The Fall of Vera Stray (George Weasley)

Chapter 2

After a few more moments wallowing in my own self-pity, I finally drug myself out of the bathroom and back to my dorm.

Alright. I'm a Ravenclaw. Known for my intelligence. Surely, I can find a random boy to have a short fling with long enough to make Darren jealous or just realize that I'm attractive to other people. Not that I want him anymore. No. His crooked grin and ripped biceps have absolutely no effect on me whatsoever. This is all purely for revenge and to prove to all of those pricks that I'm fun.

I chewed on my bottom lip as I slid into the common room past a group of first years.

Maybe I could talk to Neville. He might agree to help me out as a friend. He does have a sweet albeit naive charm to him. But I don't wanna hurt him and I'm trying to make Darren jealous. I doubt Neville would even be comfortable with a friendly peck on the cheek, let alone making out in front of people.

Seamus? Eh. What about Vincent with the blonde hair? He seems nice but no. I need someone daring. Adventurous. Someone that'll let them know I'm not boring or annoying. I just didn't care to show them all of me.

Bloody hell this was gonna be harder than I thought. Why couldn't I have just kept my damn mouth shut?

I threw myself along my bed, burying my head in the pillows and letting out a small scream.

"I take it potions went well today then?" Luna piped up from her bed across the room. She pushed her silvery-white hair behind her ear as her eyebrows met her hairline. "Did the nargles find you dear?"

"No Loons. Just another twat testing me." I sat up to question her. "Wait. Why weren't you in Potions today?"

"Hermione and I met with Dumbledore in his office to discuss some S.P.E.W. matters," She sighed in that dreamy way only Luna could. Wand dancing between her fingers, crystal eyes glazed over in melancholy. "We'd found poor Winky on the verge of collapsing after working for so long."

"Why were you down in the kitchen?"

"Dobby and I like to discuss the latest issue of The Quibbler every so often." She smiled warmly and jumped up from her bed. "And I occasionally bring him a new sock that I know he'll find particularly extraordinary." I couldn't help but laugh at that. People may think she's crazy, but I think she's just used to looking at things from a different angle. Always so quick to understand what's truly important and ready to give her heart to anyone in need.

"You always know how to cheer me up, love." I hopped down from my bed and slid over to give her a small hug, her butterbeer cap necklace crushed cool against my chest. "But I think I need to go find Hermione. I'll see you at supper?"

She nodded as I passed her out the door to the Gryffindor commons. Only the echo of my heels along the cobblestone to keep me company as I avoided the questioning eyes of every portrait.

Hermione might know about someone who could fake date me for a moment or come up with an incredible solution to simply apparate me to the moon. Whichever was easier of course.

I knocked along the wall next to the Fat Lady's portrait, avoiding eye contact until a small, bespeckled second-year took her place. "Do you know if Hermione Granger is in?" He turned and asked his friends before someone piped up that they thought they heard she was heading to the library.

"Thank you." I spun on my heels and headed straight there.

As soon as I entered, I spotted the mass of dark curls among a few stacks of books.

"Hermione thank God!"

"Well, hello to you too. I take it you need help with Potions?" She closed her book and stared up at me expectantly.

"No. But why does everyone assume I need help with Potions? Am I really that bad?"

"Uh no. Just a little impatient is all." I rolled my eyes but continued on anyway.

"I messed up and I need that beautiful, gigantic brain of yours to help me figure out a way out of it." I then proceeded to explain everything to her. Every last painful detail, including running and crying in the bathroom after. Moaning Myrtle got quite the show.

By the time I was finished, Hermione was fuming pacing along the table in front of us.

"That pompous cretin! What a sad excuse of a boy. He's nothing more than a pile of Hippogriff dung! I should hex that vile-"

"Hermione, uh whoa!" She had swung around so fast, her wand was level with my chin. She quickly brought it to her side mumbling an apology before resuming her pacing. "Thank you for your support. Truly. But I need you to focus here. I told him I already had a boyfriend and you wouldn't believe what I have a stunning lack of."

She huffed before sitting back down next to me. Her foot shaking wildly as she crossed her arms tightly against her chest.

"Right. Is there anyone you've thought of that might be able to help?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe Neville or Vincent but I really want someone who can maybe help me be a little more fun. Someone who I can joke around with in front of him and prove that I've got more personality than a piece of parchment."

"Arse," Hermione mumbled before gaining a dangerous glint in her eyes. She was staring at someone just over the top of my head and as I followed her eye line, I knew I was in trouble.

Messy red locks and a mischievous grin all wrapped up in a million freckles.

"No way."

"Oh, why not? He was practically made for this. I couldn't have created someone better for it. He's handsome enough to make Darren jealous, witty enough to keep you on your toes, and if anyone could teach you to be a bit more fun, it's George. Besides," She glanced back and forth between the two of us before settling back on me. "I happen to know he's in the exact same boat as you are. George has his eye on one of the Beaux Baton girls, Emelie Sinclair, and he was just telling me the other day about he wished he could find someone to make her jealous."

I gnawed on my thumbnail as I considered it. Maybe it would work better if we both had an incentive. I mean I've barely talked to him before but I could always just ask. Plus I wouldn't mind having to put on a performance or two with him later on.

"I don't know. What if he says no and goes and tells everyone."

"Then I'll hex him too." Hermione winked before nudging me. "You know he won't though. Just go for it."

I took one more look over at him. He was hunched over the library table with furrowed brows, his tongue slightly sticking out. A ghost of a smile traced over my lips as I watched him lean back and try to balance his wand on his nose.

"Okay fine. Let's do it." Hermione clapped her hands together and cheered. "Give me some parchment."

I wrote out for him to meet me at the Room of Requirement at 4. Signing my name, I folded it into a small paper crane before casting a spell to make it fly directly over to him. He looked over at me as it landed in front of him and cocked his head to the side. I merely shrugged as I watched him open it and got up to leave.

I walked out feeling his eyes trail after me. Maybe this would be more fun than I thought.