As November really set in and it got colder, Natalia found herself casting more and more heating spells around herself. Charms were never her forte, wandwork never really was unless it was Dark Arts, something she hated to admit.
But it began raining more and more and she'd never felt more at peace, sitting in the rain, staring across the Black lake. Pretending nothing had changed.
But it had. Mr Malfoy Sr had sent word over that her mother was now asking for her, repeating her name over and over, the only thing she would talk about. Ranting and raving- But Natalia knew better. Her mother knew something, wanted Natalia involved, that's all she kept saying when she visited. That it would be good, that they would make the world right again, theirs.
She hadn't told anyone, no one knew - she assumed the Malfoys knew but refused to tell Draco.
Natalia cast another heating charm around her as she could feel herself shivering, but it had little effect. She sighed, accepting her fate.
Maybe she should join her mother if the only thing she was good at was the dark arts.
"If it isn't Natalia White."
And then she realised why that wasn't anything she was interested in. "Weasley." She spoke softly, not wanting to break the silence, ruin the peace.
He charmed the ground once more, and once again Natalia was a little jealous. "I've been demoted now?"
She didn't respond, refused to look at him.
He smiled softly, though she couldn't quite see it. "I suppose I deserve that."
"Why are you here?"
He shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. Freddie was no help either, falling asleep on the sofa and all."
Natalia gave in, turned to look at him, studied his face. Nothing really gave him away, he seemed completely neutral. Softer than usual, but still neutral.
"Then I heard the rain and thought maybe I should see if you're here again. He turned to look at her, eyes shadowed.
"Here I am." Nat couldn't quite speak louder than a whisper, the cold having settled in, so she tried another heating charm. To no avail.
George smiled softly, pointing his wand at her. "Focillo."
Immediately she stopped shivering, feeling as though she was sat in front of a fire wrapped in blankets.
"What, no thank you?" George teased.
"Thank you." She whispered, nudging him with her elbow.
He laughed, but she couldn't quite figure it out. She wondered if that's what her laugh sounded like to him.
They sat in silence before one of them worked up the courage to say something.
"Natalia."
"George."
He sighed. "You've been... strange. Off. For a few days now."
She looked at him again. "How- nevermind. Was there a question in there?"
He laughed, and it sounded genuine, making eye contact with her. "What's been going on?" He asked, still smiling.
She shrugged. "It's heavy stuff. Not something I want to dump on your shoulders. Besides," she laughed, making sure he couldn't tell what it meant, "you're a Weasley. I'm a Slytherin."
His gaze never wavered, but she did see confusion flash across his eyes. "I'm still sat here, aren't I?"
She sighed. "Family stuff, nothing to bother anyone else with."
He didn't try and press it.
"And besides, you were throwing my magic off way earlier than all my family drama."
He laughed, "wait, really? Damn, what did I do?"
"Really?" She laughed, genuinely for once, "with the whole 'joke's on me' thing? You ask what you did?"
He grinned, but there was something different about it. Natalia was used to the mischievous, laughing grin, but this was... different Like he was smiling because he was happy, rather than laughing at someone. "I never meant to throw you off. Though, your charms definitely need work."
She scoffed, "your everything needs work. Especially," she smiled, pointing her wand at his nose, "your defence, and your dark arts."
"I don't want to know dark arts?"
She rolled her eyes, lying down, the dew and ice soaking her clothes even more if it was possible.
"Let me charm the ground, please, so you don't die from a cold or something."
Nat wrinkled her nose. "What did you mean?"
He sighed, casting another heating spell on her, and on himself. "It just meant... the joke was on me. I went out to take revenge - light revenge I might add - and walked away feeling like... I don't know, maybe that conversation meant something."
Natalia smiled. "That's what it meant?"
He nodded, not daring to look at her.
"And I was all worried it meant you two were coming after me or something."
He laughed, shaking his head. "You know, I always wondered - how come you're in Slytherin?"
That made her sit up. "What does that mean?"
"Well. You're not exactly the typical Slytherin, being a half-blood and all."
She grinned, leaning back on her hands. "That is not a story I don't want to tell you."
He shrugged.
"Yet."
He smiled softly, barely speking above a whisper. "Yet."