Sparks Fly || A George Weasley Story

Year 5: How Could You?

By the next morning, things between George and I had picked back up on the way they had been for the month or so of school previous to our two weeks of fighting. It was as if the whole argument had never happened, although, it didn't help that I was back to square one on how to balance a friendship with a Slytherin and the twins. George had shown me that there was no way for me to openly be friends with both him and Derrick. However, I couldn't just choose between the two of them. Obviously, I liked George and if he were to walk up to me right now and ask me to be his girlfriend, I'd say yes, although, the same could not be said for Derrick.

He was handsome and charming, and was honestly a really nice guy compared to anything that I'd heard about him from other people. Derrick has been there for me several different times when I was down, even when George (my best friend) and I weren't on the best of terms. Maybe, if enough time passed, I might fall for him too, but for now, I was just glad that he was willing to be my friend instead of forcing me to be his girlfriend.

However, none of that was on my mind as I ate breakfast with my friends. Cedric was laughing with Heather about how she double-checked that she'd used waterproofed the video camera that she'd given me as a gift so that she could film this match because she just knew that it was going to be something special. So, now one day, whenever I get around to watching all of these tapes that Heather is just filling up when I'm not paying attention, I get to watch George and I crash land while Cedric catches the snitch and wins the game in the background.

Brilliant.

"Don't get too down about it, Juniper," Heather said, pointing to a scar that I hadn't noticed until now that ran through the tail of her eyebrow and up into her hairline, "Now we've got matching scars!"

"Thank you, Heather," I said, "but I don't mind the scar all that much. I'm more upset about my broom."

"Well, she was a good broom," Cedric said, hand over his heart, "And she really went through it as long as you had her. This year makes what, seven years now?"

"Yeah, but, what if I get a new broom and I don't like it as much?" I asked, with a heavy sigh, "It'll throw me off and I won't be able to play as well as normal."

"You'll just have to make it feel a little more like your old one," Colleen said.

"Oh yeah, Sunny," Cedric agreed, "Just wipe out a few times and sand down the handle so you don't slip off when you do your death defying stunts."

"Don't most people polish their brooms?" Tamara asked, looking over the Daily Prophet at us.

"Most people do," I explained, "They like the shine, and while I like the shine too, if I stand my broom and the handle is rougher, I'm able to get a better grip and I have a much lower risk of slipping and falling off my broom when I don't mean too."

"I've always wondered how you don't just fly off of it," Robin laughed, "But now that you've said it, it makes perfect sense."

"Have you guys seen my owl this morning?" I asked, expecting at least a letter from Gardenia by now. The only letter I'd received had been from Rosemary two months ago.

"No," Heather said, "I haven't seen Scotch in a while."

"Me neither," Cedric said, "Maybe he's just been lazy and stockpiling all your letters in the Owlery instead of bringing them all the way down here."

"Probably," I said, "He's probably still mad at me about not letting him out of the cage as much anymore at home."

"Why not?" Tamara asked, "Owls need to be let out so they can stretch their wings."