‹ Prequel: Means the World
Status: hiatus.
Ready to Start
8.
George had come back from spending the day with Sydney. It had been two weeks since she promised to help him get over Fred.
Elise stood at the door, tapping her foot. “And where have you been?” she asked shrilly.
“I’ve been with Sydney.” He said plainly.
“You know how I feel about her…how I feel about her being around you.” She said bluntly.
“There’s something wrong with that girl.”
“Shove off, Elise. You don’t know her.” George grunted.
Elise stomped her feet. “I don’t like this, George!”
George turned to her. “You don’t have to.”
Elise decided to bring out the big guns. “How would Fred feel?”
George stopped in his tracks. “He’d…he’d be happy for me.” He said, before turning on his heel and going up the stairs.
Upset, Elise went to Hermione. Hermione was working in the ministry. She had a position in the department for regulation and control of magical creatures, but she also had a job in the department of magical law enforcement. That department had a file of every witch or wizard in existence. Any witch or wizard born to a British citizen was recorded there.
“I need you to do me a favor, Hermione.” Elise said. “I know it’s asking a lot, but it’s for George’s sake.”
“What is it?” Hermione asked, alarmed.
Elise sighed. “I need you to do a background check on the profile of Sydney Lake.”
Hermione faltered for a second. “I’m not supposed to misuse the files in the department for personal reasons, Elise, you know that.”
Elise groaned. “It’s important, Hermione. She’s sketchy. There’s something about her I don’t quite like…plus, George says she has a twin or something named Victoria. I want you to check on that too…I want to know if she’s lying.”
*~*~*~*
Hermione walked into the file room of the department of magical law enforcement. She felt wrong being in there, but she had to. If it was to help George, then she wanted to do it. She was tired of seeing him so sad; tired of him not coming out with the whole group. She was tired of Ron feeling bad for him. She just wanted to help everyone get over Fred’s death.
Opening the L file, she found the files of Sydney, Rowan, and Serena Lake. Each had a moving picture of them. Rowan and Serena’s pictures were from their wedding; obviously, they’d aged since then. She checked their status-traveling.
Sydney’s was a picture of her from her school days in Japan, it seemed. She wore a plain navy skirt, a blazer, and carried a brief case. She looked past the picture and straight into Hermione’s eyes. It was scary.
Shuddering, she checked her status-working.
There was something missing though-there was no profile for a Victoria Lake.
Hermione looked through the whole file cabinet three times. There was no way the file could’ve been lost; files almost never left that room. There was no mention in the other files of a Victoria Lake.
Elise was right then. Sydney had made it all up.
But what could prompt a girl to make up a twin?
Perhaps she was enamored with George…she couldn’t blame her. He was powerful, rich, and funny. All girls fell for him, but no one could rein him in because of his depression.
Maybe that’s why she was trying so hard…
Hermione quickly left to find Elise.
*~*~*~*
Elise was sitting in her apartment. Harry had taken Teddy and Abby to a muggle zoo nearby. Hermione burst through the door, gasping for breath.
“What is it?” Elise asked.
“There is no Victoria Lake. She doesn’t exist.” Hermione gasped out. “Sydney Lake is an only child. Sydney made it all up.”
Elise’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Hermione nodded. “I checked the files like you said, and there was no mention of a Victoria Lake. She wasn’t there, and they never mess up those files. That means she doesn’t exist.”
Elise was shocked. She had been right all along.
“How am I supposed to tell him? He thoroughly believes that she’s telling the truth.”
Hermione shrugged. “That’s all up to you…I just can’t believe she’d lie about that.”
“It’s probably a plot to bait him in.” Elise snarled, getting over protective of George yet again.
“Whatever it is, you need to tell George as soon as you can before he gets too into this.”
Hermione said. “Who knows what could happen?”
“What about me?” asked a voice.
Both the girls turned around to see George walk in. “I was wondering where you two went off. Hermione, Ron’s looking for you. He stopped by the shop to see if you were with Elise, but it was closed.” He said curiously.
Hermione jumped and left. “Bye Elise!” She called out.
“Now what did you have to tell me?” George asked.
Elise went red in the face. “Well…this is going to be very hard, George.”
George rolled his eyes. “Out with it, then.”
“Sydney Lake is a fraud!” she blurted.
Elise stood at the door, tapping her foot. “And where have you been?” she asked shrilly.
“I’ve been with Sydney.” He said plainly.
“You know how I feel about her…how I feel about her being around you.” She said bluntly.
“There’s something wrong with that girl.”
“Shove off, Elise. You don’t know her.” George grunted.
Elise stomped her feet. “I don’t like this, George!”
George turned to her. “You don’t have to.”
Elise decided to bring out the big guns. “How would Fred feel?”
George stopped in his tracks. “He’d…he’d be happy for me.” He said, before turning on his heel and going up the stairs.
Upset, Elise went to Hermione. Hermione was working in the ministry. She had a position in the department for regulation and control of magical creatures, but she also had a job in the department of magical law enforcement. That department had a file of every witch or wizard in existence. Any witch or wizard born to a British citizen was recorded there.
“I need you to do me a favor, Hermione.” Elise said. “I know it’s asking a lot, but it’s for George’s sake.”
“What is it?” Hermione asked, alarmed.
Elise sighed. “I need you to do a background check on the profile of Sydney Lake.”
Hermione faltered for a second. “I’m not supposed to misuse the files in the department for personal reasons, Elise, you know that.”
Elise groaned. “It’s important, Hermione. She’s sketchy. There’s something about her I don’t quite like…plus, George says she has a twin or something named Victoria. I want you to check on that too…I want to know if she’s lying.”
*~*~*~*
Hermione walked into the file room of the department of magical law enforcement. She felt wrong being in there, but she had to. If it was to help George, then she wanted to do it. She was tired of seeing him so sad; tired of him not coming out with the whole group. She was tired of Ron feeling bad for him. She just wanted to help everyone get over Fred’s death.
Opening the L file, she found the files of Sydney, Rowan, and Serena Lake. Each had a moving picture of them. Rowan and Serena’s pictures were from their wedding; obviously, they’d aged since then. She checked their status-traveling.
Sydney’s was a picture of her from her school days in Japan, it seemed. She wore a plain navy skirt, a blazer, and carried a brief case. She looked past the picture and straight into Hermione’s eyes. It was scary.
Shuddering, she checked her status-working.
There was something missing though-there was no profile for a Victoria Lake.
Hermione looked through the whole file cabinet three times. There was no way the file could’ve been lost; files almost never left that room. There was no mention in the other files of a Victoria Lake.
Elise was right then. Sydney had made it all up.
But what could prompt a girl to make up a twin?
Perhaps she was enamored with George…she couldn’t blame her. He was powerful, rich, and funny. All girls fell for him, but no one could rein him in because of his depression.
Maybe that’s why she was trying so hard…
Hermione quickly left to find Elise.
*~*~*~*
Elise was sitting in her apartment. Harry had taken Teddy and Abby to a muggle zoo nearby. Hermione burst through the door, gasping for breath.
“What is it?” Elise asked.
“There is no Victoria Lake. She doesn’t exist.” Hermione gasped out. “Sydney Lake is an only child. Sydney made it all up.”
Elise’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Hermione nodded. “I checked the files like you said, and there was no mention of a Victoria Lake. She wasn’t there, and they never mess up those files. That means she doesn’t exist.”
Elise was shocked. She had been right all along.
“How am I supposed to tell him? He thoroughly believes that she’s telling the truth.”
Hermione shrugged. “That’s all up to you…I just can’t believe she’d lie about that.”
“It’s probably a plot to bait him in.” Elise snarled, getting over protective of George yet again.
“Whatever it is, you need to tell George as soon as you can before he gets too into this.”
Hermione said. “Who knows what could happen?”
“What about me?” asked a voice.
Both the girls turned around to see George walk in. “I was wondering where you two went off. Hermione, Ron’s looking for you. He stopped by the shop to see if you were with Elise, but it was closed.” He said curiously.
Hermione jumped and left. “Bye Elise!” She called out.
“Now what did you have to tell me?” George asked.
Elise went red in the face. “Well…this is going to be very hard, George.”
George rolled his eyes. “Out with it, then.”
“Sydney Lake is a fraud!” she blurted.