Aine watches as the third years' students gather around Professor McGonagall and the caretaker, Mr Filch, Ginny resting her chin on the railing as they stood at one of the balconies of Hogwarts. "I can't wait till we're old enough to go to Hogsmeade! I'm the only one left in our family who hasn't been there and Fred and George won't shut up talking about how great the village is." Ginny complains and Aine giggles. She has heard of the wonderful butterbeer and a candy shop with all kinds of sweets and gummies, "We just have to wait until next year!" Aine replies, trying to cheer her friend up. Hermione promised them that she'll get some souvenirs from the village and Ron even agreed to try to smuggle some butterbeer back.
The girls watch, as students began following Mr Filch, and Harry who was trying to persuade the Gryffindor house head to sign his form. Aine stares at the boy, almost begging the professor but she was firm, not giving into him before walking off but stopping to turn back at him to apologize. Hermione and Ron exchanged looks with Harry, their eyes full of worry and pity. "It's fine, I'll see you later," he says to them both grouchily and turns his heels, back into the castle.
"Poor Harry." Ginny mutters under her breath, "If only he asked mom and dad. I'm sure they'll be delighted to sign it for him."
"Yeah, mine would too," Aine replies, and Ginny smiles at her friend, they knew how horrific the Dursleys were, always taking advantage of Harry, punishing him when they could and insulting his family lineage. There was no doubt, there'll be a day when the boy finally burst and did something to them.
Aine recalled as Ron told her that Harry had set off his aunt, turning her into a balloon and floating away because she was mocking Harry's dad, James, and mom, Lily. The girl gazed ahead, watching Harry's figure slowly diminishing away into the corridors, they deserved that. She couldn't stand it when people are being abusive in their language, humiliating when they know nothing. She thought, perhaps sometimes, muggles are worse than wizards.
There were a sigh and Ginny taps on Aine's shoulders, "Come on. Fred and George want to show us something." and with that, they both turn around and went on their ways. The girls were about to enter the common room when there was suddenly a whip, causing them both to jerk around to see a familiar pair of faces grinning at them.
"Hello, boys." Aine greets and Fred Weasley rests his arm on Aine's shoulders. "About time you girls came!" he says happily with a pout on his face.
"What is it?" Ginny asks and George links his arm around his little sister, winking at Aine before the twins drag them both away without another word. Soon enough, the girls were brought to Gryffindor common room. It seemed pretty spacious, probably because many of the upper-year students were in Hogsmeade.
They sat around the fireplace on the carpet, it was always so cosy and nice sitting around there. "Well, what are we doing?" Ginny asks, curiously. "Well that, sis..." Fred began, as he starts rummaging his pockets, and George mirrored his actions by pulling out his. There was some wrinkling sound plopping from their pouches and candies started pouring to the floor.
The girls' eyes widened, looking at all of the candies-- transparent, brightly coloured baubles with glitter inside them. They were all wrapped with clear plastic that moved as if they were dancing. "What is that?" Aine questions, picking one green candy up as it tap-dances on her palms.
Fred smirks at his brother, "It's our creation."
"We made those", George adds and he continued explaining to them both, "We got a little creative over the holidays and have been brewing stuff like these," he says, taking a yellow one up and looking at the glitter through the fire. "They are candies that pop in your mouth."
Intrigued, the girls looked at each other, "Give it a go!" Fred encourages them both and all of them picked up their first candy. Aine having the green one, while Ginny took the red, Fred unwrapping the orange, and George looking at all of them before twisting the wrappers of the yellow candy. Together, they threw it into their mouths and Aine clenches her mouth, it was as if something sweet and tangy had sizzled on her tongue, occasionally popping and sending a new flavour.
She could taste the sharp sourness and a little sweetness from the candy, it tasted like green apples and when the candy pops, a light wave of mint brushed through; cooling the acidness with it. She flutters her eyes opened and saw Ginny placing a hand over her mouth, "It tastes weird." she says as a matter of fact.
"It's great!" George chimes, completely ignoring his sister's remarks. "Mine was cherry and when it pops, it has some spicy cinnamon!" Fred says and George went on, "I got lemon, with a little tad of salt. It's really good! You should try it!"
Once again, they took another piece and tossed it into their mouths. Surprisingly, despite having constantly eating another, the flavours in Aine's mouth seemed to have been refreshed, and she could always savour the new taste of the candy. It was brilliant! To think that Fred and George had talents in doing stuff like this, Aine thought to herself, Imagine if they had sold them! "It's really amazing, you guys." she complimented the boys who looked very proud.
"Yeah! When did you have the time to think of all of this? And even make it!" Ginny exclaims, she always looked up to the twins deep down. They always changed the norms, making the boring, fun and unlike her other brothers, Percy for example, Fred and George were always jumping out into the unknown and having fun, making people around them happy with their bright energies.
"That's business secret, sis." Fred winks and George grins widely. They whipped their wands harmoniously and from behind, two tin boxes floated towards them and the boys handed each box to the girls, "Here! Share some with your friends! Spread the word that Weasleys will come to rescue this boredom and insecurity around the school with their goods!" Fred said, and his brother nodded his head.
Those boys... Aine's eyes soften, what would the school be like without them both, she couldn't imagine it. They were both such precious friends Aine had, always spreading positivity and nothing but smiles. She was glad she had them, she drops the candy wrapper onto the floor and went towards them both, throwing her hands over their necks and hugging them both. They looked at her, surprised. Ginny was looking at her friend, wondering what happened while Fred and George looked stunned and flustered at her sudden embrace. "What's up, Ai?" George mutters, and Fred looks to his brother for answers.
She pulled away and smiles. Fred's eyes gazing tenderly at her, "You okay, little Aine?"
Aine nods, "I just thought... How lucky I am to have you two as friends, to have you here in Hogwarts."
Their eyes widened before Fred suddenly returned her hug, making his brother look at him, astounded but later sighing in relief, "We're always for you here, Aine."
"Yeah, think of it this way-- they could be your brothers!" Ginny suggested and Aine giggles, "Can I really?"
"Of course! You're our little sister too!" Fred replies, and George looks away, and with the hand holding the candy wrappers, he clenched it tightly. However, no one noticed it and before they could, he quickly replied, "Yeah..."
They spent another hour, casually talking before Ginny left the room to take a short little nap, while Fred proceeded to talk to Lee Jordan and Angelica Johnson, leaving George and Aine. "Well then..." Aine huffs, standing up and George followed.
"Are you going to take a nap too?" he asks and Aine shook her head, "Are you?" she asks in return.
"Nope," he says.
"What are you going to do then?" Aine asks and George hums, looking in a distance before darting his eyes back at her, with a bright smile, he says, "Are you free now, Ai?"
Aine cocks her head, she didn't have anything much left to do, no homework, no tests to study for, nor was she sleepy. "Not that I can think of."
He smiles, "Good, I'll bring you somewhere."
"Where?"
But before Aine could get an answer, George took her petite hands and went out of the Gryffindor common room, his steps were light and cheery, and it spread to the girl. Soon, they were running and despite Aine slowly feeling out of breath. She continued running with George because, throughout the whole time, his face held a smile Aine never saw before. It made Aine excited, and her heart boomed with thrill. She never saw George smiling so brightly before, even when he laughed, the smile was different compared to this.
This was... She thought to herself, and her heart skipped a beat. She was happy because he was happy.
They arrived shortly, stopping by the bank of the black lake. It was colder than Aine thought, winter will soon come. Aine looks to George who gazes at the black lake ahead, his lips curling into a smile at the sight. He turns to her and pulls her down, sitting on the patch of grass among the rocky pebble floor. It was chilly but bearable. Stroking her arms to warm up, she took a deep breath, cool air flushing down her throat.
"I always come here when I have too much on my mind," George says, "or when I like to be alone."
"It's very peaceful", Aine remarked, staring at the Horizon, the daylight reflecting on the dark, murky lake. "Why did you bring me here?" she asks and he turns to her, eyes gazing at hers. He looks down, "I wanted somewhere quiet, and this place came to my mind--" he then pauses and glances ahead again, "-- every time I come here, I feel my worries just wash away, drowning down into that lake so the giant squid swallows it up."
Aine giggles at his thoughts, and he continues, "The sound of the water flowing about just erases all of my negative thoughts." George chuckles and Aine looks at him, the light was reflecting in his eyes and making his face glowed goldenly, just like his ginger hair, and his freckles more prominent. "Well, I must have sound silly." he laughs to himself, fiddling with his ear. Something that Aine noticed when he feels embarrassed.
"Not at all", Aine replies, "I think it's nice. I do feel at ease here, watching the water swishing back and forth with the wind is very mesmerising for some reasons..."
"I don't know if you're joking with me or really thinking like that, Ai," George comments, giving a dead-panned face.
"Look then," she points to the lake, "it keeps dancing and the more you look at it, the more entranced you get. It's weird, how captivating it is and yet it manages to make you forget some stuff at times."
"You're weird, Ai." George teases and Aine pouts, "Well, that makes me, me then."
"I supposed that's true." He says, shrugging and they both laughed out loud, the laughter echoing and there was a splash of water ahead.
There was silence and the two of them simply enjoyed the company and presence, and the sound of the waves. It was nice.
George fidgeted and Aine turned to him, wondering what was happening and he scrunched his right fist, pulling out something. "George?" Aine calls him.
"Um..." he stutters, not sure how to start, for weeks, he had been finding something for her and when he finally did a week ago, he started pondering on how to give it to her.
"What is it?" Aine asks sweetly, and he gulped, shoving his fist out to her, so suddenly that she flinched, he quickly apologizes and said, "I found this for you," and flips his hand around, peeling his fingers apart to reveal a small pink teardrop stone on his palm.
"I forgot to give it to you, actually. I forgot about your birthday and when you mentioned it on the train..." he stammers, apologetic and Aine only ruffled his hair, "You didn't have to." she says.
He reaches for her arm, where the bracelet was resting around her wrist, he looks up, "Do you mind if I attach it for you?" she nods, and he unclasped the clasp, and threaded the droplet into the bracelet before clasping it back to fasten it. She slowly raised her arm and it slid next to the stone her father gave her.
"It's beautiful," she gasped, it was purple, but at a certain angle, it reflected a reddish-orange, similar to George's hair, she laughs to herself, "It has your hair colour."
George laughs, awkward. He scratches his hair and smirked at her, "It's just a pretty glass I found while strolling here, nothing fancy, it doesn't have any magic inside it. But it reminded me of you."
The teardrop glass was small, but flawless and beautiful. George recalls the time when he had thought Aine was crying on the train after the Dementor attack, his heart wrenched, imagining if Aine was really crying. He hates it, just thinking about it makes him sad. Therefore, he had hoped the glass could contain all of her tears instead, so she wouldn't have to shed them.
"Thank you," she says softly and he blushed, "George," she adds behind and his eyes widen, mouth hung open, "Aine, I--"
He stopped. Swallowing the words down. No... Not yet. For now, he looks at Aine smiling at him, and he smiled back. This will be enough. Perhaps in a few months time, he would finally tell her how he felt.
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So sorry for this week's late update. I was thinking about what to write for this chapter, I wanted to drag the story out a little so you guys could read more depth about Aine's story. I'm sure you've noticed, but I also decided to add in both contents from the movie and the books.
I apologize for taking so long to write too because a couple of days ago, being a clumsy human. I got my nail ripped while opening a packet of wet tissue, and hit against a gate. Thus, snapping my nail apart. It hurts quite a lot, as it is my first time actually injuring a nail to this extent. Scary to be honest. Therefore, my finger hurt while typing this chapter out. I hope you guys understand, and I'll do my best to update as often as I can.
Do upvote, comment and look forward to the next chapter. Thank you for reading :)
- Zeneria