Midnight Rain (George Weasley)

09. Appropriate training

Things had become extremely complicated for Estelle since last week.

Just as she expected, after George read the letter of her father politely denying her freedom, he couldn't help but relentlessly tease her every chance he got.

He would be near her even when Fred wasn't, giving her annoying warning looks by raising his eyebrows and tilting his head playfully. Sometimes he would just take Estelle's hand and bring her with him and Fred. It wasn't easy to have freedom when it came to them.

Although their purpose was only to watch out for her when she was in real danger, everything at Hogwarts could be risky by now and she couldn't object with that in mind. The ministry's presence on the establishment wasn't exactly welcoming and it felt as if every step they took was meticulously controlled by Umbridge.

Initially, she did feel sorry for them. They had no business dealing with Estelle; they would probably rather spend their time pulling foolish pranks on Filch or messing with Lee Jordan at late hours than taking care of her, but despise her initial feelings, they seem to be handling the situation way better than she was. Estelle could safely say that Fred and George were having fun with the babysitting business, as she liked to call it.

Being with them felt as if her vitality had been taken from her body, which was a tremendously exhausting. Fun thing, Estelle would've rather spend this free period with Cheesy, the ugly rat, instead of Fred and George. Her day getting worse now that Lee had decided not to show up as usual to soften the mood.

Her eyes wandered between the same three words in the book she was reading to ignore the twins. Wishing to be with her friends right now, just as she was doing a few minutes ago.

Before this, Estelle was cozying up by the fireplace of the Gryffindor common room with Neville and Ginny, a pretty safe ambiance with no visible risks apart from the crackling fire.

They were discussing how Umbridge wouldn't let them use magic in a defense class. It was seriously ridiculous given that Voldemort was back. If it weren't for the Order, Estelle would've felt unsafe.

The problem that led her into this situation had been that Cormac Mclaggen decided to sit with the group of friends and join their conversation just as Fred and George entered the common room.

Worst timing ever.

Cormac was known to be a jerk. He was a flirt with no recognition of what people called 'boundaries'.

Just as the twins spotted Estelle and Ginny sitting with that annoying guy, Estelle felt scared. Scared of the looks on their faces, as if they were real lions fighting for their prey, as if Cormac had no right to even breathe near her and Ginny. Estelle figured that perhaps they were just overprotective brothers, but the way George grabbed her arm and wordlessly pulled her up made her think otherwise. She was somehow involved in this enraged reactions.

It was the first time Estelle had realized that they were really serious about their work.

Fred had tried to pull Ginny up along with Estelle. However, Ginny was a stubborn young girl and after a brief exchange with the twins, she had commanded to stay with Neville by the fireplace.

And she did.

Estelle wanted to be like her, a simple 'no' coming from her lips, was enough to shut everyone up.

Luckily, Estelle had her bag when the twins forcefully brought her to the black lake shore, so the book she happened to have inside it became a perfect way of driving her mind elsewhere. She didn't exactly fancy the idea of listening to the twins rambling about how they would open a shop whenever they stepped a foot out of Hogwarts. She couldn't care less, it was ridiculous.