30 | George's feelings
"I think it was good." said George Weasley. He had just completed one quidditch game with his brother Fred, his other brother Ron and Marley Macmillan. The girl had been best friends with the twins since her first year, and George had from time to time felt that strange feeling in his stomach as the two of them talked. And because of this feeling, he constantly scolded himself, angry with himself and his feelings.
But lately, he hasn't been doing very well. Especially since Marley came to the Burrow a few days ago and would stay here until the end of the summer. The main reason that she came was because of the Quidditch World Cup, but there was something else.
It wasn't just because George's father had bought tickets for everyone, even Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, but they would come soon at the Burrow. George would like to believe it was only because of this, but after Marley went through a huge scandal with her mother Brielle Macmillan, she didn't want to stay at her home in Wales anymore and sent a letter through Elara, her family snowy owl, asking politely if she could come earlier than expected. Molly Weasley, his mother, immediately agreed, and she didn't mind if the girl would come two weeks early.
Just about a month and a half ago, the whole truth was revealed about Marley's father, who turned out to be James Potter, and she and Harry were half-siblings. As Marley had promised on that night in June, when everyone was in Gryffindor's common room, she told them absolutely everything, especially after the articles in Daily Prophet about her and her mother came out.
"Yes, it was nice to kick your ass, Weasel." chuckled Marley and left carefully her broom on the green grass. Then she simply sat down, the three ginger boys followed her example. George and his twin Fred were soon passing their OWL exams, but they were still short on points. But they weren't interested in the exams but in making different pranks and jokes. There were so many lists of different prices and fun jokes, but as soon as their mother found it what had happened on the exams, the parchment rolls burned in front of Fred an George's eyes and they were mad at her for a week or two.
George's stomach made a somersault, but he just grinned. His smiles lately have often been able to conceal his flushing face, turning redder than his hair, which turned even redder because of the bright summer sun. He was well aware, however, that for a long time, somehow, he couldn't just feel friendly and even fraternal feelings for Marley. And he was aware of that fact. But he didn't realise it until the night Marley returned to the common room with a dirty face and blood on her palms, traces of clogged nails. And her wet tear face had saddened him even more.
"Admit it, George." said proudly Ron. "Marley and I are amazing team."
"For a boy who doesn't play Quidditch," Marley looked at Ron, who was sitting next to her, smirking. "You're playing very well. But work on your technique. Didn't you say that you want to try for the team?"
"Yes, but not now." he denied immediately. "I still don't think I'm good enough but you obviously play amazing, Marley. I think you're the best Chaser in our team."
"She really is." admitted Fred and George only nodded with his head. He was perfectly aware that Ron was his brother, but what if he just stabbed his bat in his face? And she was lying on the grass beside him, tempting to his eyes. His hands were itching to grab her, and a scratch on Ron's head. Still, he couldn't admit he was lying. Marley was really the best Chaser on the team, and maybe they didn't have such a good Chaser in Gryffindor after James Potter, her father.
Marley's cheeks were slightly red and George thought she was more beautiful as she blushed. He didn't know why, but after noticing in Marley's fourth year that when Fred and he said something nice about her, she blushed a lot. George liked this, so he made sure to see that pleasant blush on her cheeks by the end of the year. Fred and George were usually teasing her about her blushing cheeks, but the younger twin was also doing it to cover the real reason why he was doing it.
When he first met Marley, she was very angry because with Fred had been invaded by her compartment after making a prank of a second year student at Slytherin. And after she came to the Burrow in '92, George came to the conclusion that he had since begun to feel uncomfortable around her. And now, almost two years later, he was standing opposite her on the grass, looking at her, trying to look perfectly normal.
"Don't look at me like that, Georgie." smiled smugly Marley, her hazel eyes glowing but she nervously tapped her fingers on her broom. George had known her long enough to know she was nervous. And as the throbbing intensified, he realised she was even more nervous. But he showed nothing that he had noticed her gesture, but just playfully rolled his eyes. "I know you can't bear the loss that the sweetest and most innocent girl according to your words has kicked your ass."
"Am I the only one who thinks if she was in the Quidditch team of one of the other houses, she'll literally smash us?" asked Fred, smile shining on his face and a moment later, the four of them burst into laughter. But George totally agreed with his twin brother.
"Ron! Marley! Fred! George!" George heard the voice of his mother, who had shown her head through the kitchen window. She only looked at her three sons reproachfully, while treating Marley as if she was an angel even though sometimes she was guilty too. George couldn't deny that either. Because Marley was really an angel, but the red-haired boy had realised that a fierce lion was hiding under her skin. So the exterior was lying. "Stand up immediately! I don't want you to get your clothes dirty. Now go back home because it's lunch time and it's getting hot outside."
"Coming, mum!" shouting Ron in a reply and stood up from the grass, grabbing his broom. Molly Weasley was right. The sun was hot on the green fields and the lake, the heat was very hot outside, and George's hair was wet with sweat. It had grown a little more in the summer and now a few strands of hair were even sticking out of the sweat on his neck. He just shook his head angrily and ran his fingers through his hair, combing it further.
The four teenagers entered the Burrow, where it was surprisingly cold and pleasant, and George felt coldness on his skin where he was sweating - his palms, neck and face. Molly was already serving lunch at the table when she saw them staring at the food. "I will not let the four of you have lunch this way. Go and have shower immediately. And throw away your clothes in the laundry basket. And please, boys! Why not cut your hairs a little? It's so hot outside. How do you manage to deal with it? I can help--"
"NO, MUM!" screamed Ron annoyed and he headed for the little and tight staircase. Their mother was right. The hair of all three had grown a little longer than expected and was even almost touching their shoulders. But they, being full of stubborn and true Weasley vibes, would not do it.
"Well, I think Mrs. Weasley, that they look cute." shrugged her shoulders Marley, looking at Ron and the twins at the same time. George's heard missed a couple of beats. He didn't want to imagine how much he had combed his hair and whether it was sticking out in all directions, but he didn't care. He would have a shower in a while and his red hair will be again soft and fluffy, according to Marley's words.
Molly Weasley just smiled nicely and she seemed like she wanted to pinch one of Marley's cheeks, something Fred and George were doing everyday. They knew sometimes it was annoying Marley and that was reason number one why they invented it. The second... well, there was no need of a second one.
George, being a big cunning man, pushed himself first into the bathroom without even caring that he didn't act gentlemanly and let Marley go first. He just wanted to wash the sweat from himself. After everyone had a shower, they sat around the table and had lunch. His mother was pleased that they had now made a decent appearance. So it flew about a week and a half and Ron and Marley's friend came - Hermione Granger , the Quidditch World Cup was getting closer and George was very excited about this massive event.
"No, Mione, actually this is the Quaffle and here, that's the Bludger..." Marley was carefully correcting poor Hermione, who, according to George's observations, had confused something for the first time. Hermione looked suppressed, and Marley spoke to her with a sweet smile on her face. They were both sitting on the floor by the fireplace and unfurling a large roll of parchment. It was a warm Friday night and everyone in the Weasley family had gathered.
Tomorrow morning, George's mother would send her letter to the Dursley family, requesting permission to take Harry, simply because it was polite. But no one cared what Dursley would say, Harry was coming with them.
"They look... no, they're not identical. Silly me." said Hermione, her nose wrinkled in a disapproving grimace.
"We're identical." joined Fred Weasley and George was next to him, both the twins were grinning and they sat on the armchair opposite the girls. The truth was that the twins were the same until the last freckle - they had equally bright red hair, were tall, had long fingers, had the same eyes and face shape. If they didn't dress in the same clothes, they would be dressed in clothes that were almost identical or would just fit together. They often spoke at the same time and it was almost impossible to tell who is who unless you knew them very well.
"We could have gone without that stupid joke, Freddie. We all know you are like two drops of water." Marley just rolled eyes, focusing back on the roll of parchment. One of the main strategies was drawn on it and the older girl was explaining it to Hermione who looked confused for the first time. "Is there anything at all to differentiate yourself?"
"Yes. I'm the better looking twin." said George proudly. Of course it was a joke, but after he used it once, he decided it was actually a good phrase and he was using it in every conversation like that. And self-love was the best kind of love. It's good to be modest. George wasn't some kind of peacock.
"Are you serious?" questioned Hermione with a frown, as Marley and the twins tried not to laugh. After Sirius Black escaped and now hiding God knows where, the three had made up an inside joke about him. And Marley, as a proud member of the inside jokes between her and the twins, decided to use it.
"No, he's Weasley. You better ask Noen." she said. Suddenly Fred and George laughed loudly. Marley continued to laugh and their faces turned red and their stomachs ached. Hermione was just looking at them, waiting for them to stop laughing and let out a tired sigh.
"Oh Marley, I never thought I'd ever say that, but ... you despair me." said the younger girl. Fred and George clapped their hands cheerfully and so loudly that their mother turned shaky to them and looked at them disapprovingly, but they simply shrugged.
"You know what this means, Granger?" winked George.
"That we did our job properly." finished his thought Fred with a grin on his face.