Little Light of Mine // George Weasley // FF

Chapter 36: Chess

When I snuck back into the castle, dinner was well underway. Giving me the advantage. Cedric would be waiting in the Great Hall, part of me wanted to go to him, but another part of me felt strange leaving one and joining the other. The whole thing made me feel dirty.

And powerful.

Slipping in the common room, I was greeted by the silence.

No one here to question my whereabouts. Perfect.

"May."

Fuck.

I turned slowly to one of the couches. Arya's favorite spot. Sure enough, she was lounging on it with a book across her lap.

"Hey," I smiled. "It's just you,"

"Just me," Arya smiled, but there was something on her mind. That was when I remembered lunch and her piercing gaze.

I was not out of the woods.

Double fuck.

"How was the Paddock," She asked.

"Uh- Fine," I said, wringing my hands. It will be fine; just act like you were meeting with Draco. "Just work with Arthur,"

"Just Arthur?" Arya tilted her head, which only made it worse for me. She knew something- she had to.

"No,"

Arya's smile dropped, but I was not scared. This was just a sign that we are about to talk and that the lies were off the table. "When did you get back together," She didn't need to ask if I was with George; Arya knew. The woman should have been in Ravenclaw. "I am guessing it was after you got your watch back," She said, her eyes flicking down the strap. "I didn't think he would move so fast," When I showed Arya the bracelet, she was the only person to know its trustworthy source. She even smiled a little when I showed it to her.

"We aren't at all," I looked around before stepping towards her. "It's not like that, the opposite really," I thought about the watch and looked down at it. "Honestly- I ... I don't think the watch was ... a ploy,"

"Of course not," Arya shrugged. "George wouldn't hold something you loved that much over your head," She paused. "What do you mean opposite?"

I paused, not sure how to explain myself. "It started off as blackmail,"

"Excuse me?" Arya sat up and reached for her wand. It was clear any good credit George had accumulated with Arya evaporated within that second. "He did- what? Are you -"

"NO," I raised my hands, "not that kind of blackmail,"

"Not that kind of blackmail?" Arya scoffed. "IS there a nice blackmail out there, one that doesn't border on the side of illegal, maybe?"

I paused, trying to find the best way to explain things. "He was going to tell Harry about my plans for the wood,"

Arya calmed down, but her eyes were still narrowed. "I can't blame him- what you are doing is crazy,"

When George and I broke things off, I needed someone to talk to about the forest; Cedric would do everything in his power to stop me, so I couldn't go to him. Arya was the first choice, though, loyal to a fault in a way that she had given her loyalty to a very particular dumbass. I nodded. "However, George said he won't go to Harry if I keep him in the loop,"

"Meaning,"

"George comes with me,"

Arya was back to being upset, "So he is blackmailing you- to spend time with you, after you told him not to," The wand was still out and about; this very well might be George's last night as a free man instead of a caged ferret.