raison d'être (george weasley x reader)

7.14

A burst of hot air flooded the corridor on the third floor of the castle, shrouding the cool stone floors in a thin layer of condensation and steam-filled smoke. The visual image was paired with a series of unceremonious curses, the sound of a cauldron knocking heavily into a wall, and a loud huff of frustration.

The auditory scene, along with the slowly creeping cloud of smoke caused the footsteps of a seventeen-year-old wizard to quicken, his own unruly language flew out in hushed torrents as he sprinted towards the room hidden in the corner of the corridor. He flicked his wand dramatically, unlocking the old wooden door that separated him from the sight inside: a witch with frizzy hair pulled messily out of her face, robes that appeared singed in some places and ashen in others, and an armful of various vials of different shades of pearly-white.

The sound of the door swinging open caused her to jump with adrenaline-filled fright, a frown lacing her features as she readjusted her hold on the multitude of bottles in her arms. Her eyes quickly swept the surrounding area, taking a second longer than normal to register the boy standing in front of her.

The frantic boy wore an annoyed frown on his face as he glanced over her shoulder into a still steaming pot. His arms crossed over his chest and his eyes read of skepticism, disbelief continuing to flicker between his brows as he looked back at her.

"Have you gone mad?!" Lee exclaimed, watching Y/N sort through the vials she had picked up, seemingly comparing them with the new batch. "What was that?!"

"I spilled an entire vial of mugwort in it," she grumbled. "It's useless now."

He shook his head, not knowing what to say in this situation. It had been a few weeks since they had returned from break and Lee had had the misfortune of being roped into Y/N's potion-making antics — he helped her snag ingredients from Snape's office, secured off the third floor long enough for her to slip past Filch, and had even become her test subject, though not without complaint from him.

He had also been tasked with keeping the twins busy and far away from her during her periods of experimentation. She had made him swear to refrain from telling them of her whereabouts, though they both shared the understanding that George likely figured it out the same day she disappeared; he kept such rigorous tabs of her location that she was sure he could call out the exact times of the day she excused herself to the restroom.

Still, whether he knew where she was or not, George seemed to play along with their antics and feigned ignorance for the most part. It was only the occasional comment about their absence that queued them in on his knowing.

"Do you know what time it is?" Lee asked, looking at her impatiently. "We're going to be late and Umbridge is already scouting the castle with the Inquisitorial Squad."

"Of course she is," Y/N mumbled. She hastened to collect the rest of her vials and carefully slipped them into her bag, which she had altered to have a series of pockets for this specific purpose. She then grabbed her notebook and the few potions books she had been referencing and stuffed them into the larger compartment of her bag before nodding at Lee. "Okay, let's go then."

Together, the two practically sprinted down the moving staircase. Y/N followed closely behind Lee, who had made it a habit to take the lead since, aside from Fred and George, he knew of the most shortcuts around the castle. He also knew how George would react if Y/N were to get caught in one of Umbridge's detentions and he figured he had grown used to the professor's cursed quill enough to withstand a few more late-night meetings with her.

When they neared the main hallway that led to the intersection that housed the entrance to the Room of Requirements, Lee grabbed Y/N's forearm and lurched the two to a stop behind the corner. He held an arm out, keeping her back to the wall, and nodded towards the left.