sasha’s lips, and George just knew that poor Addie was going to get the teasing of a lifetime. From the smug smirk on Addie’s lips, she wasn’t going to mind one bit.

Fred whistled, low and impressed. “That’s gonna stir things up, isn’t it?”

And sure enough, it did. It was as if Addie asking Gaultier out to the Ball broke the proverbial dam: people were now scrambling to get a date.

Shockingly, George got asked out quite a bit. She sadly had to turn them all down with the news that she already had a partner, and surprisingly, most of them seemed to have expected it and took the rejection with good humor.

Sasha had causally asked her, and when George mournfully told him that she already had a date, he laughed and ruffled her hair, saying that he expected that would be the case, but that he would have to be an idiot to not even try. He was such a cutie pie, that Sasha!

Wow, asking her? Just goes to show just how desperate people were in snagging a date, huh, Freddie? Why are you rolling your eyes???

Surprisingly, even Draco Malfoy approached her with a murderous scowl and a furious blush.

George was eating breakfast one morning with Ginny, who was sulking because Harry had asked Luna out to the Ball the previous night. Ginny was absolutely ecstatic for the both of them, as it was clear that they were both very well matched together, but her baby sister understandably wanted to lick her wounds in peace.

Draco interrupted Ginny’s well-deserved moping by politely clearing his throat. When the two red-heads turned around, Ginny narrowed her eyes at their uninvited guest.

George beamed up at the Slytherin. “Oh! Draco, hello! My, it’s rare to see you around the Gryffindor table! What can I help you with today?”

Ginny’s glare intensified as the ponce dithered. “Just spit it out, you ferrety twat.”

George gasped. “Gigi!”

Finally, Draco Malfoy muttered out, “... date for the Yule Ball.”

George stared in incomprehension for a second before she gasped and clapped her hands in delight. “Oh! I see! Pansy’s just so gorgeous, isn’t she, but she’s unfortunately going with Blaise Zabini to the Ball, and now, you don’t have a date!”

A stupendously brilliant idea materialized in her brain. Oh yeah. It’s all coming together. “Well, have no fear, dear Draco! Why don’t you take darling Ginny as your date!”

George beamed, completely missing both Draco's and Ginny’s horrified faces. On the other side of the Weasley girls sat Fred and Ron, who looked like they were struggling to choose between dying of hilarity and murdering the little ferret for having Ginny as a date.

The rest of the Gryffindor table wasn’t as conflicted. They were doing their absolute best to not let the loud laughter out, lest they ruin the priceless scene.

“Wait-” Draco began to protest, looking unbelievably panicked, but George compassionately shushed him and stuffed a peach gummy into his mouth. 

“Don’t worry, kiddo! I’ve solved it! You’re gonna go with precious little Ginny and have a fantastic time for the Ball! Oh, and her dress is violet and silver, I’ll send Pansy over with the right shades, make sure that you match her!”

George excitedly ushered him away, and Draco walked blankly to the Slytherin table, looking shell-shocked. From next to her, Ginny looked like she was dissociating. Strangely, the entire Gryffindor table just suddenly burst into laughter. Hmm? Did George miss something? Let her in on the joke!!

Ron moaned miserably as he picked at his eggs. “Bloody hell, now even Ginny has a date to the Ball? I’m right buggered, aren’t I?”

Ginny’s sharp eyes landed on her brother, ready to serve a heaping dose of revenge. No one could ever take anything out on sweet, oblivious Jojo, but Ron was fair game, wasn’t he?

“What are you talking about? You’re obviously going with that French bird, yeah? Do you honestly think that she’d let you go with anyone else?” she jeered condescendingly.

Ginny grinned in satisfaction as Ron went white. Ha! Served him right!

Just as George expected, Freddie got asked out to the Ball by an insane number of girls. Just, they came in hordes!! George almost couldn’t keep track of them all!!

Fred was heartbreakingly kind to most of them. The only ones his sharp tongue came out for were those who refused to take no for an answer. George understood. If Freddie hadn’t chased them away, then she would have gotten a little rude. Freddie wasn’t the only one stupidly overprotective! If any one of these rotten skanks tried to dose her precious boys, she’d chop them up for Potions ingredients!

George winced as Freddie gently, gently let down Stella Blott. The poor girl had been carrying a torch for her twin for years now, ever since the whole Chamber of Secrets incident, despite George’s subtle attempts to dissuade her.

Stella valiantly tried to keep a straight face, but as she turned away, the twins could see her lip quiver and her eyes begin to glisten.

Freddie rubbed a hand over his face and pushed his fiery hair back. He looked exhausted.

George understood how he felt. It was never fun turning someone down, as all the people asking her to the Ball had taught her.

She walked over to Freddie and silently burrowed into him, and he gratefully accepted her cuddles.

“I feel like a right wanker, don’t I?” he sighed.

George winced sympathetically. “I know. But don’t beat yourself up over it, yeah?”

Freddie glumly nodded. 

They sat together on the moving staircase in silence, letting the motions rock them peacefully.

Finally, Freddie turned to her. “You haven’t asked me yet, have you, Georgie?”

George snuggled close to him. “No, I haven’t.”

“Why?”

George smiled. “I figured that you would tell me when you both were ready.”

Freddie sighed fondly. “Yanno, we didn’t intend to keep it a secret. We just kinda wanted to see who would notice, yeah?”

“I figured. That’s so you, Freddie, turning this into a prank, too.”

Fred huffed out a laugh. “Since when have you known?”

George furrowed her brows as she thought back. “Since the beginning, I think. Around the start of the year. Both Ced and I noticed that awful concealment charm you cast on your neck. We both knew it was a hickey immediately. Shoulda used the Skin Spray.”

Fred grimaced and pulled her closer. “Yeah, I was almost out. Gave the rest to Angie, didn’t I?”

“Ah. That explains it.”

The two of them sat in silence for a few minutes longer, enjoying the unpredictable movement of the stairs. 

“I love her.”

“I figured.”

Fred leaned his head down to rest on top of hers. “And you love him, don’t you?”

George swallowed down a ball in her throat. “Yeah,” she whispered.

Freddie just kissed her crown, and the two enjoyed the gentle ride in silence.

 

---

 

And so, Christmas finally arrived, and with it, the much-anticipated Yule Ball.

George and the girls pulled Ginny and Hermione into the whirlwind of getting ready, and they spent hours primping and preening until they looked like goddesses.

All of them came together to straighten Hermione’s hair, which took seven bottles of Sleekeazy's. Damn, girl. 

Angelina was dressed in a sexy red cocktail gown that clung to her perfect hourglass figure. George smirked. Angie really was fucking beautiful, wasn’t she? Real Naomi Campbell vibes. Freddie was going to go mental.

Alicia wore a delicate pink, flowy dress that contrasted beautifully against her tan skin. Lee had finally plucked up the courage to ask her out, and she was happy to accept.

Katie was in a puffy mint-green princess-style gown and looked rather like Cinderella, in George’s opinion. She had been asked out by a shy Beauxbatons boy.

Hermione, as expected, looked absolutely radiant in her periwinkle dress and elegant updo. George was honestly a little scared about how Viktor was going to react. In her worst nightmare, he would breathe heavily, bust a nut the moment he saw her, and get arrested for public indecency.

No, George, happy thoughts! 

Ginny, of course, looked perfect in her violet gown. It showed off the long, lean legs that she had been working hard for, insisting on accompanying Fred, George, and Cedric on their morning jogs along the Back Lake. The dress hugged her trim waist and emphasized her growing bust tastefully. It was a perfect dress for a teenage girl, and George smiled in fondness as Ginny spun around in front of the mirror in delight.

And finally, George’s own dress.

The other girls had refused to listen to George’s protests and had sat her down and went to town on her. Make-up and skin cleansing spells, trimming the terrible split ends off her hair, some truly horrific waxing spells, the works.

George’s hair flowed in luxurious waves over her left shoulder, strikingly contrasting like blood against the midnight blue fabric.

The gown was a little tight across the bust in a sweetheart neckline, but the other girls vehemently refused to let her enlarge the dress, saying that it accentuated her chest beautifully. The dress didn’t have shoulders and came with long, white, acromantula silk gloves that came up to her biceps. The hems had white detailing, and the embedded gem shards glimmered in the light, creating a gorgeous starry effect. The slit along her left leg went a little high due to her height, exposing a long stretch of her toned thighs. Her heels emphasized her legs rather flatteringly, George had to admit. The gauzy cape trailed behind her in an elegant train that gave her an ethereal feel.

George had insisted on doing her make-up in the American style she had been so familiar with in her past life, with a heavy smokey eyeshadow, dramatically contoured cheekbones, and a bright cherry-red lipstick. She allowed her freckles to be proudly displayed across her nose and cheekbones, feeling weird when the other girls had tried covering them up.

Freckles were synonymous with Georgiana Weasley. She wouldn’t recognize herself without them. This is who she was now, and George loved her current self and the life she had built here.

When George’s transformation was deemed complete, all of the other girls held their breaths in anticipation of her reaction.

Oh.

For the first time in her life, George felt truly beautiful. Sure, she had vaguely noticed her looks before, but it always felt fake, like she was an imposter wearing a pretty coat. Just- something in her brain refused to let her linger on it for too long before a devastating wave of discomfort and disgust rose within her and reminded her that she was a wolf in sheep’s clothing that had replaced the real George.

But this? 

She finally, after all the years, felt completely comfortable in her own skin. 

Finally.

George hugged all her girls tightly, blinking furiously to keep from letting the tears fall. Sure, the magic would prevent her mascara from running, but nothing could save her from ugly bloodshot eyes!

George loved her girls desperately. Even if the rest of the night went poorly, she would still fondly remember this moment for the rest of her life.

Eventually, everybody made their way downstairs, where a crowd of nervous boys was waiting for the girls to emerge from their dorms to meet them.

As expected, Freddie looked fiercely handsome, his robes showing his lean figure off and his shaggy, wild red hair framing his face perfectly. His tie was the same shade of blood red as Angelina’s dress, and he was struck dumb when his stunning girlfriend smirked and pulled him in for a filthy kiss. 

The Common Room cheered. Guess that cat was finally out of the bag. Go have fun with your Nubian Goddess, Freddie!!!

Dennis Creevey gaped at George as she approached him. Both he and his brother were furiously taking pictures for posterity, making a tidy sum in the process. His camera was clutched in his limp hands, and he breathed, “Jessica Rabbit.”

HAHAHA! What a cutie pie!!! For the first time, George could see what he was talking about.

Hermione, Ginny, and George made their way outside, where their dates were waiting for them.

George spotted Draco first, and he stared at her for a long moment before he turned to Ginny, and his mouth fell open. 

Ginny looked petulant, but George’s sharp eyes caught how she subtly admired Draco’s snazzy form and preened at his obvious admiration.

Snifffff. Hmmmm???

Viktor looked dashing in his formal red robes and traditional one-shoulder cape. He gaped at Hermione’s shyly smiling form like a complete buffoon, but hey, it was better than the worst-case scenario she was terrified of, so yay! 

And finally, George’s eyes met Cedric’s, only to see that he was already looking at her. George’s mouth went dry when she completely took him in.

Hoooly fuuuck.

Cedric looked hot enough to withstand a Swedish Short-Snout’s breath without any difficulty.

Rather than wear Wizarding Dress Robes, he had opted to go the Muggle route. He was dressed in a tailored midnight blue three-piece suit that complemented her dress perfectly, complete with a waistcoat, a gold watch, gemstone cufflinks, shiny leather shoes, and a deep blue tie that was diagonally striped with thin silver lines.

The suit was cut to fit perfectly to Cedric’s frame, emphasizing his broad shoulders, narrow waist, thick thighs and perfect ass. His hair was neatly combed, but his jaw held a hint of his stubble, making him look appealingly roguish.

George’s eyes darted to Freddie, only to see him smirking at her.

That bastard. He had told Cedric that she had found Muggle suits way sexier than dress robes and had pulled out the men’s fashion magazines to prove it.

George held her breath as Cedric walked to her. His perfectly polished shoes clicked softly as he walked, intent like a tiger stalking its prey.

Finally, he came to a stop right before George. Even with heels on, she still had to look up to meet his devastating eyes.

And his eyes.

Cedric’s gorgeous hooded gray eyes burned with intensity. George felt his gaze like a physical touch wherever they brushed against her skin. Under her dress, her stomach clenched, and her nipples tightened.

Oh my god.

Cedric didn’t say anything. He simply offered his arm out to her, and George accepted. He led her out to the Great Hall, the other couples trailing after them.

George was vividly aware of every inch of her body that touched Cedric. Her head threatened to swim as she breathed in his heady scent. Lemons, cedar, and smoke. 

God, she wanted to bite him. She bet he tasted delicious.

Whoa there, girl. Calm down.

When they arrived at the Great Hall, they saw that Fleur had once again come with Roger Davies, who looked like he couldn’t believe his luck. Unfortunately, Fleur looked bored beyond comprehension.

Viktor and Hermione took their place, and Cedric led George to stand at the end. They waved to the rest of their friends, who made their way into the hall to await their entrance.

Fred winked at her. That idiot.

As McGonagall peppered the Champions and their partners with strict instructions about how the First Waltz was going to proceed, George felt Cedric lean in.

His breath was hot against her ear and made goosebumps break out on her neck. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Jo. If you let me, I would worship you.”

George’s eyes snapped to Cedric’s, and she didn’t see a single hint that he was joking. Before she could reply, the doors swung open, and they were ushered away into the Great Hall.

Deafening applause met their entrance, but it wasn’t anything in comparison to George’s thunderous heartbeat pounding in her head.

Did he just say…?

Cedric intently stared down at her as he began to lead her around the hall in a graceful waltz.

The rest of the hall fell away. 

The only thing that anchored her were Cedric’s penetrating eyes as they danced as a single, perfect partnership.

The rest of the night passed in a daze. George barely noticed anything around her and was bewitched by Cedric. Like a princess from a fairy tale, she danced the night away with her handsome prince, and she cherished every moment because she knew that the moment midnight struck, it would all be over.

George and Cedric didn’t dance a single song away from each other. No one was able to penetrate the hypnotic little world that they had fallen into.

They just stared at each other and danced and danced and danced.

Finally, the Ball came to a close, and the students were ushered back to their rooms. Plenty of them tried to pair off to sneak into corners together, but Snape and Moody gleefully made the rounds to oust them from their little love nooks.

Cedric silently led her to the Gryffindor Common Room like a complete gentleman, but that was where it all ended. He grasped the tip of her glove and slowly pulled it off, the fabric sliding silkily against her skin.

His eyes burned into her as he lifted her naked arm to his mouth and kissed the inside of her wrist. 

George gasped.

Cedric continued to stare at her for a few long heartbeats. Whatever he saw on her face made him smile darkly. The shadows emphasized his perfectly chiseled features and made his teeth look sharp and wolfish.

He released her arm and placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face up, then he leaned in, a cloud of his delicious scent engulfing her, and pressed a lingering kiss on her cheek.

As George’s eyes fluttered closed, Cedric leaned in and whispered straight into her ear, “Sweet dreams, Jo.”

And he was gone.

George barely managed to hastily spell her dress into a neat bundle and cast a few perfunctory make-up cleanser and mouth freshening spells before she collapsed into her bed.

Her pussy throbbed.

George managed to get herself off twice before she winced from the oversensitivity, but that wasn’t enough to extinguish the fire flowing through her veins.

She was barely able to drift off to sleep, her mind caught up in an unending loop of the sheer potential of her and Cedric’s new relationship.

She bit her lip and smiled hopefully.

Maybe…

Just maybe…?

 

 

Notes:

So, I imagined George's dress to be like Anastasia's blue gown from the 1997 movie, but with a long slit on the left side. Stunning.

But yeah. Let me know what you thinkkkkk

Chapter 9: Sixth Year - Part 3

Notes:

Sorry, this is a reposted chapter, there is a new chapter if this one looks familiar! AO3 was really fucking with me today, sorry guys 💀

So yeah, there is a teeny, tiny misunderstanding right at the start of the chapter, mostly because of George's god-awful self-esteem issues, but don't worry, it gets resolved VERY quickly, Cedric makes sure of it 😂 😂

To George’s absolute dismay, the next morning, Cedric acted as if the previous night didn’t happen. Oh, he was perfectly polite, telling her that he had a wonderful time dancing at the Ball with her, but there wasn’t any of the heat that she had seen in his gaze. He treated her just as he always had, a good friend, but no different than how he had acted for years.

Ha. Surely not?

George stared at him throughout the entire day, but he gave no signs that anything had changed. She analyzed each and every interaction, but she didn’t like the conclusion that was becoming more and more clear to her.

When both Fred and Cedric had stared at her in concern and asked why she was so quiet the whole day, George smiled painfully and airily deflected that she was just tired from all the dancing from the previous night and that she had trouble falling asleep afterwards. She watched Cedric’s reaction like a hawk, but he didn’t even bat an eye at her excuse. Even Freddie gave her a side-eye at her unusual behavior.

Finally, George was forced to admit it: she had probably imagined it the whole thing. Misconstrued his signals, and what-not. It was the only possible explanation for why, despite everything, nothing had changed. She spent the rest of the day with a plastic smile on her face, feeling her chest crumple in on itself like a tin can.

Haha! Who was heartbroken? Certainly not her~! It’s not like George had finally felt pretty and confident in her looks and had possibly, maybe, gotten her hopes up that Cedric could possibly, maybe like her as more than a friend.

Merlin, what was she thinking?! George knew better than that! She had already given herself the whole spiel about why it could never happen in the first place. Nope, this one was all on her. She knew what would happen if she had ever gotten her hopes up in the first place, and now look where she was, trying to keep the heartbreak from showing on her face as everyone around her babbled excitedly about the Ball.

Hey, maybe that was just it. Maybe Cedric thought she was super pretty yesterday, too, but after seeing her normal, boring self, realized that he was uninterested in the real Georgie.

No, that can’t be it, can it? Her Ced isn’t that shallow.

But. What else could be the explanation for his complete non-reaction? George’s stomach began to sink as she slowly realized the truth. 

It’s not like George was against dressing up, or anything. It’s just… who she was at the Ball? That’s not the real her. The Real George was poor and shabby and often stained with ink and other various magical residues from their prank developments. Her hair was wild and uneven, and her clothes were raggedy and threadbare. She was stained with sweat from Quidditch practice and her freckles bloomed unflatteringly across her face from all the sunlight. She was gangly and unfashionably tall and decidedly ungraceful, nothing like the polished, refined lady that she was the previous day.

That was the Real George. 

And it was becoming depressingly clear to her that Cedric wasn’t interested in the Real George, but rather the Fairy Tale Princess that he had danced the night away with on Yule.

Ah. Is this what heartbreak felt like? Haha, 0/10, do not recommend! Now, please excuse George so she can go cry in the shower so that no one will be witness to her utter humiliation!

Over the rest of the Winter Break, George threw herself into the gossip in all her friends' lives. No, it wasn’t to ignore her own problems, that’s ridiculous!!!

But hey, if an unintended side-effect of hanging out with them was being able to avoid her boys’ concerned stares, then what a great stroke of luck, right?

Oooh, Ron still bitched about how he had to stand out in the cold alongside all the other boys waiting to escort Beauxbatons students to the Ball. Apparently Gabrielle was pretty, yeah, but that didn’t detract any of her fearsomeness! They had danced long into the night, losing track of time as they engaged in a furious rapid-fire mental chess match, which Ron was smug to proclaim he had won and led to an enraged Gabrielle yanking on his hair in retaliation.

Harry had a lovely time with Luna. They absconded soon after the dinner and escaped to the Greenhouses, where they laid down and discussed Nargles and Blibbering Humdingers. Harry was happy to listen to Luna passionately describe all the creatures that she wanted to find concrete proof of so that people would finally stop dismissing her as looney. They bared their souls to each other and tenderly, shyly smooched throughout the night until the sun peeked through the giant glass windows. Awwww, this cute little wholesome puppy-love was going to give George diabetes!!

Ginny wouldn’t speak about how her night went, but when George asked about Draco, her precious baby sister glared resentfully up at her, hiding a furious blush.

Hmmmmm???

Asking Hermione about how her night went with Viktor always led to a gush about nihilistic Russian literature, declarations about how the proletariat had to come together to rise up against the bourgeoisie, and how Krum had offered to gouge out the eyes of every other male who looked upon her beautiful form. Hermione almost swooned. Uh, okay then. Sorry she asked.

Arnie had gone with none other than Cho Chang! Apparently they had met out while practising Quidditch, and had slowly noticed each other as the weeks had gone by, intrigued by each other's determination and work-ethic. From what little George could glean from Arnie’s mute figure, they were quite besotted with each other. 

Good for them? George’s brain hurt a little when she thought about all the ramifications of this, but ultimately, she was happy for sweet Arnie! 

Sasha had gone with Rizwana Shafiq, a gorgeous 6th year Ravenclaw. She had worn an absolutely stunning white dress that had matched perfectly with her silk shayla. They had a wonderful conversation but both of them agreed that they weren’t well matched. Oh, well! Sasha blinked his eyes pitifully at George and she laughed as she ruffled his hair in sympathy. George pointedly ignored the feeling of eyes on her back as she did so. 

Adelheid had shown Gaultier the night of his life, apparently. George covered her ears and ran away before she could hear all the details of how her hands fit perfectly around his sluttily narrow waist, but the model-like man was apparently quite the masochist. Nooooo!!! Addie, please no more!!! 

Fred had absconded to the Room of Requirement with Angelina, and the next day both of them used copious amounts of Skin Spray. George got nauseous before any further details came out and had to run away. Nobody wanted to hear that about their twin, ewwwww!!!

Haha, looks like everyone had an absolutely splendid time! Oh, her? Nothing was going on between her and Cedric, why do you ask? Pshhh, you must be seing things! They were best friends, as always! Yes, you heard her correctly. B.E.S.T.  F.R.I.E.N.D.S.

In that week alone, George ate so many peach gummies that she was almost put off. That was what horrified her the most. Getting sick of peach gummies??? She didn’t even know who she was anymore!!!

George avoided all of Cedric’s attempts to talk to her and tracked down Harry instead.

He was absolutely thrilled to receive the Marauder’s Map. Haha, she had finally duplicated it, so now she was happy to give it to her precious little Harry! Sorry bud, it’s a year delayed, but hey! Better late than never!

She was happy to lead Harry around the Castle and introduce him to all the secret passageways and trapdoors. She showed him how to access all the hidden features of the map and how to utilize it to cause chaos and sneak around.

If, in the process, she she kept a close eye on Cedric’s location and made sure to steer them clear of him, then nobody had to know! After all, it was quite easy to do so, with both of the maps in her possession. 

She caught Harry giving her considering looks every so often, but hey, George was sure it was nothing!!

A few weeks later, they were dodging Cedric’s increasingly determined attempts to intercept them. Well, George was, and she pulled a bewildered Harry along for the ride.

She should have expected that something was wrong when late one Friday evening, Harry excitedly informed her that he had discovered a new secret passage in the kitchens, one that hadn’t previously been recorded in the map.

George believed him, as she, Fred, and Cedric had unearthed a secret passage or two not included in the Marauder’s Map themselves. It wasn’t too far-fetched that Harry would have discovered one himself.

Harry smiled secretively as George skipped alongside him, excited to discover where this new tunnel led to. She could hardly wait!!

They reached the kitchens and tickled the pear, but when George excitedly skipped in, she froze.

Sitting with a leg carelessly crossed over the other and a steaming cup of tea in front of him sat Cedric, who stared right at her. He smiled slowly.

Oh no.

The door boomed shut behind her, and she could make out a muffled, “Sorry, George! Please don’t kill me! I have a date with Luna next week!”

Oh that little shit. Wait until she got her hands on him, she’ll make him wish that he’d never been born. When she wasn’t so angry, she’d be impressed at the perfect trick, but unfortunately for Harry, she was seething right now.

“Jo.”

George turned around to reach for the handle, but the door was magically locked after someone snapped their fingers loudly.

George turned around to see Boopsi sternly staring her down, her spindly hand threateningly raised for another snap to force George to do her bidding. 

Argh.

“Jo.”

Finally, with great reluctance, George turned to look at Cedric. Immediately she felt the dreaded feeling of her heart aching in her chest.

He was still heartbreakingly beautiful, but he wasn’t as put together as he normally was. His hair fell into his eyes and his clothes were ruffled, not neatly ironed like they usually were. A visible shadow covered his cheeks. He hadn’t shaved in days.

A sword stabbed through George’s chest.

Oh, Ced.

She had done this to him. Her avoiding him, running away, deflecting all his and Freddie’s concerns had ultimately left him in this state.

George internally scoffed at herself as she recalled her conversation with Ginny from a year ago, from when she was upset that Harry liked Luna instead of her. George wasn’t wrong to want space, but she had hurt her precious boys in her attempt to preserve her heart.

She felt awful. 

No. This wasn’t the kind of person she wanted to be. George was a Gryffindor. She would bravely face the consequences of her actions.

She braced herself for a justified reaming out, but when she looked up, she saw Cedric staring at her with that same inscrutable smile.

His eyes were dark.

“Heya, Jo. I’m sorry to corner you like this, but you left me no choice. There’s something wrong with the Egg. I need your help.”

“What?” It took a long moment for her brain to reboot.

“The Golden Egg, Jo. The clue for the Second Task. There’s something wrong with it.”

A fresh wave of guilt washed through her. Here she was, fretting over their relationship while Cedric was working on preparing for the Second Task. Merlin, she really was the worst, wasn’t she?

“What’s wrong with it? Is it not singing right?”

Cedric shrugged. “I dunno. 

“Do you think the dragonfire affected the spellwork on the egg?” she pondered.

“It’s possible. I thought I’d come to you, but you’ve been a tad bit challenging to approach recently.” He smiled at her, but there was no joy behind it.

Cue George feeling like a piece of shit again.

“If you have time this evening, I thought I’d find you to try to get this resolved. The next task is just around the corner and I thought that I might need a few weeks to come up with a proper plan.”

George nodded eagerly. “Of course! I always have time for you!”

She deflated at Cedric’s pointed look. Yeah, okay, always - except for the past few weeks, apparently.

“Come on, Jo. I booked the Prefect Baths for the rest of the night.”

The halls were remarkably empty for a Friday evening, and no one interrupted their walk over.

George was a little excited as she followed Cedric over to the Prefect Baths. Of course, she and Freddie had been in the baths, the Marauder’s Map giving them the password, but she had never actually seen it in action.

Other than the prestige and the roaming privileges of Prefects, the legendary Prefect Baths were the main reason that people strived to attain the position. 

And for good reason.

When Cedric muttered the password that allowed them entry, George was struck dumb once again.

Waterfalls of colored water showered into the large pool, foaming where they hit the surface. The steamy air smelled of perfumed products, and the stained glass windows depicted moving images of mermaids and kelpies throwing their long hair.

George turned back to Cedric to see him already taking his shirt off.

She hastily turned away, her face flaming. “Uh. Do you… uh…?”

Cedric’s voice was business-like as she heard the buckle of his belt clicking as he slid it off. “You’re going to have to come into the water with me to hear it.”

Merlin’s saggy nutsack.

Keep calm, George. Don’t overthink it. We’ve already established that Cedric doesn’t see you that way, so just focus on fixing the stupid egg so that he can have all the cards for the Second Task.

George took a deep breath and dropped her skirt. She eased her tie out of its knot and slid it off. Finally, as she unbuttoned her shirt, she heard the splash of Cedric getting into the pool.

Okay. Let’s do this.

George dropped her shirt and stiffly turned to the pool, marching resolutely until she reached the edge. When her traitorous eyes glanced up, she saw Cedric looking down at her, eyes dark and unreadable. Streaks of suds dripped down his muscular chest, and his happy trail was hidden by the water.

George snapped her head away and turned to the side. “Right! Well then, let's take a look at that Egg, shall we?”

Wordlessly, Cedric handed her the Golden Egg that was resting on the ledge.

Warily, she opened it a crack and slammed it back closed as it screeched bloody murder. She winced. Yup, that part was working just fine, alright.

She dropped the Egg below the surface and opened it, and this time she could hear the muted, watery notes of a melodious song.

She took a deep breath and dunked her head under the water and she was able to hear the clue.

“-where our voices sound,

We cannot sing above the ground,

And while you're searching ponder this;

We've taken what you'll sorely miss,

An hour long you'll have to look,

And to recover what we took,

But past an hour, the prospect's black,

Too late, it's gone, it won't come back.”

George burst to the surface and gasped for air.

She panted as she examined the Egg for any damage on the outside. “Well, it looks to me that the Egg is working just fine. You did remember to put it under the water like I told you to, didn’t you? This is a mermaid song, which can only be…”

George trailed off when she met Cedric’s eyes. 

His intense, hooded gaze stopped her in her tracks.

Rather than the gorgeous gray that she was so familiar with, his eyes had turned almost completely black. His pupils had dilated and left only a thin band of silver to ring around the edge.

Cedric slowly reached out and took the Egg from George’s limp hands and placed it on the ledge. He waded closer till he was standing close enough to force George to crane her neck up to meet his gaze. Despite the chilly air in the cavernous bathroom, he radiated heat, and beneath her soaked bra, George’s nipples began to pebble.

Cedric slowly backed George into the wall, and she gasped as he continued to step closer until they were chest to chest.

“... The Egg?” she croaked.

Cedric’s expression remained unreadable. “I solved it ages ago.” His warm breath washed over her.

“Then why…?”

“Hmmmm. Tell me, Jo. Do you know what I’ve been through the past few weeks?”

Cedric didn’t wait for her to answer. His hand began to trail alongside her hip.

“I was finally able to ask the girl of my dreams out to the Yule Ball. I was ecstatic when she said yes. I worked hard to make sure that none of the other cunts were able to snatch you away by dosing you or enchanting you,” he snarled. His hand squeezed before it made its way up to her stomach.

“I made sure that everything was perfect. I owled Dad and got a Muggle suit that I know you love, all the way from New York, because that’s what those rubbish magazines say is the best. I had Freddie bring me your dress so that I can match you perfectly.” His hand caressed her ribcage and still moved north.

Distantly, George noted that she wasn’t surprised to hear that her nosy twin had collaborated with Ced. They had matched too flawlessly to be a coincidence.

“And then, we dance. The Ball goes beautifully, and I foolishly think that I can finally have this. That after years of waiting, of praying, she finally sees me as more than a friend.”

His hand teasingly traced beneath her bra and skimmed the sensitive skin of her under breast. His finger slipped away and brushed over her left nipple, making George bite her lip to prevent a gasp from escaping.

“Hours later, when the night came to an end, I said goodbye to her, and I finally see the heat in her eyes. I finally see that she wants me, just like I want her. After years of waiting, I finally see it.”

His hand curled around her neck, and he forced her head to look up as he leaned in. Cedric’s lips were pulled back in a snarl, his eyes arresting in their intensity. 

“And then she runs from me.” He breathed. “For weeks, she runs from me. From us. I tried to be patient. I tried to be understanding. But she never comes back to me.” His hand tightened a fraction around her throat.

“After all those weeks of painful waiting, it becomes clear to me: I need to catch her.” His breath brushed against her lips. “She can try to run, but I will catch her every time, because, in the end, no matter how far she goes, she is mine, and I won’t let her go.”

George’s breath hitched. 

His lips were a hair away from hers. “You’re mine, aren’t you, Jo?”

George felt like she was about to burst. “Ced,” she groaned out.

“Aren’t you, lovely?”

“Yes.”

His lips crashed into hers, and it was like the whole world fell away. The only thing George was able to feel was his firm lips devouring hers and his hard body moving in till she was forced to wrap her legs around him. His large hands fell to her thighs and squeezed the meat, bruisingly hard.

It felt so good.

When his tongue slipped into her mouth, George moaned loudly. He tasted delicious, like lemons and mint and Cedric, and she dove in, eagerly tasting all he had to give.

The two kissed until they were forced to pull away to breathe, and Cedric moved to her neck and nipped her hard. George groaned and clenched her legs tighter around him. Up against her core, she felt a hard heat press against her and she eagerly grinded back.

Cedric’s stubble rasped against her neck, making her hum in pleasure and tilt her head over for more access. God, he was so fucking hot, it was unreal.

His raspy voice whispered in her ear, and she shivered. “You’re a good girl, aren’t ya, Jo? So responsive and pretty for me.” To prove his point, he pinched her nipple through her bra, and she arched in pleasure.

“I’m gonna take care of you, lovely. No one can take care of you like I can.” His voice was dark, but George didn’t notice, too engrossed in the feeling of her bra popping off and floating down into the depths of the pool. Cedric immediately fell upon her newly exposed breasts and nipped at them before he sucked her nipple hard.

“Ahhhh~!” George’s hand slipped into his hair and pulled hard, and George heard his low groan of pleasure.

Oh, so he liked his hair pulled? Interesting~

George gave another hard yank and was gratified to hear him moan louder and grind more firmly against her soaking pussy.

“Ced,” George panted. “Ced, I need you, baby.”

“Always, lovely girl,” he panted. His eyes were ravenous and sent a zing of pleasure straight into her core. 

He walked them across the pool and George felt a gentle wash of warm water as they walked through a blue waterfall. In the little secluded nook behind it was a small bench and some products. The lights were distorted from the waterfall and the nook danced in shadows, highlighting Cedric’s strong bone-structure and chiseled musculature.

His hands grasped her hips, and he lifted her high in a smooth motion. George startled and yelped and flailed, ultimately forced to wrap her legs around his head. He tilted forward, and George’s back hit the wall behind her, supported in between it and Cedric’s strong shoulders. She blushed furiously as she saw Cedric smile sharkishly as he looked up at her from between her thighs.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wanted to have your long, long legs wrapped around me, lovely?”

“Fuck,” George whined. Her pussy painfully clenched around nothing and she felt devastatingly hollow. God, she was so horny that she could lose her mind.

“I’d watch run around without a care in the world, and your skirt would bounce up, revealing just a hint of your strong thighs. Merlin, I just wanted a little taste.” He licked the inside of her thigh to emphasize his point, his arresting eyes holding hers in place.

“Ah~! Ced!”

He smiled and lifted his hand to her hip and muttered a soft, “Diffindo,” and her panties split into scraps before they fell off.

What the-? Was that… Did he just use Wandless Magic? Holy shit.

Cedric placed a hand on her heaving stomach and closed his eyes in concentration before he chanted an incantation that made her midriff glow a muted orange.

A contraceptive spell.

He caught her astonished stare and smirked up at her.

“Don’t worry, Jo. I won’t breed you up just yet,” he said, before his hot mouth fell on her.

“What do you mean, ‘just yet’, you idiot-”

George wailed hoarsely as Cedric began to expertly eat her out. He loudly slurped the juices that were dribbling out of her and practically buried his face in her pussy. His tongue teased her hole and his nose nudged perfectly against her clit, sending waves of pleasure rocking through her. His stubble scraped wonderfully on the inside of her sensitive thighs, making her tighten them around his head to get more of that addictive sensation. His hands clenched bruisingly tight on her ass and pushed her in closer to his devouring mouth. 

Hooooly Shittt. How was he so good at this?!

George felt her orgasm rock through her without warning. She arched and screamed silently, hands pulling brutally at his hair as she fought to anchor herself through the overwhelming pleasure.

George came back to the feeling of Cedric teasingly lap at the juices from her release. He grinned at her when he felt her eyes on him. “Mmmmm. Delicious,” he playfully smacked his lips. “You taste like peaches,” he cheekily smiled at her.

George had to laugh. “You idiot.” She ran her hand through his hair, and his eyes went slitted, and he nuzzled into it like a big cat. He spent a minute just rumbling like a satisfied tiger. George adored it.

Soon enough, he was turning back to her dripping core, his eyes filled with mischief. 

“No, Ced. I can’t. I just came.”

“I think you can, lovely. I promised that I would take care of you, didn’t I?”

“Wait-” her protests fell into a shrill scream as he began to mercilessly devour her. She arched with painful overstimulation and her legs helplessly beat against his back to distance her painfully-sensitive pussy from his punishing mouth, but his hands firmly held her ass and refused to let her escape. His tongue licked across her clit and pierced through her hole, and his hot breaths lit all her nerves on fire. His lips puckered and before she could say anything, they closed over her clit and sucked hard.

George screamed as a second orgasm hit her like the fucking Hogwarts Express, painful in its intensity. She must have blacked out for a second, because when she came to again, she was off of Cedric’s shoulders and cradled in his arms. He was murmuring spells to get the water vents in their little nook running, and she drowsily sighed as Cedric gently placed her on the bench and a jet hit her lower back perfectly.

Cedric brushed her wet hair away from her face, and George looked up to see him smiling down at her. 

“You fucking dick.”

Cedric grinned and leaned in to kiss her. George moaned at the taste of herself on his lips, tart and musky and altogether not too bad at all, if she did say so herself.

“So? Did I manage to take care of you?” The smug tilt of his smirk displeased George. The prat knew that he had performed more than adequately. George suppressed a mischievous smile of her own.

“Oh, you know. It was pretty decent, I guess,” she feigned indifference, running her fingers through the nearby waterfall.

Cedric’s brow furrowed. “Decent?”

George nodded solemnly. “Above average, even! I could even be convinced to give you an Exceeds Expectation!”

Cedric dunked George under the water, and she sputtered and laughed as she came back up. His face was exasperated and amused as he shook his head at her.

“I dunno why I love you when you’re such a little shit.”

George’s laughter died on her lips as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

“You love me?”

Cedric wiped the water away from his face, and when he met her eyes, he looked tired.

“Of course I love you, you daft bint. I’ve loved you for years. Did you hear nothing I said?” he sighed.

George’s brain short-circuited as the blood rushed to her face, and she blurted out the first thought she had. “But! But what about Cho Chang?!”

Cedric rolled his eyes as he reached for a sweet-smelling shampoo. “What about her?”

“You’re supposed to be with her!”

“Why would I be with her? Isn’t she with that Arnie fellow?” Cedric poured a glob onto his hand and began to foam it up.

“Yes, but in the story-”

Cedric cut her off. “Ah. So that’s what this is about. I shoulda known you’d go bloody mental about the stupid fucking original timeline.”

He reached over and began to lather her hair, but George couldn’t enjoy the blissful feeling, too caught up in Cedric’s irritated response. “What-?”

“Jo, answer me this. Who is Ginny supposed to be with in that ridiculous story?”

“Uh, Harry, but-”

“Exactly. And now, do you ever see them getting together?”

“Um, no, he clearly fancies the pants off of Luna, but-”

“Precisely,” Cedric brutally cut in. “And you didn’t have a problem with that, did you?”

“Well, no-”

“Then why,” Cedric leaned down till he was eye-to-eye with her. “Why do you have such a problem with who I’m supposed to love?”

He sounded hurt.

A lump formed in George’s throat.

She couldn’t answer him.

Cedric sighed. He looked sad. “It’s because you don’t believe that you deserve it, isn’t it?”

George stayed silent.

“You believe that you don’t deserve happiness, because you still somehow moronically believe that you’re a fake who took the place of the ‘real’ George Weasley and that you have to punish yourself for that.”

George looked away. It was too painful to meet Cedric’s eyes.

He refused to let her. His hand gently directed her face back to him. 

“But what about my happiness, Jo?” He softly asked. “I don’t care about some stupid fucking story telling me that both I and all of my most precious people are fated to die. I’ve loved you since before I even knew what loving someone meant. What about me, Jo? Would you deny me my happiness just because you’ve got it into your pretty head that you don’t deserve it?”

George sobbed.

No. She couldn’t.

Deep in the back of her mind, she felt that last final barrier break. 

She kissed him, and Cedric immediately cradled her head and tenderly kissed her back. She pulled him forward till he was forced to sit on the bench, and George swung her leg over his lap with a loud splash of water and pulled him into a tight hug.

George sobbed into his neck, and he murmured endearments to her hair. He stroked her hair and rubbed her back and pressed soft kisses to her ear as he whispered. He called her ‘lovely’ and ‘precious’ and ‘darling’, and she loved it. 

She loved him so damn much. And she told him so.

“I love you,” she confessed in a ragged whisper.

“Oh, my lovely. I knew that. I just needed you to stop running from it.”

Her stupid, sweet boy. He really was too good to be true, wasn’t he?

George didn’t know who moved first, but their lips met and they shared sensual kisses, trying to savor the feeling of just being in each other’s company. Their tongues came out to lap at the other’s lips, and they gave each other soft nips that they immediately soothed with gentle licks. George barely registered herself letting out soft, breathy gasps, but she couldn’t hold them in, every swipe of Cedric’s tongue pulling them out of her without her consent. Her mind fogged, drugged from the slow pleasure, and she felt the heat grow once again low in her belly.

She languidly wrapped her arms around Cedric’s head, and she pulled him closer. She gasped as she felt his hot cock nestle against her spread pussy.

George pulled back to meet Cedric’s dark eyes, and she smiled. She lifted herself and reached behind her to grasp his cock to angle it into place. Cedric groaned and bucked into her touch.

God, he was thick, wasn’t he? Is there anywhere he wasn’t perfect???

George braced her arms on the wall and slowly lowered herself down onto him. Both of them let out loud groans as he entered her.

The sensation of his fat cockhead slipping inside sent waves of heat throughout her body and she gasped. It burned a bit going in, but that was mostly from the stretch. After all the rigorous Quidditch George had played over the years, she was sure that any hint of a hymen she had left was stretched out and not a true barrier. 

Finally, after several tiny pumps that made Cedric’s hands clench finger-shaped bruises onto her hips, she took him down to the base. Morgana, he was long. She could feel him deep, as if he had reached all the way through her core up to her throat. It was addictive. 

George and Cedric panted into each other’s mouths. Merlin, she felt so full. Like he completed the empty void inside her, and she would never feel alone again.

George’s heart pounded in her chest, and she stared into Cedric’s beautiful, beautiful gray eyes. 

God, she loved him so much.

Their lips met again as George began to move. A bolt of pleasure shot through her, and she bit his lip as she began to pump more rigorously. She sucked on his tongue and was rewarded with a low groan before his mouth devoured hers.

Cedric aided her by rocking his hips, and soon they found the perfect rhythm, the water splashing around their swaying forms. His thick length cored her, moulding her insides to perfectly morph to fit him.

“My lovely, lovely Jo,” Cedric groaned. His head had fallen back, and his eyes were closed tightly. He looked to be almost in pain.

George leaned forward and gasped when the new angle allowed him to brush against a pleasurable spot deep within her that had bolts of pleasure shooting through her. George rolled her hips against him and gave in to her primal urge as she picked up the pace. Her clit rubbed satisfyingly against his pelvic bone, sending satisfying tingles zapping through her pussy. She bent her head to bite viciously at his neck. Cedric groaned and lifted a hand to tangle in her damp hair.

George nibbled and sucked and quite simply massacred Cedric’s poor neck. She just couldn’t help herself. Everything felt too good and too much, and she had always wanted to leave a small mark on his perfect, perfect skin…

When she finally pulled back, she was a little embarrassed to see a mangled hickey that looked more like a bludger bruise. Well, if a bludger had teeth. She hadn’t broken the skin, but it was clear that in some spots, she had come close.

George turned her head to Cedric, bracing herself for some admonishment, but she was surprised to see his eyes hooded and dark, heavy pants coming out of his lips.

“Merlin, Jo, you’re so fucking fit. Just perfect, aren’t you, lovely?”

His hands grasped her hips, and he began to roughly ram into her, sending devastating waves of pleasure creeping up her spine. The only thing she could do was grasp his broad shoulders and gasp brokenly. Her pussy clenched like a vice around his hot cock and they both groaned with pleasure. She dug her nails deep into his back in an effort to anchor herself from the pleasure threatening to sweep her away.

“Ahh, Ced, that’s it, right there~!”

“Here, lovely?” Cedric reached in to brush her clit with his thumb and George arched with a shout.

“I’m close, baby!”

George felt Cedric’s hot breath on her breast a second before her nipple was engulfed in a wet heat. He sucked and nipped sharply at her nipple and she fell over the edge. 

Her core tightened and she squeezed around his cock as overwhelming waves of pleasure washed through her. She gripped his hair hard and yanked his head back, and she felt Cedric’s shuddering groan. He thrusted sloppily, and the waves splashed around them, barely audible over their panting breaths. Cedric’s hands brutally clamped down on her hips, the imprint of finger-shaped bruises sure to mark her skin in the upcoming days, but George didn’t care. It just made her hotter.

Their skin slapped against each other as Cedric finally came with a deep rumble in his chest. He pulled her close and pumped his hips as a gooey warmth filled her core. George gasped and instinctually clenched tighter to keep his cum from leaking out of her into the water and Cedric groaned and nipped her nipple again.

Holy mother of god. That was unbelievable.

George slumped forward in exhaustion, and Cedric’s tired arms came up to cradle her. They both quietly caught their breaths as they listened to the soft white-noise of the waterfalls.

George laid her head on Cedric’s wet chest and closed her eyes as she listened to the steady beat of his heart. Each boom was a reassurance that he was alive and real.

That he loved her, just like she loved him.

George was just about to drift off when she heard Cedric’s voice rumble, “So, how was that one? Certainly not Average.” 

She pulled back to meet his mischievous gaze. “Hmmmm. Passable. Could use some practice.”

“You cheeky little-!”

George shrieked with laughter as she splashed to get away from his grasping hands. She giggled in happiness as they splashed around the pool, with her desperately trying to evade Cedric’s playful threats of payback.

This! This is why she loved him so much! Of course, he was hot as sin, but no one else in the world could make her laugh and feel as warm and fuzzy as he did.

Finally, she allowed him to capture her and beamed up at him through her wet eyelashes.

“Caught you,” he breathed, his eyes impossibly tender, and he pulled her into another soft kiss.

After they finally managed to properly wash off (which took another few hours, because they were busy doing, ahem, stuff), Cedric dried George’s hair with a towel as she examined the Prefect’s Bath with an admiring eye. 

George smirked as she noticed his eyes lingering on the bruises he left on her ass. A glance in the mirror showed that her already darkening bruises mottled across the surface in the shape of his long, thick fingers. George adored the throb of them, as well as the ache in her pussy. Cedric looked a combination of apologetic and smug as he eyed the marks he left on her, and George understood the sentiment perfectly. It was satisfying seeing the marks she left on him, the gnarly hickey on his neck, and the long scratches down his back. A reminder that he was hers.

“So, babe, be honest, how did you get so good at sex?”

She could practically hear the pride dripping from his voice. “So you admit I’m good? Outstanding, perhaps?”

George scoffed. “You wish, you smug twat.”

“Well, that’s not what your five orgasms told me.”

“Shut up!!!” George’s face flamed. “That’s what I’m talking about! How did you get so good?”

“Do you really want to know?”

What kind of question- “Of course I do!”

“Alright, then. From Edward Abbott, Lucas Smith, and Joshua Withering.”

George’s mouth fell open as she spun around to gape at him in shock. “What?! You had a gay foursome with your upperclassmen?!”

Cedric began to cackle. “Merlin, no! What even- You’re fucking barmy, Jo!”

“Well, if not a foursome, then what?!”

“Hufflepuff has a tradition where upperclassmen will teach underclassmen how to, ahem, show their partners a good time. Eddie, Luke, and Josh were the ones to show my dormmates and me the ropes.”

George stared at him. “Am I supposed to believe that you innocent little Hufflepuffs share tips on how to eat mad pussy?”

Cedric looked like he was trying not to laugh as he went back to drying her hair. “Well, from what I understand, the girls have come up with a step-by-step guide on how to deepthroat. They call it the Gluckguamenti regimen and get quite intense about it.”

“What the fuck-”

Cedric walked her back to the Gryffindor dorm. Thankfully, she had their copy of the Marauder’s Map with her to avoid Mrs. Norris’ stalking, but to be honest, it was quite late, so they didn’t anticipate running into anyone in the halls.

The Fat Lady was snoring away as Cedric dropped her off. He slid a hand into her hair and pulled her into a kiss, and George melted against him. When he finally pulled back, he licked his damp lips and kissed her cheek.

“Good night, lovely.”

“Night, sugar.”

George turned to go, but Cedric pulled her arm to stop her, and she turned back. He sternly looked down at her. “You do know this means we’re dating, don’t you?”

George smiled and teasingly said, “Is that right?”

“I don’t make it a habit to cum in girls I’m not serious about, Jo.” He smirked at her.

George’s face flamed. Curses! Beaten at her own game!

“You been with enough girls to make it a habit, have you?”

“Why, are you jealous?” He grinned as she pouted. “You know you’re the only girl I’ve ever been with, Jo. You’re the only one for me.”

George didn’t, in fact, know that, but it made her chest feel warm nonetheless. “You’re it for me, too, you know,” she shyly whispered.

His face broke out into a heartbreakingly happy and boyish grin. He leaned down to give her a peck, and George was left smiling too.

“Glad we’ve got that settled, then. Sleep well, luv.”

The next day, Harry gave George amused looks, but he didn’t say anything. Probably because he could read the murder on her face every time she caught a glimpse of him.

Hmmmm, speaking of, she needed to come up with a sufficient punishment for him. She contemplated just how ruthlessly she wanted to punish him as she shifted her weight as she sat. As expected, her bum was absolutely ravaged. Even pulling on a fresh pair of panties that morning made her bruises twinge. But she couldn’t deny the frisson of heat that went down her spine as she caught a glimpse of the bruises. She relished in the ache deep within her pussy as she sat down, her years as an athlete making her look forward to that unique burn.

She pondered what to do as she scarfed down her breakfast.

Ah! She had just the thing! 

She wrote a letter to Sirius and Remus, explaining the entire situation and begging them for her help. They congratulated her on her new official relationship (Took you long enough! Thought I’d be buried next to my bitch mother before it happened! Sirius had written. Remus had offered a much more polite congratulations.) and they eagerly agreed to aid her on her righteous quest of retribution.

A week later, Harry had received a package that he had opened and dropped like it was on fire, his face turning green. An obscenely gigantic, ribbed purple dildo the size of his forearm fell out onto the floor, and the entire Great Hall stared at it silently.

Right then, an owl swooped in and dropped a steaming letter that immediately transformed into a Howler and bellowed in Sirius’ voice, “HARRY, DO NOT OPEN THAT PACKAGE!!! THAT WAS MEANT TO BE BETWEEN ME AND REMUS!!! DON’T OPEN IT, HARRY!!! OH, BUT IF YOU DID END UP OPENING IT, THEN WE DON’T WANT IT ANYMORE, SO YOU CAN KEEP IT AND USE IT FOR YOURSELF. WE CAN GUARANTEE THAT IT'S WONDERFUL, REALLY GETS ALL THOSE HARD-TO-REACH PLACES. WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU, CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU FOR BREAK! MAKE GOOD CHOICES!!”

Harry blankly stared at the disintegrating Howler and stood up and walked like a zombie out of the Great Hall. As soon as he disappeared out the door, the entire hall exploded with laughter and conversation. The Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students looked confused but highly amused. Most concerningly, Luna looked at the giant purple dildo consideringly and smiled.

Haha! RIP Harry’s asshole. May you be eternally blessed with diapers to aid your demolished sphincter.

Snape looked like this was the best day of his life. George met his eye and winked. For the first time, she saw what looked like a genuine smile ghost across his face.

Fred grinned at her and ruffled her hair, and George preened at the attention. At the Hufflepuff table, Cedric smiled at her, though he tried to chastise her with his perfect eyebrows, and George stuck her tongue out at him.

“What was that for? How did dear Harrykins get on your shit-list, Georgie?”

George sniffed condescendingly at her eggs. “He betrayed me. Serves him right.”

“Shouldn't you actually be thanking the little blighter? You know, for actually getting you two together?”

“It matters not what his intentions were, Fredrick, only that I rain down righteous punishment upon his sinning form!!” 

“Whatever you say, yeah.”

After their night, Fred had just smiled when he saw George and Cedric holding hands. He made meaningful eye contact with Cedric, but overall, he seemed very happy for them.

George and Cedric weren’t obvious about their new relationship. Sure, they cuddled and wrapped an arm around the other’s waist while walking in public, but it wasn’t much different from how they had acted before, to be honest.

In private, however…

Well, suffice it to say, George had some fierce fights with Freddie about what times they were going to use the Room of Requirement. Unfortunately, Freddie won most of the time on the argument that Cedric had Prefect Bath privileges.

That led to a lot of bath sex for George. Not that she was complaining. Cedric, with his hair slicked back and water dribbling down his plump chest and cut abs? Mmmmm, delicious.

In between their classes and hanging out with their friends, Fred, George, and Cedric prepared for the Second Task. 

George recommended the Bubblehead Charm, but in the end, the boys decided on Gillyweed, but made sure to have a little extra on hand just in case Cedric had to remain down in the Black Lake for longer than expected.

“Haha, don’t worry, Squidwin wouldn’t let anything happen to you!”

“Uhhh, if you say so, Jo.”

Neville was more than happy to help out and soon Cedric was armed with several bundles of unappetizingly wriggly plant matter.

The night before the Second Task, George found herself, along with Hermione and Gabrielle, standing in Dumbledore’s office. 

The next thing George remembered was gasping for air as the absolutely freezing February air hit her face. She looked around and saw Cedric’s face still submerged in the dark water. He glanced at his watch and held up four fingers.

Four minutes left till he was back to his regularly scheduled lungs.

She swam over to the dock hanging above the lake and was swarmed by students and teachers cheering and pulling her into fluffy towels and casting warming charms on her. Ahhhh, that felt good~!

George watched as Cedric finally climbed up the ladder to deafening cheers. He slicked his wet hair back as he pulled his soaked jersey off, exposing his perfect chest. George could see some nearby Beauxbatons girls swooning.

His eyes finally found hers, and he pushed through the crowd of students yelling congratulations and trying to offer him towels before he finally reached George and swooped her into a heated kiss.

A roaring cheer burst through the crowd, and George could barely make out snippets of conversation as she was distracted by Cedric’s masterful smooches.

“-nally! Bloody finally! They’re finally together and can put us out of our misery!”

“Put you out of your misery, Sasha?! You’ve only known them this year! Imagine how bad it was for the rest of us!!!”

“Wait, what, they weren’t already together? I thought they’d been dating for years already!”

“Yeah! Always thought it was a shame, ‘cuz Weasley is bloody fit, right, but they seemed to really fancy each other, and no one else could get in between them.”

“Of course not, how could you not notice their bloody pining, it was just horrendous!”

“... Pining? Are you sure?”

“Ugh! Useless boys!”

Unfortunately, their make-out session was interrupted by the panicked shouts of Fleur, who had been viciously attacked by the Grindylows. She looked awful, shivering despite the repeatedly cast warming charms.

Ah. Must have been her Veela heritage. They were fire-based beasts, so they were especially weak to freezing water. It made sense that the Grindylows swarmed her on sight.

And there was Hermione, popping up beside Viktor’s head emerging from a partial shark transfiguration. They made their way over to a fresh wave of cheers. Poor Fleur looked especially frantic now.

Cedric turned away and frowned at the lake. He looked at George and Fred and raised his eyebrows.

The twins looked at each other and sighed. “Stupid Hufflepuff hero,” they chanted together. 

Cedric smiled at them before giving George one last kiss and stuffed 10 minutes worth of Gillyweed into his mouth and dove back into the lake. Everybody began shouting and asking questions, and George noticed Dumbledore and the other teachers look a little flustered.

A handful of minutes later, Cedric arrived with Gabrielle. Apparently, he had suspected that this would happen, and he had put a homing spell on the poor girl.

The tiny thirteen-year-old was sobbing and violently shivering by the time they made it back to the dock. Fleur immediately pulled her little sister into a hug and whispered French reassurances to her as she soothed her wailing sister.

Ron pushed through the crowd, and Gabrielle gratefully clung to his neck. Her little brother hugged her tightly, and George noticed that he was shaking a little.

Awww, it seemed that her adorable little Ronniekins actually cared about his little French Princess, despite all his complaints! The nimrod doth protest too much, shethinks!!

The judges loudly debated, and a verdict was finally reached. Cedric had obviously gotten first place, not only because he was the quickest, but because he had gone back to retrieve the last hostage. Viktor came next, and Fleur had earned the least amount of points for being unable to complete the task.

The beautiful French girl obviously didn’t give a damn and just focused on comforting her distressed sister. As Ron cared for Gabrielle gently, Fleur gave him a considering look before she turned to Fred, then George, and raised her eyebrow. For some reason, she looked contemplative.

“My beautiful Herm-own-ninny. I haff rescued you. I find you deep in the vater like a pearl. If great squid attacked us, I vould let it violate me to save you, though I am not homosexual.”

Everybody stared at Viktor, but he only had eyes for Hermione, who blinked up at him with shimmering, adoring eyes. “Awwww, Viktor, that’s so sweet!” she sniffled. “But a man confident in his own sexuality wouldn’t be against some butt-play.”

“For you, my beautiful Herm-own-ninny, I vould take Harry Potter’s giant purple penis. Blyat!”

“Oh, Viktor!”

Harry turned and walked off the edge of the pier with a dead look on his face. Luna smiled serenely as everyone around them exploded into shouts and moved to save the Boy-Who-Lived from drowning himself.

George grasped Cedric’s hand and walked back to the castle.

The following days were filled with people everywhere congratulating George and Cedric on their relationship. The Durmstrang students heartily clapped a scowling Cedric on the back and commended him for finally growing a spine, and Adelheid was alarmingly interested in hearing about their bedroom details. 

Maybe Brits were just prudish, but when Addie asked her to transfigure a spoon into a replica of Cedric’s cock to compare to a replica of Gaultier’s, George realized that maybe she was a little on the vanilla side. At least, when it came to analyzing phallic structures.

Funnily enough, at some point, Fleur cornered her, easily shaking off gorgeous Cayetana Aguilar, who was silently trying to hold her back.

“You.”

George smiled. “Hi, there!”

Fleur sneered at her. “You have ‘ow many older bruhzers?”

“Haha, I have three!” George beamed at her.

Fleur imperiously looked down her nose at George. “Tell me about zem.”

Oh! George was happy for any opportunity to brag about her handsome, smart, special, older brothers!

Fleur nodded her head when George explained that Charlie was a dragon tamer, but pursed her lips when she learned that his sanctuary was in Romania. Fleur looked very interested when she said that Percy was studying at Wizarding Law at Cambridge, but cut in when George mentioned Ollie.

“Wait, zis Percy has a boyfriend?” Fleur looked irritated, and Cayetana subtly covered her smile with her hand, and George eyed the motion. That girl was kinda on the quiet side, huh? 

“Sure! I hope that doesn’t bother you, we don’t see anything wrong with two boys loving each other!” George grinned at Fleur, but this time, her smile had some teeth.

However, Fleur just rolled her eyes and waved her off. “I do not care that he is ‘omosexual. What about your last brother?”

“Billy! He’s the oldest! He’s got piercings and tattoos, but don’t let that fool you! He’s suuuuper smart, even though he looks like a rockstar! He was accepted as a Cursebreaker for Gringotts, you know? Those strict Goblins don’t let just anyone work with them, only the best of the best! He can’t be underestimated!!!” George beamed with pride.

Fleur’s eyes locked on George’s, and the redhead had to take a step back. For a moment, it was like she was being stared down by a bird of prey. Spooky! 

“A Cursebreaker at Gringotts, you say? Magnifique. Zat is quite… prestigieux. C'est aussi lucratif. Adéquat.” She turned sharply on her heel, and her skirt fluttered artfully around her. “Merci. You ‘ave been most… helpful. ” 

She marched off, her heels clicking sharply against the stone floor. Cayetana smiled sweetly at George and inclined her head before she gracefully swished her way back to her friend. 

Huh. Weird. Wonder what that was all about? Well, whatever, George forgot about it by the time dinnertime rolled around.

During George’s monthly meeting with Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkled, and he genuinely congratulated her on formally getting together with Cedric. He provided her with a plethora of peach gummies and beamed at her.

Huh. Dumbledore shipped her and Cedric? Who would have thought?

A thought occurred to her then.

“Sir, I have a question.”

“Yes, my dear?”

George reached into her new bag of peach gummies and popped one into her mouth. Mmmm, sweet, chewy goodness. She enjoyed the abrasive feel of the sugar granules against her tongue. Peach gummies really were the best, weren’t they? “You know that I have some kind of foreknowledge, right?”

Dumbledore hummed and tossed a lemon drop into his mouth. His lips puckered a little at the sourness, and George giggled. “You are referring to your Seer status, correct?”

“I’m not a Seer!” George made sure to clarify.

Dumbledore smiled placidly. “Of course, my dear.”

George squinted suspiciously at him, but Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes gave nothing away. Hmph. Why did people always insist on declaring that she was a Seer? That was for people like Trelawney. George had never even taken Divination before! No prophecies around here, folks!

“Ahem, well, you know that I have some kind of foreknowledge of the future. How come you’re allowing me to help Ced?”

“Help Mr. Diggory?” Dumbledore smiled blankly at her. 

“With the tournament…?”

Dumbledore tossed another candy into his mouth. “My dear, I’m sure that I don’t know what you mean.”

“Sir?”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled furiously. “I have no idea what you’re referring to. I find that I’m rather too busy admiring Hogwarts’ considerable lead over Durmstrang and Beauxbatons at the moment.” He cheekily winked at her, his long mustache twitching in jolly exuberance. 

George stared at him for a long moment before she burst into laughter.

“Wow, Al, you’re seriously the GOAT, aren’t you?” George giggled.

“Ah. You may be mistaking me for my brother, Aberforth. He is the goat between the two of us.”

“No, I didn’t mean- actually, you know, what, forget about it. So, Al, I had a question about possibly making an amulet that would protect Cedric from spellfire…”

“Ahhh, good question, my dear, but it is quite difficult to construct such a protection device. Usually, they require weeks of rituals, and for the more powerful artifacts, even blood sacrifices. That’s why they’re so viciously protected by the families who possess them, both due to their rarity and the illegality of blood magic in this day and age. The Ministry only has a few such devices on hand that they very sparingly give out, lest the device overload from absorbing too much magic to protect the wearer. The last time I saw one in use was with some special-forces hit wizards who had to do a very, very dangerous raid against Cuba’s Dark Lord.”

“Holy shit, Damarius Pastrana?”

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. “I’m afraid I cannot divulge the particulars of that operation, my dear.”

“Lemme guess, it's classified, right?”

“Precisely.”  

George pouted. “Awwww, dang it, I didn’t realize it was that hard to get one of those bobbles! I thought I could borrow or make one for Ced in preparation for the 3rd task. From how that tit Lockhard went on about them, I thought it’d be a more viable option.” She sighed. “Oh well, back to the drawing board. But for now, enough about that! Let's talk Alchemy! I had a few other questions about that one transmutation circle for inorganic to organic reactions-”

The days steadily passed, and Fred and George spent the majority of their time practicing with Cedric on his DADA spells. They ruthlessly drilled him on his counterspells for a multitude of creatures, and again they irritated Snape into helping them brew antidotes for creature venom. The Potions Professor was furious, but strangely, when George bounced towards him and held her arms open, he backed away with a terrified look on his face and spat at them to meet him in the Dungeons after dinner before bolting.

Huh. Wonder what that was about.

George spent time with her friends and her new Durmstrang buddies, but most of her attention was taken up by studying for her classes while helping Cedric. Similarly, she could see the other champions hunker down and begin preparations for the final task.

Finally, the day came.

Amos and Abigail were invited to view the final event, and both of them tightly hugged Cedric while loudly proclaiming how proud of him they were. Abigail cupped his face, and Amos furiously ruffled his hair, and Cedric looked petulant, but George could see in his eyes how much he appreciated his parents’ adoration.

Before Cedric was sent off to the entrance of the maze, George pulled him aside and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him down into a filthy kiss. He moaned into her mouth, and his tongue slid against hers. They kissed wetly for a long minute before she pulled away, a thin strand of saliva connecting their lips. 

George smirked at Cedric’s dazed look and deliberately rocked forward, rubbing against his straining erection. A low rumble emanated from him, and George rubbed her hand across his chest. Christ, his tits were to die for. She couldn’t wait to bury her face between them and squeeze.

She leaned in and deftly dodged Cedric’s seeking lips as she sought his earlobe and gave it a lick before she nipped it. 

“Just a little kiss,” she breathed huskily, her warm breath sending chills down his spine, “For good luck.”

Cedric growled and tried to kiss her again, grunting in annoyance when she once again dodged his lips. “Come on, Jo, I could use a little more luck right now, couldn’t I?”

George laughed as she dodged him yet again. “Careful there, tiger. How ‘bout you save some luck for afterwards?”

“Oh yeah?” Cedric’s eyes were dark as he pulled away from her.

George smirked and licked her lips, revelling in the way his eyes lasered in and followed the movement. “Yeah. You never know, if you happen to win, you might just get… lucky.”

“Fucking hell, Jo-”

“CHAMPIONS!” Ludo Bagman’s voice boomed. “MAKE YOUR WAY TO YOUR MARKS! NOW, WHO’S READY TO SEE WHO FIGHTS THEIR WAY TO THE TOP? WHO DESERVES THE VICTORY OF THE TRIWIZARD CUP?!”

The crowd absolutely roared in response, and the stadium shook under the thunder of the stomping feet.

It was finally time.

George leaped up at Cedric at the same time he reached down to her, and they collided in a frantic hug.

All the levity left George, and she fought not to tremble as she clutched Cedric in a bone-crushing hug. “Be careful, sugar. Please. Even if you lose, just be careful. Please.”

Cedric buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply, imprinting her sweet scent into his brain. “Of course, lovely. I’ll always be careful.”

“Come back to me, babe.” George’s voice cracked.

“Always. Nothing could keep me from you.” His voice was vicious and hard, and George loved him all the more for it.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Jo.”

George pulled away from him and grinned broadly up at him, ignoring the stinging in her eyes. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

Cedric grinned in return before he pecked her lips one final time, and he was gone.

The rest of the event was a blur. Somehow, she ended up in Freddie’s arms, and they were the only thing to ground her to reality. Vaguely, she could make out the voices of Amos, Hermione, and Addie address her, but George just dissociated the entire time.

The only thought running through her brain was please, please, please, please, not him. Don’t take him. Please, not him. Please. Please, not him. Not Cedric. Please, please, please, please…

The chant continued in her brain until the word lost all meaning. In both lives, George wasn’t religious, but she desperately prayed to whatever deity or force that had brought her here.

She knew that they had taken all precautions for all eventualities, and the fact that they had informed the teachers about what had happened in the original timeline had negated all danger, but George’s heart was still filled with fear.

Cedric was supposed to die today.

In no universe would George be able to relax until Cedric was safely back in her arms. Until she was able to hold him and reassure herself that they had been able to circumvent his cruel, cruel fate, she would not rest.

She finally came out of her reverie hours later when the crowd screamed in jubilation as Cedric appeared in the clearing with the flash of a portkey. He was bloody and obviously injured, his robes torn and filthy, and one arm clearly broken with a dislocated shoulder, but he triumphantly raised the crystal Triwizard Cup up in victory, and the entire crowd absolutely roared in victory.

Fred and George pushed their way through the writhing mass of people trying to get close to Cedric to congratulate him, and when Fred finally reached him, he pulled Cedric into a fierce hug and sobbed. Apparently, she wasn’t the only one anxious about Cedric’s fate. Her twin was forced to be strong for the both of them, as it wouldn’t do to have two blubbering redheads in the wake of Cedric’s grand finale.

Cedric tightly wrapped his arms around Fred like he was the only thing left in the world, his shoulder shaking. George’s heart throbbed, and she threw her arms around them both and just savored the comforting warmth of the two most precious people in her entire life.

Around them, the crowd roiled and pulsed with deafening noise, but the three remained a silent stone in the midst of the river of people. 

Cedric was safe. He had come back to them.

He had won.

Everyone around them celebrated Hogwarts’ victory, but the three remained silent, reveling in their silent success.

They had defeated the greatest foe of all: Fate.

They had done it. They had accomplished the impossible.

At that moment, Fred, George, and Cedric were on top of the world. This single instant would be enough to fuel a thousand Patroni, for never could a sweeter joy and triumph ever be felt.

Notes:

Sweet, sweet victory. And finally, at last, it's happened, they've finally gotten together, sound the alarms!!!

Haha, after the Yule Ball, Cedric didn't even get a wink of sleep and was desperately trying to play it cool and not immediately slobber over Georgie like a dog, and of course, our favourite girl took one look at him and immediately went, "Would you look at that? I'm unlovable after all!" and fucking booked it to the other end of the castle

Poor Freddie, he's the one who's losing his goddamn mind. He and Angie would never be as stupid.

 

But yeah, sorry that the comments got deleted, it really broke my heart when I had to reupload the chapter 😭

Please lemme know what you think!!!

Chapter 10: Seventh Year - Part 1

 

17 years old

 

The end of the year brought many tears and wailing as new friends dreaded parting from each other. Students everywhere swore to internationally owl each other and keep in touch as the professors proudly looked on, though not without a tinge of exasperation, as they had a schedule to keep.

George wasn’t exempt from the forlorn atmosphere. She hugged Krum tightly, who in return squeezed her with a bone-crushing embrace.

“Zhora. I vill never forget your aid. You haff helped me achieve everlasting love. I vill repay your help with a fresh Acromantula carcass to show my gratitude.”

George grimaced. “Ahaha, that’s not necessary, Vik. You’re my friend now, and I always stick by my friends! The only thing I could ask of you is that you keep in touch and treat Hermione well!”

Viktor nodded solemnly. “I vill eagerly cut both my throat and yours before I hurt Herm-own-ninny. I vill sacrifice our blood to Chernobog and ask them to grant Herm-own-ninny her rightful status as blood queen of the Slavs.”

“Haha, what?”

George’s goodbye with the rest of the Durmstrang crew went much smoother. Arnie was content with a hug and a bag of peach gummies. Apparently, he had developed quite a taste for them over the course of the year, something George was inordinately pleased with. She had successfully converted another believer!!!

Sasha brattily demanded cuddles that George was happy to indulge, and she knew that Sasha would definitely be keeping in contact with Freddie, as the two had gotten too used to mercilessly assaulting each other with insults so cutting that it would flay the rest of them and leave them in a puddle of their own tears. It was rare for them to find a kindred spirit, and George knew that they had somehow become close friends over the course of the year, despite both their rigorous, disgusted protests.

And finally, George bid Adelheid goodbye. The two girls had gotten quite close through their time together, and George was truly sad to see her go.

They promised to keep in close contact with each other through regular letters. Both Fred and George finally had enough money to buy owls of their own, something that they were extremely excited about. 

George hugged Addie tightly and sincerely told her that she would be cheering for her to achieve her dream of playing for the German National Quidditch team. 

Addie beamed down at her in return and bluntly stated that they would soon see each other again, as she also aimed to also play for the Quidditch Premier League. Very much like the Premier League for Muggle Football, the QPL welcomed the top talent from all over the world to play for their Clubs. 

If everything went according to how the Durmstrang squad planned, they would soon be looking for permanent residences in England as they got scouted for the QPL clubs. There were European Clubs, of course, but England was where the talent and money was.

George was beyond happy to hear that!! Though she still had a year of schooling left, that was no time at all in the grand scheme of things! She was excited about the opportunity to see her precious friends again so soon!!

Similarly, Hermione was quite relieved to hear that Viktor was planning to move to England in the near future. She had grown hopelessly enamored with him, just as much as he had with her. It was honestly quite disturbing, how they recited nihilistic Russian poetry to each other. 

On the flipside, Ron was a mixture of relieved and distressed to see Gabrielle leaving. Apparently, he had grown quite spoiled having a peer of similar skill in Chess around him at all times, even if that person was the terrifying half-Veela. He was sullen as he bid the Delacour sisters goodbye. Gabrielle was clearly distraught, even though she valiantly tried to hide it, but it was obvious in the way she struggled to let go of Ron’s hand.

Evidently, the two Chess geniuses had imprinted on each other. George wondered what Hector would have to say about that.

Of course, Harry was happy watching all the chaos from Luna’s side, enjoying her deranged commentary and observations. He still skittered away whenever George came too close, but George was sure that he would get over it soon. Haha, right? George wasn’t that intimidating, was she? C’mon, Harry, it was a silly little prank, just some well-deserved payback, why are you running? Why are you running?

After the ball, George had noticed Ginny and Draco hanging out quite a bit. Well. Maybe it wasn’t quite hanging out. It was more like Ginny cursing Draco with a furious, blushing face, and Draco screeching quite effeminately while trying to dodge and counter-attack. 

Either way, it seemed like they were beginning to get along more…? Haha, kids these days!

The Beauxbatons students departed on their fancy, Abraxan-pulled carriage, and the Durmstrang students disappeared under the dark waves of the Black Lake on their foreboding ship.

After the rest of the school had retreated back into the castle to gather their things so that they could head out, Squidwin popped a tentacle out to salute Cedric on his victory and for bringing honor to Hogwarts. Cedric was very bewildered when George made him salute back. He’s an Admiral, for cryin’ out loud, show some goddamn respect!!!

Soon, the Hogwarts students were shuffled off to the Hogwarts Express and were on their way back home. 

Cedric was armed with a sack of potions that he had to complete the course of to finish healing up the injuries he had accumulated in the Third Task, as well as another sack filled to the brim with Galleons, his winnings for the Tournament.

Fred and George had made their own fortune off the Tournament by running the betting ring, thank you very much. The House always wins, guys. Never bet against the House, especially if the House has foreknowledge of the future, haha, suckers!

Cedric was set to head back to MACUSA. He had been rather popular among the American Ministry, both for being Amos’ prodigious son and through his own charms and charisma, but now, as the Triwizard Champion?

Cedric had signed his life away to be a representative of the British Ministry of Magic for as long as he lived. He was now a National Hero, Hogwarts’ own pride and joy, the first Champion to win the Triwizard Tournament in over a century.

So yeah, Cedric was off to MACUSA with Amos and Abigail for this summer, too.

A week before they were set to depart back home, they found some, ahem, alone time in the Hospital Wing where Ced was still recuperating after the third task. He had suffered some rather alarming spell-induced internal injuries, animal attacks, and curse traps alongside Fleur and Krum, but the other two champions had decided to recuperate in their own dorms, much to Madam Pomfrey’s begrudgment. George and Cedric were rather happy with the arrangement, however, as it allowed Cedric to finally spend all his leftover luck, wink wink. 

Afterwards, as George was nestled on his lap, he asked her through lazy kisses if she wanted to come with him to America.

It was tempting. Hellishly, horridly, tempting. 

However…

“I can’t, baby. I have to be here at home to help Ronnie with his chess business.”

Also, no matter how much she wanted to go to the birthplace of her previous life, she would rather die than be a leech off the Diggorys’ generosity. Yes, she was dating Cedric, but that didn’t excuse the fact that she would be completely dependent on their kindness throughout their stay there. 

Also also, trying to sneak away with Cedric for a little sugar while on a trip with his parents? That’s a NO from her, dawg. She may be shameless when it comes to him, but even she wasn’t that shameless.

No, when George finally stepped foot back in America, it would be with her own hard-earned money, without the looming spectre of her boyfriend’s parents behind her. Hmmmm, maybe Freddie could come with them, but he would have to fuck off if he didn’t want to get an eye- and earful of his baby twin furiously riding Cedric’s obscenely perfect dick.

Hmmm. Well, that was a problem for later! 

Cedric was immediately swarmed when they arrived on Platform 9 ¾, both by reporters and the general public who wanted to congratulate (and maybe get a piece of) their new National Hero, but he was quickly ushered away from the fuss by his parents. He was barely able to give Fred and George a final, brief hug before he was whisked away.

George pouted mullishly as she side-eyed Fred saying goodbye to Angie with some deep, intimate kisses. She wasn’t jealous, she was not!!!

Oh, and there was poor, poor Stella Blott, who looked heartbroken as she watched Fred and Angie practically eat each other’s faces off. Oh, poor girl. George tried to warn her off, she really, really did. Sigh, this situation sucked, but maybe now she would finally give up her hopeless flame for her twin.

There were plenty of better fish in the sea, Stella!! Go out there and catch one that’s made for you!!! 

Fred and George were absolutely ecstatic to be able to use magic out of school. After all, they had finally turned seventeen years old on April Fool’s Day, and now they were recognized as full adults in Wizarding Britain, which meant that they were free to wreak havoc on the world without the threat of expulsion, baybee!!

They had gone through Apparition lessons a few months ago, but it wasn’t as exciting as it would have normally been, with the Tournament looming over them. Even the Ministry goons were unenthusiastic. Sure, they made sure to do their jobs, but it was rather anticlimactic to get their Apparition licenses when their fellow students had battled fucking dragons, for cryin’ out loud.

However, it was still a pleasure to pop in and out of existence to startle their family. Molly was the easiest target, and they revelled in her shocked screeches, but as always, she could never stay angry in the wake of George’s delighted grins.

Now that George was licensed to Apparate, she was able to take Ron to his matches in London with a simple wave of her wand. They were able to save quite a bit of time and money, much to their pleasure.

Hector was quite pleased with the new accessibility to his protegee as well. Now he was able to see Ron at his convenience. The older gentleman wasn’t the fondest of being pulled along in Apparition, understandably, but he also recognized the pros and sucked it up with his stiff upper lip-manner, only requesting a finger's-width of Firewhiskey to take the edge off when he arrived at the Burrow. Apparently, he had developed quite a taste for the magical liquor, much to Arthur’s delight at gaining another drinking companion.

Ronnie stepped onto the Chess Circuit, and this time, the preppy moms were more resigned than aghast. Good thing too, otherwise they would have all collectively suffered heart attacks when Ron fought his way up to Rank 2 on the Junior National Team, only losing Rank 1 by a hair.

It seemed that his year alongside pretty little Gabbie had allowed him to drastically level-up, and George suspected that the little half-Veela was similarly demolishing her competition over in France right now. Ahhh, so cute, her future little Grandmasters. So driven and bloodthirsty!!

George was happy to bury her nose in her Alchemy textbook (covered by a handy book sleeve of an Arithmetic book, for the poor muggles’ benefit!) and proudly watch over Ron as he clawed his way to greatness, but to her surprise, a lot of the boys sought her out to talk to her.

Usually the other teens on the Junior team were too intimidated to talk to her, only able to glance at her with wide eyes before they whipped their heads away with their cheeks flushed in embarrassment of being caught cowering from her overwhelming intimidation, or at least, that’s what George always assumed, what other reason could there possibly be for them to turn so red and nervous?

This time, however, they seemed quite determined to approach her, though she wasn’t really sure why.

Ah! The lightbulb lit up again! 

Ronnie was an absolute star, and at Rank 2, he was a dragon in a lizard’s skin, and the other boys obviously felt it! Of course they felt the need to suck up to her! It was self-preservation so that poor Ronnie wouldn't completely obliterate their fragile prep egos!!!

If they thought that they could get her to rat on her precious baby brother so that they could gain an advantage, they were sorely mistaken, no siree!! 

George narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the approaching teenage boys, but strangely, that only seemed to make them blush and stutter harder. 

Begone, pests!! You can’t trick her!! Georgiana Weasley is wise to your contemptible schemes!!!

Hector was preoccupied with talking to the Coaches on the other side of the hall, planning out Ronnie’s new training regimen now that he was one of the top players on the team. He didn’t seem to notice the situation George was in, otherwise, he would have swooped in like a vengeful hyena and chased away all the young vultures circling around her.

To George’s confusion, they didn’t really talk to her about Ronnie, but rather tried to ask her about herself. What her hobbies were, how old she was, where she went to school, and the like.

Strangely, the boys acted kinda like posturing Hippogriffs. They sniped at each other and clumsily tried to brag about their background and flawless pedigree, and how they were top of their class at Eton.

Uh. Okay?

At her blank look, the teenagers puffed up and all babbled at once. It was rather overwhelming.

What in Merlin’s name was going on?

“So, Weasley, was it?” One of the boys leaned against the wall next to her chair, but rather than looking suave, he came off like a looming beanstalk.

“Yeah. I’m Ronnie’s big sister, George.” She tried to inch away from him, but he just leaned closer. He smelled like damp wool, woof.

Another teenager shoved the first boy away and tried to rearrange his face into an expression of cool indifference. Sadly, he didn’t pull it off even a fraction as well as Sasha did. His unfortunate acne and blotchy complexion didn’t lend well to the look. “What are you studying, George? Are you reviewing for your A-Levels? You know, if you need some help, I could always lend you a hand, anytime you like.”

“Uh.” What the fuck were A-Levels? Were they like the SATs and ACTs? Probably, right? Some kind of Muggle standardized test?

“Ha!” Another teenager shoved his way forward, sneering at the one who had been talking to her. This one was pudgy with an unfortunate blond bowl-cut. “If you want a tutor, you could do much better than Montjoy, Weasley. He’s barely middle rank, whereas I am in the top ten of my class at Eton. I’d be a much better tutor for you.”

The wet-wool boy scoffed. “Shut up, Tullett. As if you could teach a dog how to sit. You can’t even talk without spraying, you uncultured lout.”

Pudgy flushed furiously. “So what, you’re offering, Oldershaw? As if. You don’t even attend Eton!”

“Shut your face, St. Paul’s was ranked higher than Eton last year!”

Acne-face sardonically spit, “Sod off, Oldershaw, St. Paul’s could never compete with Eton’s pedigree, everyone knows how your Mummy tried to get you into Eton but couldn’t because of Daddy dearest’s scandal!”

“Oh, sure, Montjoy, just like everyone knows that your slag mother fucked the dean to prevent your suspension for the concussion incident,” wet-wool sneered.

“Keep my mother’s name out of your minger mouth!”

“Oh, come off it, it’s not like it’s a secret!”

Woahhh. George’s eyes were wide as she watched the three teenagers viciously hiss at each other. All the tea was being spilled right in front of her. She was almost a little overwhelmed at keeping track of all the sluts and slut-fuckers, bless their degenerate hearts.

Ron’s nonchalant drawl cut through the drama. “Heya, Georgie. Ready to head out? Uncle Hector looks like he’s almost done with Coach, too.”

George smiled at him and snapped her book shut. “Yup! Just about!”

The three teens sputtered as they watched her pack her books up and pull her jacket on. Ron stared them down dispassionately while they stammered and stuttered as they tried to talk to his oblivious older sister.

Ron had absolutely no sympathy for any of these boys. Tullett had once swiped his bag and had stolen his precious chess notes, Montjoy had made a habit of hawking spitballs at him when Coach wasn’t looking, and Oldershaw had spread a rumor that he had fleas and lice across the entire team.

It was clear to see that they had fat crushes on George, just like all the other boys on the team and all of their rich asshole brothers who came to spectate the matches. The only one who didn’t was Rodney Cammish, and that was because Ron suspected that he was bent. He had caught the other boy’s gaze lingering abnormally long on Percy all those years ago, when his swotty brother had still accompanied them to his practices. Cammish was an alright sort, not like the other boys. Both he and his mother largely left Ron alone. While he wasn’t as poor as the Weasleys, he too clearly didn’t come from wealth and prestige, his clothes and mannerisms firmly marking him as middle-class. He was the one teammate with whom Ron was on cordial terms.

But these three?

Ron smiled vindictively.

“Say, George, did you get any letters from Cedric yet?”

As expected, George lit up like a beacon when he brought up her beloved boyfriend. It both amused and disgusted him how obviously in love with each other they were. When George spoke about Cedric, she practically glowed in happiness. It was blinding.

All of the other idiot boys in the hall who had been surreptitiously stealing glances at George gaped at her, slack-jawed, defenseless in the face of her sheer radiance. Were those sparkles around her? Blimey.

“Yes!” His older sister beamed at Ron in excitement. “He said that he was able to take a short trip to Florida and see some Alligators! So fun!!”

“Ah-” Montjoy’s nasally voice cut in. His brows were furrowed as he looked between both of them. “Begging your pardon, but who’s Cedric? One of your brothers?”

George’s giggle was musical, like a bell chiming, and the fucking idiot trio’s cheeks flushed as she turned her gentle smile on to them. “No, silly, he’s my boyfriend!”

“Boyfriend?!” the idiots shrilly shrieked. Oh, wait, it wasn’t just them. All the adults went silent as practically every single teenage boy residing in the hall stiffened up in horror and snapped their gazes over to her.

Ron smirked. They had the attention of practically everyone in the hall. Ron met Uncle Hector’s gaze, and the older gentleman’s eyes sparkled in amusement. He inclined his head imperceptibly, and Ron fought to hide his grin.

Perfect. He had Uncle Hector’s approval. Time to crush these blighters’ spirits, once and for all.

Tullett’s lip trembled, which in turn caused his double chin to wobble unattractively. “You have a boyfriend, Weasley?”

“Yes!” came George’s cheerful reply.

“Haha, Cedric, was it?” Montjoy’s smile was strained. “Where does he go to school? I don’t think I know a Cedric at Eton. Does he go to finishing school elsewhere?” 

Ron tried not to snigger. Weak attempt. Georgie didn’t give a flying fuck about their fancy little schools and prestigious little family names. She had unknowingly bullied the life out of Malfoy, for Merlin’s sake, and though it pained him to admit, none of these pricks even came close to the smarmy little ferret.

“Nope, he goes to private school with me! You know, the one in Scotland that's invitation only, our families have been going there for centuries!” She grinned at him, and Montjoy practically wilted under the full force of her smile.

“Yeah, Georgie,” Ron drawled. “Tell them more about Cedric.”

George happily obliged and Ron was gleeful to see the joy sucked out of their eyes as George practically waxed poetic over Ced, describing how amazing and smart and funny and talented he was and about how much she absolutely adored him. He was watching their hearts break right before his eyes. He absolutely loved it.

Oldershaw’s jaw trembled from how hard he was clenching it. He painted a strained smile across his face, which, as always, George was completely oblivious to. “Wow. Sounds like an amazing bloke. You happen to have a photo of him?” Ron was no Legilimens, but he could practically hear his skeptical thoughts: ‘Surely he couldn't be that perfect. She didn't once mention ‘rich’ or ‘handsome’ in her description of him. It's likely that he's not in her league and she can easily be convinced to leave him and date someone more worthy, like me.’

“Oh, sure!! I have a few!!” George excitedly dug through her ratty second-hand purse, and Ron was the only one to notice her grip her wand and flick it at the photos before she pulled them out of her wallet. Ha. Nice. She temporarily paused the animation spell on it so that the muggles wouldn’t freak out at the magical moving pictures.

The three idiots greedily peeked down at the pictures, and Ron absolutely savored the looks on their faces as they finally realized what they were dealing with.

The first picture was a still of George jumping onto Cedric’s back, both of their faces bright and open with laughter. The rippling Black Lake and the Forbidden Forest’s gorgeous autumn colors were clear in the background, and George’s red hair was whipped up, caught in the wind as Cedric’s hands solidly clamped on her bare thighs to stabilize her piggyback. They looked absurdly like those, whachamacallit, Avercrompee and Flinch models that he saw on those posters in London, almost inhumanly good-looking.

The next one depicted George sitting in Cedric’s lap as he read over her shoulder, both of them intently studying a book. They looked unbearably cosy in sweaters and a blanket over their laps, their faces frowned in concentration. Fred’s cut-off, lounging form could be seen next to them, tucked into blankets and waving his wand at something. The maroon of the Gryffindor Common Room was behind them, and Ron could see a glimpse of himself, Harry, and Hermione lounged on one of the nearby couches. The roaring fire in the background illuminated the picture in beautiful shadows that gave the picture a wonderfully vintage feel.

And finally, the last one displayed the couple after the Second Task. Both of them were soaking wet, and George’s hair was a dark, blood red against her chilly, bloodless face. George’s arms were wrapped around his neck, and Cedric’s hands had snuck their way underneath George’s sodden shirt. Cedric’s jersey was off, displaying his unreal physique. Bloody hell, you could grate cheese off of his muscles, he was a little envious, wasn’t he? The picture was perfectly paused at the moment that they clearly parted from a kiss, both their faces angled at each other, and their eyes lidded heavily. In the background stood Krum’s intimidating friends, who for once looked jubilant and smug as they cheered alongside the rest of the crowd. 

Damn, those Creevey brothers sure were talented. No wonder they were making a tidy sum of money off their photography business. These pictures were proper professional quality, huh?

“That’s your boyfriend?” came Tullett’s strangled voice. He looked absolutely devastated. 

“Yup!!” George fondly looked down at the pictures and tenderly traced over Cedric’s figure with her fingers. “He’s the best, isn’t he?”

The idiot trio looked heartbroken at the confirmation that yes, Cedric was truly a god among men. 

Hehe, yessss, Ron relished in their devastation. Mmmmm, were those tears in Montjoy’s eyes? Delicious.

Uncle Hector finally made his way over to them, and his eyes shone in vicious satisfaction. Ever since Perce had to leave for his program, he was the primary barricade between Georgie and all the dogs that wanted to sniff after her, but now that she had finally pulled her head out of her arse and had finally officially gotten together with Cedric, they could finally put their silent vigil to rest. Besides, George’s fanatical devotion to Cedric as well as her almost pathological obliviousness would be more than enough of a deterrent to all the idiots pining after her.

These bloody preppy wankers thinking that they had a chance in hell with George when all of the Hogwarts boys had been salivating after her for years made Ron want to laugh.

Ah, and here came those bitch mothers who disliked George for ‘distracting’ their precious little pumpkins. Ha. As if their idiot spawn were anywhere near as good enough to come up to his level. It was their own problem if they spent more time staring at George over in the stands rather than calculating their next move. Gormless bellends. They glared at George, but just like always, she was blissfully oblivious to their disdain and cheerfully chattered at Ron and Uncle Hector, which, of course, incensed them all the more.

As they finally walked away, Ron subtly turned away to catch one last glimpse of their broken-hearted faces. Merlin’s saggy nutsack, that felt good. He couldn’t wait to tell his other two partners in crime and Gabbie. They’d get a real kick out of this, he had complained vociferously over the years about his woes in dealing with the Muggle chess boys’ petty bullying of him and their obsession with George. He had heard more than once in the boys' lavatory about how the only thing they looked forward to all year was seeing George again over the summer. As they grew older, some of them bragged about how they would eventually seduce George with their money and looks and pedigree, and otherworldly chess ability and unmatched genius and blah blah blah insert useless skill here and finally snag her as the perfect trophy wife. 

Ohhhh, how Ron relished in crushing all their hopes and dreams. How dare they lust after his precious sister?! Ron would protect his big sister’s happiness even if he had to kill each and every one of her pathetic hanger-ons. She deserved nothing but the best, and he would do everything in his power to ensure it. 

Based on their paling faces, the boys understood the intent behind his murderous stare quite adequately. Good. Get rekt, stupid muggles. If you can’t fight a dragon for his sister, then fuck right off back to your musty mansions.

Both Ron and Uncle Hector looked inordinately smug and triumphant as they made their way back to the Burrow, and George had no clue as to why. When she tried asking them, they skillfully deflected and changed the topic. Curses!! Not you too, Ronnie and Uncle Hector!!! Let her in on the secret!! Soooo meannnn!!!

Over the course of the summer, Uncle Hector invited them over to his house to eat dinner and watch movies with him. To no one’s surprise, Freddie’s favorite movies were the Home Alone series, and he worshipped little Kevin McCallister as his new idol. He also loved action flicks and grinned at the huge explosions, which made their parents and Uncle Hector suspiciously side-eye him.

For some godforsaken reason, Ginny absolutely loved slasher and horror flicks. She especially loved the Scream movies and grinned at the screen as everyone else recoiled in terror. 

Molly absolutely adored rom-coms like Pretty Woman and Notting Hill. She became quite the fan of Hugh Grant (well, at least she finally filled the hole of Lockhart’s absence; Molly was a fangirl at heart). 

Arthur became obsessed with the concept of aliens after watching Independence Day and badgered Uncle Hector for days till the exhausted man finally just checked some books out from the local library for him to devour.

Ronnie loved goofy American movies like American Pie and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, which, honestly, George couldn’t say that she was all that surprised by. Teenage boys gonna boy.

And her? Well, George was quite appreciative of the eye-candy in this era. Top Gun Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise? Fight Club Brad Pitt? Outsiders Rob Lowe? Damn.

Sure, the look in the ‘80s and ‘90s was more pretty-boy rather than thick Norse god, but that’s what she had her Ced for, wasn’t it? Wink wink. Either way, George was happy to enjoy the best of both worlds and spend precious time with her family and Uncle Hector while she was at it.

Fred and George spent a large part of their break stalking through the streets of Diagon Alley and inquiring about any lots that were up for sale. After weeks of failure, they finally managed to hit gold with the young owner of a custom boot-making shop. Apparently, he had inherited the shop after his father had passed away and was half-heartedly continuing the family business by making subpar boots for customers. His shop was steadily bleeding money, which he didn’t care overly much about, as he absolutely detested the business. His dream was to be a singer and make it big like the Weird Sisters.

He was more than happy to negotiate with Fred and George for the hefty chunk of change they had earned over the years, and combined with Cedric’s winnings of the Triwizard Tournament, they came to an agreement. 

After Fred and George exited Gringotts with the deed to the building in their hands, they screamed and hugged each other and bounced around like maniacs. 

They had done it!!!! It was finally becoming a reality!!! Their very own Joke Shop!!!

They had really, truly struck gold with this one. The location of their building was excellent. It was near Gringotts, just off the main square in the same block as Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour and Flourish and Blotts, a prime area for school-aged children. Families were sure to pass their way and peek into their store on their school-shopping trips! 

They spent the rest of the summer cleaning the place up, shipping the last of the bootmaker’s belongings and equipment over to his house, and redecorating the frankly ghastly interior design. Jeez, it was like a kitschy Palace of Versailles, with tacky gold-plated furniture and old, stained, and stinky silk pillows everywhere. The entire place reeked of tanned leather and pungent polish to the extent that they gagged whenever they even stepped inside. Big yikes.

They were able to strip the place bare and get started on the remodelling. They decided to go a bright, fun route, with large windows and a custom moving wallpaper (that they made themselves, thank you very much!! Coming soon for sale, keep an eye out for a ream of your own!!) that depicted various magical creatures soaring from wall to wall across the building. The staircase leading to the second floor was fitted with a plush new carpet, and the twins were able to snag some great furniture from various thrift stores all across the country for enviably cheap prices. Man, Apparition was reeeaaally the best, wasn’t it? George loved being a witch.

The twins’ Fixer-Upper summer was rudely interrupted by the publication of an article that blew their peaceful daily lives out of the water.

Over the course of the year, Sirius had gotten in contact with someone surprising. 

Rita Skeeter.

The news completely stupefied George when she first heard of it, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. While she had been around a little to interview the champions, she wasn’t nearly as obnoxious as she had been in the books. 

George had noted the change and had attributed it to the lack of Harry’s presence as the fourth champion and the resulting scandal, but apparently, other players were moving pieces on the chessboard.

At the end of July, an article was printed out in both the Quibbler and the Daily Prophet. It was a detailed hit-piece about how the Hogwarts students' DADA exam results have been historically the highest they have ever been in almost a century under Lupin’s teaching, and how Fudge’s administration was intolerant to citizens with creature heritages.

The article blew the lid open on the situation with Lupin and how he had been forced to resign due to blackmail of leaking his Werewolf status and threats of further discrimination. He called out the specific board members who had been involved in the forceful removal, and several of the letters that he had received were scanned into the paper, complete with the official seals of the offenders.

Surprisingly, Lucius Malfoy wasn’t one of the board members under fire. Unknown to George, Draco had begged his father throughout the year to leave both Buckbeak and Lupin alone, as George was obviously, clearly fond of both of them, and the teenager would rather drown himself in the Black Lake than risk upsetting his crush.

In the end, it came down to Narcissa Malfoy, who remembered all the fuss and commotion that had occurred within the Black family years ago when Sirius had refused to get betrothed to any witches under the justification that he was deeply in love with his best friend and that he would marry no other. 

Her Auntie Walburga had gone absolutely ballistic, and poor Reggie had been offered the engagement instead, but Narcissa never forgot. And now… while she wasn’t especially close to Sirius anymore, her cousin didn’t deserve a decade in Azkaban, no matter how bratty and annoying he had been. It was just a little present from her to him, to call Lucius off his rampage.

The articles absolutely blew up, especially with all the international attention that Hogwarts was receiving after the Triwizard Tournament, and oh boy, were people angry.

America was frothing at the clear injustice, as the country was veeerryyy progressive on its views of Creatures and Demihuman Rights. With the invention of the Wolfsbane potion, there was no risk of infection, and the government covered the costs of the potion for all their Werewolf citizens. As a result, the country had the lowest risk of the magical virus transmission in the world. Also, the quality of life for Werewolves was drastically increased, and to no one's surprise, they were magical powerhouses. They were attracted to jobs that allowed them to use their enhanced senses to their advantage, like Magical Detectives and rare ingredient hunters.

Many wizarding communities had followed the USA’s example and had similar results with their own Werewolf populations. It was considered practically barbaric to discriminate against Werewolves anymore, the condition equivalent to a treatable communicable disease like Dragon Pox, and you didn’t see victims of Dragon Pox being forced to resign from their positions, did you?

Sirius was scathing in his criticisms of the Fudge administration, which was preventing Creature Rights in Britain from progressing. Actually, as Rita Skeeter’s research explained, they were revoking rights that were passed by previous administrations. 

Previously, people were able to keep their heritage private, but Fudge’s Administration legalized the ability for employers to require an applicant to disclose their creature or blood status prior to hiring.

They also legalized the policy that allowed employers to fire employees who took a pattern of days off. Not just Werewolves were affected by this new law, as young witches who had bad monthly cycles, people who were required to take time off work to treat medical conditions, or parents struggling to find childcare for their kids were liable to be fired as well.

Also, sentient magical creatures were not afforded the right to a trial with a panel of jurors. They were not held to the same laws that governed witches and wizards, and thus had none of the same protections. They existed outside the law, which, in a way, was helpful in some aspects, but when they were targeted by witches and wizards, there was no way for them to pursue justice.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Over the next few weeks, Skeeter released a plethora of articles that intimately detailed the injustices of England’s Creature Rights and the dirt on Sirius’ imprisonment and subsequent attempted cover-ups. 

Skeeter got quotes from a surprising variety of people. The legendary Harry Potter, the infamous Boy-Who-Lived, was quite vocal in his disgust for the current system and his unfaltering support of Lupin. Not so surprisingly, Harry’s word held quite a bit of weight, and his statement went viral immediately.

Members of staff from Ilvermorny, Castelobruxo, Mahoutokoro, Uagadou, as well as figures from India, China, Egypt, Australia, and many more countries gave their two cents and decried the unfortunate situation Hogwarts was facing, as it was tragic to see the students’ education impacted by something so foolish. There were debates about whether the current situation meant that Hogwarts would be removed from the ranking of the top eleven magical schools, regardless of the fact that their representative won the Triwizard Tournament even as a sixth-year competing against seventh-years.

On top of that, the Durmstrang Squad as well as Fleur had given their two cents. The part-Veela was scathing in her commentary on England’s primitive laws, especially for beings such as herself, and Madam Maxine was quoted to completely agree with her former student. The illustrious Headmistress had stated that with this recent information, she was perhaps reluctant to continue Beauxbatons’ close relationship with Hogwarts, as the French school housed many students with a mixed heritage, and they wouldn’t want to associate with people who were so unwelcoming.

Krum was similarly vicious in his quotes, however, his answers sounded strangely reminiscent of something Hermione would rant about. Fred and George got a real kick when they recognized that he was basically regurgitating Hermione's views and opinions on the scandal, but hey, Krum had already proven to everyone that he was the President of the Hermione Granger fan club, was anyone surprised? The World’s Best Seeker also denounced the injustices and condemned the current administration and stated that he was reluctant to come and play in the Quidditch Premier League in a country that was so intolerant of basic Creature Rights.

Okay, now this ultimatum from Krum really got the ball rolling. Sure, people cared about Creature Rights and all, fairness and morality and justice and all that yada yada, but Quidditch?

Oh, this was when things got interesting.

All of the Quidditch fanatics crawled out of the woodwork and absolutely demanded the removal of Fudge and the reinstatement of proper Creature Rights so that Krum would agree to come play for the QPL. Nothing would threaten their precious sport. Nothing.

Protests were breaking out in front of the British Ministry, and droves of wizards demanded Fudge’s resignation. The Aurors were frazzled trying to keep order and the Fudge administration's damage-control did jack shit to improve the situation.

Funnily enough, Dumbledore’s stance throughout the entire ordeal was ‘Well, I tried my best, but I can only do so much against the Ministry, however, both students and teachers of all heritages are wholeheartedly welcome here at Hogwarts, take it up with them.’

Ohhhh, Dumbles. Just gasoline on the flame.

By the time everyone was ready to go back to Hogwarts, the entire British Magical community was tensed in anticipation. It was a ticking time bomb. Something had to give.

But enough about all of that! Forget all about the impending, imminent coup d'etat for now!

Cedric!!!

George was so ecstatic to reunite with him again on the Hogwarts Express that she leaped into his arms as soon as she saw him, relishing his wonderful lemon and smoke scent. She buried her face in his neck and just breathed him in.

Merlin, she had missed him. She had so much to tell him!!

In the background, she could hear Freddie saying hi to Cedric and asking him about his summer, but George was too impatient for any niceties.

“Haha, Freddie?”

“Yeah, Georgie?”

George smiled sweetly at her twin, peering down at him from where she was still held up in Cedric’s arms. “You know I love you, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Awesome! Would you mind fucking off now? Thanks!! Love you lots!!!”

Cedric’s chest rumbled as he chuckled from underneath her as Fred gave her an unimpressed look before he turned to go. “Crikey, he’s my friend too, isn’t he?”

“Yes, yes, go find Angie, I know you’re excited to see her again. Now fuck off.”

Fred grumbled and shut the door to the compartment, and in the next instant, both George and Cedric whipped their wands out and began to furiously cast spells. George hurriedly chanted the locking and muffling spell around their compartment, and she felt that familiar warmth around her midriff as Cedric cast the contraception charm.

Her back slammed against the door as her lips were devoured by Cedric. George moaned shamelessly when his taste hit her tongue. Merlin, he tasted so good, she just wanted to eat him up. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and forced him even closer. Her hands found his hair, and she yanked hard and was rewarded with a deep groan from him.

Cedric’s clothed cock grinded against her ruthlessly, and George could feel her panties soak up with her slick in minutes. God, she wouldn’t be surprised if she was leaving a stain on his pants; she was positively dripping.

“Jo,” Cedric groaned. He sounded almost drunk, and when he pulled back a hair, George was able to see his dilated gray eyes, hooded and hazy. 

Jesus Christ, how had he gotten hotter? He had a dusting of facial hair, but it was well groomed, and god, did it make her hot to have it brush against her skin. George wrapped her legs tighter around Cedric’s middle, and his abs clenched in response.

“In me, baby,” George panted into his mouth. She licked his lips and was rewarded with another groan. “Please, Ced. I was dreaming about your thick, heavy cock all summer. Fill me up with your cum, baby, I need it.” George grinded heavily against him and whimpered in frustration when the stimulation wasn’t enough. 

“Oh, fuck, my dirty, filthy, girl.” He pulled on her bottom lip with his teeth before he pulled her into a wet, filthy kiss that smeared saliva around her lips. Morgana, they were so messy, but god, it was sooo hot, fuuuuck.

With another muttered spell, Cedric’s belt unwound itself with a flick and settled onto the bench next to them and his hard cock sprung free from his unbuttoned pants.

Cedric leaned her further into the door till he was resting the majority of his weight against her, and he moved her ruined panties aside before he slid home in one long, slow thrust.

George’s eyes rolled back, and she yanked his hair. Ohhhh god, she was so full, she felt him up in her throat. It was so fucking perfect. 

Cedric began to roughly thrust, and she bounced against the wall. Shit, the friction was probably going to leave a wild rash on her back, but she didn’t care, she just wanted to be dicked down like this forever, was that too much to ask for??? 

She relished in the sensation of Cedric rutting into her like an animal, her ass sore from the beating it was taking from his brutal thrusts. Every nerve in her body was lit up in sensation and she used her strong, toned legs to force him to fuck her even harder. Her skirt rode up her midriff until they rested under her bouncing breasts and she suspected that of Cedric looked down, he’d get a perfect view of how her pussy was swallowing his cock to the root. Oh, Morgana, the thought sent a zing of pleasure down her spine, and George bit her lip.

She was so horny that her clit felt oversensitive to the touch, swollen with her arousal. A single brush of Cedric’s thumb was enough to send her into a clenching orgasm. Her abs clenched tightly, and she hissed through her teeth as the pleasure rocked through her body and sent tingles all the way to her curled toes.

Just as she liked it, Cedric didn’t stop thrusting into her dripping heat, and the familiar feeling of the oversensitivity began to creep up on her until it almost became too much. Cedric groaned against her mouth and the room was filled with the wet, sloppy sounds of him pounding into her soaked pussy. The compartment was thick with the scent of sex, and the windows had begun to fog up.

George’s mind began to drift to that floaty place as her second orgasm approached, and a brutally hard squeeze of her tits and a savage pull on her pebbled nipples was enough to send her over the edge for a second time. George’s mouth opened in a silent scream as pleasure-pain whipped through her body in waves. A bolt of electricity ripped through her, and her body tensed like a live wire as she fought not to drown under the explosion of sensation that assaulted her senses.

She shuddered in satisfaction as Cedric groaned deeply and bucked his hips to fuck his cum deep into her, rocking them in mini-thrusts as his climax finally washed through him.

Cedric wobbled and leaned heavily against her, squishing her against the door as he caught his breath. George immediately hugged him close and dug her fingers into his mussed hair. Haha, he must have gone weak-kneed from that banger of an orgasm, huh? George suspected that if she had been standing, she would have swooned, too!

As Cedric panted heavily against her neck, George tightened her legs around him to keep his cum safe inside her. She relished in his comforting weight. Merlin, did he get even bigger? His shoulders felt broader than she remembered, huh? Holy shit, he was an absolute fucking unit, wasn’t he? He did mention that he had hit the Muggle gym quite hard over the summer in an effort to run from the reporter vultures (because why would the Triwizard Champion ever be caught in a Muggle gym??), but this was almost ridiculous, wasn’t it? 

Finally, when Cedric’s knees were able to support both their weight, he carried them over to the bench and sat down with her in his lap. George cuddled in immediately, rocking her hips experimentally to find the best position to keep the cum from flowing out of her. Sue her, she just really loved it when he came inside of her, it felt like an extra deep, primal claim. It soothed those deep, dark insecurities that prowled in the back of her mind. 

Cedric groaned at her ministrations, and George smiled mischievously at him. “Something the matter, babe?”

“Fuckin’ hell, lovely, take some pity on me,” he pouted up at her with those gorgeous gray eyes. Gosh, he was just too fucking cute, wasn’t he?? She was forced to lean forward and peck the pout off of his full lips. She loved him so damn much!

“So, tell me about your trip!!”

The two were happy to regale each other with their summer adventures. George gushed about their new store, and Cedric was beyond excited to see it for himself and add his own ideas to the redecorate the building. He thoroughly detailed his adventures over in America and his little trips down to visit Florida and New Orleans, where there were several old-school covens practicing Cajun rituals. For the most part, however, he stayed in good ol’ New York, and he spent a lot of his time exploring the city with his parents and hiding from reporters in the gym. 

Cedric hadn’t been selected as Head Boy, which, to be honest, they weren’t really all that surprised about. While Cedric was exceptional, it wouldn’t be really fair for him to hog all the opportunities from the other students. The Head Boy and Girl position was especially crucial for students aiming for higher education or direct Ministry positions, neither of which Cedric aspired towards. He was already practically set for life as the Triwizard Champion, he didn’t need to steal opportunities from students who would really use them. 

Adrian Pucey from Slytherin and Rizwana Shafiq from Ravenclaw had been selected as Head Boy and Head Girl. George was really happy for them!!! They were both in her Alchemy elective, and she could see just how hard they worked. Sure, they were on the quieter side, but both of them were rather nice to her! Even Pucey, who seemed quite cold at first impression, was actually a softie and wasn’t reluctant to partner up with her when they had to draw out complex transmutation circles. He was quietly eager to hear about Ronniekins’ progress on the National Team, the adorable chess-dork. Oh, these Slytherins, they’re all such softies inside, it was so endearing!!

George enjoyed the sensation of Cedric’s cum slowly oozing out of her tender pussy as the hours passed. Of course, Cedric was more than happy to fill her up to her heart’s content, and by the time they approached Hogwarts, the surrounding seat was an absolute mess. Holy shit, they probably had to burn the entire bench. If the House elves came in with a black light, they would probably nuke the compartment from miles away after catching a glimpse of how thoroughly they had desecrated it.

Haha, they had to take the better part of an hour to spell the compartment clean and straighten themselves out before they had to unboard. 

Right as George was about to clean herself up, Cedric pulled her back into a deep kiss that left her feeling breathless. George felt him smirk against her lips and whisper, “You’re not gonna clean your panties, lovely.”

George struggled to comprehend. “Huh?”

His lips brushed hair-light against hers as he spoke. “You’re gonna wear your filthy panties, my love. Those panties are going to catch all of my leaking cum and keep you nice and slick for me, so that I can slide right back into you after the feast.”

“Oh, fuck.”

“Be careful, luv,” Cedric’s eyes were mischievous. Cedric reached under her skirt and slid a finger into her hole. “Make sure that you don’t leak anything. You’re such a messy girl, aren’t you?” He clicked his tongue in mock-censure and shook his head before he pulled his finger out and licked it with a glint in his eye.

“Cedric, you fucking dick-”

Before she could do anything, Cedric slid the door open with a flick of his wand and strode outside to the milling crowd of students, but not before gracing her with a wink.

Ooohhhh, she was going to kill him.

As expected, the feast was excruciating, trying to keep Cedric’s thick cum from leaking out of her as she fought not to shift from side to side on the bench while listening to all her friends tell her about their summer escapades.

Unfortunately, all feelings of anticipation and arousal were swiftly extinguished when Dumbledore very unenthusiastically introduced their new Defense Professor.

Oh no.

Oh god no.

It was Umbridge.

She stood at the Professor’s table in all her horrific pink glory, condescendingly looking down at the student body as she gave a speech about how they were all going to be ‘great friends’.

Ha.

Ohhhhh, they were fucked.

Of course, a single glance at Fred and Cedric informed her that they too understood just how dire the situation was.

The previous year, she had told them how much of a monster this lady was, and they were horrified to hear just how she had abused students in the name of discipline. 

With Voldemort’s resurrection curtailed, they had assumed that they wouldn’t have had to have to deal with this satan-spawn, so why…?

Ah.

The Werewolf Scandal.

That’s why she was here. Umbridge had likely become the DADA Professor in response to the backlash from all the articles that had been published over the summer. She was here to ‘bring Hogwarts under control’ again.

Sure enough, during her first lesson, she again told all the students to put their wands away and focus on their textbooks. She wanted to dedicate all the time in her classes to pure theory. Come hell or high water, she was going to make the students get immaculate theory scores so that she could beat Lupin’s record and prove that the Ministry ideology was the correct one.

Uh. Yeah. That was… optimistic?

And unfortunately, George made the mistake of saying that to Umbridge’s face.

“Alright, children, time to open up your textbooks! We will be starting at chapter one, and we will take turns reading!”

The entire Gryffindor-Ravenclaw class stared at her. They were all seventh-year. That meant that every single one of them was legally an adult, and here they were, being talked to like they were elementary-schoolers. 

“Quickly now, children! One by one, you will stand up to read aloud! Please let me know if there is a word that confuses you, and I will explain it to you.”

George incredulously looked at Fred, who in turn raised his brows at her. Was she for real?

Umbridge’s voice suddenly cut through the ruffle of pages. “Mr. Caraway, please put your wand away. You will not need it for this class.”

Everyone stopped and looked up at her in disbelief. “Excuse me?” Caraway sputtered.

Umbridge’s froggy face contorted into a grin. “I believe I made myself clear the first time, Mr. Caraway. We will not be using wands in this class. If I see it out, I will be issuing detentions.”

The entire class looked at each other in astonishment. 

“Beggin’ your pardon, Professor, but doesn’t that sort of defeat the entire purpose of Defense Against the Dark Arts?” Fred drawled sarcastically. His arms were crossed, and his face was deeply unimpressed. He purposely twirled his wand around in his fingers and relished in the way the toad twitched.

“Students will raise their hands to ask questions in my class.” Her smile looked a little less friendly. 

Fred continued to look challengingly at her as he skillfully spun his wand around, but before Umbridge could say anything more, George politely raised her hand.

Umbridge condescended her with a smile. “Yes, Miss Weasley?”

“Good morning, Professor!” George beamed at her. There was no harm in being polite, was there? “I had a question about the restriction of wand usage.”

“I don’t see what is so complicated, Miss Weasley. Do you need me to repeat is slower for you to understand?” 

Um, wow. In the background, she could see the entire class bristle a little. “Haha, that’s alright, Professor! I’m sure I understood you just fine! I was just wondering how we were going to prepare for the Practical section for the NEWTs!”

Umbridge shook her head and sighed. “Honestly, I have to admit that I am a little disappointed that seventh years aren’t comprehending instructions despite my repeated attempts. I shall state this only once and once only: Do not concern yourself with that. We will not be practicing any spells in this class, and we will be completely focused on Theory.”

The entire class erupted in discontent, and Umbridge’s unpleasant voice cried out, “Students will raise their hands if they wish to say something in my class!”

Fred lazily lifted his arm for a second before he said, “So what I’m understanding is that you don’t care about our Practical results as long as we score extremely well on the Theoretical exams, yeah?”

“That is a gross simplification-”

Alicia raised her hand and said, “Does this have anythin’ to do with the articles over the summah?”

The class burst into loud whispers, and Umbridge’s face turned a blotchy red. “Now I don’t see-”

George politely raised her hand again and earnestly said, “Oh, don’t feel bad, Professor! We totally understand what a bad look it is for the Ministry for Professor Lupin to have the highest grades in recent history!” The class tittered, but George ignored it and pressed forward. “We totally get that! I totally understand that you want to focus on Theory in class so that you can get us to have higher marks than Professor Lupin’s scores, but surely you see just how illogical it is to only learn Theory without putting it into practice! Like, what if we ever get attacked or encounter a dark creature? Isn’t it important that we know how to defend ourselves?” Her eyes were bright and sincere, and for some reason, that seemed to only piss Umbridge off more.

“Miss Weasley, it is not your place to dictate what is important in this class. Do you realize that your statements imply that you know better than the Ministry on what is good for our country?”

George tilted her head in confusion. “Begging your pardon, Professor, but I never said that I knew better than the Ministry. I was just saying that it would be quite useless to flunk our Practical scores in favor of our Theory scores when you want to prove your superiority over Professor Lupin. Oh!” 

A lightbulb went off in her head, and she beamed at the irritated woman. “I see! Since the Theory exams are standardized to the international standard and are graded by outsider proctors, you have no control over our results, however, you could bribe or rig the proctors for the Practicals to give us fantastic scores! Ooooh, I see! Quite the clever plan, Professor!” 

George clapped in excitement as the rest of the class gaped at the fuming Umbridge, who had gone purple. 

Unfortunately, George wasn’t done, the poor idiot. “That makes so much sense!! The Ministry is in charge of assigning the Proctors for the Practical portion of the exams, so it would be quite easy to find people who would inflate our scores, whether through bribes or blackmail!! Oooooh, sneaky, sneaky plan, Professor! Quite clever!! I have to say, if it wasn’t for your pathological discrimination towards creatures and magicals of mixed heritage, I’d admire you deeply, but unfortunately, I am morally opposed to supporting people who unjustly suppress civil rights!” 

Then, she blinked as it occurred to her, “Oh, I’m sorry, that was rather rude of me, wasn’t it? It’d be rather unkind to treat you differently just because your views fundamentally oppose my own, so I do hope that we’ll be able to get along, Professor!”

Fred was unsuccessfully trying to stifle his sniggers, and in her periphery, George saw Angie, Alicia, and Lee doing the same. Based on some snorts, the Ravenclaws weren’t unaffected either.

Oh, crap. Maybe she overdid it. Sometimes her words get ahead of her, surely she didn’t commit too big of a faux-pas, she did try to apologize, didn’t she…

“Detention, Miss Weasley!”

… Dang it. She might have fucked up a bit. Shit. She was just thinking aloud, and now here she was. Darn her stupid big mouth! 

Well, she was sure that she could handle it! She tried to reassure her worried classmates, especially Fred, who knew just what Umbridge was capable of. Come on, guys, stop worrying! It would be fine!

It was not fine.

George tried to keep her friendly and cheerful attitude as she arrived for Detention, but unfortunately, that seemed to really rub Umbridge the wrong way. Umbridge tried to give her a stern talking-to, but when George’s only response was to beam up at her brightly and say, “Of course, Professor! I’m really sorry for disrupting class, I won’t do it again!” Umbridge remained unsatisfied and instructed George to sit down at a small desk and pull out a sheet of parchment.

Resting on the desk was a thick, red quill, and conspicuously missing was an ink pot.

Wait a second. Oh no.

“Um, Professor-”

“Alright, Miss Weasley. For your punishment tonight, I am going to have you write some lines.”

“Uh-”

“You will write, ‘I will not question my betters and know my place’, let’s say, hmmm, twenty times, shall we?”

Umbridge smiled in dark satisfaction as she brought her teacup up to her lips and took a sip. George stared at her.

“Um, Professor. This is a Blood Quill.” 

Umbridge raised her drawn-on brows. “I’m sure that I don’t know what you mean, dear.”

“You want me to write with a Blood Quill. These are illegal, aren’t they?”

“Hmmmm.” Umbridge smiled as she spooned more sugar into her cup and stirred. “Miss Weasley, that will be another fifteen lines on top of your original twenty.”

George’s brows furrowed. “Uh. Are you sure, Professor? I don’t think that you’ll like the consequences of this.”

Umbridge glanced up at George, and though her lips were pulled back into a smile, her eyes were cold. “Was that a threat, Miss Weasley?”

“Well, no, Professor, but-”

“That will be thirty-five lines before you leave my office tonight, Miss Weasley. You'd best start now if you wish to return to your dorm before curfew.”

George sighed and picked up the Blood Quill. Well, shit. This was gonna suck.

George copied down the stupid, demeaning line and did her best to ignore the pain of her hand getting sliced open again and again. Unfortunately, at around line thirty, the wounds took longer and longer to close up until by the time she wrote the last few lines, the back of her hand was raw and fleshy, staining blood all over the desk.

It really, really hurt, but George smiled through the pain. Again, this appeared to cause Umbridge great displeasure. Her lips were pursed and her eyes were narrowed into angry slits that examined her. Finally, as George gently put the quill down and pushed the paper with completed lines over to her, Umbridge reluctantly nodded and released her from her Detention.

“I hope the message has managed to sink in, Miss Weasley. I expect that there will be no more trouble in class, will there?”

“Of course, Professor,” George politely told her and smiled. She inclined her head as she cradled her bleeding hand and made her way out.

Ohhhh, ouch. Big ouch. Owie owie owie.

George was trying to find the best way to make her way back up to the Gryffindor Dorms without leaving a ghastly trail of blood behind her for the House Elves to clean, but she was pulled out of her reverie by the sound of a sharp gasp.

The next second revealed the worried forms of Fred and Cedric, who emerged from underneath Harry’s Invisibility Cloak. George’s eyebrows raised in surprise, but the boys’ attention was immediately drawn to her mangled hand that she was trying to cradle to her chest.

George felt a shiver run down her spine as she took in the looks on their faces. Even when they faced down the fake-Moody, they didn’t look as deadly. 

Both of them pulled their wands out and immediately tried the wide variety of healing spells that they had picked up over the years in response to their wacky prank inventions blowing up in their faces, but alarmingly, nothing worked.

“Bloody bullocks, she used the cursed quill, didn’t she?” Freddie snarled. 

Cedric didn’t say anything. His face was blank, but the look in his eyes set a shiver down George’s spine.

“This is fuckin’ useless! Proper cursed, it is. We need to see Madam Pomfrey, yeah?”

“No.” Cedric’s voice was quiet, but it stopped Fred and George in their tracks. “No. Pomfrey can only do so much. We need to go to Snape.”

Freddie whipped their Map out and his eyes danced furiously across the pages until they came to a stop at the dungeons. “Ah-ha. He’s in the Slytherin Common Room callin’ a House meeting or something, yeah? Let’s go.”

Fred and Cedric practically carried her down the stairs to the dungeons. Usually, George would have protested, but she was feeling rather sensitive after having to cut into her own hand for the past few hours, so she didn’t mind being coddled a bit. She earned a well-deserved pampering, thank you very much.

When they finally reached the doors, Freddie reached out and furiously pounded on them like he was a SWAT member. “Oi! Open up, you wankers! We need Snape right now, yeah?!”

Freddie unceasingly pounded on the doors as Cedric covered George’s hand with his own, trying to staunch the blood. Unfortunately, they weren’t very successful and only managed to smear it further. Goodness, they probably looked like they were drenched in blood like zombies, huh? Or would it be Inferi? But weren’t Inferi bloodless? They were supposed to be, but then again, they’d look rather deflated without blood, wouldn’t they? Haha! Limp balloon Inferi! So sillyyyy!

George fought to stay cheerful and lucid as the throb in her hand grew more and more pronounced. Cedric could probably see it, and he pulled her into his chest, uncaring of how the blood smeared all over his uniform. “Shhhh, lovely. It’s okay, Snape will help us.”

“OI! OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, YOU LAZY MINGERS!!”

“What?!” Theodore Nott’s irritated face popped out of the door. “Why are you fools causing such a ruckus?!”

“Get Snape, now.” Fred’s voice was black. 

The irritation on Theo’s face melted off as he finally glimpsed the blood they were smeared with. His eyes darted to George’s form, and though she tried to smile, she suspected that it didn’t come out quite right, as his face looked even more grim. He disappeared back into the Slytherin Common Room, and within a few minutes, he was back outside with Snape. A crowd of curious faces peeked at them from behind the door as it banged open and Snape swooped through. He wasn’t wearing his iconic black robes; instead dressed down in only a crisp white button-up with the sleeves rolled up and black dress pants. 

Haha, wow, Snape looked pretty striking in business casual! Whoo, yay! Get it, Snape! Another hot Professor, hooray for more eye-candy, George was so spoiled!!

… Hehe, maybe the blood loss was affecting her a tiny, tiny bit. 

While George was in a daze about Snape’s surprising attractiveness, Fred and Cedric were frantically explaining the entire situation to an increasingly furious Snape. The Potions Master rushed them over to his office and mercilessly shut it on the curious Slytherins’ faces. He grabbed a bottle of Essence of Dittany and immediately began slathering it on.

George almost went limp in relief as the agony finally began to subside. Oh god, she didn’t realize just how much pain she was in! Haha, she must have dissociated at some point! Whoopsie daisy!

Snape looked apoplectic as he treated her. “That vile woman,” he snarled. “It’s illegal to use a Blood Quill for anything other than contract signatures. That fucking bitch- where does she get off on torturing students? ‘I will not question my betters and know my place?’ The audacity-!”

“We know! Oh, we swear, Professor, that cunt is gonna get what’s coming to her!!” Freddie shook in fury. He uncorked the Bood Replenishing potion that Snape handed to him and nodded at Cedric, who propped her upright. Fred helped George pour the foul-tasting potion into her mouth and forced her to drink it all.

Within a minute, her wound was gushing fresh blood, but George felt a whoooole lot better, so hey, it was okay! Haha, it was creating a bit of a mess though, yikes.

Snape was chanting a complex incantation over and over and waving his wand in an intricate pattern over her hand, and soon she felt a warm tingle run over the injured site. It stung a little, but not nearly as much as before, so George just gritted her teeth and bore it.

Soon, dark purple goop began to ooze from her wound. It was just a small amount, but Snape coaxed it out of her drop by drop, collecting it in a nearby ampule. 

Snape worked tirelessly for almost ten minutes before all the dark magic was extracted from her hand. He wordlessly walked over to his cabinet and pulled out another container, this one filled with a mint green cream that stunk to the high heavens like burnt rubber. When it was rubbed into her wound, the skin itched like mad but began to slowly knit together before her eyes, leaving the barest hint of a scar, if any.

Suddenly, all the exhaustion hit her all at once, and George slumped against Cedric’s warm presence. His strong arm wrapped around her waist and cradled her limp form to his chest. 

“Shhhh, my love. It’s okay. Rest. I’ve got you.” 

And with that, George happily leaped into oblivion. In the presence of her twin, lover, and favorite teacher, no one could ever hurt her.

 

 

Notes:

Again, sorry for the formatting errors, guys! Lemme know what you think!

Chapter 11: Seventh Year - Part 2

Notes:

Here we go, guys!

So, this chapter contains some descriptions of torture, but it's pretty mild, comparible to Umbitch doing Umbitch things, just a heads up to those super sensitive

But yeah, hope you enjoy!

George was a little disoriented to wake up a few hours later in the Room of Requirement. Both Fred and Cedric were bent over a desk containing the Map and what looked like the draft of a letter, and were discussing something in hushed tones. They both looked over when she stirred and sat up.

“Good morning, luv. How do you feel?”

George stretched and brought her hand up to her face. Wow, she felt as good as new. Nice!

When she informed them of her much-improved state, both of their shoulders slumped in relief. Fred came over and pressed a kiss to her hair before he ruffled it. “Good. That’s a relief to hear, yeah?”

Cedric sat on the bed next to her and pulled George onto his lap, who was more than happy to burrow into his addictive warmth. Merlin, she was getting sleepy again, wasn’t she? Her eyes began to close, and she drifted off to the familiar sounds of their voices discussing their retribution.

A few days later, an article was published exposing Umbridge as a child-abusing ministry plant who used illegal punishments to discipline children. The Blood Quill was mentioned, and the author was appropriately disgusted as they described just what it did to a victim.

The Great Hall was filled with hordes of owls from worried parents who were desperate to check on the safety of their children. Obviously, this was a very bad look for the Ministry, especially added on to the scandal that they were currently trying to battle.

Umbridge was incandescently furious and glared absolute murder at George. The entire Gryffindor House formed ranks around her and protected her from the toad’s searing stare. Hey, in fact, it didn’t seem to just be the Gryffindor House. Members of all three of the other houses were antagonistic towards Umbridge and openly showed their support of George, too.

Upon asking Katie, the sixth-year was happy to proclaim that she had heard through the grapevine that the entire school knew what she had said in Umbridge’s class to tick her off to earn her that detention and everyone found it absolutely hilarious they way she had inadvertently called out the Ministry’s corruption straight to her face. On the flipside, the entire school also knew of her punishment, all thanks to those surprisingly gossipy Slytherins who had witnessed the entire interaction, and suffice it to say, they were smokin’ mad.

George was a little shocked to hear it, but it didn’t surprise Katie at all. George was one of the most well-liked people in the entire school. She was one of those people who would go out of their way to help other students out, and her pranks were always funny but not harmful, and she was always careful to soothe any ruffled feathers afterwards. George didn’t care about House divisions; she treated everyone equally sweetly, and it didn’t hurt that she was disgustingly pretty and that she just radiated golden-retriever energy.

Yup. The school was very much not pleased with the current situation.

Unfortunately, the exposé on Umbridge’s horrible practices didn’t result in any permanent changes. Because Fred and Cedric had taken George to Snape for help, she didn’t have any evidence of the usage of the Blood Quill afterwards since Snape had healed her up completely. George was very, very relieved to learn that thankfully, no other student had yet been subject to the Blood Quill, however, Harry had been quite close after he had passionately gotten into a fight with Umbridge about his unshakable support of Lupin and his opposition to the Ministry’s stance on Creature Rights. Only Hermione and Ron’s quick thinking and de-escalation of the situation had saved Harry from receiving a detention, too. In fact, their class was the one right before the seventh-year Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class, so Umbridge was probably already ticked off from Harriekins’ shit-stirring before George even opened her mouth. Ahhh, shit, she probably already had the odds stacked against her, but you know what, she wouldn’t have it any other way!! Best for her to get hurt rather than any of her precious kids!!! 

When the Ministry had printed the article that refuted the accusations, Fred and Cedric were livid at themselves for not thinking of calling the Creevy brothers over to take pictures as evidence. Of course, George soundly scolded the both of them for how foolish that was; she was heavily injured, what sort of maniac would think about recording evidence in that kind of situation? It wasn’t their fault, and nothing could be done.

For now, though, Umbridge was at a stalemate in regards to using the Blood Quill. If she used it on any other student, she would be providing them with evidence to publish about her illegal practices.

And that really cemented Umbridge’s absolute hatred of Georgiana Weasley and her determination to make her life a living hell.

Jeez, George tried to warn her that this would happen, but noooo, apparently she was threatening her instead!! Well, served that bitch right! She deserved everything that was coming to her, that bigoted, child-abusing toad!!!

George was happy to go to Dumbledore’s office and cry to him about Umbridge’s actions. There was no doubt that Snape hadn’t already told the entire Staff, as all the Professors were frigidly cold to the pink creature and looked at her like she was something they had scraped off the bottom of their shoe, but still!! George wanted to bitch to her friend!!!

So that’s what she did. She told Dumbledore everything, including how Umbridge was supposed to act in the story-that-never-was. George had been slightly optimistic that, because there wasn’t the added factor of Voldemort in the equation, maybe Umbridge wouldn’t be quite so depraved, but all her hopes were squashed.

The ever-present twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes was missing, and made George realize just how scary he was without it. He looked like one of those wizarding gods of legend, power and electricity roiling off of him in waves.

It was more than a little frightening, but George wasn’t worried. Dumbledore was her friend! She trusted him not to hurt her! 

Eventually, Dumbledore spoke. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention, young one. And please, let me extend my sincerest apologies that you had to go through such harm under my purview.”

George playfully waved him off. “Haha, don’t worry about it, Al! I’m just glad that it happened to me! This is the best possible outcome!”

Dumbledore looked deeply upset. “Miss Weasley-”

“Oops, that probably came out wrong! I mean, yeah, it really wasn’t fun having to cut my hand open over and over, but what was the alternative? I already knew that she was an unhinged madwoman who would resort to torturing students, so I went into this with my eyes wide open. I’m an adult, and it’s my responsibility to stand between the kids and even put myself in harm’s way for them. And in the end, it worked! With Freddie and Ced whistle-blowing on her to the Daily Prophet, now she can’t use that demonic quill anymore if she doesn’t want to open a can of whoop-ass on the Ministry! And now, Freddie and Ced are on the warpath to absolutely destroy this woman and everything she loves, so there’s that to look forward to! All’s well that ends well, I say!” 

Dumbledore stared at her blankly as he processed her word-vomit. “So you thought this out, then.”

“I mean, kinda. I didn’t really anticipate receiving that Detention, though I guess I could see where I kinda ticked her off. I really didn’t mean to, honest. I was just thinking out loud, and apparently just cracked the entire scheme that the Ministry was cooking up and announced it to the entire class. It all kinda snowballed from there.”

“Hmmmmm.” Dumbledore continued to examine her, and finally relaxed when he didn’t see any signs of distress in George. “Well, alright, then. It is heartening to hear that young Mr. Weasley and Mr. Diggory have a plan on how to bring proper retribution on Umbridge, as I have unfortunately found myself with my hands tied.”

“What?! What happened, Al?!”

Dumbledore sighed. “Dear Cornelius has somehow come under the impression that I have masterminded the entire mess that he is currently in, all in an attempt to seize the Minister position for myself.”

“Uh… but you’ve repeatedly turned down the Minister seat, like, multiple times.”

The old headmaster pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “Precisely. I’ve attempted to explain that to him, but he seems to be too deep into his hysteria to really acknowledge my reassurances. He is attempting to have me arrested on various trumped-up charges, and it is taking a considerable amount of my time and energy to contest each new one.”

George gaped at him. “Wow. That’s… wow.”

Dumbledore chuckled. “Indeed, darling. So you see, my hands are rather tied when it comes to forcing young Dolores from the school, lest Fudge try to convict me for discrimination and wrongful termination or something equally as silly. The other teachers are doing their best to protect the students, but we are all quite aware of the guillotine hanging over our heads, as if we step too far out of place, the Ministry could dismiss them and replace them with people as detestable as dear Dolores.”

George shuddered as she imagined dozens of Umbridges walking around in the castle. No. Absolutely not.

“I see, Professor. Then, there’s only one solution, isn’t there?”

Ah! She was pleased to see that familiar twinkle reignite in Dumbledore’s eyes. “And that is?”

“Well, since all the adults’ hands are tied, then we children will be the ones to drive her out of the school!” George beamed at him, and to her pleasure, Dumbledore laughed.

“Ah, of course,” Dumbledore smiled, “And you already have a plan, do you?”

A glint entered George’s eyes. “Well, Professor, did I ever tell you that we were finally able to buy a shopfront on Diagon Alley?”

“Oh, congratulations, dear!” Dumbledore’s eyes were full of a genuine paternal warmth, and George felt warm and fuzzy in the face of his obvious pride. Silly, silly Dumbles. 

“Yup! Freddie and I spent weeks renovating, and we’re gonna launch the store after we graduate! But before that, we have one final thing we have to do!”

“And that is?”

George’s smirk was feral and bloodthirsty. “Well, we have to stress–test all of our products, don’t we, Professor? I mean, it would be rather unfortunate if we sold faulty merchandise! We have to test them over and over again until they’re absolutely perfect!!!”

Dumbledore hooted with laughter and wiped his eyes. “Ahhhhh, I see! Of course, of course, it wouldn’t do to sell products that aren’t thoroughly tested beforehand. Well, I wish you all the best in your endeavors, Miss Weasley. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you to aid you in your quest.” His bushy eyebrows wriggled meaningfully.

George giggled. “Absolutely, Professor!”

The two spoke for some time about other matters like Ronnie’s promising chess career and the Alchemy NEWTS before the topic wrapped back around to her foreknowledge. 

“Oh, I wanted to ask, Professor, how goes the search for Mr. Riddle’s Horcruxes?”

Dumbledore hummed as he sucked on a lemon drop. “Hmmmm, your descriptions were quite thorough and helpful, my dear. Filius and I were able to dispose of Rowena’s Diadem around a month ago.”

George gasped. “Oh my goodness, you did?! Were you guys okay?!”

“Yes, we were quite alright, my dear.” His eyes reflected an amused fondness for her concerns about his safety. “Poor Filius was quite distraught at the lost potential of the Diadem, but there was nothing to be done, I’m afraid. When an object is host to such dark magic, it is nearly impossible to fully cleanse it.”

“Whew, that’s a relief to hear, but I am sorry, too. The Diadem was a truly remarkable artifact, wasn’t it?”

“That it was, my dear, that it was.”

“Alright, so the Diadem’s gone, and so is the Diary and Nagini, what does that leave?” George counted on her fingers. “The Cup, the Ring, the Locket, and…” 

And Harry.

But haha, let’s forget about that for now!!!!

Dumbledore nodded and narrowed his eyes. “Yes, I have been corresponding with Sirius, and he will be sending me the locket within the next few weeks.”

“Oh! That’s good! Wonder why it took this long, though, weren’t you corresponding with him since last year…?”

Dumbledrore raised a brow. “Well, we were both a bit preoccupied with other matters, darling.”

George giggled at the playful reproach. “Hehe, don’t be such a sourpuss, Al! Just asking, is all!” 

“Of course, dear.”

“Awesome! So, about the cup, do you have a plan on how to get it from Gringotts’ vaults? You’re not gonna stage a heist like they did in the original story, haha, are you?”

Dumbledore chuckled. “No, I don’t believe I will. It would be quite unfortunate if I were to alienate the Goblins like that. They don’t tend to forgive easily, those Goblins.”

“Haha, tell me about it! Speaking of, I have an idea, but you’re definitely not going to like it.”

Dumbledore's eyebrow raised up in interest. “Yes?”

“Well, you know how for centuries they’ve been demanding the Sword of Gryffindor back…”

Dumbledore looked aghast at the very prospect. “Surely not.”

George shamelessly shrugged. “Hey, I’m just throwing an idea out there. If you have a better one, go for it, but this one will work for certain, you know that.”

Dumbledore looked completely crushed at the very prospect of turning over the Sword of Gryffindor back to the Goblins, but hey, theoretically it was their property in the first place. Don’t get her wrong, George enjoyed being a Brit, but she certainly did not love the whole ‘finder’s keepers, losers weepers’ part of her new heritage. 

“So, do you have a plan for the Ring?”

Dubledore grimaced. “From your description, the protections on this Horcrux are quite vicious, if I recall. Am I correct in recollecting that you informed me that in your foreknowledge, you had seen me get fatally cursed from the Ring?”

George sobered. “Yeah. Lemme be honest with you, Al. I’m telling you this as a friend, okay?”

Dumbleore looked both wary and curious. “Yes?”

“I know about your fascination with the Deathly Hallows. I don’t want to get too deep into it, but I know about your whole history with Grindelwald and your pact and everything.” George reached over to clasp his hand, smiling in affectionate sympathy. “I even know about Ariana.”

Dumbledore was as still as a statue and as pale as one. “Miss Weasley…”

George squeezed his hand. “I’m not saying this to hold your past over your head, Al. You’ve made mistakes in the past, but haven’t we all? What matters most is the man you are today. You’ve worked hard to atone for your mistakes and become a good man who sometimes has to make hard choices. You’re my friend, Al, and I care about you, so that’s why I’m bringing this up.”

George smiled sadly up at him. “You’re obsessed with the Deathly Hallows, Al. I don’t judge you for it. No one is infallible. Just, you lose your rationality when it comes to certain things, like the Hallows, Harry, and Tom Riddle.”

“I beg your pardon?” His voice was hoarse.

George squeezed his arm again. “Be honest with me, Al. Who did young Tom Riddle remind you of?”

The way he gulped heavily was all the answer she needed. “Yeah. He reminded you of a young Gellert. So bright and brilliant like the sun, but just as potentially destructive, too. But. You weren’t fair to him, Al. You saw Gellert in him and dismissed him. Villainized him.”

Dumbledore stared at her. He looked haunted. 

“You made parallels between the two and didn’t judge Tom for his own merits. You didn’t give him a chance. Would have turned to the Dark Side even if you gave him a fair chance?” George shrugged. “Sure, it’s possible. But the thing is, we’ll never know for certain. In the end, poor Tom was just a lonely little orphan wizard stuck in a cruel Muggle orphanage during the Blitz. We can’t say for certain if he was rotten from the get-go, but it’s absolutely undeniable that his environment shaped him into the monster that he was at the end.”

George looked deep into Dumbledore’s eyes and stressed, “I’m telling you this because you’re emotionally compromised on both fronts, Al. Both on Riddle and the Hallows. You need to be careful if you don’t want to fall victim to the curse again. Please, I’d rather you take an entire team of Hit-Wizards and Curse-Breakers than be under-prepared.”

Dumbledore smiled at her. It was small and broken, but it filled George with warmth nonetheless. “Thank you, my dear. Once again, you demonstrate wisdom beyond your years. You have grown into a remarkable young woman, if I do say so myself. Young Mister Diggory is quite lucky to have secured your affections.”

George blushed furiously. It was sweet of him to say so, but she vehemently disagreed. She was the lucky one! Cedric was a one-in-a-billion while she was out here like a common weed!! She would never take her luck for granted, no siree!!

“Awww, thank you, sir! If you’d like, I could come with you on your mission-!”

“No.”

“Haha, dang it.”

Though that was a hard conversation to have, it was an important one, and George was in awe at Dumbledore’s graciousness in listening to her viewpoints. She had personally attacked all of his significant life choices, after all, but he had listened with humility and openness! George really, really admired him, not just for his strength of skill and magic, but mostly for his strength of character. Sure, Dumbledore didn’t always make the best choices, but he was open to listening, and that was saying something, considering that she was just a bug in comparison to his lifetime of experience and wisdom. And that was something truly special.

George smiled as she skipped over to the Hufflepuff Dorms. Yeah, it was an absolute honor to be considered his friend. Dumbledore may make mistakes along the way, but she would be there to help guide him back to the right path!

She was still humming happily as she slipped into the dorms. She cheerfully greeted all the Hufflepuffs who were lounging around on their cushy armchairs and sofas. 

“Wotcher, George!” Jessica Macmillan grinned at her. 

“Hiya, Jess!” George beamed back. She had gotten quite close with Cedric’s dormmates after spending so much time in the Hufflepuff Common room with him, just as he had with the Gryffindors.

“Here for the golden boy again?”

“Haha, you know it!” George twirled her hair bashfully as Jessica sighed in amused resignation.

“Wait here, babe, I’ll go and grab him for you, yeah?”

“Thank you, Jess! Want some peach gummies?”

“Sure, wouldn't mind a handful.”

Soon enough, Cedric emerged from his room and smiled upon seeing her. He wrapped an arm around her waist and bent down to kiss her. “Done with your talk with him, Jo?”

“Yup!” George hummed in pleasure, happy to be warm and safe in his arms again. Ahhhh, he looked soooo good! He had thrown an old sweater on, one that was buttery soft and well-worn from use. It clung tightly to his massive chest and arms and emphasized all the hard work he had put in at the gym over the past few years. His hair fell into his eyes, which were sleepy and heavily lidded. He looked so deliciously rumpled. Too handsome!!! Good lord, have some mercy for her poor heart, Cedric! It can’t take this kind of stress forever!!!

Cedric bent down to give her another peck before he turned back to the room. “I’ll be a little busy for a bit. If you need a Prefect, look for one of the others. Cheers, lads.” He was smiling, but it was clear to everyone that his instructions were non-negotiable.

Cedric led George up to his dorm room with the snorts of the older years behind them, but George didn’t care. It was all in good fun, anyway!! Those Hufflepuffs were always so kind to her, and a little ribbing was kinda fun, as if she was one of them!!

Thankfully, Cedric’s roommates were elsewhere, which allowed them blissful, blissful privacy.

George raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Well, then. How fortunate. She had been content to anticipate just some precious snuggling time in the presence of his roommates, but now…

“Heya, Ced?”

“Yeah, Jo?”

She smiled evilly up at him. “I don’t think I ever thanked you, did I?”

Cedric looked thrown at her sudden change in topic. “Thank me? For what?”

George slid her wand out and enjoyed the way Cedric’s eyes widened before she giggled out, “Incarcerous,” and Cedric’s arms snapped behind his back, tied in thick ropes. 

Her boyfriend looked baffled at the turn of events. “Wha-”

Oop, those ropes look a little too tight. With a wave of her wand, she loosened the ropes and transfigured them into a softer, satin-like material so that they wouldn’t chafe against his skin.

“What- Jo, what happen-”

With a gentle little shove, Cedric was pushed back to sit on his bed, still looking up at her in bewilderment. His frown deepened as George stepped in between his legs and cradled his face.

“Do you trust me, baby?”

“Of course I do, my love.” He still looked absolutely lost.

“Perfect! If I do anything you don’t like, then just say ‘Zonko’s’ and I’ll stop, okay?”

The light of dawning comprehension finally lit up his eyes, and his lips turned into a returning smirk. “‘Zonko’s’, lovely?”

George shrugged. “Dunno, a bit of a turn-off, isn’t it, being our business rival and all?”

Cedric smiled and shook his head at her silliness. “Alright, then. ‘Zonko’s’ it is.”

“Perfect!” George beamed. “Now, back to business. I haven’t properly thanked you, have I?”

Cedric groaned as George’s hands brushed over his neck to land on his chest. Hot diggidy dog, her boy had the absolute best tiddies to ever exist. The way his arms were pulled back and tied behind his back made his back slightly arch and emphasize them even more. God, she just loved her big-tiddied snack of a man.

“Thank me?” Cedric panted as George pushed his sweater up and began to play with his pecs. She squeezed the meat of them and mischievously smiled up at him while she popped his nipple into her mouth. Cedric’s head fell back in a groan, and his shoulders rippled as he pulled against the restraints.

“Oh, no no, my naughty boy. No hands today. I’m gonna give you all the thanks you deserve, baby.”

George went back to devouring his perfect chest. God, she really got it, why guys were so obsessed with boobs. She didn’t really see it on girls, but Cedric’s boobs drove her absolutely wild. She wanted to bury her head between them and suffocate.

That’s exactly what she did. She seated herself on his leg and ground down while she licked and nipped and sucked at his firm, toned chest. She pulled on his pebbled nipples and blew on them and smiled when he arched with a strangled sound. 

His cock steadily grew hard against her belly, but George paid it no mind as she focused all her attention on laving her tongue all over his ample chest.

She shamelessly ground her wet pussy on his thick thigh but purposely shifted away when Cedric tried to find some friction against her for his cock.

Cedric grunted in frustration and frowned down at her. He looked adorably bullied, his face flushed red and his beautiful half-lidded eyes dark in arousal. George smiled.

“Jo,” he practically whined.

“Yes, sugar?”

“You’re being mean.”

George bit her lip to keep from laughing. “Mean, baby?”

Cedric huffed in frustration as he struggled to collect his thoughts to coherently express himself. “You’re… you’re…” He grunted again and tried to raise his hips, but George didn’t let him.

“Oh, baby, am I being mean to you?”

“Yes,” he hissed. He tried to buck his hips once more to get some kind of friction, but George ignored him again.

“Hmmmm. Now that you mention it, maybe I am being a little mean to you, aren’t I I?” George leaned in and licked his ear before she sucked on his lobe. He moaned and tried to buck once again, but to no avail.

“But you deserve it, don’t you, baby, after teasing me like that on the train?”

Cedric’s eyes filled with realization, and he let out a strangled sound as George brushed a feather-light finger over his throbbing erection. Hmmmm. George looked down at her boyfriend and saw just how much of a sweaty, panting mess she had made of him. 

Oh, all right. She’d feel like a bully if she didn’t give him something. 

She reached down under his waistband and pulled his hot cock out. Merlin, she had really gotten him wound up, hadn’t she? He was already dribbling a bit, twitching in her hand and hard enough to pound nails. 

Before he could find any relief, George released him and turned back to his affronted face. “Well, baby, I did say, didn’t I?”

“Say what?” He panted. He looked a little alarmed. Haha, good.

“I said that I would thank you, didn’t I? Nice and proper. And I'm not done thanking you yet, baby, I find that I’m still filled with a boatload of gratefulness.”

“Oh, come on, Jo, don’t-”

He wheezed out a breath when George squeezed his tits bruisingly tight. She smiled slyly at him and popped another nipple into her mouth and sucked while she teasingly circled his other areola. 

“It’s alright, baby. I’ll take good care of you, won’t I?”

And George made sure to keep to her word. By the time she was satisfied in taking her fill of her boyfriend’s god-like tiddies, Cedric looked almost feral with horniness.

George finally slid off of Cedric’s lap and watched as he panted as if he had run a marathon. His gorgeous chest and abs heaved, and his flush had drifted down past his collarbone and had stained into the rise of his pecs.

He was glaring at her, but it lost its effect with the way his cheeks were bright red and his eyes looked a bit teary.

Oh god. A zing of pleasure shot through George’s pussy. She had really done a number on him, hadn’t she? God, he looked so satisfyingly bullied. She loved it. Cedric would never, ever show his soft underbelly to anyone else, and the fact that he was comfortable enough to allow her to see him like this?

George bit her lip as her pussy throbbed. God, that was so hot. She loved him so much.

She leaned down and pulled him into a kiss. It was wet and sloppy and just perfect. George tilted her head to feel his rough stubble against her cheek. It sent a shiver down her spine. God, he was just perfect, wasn’t he? She pressed a kiss into his ear and sat back to see him shooting her a petulant glare.

Oh, her poor, precious baby. He deserved a treat, didn’t he?

She kissed him again before she slid down to her knees between his knees, and she revelled in the way his eyes widened and darkened in hunger. 

“You’ve been a good boy, haven’t you, baby?”

Cedric wheezed as her hand came up to wrap around his throbbing cock. His cock was practically drooling with pre-cum, dribbling down the side in shiny streaks. Morgana, it looked almost painful; she must have really wound him up, huh?

“You deserve a reward, Ced. I still have to thank you properly.”

George took him into her mouth in one fell swoop, and Cedric almost arched from the explosion of sensation. George carefully slid him further and further until he hit the back of her throat, then she slid him even further. 

Cedric cursed filthily as she took him completely down to the base and paused to breathe. 

It was quite overwhelming and George’s jaw hurt from opening wide enough to take Cedric’s long, thick cock without brushing him with her teeth, but she rather quite liked it, if she had to be honest. He was hot and heavy on her tongue, and she enjoyed the way he twitched as she brushed up against the pulsing vein on the side. 

Her pussy throbbed at the soft noises that he was letting out. Jeez, there she went again, ruining another perfectly good set of panties.

She worked her throat as she hummed and played with his balls and revelled in the way Cedric choked and tried not to thrust in and out of her mouth, his beautifully thick thighs clenched and roiling in an effort to fight the urge.

George pulled back out and smiled. Looking him directly in the eye, she leaned in and ran her tongue along the side of his shaft up to the head where she licked up his leaking pre-cum.

Hmmmm, salty and a tinge bitter, but not too bad. 

She sucked on his cockhead like a lollypop and Cedric bucked his hips furiously. “Fucking hell, Jo-!” 

George took him in deep again and gently squeezed his balls as she lowly hummed, and that sent him over the edge. Cedric moaned low and long as his dick twitched in her mouth as it gave its final few spurts of hot, thick cum. 

George licked her lips. Not the greatest, but also not the worst! She could live with swallowing! She reached down between her legs, and it only took a few seconds for release to wash over her, too. Her panties were slick and tacky against her core. Merlin, she had really ruined them again, hadn’t she? Oh well.

Cedric tilted forward and looked like he was ready to pass out any second. George stumbled up on sore legs (kneeling wasn’t all that fun, guys, yikes) and allowed him to heavily lean into her. She scrambled for her wand and quickly unravelled the restraints on Cedric’s arms. He made a low sound of hurt when his arms were finally released, and George winced.

“I’m sorry, baby. Here, let me take care of you.”

She manuvered him to lay flat on the bed facedown, and once she was sure that he was comfortable, George swung her leg over his back and sat on his ass. She began to massage his back and shoulders, and Cedric made little sounds of relief and pleasure.

George leaned down to kiss the back of his neck. “I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to keep you tied up so long and hurt your arms.”

“‘s okaaay.” He looked drowsy, his eyelids drooping till only a slit of his hazy eyes visible. 

“I love you, baby.”

“Love you,” he slurred.

George continued to massage his back even after his breaths deepened and evened out in sleep. At some point, she conjured some massage oil and warmed it up before she continued her ministrations. She made sure to press and find each and every one of his knots down his back and arms, and legs, and gently work them loose. As Cedric dozed, he let out a few pleased sounds as George worked the stress out of him, and she smiled, her tummy filled with warmth and contentment at being able to take care of him like this.

Finally, as she was massaging his feet and working the pleasant-smelling oil into his skin, he began to stir.

“Jo?” He blearily blinked at her.

“It’s me, baby.”

He grunted and opened his arm up. Alright then. Looks like her massage was done. She flicked her wand to send the leftover oil over to his bedside table before she cuddled into his form. His heavy arm closed around her and pulled her closer.

He snuffled into her hair and grumbled. “Mean, Jo.”

George giggled. “Aw, come on, Ced.”

“The meanest. The worst.”

“Oh, my baby,” she cooed.

Cedric grumpily buried his face in her chest and hugged her close. George fondly ran her fingers through his hair as he sulked.

“Did you like it, though?”

Cedric’s voice was petulant when he finally answered her. “... Yes.”

George grinned. She leaned down and kissed him. They made out for long, hazy minutes before they pulled away and just breathed into each other’s mouths.

“That was one hell of a punishment, Jo. I’m gonna get you back for that.”

George giggled, even though she felt a shiver of trepidation run down her spine. Lord only knew that Cedric was just as patiently vindictive as she was, if not more so.

“Give me your best shot, baby.”

Cedric pulled her into another kiss. “Hmmmm. Maybe I’ll let you off easy. After all, you practically sucked the life out of me just then. Crikey, luv, I think I saw stars when I came, thought I just about died, I did.”

George smirked at him, and Cedric’s mouth fell open. “No.”

“Yes.”

“The Gluckguamenti regimen?”

“Yup.” George was beyond smug. Haha, those Hufflepuffs sure knew what they were doing, huh?

“How?!”

“A girl never reveals her secrets, Ced.”

“I take it back. You’re getting the full punishment.”

“Aha, Ced, c’mon, baby…”

“Nope.”

He pulled her closer, and George screeched when he began to tickle her. George squirmed and writhed as she tried to get away from him, but he didn’t allow her to escape his reach for long.

When he finally decided that he had tortured her enough, he pulled her back in for another cuddle. George glared up at him, her face blotchy and red and her cheeks puffed out in a pout.

“Cedric, you idiot.”

He kissed her head and smiled into her hair. She was just so cute.

“I’m very lucky that you could find the kindness in your ever-compassionate heart to afford me the mercy to cum with your monstrous deep-throating skills.”

George tried to keep her glare on him, but she broke under his crooked smirk and began to giggle.

“Oh, you silly, silly boy, that wasn’t mercy. That was always a part of the plan. I wanted to thank you for how you took care of me after Umbitch’s detention.”

Cedric scowled. “You wanted to thank me for that?”

George blinked up at him, unsure of what had set him off. He had been happy just a minute ago, so why…? “Well, yes?”

She yelped as she was hit with a stinging hex. “Ow! What was that for?”

Cedric continued to glare down at her. “You silly bint, why am I being thanked for helping the woman I’m in love with after she gets injured? Are you bloody thick?”

“Well.” When he put it like that…

“Jo, if I were the one in that position, would you ever hesitate in helping me?”

“No!”

“Would you let me thank you for that help?”

“No!”

“And if I did, how would you feel?”

George pursed her lips. “Well, I guess that I’d feel a bit offended and hurt at you thinking that I need to be thanked for something so obvious.”

“Exactly.” Cedric stared down at her with a dark glint in his eye. “So you understand.”

“Yeah, I suppose so. Sorry, baby.”

“Hmph. I don’t forgive you. Your punishment is going to be legendary, lovely.”

“Nooooo, Ced! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“Save your breath, lovely,” he said as he leaned down to kiss her.

Oh no. She was in deep shit, wasn’t she? 

 

---

Unsurprisingly, the situation continued to escalate for everyone. 

Fred, George, and Cedric began their campaign of terror on Umbridge by unleashing their full arsenal of pranks. They sold their goods for a hefty discount as long as the buyer aimed to use it on Umbridge, and boy was there a lot of interest in doing so.

All of her food and tea had traces of puking pastilles, canary creams, nosebleed nougats, or fainting fancies. Extra-strength dungbombs were rigged to explode only on her. Her clothes and shoes were charmed to let out flatulence as she moved. Her chalk was spelled to only write vulgar obscenities. 

As expected, Umbridge was not amused and ruthlessly interrogated the students and Professors about the shenanigans, but they weren’t snitches, so she got nowhere. 

And then, there was Fred himself. 

He took inspiration from his god and idol, Kevin McCallister, and decided to go scorched earth on her.

He meticulously planned out how he would rig elaborate traps that would cause intense damage and humiliation. He stole axes from the looming statue soldiers that guarded the hallways and enchanted them to swing down into her. He covered her chair with a permanent sticking charm that activated when she sat on it. He enchanted her showerhead to shoot flames at her when she turned on the tap. And to rub it all in, her shoes would randomly have invisible glass shards within them so that she would stab her feet when slipping them on.

Freddie was out for blood, and Cedric only egged him on and helped him refine his (deadly, if you ask George) traps, and the professors turned a blind eye to it.

Day by day, she got more and more frazzled, much to the students’ satisfaction. There were bets on when she would finally be driven from the school, but George wasn’t that optimistic.

Things were going well. Too well.

It made George suspicious.

According to the letters they were receiving from Sirius, Percy, and their Durmstrang friends, things on the outside were looking pretty dicey.

Now that all the kids were out of the way and safely ensconced at Hogwarts, the real hard-hitters had come out to play. Major riots were breaking out at the Ministry, and whole departments had gone on strike.

It wasn’t in response to Viktor Kurm’s ultimatum, of course not. Ahem. They just really cared about the state of the country, right? Psh, this had absolutely nothing to do with Quidditch, what are you talking about?

Either way, the star Seeker’s demands were quite clear, and though the Ministry had tried to go down the whole ‘we don’t negotiate with terrorists’ route, it wasn’t turning out all that well for them.

Something had to give, and finally, it did.

The Ministry held Wizengamot meetings for weeks and combed through the laws before there was a concession. They revoked the amendment that allowed employers to ask potential hires about their blood status or creature heritage. It was a small step forward, but progress nonetheless.

When the papers flew in with the news, the entire Great Hall erupted in cheers. Sure, there were a few students who looked disgusted at ‘feral sub-human scum’ being afforded the same rights as proper Witches and Wizards, but they were few and far in-between. 

Mostly, everyone just relished in the way that Umbridge looked like she was about to burst a blood vessel.

Ha! Served that bigoted bitch right!!!

George watched in fondness as Hermione manically beamed as she scribbled out a letter to Vik. Of course she was happy, Viktor had completely agreed with Hermione’s vehement views about the dismal state of civil rights in the country and had easily agreed to be her spokesperson to encourage change.

He was a good sort, Krum was. All of the Durmstrang gang were. They had all reached out when the article about the Blood Quill had been released, the sweethearts. She didn’t know exactly what response Freddie had sent back to them, but all of them responded with bloodthirsty encouragement to destroy the bitch and had even wrote down ideas and useful spells. Addie had been especially vehement in her vitriol and had sent a special tub of cream over that counteracted the dark magic that caused the permanent scarring. When George showed it to Snape, he raised his eyebrows and informed her that it was a wickedly expensive cream from Germany that was worth its weight in gold. Haha, thanks, Addie, but holy jeez. George was happy to leave some of the cream with Snape in case Umbridge started to get any more funny ideas.

Gosh, George just adored her feral Durmstrang friends. She couldn’t wait to graduate so that she could regularly see them again!

Now that the public had gotten their first taste of victory, they were out for blood. They demanded Fudge’s resignation and the dismissal of his entire staff.

It was a shitshow, Percy’s letters detailed. 

This is where things started getting bad.

Umbridge still had the full support of Fudge’s administration behind her, but at the same time, their power was steadily crumbling in the face of the riots and protesters. 

In response to the whole Blood Quill incident, the Ministry didn’t back down. No, instead, they decided to go all in. It kinda made sense, in a stupid way. This was their final gamble. They already had Umbridge on the inside at Hogwarts, so she was in a prime position to put pressure on their opponents by taking their children hostage.

So, in order to stack the odds in their favor, Fudge made Umbridge the High Inquisitor. 

Ah shit, here we go again.

It was clear to everyone that Umbridge had gone completely around the bend. Apparently, both the shock of Creatures in Britain gaining some equal rights to wizards and her precious Cornelius Fudge’s deteriorating position were enough to strip all niceties from her, not to mention Fred’s borderline terrorism.

She didn’t care about the students’ scores anymore. No, that ship had sailed.

Now it was about squashing the dissenters into submission.

Umbridge put out a call for students to join her Inquisitorial Squad, but to everyone’s amusement, not more than one or two actually signed up.

Fred and George giggled at her livid face.

Unfortunately, they celebrated too soon.

A few days later, the doors to the Great Hall slammed open, startling everyone from their breakfast as they watched a trio of men march inside. They were tall and fit, and all of them wore Auror robes. Oh no.

Umbridge smiled smugly as they came to a halt before the Professor's table. Dumbledore stood, closely followed by the other Professors, who subtly drew their wands.

Dumbledore smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Ah, Mr. Bender, Mr. Bulstrode and Mr. Travers. To what do I owe the pleasure? I wasn’t aware that you’d be visiting today.” 

The tallest of them, stocky like a bulldog with a face to match, grunted. “Here on orders of the Minister.”

The next man, so pale his skin looked eerily translucent, spoke up. “We’re here to accompany Ms. Dolores and make sure that she’s safe.”

“Safe?” Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Bender, surely you know, Hogwarts is the safest place in all of Britain.”

“Yeah, you know, he’s not so sure about that,” the last man drawled. He had a well-groomed beard and piercing hazel eyes that shone with cruel intelligence. “Been hearing some reports of harassment, haven’t we? Dear ol’ Fudge has sent us over here both to help out darling Dolores and make sure that none of you don’t get any… ideas.”

“Ideas? What are yee on abou’, Travers?” McGonagall sneered.

Travers condescendingly looked her up and down and smirked. “You know. Ideas.” He casually lifted his wand, which made every teacher snap their wand over to him, but he simply raised an amused brow and whistled.

“Whooo, touchy, ain’tcha?” He summoned a hot cup of tea over and took a long, noisy slurp, still staring McGonagall down. “If all of you are this spell-happy, then no wonder the Minister wants to send us down to secure the safety of his dear Undersecretary.” 

He turned over to the silent student body and smirked as he examined them. George felt a shiver run down her spine when his eyes found hers and remained for a long moment. 

“Well, Headmaster, sorry for the imposition, but we’re gonna need accommodations for all three of us. Gotta be close to the person we’re supposed to protect, don’t we?” He casually finished his tea and slid the cup away on the table. “Don’t worry,” he smiled insincerely at Dumbledore’s solemn mien, “You won’t even notice we’re here.”

Uh, yeah, so that was a big fucking lie.

The three stooges loomed over the students as Umbridge conducted her classes. They roamed out in the hallways and made menacing eye contact with the students, and worst of all, they acted as a barrier to any pranks the students tried to pull on Umbridge. They were like human bloodhounds, it was intimidating and infuriating. 

Umbridge’s smugness knew no bounds as the moods of literally everyone else in the castle soured.

Fred and Cedric especially seethed when each and every one of their covert attempts to continue their deadly traps on her failed in the face of the hypervigilant Aurors.

Umbridge tried very hard to court some students over to her side. Obviously, she treated Draco reverentially and kept asking him about how his father was and if he could convince him to spare a bit of time to talk to Cornelius. The poor blond uncomfortably tried to inch himself away, usually to no avail. In the end, it was surprisingly Ginny who ended up rescuing him, just pulling the stammering prat away, seemingly oblivious to Umbridge’s glares and calls to come back. The ferrety pillock looked a combination of grateful and affronted for the aid, which Ginny was happy to bicker with him about.

Marietta Edgecomb was treated like a queen because of her mother’s position in the Department of Magical Transportation Floo Network office, where she agreed to help Umbridge police all communications across the Hogwarts Floos, as the students were very unhappy to discover. 

Cormac McLaggen’s father was the new head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports after Ludo Bagman went on the run to escape the Goblin debt-collectors earlier in the summer (apparently he had lost quite the sum of money after betting on the Triwizard Tournament, rest in peace, Ludo) and he was on the frontlines of trying to quash the Quidditch drama and resulting fallout. 

Umbridge desperately tried to suck up to Daphne and Astoria Greengrass, as their father was the head of the Neutral faction in the Wizengamot, and with their support, Fudge could once again gain the majority vote. Daphne and Astoria bore the attention in their normal, ice-queen manner and didn’t give Umbridge an inch. They did their best to pretend that the pink toad wasn’t even there. 

When George pulled them aside and asked them if they were okay, Daphne just haughtily flipped her hair and declared that they were fine and that they could easily handle the fly buzzing around them. George made them swear to approach her in case that changed, and she left them with bewildered promises and a considering look in their eyes. Pansy was smugly amused when a confused Daphne recounted the encounter to her later. Hurricane George had struck an unprepared Slytherin once again.

Cedric was the untouchable God-Prince in Umbridge’s eyes, as he himself held a ridiculous sway over the public as the Triwizard Champion and England’s hero. His father, Amos Diggory, was still considered the noble knight who had fought to get justice for Sirius Black, and thus, his reputation was unimpeachable, especially with the American crowd that he had integrated himself with over the past few years. Sure, when Amos had demanded that Sirius get a re-trial, it wasn’t the best look for the Ministry, but they were able to easily explain it off with the reasoning that it was the Bagnold administration that had allowed him to slip through the cracks. The power that Amos possessed in the court of public opinion made him an ally they couldn’t afford to alienate. Suffice it to say, poor Cedric found himself cornered by Umbridge and her three Auror stooges repeatedly as they tried to convince him to make a public statement on their behalf. 

Fred and George couldn't even laugh at the harassment that Cedric was going through, because on the flip side, Umbridge clearly had it out for some students. 

Poor Susan Bones was mercilessly targeted, as Amelia Bones was one of the main members of the Wizengamot who was spearheading the effort to get Fudge removed from his position. Madam Bones was an absolute battleaxe of a woman who took no prisoners as she systematically demolished all of Fudge’s resources; however, that left poor Susan bearing the brunt of Umbridge’s ire.

Rizwana Shafiq was also treated quite poorly, as her uncle was rather high up in the Department of International Magical Cooperation and was quite vocal about his criticism of the way that Fudge had passed laws to discriminate against citizens of mixed heritage. He had extensive connections to several Muslim-led magical communities due to his proud practice of Islam, and with his word, they all drew back support of the Fudge administration.

Tracey Davis’ mother had been one of the reporters who had written the hit-piece on Umbridge for her use of the Blood Quill. Her mother, a Slytherin half-blood who had married a pureblood, was quite ambitious and aimed to become the Head Editor of the Prophet one day, but she had no patience for bribes and corruption. She was the one who pushed the article through after Fred and Cedric had mailed over a letter of the accusations, and after checking with Tracey if the information was true, she set out on a crusade to bring the injustice to light.

Ruben Ogden’s grandfather, Tiberius Ogden, was proving to be a real thorn in Fudge’s side when he encouraged a large group of Aurors to go along with him on strike. The family was rich rich, nearly on the level of the Malfoys, due to their Firewhiskey business that brought them waterfalls of gold from around the world. Ogden’s Firewhiskey was the equivalent of Muggle scotch, with a remarkable depth of flavor, and the demand for it was always high. As such, the Ogden family didn’t need to work, but they chose to do so, and they held quite the influence in the DMLE as well as in the Wizengamot.

Of course, Umbridge was frothing at the mouth to take Harry Potter, the eternal pain-in-the-ass, down a peg. The shit-stirrer was determined to incite a riot within the school, and with Luna egging him on and Sirius causing an international commotion in Lupin’s name on the outside, he was a literal nail that needed to be hammered down in Umbridge’s eyes. Of course, Harry didn’t have Voldemort peeking though his head this time around, but by golly was he just an angry little turd. Haha, he was in his rebellion phase, huh? George was glad that his teenage angst was manifesting not as ‘I didn’t ask to be born’ but more usefully as ‘Viva la Revolution’. Gotta love it.

Hermione had obviously gotten on Umbridge’s shit-list by being an obnoxious know-it-all Mudblood and repeatedly humiliating her in front of the class. God, if people thought what George did was bad, then they would have a conniption at some of the things that Hermione was saying. The entire school was in hysterics at the way Hermione would snobbily correct her and beat her down in arguments. The prissy little swot was well and fired up and didn’t give a shit anymore, especially now that she had Vik as a solid ally behind her back.

And last but certainly not the least, Umbridge was on a war-path against the entire Weasley clan. From what Fred and George could figure out, Arthur Weasley was one of the people who were on strike. Their good-natured, gentle father was very well-liked in the Ministry, and his strong protests encouraged leagues of people to stand up for themselves. George was quite surprised, but Fred, Ron, and Ginny were not. After all, George had to have gotten her almost unnatural charisma from somewhere, right? The man just inspired fanatical loyalty. 

Arthur’s job was on the line as the Minister threatened to fire him and have him arrested for inciting a public disturbance, but Molly refused to let Arthur back down. Even though her husband was fearful of the consequences of losing his job, she refused to allow him to back down, firm on her stance that it was their duty to stand up for what’s right. After all, they were Gryffindors, weren’t they? They fought for justice and honor. They taught all their kids to do the same, and it would be shameful for them to back down now.

Billy and Charlie were quick to send letters of their support, Percy explained in his correspondence. The eldest sons of the Weasley clan insisted that Arthur continue to stand firm against the tyranny and not worry about the expenses. If worst came to worst, they would all pitch in to help take care of Ron and Ginny’s education till they graduated, which was Arthur and Molly’s main concern.

In the end, Uncle Hector was the one to convince Arthur to push forward. Percy said that he had arrived one day, and after Percy had explained the entire situation to him, including Sirius’ imprisonment, Lupin’s unjust resignation, how different the Creature Rights were in the rest of the world, Umbridge’s cruel antics, and George’s horrific detention. Uncle Hector had just nodded his head silently and had led an exhausted Arthur into a room to talk to him in private.

When they emerged, the firewhiskey bottle a lot emptier and Arthur’s eyes bloodshot, the Weasley Patriarch wasn’t uncertain in his stance any longer. He was going to fight for what was right, and he would trust in his children to look after themselves until they could finally get justice. 

Soon after, news of massive multi-departmental strikes hit the papers, and the Ministry was under threat of shutting down. The author, who was Tracey Davis’ mother, professionally explained the situation and the strikers’ demands and mentioned that under Arthur Weasley’s leadership, they would fight for justice and equal rights for all. She was now writing for the Quibbler, as she had been blacklisted from the Daily Prophet by Fudge’s orders. The Quibbler’s sales had never been higher, Luna informed them, looking like a contented cat that got the canary.

Ohhhhh, this was when shit began to hit the fan. Umbrige had already passed rules as High Inquisitor that allowed her to sit in on other Professors’ classes to ‘assess their competencies’, and she prohibited the use of magic in the hallways and in the Great Hall and basically anywhere that wasn’t in a classroom under a teacher’s supervision.

Umbridge also passed a rule that allowed her to look at any incoming and outgoing correspondence in letters and messages, which Hermione furiously railed against by citing privacy laws. The bushy-haired fifth year earned herself a series of Detentions that George worriedly stressed over, but thankfully, Umbridge didn't seem to pull out the Blood Quill just yet. Hermione refused to talk about her punishment, only mentioning that she wasn’t hurt, and that it was something demeaning that Mulciber watched over. She seethed over it for days afterwards, much to Fred and George’s worry.

Of course, when Viktor heard about it, he was absolutely furious and barely calmed himself with Fred, George and Cedric’s reassurances to keep an eye on Hermione and pay back the bitch for her overstep. Coincidentally, the star Seeker Krum had given a new statement about how he vehemently disagreed with the Fudge administration’s ethos and how he didn’t plan to move to England while they were still in power. The next day’s paper solemnly reported an increased number of riots in the Ministry and listed new names that had joined the strike.

Again, Umbridge refused to allow any magic in her class. It was becoming really clear that the entire school was going to horribly flunk their practicals, which was a devastating prospect to the OWLs and NEWTs students.

Something had to be done. Coincidentally, Umbridge passed a rule that forbade the formation of student groups and clubs without her express permission (which included Quidditch again, damn that stupid bitch!! Oh well, it sucked big hairy weiners but it wasn’t like George didn’t already have enough to do over the year). 

It was time to form an illegal Defense club again.

Under Harry and Cedric’s leadership, the FTC was born. They welcomed any fourth-years and above from all the houses. It was expected that the upper-years would spend time teaching their underclassmen in the safety of their Common Rooms.

Some idiots tried to name their group Dumbledore’s Army again, but George vehemently vetoed it. She always thought that it was a dumb-fuck name, let alone the fact that it implicated their Headmaster immediately. Absolutely not. Hilariously, Freddie came up with the name. He stormed in one day snarling, “Fuck that cunt,” under his breath and it stuck. To everyone else, it was the Functional Theory Club, but the upper-years enjoyed the ‘true’ name of the club.

Again, Hermione’s ingenious invention of the Geminio spell on Galleons allowed them to communicate. Unfortunately, it was like early-day text messages, with a very strict 20-character count. Usually, it didn’t matter, as they just had a date and time on there, but larger messages were impossible.

They tirelessly practiced in the Room of Requirement, and to George’s joy, all of the Houses were open with intermingling with each other, especially the Slytherins, who had been rather aloof.

Harry blossomed in his role as a teacher. It was clear to all that this is what he was born to do. His eyes lit up with a joy that was only found when he was playing Quidditch or in Luna’s presence. 

All in all, everyone was having a great time in the FTC, and with everyone’s collaboration, they were able to sufficiently bring their Practical skills up to par. It was going so well that Harry even planned to teach them the Patronus Spell after Winter Break! Amazing!!!

Of course, everyone had to watch their backs, as Umbridge correctly surmised that they were up to something illicit and sent her bloodhounds sniffing around.

Umbridge watched Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George with a hawk-like eye, just waiting for them to put a toe out of line. Umbridge’s three pet Aurors were quite amused by the proceedings and were happy to reinforce Umbridge’s rule over the school. This was a nice, cushy gig for them, definitely better than trying to put down the never-ending riots back at the Ministry.

Mulciber and Bender were shitheads, but they weren’t the worst. Every time George felt Travers’ eyes on her, goosebumps rose on the back of her neck. Just… she didn’t receive the best vibes from him. When she was in bed with Ced, he concurred with her whispered confession. Apparently, Travers spent a lot of time glaring at her lovely boy, too. Both of them kept a wary eye on all of them, but Travers in particular.

After a few months of everybody very carefully not stepping a toe out of line, Umbridge threw the rulebook out the window. She started assigning an obscene number of detentions for stupid reasons. She scolded George for daydreaming (she was not) and for having her wand out (she didn’t), and when George yawned, Umbridge assigned her a detention for ‘talking out of turn’. 

George wrote an endless amount of lines calling herself ‘an unbecoming slag who should keep her legs closed’ and other rot. Thankfully, it was with a normal quill, but it was still pretty humiliating. She was forced to stand still and have the Aurors ’measure’ and ‘inspect’ her uniform and make sure that she was in code. George got the heebie-jeebies when Travers’ tanned hand drifted uncomfortably close to the edge of her skirt with the magical measuring tape. He politely apologized and moved a safe distance away, but George couldn’t shake the discomfort.

When she really pissed Umbridge off, one of the Aurors would rap her knuckles with a ruler, but the Auror would cast a healing spell in between, because, “Oh, dear, we’re not savages like muggles, of course we’ll heal you!”

Ha. This meant that the physical punishment could go on for hours, a never-ending cycle of getting their knuckles split open and healed and all over again.

Oh, but it wasn’t dark magic, so it was completely acceptable! 

Disgusting.

Both her boys were absolutely livid to hear how George’s detentions were going, and George felt the same protective rage on their behalf. Fred mentioned that Umbridge had done the whole ‘inspection’ thing with him as well, and that the Auror creeps had measured practically every inch of him, too, even his fucking crotch length, what the actual harassment fuck? Fucking gross perverts. George was frothing with fury when she heard that Umbridge had forced Freddie to kneel on the hard, uneven stone floor in her office for hours. At the end, Fred actually had to go the the Hospital Wing for treatment because straightening his legs had brought him such severe pain that he couldn’t stop screaming. 

Ron’s jaw was clenched as he described how Umbridge cast a cooling spell directly onto his skin, then forced him to dunk his hand into a bucket of steaming hot water. The agony was unimaginable, he whispered, and Hermione sobbed as she described the effects of frostbite thawing and how legendarily painful it was.

Harry walked out of one of his detentions with a black eye and a look of wrathful fury in his eyes. He refused to detail what happened to anyone but Luna, who, for the first time that George had known her, looked truly angry. 

Ginny stomped up the the Gryffindor Common room in furious tears with all her hair shorn off, leaving ugly orange patches on her scalp. Through livid sobs, she explained that Umbridge berated her for always taking Draco away when she tried to talk to him and told her that ‘her kind’ should know better than try to seduce ‘her betters’. Umbridge declared that if she was trying to hard to seduce Draco, then she would make it much, much harder for her, and thus, the Aurors held her screaming, struggling form down and began to clip away chunks of her long, beautiful ginger hair and had explicitly forbidden her to got to Madam Pomfrey to receive a Hair-Growth Potion lest she got another Detention to do it all over again until the message ‘sunk in’.

George cried with Ginny as the entire Common Room went absolutely ballistic. McGonagall had to come down to see what the commotion was, and when she caught a glimpse of Ginny’s sorry state, their old House Head practically breathed fire. She was determined to confront Umbridge the next day and put a stop to her tyranny.

Unfortunately, she was a little late on that front. That evening at dinner time saw an absolutely furious Professor Sprout stomp up to the startled pink toad and scream at her in front of the entire school. Poor Susan Bones trailed behind her, bone white and shaking as Cedric comfortingly rubbed her arm, and Jessica Macmillan ran her fingers through her hair. Both the seventh-year Prefects were glaring bloody murder at Umbridge, but all her attention was on Sprout, who looked close to cursing her.

“HOW DARE YOU? HOW DARE YOU?! THROWING HER IN WITH A BOGGART AFTER CONFISCATING HER WAND?! THAT IS AN INTERNATIONAL WAR-CRIME!”

Umbridge’s expression was politely confused. “I’m sure that I don’t know what you are talking about, Pomona. Her detention this evening was simply to reflect in an empty classroom.”

“YOU LYING BITCH-!” Sprout lunged at Umbrige, but she didn’t get more than a foot before Mulciber blasted her with a curse, sending the older lady flying.

Immediately, the entire hall erupted into an uproar. Cedric and Jessica drew their wands, as did most of the other older students. The entire table of Professors roared and drew their own wands and almost started casting spells in retaliation.

“ENOUGH!” Dumbledore’s voice boomed through the hall. A wave of frightening magical energy whipped through the room and sent a shiver down everyone’s spine. A few poor first-years started crying.

The Headmaster turned to the frozen form of Umbridge. He emanated pure power. 

“Did you lock Miss Bones in with a Boggart, Dolores?”

Umbridge collected herself and smiled. “Of course, not, Albus. As I said earlier, her punishment was some self-reflection in an empty room. She was periodically checked on by these fine gentlemen. Mr. Travers can confirm, can’t you, darling?”

“Of course, Ms. Dolores.”

Dumbledore’s nostrils flared. “Everybody, out. To your dorms. Now.” His voice wasn’t raised, but the sheer power in his words made the entire hall scurry out the door. The rest of the night was spent comforting the wailing first- and second-years and trying to put them to bed.

Ginny slipped into the Common Room a few minutes before curfew, and when asked, she admitted that she had been with Malfoy. The blond prat had pulled her aside in the confusion to ask her about how her Detention went, and his face went blank as he saw what they had done to her hair. 

Ginny was too prideful to cry on him like she had cried on her beloved Jojo, but Malfoy’s wrathful fury had admittedly made her feel a lot better. He promised her that he would write to his mother to ask for a top-of-the-line Hair Regrowth Potion, one that didn’t leave the new hair dull and brittle, made with expensive, exotic ingredients. Ginny thought about refusing the charity, but in the end accepted, because it was the prat’s fault that she was like this anyway. Hmph.

Narcissa Malfoy was beyond upset to hear about what had happened to young Ginny Weasley. She had been able to glean from Draco’s more recent letters that perhaps his feelings had begun to shift a bit from the eldest Weasley daughter to the youngest. While Lucius was bemoaned the fact that his precious heir had somehow been born with a fucking redhead kink, Narcissa was rather more open to the fact of a Weasley marrying into their family. The Weasleys were all an absurdly good-looking bunch, and Ginny and Draco would make darling, cute babies, she just knew it. Most importantly, the Weasleys had remarkable fertility, something both the Malfoy and Black families had struggled with for generations. Yes, Narcissa rather approved of Draco’s choice. Madam Umbridge’s actions had just gained herself a rather formidable enemy. Narcissa gently put Draco’s letter down and went to Lucius’ study to discuss their path forward in light of recent events. 

The next day, to everybody’s shock, Sprout was removed from her position as Herbology Professor. Umbridge smugly waved around the scrap of paper from Fudge that granted her the power to dismiss Professors from their positions with reasonable cause, and now she felt ‘rather unsafe’ after Sprout tried to attack her the previous night. 

Fred, Harry, and Ron had to work together to keep Neville from charging at Umbridge like a bull, and only Cedric’s strict command to stand down kept the entire Hufflepuff House from Kamikaze-ing themselves against the trained Aurors. George fretted as she saw the barely-leashed fury in her beloved’s eyes, but for the sake of the other kids, he had to keep it under control.

McGonagall was vibrating with fury, Snape had an absolutely ugly sneer cutting across his face, and George could swear that she saw steam shooting out of Flitwick’s ears. Sinistra and Hooch were desperately trying to talk Hagrid down from his rampage.

Cherry on the cake, Umbridge also announced the dismissal of Trelawney, who burst into loud wails. The pink toad smugly watched on as the two women she just fired futilely tried to dispute their dismissal.

Then came Dumbledore, who swooped in and declared that he had replacements for both positions. Umbridge may be High Inquisitor, but she wasn’t Headmaster, and only they had final say in who filled the positions. He instructed the other Professors to lead a shellshocked Sprout and Trelawney inside the castle, where they would be allowed to stay.

The entire student body absolutely roared when their replacement Professors arrived. Umbridge’s jaw fell open when the absolutely gorgeous forms of Firenze and Remus Lupin walked in. Lupin caught the surprised Gryffindors’ eyes and winked with a smirk.

Bloody hell.

Umbridge sputtered. “But- But you can’t hire these beasts!”

Dumbledore’s eyes twinkled. “Ah, you’ll see that I can, actually. I’m the Headmaster of Hogwarts and I can do whatever I like.”

Umbridge was left stammering as Dumbledore walked away with a swish of his robes. Goddamn, what a boss bitch.

With Remus’ arrival, things took a dramatic turn for the better. 

He joined in on their FTC meetings and was bursting with pride for what Harry had accomplished. He also laughed himself silly when he learned what the acronym actually stood for, and he informed them that Sirius was stupidly amused, as well. He even helped them improve on their Galleon communication devices, able to modify the spellwork to allow them 60 characters by utilizing both sides of the coin.

With Remus’ help, Fred, George and Cedric concocted even more devious pranks to target the asshole Aurors and the pink monstrosity with.

George was gleeful to see that Snape and Remus had put aside their differences to come together to antagonize the toady bitch. It was a combo made in hell, and boy did Umbridge feel it. The Aurors were helpless against the face of their combined deviousness, and together, they were able to break the Ward around her office and the Aurors’ bedrooms, free for the students to pillage. Every time they tried to re-cast it, the dynamic duo just took it down again. 

Umbridge was absolutely furious and tried to oust Dumbledore from his position, who disappeared into the night like last time. 

Umbridge was endlessly self-satisfied at chasing Dumbledore out of his kingdom, and the school freaked out, but George was calm, and looking at her, Fred and Cedric’s unruffled demeanors, the school began to calm down as well.

A few days ago, George had been able to stay late after her Alchemy class and have a discussion with Dumbledore. He informed her that he had received news that Fudge would soon try to come in to arrest him and that he would use the opportunity as he did in the story to make an exit so that he could actually get some work done. Apparently, having both Umbridge and Fudge breathing down his neck really cramped his style, who knew?

He would use the opportunity to finally hunt down the remaining Horcruxes with a competent, trusted group of helpers. George agreed with his course of action and urged him to share his plan with the other Professors, and Dumbledore reassured her that he would. 

He worriedly asked her if she was alright with him leaving and leaving Umbridge with uncontested power over the school, but George reassured him that they would be alright. She was just about ready to pull out the big guns, she darkly informed him.

“Big guns, my dear?”

“Ahhhhh. Plausible deniability, Professor.”

“Ah, I see, I see. Well, best of luck, darling.”

“You too, sir. Make sure that you take the Sword of Gryffindor. Oh! Just in case, take another Basilisk Fang!”

“Of course, darling.”

“Remember about the Cup, Professor! The Sword!”

Dumbledore looked pained. “Yes, my dear.”

“Haha, have a great trip, Al!”

“And best of luck to you on your endeavors, George.”

According to the rumor mill, Katie informed them that a whole squadron of Aurors had stormed Dumbledore’s office and had tried to arrest the man and take him to Azkaban. Dumbledore had basically told them to fuck off and had disappeared in a blaze of flame with Fawkes, leaving everyone stunned.

Hell yeah, Dumbledore’s got style.

The Professors were able to get warned beforehand and had made preparations for Dumbledore’s absence. 

Umbridge’s first order of business was to assume the Headmistress role and try to fire Firenze and Remus, however, both of them showed her their blood-signed contracts that stipulated that they would possess the position of Professor for the rest of the school year. If someone else tried to replace them, the Hogwarts Wards would throw them out.

Umbridge was apoplectic with rage once she found out, but she was powerless to do anything against them. She was forced to leave them be.

Hogwarts was obviously just as displeased with Umbridge as the rest of them, so Umbridge couldn’t claim Dumbledore’s office, no matter how hard she tried. No matter how many times she shrieked the password at the gargoyles, they simply sniggered in her face. Instead, she moved over to a new, larger office that was almost as opulent as Dumbledore’s, and was now over thrice the size of her old one, complete with shelves, a powder room, several closets, and spacious living quarters. It was certainly an upgrade, but to anyone who had been in Dumbledore’s office, it wasn’t as good, and boy did Umbridge seethe about it.

She ended up taking her anger and frustration out on the student body, and the rest of the Professors had their hands full trying to protect the kids.

Fudge’s power was waning by the day, and everyone was acutely aware of that fact. Umbridge was desperately trying to dig her heels in and the students were desperate to get the psychotic bitch out of the school before she caused any permanent damage.

The Blood Quill finally came back out to play. Unfortunately, even when the news was published in the Newspapers, complete with picture proof, there wasn’t much anyone could do. Oh, sure, people were absolutely horrified, but by that point, the entire population was already in the middle of a revolt. The news simply made the public angrier, but that was it. Parents tried to write to their kids and ask them if they were alright, but with Umbridge’s strict communication ban, information was hard to send to the outside. 

The only reliable source they had nowadays was Sirius’ mirror that he shared with Harry. From it, they were informed that Dumbledore had taken the locket from Kreacher and had it destroyed before he had moved on. He told them that Arthur was being venerated as some sort of figurehead for the revolution and that they were steadily chipping away at the Ministry. It was only a matter of time before they seized control.

However, they didn’t have that time. Umbridge was going on a rampage, and Snape had reluctantly informed them with gritted teeth that both his and Madam Pomfrey’s stores were running low from treating all the children mutilated with the Blood Quill.

It was time to take matters into their own hands. 

 

Notes:

Alright. It's all gonna come to a loud, explosive head i the next chapter, who's ready~? Keep your eyes peeled!

Lemme know what you think!

Chapter 12: Seventh Year - Part 3

Summary:

In which we come to a loud and spectacular conclusion, but really, what else do you expect from the Weasley Twins? 😂

Notes:

Hehe, hope you guys like this chapter 😈😈😈

 

The previous day, Adrian Pucey had pulled Cedric aside and solemnly informed him that he had seen something concerning in Umbridge’s office that pertained to the twins. Umbridge had summoned him in for a tea party and tried to get him to convert over to her side, but the Head Boy had remained as cold as ice in the face of her enticements. 

Understandable, as according to Katie, he had formed a bit of a romance with Rizwana Shafiq over the course of the year. It wasn’t all that surprising. Many Head Boys and Head Girls fell into a romance, as they work very closely together throughout the year.

Pucey had caught a glimpse of a letter that mentioned the Weasley twins, and from what he had seen, it was a cause for alarm.

Cedric thanked him profusely for the information and made plans to go in and investigate. The whole situation was giving him some very bad vibes. 

He planned to go in on his own, but he was cornered by the pesky Weasley twins before he could make his escape. 

Apparently, Pucey had informed them of the concerning letter as well, and they wanted in on the plan. Thanks, Pucey. Suddenly, Cedric wasn’t nearly as grateful towards him anymore.

In the end, it was decided that George and Cedric were the ones who would go into Umbridge’s office together. Harry’s Invisibility Cloak couldn’t fit the three of them anymore (curse Cedric’s stupid, sexy broad shoulders!!), and out of all of them, Fred was the best at causing chaos. 

Fred spearheaded an epic distraction complete with classrooms turned into piranha-filled swamps, the Great Hall’s furniture and cutlery enchanted to sing and perform the Beauty and the Beast’s ‘Be Our Guest’ on loop, and Umbridge’s DADA classroom turned into a biblically-accurate rendition of Hell, complete with pools of bubbling lava and screams of the damned. In the meantime, George and Cedric were going to break into Umbridge’s ugly-as-sin office to find the concerning information as the entire school went absolutely bonkers over the chaos.

The Wards were thankfully down, thanks to Snape and Remus’ efforts. Merlin, at this point, both of them could be certified Ward Breakers, they were certainly getting the practice. 

Both Cedric and George stealthily entered the butt-ugly office, and the stupid animated cats on the saucers that were hung up on Umbridge’s walls began to wail, but George ignored them. They were annoying little blighters that screamed at the wind blowing, anyway. 

George gaped at the ridiculous, sheer size of the cavernous room as Cedric directly approached the desk and began to snoop. The accursed office looked to be the size of an entire apartment, at the very least!! Fucking hell. It was going to take ages to look through everything.

Oh well. Nothing could be done.

George rolled up her sleeves and got to work alongside Cedric.

Umbridge’s desk was filled with various papers and half-written letters, and that was the best place to start, they concurred. After all, that was where Pucey was able to get a glimpse of the concerning information. 

Unfortunately, their examination didn’t yield any results. They found plenty of other concerning information, oh yes, such as blackmail that Umbridge had been able to dig up on Rizwana Shafiq’s uncle and plans on how to ambush old Tiberius Ogden’s rogue group of Aurors, but nothing concerning them.

Holy- Wait a second. 

George let out a strangled noise as she swiped a paper that detailed an investigation into Hermione’s parents. Their address and dental practice was listed, as well as surreptitious candid pictures of the kind-looking older couple. 

This was bad. Soooo bad. Vik was gonna have a conniption.

Cedric peeked over her shoulder curiously to examine what had startled George so, and the frightening information about the unsuspecting, defenceless muggles made Cedric’s expression turn black.

George sucked in a breath.

Oh no. This was not good.

Over the past few months, as things had escalated, Cedric had grown… irritated.

Oh, it wasn’t anything bad!! He would never hurt anyone, a fluffy and sweet Hufflepuff down to his core, but it was clear that he took the heavy weight of everyone’s safety upon his shoulders. The entire Hufflepuff house basically looked up to him like he was an infallible god who could do no wrong, and it wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that he had a similar, if slightly less fanatical, faith from the other houses. 

Everyone looked up to him as the Hogwarts Champion, the Triwizard Victor, the perfect, flawless Golden Boy. He was their hero. Their protector. The one who would stand between them and the monster, the one who chased away the bad dreams at night. 

It wasn’t an uncommon sight to see him swarmed with first- and second-years sobbing into his robes as he soothingly shushed them and ran gentle fingers through their hair. Even older, more jaded kids would be open to approaching him with full confidence that he would be able to solve their problems. He was just safe. 

Suffice it to say that kind of responsibility was… a lot, to say the least.

There were many a night after FTC meetings in which Cedric would pace restlessly like a tiger, stalking predatorily around the room with ceaseless energy. Sometimes, he would deign to spar with the twins, but when he was in a mood, he would easily destroy them. Funnily, the only one who could keep up with Cedric when he got to that state was Harry, with his almost preternatural skill in duelling. The boys would go at it like seasoned duellists, their honed seeker reflexes giving them reaction times that were off the charts. It always made George realize just how different the gulf in their abilities was and just how pathetic she was in comparison to them. They really were the true protagonists of this world, and moments like this always brought the reminder back up to the forefront.

One surefire way to get Cedric to release his tension was through sex. He would be delightfully rough, almost animalistic, as he plowed her through the sheets. He would religiously chant her name as he tirelessly pumped into her, full of a manic energy.

Of course, George was still worried, but she knew how much their little rendezvous relieved the constant stiff hold of his shoulders. Cedric never hurt her. Oh, on the contrary, he would never cross the line of too rough, his eyes filled with a zealous gleam as he brought her to climax again and again until she was begging him for mercy. Haha, teenage stamina for the win?

So yeah, while it worried her, George was happy to offer herself up as a healthy way to relieve some stress. It wasn’t like it she wasn’t getting anything out of it herself, you know? Cedric was always amenable to letting her pamper and coddle him afterwards until his frenetic energy went down. He would lounge against her, radiating smug, satiated satisfaction as he listened with heavily-lidded eyes as she dutifully prattled about how her Alchemy lesson went, or the cool new prank-product idea she had cooked up. She adored the quiet moments that were getting harder and harder to find in the midst of all the chaos.

This look on Cedric’s face was one of his more intense ones. It sent a frisson of nervousness down her spine.

“Sugar, you have to calm down.” George anxiously rubbed a hand along his side, but his face was a mask of stone. George nervously glanced down at the Map and confirmed that the Aurors and Umbridge weren’t anywhere near them yet. They were running after Freddie on a wild goose chase.

“Ced, baby, remember. Yes, this is bad, but we need to find the information that concerned Adrien. Eye on the prize, sugar.”

Cedric’s jaw was clenched, and he nodded jerkily as he turned back to the mess of parchment. 

George bit her lip as she watched the stiff, unforgiving line of his back. Ohhhhh, this was a bad idea. Her precious boy was too emotionally invested in this. Ced tended to get a little… fixated whenever something threatened her safety. George sighed nervously as she went back to her search.

Time loosely flowed around them as they dug through the mountain of paperwork, making sure to periodically glance down at the Map to track everyone’s location. Sadly, it didn’t yield any results, and they were forced to move on to the gigantic filing cabinets. 

“Fucking bullocks. We should just summon it,” Cedric grumbled in frustration as he frantically parsed through file after file.

“You know why we can’t,” George gently chided. “I’m sure from how much she hates us, she has a giant pile of paper about us alone, and if we tried summoning it it’d be a goddamn mess. We need to know where all the papers are supposed to go so that we can duplicate them before stealing them, otherwise, she’d know it’s us.”

Cedric’s face morphed into a snarl as he pondered the ramifications of giving Umbridge reasonable cause to believe that they had been in her office. More justified torture, to say the least. He furiously went back to his snooping.

“Ah-ha!” George beamed in triumph. She had finally hit the jackpot in one of the many filing cabinets that were scattered throughout the cavern of an office. Just as she had suspected, there was an entire drawer dedicated to just the Weasleys.

Cedric huffed in satisfaction and pressed a quick kiss to her crown, which left George preening in pride. The duo fell upon the treasure trove and devoured the information. George’s heart simultaneously sank and soared as she read the reports of the chaos that Arthur was causing down at the Ministry. Obviously, over at Hogwarts, they weren’t able to get any real, reliable news except through Harry’s Mirror, and even that was quite sparse. Arthur was out there, being a big damn hero, apparently. He would surely be lauded as a revolutionary for years to come, as he was being credited as the hero of the people, the blue-collar and lower-class workers. Under his name, many people came together to fight against the remaining Aurors and enforcers still loyal to the Ministry, and by the day, they gained more ground.

To George’s alarm, there were detailed files for Molly, Billy, Charlie, and Perce, as well. There were copies of active correspondence with her older brothers’ employers, or in the case of Percy, his program director, with requests to relieve them from their positions. Bribes and promises of favors were recorded in the records and George barely noticed her hands shaking as she saw a letter from a Cambridge Professor curiously inquiring for more information on how much money the Ministry would be willing to part with in order for him to write a very unflattering letter about Percy’s conduct and unsuitability to complete his program, or the removal of his scholarship.

Cedric’s animalistic sound of rage immediately drew her attention. 

George turned to see Cedric’s face twisted in a feral snarl as his hands practically crushed the paper he was reading. He abruptly straightened up and drew his wand, his chest heaving from his deep, furious breaths. 

He let out a low growl as he visibly fought the urge to completely trash the office. Again, it would be a dangerous idea to use too much magic in Umbridge’s office: the Aurors were, unfortunately, very well trained and adept at tracking down magical signatures in an area. That’s why their prank products were so sought-out: they left no magical residue for the dickheads to track.

The paper was ruthlessly crushed in Cedric’s hand as he desperately tried to compose himself, and a wave of dread ran through George.

She slowly approached him and hugged him. He didn’t seem like he noticed, his eyes far away,  filled with wrath.

George laid her head on his chest and soaked in the comfort of his pounding heart. It was racing in response to his anger, bold and fierce, booming like a drum. 

“Ced,” George breathed.  She pulled back and saw that he was still looking through her. She wrapped a hand behind his neck and gently forced him to look down at her. “Let me see.”

He made a wounded sound of protest, but it died out when George resolutely blinked up at him as she soothingly ran her hand through his hair.

“Show me.”

Painfully reluctantly, he released the crinkled wad of paper and let it drop to the ground. He began to pace like a caged tiger, but George didn’t pay it any mind as she crouched and slowly unfurled the ruined parchment.

As her brain finally absorbed what she was reading, she began to feel light-headed.

This was a letter from Damarius Pastrana. 

That was a name that everyone in the Wizarding World knew.

There were just some names that every single witch and wizard learned about, regardless of their age, background, and geography. 

Jiang Shuǐlóng, the Wizard who had discovered ancient artifacts that had once belonged to the legendary Monkey King Sun Wukong. Anguak Kalluk, a traditional Inuit witch who had fixed the destabilization of the Magical North Pole from the magnetic muggle one. Breno Galhardo, the sole heir to the magical throne of Portugal, who was making quite a name for himself by siring bastards as he dodged the responsibility of the Crown. 

Gilderoy Lockhart, before his downfall.

Viktor Krum.

Nicholas Flamel. 

Harry Potter, obviously.

Albus Dumbledore.

The thing is…

Damarius Pastrana was a household name because he was the Dark Lord of Cuba. His muggle counterpart was Fidel Castro, who, it was widely believed, was in cahoots with Pastrana to consolidate their complete, uncontested power, rather how Grindelwald had done with Hitler decades ago.

Damarius Pastrana was widely known for his comprehensive arcane knowledge, frightening magical power, and worst of all, his cruel magical research.

Damarius Pastrana had been born with a twin, Ximena. He had loved her with all her heart, however, that didn’t stop him from using her as a blood sacrifice so that he would gain the requisite power to take over the country. 

Pastrana was widely known for his obsession with twins. Like how the Nazis had experimented with them years ago, Pastrana too believed that there was something magically or spiritually powerful about twins and he held a frightening fascination with them. In Cuba, whenever a pair of twins was born, muggle or magical, he took them away from their families to do Merlin-knew-what to the poor pair. It was a common practice for families to do everything they could to hide the birth of twins, commonly giving one baby away to another family to protect them.

Those creepy measurement sessions that she and Fred had endured in detention? Yeah, it wasn’t for making sure that they were adhering to the dress code at all, but rather for giving their measurements to this psychopath on the other side of the world.

From what she could glean, Pastrana was very, very interested in the lean, beautiful, fire-haired twins from England dotted with freckles like stars, what the fuck, how did he know how how they looked like, did Umbridge send him pictures of them, oh god, she was probably going to be sick-

George fought the nausea back down as she absorbed the severity of the situation.

Umbridge was going to sell her and Fred to a raging Dictator in Cuba.

Okay. That was…. 

George could understand why Cedric was so close to losing his shit.

This went beyond their wildest expectations.

Well! Okay then! Haha, time to go and have a mental breakdown later!! 

George forcefully shook herself out of her reverie and glanced down at the Map. She frowned when she couldn’t see Umbridge’s name besides Freddie’s. She leaned over to examine it further, and her panic began to rise when she couldn’t see the Aurors or Umbridge, no matter how much she searched.

Oh fuck. Where was she? Did they leave Hogwarts? Did they leave the bounds of the Map?

A chill ran down her spine as she contemplated the other alternative.

The Marauder’s Map was phenomenal and never, ever lied…

Save for a few exceptions.

Like if there was a secret passage that hadn’t been drawn into the Map.

George leaped up and frantically grabbed Cedric’s startled form as she scooped up the Invisibility Cloak off the floor. She quickly kicked the open file drawer shut and pulled them into the nearby closet right before the loud sound of grating stone rang out in the office. A wall moved aside, and the distinct, grating voices of Umbridge and Bender were audible.

Another sound threatened to drown out their voices: an unearthly wail began to blare around them, and George practically had a stroke as she realized that she had pulled Cedric into a small closet that was filled with extra plates of animated kittens, all of whom were indignantly wailing and hissing at the interlopers in their space.

Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuuuck.

Cedric scrambled to open the Cloak up and throw it over themselves. It was quite the struggle, as the stupid closet was barely small enough for both of them. Any mistaken moves would send one of the accursed porcelain plates shattering on the ground.

George’s back was to Cedric’s blazing front as the Cloak finally settled over them. His arms came around her in a crushing embrace as a big hand closed over her mouth. Cedric’s tense pants were muffled in her hair, and it felt like their hearts were about to beat out of their chests from the terror.

“Oh gracious, my babies are crying again. Mulciber, would you be a dear and take care of that for me?”

A heavy sigh was heard over the wail of the kittens, and George could swear that her heart stopped for a long second. Around her, Cedric’s arms tightened as he tensed. George took comfort from the squeeze, the pressure grounding her, but nothing could quell the fear completely.

The door swung open, and Mulciber’s hulking form was revealed to them. He squinted into the closet, and George didn’t even dare to breathe.

His beady eyes narrowed before he harrumphed. He raised his wand, and George could swear that a few years of her life were shaved off in that one moment before Mulciber grunted a spell that immediately cut off the grating squeals from the plates as it halted their animations.

“Sodding hair-balls,” he grumbled before he slammed the door shut. “Always screaming at nothing.”

In the darkness, George’s heart raced. She leaned back into Cedric’s tense form and felt him bury his face in her hair with a shuddering sigh.

Bloody fucking hell. 

Unfortunately, George’s heart rate wasn’t given any time to settle as the Ministry assholes’ conversation drifted over to them.

“Those ginger Blood Traitors, always causing trouble wherever they go,” came Umbridge’s snarl. “I can’t wait to accept Señor Pastrana’s offer and send those menaces away. Maybe they’ll finally learn their place in his care.”

Travers’ amused voice reached them. “As you say, Ma’am. Have you gotten confirmation from Minister Fudge about whether we can ship those annoying twins out yet?”

George’s breath hitched, but it was thankfully hidden behind Cedric’s hand covering her mouth. Cedric showed his own displeasure by hugging her even closer, an inaudible, angry rumble beginning in his chest.

Umbridge’s voice was unpleasantly shrill. “I haven’t, no thanks to that sodding Weasley Clan causing dear Cornelius stress once again!”

“Ma’am? Was it that bellend Arthur Weasley again?” Mulciber grunted.

“No, not this time, though that doddering fool is enough of a thorn in my dear Cornelius’ side. No, it was that useless cow, Molly Prewett!” Umbridge furiously shrieked.

George’s hand tightened around Cedric’s. A nervous energy filled her, and she lightly bounced on the balls of her feet to burn some of it off. Cedric softly huffed in reprimand, but only hefted her closer so that she could lean more firmly against him.

“The housewife?” Came Bender’s nasally voice. “The fat heifer who can’t stop spreading her legs and getting pregnant? What has that useless munter done?”

George’s bounces grew a little more frantic as they continued to degrade her precious mother. A low sizzle of anger flowed through her veins.

“Apparently, the fat cunt was a gifted dueler during her schooldays,” Umbridge ranted. “When the protests at Diagon Alley were intercepted by the Aurors, the stupid minger held off an entire squadron of Aurors! An entire squadron!”

“What? Impossible.” Mulciber grunted.

“According to the reports, her middle son, Perseus or some other nonsense, was at the protests. The Aurors had instructions to bring him in so that we could put pressure on Arthur Weasley to step down and dismantle his foolish protests. When the boy was attacked, the fat cow went berserk and took down the squadron. Only two were able to escape; the rest of them are now in the traitors’ custody!”

“That’s ridiculous,” Travers growled. “Who was leading the squad?”

“That idiot Spencer! He lost us almost the entirety of our last remaining loyal squadron!” Umbridge shrieked.

George let out a shuddering breath as the Aurors began asking further details of who else stood with the Ministry. To George’s dark amusement, it seemed that with many Aurors being taken into the Insurgents’ custody or renouncing the Ministry under Ogden’s leadership, Fudge only had about a dozen Aurors loyal to him.

Travers, Bender, and Mulciber were very unhappy at the news. Bender’s lisp became more pronounced with his nervousness, and Mulciber was growling like a bulldog. 

“We need to regain control of the situation,” came Travers’ ice-cold voice. It sent a shiver down George’s spine.

“Well, what do you suggest?” Umbridge shrilled.

“It’s clear that we don’t have time to see your plan of collecting support through the school through. It is imperative that we act swiftly and force the rebels to step down.”

“Yes?” Umbridge’s voice was eager.

“We take the youngest Weasley girl hostage and deliver her to the Minister. He will be able to use her as a negotiation chip to force Weasley Sr to stand down, lest his precious baby gets injured.”

George bit her cheek so hard it bled in an effort to keep any noise from escaping. No. No. Not Gigi. George would kill them before they touched her.

“Yes… yes, that should work,” Umbridge enthusiastically pondered.

“We’ll also send the Weasley Twins off to Señor Pastrana tonight, however, you need to negotiate for extra manpower. His followers are exceptionally powerful, and with even a few of his men aiding our efforts, we will be able to subjugate the population. After all, they have considerable practice over in Cuba, that barbaric country.”

Behind her, Cedric inhaled a shuddering breath, and George could practically feel the fury radiating off of him. In an effort to calm him down, she rubbed a hand along his hip, but it didn’t detract any of his outrage.

“Oh, Travers,” Umbridge purred. “You always have the best ideas. That’s why you’re my favorite, my darling.”

George could hear Mulciber’s faint scoff as Travers smarmily gloated, “Of course, Madam, I’m always at your service.” Trouble in paradise? Wasn’t all that surprising that the Aurors didn’t like each other; all of them were remarkably detestable.

“Right! I’ll get right on that! I shall write a letter to Señor Pastrana right away! Mulciber, I would like you to collect those infernal twins so that we can send them off to Cuba, at haste. Time is of the essence! Oh, and Bender, please retrieve the youngest Weasley daughter so that we can deliver her to dear Cornelius. Now chop chop! We have much to do before this evening!” she chirped.

Two sets of footsteps made their way out of the office, and George felt a wave of anxiety threaten to overwhelm her. She silently took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. Freddie and Gigi would be fine. They were smart and competent. Freddie was likely running around the castle to hide from the punishment that his antics would have brought him, and Gigi had Transfiguration and Potions this afternoon. McGonagall and Snape wouldn’t ever let anything happen to her. Ronnie had double herbology with Lupin, who would protect him in case the Aurors came looking for him instead. It would be okay. They would be fine. She had to trust in them. They were strong and smart. They would be okay.

Umbridge sighed heavily. “Honestly, dear, I don’t know what I would do without you. Tell me, is there anything I can do for you? You’ve been ever so helpful.”

“Haha, it’s my pleasure, Ms. Dolores,” said Travers.

“Nonsense! I insist! Without you, I would have to deal constantly with Mulciber’s dimness and Bender’s rancid breath. You’re truly a gem, my dear. Tell me what I can do to show you my appreciation.”

They were able to hear the sounds of both Umbridge and Travers pulling chairs out and the creak of them seating themselves, and Umbridge cast a few spells to heat up her afternoon tea.

‘Well… there might be one thing.”

“Anything, darling. What is it you want?”

“Hmmmm. Perhaps, before we send the older Weasley daughter away with her twin, I would like to have a little taste of her.”

George felt a wave of ice overwhelm her. She barely felt Cedric shift against her.

“What? The older Weasley, you say?” Umbridge sounded surprised.

“Aye. Georgiana.” Mulciber’s voice was filled with an emotion George didn’t want to dissect, still reeling with surprised alarm and fear.

“Well, I suppose I can understand. For a Blood Traitor, she is not horrible-looking, I suppose. But perhaps Señor Pastrada would want those infernal twins brought to him pure…?” 

Travers laughed darkly. “Oh, Ms. Dolores, I can assure you that she is most definitely not pure.”

“Really? I suppose I can’t be surprised, opening her legs up to be a deplorable slag must run through her family, just look at how the youngest chit is trying so hard to seduce poor young Malfoy! Honestly, I truly fear for the fate of the Purebloods when honorless whores like those two girls are running around.”

“Hmmmm. You may be right about the youngest girl, but the oldest one is in an exclusive relationship.”

Umbridge sounded intrigued. “Is that so? Which poor boy did she ensnare with her wiles?”

“Cedric Diggory.” To George’s surprise, Travers’ voice was filled with a dark loathing.

“Cedric Diggory?! The chit seduced Cedric Diggory?!” Umbridge shrieked. “Unacceptable! Oh, I just knew that the message didn’t sink in! The blasted whore doesn’t know her rightful place!”

Travers hummed noncommittally. “As you say, Madam. If possible, I would like to try her once before she gets taken apart by Señor Pastrana.”

Cedric’s hand ran up and down her thigh. He was deceptively gentle, barely stroking her skin with the barest shadow of his touch. It sent goosebumps down her legs.

Uh oh. 

While Freddie would always be the person closest to her, the other half of a whole, Cedric was her soulmate. He understood him on a deep, primal, intimate level, better than she understood even herself.

In his tender, careful caresses, she felt his deep, bottomless anger. 

“Well, I suppose I can allow it, if you’re the kind who’s interested in dirty used goods.” Umbridge’s voice was disgusted.

“Oh, that’s what makes it a part of the appeal, Ms. Dolores.” Travers chuckled. “Taking her from that fucking Diggory boy is what will make it all worth it.”

Cedric’s fingers stuttered in their pattern, then he slowly, gently pulled George’s shirt free from where it was tucked into her skirt. His warm fingertips began to trace across her stomach, leaving a trail of tingles wherever he touched. 

“Mr. Travers, do you have a vendetta against young Cedric Diggory?” Umbridge sounded curious and vaguely disapproving.

“Not really.” Travers’ voice clearly conveyed the lie. “I just think that the brat is a little uppity, is all. Both he and his obnoxious father could stand to know their place, you see.”

Cedric’s fingertips feathered over George’s hard nipples before they slipped away. Before George could wonder what he was doing, she felt the old, frayed strap of her bra-clip come undone. The straps of her bra loosened and slipped down, releasing her heavy breasts.

“Know their place.” Umbridge's voice was unimpressed.

“Yes.” Travers’ voice was dark. “Just think about it, about how sublime the Diggory brat’s expression would be when he watches me enjoy his pretty little girlfriend.”

Cedric’s hand squeezed tight over her breast, and it almost made George gasp. She could practically hear what he was thinking: Over my dead fucking body. Jo belongs to me, and me alone.

George bit her lip and arched her back as Cedric grinded forward, sliding his hard length against her. With a shift of her hips, George’s skirt rode up, and she reached back to release Cedric’s hot cock from his pants. She pulled her panties aside and Cedric slid into her hot pussy in one long, smooth motion.

Oh Merlin, this was so, so stupid. They were fucking in Umbridge’s closet while she was right there.  

George closed her eyes and fought to control herself. Cedric was so hard and hot in her. She was so sensitive that she felt a delicious throb in her pussy, in time with her pounding heartrate.

They had lost their damn minds, but she just couldn’t stop.

Cedric carefully, carefully began to pump into her, and George almost sobbed. Oh, lords above, it just felt so good. Cedric’s fingers prodded at her lips, and she eagerly opened them up to suck them deep and hard, rolling her tongue against his digits. Soon enough, drool ran down her chin and messily coated his entire palm. The way he slowly pumped his fingers in time with his thrusts made her eyes squeeze shut and her core clench in pleasure. Vaguely, she could hear Travers and Umbridge continue to make their disgusting plans, but George didn’t care anymore. 

All of her fear, all of her panic, all of it was washed away with the comforting feeling of Cedric filling her. She could still feel the tightly-reined anger in his coiled muscles, but George had never felt so claimed, so protected and surrounded, so safe.

With every thrust, he was telling her, You’re mine, I will not let him touch you, I will protect you and your family with my dying breath.

They didn’t speak a single word to each other, didn’t even make a single sound, but George heard the message from deep within Cedric’s soul call out to her own.

Cedric pulled her till she was arching her back, and George’s head lolled back on his shoulder as his hot panting breaths against her ear sent tingles throughout her body. The soft silkiness of the Invisibility cloak brushed against her arms and bare thighs, and all of her nerves thrummed in oversensitivity.

Cedric’s broad hand came back to her stomach, and he pressed down as he ground roughly against her. George bit down on his fingers as she felt a wild jolt of pleasure run through her as she realized that Cedric was feeling himself through her walls. 

With every slow, hard thrust, his cock’s outline was shown through her flat stomach, and George was so horny that she was scared that she was going to lose her mind in this godforsaken closet.

Cedric roughly thrust in as his hot mouth sucked on her neck before he bit down. George jerked at the sharp jolt of pain, and her eyes rolled back in her head.

It was a primal claiming. The rough bruise showed everyone that George was Cedric’s, that Travers, the fucking pervert, couldn’t take her from him. 

“Mine,” Cedric breathed in her ear, then Cedric shoved his fingers deep down her throat as George felt her core fill with warmth as his hips rocked roughly against her ass, fucking his cum into her. His hand tightened on her stomach, the outline of his still-hard cock pressing through her walls, and George fell over the edge as well, bright sparks of lights exploding behind her eyelids. She bit down hard on his fingers as she fought not to let a single sound escape to give away their position. Her entire body was a tight, taut coil of pleasure, and Cedric’s overwhelming presence around her grounded her against the earth-shattering bliss that threatened to sweep her away.

It took a long minute for George to come back to her senses. Cedric absently rolled her nipple between his fingers as he waited for her to come back to him. George ran her tongue over his fingers and gave then a light nip and a soothing suck, and Cedric’s hand tightened over her breast and squeezed. After George felt steady enough to support her own weight, she laced her fingers through Cedric’s resting on her belly.

George squeezed his hand. We didn’t cast the contraceptive spell.

Cedric huffed darkly and pressed his palm harder against her stomach. He rocked, his softening cock still satisfyingly spreading her open. I don’t care. You’re MINE. His fingers spread over her stomach with proprietary ownership, and he darkly nipped at her ear.

Objectively, George knew that it was dangerous for Ced to cum in her like this, but at this point, George didn’t care.

She was Ced’s, and he was hers. 

It would be alright. No matter what fate had in store for them, they would face it together, an unbreakable team.

They would make everything alright.

They waited in silence for hours as Umbridge and Travers discussed other Ministry matters before they made their way out of Umbridge’s office to head up to the Owlery to send their letters before they headed down to the Great Hall for dinner. When the door finally shut behind them, George and Cedric waited for a few tense minutes to make sure that the coast was really clear before they finally stepped out of the closet. 

The inside of George’s thighs were coated with tacky cum, but she didn’t care. She spelled away the mess without a second thought and righted her clothes till she was presentable again.

Fuck not using magic in Umbitch’s office.

George was done caring about petty trivialities, fearful what-ifs, and threats of retaliation. She was a woman on a mission.

She met Cedric’s eyes, and they were in agreement. This was it. No more. 

The evil cunt was going down today.

Cedric closed his eyes and muttered out the Patronus Charm as George pulled out her FTC Galleon. 

Shere Khan materialized in front of them, and Cedric lowly mumbled out a warning for the tiger to deliver to all the Houses as George formulated her message.

TAKE UMB DOWN TNITE IN GH. 

On the back, she wrote, STAY AWAY, THEY’LL TAKE HOSTAGE.

George bit her lip as they sent their messages out. She hoped that the Prefects had enough time to react. She knew that it would probably cause a riot with the FTC members, most of whom would leap to volunteer to put the evil toad down, but the upcoming conflict was likely going to be a shitshow. The more people there were, the more potential meatshields they gave the Aurors. It was better for nobody to come. 

“Boopsi!” George firmly called.

A loud crack echoed through the office, and a pair of large eyes under a shower cap peered up at her.

“Yes, Misses Wheezey?”

“There’s going to be an altercation in the Great Hall tonight, Boopsi. I’ve sent a message out for all the students to stay away, but could you please make sure that some food is delivered to the Common Rooms so that the kiddos won’t go to bed hungry?”

Boopsi slowly nodded, peering up at her with an intent look. “You’se is taking care of pink frog lady, Misses Wheezey?”

George smiled down at her. “That’s the plan.”

Boopsi stared at her for a long moment before she nodded firmly. “Leave it to Boopsi. Luck be with you, Misses Wheezey.” Then she popped away, presumably to muster the formidable might of the House Elf army.

George exhaled and rolled her tense shoulders.

This was it. 

Cedric’s warm arms wrapped around her, and George turned around to tightly embrace him back. They simply stood for a moment and just relished the other’s presence.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“It’ll be alright. I promise.” Cedric’s voice was resolute. His eyes were filled with a dark, intent light, the same one that he had when he went on to face a dragon. 

He was ready to fight and kill and win.

George smiled up at him. “Yes. It will be, because we’ll make it alright. No more.”

“No more,” Cedric promised. He reverently kissed her. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“And I won’t let anything happen to you, too.”

They smiled at each other. 

“Now let’s go be big damn heroes.”

They ran all the way to the Great Hall. Dinner was due to start in less than 10 minutes, so they had to act fast.

They burst through the doors, and their loud entrances drew the attention of everyone within. The Professors frowned chidingly at them, but didn’t say anything in response to their dramatic arrival.

Fuck-a-doodle-doo. Mulciber and Bender were already seated in their seats, glaring down at them. Goddammit.

George whipped her head around and was relieved to see that the majority of the Hall was barren. No students sat at the long tables, and the House Elves hadn't set the seat placings out yet.

Awesome. They had gotten her message in time.

George turned back to the staff table and caught Remus’ gaze. His eyes looked alert and intent. He casually flipped a Galleon through his fingers like a seasoned gambler would. 

Oh, thank god. Remus was up to speed, and looking at McGonagall’s flared nostrils, Snape’s nasty sneer, Hagrid’s puffed-up form, and Hooch’s angry snarl, he had conveyed the message to the other Professors. 

The sound of footsteps at the entrance drew George’s attention, and she almost spit blood when she saw who was marching towards them.

Freddie, the terrifying Trio, and Ginny, all of whom sported dangerous and intent scowls.

No. No. Fucking… NO!

From behind her, McGonagall cursed filthily. “Merlin save me from these gommy eejits looking to get themselves killed!”

“What are you doing here?!” George hissed, fearfully glancing at the Aurors, who looked gleeful now that all of their targets were within easy reach. For the love of everything holy, why were her siblings such stupid fucking Gryffindors?! Fucking Main-Character syndrome, the lot of them!!!

Freddie gave her a stony glare. “You didn’t actually think that we would let you take them on alone, did you?”

“We fucking prayed that you would, yeah,” Cedric growled. His wand was already in his hand, and he stepped in front of Ginny, who Bender was eying with interest. 

They were interrupted by the shrill sound of Umbridge’s voice as she made her way into the hall, Travers at her side. Both of them stopped in their tracks at the sight of the empty Hall and the small group of students standing in the middle of the tables.

Umbridge narrowed her eyes at them. “What’s all this, then? Why are all the students missing? Causing trouble again, are you? Perhaps I have been too lax in disciplining the students, if they feel that it is acceptable to miss meal times like this,” She glared at Fred, who sneered back at her.

“Yeah, no, fuck off, you toady cunt,” Ron drawled. 

Everyone turned to him in shock, but the lanky teen just slid his hands in his pockets and shrugged nonchalantly. “Well, not like it ain’t true, right? Doesn’t matter anymore, anyway, and I’ve been wanting to call her that to her face for ages, Merlin.”

For the second time in her life, George saw Snape smile, but alas, it didn’t last for long.

Umbridge sputtered in fury. “Wha- the insolence! Detention, Mr. Weasley, for the rest of the month! I’ll teach you to properly respect your betters!” she shrieked.

Freddie arrogantly swaggered in front of Ron. “Nah,” his voice was cockily arrogant. “Fuck off, ya ugly bint.” Older sibling instincts would always make them draw the aggro to themselves.

Umbridge boggled at him. “Why, I never-! I am the Undersecretary of the Minister and the Headmistress of Hogwarts, the greatest magical school in the world! You owe me your respect! Know your-!”

“We owe you nothing.” Cedric’s voice was as cold and sharp as ice. “When you tried to sell Freddie and Jo to Damarius Pastrana, you lost any ounce of respect you would have had.”

There was a moment of silence as Umbridge looked panicked at how they knew about her nefarious plans, then all the Professors were on their feet, roaring in fury.

Freddie stumbled and looked deathly pale, and George immediately pulled him into a side-hug. He desperately clung to her as he whispered, “Is it true?”

George solemnly nodded, and he shuddered in disgust. He composed himself in record time and turned back to Umbridge with murder in his eyes.

“Evil cunt,” Ginny hissed. Harry’s deathly green eyes gleamed dangerously, Ron’s face was ruddy with rage, and Hermione’s hair was puffed up in wrath, sparks of magic intimidatingly frizzing it.

Umbridge stuttered as McGonagall looked ready to charge at her like a raging bull. Remus let out a growl that alarmingly sounded like a wolf’s, Hagrid bellowed at the top of his lungs, Flitwick had climbed on top of the table, his face intent and serious, and Snape looked incandescently furious as he drew his wand.

“Oh, that’s not all!” George proclaimed. “She wants to kidnap Ginny and send her to the Ministry so that they can hold her as hostage to force Dad to call off the rebellion, and torture her to make him comply! They were going to do it tonight!!”

Everyone roared in a fresh wave of fury, and Umbridge turned her hateful, beady eyes on her. “All lies!” she blustered. “All-”

“Shut yer lyin’ mouth!” Hagrid boomed. “You were going ter send a child to be tortured?!”

“Like she hasn’t already been torturing the children herself!” Sprout hollered.

Travers drew his wand and stepped before Umbridge. His eyes were deadly. “Now, let’s all calm down. We don’t want to cause an incident that will summon the Minister’s attention over to us. He’s a very busy man and would be sure to demonstrate his… displeasure.”

Cedric scoffed and stepped forward, his own wand drawn. His eyes were filled with a deep loathing. “Yeah, your pitiful bluffs don’t work. We know that Auntie Molly fucking massacared the majority of the Aurors that the Ministry has left. Fudge is done. That ugly pink toad is done. But you?” Cedric’s eyes narrowed in rage as he stared Travers down.

“I’ll make you wish that you’d never been born.”

Travers laughed humorlessly. “Is that so, boy? You overestimate yourself.”

Cedric smiled coldly. “Boy, huh? You do know that I’m older than Jo, right? If I’m still just a boy, what does that make you, someone who wants to ‘get a taste of her’ before you send her off to Pastrana? Fucking pervert,” he spit.

“WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” McGonagall roared. 

“You let a fucking pedophile into the school?” Lupin growled. His eyes were eerily gold.

“Pedophile? I’m not a pedophile! She’s seventeen! Legal!” Travers sputtered. Even Mulciber and Bender were looking at him with revulsion.

“She’s a student, you disgusting degenerate!” Snape hissed. 

George felt gross and slimy at the attention, but she was immediately soothed by Freddie grabbing her hand and Cedric pulling her firmly into his side. “You made a mistake coveting what’s mine, you fucking creep,” Cedric menacingly breathed. “Like I said, I’m going to make you wish that you’d never been born.”

Travers glared at Cedric. “And like I said, I’d like to see you try!”

“Apprehend the targets!” Umbridge shrieked. “Do whatever it takes! Use any spell necessary! Seize the twins and the youngest girl at any cost!”

The hall erupted in spellfire. With a wave of their wands, Snape and Remus cast a strong shield around the students, and Umbridge’s clearly dark spells thankfully were deflected in time. McGonagall had engaged Mulciber in a duel, and Hagrid charged at Bender, only to get flung back against a wall when he blasted the table between them apart. 

Flitwick immediately began to engage Bender, who, to George’s surprise, began to keep up with him remarkably well. Apparently, he too was a duelling prodigy of sorts, catching and deflecting each of Flitwick’s rapid-fire barrage of attacks. 

Sprout aided McGonagall’s efforts, but Mulciber was like a tank, able to endure an insane amount of damage and able to keep going. Hagrid sluggishly pulled himself out of the hole in the wall, dislodging rubble and dust.

Snape and Lupin were doing their best to keep the Protego up, but it was cracking under the onslaught of disturbingly dark magic that Travers and Umbridge were throwing at it. It was clear that it would shatter any second, and all the students stood ready.

The magic around them splintered, and Cedric, Freddie, and Harry immediately engaged Travers in a brutal barrage of spell-fire. To George’s consternation, he was able to deflect all their spells and counterattack easily. Apparently, he, too, was on the more gifted end of the spectrum. Fuck.

Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and George focused their attention on Umbridge, but horrifyingly, none of their spells were able to make contact with her. Every time she was hit with one of their attacks, it would just slide off of her like oil. 

How?! How the fuck- oh, shit, she must be wearing some kind of artifact that protected her from spellfire. Sure enough, an antique necklace hung around her neck, glowing with bright blue runes and sparking with magic. Her precious fucking Fudge must have given it to her when she whined to him about how they were targeting her. Son of a bitch!!

One of her spells took down Hermione, who collapsed with a sharp gasp, and in his distraction, Ron was taken out, too. 

With just her and Ginny, they were soon overwhelmed, and soon Ginny was trussed up like a ham in thick, conjured ropes, hissing and spitting like a feral cat. 

This was so fucking unfair!! What the fuckkk!!!

Remus and Snape furiously tried to hit Umbridge with spells, but none were still going through. However, the necklace on Umbridge’s chest was beginning to glow with a gold light, so it was likely that the artifact was getting overloaded, but George didn’t have the luxury of waiting for it to time out. 

Freddie was hit with a light orange spell, and he went down, and George screamed. It was like she could feel a phantom of the pain that he was inflicted with. Stupid, stupid twin voodoo. Fucking shit!! Freddie!!

Harry and Cedric were beginning to be pushed back from the barrage of dark spells that Travers was spamming at them. From what she remembered of Moody’s lessons, more than half of them were Crucios mixed in there, and all the others were shades of terrifying pale pastels, indicating wretchedly dark magic. Remus and Snape were forced to turn their attention over to them to stop them from being eviscerated. Snape erected a Protego, which allowed the exhausted students to breathe for a long second. Remus quickly waved his wand and focused on pulling the downed students out of the line of fire.

Umbridge turned the full force of her hate-filled eyes to George and smiled. “Looks like it’s just you and me, dearie.”

George stared at her for a long second, then thought, fuck it.

George lowered her wand and charged at Umbridge. The fat woman startled and shrieked and desperately shot a spell at George, but she easily dodged it, reflexes honed after years of Quidditch, and tackled the round woman.

George balled her fist up and began to rain punches down on the woman. She let all of her fear and rage out as she whaled down on her and felt the satisfying sensation of her flesh impacting under her fists. 

Umbridge struggled and wailed and desperately tried to aim her wand at George, but she was clearly too startled at the muggle method and couldn’t regain her faculties in time before she got the absolute shit beaten out of her. “Tra- Travers! Hel-!”

“Yeah, not so resistant to physical attacks, huh~?” George sing-songed darkly. She felt Umbridge’s nose satisfyingly crunch under her fist and explode in a bloody mess that drenched her hands. “Your fancy necklace can’t help you now, can it~?”

Umbridge furiously sputtered at her and desperately tried to aim her wand at George, but the redhead refused to let her get the upper hand. 

George was fully prepared to beat Umbridge to unconsciousness, but a pastel pink spell flew an inch past her ear and forced her to spring to her feet to avoid the new shower of spells that Travers rained down on her. Cedric and Harry were safely behind a shield again, and rather than fruitlessly wasting his energy and magical power attacking them, he decided to target her instead.

George leaped to her feet and took off in a sprint out of the Great Hall, dodging the spells that flew past her. She heard Travers’ cut off swear as the Protego was let down again, and he was re-engaged in his duel.

George turned back for a split second to see that Umbridge had unsteadily made her way back up on her feet, her face an unholy, bloody mess. The pink toad stared murderously at George.

“I,” Umbridge wetly breathed, with bloody snot smeared all across her face, “Am going to kill you, you filthy Blood Traitor whore.”

Umbridge raised her wand, and George turned back around and bolted. 

Her powerful legs pumped, and she shot forward like a gazelle, sprinting for her life as Umbridge stumbled after her and shot spells at her escaping back.

George’s mind furiously raced as she booked it away from her pink pursuer. She needed open space. While on its last stages, the fucking artifact was still protecting Umbridge, so George couldn’t counterattack. She needed an open space so she could dodge and potentially get the drop on Umbridge again. If the toad cornered her, then it was all over.

George sprinted out through the castle, adrenaline thrumming through her veins, thankful for the years of cardio that she had endured to stay fit for Quidditch. It allowed her to make her escape without getting winded.

She briefly thought about summoning a broom a-la-Harry, but that would take wayyyy too long. Oh well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t outrun the fat bitch anyday, haha.

Oh wait, hold that thought. 

Umbridge was sprinting after George, shooting spells at her, her beady eyes shining with madness and wrath as she howled slurs at her. George could make out, “WHORE!”, “MUGGLE-FUCKING SCUM!” and “DISHONORABLE BLOOD-TRAITOR!” which George could honestly claim didn’t surprise her all that much. Umbridge wasn’t all that creative when it came to her insults, honestly. Probably because she used all of her imagination for coming up with new ways to torture kids. 

George had no idea how the fat old woman was able to keep up with her, but she probably pissed the bitch off to the point that she was probably keeping up through pure spite.

Honestly, George would respect it from anyone else, but fuck Umbridge.

George weaved her way through the halls in an effort to lose Umbridge but was still forced to duck and dodge when some spells got uncomfortably close to hitting her when she had to make tight turns.

George raced to the closest nearby entrance, which led out onto the pier on the Black Lake.

Wide open space, check, but did she just corner herself? Shiiit.

George ran out onto the pier and desperately tried to look for another path forward, but Umbridge soon stumbled after her, huffing and puffing, but face full of a maniacal rage. She practically vibrated in anger as she stepped forward, her wand trained on George. 

“You…” Umbridge seethed. “I… am going to hurt you for what you’ve done to me, you filthy muggle-lover!” Her entire body shook from the pants that wracked her lungs.

George took a step back, all her muscles tensed in preparation for dodging Umbridge’s attacks. Honestly, if need be, she was prepared to cast a Bubblehead Charm on herself and leap into the lake to hide. Of course, it would be dangerous, as the Black Lake was barely above freezing at this time of the year, but hey, hypothermia was better than the alternative. 

“Yeah?” George snarked. “What happened to sending me and Freddie to that old creep Damarius Pastrana?”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that, dear,” Umbridge saccharinely cooed. “I’m sure that he won’t complain if his goods arrived in a slightly damaged condition. I’m sure that he would still be open to negotiation; he seemed quite interested in you two.”

“Okay, what the fuck, you’re a fucking psycho, you know that, right?” George took another step back towards the lake, and Umbridge matched her with another step forward. She looked exhilarated at the opportunity to torture her. 

“Who just talks about selling people like that, you crazy bitch?”

“Oh, darling, you have no idea what I am capable of.” Umbridge raised her wand in glee.

Whelp. Time to cast the charm, then.

Just as Umbridge was about to shoot a spell at George, a gigantic wave of frigid water washed over the both of them, leaving them sputtering and shivering at the wash of ice that immediately sank into their bones. 

When George recovered enough to look up, she saw Umbridge tightly held in a long, slimy tentacle. The pink woman shrieked and struggled, but she wasn’t able to escape her restraints. 

The tentacle threateningly swayed for a long moment before it slowly slipped back into the Black Lake, taking a screaming and panicking Umbridge under the water with it.

Stunned, George stared at the bubbles that floated to the surface, and her knees gave out, and she collapsed on the slimy, wet wood, uncaring of how the cold radiated into her skin.

Another pair of long tentacles popped out of the water and signed to her, “You’re safe from the pink kappa now, my dear friend.”

Feeling as though she was dissociating, George slowly signed back, “Thank you, Squidwin.”

The tentacle saluted her and gently came to pat her head.

George burst out in tears, and Squidwin comfortingly stroked her head as she wailed in relief and victory. He patiently allowed her to blubber and sob and kept her company until she could hear Remus and Cedric’s frantic voices calling out for her.

George still wept as Cedric ran out onto the pier she was sitting on and pulled her into a desperate hug, frantically examining her for any hint of injury as Remus prowled around, his sharp gold eyes looking for signs of battle.

George sobbed into Cedric’s chest. “She’s gone,” she breathed. “Squidwin took care of her. She can’t hurt us anymore. We’re safe. We’re safe.”

Cedric pulled her closer, uncaring of her drenched clothes, and they just relished in the comfort of the other’s presence.

They were safe. It was finally over. 

And it truly was.

The teachers had managed to apprehend the Aurors and kept them safely detained. There were some injuries, but Madam Pomfrey worked throughout the night to care for the victims, and everyone was expected to make a full recovery, even though some people had been inflicted with rather dark curses.

George held vigil at Freddie’s bedside, though he wasn’t the worst off of them. Just… It was Freddie. George would never, ever be able to leave her precious Freddie’s side. When he opened his eyes, she finally felt the tear in her soul mend. Only then did she allow herself to fall into sleep’s sweet embrace.

The next day, the owls flooded into the Great Hall, carrying papers with the headlines reading ‘THE SOFTNESS OF FUDGE FALLS TO THE POWER OF BONES! BRITAIN WELCOMES A NEW MINISTER!”

The entire Hall erupted in a deafening cheer as they learned that Amelia Bones was the new Minister of Magic. Susan Bones was grinning from ear to ear and soaked up all the congratulations that everyone sent her way.

The entire school ceaselessly celebrated the downfall of Fudge and Umbridge, and the teachers struggled to hold their students’ attention throughout their classes.

It took a while for the Ministry to get its shit together again, but when they did, an imposing squadron of Aurors was sent to Hogwarts to apprehend the criminals the castle housed. Travers, Bender, and Mulciber were turned over to them, and McGonagall and Sprout gleefully detailed all of their crimes, eager for Minister Bones to bring the hammer down.

They asked after Umbridge as well and seemed rather perplexed to be informed that the Great Squid had taken care of her. They puttered around the Black Lake for a bit, but in the end, shrugged and deemed that Umbridge had received her just desserts already. George enjoyed it immensely when all of them suspiciously side-eyed the Lake as they turned to go.

Arthur Weasley was deemed a national hero for his efforts and was awarded the Order of Merlin, Second Class, for his noble deeds. Along with the accolades, Arthur was offered a prestigious position in the new Minister’s cabinet, but Arthur had humbly turned the offer down, explaining that his place was in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office and that he wasn’t built for leading a country.

Though Amelia Bones was disappointed at his refusal, she insisted on promoting him to head of the department and gave him a substantial pay raise, and wouldn’t hear any protests from him. Arthur also received a gigantic sum of money to show the Ministry’s appreciation of his efforts. Literally overnight, the Weasleys went from struggling to make ends meet to comfortably upper-middle class. According to Perce, both Molly and Arthur were quite shell-shocked at the sudden turn of events.

Molly’s actions hadn’t gone unnoticed, either. She was inundated with awe for her skills, and surprisingly, with the help of none other than Narcissa Malfoy, she set up a duelling and self-defence school. Interest in the new school was sky-high, and Molly was shocked and pleased at the recognition of her skills and delighted in the opportunity to help witches and wizards of all ages learn how to defend themselves. Some prospective duellists who wanted to enter the professional circuit came to ask her for coaching, much to her pride. But what brought her most pride was being featured as the ‘Wonderful Witch to Worship’ of the month in a Weekly Witch issue. Arthur had apparently framed the article and proudly displayed it on their mantle, right next to his Order of Merlin.  

Sprout took over Herbology again, and Firenze and Trelawney agreed to split their classes amicably. Snape and Lupin took over the DADA lessons, to much mixed reception. It was undeniable, however, that these men knew what they were doing, and even with the tight schedule, they whipped the school back into shape, and it looked like the OWLs and NEWTs students could rest easy, after all.

When Dumbledore arrived back several weeks later, the school was sent into a fresh round of celebrations. The old man jovially walked through the crowd of students like a rockstar, liberally handing out high-fives and finger guns, which just made the crowd go crazier. Ugh, George regretted ever showing him that.

Dumbledore called many kids into his office after he got settled. Apparently, he wanted to personally apologize to each student who had been hurt under Umbridge’s care. Many of the younger students were star-struck, but some of the older students took his apologies with a grain of salt, their experiences over the past year having understandably jaded them to authority figures.

When Freddie came out of his session, he just curled his lip at George and said, “I dunno why you like him so much, Georgie, he’s a right snake, isn’t he?”

George laughed. “Yeah, but he’s not so bad! At least he actually listens when I tell him how he’s messed up!”

Fred snorted in disdain. “If you say so, yeah.”

Cedric just smiled indecipherably when George asked what they had talked about. He just shook his head and pulled her into a dirty kiss that effectively distracted her. Cheater!!!

When it was finally George’s turn, she skipped over to Dumbledore’s office and gave him a hug once she saw him. Dumbledore chuckled in surprise but gently hugged her back. The old man was lean and bony, but George could feel the foreboding sizzle of power that ran through his veins. 

Dumbledore pulled a baggie of peach gummies from his desk and George teared up. 

“Oh, Al!” she wailed. “I missed you! You missed so much! You big meanie-head! You… you… butt-face!!”

George tearfully glared at Dumbledore as he giggled. “Ah, I’m sorry, my dear, please carry on and tell me all the ways that I am a, ah, butt-face.”

Dumbledore patiently allowed her to sob over his desk as she blubbered about her misadventures. Finally, when she was able to pull herself together, she tearfully asked him, “So, did you have more luck with You-Know-Who’s you-know-whats?”

Dumbledore nodded. “Yes, my dear. I was able to dispose of all of them in a safe manner.”

George slumped in relief. “Oh, thank Merlin. Even the Goblet?”

Dumbledore’s face looked pinched.

“Yes, even that.”

“Did you have to-”

“My dear, please don’t remind me.” He looked haunted. “I get heartburn every time I think about it.”

“Haha, alright!” Wow, those goblins must be something else, huh? Gave ol’ Dumbles a run for his money!

The two discussed all the other Horcruxes that Dumbledore safely took care of, and finally, it was time to talk about the very last one.

“And now,” Dumbledore solemnly laced his fingers on his desk, “We finally come to this. Where do we proceed with dear Harry?”

George sucked in a deep breath. “Do you want my opinion, Al?”

Dumbledore smiled. “Always, darling.”

“I say we leave him.”

Dumbledore stared at her for a long, uncomfortable minute. George did her best to ignore his penetrating gaze as she popped some peach gummies in her mouth and enjoyed the soft, sugary chew of them. 

“Let me make sure I understand, Miss Weasley. You’re saying that we leave young Harry alone, despite the fact that he carries a shard of Voldemort’s soul within his forehead.”

George looked up at him. “Al, look at it this way. We’ve hunted down all the other Horcruxes. Voldemort’s homunculus has been taken care of, too. All that’s left is Harry’s sliver. He’s shown no sign that Voldemort’s able to get into his head like in the previous story. At this point, it just comes down to one thing.”

Dumbledore’s eyebrow raised. “And that is?”

George smiled. “Trust, Al. It comes down to trust. This time, let’s give our cute little Harry the trust that wasn’t afforded to young Tom Riddle all those years ago.”

Dumbledore looked as if she had been stabbed with a knife. 

Looking at it, maybe George had. She leaned forward and took Dumbledore’s frail, shaking hand in her own. 

“Harry’s dream is to be a teacher, and chances are that one day, he’ll eventually end up here at Hogwarts. You’re still as fit as a fiddle, so you’ll be here to keep an eye on him and make sure that he doesn’t fall to the Dark Side, but let’s be real, Al, we both know that he won’t.” 

George smiled and squeezed his hand again. “Let’s trust him.”

In between all the chaos, George relished in spending time with all her precious people. She giggled and squealed with her girlies as they talked about their boyfriends and crushes. She made flashcards with Hermione as the younger girl stressed over her OWLs. She played chess with Ronnie, even when she was sure that he could cream her in a handful of moves. She flew with Harry and hit bludgers for him to dodge, both of them savoring the freedom of flying.

She snuck up Freddie’s dorm into his bed and curled into his warm form as they basked in each other’s comforting presence, savoring the soothing reassurance that they were both alive, that they both had made it.  

They had stood before George’s terrifying visions and had worked their asses off to overcome their cruel fates and carve happy endings for themselves.

In the dark of the night, no one but them saw the smiles the other wore.

And Cedric.

George spent time with the man she loved.

Thankfully, their indiscretion in Umbridge’s closet didn’t result in any surprises that would be due in nine months, and surprisingly, that left George feeling a little bittersweet.

Oh no, she didn’t actually want to get pregnant right now, but it got George thinking.

Eventually, one day, she did want to have Cedric’s kids. 

Cedric was it for her. He was her forever person. She was going to build a life with this man and stick with him through all the highs and lows until they finally drew their last breaths. 

It made George anticipate the lives they would build together in the future.

But for now…

George peered up at Cedric’s disheveled form from where she was lounging on his chest. Both of them were bare and only covered with a sheet. He was absently conjuring some pretty butterflies with a wave of his wand, his eyes soft and sleepy. Cedric’s gaze landed on her.

“What’s got you smiling, lovely?”

George’s smile gained some teeth. “I’m just reminiscing.”

“About?”

“Umbridge.”

Cedric’s nose scrunched. “Yeah?”

George grinned. “Yeah. About how good it felt to cave her face in.”

Cedric barked out a startled laugh. “Blimey, luv.”

George giggled as he pulled her closer. She peered into his beautiful grey eyes and lost herself in them.

“Did I ever tell you how hot you were, beating the shite out of her?” His voice was husky with desire.

George smirked as she leaned in to suck sensually on his lip. “Was I?”

“Yeah,” Cedric breathed, his breath speeding up as his cheeks turned red. His pupils dilated till there was a thin ring of silver around them. “Probably the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Oh, yeah?” George purred. She arched into Cedric’s touch as he ran his hand down her back to her ass. 

“Mmmm.” He nibbled on her ear as he hiked her up. His hard cock rubbed against her wet pussy lips and George bit her lip. “Not just you punching her, Jo. You realized that you couldn't beat her with magic, and you didn’t even hesitate. You beat Umbridge like a muggle, and swear on Morgana’s grave, it was both the funniest and sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. It probably wrecked the evil twat’s spirit.” 

George grinned. “Yeah. It did. I think it gave her super-human abilities, or something. You know, like when a mother lifts a train car to save her kid, or something, except I just made her so mad that she literally ran after me across the entire school. Almost gave me a heart attack, it did.”

Cedric sniggered. “So she literally kept up with you through pure spite?”

“That’s what I thought!” George excitedly pecked him on the cheek.

Cedric chuckled and turned to catch her lips and pulled her into a sensual kiss. “What made you immediately decide to punch her when you realized that she was wearing a protection amulet?”

George hummed as she nuzzled Cedric’s delicious stubble. “It was my first instinct, I suppose. Guess that says a lot about me, that my first instinct is to resort to my fists rather than my wand,” George smiled sheepishly. “I’m Georgiana Weasley, and I love the person I’ve become, but a part of me will always be that American Muggle girl who stayed up late to read about little Harry Potter’s adventures.”

Cedric pulled her into a deep kiss as he slid into her. Both of them gasped into each other’s mouths. 

“Silly, silly Jo,” Cedric breathed as he pulled her in. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

George’s heart almost felt too small to contain the love she felt for him. She wouldn’t have him any other way, either. He was her precious, lovely boy, and George loved him with all her heart.

The sun was hot, grass was green, and George loved Cedric. It was just a fact of life.

As the year drew to a close, George took the time to say goodbye to the Castle. Hogwarts was wonderful and was a true home to George over the years as she grew up. Here, she made some of the most precious memories. She made life-long friends, played epic pranks, incited revolutions, battled evil wizards, and fell in love, both with her most precious people and with herself.

In the Room of Requirement, George tearfully stood and breathed, “Thank you for everything.” The curtains whipped with an invisible wind and brushed over her, and in it, she could feel Hogwarts’ love towards her, too. 

It was painful for Hogwarts to have to say goodbye to the students she had so lovingly raised for seven years, but it filled her with pride to see them stand brilliant and tall, ready to take on the world and change it for the better.

All things must come to an end eventually, but even so, love will always remain.

George made sure to say goodbye to all of her teachers. McGonagall tried to look stern, but in the end her face was soft with fondness. Flitwick and Sprout wished her all the best, and George received an affectionate head-pat from Lupin, who again told her that he was happy to be a resource for any future prank development. 

And as for Snape? Well, even though he did his best to caustically curse at her, George managed to corner him into a hug, which he was as stiff as a board for. Snape looked pained as he tried to peel her sobbing and babbling form off of him, but if you ask George, he didn’t push her off nearly as hard as he could have.

SEE? SEEEEE?! She had DONE IT!! It had taken seven years of tireless effort, but she had finally befriended the resident greasy rat-man of the dungeons! Mark this as George’s biggest triumph, ladies and gentlemen!!!

She also made sure to go into the kitchens and bid farewell to Boopsi, who shooed her out, but not before hugging her calf tightly and wiping away her tears. 

Squidwin actually deigned to give George a hug, and his tentacles were remarkably gentle, if a little slimy. After witnessing how easily he had handled Umbridge, she felt her heart swell with even more affection for how careful he was with her. Goodbye, Admiral! George made sure to salute him with all the respect he deserved, both as a war hero and as her loyal friend who had saved her.  

On their last day, George pulled Ginny aside and gave her her duplicate of the Marauder’s Map. She playfully winked at her little sister’s awe and teased her, “You’ll need this for next year, won’t you?”

Ginny raised a challenging brow at her. “Oh yeah? For what? You expect me to take up the mantle as the pranking chaos-gremlin now that you’ve graduated?”

George grinned down at Ginny. “Sure, if you want to, but I was thinking more along the lines of being able to sneak around with ickle Draco without Ronniekins breathing down your neck.”

Ginny turned a blotchy, unflattering shade of red. “Jojo!”

George cackled.

Merlin, she was so happy to be alive. Every day brought new joy and laughter, and though she was sad to leave Hogwarts, it was finally time.

George was ready to go out and live.

 

Notes:

Aaaand that's all for now, folks!! Hope Umbitch's fate was as satisfying for you as it was for me 😁😁😁

We only have one more chapter left, and it's the afterword that details everyone's happily-ever-afters! 😉 😉 😉 Keep your eyes peeled, guys, and please lemme know what you thinkkk!!!

Chapter 13: Post-Hogwarts

Summary:

Now, without further ado, the happily-ever-afters... 😁

Afterwards...

Life after Hogwarts was exciting. 

It was a bit of a bummer not to be in the dorms with all of her close friends anymore, but on the flipside, it’s unbelievably refreshing to be free from the constraints of school rules and finally breathe.

It was wonderful to spend time with Molly and Arthur, but soon it was evident why Percy moved out so soon after graduation.

They were adults now, and while they loved their parents, it was time for them to leave and start the rest of their lives.

Fred and George finally showed Cedric their Joke Shop, and of course, he loved it. He was happy to help them with the redecoration, and in no time, the shop was presentable. 

They carefully placed their products, including the new Pygmy Puffs that Fred and Cedric had spent the summer breeding, and soon the store was just about ready to open.

But first, they had an important problem to solve.

“What should we name it?” Cedric asked, proudly looking over their beautiful store. The wallpaper had magical animals that prowled across it, and the ceiling was a deep purple but was illuminated with hundreds of tiny little fairy lights that were embedded to give a night sky effect. The products were spread throughout the store, but many samples were allowed to float through the store to gather interest from their customers.

In a consensus, while they did sell some potions that could be useful for pranks, like aging and deaging potions and color-changers, they vehemently decided against selling any love potions. 

However, ever the potions Prodigy, Fred was able to modify a recipe where he was able to produce a perfume line that very minutely mimicked the effects of Amortentia, so the perfume would have a slight note of the scent that the smeller liked most. They anticipated that it was going to be one of their most popular products.

Pygmy Puffs freely floated around the store at their leisure, and miniature fireworks in the shapes of magical and mundane animals periodically went off across the store, illuminating everything in brightly colored lights. 

In essence, their store was an absolute masterpiece. It had hints of all their personalities that flawlessly flowed together to create a magnificent experience from the moment you entered the store. 

It was absolutely perfect.  

“I dunno. What did we name it before, Georgie?” Fred drawled.

George smiled. “Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. Don’t think it’ll be very applicable here, though.”

Cedric smiled. “Well, we still could, if you’d like, I wouldn’t mind at all.”

“Yeah, no,” the twins simultaneously intoned as they made exasperated eye contact. Stupid selfless Hufflepuff.

“Hmmmm. How about ‘Shits and Giggles’? Since we’re a prank store, yeah?” Fred smiled.

Cedric hummed in thought. “Good idea, but I’m afraid that some parents on the conservative side will avoid our store if there’s profanity in our name. Might be too edgy.”

Fred scoffed. “I mean, we are edgy, Ced, we’re a fucking prank store, but I guess that I do see your point.”

George beamed. “I’ve got it! It’s perfect!!”

And thus, their store was named 'GITS AND SHIGGLES'.

It was an instant smash hit. 

They were able to open before the rush of Hogwarts students came to Diagon Alley for their supplies, and by golly, did they get a lot of business. Perhaps they did too well in advertising their products at Hogwarts, huh?

But no, they started seeing customers who spoke French and German and Russian, and oh, what’s that? Their Durmstrang and Beauxbatons friends had freely advertised their store, and now foreign students were interested in their humble little store?

Gosh, George loved her friends so much that she could just cry.

They made a lot of money in the short few months the store was open, and Fred and George both absolutely wept in joy.

They were doing it!!! They were making a living from their passion!!! They had fulfilled their dream!!!

They had earned enough for each of them to be able to completely move out of their parents’ house and put a down payment on new homes of their own. Of course, George moved in with Ced, and Freddie moved in with Angie, who was always happy to help them man the shop whenever they needed an extra pair of hands.

George and Ced’s home was wonderful. It wasn't all that large, but that didn’t matter to them. 

As they had gone touring for homes to buy, they came upon a run-down townhome in downtown London. With a single glance at each other, they knew that it would be perfect.

They remodeled the entire house and warded it until it was fit to house a magical family. The interior was warm and cozy and would eventually fill up with trinkets they had collected over the years.

It was a wonderful home, and George was indescribably happy to make it together with Cedric.

Viktor, Sasha, and Addie dropped by often, whenever they weren’t stuck in Quidditch practice. They became very, very close.

Amos retired, and Cedric was expected to take his place as the main contact with MACUSA. Apparently, the Americans didn’t want anyone else. 

Cedric was resigned but accepted the responsibility. George made sure that he negotiated a good fee from the Ministry dingbats, though!!! 

As the Triwizard Champion, Cedric was a political figure, no matter how distasteful he found it. He had to travel every few months, but once they were able to save enough from Gits and Shiggles, they invested in a two-way-mirror, which allowed the bitterness of distance to dissipate, a bit. 

The reunion sex was always glorious, though. 

Over the years, he put on more muscle and filled out till he looked like a Greek god. George really was the luckiest girl in the world. 

Things were thrown into chaos when Fred knocked Angie up.

George simultaneously face-palmed and was excited beyond comprehension.

Apparently, one day after they both drank a bit too much, they had forgotten to use the contraceptive spell, and bada-bing-bada-boom, George is gonna be the best aunt ever.

Of course, Molly absolutely lost her shit and was frankly quite rude to Angie, but when they announced that Angie was expecting twins, she finally softened a bit towards the gorgeous girl. 

Molly never could resist a two-for-one deal, haha!

Freddie was simultaneously excited and nervous beyond measure, and Cedric had to pull him aside several times when he had a nervous breakdown. He was a rock through the entire chaos, and George fell in love with him even more.

One fine spring morning, little Faith and Grace Weasley were welcomed into the world, and most of their uncles and aunties were there. Billy and Charlie had come back from overseas, and Percy had brought Ollie with him to celebrate. 

Ron and Ginny, still stuck in school, were disgruntled that they weren’t able to be there and demanded pictures, which Fred was more than happy to give them.

Fred was the proudest dad ever. He absolutely adored his little girls. They were gorgeous, too, with creamy caramel skin, big brown eyes, and red hair. How? Dunno. Magic. Regardless, from their coloring alone, they would be absolute stunners, but with Freddie and Angie as their parents, there wasn’t any doubt of that in the first place.

Cedric was deeply honored to be asked to be their Godparent, and Alicia sobbed when she was asked the same. 

Molly desperately begged both Fred and Angie to get married, but hilariously, they were happy to live in sin as they raised their little girls. Everyone was happy to pitch in to help out when they could, and soon Sasha, Cedric, and Percy were ruthlessly battling for the title of favorite uncle. It was a bloodbath. Fred and Angie almost had to move out into a new flat to fit all the toys that they had brought for the girls. 

Angie was not amused. 

The years quickly flew by, and before George knew it, everyone graduated from Hogwarts and was very successful in their chosen careers.

To George’s eternal amusement, Ginny had formally gotten together with Draco, and the Map she gave her helped out a ton. She was the Quidditch captain for her final year, and she truly bloomed with the responsibility. After she graduated, she was scouted to play professional Quidditch. Her favorite team, the Holyhead Harpies, signed her on a trial basis.

Apparently, she got along swimmingly with Narcissa Malfoy, and Lucius was painfully awkward around her. Well, good for her!!

Draco, along with Theo Nott and, most surprisingly, Lee Jordan, set up a club called the Sorcerer’s Secret. Very exclusive, very high-end. Of course, the twins and Ced had a standing invitation. 

Other than that, from what George could see, Draco was simply content to run his club and be his girlfriend’s number one fan. Honestly based, if you asked her. 

Harry and Luna had been together forever, and their relationship was still rock-solid. Harry studied hard and eventually gained his Defence against the Dark Arts Mastery. Sirius and Remus were absolutely ecstatic and celebrated for an entire week, those party animals.

Eventually, he gained the position as Hogwarts’ DADA professor. 

To everyone’s surprise, he did not leave after a year.

Oh my god. 

Voldemort’s Horcrux.

Decades ago, when he had been denied the Defence Against the Dark Arts position, Tom Riddle had cast a jinx that prevented anyone but him from becoming the teacher for more than a year.

Both George and Dumbledore were baffled to realize that the Horcrux probably fulfilled the conditions of the curse and allowed Harry to teach unscathed year after year.

That was just…

You know what? All’s well that ends well!!

Luna went on a worldwide sabbatical as she completed her mastery in Care of Magical Creatures, and at the end, she actually proved the existence of Nargles.

Hermione’s face when she read the research paper on it was absolutely priceless.

She, too, eventually went back to Hogwarts and became a Professor. She took Hagrid’s position for Care of Magical Creatures when he retired. Apparently, the man was off to France to live with his lovely Olympe, good for him!!

Harry and Luna spent most of their time at Hogwarts, but easily flooed down for any family functions, but overall, they built their life in the beautiful castle.

Of course, Ronnie hit the professional chess circuit running and was an absolute beast. He created an international splash with his debut, and at the age of 20, he attained the title of Grandmaster. 

McGonagall personally recommended him to the Wizarding chess circuit, and he was indisputably Britain’s champion. He single-handedly put England back on the map in Wizarding Chess and gained quite the notoriety in both the Muggle and the Magical world.

Gabrielle Delacour was similarly quite talented over in France, and when Ron was 22 years old, she forced him to propose to her. He griped and complained about it, but George had never seen him quite so happy as he had on his wedding day, not even when he became a Grandmaster. 

They had a little boy together whom they named Hector. 

When Uncle Hector held the tiny babe for the first time, the stoic gentleman broke down and sobbed into Ron’s embrace. 

This exceptional, gifted young man was the closest thing he had to a son, and to be honored like this? 

Ron and Gabbie watched in fondness as Uncle Hector tried his hardest to compose himself, but failed every time the infant grasped his finger in his tiny little hand. 

This was nothing less than what Uncle Hector deserved. He had given Ron everything, and he didn’t forget that. Uncle Hector was family, muggle or not. He was theirs.

Oh yeah, at Ron’s wedding, Fleur took one look at Billy and ruthlessly pursued him till he weakly succumbed to her dogged hunt. 

Those Delacour girls, man.

Percy graduated top of his class at Cambridge and received high honors. He started off slow, refusing to use Arthur’s name to get him an opening at the Ministry, and it was none other than Lucius Malfoy who hired him on as private counsel. With his recommendation, Percy was finally able to enter the Wizengamot as a practicing lawyer. Apparently, from the grapevine, he was an absolute menace, and his mere name sent fear down people’s spines for his incorruptible and unimpeachable nature. Amelia Bones was most pleased with him. With his current trajectory, he was set to be Honorable Justice Weasley within 15 years. Percy was still very happy with Ollie, who was the starting Keeper for Puddlemere, and soon he was being scouted for the Irish team as Captain, much to the Quidditch nut’s pride and excitement. 

Apparently, Percy had, ahem, celebrated the news very vigorously with him. Ugh, gross, why do her siblings insist on scarring George’s delicate psyche with such horrific imagery?

After many long years, Charlie brought home a girl named Reveca Baciu from Romania, to Molly’s great delight. The dragon sanctuary was actually her family business, and she had attended Durmstrang. She was also a dragon tamer, and, to be precise, she was actually Charlie’s boss when he first started. You could only imagine the teasing he underwent when that little tidbit was leaked. Reveca had a hideous, gnarly scar across her face that she got from a childhood accident with the dragons, and so she was very, very shy to meet the Weasleys, who possessed exquisite beauties like Fleur, George, and Angelina. After almost a decade of being together, Charlie finally convinced her to come and, to nobody’s surprise, everyone immediately loved her. She’s an absolute badass and Charlie rightfully adored the absolute shit out of her. She was set to inherit the Sanctuary, and Charlie was determined to stay at her side to support her.

Hermione was able to snag a competitive seat at Oxford and graduated with honors in International Wizarding Law and Policies. She was still in a long-distance relationship with Viktor, and she received a very prestigious position as England’s Ambassador for Creature Rights and travelled everywhere. Amelia Bones absolutely adored her and took her under her wing. Hermione worked very closely with Percy, and together, they were estimated to take over the Ministry very shortly. Hermione was on the fast track to becoming Minister herself in a few decades, and she spent the majority of her time building up her already considerable power base.

Viktor was so, so in love with her. He was still the world’s best seeker, and in the QPL, he got scouted for the Chudley Cannons, to everyone’s absolute surprise. He single-handedly raised up the team. Ginny eventually got traded to the Cannons, and together, they absolutely decimated the league and led the Cannons to their first-ever victory. The entire world was watching and went ballistic as they made history.

An underdog story with the legendary seeker Viktor Krum and Ginny Weasley as the heroes? 

Ron was crying and blubbering for weeks. At that point, George wouldn’t have been surprised if her was more in love with Krum than his wife.

Addie was still with Gaultier, and she went pro, too. She was able to snag a position as a starting Chaser for the German team, and in the off-season, she played for Pride of Portree. Gaultier, to no one’s surprise, became a model who immediately exploded across the world in both Muggle and magical fashion. His face was plastered absolutely everywhere, and he even walked in some amazingly exclusive shows like Victoria’s Secret, Dior, and Prada.

George was ecstatic when they bought a house next to hers and Cedric’s, and they had dinner together at least once a week.

Arnie and Cho didn’t work out, but hey, at least they parted on very good terms and were now happy! Arnie played for Rochefort Bleu QC, a French team. To everyone’s, but especially Gaultier and Fleur’s, shock, he actually got together with Cayetana Aguilar, after being introduced through Addie. 

It turns out that Cayetana Aguilar was 1/4th Siren, and unfortunately, she strongly inherited the Siren persuasion, so that’s why she never spoke aloud. She was very fluent in British and French Wizarding Sign Language, so she was able to communicate with Arnie through FWSL. They’re a very silent but loving couple.

Sasha became wildly popular. He played for the Montrose Magpies. His personality shot him into stardom, and he was invited to many interviews and radio shows because he always had something crazy to say.

Surprises of all surprises, he eventually got together with Pansy Parkinson. Pansy and Blaise broke up in their seventh year, and he went to spread his wild oats down in Italy. Apparently, he was quite the heartbreaker, just like his mother. 

Pansy’s father died right before she graduated, and he was the driving force behind the pressure on her to get married. With his passing, her mother, while still a prickly bitch, was much more permissive and allowed her to pursue her passions, which was, to no one’s surprise, fashion.

Pansy partnered with Angelina and created a wizarding fashion line named Ascendare. In between wrangling the twins, Angelina whipped out the magical sewing machine and helped Pansy make some truly gorgeous clothes. 

To George’s surprise, they asked her to model them. 

“Me?” George sputtered. “You want me to model your clothes? Have you gone mad?”

Angelina looked long-suffering as Pansy glared at her. “Yes, you daft bint, you’re our best option!”

“But-but both of you are so gorgeous! How come you’re not wearing it?!” George wailed. She shrieked as Pansy bodily tackled her and began forcing her shirt off.

“Stay still, you stupid cow! You’re going to tear the fabric!”

Soon enough, George was clad in the gorgeous new garments and carefully sat still as both of them ruthlessly waxed her lips and eyebrows before they charmed makeup onto her face.

Pansy had a feral glint in her eye as cheerful little Dennis Creevey bounced in. “Just a few pictures, darling. Nothing to worry about.”

“Hehe, hi again, Jessica Rabbit! Nice to see you! Let’s get started!”

The pictures from that photoshoot exploded in the fashion world, and in what seemed like overnight, Ascendare became a worldwide sensation in the fashion industry.

Oh, also… George was catapulted into stardom as well.

She was baffled as she became a highly sought-after model. She was even being contacted by Muggle companies, what?! Cedric was amused by the whole ordeal and encouraged her to have fun. 

George went along for the ride, and Gaultier was more than happy to show her the ropes and shield her from any unsavory characters. They did many shoots together and it was pretty fun, to George’s pleasure! Well, except for the ones where they said that she was too fat or her boobs were too big or what-not and tried to insist that she needed to lose an obscene amount of weight. Those weren’t so fun, but Gaultier made sure to firmly stand up for her and lead her away from those ones, so yeah! She was having fun! 

During one of her meet-ups with the girls, Katie giggled and informed her that she and Cedric were now an epic power couple that people loved to read in the tabloids about, a-la-David and Victoria Beckham. What the actual fuuuck??? They had tabloids written about them???

The girls had just pitiingly looked at her, and Addie had just sighed and patted her shoulder. “Worry not, friend. They simply lust after you and Cedric while they marvel at how in love you are and make bets about when you will break up. Nothing of consequence.”

“People make bets about when Ced and I will break up?! What the… Why I oughta-”

As time passed, George grew confoundingly ever popular, until along with Cedric, she was forced to reduce the hours she could spend manning the store. She didn’t have as much free time anymore, and she spent the majority of it with her boys or hitting up Dumbles, Snape, or Remus for theoretical questions regarding new product development. Freddie happily took over the majority of their operations with Gits and Shiggles. The money came POURING in. Like. A lot of fucking money. Fred was having the time of his life as the CEO of a major company. They had been able to expand to over 17 different countries, and they had absolutely decimated Zonko’s. 

In fact, Freddie grinned evilly as he informed them, he was going to offer Zonko’s an offer they couldn’t refuse so that he could buy out their company.

Ohhhohoho, it was so deliciously evil. Maniacal, dictatorial CEO looked good on Freddie, George was so proud of him!!

Of course, they provided Remus a percentage of the profits, which the older man tried to turn down. Fred, George, and Cedric insisted, though, as without his help, they never would have been able to attain the success they had achieved. 

Remus had gone sweetly misty-eyed and had hugged them all with a bone-breaking embrace. Gosh, George loved him so much!

And so, the time passed, and before George knew it, her and Cedric’s tenth anniversary was coming up.

When she giddily marvelled over the revelation, Cedric smiled at her with something sly in his eye and said that he already had it all planned out.

George gasped when she finally realized.

America!!! They were going on a trip to America!!! She was so excited!!! After years, she was finally returning back home!!!

Cedric watched fondly as George flitted from tourist attractions to iconic landmarks. Cedric had planned out an entire month’s worth of adventures for them, and she was thrilled!

Of course, they spent a good amount of time in New York, where Cedric proudly introduced her as his partner to his MACUSA associates. George noticed that she received quite a few dirty looks from some young witches, but suck on it, losers!! Ced was hers!

From there, they went down to Ilvermorny and toured the campus. It was gorgeous, but if you asked George, Hogwarts won by a long shot. And it wasn’t just her bias and school pride talking, nope! She was totally rational in this, she swears!!

Afterwards, they went down to Florida to see some cool critters like gators and hodags, and from there, they spent a few days in New Orleans, where they embraced the ancient Creole magic floating in the air.

From there, they took a trip up to the Rocky Mountains, and they camped for several days and managed to see a variety of rare, magical wildlife endemic to the region. Afterwards, they got nice and cosy in a ski resort in Colorado and spent some time flying down the slopes. George absolutely shredded it and left Cedric staring after her with wide eyes. To warm up, they went to some hot springs and basked in the magical feeling of watching the snowflakes come down as they sat together in the heated mineral water.

From there, they headed to California and explored the lush Redwood forests. The eldritch power the ancient trees exuded made the hairs on the back of George’s neck stand up, but she loved it! There were so many gorgeous magical creatures and Native American Covens that were happy to teach them a bit of their culture. Apparently, the Weekly Witch tabloids reached them even deep within the forest, and they were fans of her and Cedric. The power of gossip was mighty and fearsome.

Finally, the event that George was most excited for: Cedric was taking her flying with Thunderbirds in the Grand Canyon.

They rented some brooms from a nearby vendor, who waved them off after forcing them to sign liability waivers and making them sit for a dry lecture on safety precautions.

As the sunset washed the awe-inspiring canyon in gorgeous pinks and oranges, George whooped as gigantic, majestic Thunderbirds swooped around and dived as they hunted for their evening meal. They ignored her and Cedric well enough, only glancing over with a lazy eye to track their positions every once in a while. Sparks of electricity were generated with their booming wingbeats, and their calls were piercing but beautiful.

Afterwards, George sat with Cedric on a ledge, drenched in sweat and buzzing with adrenaline. Cedric had mother-henned over her, slathering a thick layer of sun-screen on every inch of exposed skin. Sadly, George could feel that she was still going to walk away with a gnarly burn tomorrow, but she didn’t care at the moment. Haha, she was probably going to change her tune when she was peeling like an ugly snake, soon, but that was a problem for future George!

Right now, she was on top of the world. Nothing could beat this.

“Heya, Jo?”

“Yeah, Ced?”

George turned away from the picturesque view of the Grand Canyon and turned to Cedric, who was smiling softly at her. He reached into his pack and pulled out a sack, which he pulled open and held out to her.

“Fancy a peach gummy, my lovely?”

George gasped. “You got me peach gummies?”

Cedric smiled sheepishly. “Well, not quite ‘got'. I made them for you myself.”

George’s eyes prickled as she was filled with an overwhelming emotion. “You made peach gummies? For me?” she croaked. Scratch that last thought, this was the best moment ever.

Cedric smiled. “Yeah, but not without Boopsi’s help. Went through a lot of batches before we finally got it right. What’d you reckon?”

He held out the little baggie to her, and she reached in and popped one in her mouth. George closed her eyes as the wonderful sensation of soft, peachy goodness covered her tongue.

“It’s perfect.”

Cedric smiled. “Fantastic.”

Of course, the gummies weren’t nearly as aesthetically uniform as the mass-produced ones, but George didn’t mind. They were lumpy and misshapen and were splotched with weird colors, but George loved each and every single one of them, because Cedric took the time to make them for her.

Cedric watched with a hawkish eye as George slowly went through the gummies, and when she picked up a particularly large, lumpy one, he drawled, “You know, Jo, I’ve been thinking.”

George was startled as she bit into something hard. She prodded at the intrusion and was baffled to feel something smooth within the gummy. She used her fingers to pull the item out and was stunned to find a gorgeous diamond ring in her hand.

George slowly turned to Cedric, and her breath hitched when she saw him on one knee, smiling down at her. 

His gorgeous grey eyes were filled with love and devotion. “Jo. You’re the love of my life. I’ve loved you from the first moment I met you. Did you know that the first Patronus I cast was because you were laughing in joy at casting your own Patronus? You’re my light, my love, my happiness. To me, you are my patronus. I have loved you before I even knew what love was, and I will keep loving you until my very last breath. Will you marry me, Jo? Will you marry me and make me the happiest man to ever live?”

Cedric reached over and brushed her cheek, and George realized that she was crying. She never imagined that she could ever have this. From the moment she realized that she had been reborn as George Weasley, she knew that she was destined for sadness and grief, but the two most important people in her life made sure that that horrible fate that awaited them would never come to pass.

If she was Ced’s happiness, he was her hope. He was the reason that she was able to look forward to every day with a smile.

He was everything to her.

“Of course I’ll marry you, you idiot. I’ve always been yours,” George whispered, and Cedric laughed wetly before he pulled her into a beautiful, searing kiss that tasted like their happily-ever-after. It tasted like love and loyalty and faith and fun and laughter.

It tasted like peach gummies.

 

Notes:

So.

If I told you that this was supposed to be a short, funny one-shot less than 20k words, would you believe me?

I wrote this story when I was going through a stressful, rough patch in my life, and I wanted to be a person who could find joy and hope in even the smallest things. Writing George has reminded me of how beautiful life is and how wonderful each new day is. It reminded me that even if things are hard and it feels like nothing will change, as long as you keep hope, you will find light within the darkness.

Thank you so very, very much for coming on this journey with me. I hope that reading this has brought you even the smallest nugget of joy. If I were able to make you smile even once, then I have accomplished what I set out to do!

Please have a fantastic day, and remember, there is magic in all of us, you just have to look~!!

Notes:

Haribo Peach gummies are the GOAT. I don't make the rules.

Have a fantastic day, lovely people!!