misdirection ⤷ g. weasley

[28] lying licorice

In the fall, I had some suspicions of my feelings for Marlee but she mentioned one night that we were better off as friends and I realized she was right. During the Holiday these thoughts came back and I wasn't really able to figure them out because by the time we got back to Hogwarts, it was all fuzzy.

"Does this mean you'll finally break up with Serena?" Fred jumped into his bed.

"Yes," I groaned and let my head fall back on the chair. "'Finally?' What's wrong with Serena?"

Lee rubbed his chin with his hand and peered over at Fred. "She's kind of...I dunno, something about her just doesn't sit well with me and she's always taking you away from our bro time. I mean if you're happy, mate, then it's fine but...are you?" Lee questioned.

Yes.

"Yes—FUCKING HELL!" I shouted and got up to leave the room so the interrogation would stop. I heard them both sniggering before I slammed the door behind me.

How come my lying was the truth? I mean, I really was happy with Serena and I definitely didn't fancy Marlee in that way. Maybe we didn't get the licorice quite right and it's messing up all of my answers. That must've been it.

I stayed in the common room for what I estimated was about an hour then asked a first year to ask me what my name was. When I replied, "George" I ran up the stairs to speak to my colleagues about my findings.

I burst open the door and got straight to the point, "Alright there's gotta be something we messed up, I mean I'm happy with Serena, I am!"

"You might think so but maybe in your subconscious mind, you know the truth and that's why your answers were like that," Lee said like a smartass.

"Fred, be on my side," I demanded and walked over to where they sat.

"Okay, Lee you're wrong," Fred replied.

Lee rolled his eyes. "Fred took one after you left, just so we could see if it actually worked and it does so technically he's saying I'm right and that he's on my side which means that you—"

"Don't say it," I put a hand up and walked to my bed, frustrated.

Lee sighed, "Well we can distribute these to D.A. tomorrow incase Umbridge asks them anything suspicious." He started cleaning up the mess and collecting the products.

I laid on my bed, frozen, thinking about what to do. If I liked Marlee would it be wrong to be with Serena? The only person I went to about these kinds of things were Mum or...Marlee.

I decided to take a chance on my mates and ask, "Do you guys think I actually like Marlee?"

"Yes," Lee responded without hesitation.

"No," Fred said and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Merlin I love this thing—UGH!"

Lee chuckled and decided to give me actual advice for once, "It's your decision mate, but if I were you I would have dumped Serena a long time ago. Can't you see how Marlee fancies you? You best hurry up before Smith takes her though."

Anger filled me at just the mention of his name. I had never liked him. When he was playing Quidditch for the Slytherin team we got into a brawl one year and with what happened after the New Years party, that guy just couldn't be trusted. What the hell did Marlee see in him?

Wait did he just say Marlee fancies me?

"You think Marlee fancies me?" I sat up abruptly, looking at Lee as he smirked.

"I mean I don't know for sure and Aries won't tell me but...it's quite obvious if you ask me," Lee shrugged as he continued to clean up the mess in our room. "She's really smiley when she's around you and only laughs hard at your jokes. I dunno mate, it's just something in her eyes."