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Samira left the prefects' bathroom at 7 o'clock on Saturday morning, feeling in a strange way the weight of the last weeks being lifted off her shoulders, just to be replaced by an even thicker pill to swallow.
How in the name of Merlin would she be able to stay in the Black Lake for an hour? On a bloody cold February day!
"Your mother helped creating the tasks, huh?", Samira barked at Ian, as she returned to the Hufflepuff common room five minutes later, her hair still wet, and the smell of thousands of bubbles still lingering on her skin. "She must be absolutely fun at parties, I can't wait to meet her again!"
"Okay lady, who spit in your cereals?", Ian asked, looking at her dazzled, and Nora next to him had an eyebrow raised.
"The golden egg spit in my soup, that's it! I solved the riddle, and what is? I got just another riddle to be solved!"
"Okay, calm down", Nora said, patting her hand on the free spot on the couch next to her. "Take a deep breath and then tell Mamma Nora what's wrong."
Samira refused to take a seat; walking up and down in front of her friends, she started ranting about this godforsaken golden egg and the merepeoples' song. She completely ignored the hoards of students passing her by, she didn't mind the glances they threw at her, and did not wonder why they were all wrapped in thick cloaks and scarves, while she was still in her pyjama, her wet hair clutched against her head and back.
The common room emptied, and Samira slowly ran out of words to describe the desperation she felt about the upcoming task.
"Okay, calm down, there's still plenty of time to solve this problem", Nora said as Samira finally fell silent. "What you do now, is bringing the egg to our dorm and get ready for Hogsmeade, you need a butterbee—"
"Holy shit!", Samira yelped, throwing a glance at the clock hanging above the fireplace. It was five to eight. "George!"
She had completely forgotten about her date.
Wondering how the hell this could have happened, Samira spurted to the dorm, grabbing the first pair of jeans she found, and a knitted sweater. A glance in the mirror showed her the full amount of disaster she was in. Her hair had been halfway dried and dangling frizzy down her shoulders. No make up on her face revealed the dark circles underneath her eyes, caused by the sleepless night the second task had brought.
And Samira had no time to change a damn thing about it. Tucking her hair up into a messy ponytail, then flinging a scarf around her neck, and grabbing a cloak, she rushed all the way down to the entrance hall, where only a few students remained in a row to get signed for their Hogsmeade trip by Professor McGonagall.
George Weasley was waiting by the houses big hourglasses, and slithering Samira came to a halt right in front of him.
"That's an interesting look you wear", George chuckled, eyeing her from head to toe. "I don't know if you noticed, but there's still plenty of snow outside, I don't know, but I guess your feet will die off, if you go down to the village in these."
In horror, Samira followed George's eyes and found her feet still in her bright pink unicorn slippers, that she got from Ian as a Christmas present. Her face felt like being burnt with the intensity of a thousand suns, as her eyes met George's and her mouth opened for a stutter she herself did not even understand.
"I was in a hurry", she finally managed to press out. "Gosh, I'm so sorry, I — I —" She took a deep breath. "You better go without me, I can't go like this."
"Hey, no problem", George replied with a smirk that didn't ease Samira's embarrassment at all. "You'll go back to your dorm and get ready. I'll wait for you and talk to McGonagall, that were leaving the castle as soon as you're ready. She can't deny me any wishes, you know? She loves me way to much."
"I swear I will explain this to you as soon as I'm back", Samira breathlessly said, halfway turned around and running back to the dungeons, cursing silently first, then fully bashing herself without even lowering her voice, as she closed the door behind her.
Samira knew she shouldn't let George wait any longer, but couldn't resist to fix her hair with two or three flicks of her wand, then applying a layer of makeup thick enough to cover the purple abyss under her eyes. Halfway out of the dorm again, Samira noticed, she was still wearing her unicorn slippers and kicked them aside to change into fluffy boots.
At least slightly looking more like a human, fifteen minutes later Samira found George waiting in the entrance hall once more, this time completely alone.
"Again ... I'm so sorry", she panted. "Did McGonagall give in?"
"No problem, I told you she's utterly in love with me", George told Samira with a wide grin on his lips, that made her heart flutter in admiration.
"Maybe she's just scared of you", Samira snorted, giggling sheepishly.
"Why would anyone be scared of me?" He wore a stern expression on his face, but the corner of his mouth twitched.
"Don't know, maybe because your causing innocent girls to almost bleed to death through their nose?", Samira asked, pursing her lips and tipping her index finger against her chin.
"I got it, I got it", George sighed defeated. "I have to make up for this, huh?"
"Definitely", Samira snorted. "But for now I'm happy enough if I'll get out of this date alive."
They left the grounds and made their way down the hill to Hogsmeade.
"Want some chocolate?", George suddenly asked, offering her a pack of those well known bright colourful wrapped sweets.
"Fool me once, shame on you", Samira scoffed, smirking. "Fool me twice, still shame on you, because you must be an utter butthead trying to murder me a second time!"
"Checkmate", George sighed, shoving the pack back into his robe.
Suddenly, his fingers brushed against hers, and Samira blushed, pulling her hand merely inches away, as she thought it was an accident. But George's hand came back for hers, his slender fingers hooking under her small ones, and their hands intertwined.
Samira felt like she had left the ground, floating on cloud nine right next to George, all the way down to Hogsmeade.
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