Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 24

“Whoa, slow down,” Georgiana says, “back up. Who?”

I look down at my hands.

“Fred,” I mumble.

“Fred?!”

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!”

“It's fine,” she says quickly, “it's not like you're in love with him, right?”

“No, I just want to rip his throat out and drain his blood.”

Georgiana makes a face.

“Please don't,” she says, “I don't see the problem. You've never had a problem being around him before.”

“No, I don't really breathe through my nose when I'm around humans,” I tell her, “I'd never smelled him before. Then when we were pretending to kiss, I breathed in through my nose and...”

My stomach rumbles at the memory. Georgiana is giving me a weird look.

“So... Now that you know, what happens?” she asks, “I mean, you can hardly avoid him for the rest of your life.”

“Well...”

“You are not avoiding him for the rest of your life.”

I sigh.

“Fine, we'll think of something else,” I sigh.

“Maybe we could turn you off it,” Georgiana suggests, “like, you know how when you brush your teeth and then drink orange juice it taste foul?”

“You want me to brush my teeth and then drink his blood?” I ask. She shakes her head.

“No, you know how there are some foods you can't stand because you ate it as a kid and threw up afterwards, or someone tells you some weird story about it?”

“Honestly, I didn't eat solids until I started at Hogwarts,” I tell her, “I have no idea what you mean.”

“Okay, well, how would you feel if I told you that tomatoes have tiny little bugs living in them?” she asks, “and every time you each one, the tiny little bugs get into your body and some times the bugs are strong enough to lay eggs in your stomach.”

“They don't have bugs,” I say, “do they?”

“Do you want to eat a tomato?”

“No!” I exclaim, “Georgiana, they don't, do they?”

“Of course not!” she laughs, “but see? You wouldn't have eaten a tomato, would you? Now we just need to find a way to turn you off Fred...”

“Easier said that done,” I sigh, “he smells so good...”

“If I had a huge piece of chocolate cake, would you eat it behind my back?” Georgiana asks.

“No, why?”

“Well, pretend Fred is my piece of cake,” she says, “he's certainly as sweet as one...”

I laugh at her.

“You're a sap,” I say, “but yeah, I get your point... I won't eat him.”

“Pinky swear!” she demands, holding her finger out. I link fingers with her.

“I swear.”

“Good,” she smiles, “now, get off my work, I'm falling behind in Arithmancy.”

“Now, remember, Fred is a friend, not food,” Georgiana says as we walk into breakfast on Monday, “friend, not food.”

“Fine, I get it,” I hiss, “can we just go and eat? I'll be less likely to eat him if I'm full of toast.”