Counting the Stars (A George Weasley love story)

Chapter 14

"That's barbaric!" Hermione cries at Fred and I, "you can't have people betting on Harry's life." 

We're in the Great hall for second breakfast on Saturday morning, Fred and I are setting up our betting station ready for the third task. "Fraid not, it's only barbaric if you're the person betting he's going to die, we're just running a legitimate business," Fred replies. 

"See we're just cashing in on the notion that everyone gets excited about a celebrity in peril," I tell her. 

"The Daily Prophet does it," Fred adds 

"Exactly, now are you saying that the Daily Prophet is barbaric?" I ask her sarcastically. 

Hermione flares her nostrils and thinks for a second, "I think... that maybe sometimes... their morals are questionable," she replies cautiously as if one of their journalists was listening in. Fred and I both gasp unnaturally audibly and Hermione rolls her eyes. She looks over at Addy who's sitting next to me tearing off pieces of croissant and looking concerned. "Are you alright Adeline? You look like you've seen a ghost." Addy looks up slowly as if she hasn't heard a thing. 

"She can't 'ave, they're all at Bloody Barons death day party," Ron interjects through his mouthful of marmalade toast. 

"It's a muggle expression," Hermione rolls her eyes again. 

"But muggles don't have ghosts!" says Ron. 

"Yes, so they would be pretty surprised to see one wouldn't they, that's the expression, honestly Ron..."

I stop listening to them and turn to Addy. "What did that croissant ever do to you?" I ask her jovially.

"Oh sorry, what a mess, I'm just not very focused today." I smile at her kindly so she'd know to go on. She's been more pensive since coming back from staying with her mum, not sad exactly, and generally joking around with the rest of us, but I've noticed her looking off into the distance a lot more than usual. "It's that thing I saw," she says quietly noting my concern, "on the night of the Yule Ball, it's going to happen soon." 

I look at her alarmed, "well should we tell someone, shouldn't we try to stop it?" I ask in a harsh whisper. 

She looks at me sympathetically. "There's nothing we can do, it's going to happen. But there's really no need to worry, Dumbledore knows and it's all going to be fine. Okay?" 

I look into those ocean eyes, the waters are still, and I trust her completely.   

"Hey Addy!" Fred calls across the table, "wanna make a bet on who's going to die?"

She stifles a laugh and I choke a little on my mouthful of toast. "No Fred, that would be barbaric," she says, winking at Hermione. 

It's early evening and the weather is mild so the five of us sit outside by the lake. The location of the third task is just in view, all we can make out is that it's a giant hedge. Ron, Fred and I are discussing what the task might be inside there, Hermione is pretending to read as she listens in, and Addy is wading through the edge of the lake. 

"But why would it be a hedge? If they're going to fight something why not just build an arena, like with the Dragon?" says Fred.

"Well maybe it's a creature that likes hedges?" says Ron.

"Like what? A giant sparrow?" mocks Fred.

"Oh because a potions task is way more likely, there aren't enough ingredients that grow in hedges" Ron retorts.

"You boys realise it's clearly a maze" Hermione says smugly. 

"Uh, yeah, obviously, I'm saying they need to go through the maze to find the ingredients..." Fred replies, quite obviously improvising. I laugh. "Oh because you knew it was a maze" Fred scoffs quietly in my direction. I shrug, uninterested. I take off my shoes and socks and head towards the water. 

"Hey beautiful" I say as I reach her side. The water is reflecting the golden beams of sunlight as it sets, they bounce off Addy's hair giving it a ginger tinge. 

"I knew you were going to say that," she says, not taking her eyes off whatever's in her hand.

"Because you know you're beautiful?"

"Because I know you're full of it" she smiles up at me and I kiss her softly on the forehead. 

"Yeah, if you guys start making out, we will splash you" says Fred matter of factly. I swat the comment away with my hand. 

"What are you finding?" I ask her. She opens her hand and shows me her little shell, soft pink, pointy and long, like a unicorn horn. It's nice but I don't quite see the appeal. 

She must have noted my lack of interest because she says "give it a minute, he's quite shy." I notice a tiny leg poking out of the the entrance of the shell, another one joins it. Very slowly a hermit crab brings himself out of the shell and starts to explore Addy's hand. "My mum and I go on holiday to this little seaside town every year. We stay in a little cottage by the beach and go looking for hermit crabs in the evenings. They like dusk, I don't know why, maybe something about the light or the way the water moves." 

I look at Addy as she looks at the little crab. She's so content, so peacefully happy as it's little legs scuttle around her hand. Half of her face is golden from the sunset, the other half washed in blue from the oncoming night. She looks entirely perfect, in her baggy jumper and haphazard dungarees. 

"There's a good chance that I'm in love with you Adeline" I say. 

 She looks up at me to see if I'm joking, smirking slightly, a crinkle in her forehead, but I am desperately certain. Her little smirk turns to a big grin when she recognises the sincerity in my face. 

"George Weasley, I..." but she's interrupted by a terrible scream.