Secrets Only Trouble Knows - George Weasley

44 - Dumb and Reckless Together

{ A/N: I can't find much information on the secret passageway to the Forbidden Forest, so I kind of just made something up. For the sake of this chapter, assume the twins know about it and no professors do so that it isn't sealed off! }

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Per usual these days, with nothing else to do, the Gryffindor Common Room was packed from six o'clock onward given our newly instated curfew. Harry, Ron, and I couldn't leave to venture into the Forbidden Forest until we knew for sure everyone had gone to bed, and the room didn't usually empty until past midnight.

We especially couldn't leave until George had retreated to his dormitory. I hadn't told him anything at all about what we were up to and I wasn't planning on doing so. If he knew about it, he'd only try to come with the three of us, which wouldn't work because there wasn't enough room under the Invisibility Cloak for four people. Or, he'd force me to stay here while he went with Ron and Harry, which I was absolutely not going to condone. I wasn't going to be made to feel like I was useless and delicate and that it was better for me to remain in the safety of the Tower while 'the boys' went off to solve crime.

While we waited for the room to clear, Harry spent the evening sitting on his Invisibility Cloak after retrieving it from his trunk once back from dinner. He, Ron, and I also played a few rounds of Exploding Snap with the twins and Jasper after they'd challenged us to a game, hoping it would tire them out.

Ginny Weasley sat with us as well, though she was very subdued. She'd been that way for a long time now, no matter what anyone said or did to help her feel better. I was sure it had to do with all of the attacks and the lack of spirit the school had. Not to say things didn't affect everyone, but she especially seemed impacted as a poor first-year. It wasn't exactly the start to her time at Hogwarts that she'd been hoping for.

Gradually, students trickled off to bed one by one. After what felt like forever, our group were the last ones awake. Finally each of our friends decided to retire for the night, too. Ginny left first, then Fred and Jasper. I waited eagerly for George to do the same thing, but he simply didn't. He remained seated with Ron, Harry, and me — almost like he was purposefully holding out.

George tilted his head towards the staircases. He waited patiently, unmoving, until we all heard the distant sound of dormitory doors close and knew the others were tucked into their rooms. Then he faced the rest of us.

"So, which one of you is going to tell me the truth about what you're up to tonight?" he cut right to the chase.

His skeptical gaze flickered from me, to Harry, to Ron, then back to me again.

"What are you on about, George?" Harry wondered innocently.

"Yeah, what makes you think we're up to something?" said Ron, though his voice wavered a bit. "We're not doing anything at all. Well, besides going to sleep—"

"Shut it. Both of you. I'm not an idiot," George snapped, shooting his brother a dagger that practically made him cower in his seat across from him. "You lot have been acting weird all night. I know it. That can only mean one thing — that you two" (he pointed to the boys) "were planning on doing something careless and stupid tonight. Which, in turn, brought Nova into the equation because she found out about it and has an annoying compulsion not to let you do careless, stupid things on your own."

Harry went to dispute.

"And," George continued, "judging by how nervous and antsy you've been around me, whatever you're thinking of doing is dangerous enough that you didn't want me or anyone else to find out about it, so you've been anxiously waiting for us all to go to bed in order for you to sneak out. Does that sound about right to you?"