I snatch my quill from my bedside table, dip it into some ink and write back, LEMME JUST GRAB MY ROBE AND SLIPPERS. I throw on my robe and shove my feet into my little slippers and sneak out of my dorm, careful not to make a sound. Thankfully, the common room is deserted. I go over to the door that leads into the common room and write to George. READY. LET ME KNOW WHEN IT'S SAFE. Knowing George he has his map in his hands watching if there are any professors on night duty around.
He responds quickly, NO ONES IN THE DUNGEON. HURRY NOW. I tug open the rather heavy common room door, given its made out of stone and run down the corridor to the broom cupboard as quietly as possible. I open the door and squeeze into the small space with George. The little room being illuminated by his wand.
"God, you're beautiful," George whispers. He cups my face in his two hands and kisses me on the lips, tongue and everything.
I pull away from him and smile, "Nice to see you too." I whisper. "Not that I don't like being this close to you or anything... But can we go somewhere a little less squishy?"
George smiles and pulls the map out of his back pocket. "We can go anywhere you want darling. As long as it's not outside. Rather not deal with another Dementor."
I peek over at the map, "Prefects bathroom? No one ever patrols there do they?" I look at George, his eyes darting from one corner of the map to the other.
"Where's your sense of adventure? Pick a place you've never been to." George says quietly. He brings his wand closer to the map so he can read the names better, making sure there.
I get closer to George and look closely at the map. "Never been into the kitchens before."
George looks at me, "Feeling a bit hungry are we?"
I shrug my shoulders, "Wally took us there one time during third year but we never got to see inside. We just waited in the corridor. It would be nice to get a snack or something and go up to the astrology tower."
"Sounds like a brilliant idea." George quickly explains how we are going to get there I'm not totally lost then he leans up against the back wall of the broom closet and a little hole opens in the wall. We travel through walls and secret passages till we get to the basement, right under the great hall.
George pushes open a little wooden door and crawls out of it, me right behind him.
"Mister Weasley sir!" a shrill little voice says. When I am fully out of the door I stand up and dust off my knees. "Miss Violet!" A small figure comes out of the shadows on the other side of the large kitchen. The house elf is wearing a large purple jumper, shorts, a little knitted hat, and socks.
"Dobby?" I say when the elf gets closer to us. "I didn't know you were here at Hogwarts!"
Dobby, my old house elf comes over to me and I lean down to his eye level and give him a hug. "Dobby is sorry he left without saying goodbye to Miss Violet. But he couldn't stand one more second with ugly, horrible Mister Malfoy. Not one more second." Dobby looks at me in the eye and takes one of my hands in both his small ones. "But Miss Violet was always so kind and loving to Dobby. Showed Dobby that there was good in the world, yes. Lots of good."
My heart fills with happiness hearing that I had such an impact on his life. "Dobby you were a fantastic house elf, and one of my very best friends growing up. I hope Hogwarts is treating you better than my Uncle ever did."
Dobby nods about a million times. "Oh yes Dumbleydore is a very good wizard. He gives Dobby one galleon a week and lets Dobby have one day off every month! Dumbleydore wanted to give Dobby more but Dobby said no! Dobby likes being free very much, but Dobby likes work more!"
I stand up from the ground and George looks at me, "Are we still going to the astronomy tower or would you like to stay here and get caught up?" He asks me.
Dobby looks from George to me, "Is Miss Violet late for something? Dobby would never want to make his friends late!"
"George and I were just going to head up to the astronomy tower is all. Say Dobby, do you have any extra food we could take with us?"
"Dobby has lots of food for Miss Violet! Dobby has bread, and cheese, and apples if Miss Violet wants them!" Dobby rushes off to the cupboard beside the massive blazing fire and comes back with his little arms full of food. "Dobby hopes this is enough for Miss Violet and Mister Weasley."
George takes the food from Dobby, "This is perfect! Thank you for all your help!"
I lean back down and plant a gentle kiss on the top of Dobbys hat. "Thank you for your help Dobby. I'll see if I can come visit you more often. Only if it doesn't mess with your work schedule."
Dobby bounces on the balls of his socked feet, "Dobby would like to see his friend Miss Violet again! Dobby missed her a lot, yes he really did. Have a good night!" Dobby bows low to the ground, so low his large ears brush the floor.
George and I wave goodbye and head back out of the kitchen the way we came in. The little wooden door is apart of an old empty barrel which is rather genius if you ask me.
"I can't believe that Dobby works here now! It's so nice to see him so happy." I say to George as we walk up a flight of stairs that's hidden between the school walls.
"It was adorable you know. Watching you two interact. Made me love you more if that is even possible." George responds, making butterflies appear in my stomach like they normally do when George does something sweet.
When we get to the astronomy tower George has me take the map out of the back pocket of his flannel pyjama bottoms to check if there are any teachers roaming about. When I'm sure the coast is clear, we sneak out from behind one of the portraits hung and race into a small room, closing and locking the door behind us. George hands the food to me, takes off his bed robe and lies it on the ground before taking the food again and sitting down on his makeshift picnic blanket.
I quickly sit down beside him and curl up into his side. The ceiling in this particular room is all glass and completely see through. Though it's still raining heavily outside and we can hear the rain tapping on the walls around us, it's the most beautiful night sky I've ever seen.
"What do you really think about the Dementors being here? And don't you dare give me some watered down 'oh I'm totally okay with it as long as they don't interrupt my OWL studies' bullshit." George says, tearing off a piece of bread from the loaf Dobby gave to us.
I knew this question was coming, the way he looked at me on the train told me he was going to ask me about it at some point. Just didn't think it would be so soon. "Makes me feel connected to my parents in some sick, twisted way. Makes me scared for them, makes me feel sorry for them. Imagine, feeling sorry for people you don't even know. Feeling as if they don't deserve to be locked away with those creatures all hours of the day when you've heard all the terrible things that they've done to others. It messes with your head."
George nods slowly, playing with the piece of bread he took with his fingers. "I'm not going to act like I know how that feels because I don't, and I don't think I ever will." He pauses, looks at me, "But I can imagine its confusing, and it hurts a little bit. I'm sorry you're going through this. I'll always be here to listen, to have a cry with." George looks at me right in the eyes, "I love you Violet."
Everything he says is perfect. His words, the tone of his voice, the eye contact. If I didn't know before, I know now. I love this boy with my whole heart. Without saying anything, I put my thumb and index finger on his chin and slowly guide his lips to mine.
When we connect it feels like it's just us in the entire world. Time stops, the only thing I can focus on is him. I move so I am straddling him like I was at the leaky cauldron, only this time there's no Draco to knock on the door. George breaks the kiss for a moment and looks at me. He doesn't have to say anything, I know what he's asking me. I nod my head and George takes his shirt off and attaches his lips to mine again.
Wanting to be as close to him as possible I undo the buttons on my pyjama shirt and toss it to the other side of the room. He breaks the kiss again and gently moves me to the ground and onto my back. He then moves so he's straddling my waist. "We don't have to do this Violet. Everything is up to you."
Out of breath, butterflies soaring in my stomach I nod, "I want this. But you have to be okay with it all too." I whisper to him.
He takes his hand and places it on my cheek and rubs his thumb on my face.
"Yeah. I want this too."