P A R A M O U R || George Weasley

10 || EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

As Christmas day neared, so did the last trip to Hogsmeade. Students from the third year and up are eagerly waiting to get on the carriages pulled by mysteriously invisible creatures and the opportunity to do last-minute Christmas shopping.

Meanwhile, those who are too young or don't have permission to go are taking advantage of the snow that fell last night. They are releasing any jealousy they might feel towards their older peers through snowball fights, sparring no one in sight.

Lyra Malfoy is not yet in any of those two groups as she's searching for the thief that snagged the herbicide potion she had made in detention. She is a woman on a mission. Her shoes echo on the hallway announcing to anyone near that she is coming and no one should stand in her way.

At the same time, George Weasley has been hiding from her for the past few days. Each time she spots him, she tries following, yet he manages to escape each time. He's really been putting his knowledge of secret passages to use. He hopes she forgets about what he did, but he's had no such luck. It's as if he's forgotten that Malfoy's are great at holding onto grudges.

Today though, she finds George in the hallway that leads to the Clock Tower. He is no doubt heading out to the carriages. Lyra quickens her steps, the echoes getting louder the more she nears him. He hears the click-clack of her shoes, turning to find her storming his way. Locking eyes with Lyra, his eyes widen, and he too starts quickening his steps, trying to escape once again.

"Don't run away from me, Weasley!" She yells after him.

He hears Lyra calling after him. How could he not? There is no one else in the corridor. He ignores her, though, pretending she's not chasing after him. George has a few more steps to go, and he'll be in the Clock Tower where tons of students are lingering, and she can't get him.

However, Lyra catches up to George and grabs his arm, forcing him to stop. "Lyra! Don't you look pretty today," he says, stopping in his tracks and turning to face her. Ignoring the fact he had been avoiding her.

Accepting that she won't leave him be until she confronts him, George decides to face the situation. Besides, the sooner this happens, the sooner they can go back to being civil. That's the first step to becoming friends, something George is seeking.

"Oh, shut it! Sweet talking me won't get you anywhere," she tells him, pointing her finger at him.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asks, acting clueless.

"You're going to pretend you didn't steal a potion from me?" She accusingly says, crossing her arms in disbelief. At the least, she expected him to come clean. The twins always act so proudly of their little achievements.

"I didn't steal it...I borrowed it," George sheepishly says.

"Are you serious?" Lyra frowns, "I start trusting you, and you do this?"

"I'm sorry," George apologizes, "But it was either Fred or me."

"What does that mean?" She questions him, the crease in between her eyebrows deepening.

"Fred wanted to get the potion that night, but I remembered your detention, so I managed to convince him to let me go instead," he says.

His words are true, but there is also more behind them. Fred did want to go get the potion, and George did convince him to let him go instead to avoid any fights. But also he wanted to see her and talk to her. It was a win-win situation in his book.

"And you couldn't have told me that?" Lyra sighs, letting her arms fall to her sides.

"Would you have given me the potion?" George asks, cocking his head to the side.