Status: done(: the sequel will start next week!
Doesn't Mean a Thing
8.
It was a month into the school year, and Elise and George had gone out at least three times. He carried her books to her classes sometimes and they studied together. It was a Saturday, the day the two of them usually went to Hogsmeade together. The air was getting crisper as Elise stepped outside the castle; she shivered.
George noticed and put an arm around her waist. “Warmer?” he asked.
Elise blushed. “Yeah, actually.”
He grinned cockily and they went on. They got to Hogsmeade. As usual on a Saturday, Hogsmeade was packed. George led her through the busy streets to a small pub called the Three Broomsticks. There was an inn at the top of the stairs, but it hardly got any attention. It was packed, but somehow George secured the two of them a table in the corner.
Madame Rosemerta, the landlady and bartender, took their order of two butterbeers. Elise leaned her head in her palm. Her long hair trailed down her back and she fluttered her eyes as George spoke.
“How was your week?” he asked nervously. He always seemed to ask the same questions every time they went for a drink.
Elise sighed. “Not too bad; Flitwick gave us one hell of an essay to do though.” She said. “I ought to start working on it as soon as we get back; I need to finish my Defense and Potions homework as well.”
George nodded. “I know; that essay is torture. Maybe we can work on it together?” he asked.
Elise shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t be able to focus.” She murmured.
For a split second, she thought she saw George turn red and awkwardly rub his hand on his shirt. She also noticed how he was sitting closer than usual. Her other hand, which was on the table, was resting close to the hand he had just put down. He was looking off into the distance, but she noticed his hand start crawling closer to his.
She chuckled and took his hand softly. It was clammy, but warm. He looked at her, still bright red, but smiled.
“You really are fearless, aren’t you? A perfect Gryffindor.” He murmured.
Their butterbeers were set in front of them. She and George drank them rather quickly. They were silent most of the time. They just sat there, smiling at each other.
The door opened and they heard laughter. Fred was with Angelina, Alicia, Katie, and Lee.
They waved and walked over to them in the corner.
“Look, Georgie is on a date.” Fred cooed. “First one, eh?”
George turned red. “Shut up, you git.”
Angelina chuckled. “Stop teasing your brother.”
Fred smiled and waved to Elise. “Hey Elise.” He said.
Elise smiled back and waved. “Hey Fred.”
He gazed at her. “So when are we going to work on that Transfiguration project?” he asked.
Elise cocked her head. “What?”
Fred nodded. “The one McGonagall gave to us two days ago that’s due by Tuesday.” He said.
Elise groaned. “Oh shit, great. Now I have my charms essay and that to work on.”
“We can work on it later today before dinner in the library if you want.” Fred suggested.
Elise nodded. “Sure thing. How about four?” she asked.
Fred nodded. “Sounds good.” He bid the two goodbye and their friends walked away to a large table in the middle.
George threw down a few sickles on the table and they got up and left. They still held hands, but Elise noticed that George’s grip was a bit tighter. His teeth were clenched.
The leaves on the ground crunched beneath their feet as they walked back to the castle slowly. It was two o’clock already.
“George, are you okay?” Elise asked. They rounded the corner towards a secluded corridor that led to the owlery. He grip got so tight to the point where Elise wanted to wrench his hand off.
She leaned against a wall as George paced back and forth.
“George, what’s wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “You can tell me.”
He looked at her, pained. “Elise, we’ve been hanging out for a couple weeks. We’re always together. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to anyone, ever. Do you or do you not like me?” he asked.
Elise looked at him incredulously. “Of course I like you!”
He groaned. “Not like that, do you like me as in you want to go out with me? As if you wanted to be my girlfriend?”
Elise’s mouth dropped open. “Oh George.” She murmured. She got closer to him and put her hands in his soft red hair. He blue eyes darted from her lips to her eyes. He kissed her quickly, and released, but kissed her again, more passionately. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her softly.
He backed away from her after almost five minutes of snogging. “I can’t…I…I have to go.” He said miserably. He ran away from her.
Elise covered her mouth, still warm from George’s touch.
She’d never known a Weasley twin to be so shy.
George noticed and put an arm around her waist. “Warmer?” he asked.
Elise blushed. “Yeah, actually.”
He grinned cockily and they went on. They got to Hogsmeade. As usual on a Saturday, Hogsmeade was packed. George led her through the busy streets to a small pub called the Three Broomsticks. There was an inn at the top of the stairs, but it hardly got any attention. It was packed, but somehow George secured the two of them a table in the corner.
Madame Rosemerta, the landlady and bartender, took their order of two butterbeers. Elise leaned her head in her palm. Her long hair trailed down her back and she fluttered her eyes as George spoke.
“How was your week?” he asked nervously. He always seemed to ask the same questions every time they went for a drink.
Elise sighed. “Not too bad; Flitwick gave us one hell of an essay to do though.” She said. “I ought to start working on it as soon as we get back; I need to finish my Defense and Potions homework as well.”
George nodded. “I know; that essay is torture. Maybe we can work on it together?” he asked.
Elise shook her head. “No, I wouldn’t be able to focus.” She murmured.
For a split second, she thought she saw George turn red and awkwardly rub his hand on his shirt. She also noticed how he was sitting closer than usual. Her other hand, which was on the table, was resting close to the hand he had just put down. He was looking off into the distance, but she noticed his hand start crawling closer to his.
She chuckled and took his hand softly. It was clammy, but warm. He looked at her, still bright red, but smiled.
“You really are fearless, aren’t you? A perfect Gryffindor.” He murmured.
Their butterbeers were set in front of them. She and George drank them rather quickly. They were silent most of the time. They just sat there, smiling at each other.
The door opened and they heard laughter. Fred was with Angelina, Alicia, Katie, and Lee.
They waved and walked over to them in the corner.
“Look, Georgie is on a date.” Fred cooed. “First one, eh?”
George turned red. “Shut up, you git.”
Angelina chuckled. “Stop teasing your brother.”
Fred smiled and waved to Elise. “Hey Elise.” He said.
Elise smiled back and waved. “Hey Fred.”
He gazed at her. “So when are we going to work on that Transfiguration project?” he asked.
Elise cocked her head. “What?”
Fred nodded. “The one McGonagall gave to us two days ago that’s due by Tuesday.” He said.
Elise groaned. “Oh shit, great. Now I have my charms essay and that to work on.”
“We can work on it later today before dinner in the library if you want.” Fred suggested.
Elise nodded. “Sure thing. How about four?” she asked.
Fred nodded. “Sounds good.” He bid the two goodbye and their friends walked away to a large table in the middle.
George threw down a few sickles on the table and they got up and left. They still held hands, but Elise noticed that George’s grip was a bit tighter. His teeth were clenched.
The leaves on the ground crunched beneath their feet as they walked back to the castle slowly. It was two o’clock already.
“George, are you okay?” Elise asked. They rounded the corner towards a secluded corridor that led to the owlery. He grip got so tight to the point where Elise wanted to wrench his hand off.
She leaned against a wall as George paced back and forth.
“George, what’s wrong?” she asked, genuinely concerned. “You can tell me.”
He looked at her, pained. “Elise, we’ve been hanging out for a couple weeks. We’re always together. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to anyone, ever. Do you or do you not like me?” he asked.
Elise looked at him incredulously. “Of course I like you!”
He groaned. “Not like that, do you like me as in you want to go out with me? As if you wanted to be my girlfriend?”
Elise’s mouth dropped open. “Oh George.” She murmured. She got closer to him and put her hands in his soft red hair. He blue eyes darted from her lips to her eyes. He kissed her quickly, and released, but kissed her again, more passionately. He pushed her against the wall and kissed her softly.
He backed away from her after almost five minutes of snogging. “I can’t…I…I have to go.” He said miserably. He ran away from her.
Elise covered her mouth, still warm from George’s touch.
She’d never known a Weasley twin to be so shy.