Hand Me Downs.

In terms of the school, not that much had changed by the time my birthday had rolled around. Umbridge had enforced three new Educational decrees and was confiscating things off of students around the clock. She had eventually fired Trelawny, to the surprise of few, considering Trelawny was a massive fraud.

But still, I’d been with McGonagall, had heard the screech and left the room, watched her sob, Dumbledore appear and defend her. My evening cut short as McGonagall escorted her upstairs and a centaur took over Divination.

According to Lavender Brown the lessons were ‘different’ which considering she adored the old fraud probably meant they were fascinating and I wished I could join one.

Ron said he’d turned the room into a meadow, with a bewitched sky similar to that in the hall.
I just wanted to lie in it, needed the stress relief.

Hagrid, as far as I was aware was still in his position, although that was on tenterhooks and you could tell Umbridge was just itching to fire him next. As nice a person as Hagrid was, he had never been a brilliant teacher, but I kept that view to myself, well aware of the onslaught I would entail upon myself.

What had happened was mine and George’s first argument, a ridiculous blow out over jealousy.

Over Dale.
Again.

And I was currently sat in silence next to him at dinner, the awkward quiet more irritating than the biting comments and raised voices.

All over the fact Dale had dared to get me a gift and had hugged me a little too long.
I thought we were past this, over it.

I didn’t freak out every time that Alison girl he had gone out with last year spoke to him, put her hand on his upper arm.

I said nothing, didn’t show that it bothered me.
I wasn’t sure why I didn’t receive the same courtesy, especially on my birthday.

“Happy Birthday!” Cho chimed as she walked past, earning a small smile, and nodding at Harry not far from me, shooting a wary look backwards as she sat.

Even Fred, for once in his life was silent, eating his way through what looked like a full chicken, shooting his twin random looks.

Ryan was the one trying to break the tension, “Shame we couldn’t get you a birthday cake,” He nudged me, with how strict the evenings were people weren't risking heading to the kitchen, “Could have gotten is specially made, a model of McGonagall on top with the amount of time you spend with her.”

“You could have lit her hat,” Aaron added, pointedly looking at George who was staring the opposite way, not satisfied with my shrug and frowning as I sighed, taking another bite of my lasagne, although my stomach felt hollow, the food doing nothing.

After a few minutes I put my hand on his leg, close to his knee. He didn’t jerk it off, which was a good sign and gradually put his own hand over it, squeezing it tight.

I let out another little sigh, this time of relief.
Although I was still annoyed, and it would simmer for a while.

After a primarily painful dinner we were on the way back to the Common Room, just leaving the hall, Leanne muttering to me when a hand looped around my wrist. “Can we talk?” I glanced up at him, nodding and letting him lead me away from the rabble and out onto the courtyard.

“If we’re out here too long Umbridge will appear.” I said softly the air a tiny bit warmer than it had been, the snow melting away into lashings of rain that was falling now.

“I’m sorry.” He said bluntly, rubbing the back of his neck with a heavy hand, “I overreacted.”

“Just a tad.” I kept a smile on my face to avoid more confrontation, “You know there is nothing between me and Dale like that George, there was never any real feelings behind any of it, he’s just my friend!” He nodded, and I continued, “And...I don’t like that you two just can’t get on it’s stupid and it’s really fucking annoying. He hasn’t done anything wrong and I’m not going to stop being his friend.”

“What if I have you an ultimatum?” He asked,a smirk, shocking me, “Me or him?”

I opened and closed my mouth several times, “If you tried to force that kind of thing on me I’d probably punch you.” He smiled a little, looping his arms around me and pressing his lips to my forehead.

“Good girl.” I shrugged, away, rubbing my face.

“I’m not a dog George.”

“I am.” He said, no longer looking guilty, as if the screaming match hadn’t ever happened.

“You’re confusing.” I complained, hitting my head on his collar bone, “Can we please not do this again? Nothing is happening, alright?” I stared at him until he nodded slowly. “Good, I want you two to be friends.”

“We are friends.” I scoffed, stepping away but him pulling me close, lips against mine.

“Then you can apologise to him.” He frowned a little, “And you will if you ever want to have sex again.”

“That’s cruel.”

“Your choice.” I prodded his face, gaining a smile.

Not letting him see how weary and sick I was of the whole thing. There was plenty of stress around Hogwarts as it was, plenty of work to be done, meetings without George drama.

I hadn’t been able to turn into that eagle in over a month, had seemingly lost the ability much to McGonagall’s confusion and annoyance as we had spent at least three hours a week for nearly six months on it.

Apparation was going fairly well but a letter from my Dad, finally, set everything off.

He was marrying Tammy during the summer.
Marrying her.

Like my mother had never held that title, taken his surname.
I hadn’t told anyone, shoved the letter at the back of a Charms book.

I shouldn’t be upset, my mother had been dead for nearly eight years, warped since I was a baby.
She hadn’t been the woman he loved since I was one.

I’d never known her normal, sane.

But she was mine.
Tammy wasn’t.
I knew it was pathetic, petty, childish.

But I didn’t want her to be Mrs Pelanci, I was selfish about that.
He for some odd reason loved her when I just tolerated her.

Pretending to be happy for him was going to be the death of me.
Unless, as I had been reminded, hissed at by various Slytherins, Bellatrix was.

I hadn’t even told Dad about her being released, didn’t know what it would mean to him now.
The world he had barely entered before leaving, only knowing what he must, never inviting conversation about it.

Tammy didn’t know anything, I’d told her I went to Malory Towers and she believed it, believed the title of a children’s book.

We’d headed back upstairs, George had gone aside with Dale, looking severe but coming back smiling, Ryan still a bit protective but dropping his look when I kicked at him and stood up to George.

“I’m going to go to bed.” I offered, kissing him gently and heading up alone.

Drawing the curtains around my bed once I was in my pyjamas, alone.
Left to stew over things I couldn’t change.

Some I shouldn’t want too, I should want my father to be happy, and if Tammy made him that way...they’d been together for four years, he loved her.

I suppose I’d always assumed they would break up, that it wouldn’t last.

I’d had a nightmare of Bellatrix slaughtering him, cackling just nights ago.
It had put me on edge about the whole thing, about everything.
Had stayed with me.

The presents he had sent me for my birthday, once approved by Umbridge only made me feel worse, more conflicted.

But here I was, wasting my time, letting myself get upset over something that should be happy.
Letting it merge in with thoughts that were dark, Voldemort, the Death Eaters.
I was getting better during the DA, better than I ever thought I would be.

I was doing well in lessons at the point of making myself permanently tired, irritable some days.
I don’t know how Hermione did it, staying on top of everything, trying so hard.

It was exhausting.
I was exhausted.

But I couldn’t sleep properly, that was the best part of it, the only time I slept well was with George, and I didn’t want to be a burden, irritate him like I was sure I had been lately with my mood swings.
My head was all over the place.

And Umbridge certainly wasn’t helping.
Old toad.

“You look tired,” I glanced up at her face, sticking out my tongue before picking up my goblet again.

“I am tired.”

“What time did you stay in the Common Room after I left?” I took a bite of my toast,

“Not sure.” I lied, well aware the clock had almost reached three before I left, having spent the two hours after Hermione’s departure in a mix of reading and practising Charms and hexes. An attempt at every step and advice McGonagall had lay upon me to shape shift, but to no effect.

“There’s a DA meeting tonight by the way,” She lowered her voice, “About seven pm.”

“Great.”

She nodded, entering Harry and Ron into a conversation that soon grew hushed and whispered, names I had to think hard to remember. Ministry workers, something about dreams.

After what had happened before, with Harry’s last dream this couldn’t mean anything good.
I swear if it wasn’t for a set few I would go insane.

And the fact I was praying this ‘one year curse’ would apply to Umbridge.

I was met later that day with the news the twins had gone and brought the property in Diagon Alley outright, using up quite a fair bit of the winning money donated from Harry.

“It’ll work out.” Fred said cockily, “We’re making enough now, imagine a store full.”

“You have to decorate it first,” I warned, “Hire staff, advertise, and then fill it.”

“We can get people, you can be our first employee if you want.”

“As well as your product packaging designer?” They grinned in sync. “Just what I always dreamed off, I’ll help you paint but that’s it, have you written to your mum?” They both snorted, drawing attention our way, “Have you told anyone?”

“Nope.” He popped the word. “And don’t tell Ron and Ginny. They’ll try and talk us out of it.”

“I think they be more confused where the money came from.” I grinned, glancing over at the source of it, looking confused, Hermione clearly trying to explain something to him and Ron.

Ginny shot me a smile from across the room, turning back to her own friends.

“Yeah, but, that’s sorted.”

“When are you like...moving in and everything?” They glanced at each other.

“Soon.” George chimed, catching my look, “There isn’t exactly much reason for us to stick around.”

“Apart from NEWTS.” The two scoffed, as always in sync, grinning at my irritation.

“We’re not doing them, we haven’t done any work in about a month at least.” I felt my mouth drop, “It was easier as well since you’ve been all stressy and weirdly focused lately so you haven’t been bugging us.” I pouted, getting a quick peck in return.

“I haven’t meant to be stressy.” I said, my voice quiet, Fred took this as his cue to leave, calling loudly to Ryan and moving away.

“I know, you care, I get that.”

“It’s not just that.” I sighed, letting him drag me onto his lap on the closest armchair. “I hate everything.” I whined, my head against his collar bone, I felt him rock a little with laughter underneath me.

“Everything?”

“Okay, well maybe not everything.” I reasoned, letting my eyes linger on a portrait, examining the details intently to stop my eyes from watering, “I’m just stressed I guess.”

“Are you having a mid-life crisis?” I snorted.

“Only If I die when I’m thirty four. Although I suppose with Bellatrix...”

“Don’t,” his voice took on a rare serious tone, “Even if you’re pretending that’s a joke it is not funny and I know that’s what’s upsetting you.”

I shifted my weight, looking at him and mumbling a sorry.

“My Dad is getting married as well.” I said, once the silence had stretched out for too long, “In the summer, he told me the other day.”

“I know.” He didn’t wait for me to ask, “You gave Fred your charms book to look something up for the love potion and he found the letter and told me.”

“Ah.”

“I didn’t want to bring it up before you did, you know?” His hand landed on my knee.

“Thanks, I’m just a bit...I...I just don’t like her George!” He pouted at me, thumb moving in comforting circles.

“You know what you need?”

“Vodka.” I got a well deserved glare.

“You need a weekend with no work whatsoever, no Tammy, no...shit.”

“I can’t not do any...”

“You can, and you will. Me and Fred planned it.”

“I don’t like it when you guys plan things. The last thing you planned left me with a black eye.”

“I got you a nice birthday present.” I grinned, letting him continue, the idea of two days with no homework, no McGonagall and promised sex and sleep was becoming more and more attractive.

“And it’s a Hogsmeade weekend.”

I was sold and I told him so, “As long as I get as much done as possible beforehand.”

He held out his hand, and I shook it slowly, wincing as his grip grew tight.

“Next weekend though.” I realised, his smile fell, and I shoved my hand over his mouth, “We can still do Hogsmeade but Leanne is already forcing me to have a girl day on Sunday...seems, everyone has noticed I’m going a little crazy.”

“You were always a little crazy, why do you think we tried to make you our protégée?”

“You think I’m your protégée?” I scoffed, pulling a face.

“Guys, we’re heading down to dinner, coming?” We both nodded at Katie, Leanne behind her simpering at the sight, although I knew she had spent an hour earlier with Roger and we could be getting a full recount as I tried to sleep.

I hopped off, his hand still out, expecting me to heave him up. After a couple of seconds he groaned, making a tremendous effort and standing. “N’aww Grandad.”

“You could have been our protégée,” He continued, as if the conversation had never stopped, “But you were just too...” He looked me up and down, offering me a hand as I clambered out of the portrait hole. “Good.”

“Good? I’ve had quite a few detentions I’ll have you know.” I finished my attempt at suave with a wink, his hand interlinking with mine.

“You know what I mean. You’re a teacher’s pet.”

“Yeah right.” We walked past McGonagall as he teased, she offered me a smile and I received a hard nudge, grinning at his truth. “Whatever loser. You’ll be crying over my five Outstanding NEWTs next summer whilst you’re slaving away torturing eleven year olds in London.”

“I’ll be torturing you as well, our favourite little test subject.” I pushed his hand off of my head, trying to control the hair he had just ruffled.

“Why do you guys never test stuff on Lee?”

“Oh we do, he just doesn’t complain like you.”

“Then quit doing it.”

“Let’s not have another domestic darlings,” Ryan turned in the crowd grinning, his voice ridiculously high and posh sounding, “Not before din-dins.” Katie looked up at him and giggled, blushing as she met my eyes and I blew her a kiss.

“Does he really not realise she likes him?” George whispered to me, I shrugged, nothing had changed in their relationship over the last couple of months, they were still exactly the same, minus Katie’s blushing.

“Leanne’s trying her best to push them together.” I said regretfully, “And you know that means trouble.”

“I always thought Leanne kind of liked Ryan.” I snorted as we sat.

“No way. That would never happen.”

“What would never happen?” The subject of our conversation asked.

“The Chudley Cannons winning the cup.”

Somehow that managed to convince Ryan enough and drag him into dull conversation.

Quidditch honestly, everyone knew full well I knew nothing about it and wasn’t a fan.

“Why can’t we ever talk about decent sports?” Dale complained, stuffing himself with potato.

“Because Muggle sports are weird.” Fred countered, also in the act of piling his plate.

“At least people die less during them.” I offered, “And they’re a lot less complicated.”

“You don’t play sports,” Dale teased.

“I play badminton, and we played tennis last summer.”

“Did what we do count as tennis?” I giggled at the memory, and shook my head as he continued, “Didn’t think so...I think this summer we should do something more adventurous,” I lifted a brow, “I wanna go kayaking.”

“Will you drown me?”

“Debatable.”

It had become something of a ritual over the holidays, when I was at home, usually for little more than a week, spreading the rest of my time between others, primarily the Weasley’s and Katie’s, we met up.

Dale lived a forty minute drive away, or a train and a bus. So we always met up for a couple of days, although he didn’t like coming to mine, claimed it made him uncomfortable being somewhere so posh.
I, myself wouldn't say it was posh primarily, rich and posh were different.

I suppose he had a point though, but he seemed to not realise how much I wanted someone else there, someone that was an actual friend. I mean, at points I met up with people I had gone to primary school with, who were in various sixth forms and prestigious colleges.

With them I had a much more intricate back-story including a school in America, but it wasn’t the same, they were company on odd days but we weren’t close.

Sadly, my time with Dale always happened to include sport or exercise, and he delighted in watching me fail at both.

“Well, we’ll have to sort it around everything else.” I realised out-loud, the twins would be in their shop, probably living in Diagon Alley which worked out for me because it was closer than the burrow.

The wedding, as Dad had managed to put very basically in three lines was to be in America, in California where Tammy had grown up, and we would be there for at least a week at the end of June, eight days after term ended.

The joy.

“We’ll sort something, we always do...Ryan was planning on trying to sort out a holiday even I think.” Ryan turned slightly at his name.

“I was what now?”

“Talking about the holidays mate.”

“Ah right, yeah, we’ll sort something, Mum and Dad wanted to get away so they were saying like, we could rent a cabin or a room as well, a few of us.”

“Aaron probably couldn’t come,” We glanced down, him a bit further chatting animatedly to Hermione and Leanne, “You know his family spend a lot of time abroad.”

“So long as I still get to see you,” George whispered, causing me completely against myself to blush, it was just the intensity of his eyes, the purr of his voice.

“Like I’d ever get rid of either of you.” I tried to ignore my embarrassment at the grin on Fred’s face.

“Stuck with us for life I’m afraid.”