Felix Felicis- A George Weasley and Adrian Pucey Love Triangle

79. Time Apart

The next week is rough. In Divination, Adrian sits with some Hufflepuff boy, and I sit with Angelina. Having to tell her was horrible, especially since she was the last one I had talked to about... us. I don't know how Angelina could be friends with someone like Katie. Sure, they were on the team together, but even when I played Quidditch I never got close with that wench.

Oh, Katie. She took every possible opportunity to throw herself at George, constantly asking him about the dance. He would say some nicety about not going each time, but she never got the hint. I had gone back to sleeping in my own room, charming my curtains to not move unless it were by my hand.

I spent most of my time with the twins and Lee, and a lot more time with Ron and his friends. Hermione and Harry were good company; neither pried or poked, and they were always lighthearted.

Although I had such good company, I was rarely in good spirits. My heart ached over Adrian, who couldn't even look at me in classes or in the halls. I felt so alone, so discardable. Not to forget to mention that Adrian had spent a night in the infirmary due to a broken arm. Fred and Lee feigned surprise, swearing they had nothing to do with it.

None of my Slytherin friends made an attempt to speak to me, aside from Julia. She had snuck off during dinner once to give me condolences, telling me Adrian was making a mistake. "He'll come back, I know it." She had told me.

Rumors had spread around the school, and soon everyone knew about Adrian and I. Most of the girls stuck to whispering about me and making up stories about how we had ended things. The boys, on the other hand, had moved quite quickly. The upcoming dance was the only topic more interesting among my peers than my love life, and I had already received a few proposals from boys I did not know. Obviously, I said no to them all.

I had also started spending more time with Cedric, but most of our time was studying or discussing next year's quidditch lineup for both of our teams. Cedric had started dating a Ravenclaw girl named Cho, but he still managed to carve time out to speak to me. He knows about what happened, although I never told him.

George hasn't tried to be anything more than my friend. He's shown no ill feelings toward my friendship with Cedric, which came as a surprise.

Now, I sit with Ron, the twins, and Lee by the fire. The George and Lee sit next to one another, copying my History of Magic homework. Fred is sat on George's left side, reading a letter Molly had sent him.

"Merlin's beard!" Fred calls out, scaring all of us.

"What is it? Is mum alright?" George asks, leaning to look at the letter.

"Mum and dad are fine... there's just another letter in here." He pauses, looking at George. Both of their eyes widen, and Ron walks up to see what they are so shocked about.

"You have to be joking." He says, ripping the sealed envelope from Fred's grasp.

I sit up straighter, trying to see what the envelope says. "Well tell us!" I cry, unable to see what the letter says.

"It's for you, Mira. From Charlie." Ron says, handing the letter to me. The tension in the air is thick as I take the letter from Ron, slowly opening it. Before I can take the paper out of the envelope, Fred's body lands next to mine. His head reaches over my shoulder, trying to read the words Charlie had written to me.

"Bugger off!" I say, pushing him away from me. "I'm going to read this without you breathing down my neck!" I stand and walk to the bay window, sitting down and bringing my knees to my chest as I begin to unfold the piece of paper.

Mira, I know this will be a few days early, but I go back to Romania tomorrow and then this letter will arrive too late. Happy Birthday, Mira. Seventeen is a big year! You can use magic outside of Hogwarts, apparate wherever you wish, legally get a drink at the pub. I hope you have a great one, don't let the twins give you too much grief. Best, Charlie.

My cheeks grow warm. Charlie had remembered my birthday? Not even the twins had brought up the upcoming day, only four days from now. I never make a fuss about the day, there was no point in dragging it out really. A few butterbeers and a slice of chocolate cake was always enough for me. I make my way back to the boys, who eagerly await my return.

"Well?" Lee asks, sitting on the edge of his seat.

"He confessed his love for me. I'm dropping out of Hogwarts to go live with him and play with dragons." I tell the group, with a serious tone.

"Tell us the truth!" Ron says, his cheeks pink.

"It was just to say happy birthday." I tell the boys, and they all breathe a sigh of relief. "What else could he have said?" I say with an eye roll.

I sit next to Fred and he wraps an arm around my shoulder. "You know, Charlie only just turned twenty-one a month ago. My great aunt Muriel was twelve years younger than her husband." He whispers into my ear.

"You dog, it was only to be nice. Besides, your great aunt Muriel is ancient. Things were different then." I laugh, pushing against Fred's shoulder.

"Well I'm not going to stop trying. You're already my sister, but if you marry one of my brothers it'll make it official. Then you'll have to come to the Burrow for all of the holidays!" He says, tickling me lightly. We laugh and I shove him away; he moves to take the homework from in front of Lee to copy it himself.

I fold the letter back up, tucking it in the pocket of my bag. Charlie was only being nice; I had just seen him and this was a big milestone. That's it, it had to be. The boys begin to fight about who can copy my homework first, and I find myself jumping up to keep them from ripping the parchment clean in half.

--

The next few days are the same as the last, not notable in any form. Today is Thursday, my birthday being only two days away. The weather has warmed up a bit; the snow had finally melted away just yesterday. I sit under my tree, studying as I look over the lake. This is the first moment I had been on my own in the last week, and I can't help but feel a deep loneliness.

I read my textbook, undisturbed. The leaves move lightly above me and the water splashes on the shore to my left, only calming me. Time moves slowly here; the silence and escape from the constant whispering of strangers and bickering between my friends providing a wonderful escape. My mind is torn from this calm when I hear a twig snap on my side, which forces me to quickly whip my head around to see what caused the disturbance.

Adrian stands before me in his dark winter coat, a small bouquet of flowers in his hands. "I was hoping we could talk." He tells me, reaching a hand out to help me stand.