stardust ⋮ george weasley

seventy-six :

S E V E N T Y - S I X

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As the Rita Skeeter interview made its rounds around Hogwarts, Adeline could slowly start to see people looking at her differently. For once, they weren't avoiding looking in her the eye or sending snide looks behind her back as she passed them in the corridors. People still talked about her and Harry, but she had expected that. But for the first time in nearly a year, they didn't stare at her as if she was crazy or didn't believe her.

When Adeline happened to arrive at her Charms class early the day after the interview was published to ask Professor Flitwick about a second-year student she would be tutoring later that afternoon and about a song they were working on in choir, he nearly burst into tears at the sight of her. Then, right before all her fellow seventh years arrived, he pressed a box of sugar mice in her hands before squeaking and running off towards the front of the classroom. That same day, Professor Sprout had awarded her twenty points to Ravenclaw for handing her a tray of plants, and she was practically in tears as well.

Even Professor McGonagall had been kinder to Adeline on the first day of Transfiguration after the interview had been published, not speaking to her in the usual harsh tone she addressed almost everyone else in the class with.

Of course, not all the professors were pleased with Adeline and Harry. Professor Umbridge had become even harsher towards her in the following days, if that was even possible. Filch glared at her every time she passed him in the corridors, and even Mrs. Norris hissed at her each time they passed each other. Umbridge had put out yet another one of her decrees that none of the professors could say a word about the article, and the Quibbler was banned. Of course, that did little to stop everyone. Whether it be through hiding them in their dorms, disguising them in textbooks, or disguising them as textbooks.

Adeline didn't mind that. Not as much as it did at the beginning of the year, at least. She knew fully well that certain people would never believe her, no matter how much she insisted. But so many more were starting to doubt the Ministry and the Daily Prophet, which is all Adeline wanted for nearly a year.

Unfortunately, at the same time, Adeline still despised the amount of attention it brought her. About a week after the article was released, George found Adeline hiding away in the library. George didn't like being inside the library unless he was pranking someone with Fred. But with the amount of time Adeline spent there, he knew that it was one of the few places where he was guaranteed time with Adeline. Plus, even though George would never admit aloud, he sometimes liked the library. He rarely completed homework, but he would use the quiet environment to really hone in on some ideas for joke shop products.

They had been sitting in a comfortable silence for a while as they worked. Until, at least, George noticed that she seemed completely unfocused and dazed to the point where he wasn't sure she was actually studying. George poked her in the shoulder until she finally looked up and gave him her full attention. "You alright there, Addie? You've been staring at that page on Alihosty for more than five minutes."

Adeline snapped to reality. "What if I'm just trying to absorb all the information really well?"

He shook his head. "You're distracted. What's going on?"

"It's just been a week," She sighed, finally shutting her Herbology textbook. "You've heard what everyone's been saying. It's almost as much as when I first got released from the hospital wing last June."

"But are you doing alright? With...everything?"

"You can't treat me funny, too," Adeline murmured when she saw the worried look on George's face, fiddling with the sleeve of her knitted sweater. "Not when everyone at Hogwarts is treating me the same way. People start treating me strange and acting like I'm a different person. It makes me remember why I hate opening up so much in the first place."