Much more than dragon fireworks (Fred Weasley)

Daytime stargazing?

*ok so it's wasn't exactly as slow burn as I hoped, I got kinda excited. Buttttt the final prank idea will be decided in the next two chapters*
———————-

My head was aching but as climbed higher up the stairs nearing the astrology tower, a weight felt as if it was lifting off my shoulders. The tower was the tallest point of the castle, bar the Gryffindor common rooms, and was my favourite place to clear my head. There was a heavy wooden door at the bottom of the tower and I creaked it open before slipping inside. A dizzying spiral staircase twisted up for seemingly ages. I climbed the steep stone-carved stairs slowly, they were known to be slippery and many students had fallen down them, I wasn't keen on two tumbles in a day. Late autumn sunlight streamed weakly through the windows, the rays speckled with dust. After about three minutes I reached the top of the staircase, an old trapdoor above my head. Tapping it with my wand it creaked open, a frayed rope ladder unraveling. I climbed up the swaying ladder and breathed in the crisp air. The top of the tower was open, intricate pillars holding up a slanted tower roof to keep away the elements. Sidestepping telescopes and astrolabes and other equipment I couldn't recall I headed to the far corner. There was a loose stone tile I had found in my third year and I had stashed a blanket and some snacks in there for when I needed some peace. The blanket was an old one if found in a muggle shop, dark blue and checked and made of some rough yet soft wool.

Shaking out the blanket, I wrapped it around my shoulders before grabbing a bar of dark chocolate and replacing the slab. I walked over the the west-most corner, there was a pillar there I could lean against while I sat and I had the most perfect view of the lake and forest. Sitting down and taking a bite of my chocolate I savoured the bittersweet flavour. A breeze ruffled my pale hair before bending the treetops in the forest below, a dark shadow lurked deep in the lake indicating the presence of the giant squid. The squid wasn't as frightening as he seemed, having swum past him on the occasion I decided to swim in my lake. Everyone thought I was mad for doing so but if I didn't disturb the creatures, they didn't disturb me. I had just finished my chocolate bar before the creak of the trapdoor shattered my peaceful state. I turned quickly hoping it wasn't a teacher up head to do a lesson. Instead I saw a mop of ginger hair emerge from the stairwell. A dark pair of eyes spotted me in my corner, before the rest of the boy appeared.
"Oh, I didn't know anyone would be up here," George Weasley said quietly, "could I join you?"
"Of course," I returned with a soft smile, holding out and end of the blanket for him to join me. I'd never seen the boy without a smile on his face, but now sorrow seemed etched into it, " I come up here to hide and think," I said by way of explanation. George sat next to me and wrapped the end of the blanket around his shoulder, sighing softly as he sat down.
"So do I, it's so peaceful," was his response before closing his eyes as if in pain, "I heard about your fall from my brother, are you okay?"
"I'm alright now thank you," I said, "Georgie is something wrong?", he took a deep breathe before turning to look at me.

"Do you know what it's like being a twin?" He asked, sorrow in his eyes, "it's like having a best friend with you all the time, someone you can always trust and count on. But at the same time it's like you're not your own person. It's always Fred and George, George and Fred. Never just me. I love him but I want to be able to be treated as my own person. Right now you're pretty much the only one who does that, you're the first person who when they've seen me alone hasn't asked me where Freddie was,"
"I can't imagine what that's like," I replied, feeling sadness for the red haired boy that longed to be his own person.
"People can't even tell us apart most of the time!" He cried exasperated.
"I can, I knew you were George even before you spoke," I said quietly.
"How?"
"Well you have a larger bump of your nose, whereas Fred's is straighter," I tapped his nose eliciting a small chuckle, "Fred's upper lip is also not as curved as yours,"
"Ahhhh you'd have plenty of knowledge about my brothers lips wouldn't you," he winked as we both laughed, "but that is some keen observation Miss Hunt,"
"You're the better beater however, you seem more aggressive on the pitch than him. You also smooth things over, whereas Fred starts the trouble. You're also the explainer," I continued.
"Whatcha mean by the explainer?" George frowned,
"Freddie cracks the jokes, you explain them. He seems to rush into things when you then explain and evaluate them," hoping he wouldn't think my observations were strange. I had been watching them for the five years I'd been at this school after all, it was only the start of sixth year so it didn't count.
"It's nice to have someone notice us as individuals," George grinned, happiness radiating off his face. He gave me a hug before letting go, he smelled different to Fred, there was still cinnamon and fireworks, but instead of smoke there was something softer like cut grass.