Soulmates - George Weasley

30

sorry to my fellow slytherins

The first Quidditch match of the year was approaching and Ron was a nervous wreck. The team would play against Slytherin, who were known for being ruthless in the pitch. Every time George played Hazel got worried, after all, Bludgers were made of pure iron. Having those fly at your soulmate at a rapid pace, who willingly puts themselves in that position every time, was hard for her to endure.

Angelina was trying to keep everyone calm as Hazel walked into the Great Hall, minutes late, sitting next to her soulmate. "What's going on?" She whispered as she saw Ron rocking back and forth.

George shook his head as Ron continued speaking. He rested his hand comfortably on Hazel's thigh. His love language was definitely touch, and Hazel wasn't complaining. "I must've been mental to do this," Ron mumbled, voice cracking as Hermione rubbed his back soothingly. "Mental, I tell you," his voice was croaky with fear. Hazel looked at him sadly.

"You're going to do fine, Ron," Angelina sighed, handing him a plate of scrambled eggs. By the looks of it, this had been going on for a while. Angelina looked pissed. "C'mon now, eat something. I don't want you passing out in the middle of the game," she muttered, taking a bite of an apple. Fred pecked her temple, trying to calm her down.

Ron shook his head, making everyone gasp around him. Ron, not eating? Hell... "I'm rubbish - I'm lousy, what was I thinking!" He continued punishing himself, shaking his head repeatedly. Fred and George shared a look, but said nothing in return.

"No, you're not," Hermione stated, confidence all over her tone. Everyone looked at her as she spoke. "You are a good player. You've been practicing, there's no reason for you to do poorly," she said, pushing the plate closer to him. "Nerves are normal, it's a good sign. I never do well on a test unless I'm a little nervous," Harry nodded in recognition. "Plus, what do I always say? You can't pass a test - "

"If you don't stress," Ron finished, reaching for his fork and finally taking a bite of his breakfast.

The group nodded along, not really caring for Hermione's phrase, but keeping quiet for Ron's sake. Even the twins refused to joke around in a moment like this, purely because they wanted to win. After the game though, Hazel knew the twins would make fun of Ron harder than ever before.

"Hello," everyone turned around as Luna Lovegood's voice caught their attention. She was wearing a hat shaped like a lion's head, a soft smile on her face. Hazel couldn't help but smile at how sweet that girl was. George stifled a laugh, shutting up instantly when Hazel elbowed his side warningly. "You like it?" Luna asked the group.

"Love it," Hazel spoke before anyone else could say anything. She wasn't lying either, it was very original. "You've got style, Lovegood," she praised as Luna sat down beside her.

"Thank you," her voice was as gentle and warm as her smile. "I'm all for Gryffindor today! Good luck out there to all of you, I'm sure you'll do perfect," she told them with a grin. They all smiled back and thanked her, quickly falling into an awkward silence. Luna continued seating there, an oblivious smile on her face.

Hazel couldn't believe anyone was making conversation. "Thanks for supporting our team, Luna," she decided to say, smiling back a the Ravenclaw girl.

"Oh," Luna gasped in surprise, nodding. "Of course!" She said cheerfully, taking out her wand. "My hat's cool, isn't it?" Hazel nodded in approval. "I wanted to have it chewing up a serpent to represent Slytherin, you know, but there wasn't time," the table laughed at her words, now loving the girl's enthusiasm. An enemy of Slytherin is a friend of Gryffindor. "Look at what it does," she tapped the hat with her wand and the lion on her head let out a majestic roar.