Sketchbook ~ George Weasley

Chapter 26 - Why Not?

George's Point of View

"There you are, George, I've been wondering where you went," Fred said. He sat on his bed, a cauldron sat on a small slab of wood in front of him and ingredients spread out into sections all around him. "I think I fixed the love potion, tweaked the ingredients to make it less stalkerish."

I sit down on my own bed right next to his. Slowly I allow my eyes to roam across his bed at all the ingredients that laid out. The last thing I wanted right now was to be thinking about the love potion.

"George," he calls, refusing to look away from the ingredients that he was cautiously strewing into the pot. "You don't reckon Paige would be willing to try it again, would you?"

I don't look up. My heart started beating faster even at the mention of her name.

"George?" This time he looked over at me, and I saw his face pinch up a bit. "You alright?"

"She kissed me," I said.

"Who would kiss you?" Fred asked. I give him a look.

"Paige, apparently," I say.

"No way," Fred stands up now, the potion on his bed forgotten. "Now I owe Lee five sickles."

I gave Fred a pointed look, but I could see the smile slipping onto his face. "Lee was betting against me?"

"Can you blame him?" Fred said. He moved around to the other side of the bed and took a seat so that we were face to face. "We've known Paige for how long?"

"I was working on it," I said. "And you're one to talk, you can't even ask Angelina to the Yule Ball."

"I have a process," Fred shakes his head but frowns. "By tomorrow we'll be going together."

"Good for you," I fold my head into my hands.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Fred says. "The girl you've been in love with for months just made out with you. Bad news is we'll have to find someone else to test out the love potion."

"I don't think she's in love with me," I say.

"What did she say?" Fred asks.

"Nothing," I say. "Snape yelled at us, and she ran into detention."

"How was she acting?"

"Nervous," I say, "but in a jumpy kind of way and lost in thought."

"Hmm."

"What?" I ask.

"I don't understand women," he says.

"Ugh." I sigh, rubbing my temple. I could still feel her lips there in some way, like the memory of them was imprinted onto my own. I can't stop thinking about how she felt when I actually got to hold her or how her black hair fell over my hands. Every time I close my eyes she's there, but something about it wasn't right, like she was physically there, but mentally somewhere else.

"Just ask her to the ball," Fred says. "You know Paige. Even if she didn't like you, she would be afraid to hurt your feelings and say yes anyway."

"I don't want her to say yes because she feels like she has to," I say.

"I don't think she will," Fred says.

I throw my head back into my hands.

"'Ello, everybody." The door swung open. "Guess who. . . Woah, what's going on?" Lee says gesturing with his finger to Fred and me.