The Tale of Guinevere

George Weasley

George's POV

"Can you stop fidgeting for one minute!" Fred nearly yelled. George stopped running his hand through his hair as he looked at his twin.

"I can't help it!" George snapped as they walked through King's Cross train station. "Sorry, I just..."

"I know." Fred clapped his shoulder. "You'll see her soon, then you could smooch her face off."

"She needs to talk to me first."

"Right." Fred frowned with a nod. "Forgot about that. She'll understand."

"Easy for you to talk, you had your little crush with you all summer." He stopped pushing his trolley and groaned in his hands. "I first forgot to ask her to meet up this summer, and now I completely abandoned her. She'd almost died, Freddie! And I -"

"Hey, hey." Fred placed his hands on his twin's shoulder. "Breathe." George inhaled deeply. "Better?" He nodded. "Okay, we'll search for her on the train. Then you'll try to talk to her, if she yells let her yell. If she wants to curse you or -"

"Wants to break up." George's voice a whisper.

"Or wants some time." Fred corrected. "You let her; you give it to her, okay? Think about how you would feel if it was the other way around." He pushed his brother to the right platform. "Come on, let's find her."

"Yeah." His voice still soft as he followed his brother through the brick wall.

With quick goodbyes to their family and friends, they boarded the train. Finding Lee quickly, they placed their trunks in his compartment and went out to look for Guinevere. Glancing in every compartment they passed, they finally found Cedric and his friends in one near the front. But there was no Guinevere in sight. It stung when Cedric told him she probably didn't want to talk to him. He figured she would have told him, and he couldn't blame him or her for not wanting to talk to him. But he had to try.

George's breath hitched as he saw her walking out of the train, Cedric's arm protectively around her. He had to look twice because he wasn't used to her sporting a short brown bob, but it suited her, every hairdo suited her to be honest. He saw her laughing, he heard her laugh, and oh how he had missed it. He called after her as he left Fred behind at the train doors. Her laughter stopped, but she didn't. She even started walking faster without looking back. Cedric though, glanced back at him and shot him an apologetic look. George stopped walking as his eyes followed her, until she disappeared in a carriage.

The next time he saw her, it was inside the great hall. She had purposely sat with her back to the Gryffindor table. He didn't eat that night, even though Fred and Lee tried to stuff mashed potatoes in his mouth. He just had his eyes glued to her; it didn't waver from her. Even when she stood up after dinner, his eyes followed. He too tried to follow but all of the other students were in the way. By the time he exited the great hall, she was already gone. He thought about asking entrance for the Hufflepuff commons but decided against it as he climbed the stairs to the tower. Once in his dorm, he wrote her a note asking her to meet with him and to send a reply. He charmed it so it flew to her, and she was the only one that could read it. The second piece of parchment would light up if she had opened it. But nothing happened, the parchment didn't light up, he thought he might have missed it, but he never got an answer either.

After a restless night, he saw her sitting at the Hufflepuff table, again with her back to him. She was laughing with Lyra about something. And his heart broke a little that she wasn't laughing at something he did or said. That he hasn't made her laugh since before the third task. He had begged his mum to let him say goodbye to her, to wait until she woke up again. But she wasn't having any of it and had to leave her there without another word. Then they were moved into Grimmauld and were ordered not to go out or send letters, even though they were off age. Charlie had come by twice that summer but the first time he had missed him by five minutes and the second time was when she was already at Cedric's when he came to announce his engagement. After congratulating him, he berated him with questions. Charlie had taken him into the study and told him about her time at the reserve. And after asking about him once, she didn't mention him anymore, as he didn't have any answers. He told him, she had thrown herself into working with the dragons and was a natural at it. He also told him; it would take her a while to forgive him. He saw her leave with Cedric probably for their first class as he accepted his timetable from McGonagall without looking up. He had to make a plan to get her to talk to him.

He didn't see her all weekend and on the first day of classes, they didn't have any together, he only saw her sitting at the dinner table with Drake and Cedric. He frowned as she talked excitedly to the former, one she never really had much affection for. Maybe... maybe she thought that because I didn't write to her or answered her letters it was my way to break up with her. George's fork dug in the dark wood of the table as he glared at the Hufflepuff boy. Fred nudged his ribs, gathering his attention to talk about the shop. It was cunning of him because he knew George couldn't resist talking about their plans, especially now that they had the funds to start. They were already looking for the right property, ever since this summer they've been scanning the papers, but no luck so far. But even with his mind at the shop, it still drifted to her. He didn't have a chance to tell her about the money. Maybe, probably, she knew already from Cedric that they got the money, but he still wanted to tell her herself. He also was curious about the necklace incident that saved Cedric's life... But first he needs to talk to her, explain; ask for forgiveness before anything else. So, now even talking to Fred, his eyes flickered to the Hufflepuff table from time to time, just to see her still talking to Drake and Cedric, but now with Lyra and Odin across from her.

It's been a week since they arrived at Hogwarts, it's been a week of watching her and not getting a chance to talk to her. Even in class she was always surrounded by other people. She always chose to sit on the other side of the classroom, even if she had to sit next to a Slytherin or two. But they didn't seem to mind, after the third task they all had seen her hair change to stark white, so she gathered new attention from every house.

And you would think that seeing her talking to Slytherins was the weirdest part but no. The thing that shocked him the most was when he saw her talking to none other than Angelina Johnsson after one of their joined classes. She seemed tense at first when Angelina stopped her right outside Transfiguration, so he hid around the corner to see she wouldn't do anything to her again. But they talked amicably, and he saw her shoulders relax after a few minutes. They even walked to the great hall together, talking, before they departed to take their seats at their own table.

The first week of classes were now over, and George was waiting for her outside the great hall Saturday morning. He knew she was already inside with Cedric, and he gave up his extreme ideas and plans to talk to her and he would just wait her out. He wished he could say it was his brilliant idea to keep it simple, or even his twin but no, it was Lee who came up with the easy and simple plan to get her alone. Because even if she was going to walk out the great hall with Cedric, or even Lyra and Odin, he knew almost with certainty that they would let him talk to her, alone. So, he waited patiently just behind the large wooden doors. He saw all the younger students walk in and out of the great hall, all shooting him cautious and curious glances. They probably thought he was up to something, setting a prank or something. He couldn't blame them, the last seven years were filled with unexpected pranks on students, Filch and even teachers. But now he was as innocent as he could be, unless you would frisk him. He always had some candies or prank devices in his pockets. It was something he and Fred started since they were about six years old. Always something on hand if needed, not perse to prank someone but also to get away with things or blame it on something or someone else. So, yes on every given day if you would frisk one of the Weasley twins you would find at least two prank items in their pockets.

His eyes followed each student that came out of the great hall. Then he recognized the Hufflepuff couple, Lyra and Odin. They didn't see him as they made their way to the Hufflepuff common room. When they passed, he hoped the others wouldn't be far behind soon, and his prayers were heard because Guinevere walked outside the great hall laughing at something Cedric said. He was mesmerized for a moment, he had heard her laughing since they arrived back at Hogwarts, but it was now the first time he got to see that wide, beautiful smile up close. His heart skipped a beat but dropped when her laughter died down as she saw him standing there. Cedric frowned at her sudden change and followed her gaze. He gave a short nod to George before walking away.

"Can - Can I talk to you?"

"Ced and I-" She started looking to her left. She pursed her lips as she saw that he had disappeared from the entrance. She looked back to George and sighed. "Fine."

That didn't sound good, but he couldn't let that put him down. He had waited to talk to her for months now, and the last week has been excruciating. He offered his arm to her. She looked at it for a second before walking up next to him but chose not to take it. He guided her to the first empty classroom he could find and closed the door behind him.