When the two had finally gotten tired of dancing, they joined the others at the table they had taken over. For a second they joked about the two forgetting about them, but were interrupted by Ron spitting up his drink all over his date. They looked at him confused, but then noticed Fleur Delecour sweeping her way over to them with a smile. Cosette broke away from George for the first time that night to meet her in an expected hug. It was expected for them, and George who knew as well, but not for the others.
"They are childhood friends," George spoke to them, as the two girls waved their hands at each other so rapidly not even he could keep up with what they were saying. "The story is their moms were too and went to school together."
"Fleur is quarter-vela, half Vela's all school together," Hermione pointed out, a tone of surprise. "Does that mean Cosette is quarter vela too?"
"Have you seen her?" George asked jokingly. Hermione didn't have to think before laughing because he was very right about that.
Throughout the night, Cosette ended up dancing with all the Weasleys, including Ginny, before she and George were able to slip away. It was getting crowded and hot there, and they both wanted to have a moment truly alone before the night came to an end. The found their way into the empty courtyard where snow fell slowly to the ground. George lead her gently to the middle and dramatically asked for her hand to dance again, doing a bow as Mcgonnagal had taught them.
"Can you hear the music?" She asked him curiously, knowing they were fairly far away from the great hall.
"Tonight was the first time we ever danced with music on," He admitted, taking her hands into his and pulling her in.
They danced slow and closer than they had before, no longer having eyes on them. She had wrapped her arms around his neck to lay her head on his chest, and he held her as near to his heart as he possibly could. For a moment all there was, was him- the heat of his body against the winter air, the beat of his heart, the smell of his shirt, then all of a sudden she became aware of a new sensation. A chill that came from where her hands rested against his neck. She pulled away, laying her hand flat against his neck and giving him a curious look.
He returned her look, tilting his head to the side and raising an eyebrow at her. He didn't even register that she was touching his necklace until she slipped her cold fingers underneath the chain of it. He didn't know how to react- his body froze and his hand flew up to meet hers, making it freeze too. They stayed like that for a moment, looking at each other deeply. She was giving him time to move her hand away, but he never did.
She slowly pulled the chain down and out, making him shiver at the cold sliding against his skin. She didn't look down at it until it was completely hidden in her closed fist. If it wasn't her, she didn't think she would be able to handle it, not after that night. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before taking out her own with her free hand, placing it into his.
She reopened her eyes and met his, both of their hearts beating frantically enough to be felt by the others hand that rested close to it. He looked terrified, and so did she. They had no reason to doubt, yet they both still did, it was part of the description. All there was left to do was open their hands and see. She nodded her head and at the same time, they loosened their grip and let their hands fall open.
In his hand, George held a compass, surrounded by sapphires and diamonds, the same that Cosette had in hers. He flipped it over, and sure enough, were the letters G.F.W. and every fear or anxiety that he'd ever felt seemed to melt away as an uncontrollable smiled formed on both their faces. She looked up at him with excited and bewildered eyes, not believing that the moment could possibly be real.
With a laugh, George let the pendant fall to her chest once more and instead crashed his lips to hers lovingly. His necklace was dropped as well as she wrapped her arms around him and responded in kind. Kissing him felt more right than anything she'd done in her whole life. It felt pure, and electric, and altogether wonderful to finally be one with him. The happiness was almost dizzying.
After a few moments, they had rested their foreheads against each other, slightly out of breath. She was glad she somehow ended up pressed between George and the wall because he didn't know if she could hold herself up anymore because of the weakness in her knees. He turned her to absolute putty. They stayed there enjoying each others touch, unable to wipe away the smiles.
"I knew it," She said, bringing her hands in between them to say so.
"I did too," He answered, taking a small step back as his arms needed more space to form the words.
She tried to kiss him again but ended up laughing at the fact she's bumped his teeth with hers due to the smiles they had. Her laughter made her lose her balance and they both fell into the snow as the flash of a camera went off from not far. They looked up to see Colin again and laughed.
"I saw you were going to fall," He said, "This will make an excellent moving picture!"
"It will!" George said pleasantly, "Can you take another?"
"I'd love too!"
Collin didn't understand why they wanted to take the picture that they did, where they held out their matching necklaces with fake shock on their faces, but he did know that they looked impossibly happy together and that it was a beautiful picture. He promised them each a copy of both the photos outside and a few he was asked to take inside, and he didn't understand why George asked him not to show the outside ones to anyone but agreed completely, as long as he could send one of them falling to his mother.
AUTHORS NOTE:
I am posting today because I won't make the Monday update. I am going on a cruise and all devices stay on airplane mode! I'm very nervous as it is my first one. Wish me luck!