Switched- Fred and George

Chapter 3: The Boathouse

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George's P.O.V

Professor McGonagall was standing at the front of the room, demonstrating some spell we were supposed to be learning. My eyes were watching the clock above her heading, praying for the ticking to slow down. My date with Stevie was supposed to be tomorrow, and every hour that marked it closer made me more nervous.

Despite dreaming about this day for years, I never wanted it to come. I knew Fred and I were going to switch- because of my nerves being on high alert, it'd been happening every 30 minutes or so. During the actual date, there's no telling how often we could go back and forth.

Fred slid a note to me, his eyes not leaving the gerbil in the front of the room that had just been a tea cup moments ago.

You look like you're gonna to be sick

I rolled my eyes before quickly scribbling down a response.

I'll try to miss your shoes. No promises.

Fred snorted quietly and wrote back to me.

How about you pay attention? I haven't understood a thing she's said so you'll have to figure it out.

I crumpled up the note and shoved it into the pocket of my robes. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't manage to cling onto a word McGonagall was saying. My thoughts kept creeping back to the chance meeting on the astronomy tower, and the way her laugh sounded with her tired, morning voice.

I felt dazed, as if somehow I was Imperiused, but my anxiety was multiplied instead of fading away. Perhaps I'd rather be Imperiused than have this damned gnawing in my chest.

As soon as the clock signaled the end of class, I bolted up out of my seat. I heard Fred scrambling to follow me, trying to match my pace.

"Oi- what're you in such a rush for?" He called from behind me.

I sighed before slowing down, letting him catch up with me. "Just nervous s'all." I mumbled.

"Well knock it off- Lee just got our new shipment of goods in, and we've got a whole new selection of products to try out tonight. Our new prototype of fainting fancies should be ready by now!" Fred chattered.

I nodded and gave him a weak smile, my mind still drifting off to what was to come. Fred continued to rhapsodize about our new products, and I didn't have the heart to tell him I wasn't listening. I knew business would be booming, and Fred and Lee would need me on my A game to round up enough first years to try them out. As we passed the stairs to the dungeons, Stevie came storming up them, a desperate looking Adrian following behind her.

"Look- Stevie stop. Would you just listen to me?" Adrian cried, grabbing ahold of her forearm.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." She spat, attempting to wiggle her arm from his grasp.

"No," Adrien tightened his grip around her "not until you hear me out."

"Seriously A- you're hurting me." Stevie whimpered, no longer struggling against him.

"She said let go, mate." I snarled, standing protectively behind Stevie.

He let go of her arm with a huff, shoving it back to Stevie's side. "Oh great- her knight in second hand armor."

"Are we going to have a problem here?" Fred asked, coming to stand behind Adrian.

The combination of the fact that we were cornering him and that we towered over him quite a bit, made Adrian back down quite quickly.

"No. I guess we don't." He slinked away, turning fast on his heels and running back down the stairs to the dungeons.

"Are you alright, love?" I asked, moving to stand in front of Stevie.