Felix Felicis- A George Weasley and Adrian Pucey Love Triangle

42. Adrian's Return

When I reach my dormitory, I take a shower; I let the water steam up the bathroom connected to my room. I dry off and do my makeup lightly, wanting to feel dolled up for my date with George. I try to charm my hair to remove the frizz, but it remains almost exactly the same. I dress in a flouncy short skirt, adding a jumper to keep from completely freezing.

I had no idea what George would have planned; I was just excited to spend time with him. I meet him in his room, where Lee sits in bed. George's eyes gaze intently at my thighs.

"Can you braid my hair for me again? I really liked how you did it this morning." I ask sheepishly. He smiles, nodding and motioning for me to come forward. I sit in front of him silently; he begins to plait my hair at once.

Every move is sure, deliberate. He is slow and gentle, not wanting to hurt me. He had learned to do Ginny's hair when she was too little to do it herself; none of her other brothers had ever bothered to learn to help. He was so kind, always thinking of the people he loved. When he is finished, he wraps his arms around me and kisses my cheek tenderly.

"Oh, I'm going to be sick!" Lee scoffs, getting up and leaving the room. George and I giggle as I turn to face him.

"Alright, go to the edge of the forbidden forest, wait by Hagrid's hut; I'll meet you there. Don't ask why." He smiles, prodding me to get off his bed. I oblige, hugging him tightly before I leave. "I'll see you in a bit." He whispers to me.

I make my way to the exit of the castle, trying to make myself excited for this date. The air is crisp, but there is almost no snow. The walk to Hagrid's hut feels quick, and I go to wait by the tree line.

There is a rustling in the trees, which makes my heart race. I take a step back from the forest, and an outline emerges.

"Oh, erm, hi Mira." The shape calls out.

"Hey Adrian," I say coolly, "seems we keep bumping into each other."

"T-this is the path I always walk-"

"I know. I remember."  I look to the ground.

"You look nice. I've never seen your hair like that before." He says, stepping closer to me slowly.

"George is meeting me out here, I don't think you two want to see each other." I warn. I can't bring myself to step away from him.

He steps even closer, reaching to tuck a stray curl behind my ear. I close my eyes, begging myself to not feel anything. He takes a step back, not wanting to invade my personal space.

"George, huh? What about Cedric Diggory?"

"What about Cedric Diggory?" I spit. I open my eyes, crossing my arms across my chest.

He raises a hand to the back of his neck nervously. "You just seem to be very friendly as of late."

"We're friends."

He drops his hands to his sides. His face is sad, which makes my heart ache. I want to reach out; I want to console him. But I can't. "Why can't we be friends?" He asks quietly.

"You know why." I answer, a heat forming behind my eyes.

He sighs, not wanting to give up. "I can behave myself, I swear it. I just can't lose you. I'm sorry for what I've done. I've been miserable... at least let me be your friend."

I wipe at my eyes before I answer him. "I'll need to speak with George. I don't know if he'll be comfortable with it"

"Yeah, alright. Just let me know." He falters a bit, unsure of what to do. He takes a small step forward, but I stop him before he can come any closer. There is a moment of awkward silence.

"Do you know Josie Rosier?" I ask, taking a small step back.

He looks to the ground, not wanting to answer. "Yeah. She's my cousin."

"Did you tell her to take the blame for our fight?"

"I-I told her I'd tell her parents she was flunking Potions if she didn't take the blame. It wasn't fair to you." He shrugs, looking to his feet.

"You didn't have to do that." I whisper, a stirring in my chest urging me to touch him.

"I know. I wanted to. I've been a complete wanker, it was the least I could do."

"You should go. George will be here any minute." I look towards the castle, anxious to find him.

Adrian nods, turning and walking down the tree line at a brisk pace. I sit on the grass, bringing my knees to my chest. I rest my cheek on my knee, trying to sort through what has just happened. I thought I was over Adrian, but the pace which my heart was beating was telling me differently.

Could he and I just be friends? He promised to behave, but where would that put me? Was it selfish to ask George, knowing how much he disliked him?

"Honey? Are you alright?" I lift my head and see George, carrying a large basket as he makes his way to me.

"Yeah, just thinking." I call out. I begin to stand, dusting the grass off of my legs.

"Ugh, I wish you didn't wear that." He finally reaches me, extending his hand to graze the hem of my skirt, "you look too good."

I blush, not looking up at him. He drops the basket and begins to unpack it, laying out a large blanket. He tells me to close my eyes; he wants it to be a surprise. I do, anxiously waiting to see what he has planned.

After a minute, he tells me to open my eyes cheerfully. He has laid out a couple dozen canvases and large pots of paint on the blanket; he sits in the middle of it all with a large smile on his face. I carefully make my way to him, sitting next to him and giving him a warm hug. He hands me a paintbrush and we begin to mess about.

The time is relaxing, but I can't help but let my mind race between the moment and what Adrian had said. Tears begin to form again, spilling over onto my cheeks silently; I wipe them quietly. George is too immersed into his painting to realize. The tears continue to flow, and I sniffle. George's head shoots up at the sound, and his smile immediately disappears.

"Is my art really that bad? I know I'm no Picasso, but..." he trails off, pulling me closer. "What's going on love? You're alright, I'm here with you."

I tell him it's nothing. He asks if this is about last night, and I shake my head.

"Sorry, I don't know what's come over me." I whisper.

"You're allowed to be upset at whatever you want to be upset at. I love you, alright? I'll always be here for you." He kisses me before wiping my cheeks. "Do you want to see what I've drawn? It'll make you laugh."

I nod and he shows me a beautiful, but messy, vase of flowers. The lines are shaky and the colors have blended together, but it is beautiful nonetheless. "I love it" I whisper, smiling up at him. He smiles, eyeing his own handywork.

"Can I tell you something, my love? I'm crazy for you. There's no one that makes me feel the way you do." He says, reaching in to his pocket. "I know we didn't have the best start, and I haven't been perfect lately... but you've been my best friend for so many years. I love you. Will you take this? As a promise that I'll always be here for you."

He pulls out a small chain, where a rounded pendant hangs. I glance at the clear pendant, seeing there is something stuck in the middle of it. I bring it closer to my eyes, seeing it is a tiny pink flower petal.

"Georgie-"

"It's a flower from our first date, in the greenhouse. It's stupid. If you don't like it you don't have to wear it; I don't know what I was thinking-" He rambles.

I throw myself onto him, tackling him with a hug. "I love it. I love you. Can you put it on me?"

We sit up, and I turn away from him so he can clasp the necklace on the back of my neck. Once he has, I turn back to him. He places a hand on my thigh, rubbing my skin softly. I see his bright smile, the love he holds in his eyes.

I decide to not tell him about what Adrian has told me; not yet. I don't want to spoil a moment like this. He pulls me onto his lap, grabbing a new canvas and beginning to draw out another picture.