March To The Sea - George Weasley ✔️

- 1 0 7 - HERMIONE'S THREAT

LORELEI SKIPPED THE REST OF HER CLASSES THAT DAY. It was as if that one class of Umbridge had sucked out any motivation she had left for the year. She had already written to Remus and Sirius stating how much she wanted to come home and do missions. She didn't write as much as she used to knowing the owl could get intercepted, especially now that she gave the pink puff a reason to think she may know where Sirius Black was hiding.

The twins had found her in the Common Room staring at the fire without a trace of humor on her face before dinner had finished. After realizing the mermaid was not going to come after skiving off classes, the twins brought her food. Frowning, Fred left the food to George and told him he was going to get the Snackboxes so the few first-years who had signed up could test them right away.

George sat down wearily next to Lorelei. He put the plate on the table in front of them and took Lorelei's hands in his. She glanced at him, but she quickly looked back into the fire. George mumbled, "You have detention tomorrow, don't you?"

Lorelei nodded.

"It'll probably be lines or something. I wouldn't worry--"

"I'm not."

Lorelei turned with a sigh and began to tell George of what McGonagall had said, repeating a few things when Fred came back halfway through. Fred and George were angrily muttering protests against Umbridge's point of view about half-breeds.

"Let her try and expel you, better yet, let's see her kick us off Quidditch. We'd all put up one hell of a fight," Fred said with a grin. "We'll go to the waters before curfew, no biggie about that."

Lorelei managed a small smile. "Yeah, yeah. Is the box ready for the testers?" she asked changing the topic.

George frowned as Fred went into a detailed description of how the testing would work. George didn't know if Lorelei was all right, but this was not the best time, he thought, to ask. He'd talk to her personally after her detention.

Later, Hermione was fed up with the twins and Lorelei. They had just given a bunch of first-years their Fainting Fancies, and Lorelei was making sure nothing bad was going to happen to the children. She tested everything on herself first. But when the bushy-haired girl was beginning to storm over to them, Lorelei grabbed Fred's shirt sleeve; it was too late. "That's enough!" Hermione screeched.

Fred and George jumped a bit at the tone of her voice. George glanced back at the kid who slumped over in his chair. "Yeah, you're right. This dosage looks strong enough, doesn't it?"

"I told you this morning, you can't test your rubbish on students!"

"Rubbish!?" Lorelei yelled back as Fred said, "We're paying them!"

"I don't care, it could be dangerous," the witch said glaring at Lorelei the most. What the hell went up her arse and died?

"Rubbish," George said back as Lee made his way over to them.

Lee smiled, trying to diffuse the tension. "Calm down, Hermione, they're fine!" He and Lorelei were inserting a purple pill into the first-years mouths.

"Yeah, look, they're coming round now," said George. "Feel all right?" Lorelei looked over with a smile at George as he spoke to the small girl lying at his feet. He helped her up as she replied shakily, "I think so."

"Excellent!" Fred said, pointing to Lorelei to write it down. Before she could, Lorelei's clipboard was snatched from her hands. Feeling her already risen temper rising again, she glared at the witch.

"It is NOT excellent!" Hermione yelled.

"'Course it is, they're alive, aren't they?" said Fred angrily.

"You can't do this! What if you make one of them really ill!?"

"We're not going to make them ill," George said with a deadpanned look.

Lorelei nodded. "We've tested them all on ourselves, this is just to see if everyone reacts the same--"

"If you don't stop doing it, I'm going to--"

"Put us in detention?" said Fred in his I'd-like-to-see-you-try voice.

"Make us write lines?" said George, smirking.

"No, can do. Already have detention this week," Lorelei said with a shrug.

"No," the anger was on Hermione's tongue was spit out as she stared at the twins. "I will write to your mother."

George gasped in a horrifying way as Lorelei's eyes widened to meet Fred's shocking ones. George exclaimed, "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, yes, I would," Hermione replied grimly. "I can't stop you lot from eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not going to give them to first years."

When Hermione stormed away, Lorelei glared at her back all the way. George intertwined his hand with Lorelei's to bring her attention back to him. He smirked a bit once the shock of Hermione writing to his mother wore off. "We need to work on that temper of yours. Breathing exercises, you know?"

"I know, McGonagall's told me the same."

Lorelei helped Fred, George, and Lee pack up for that night. The three boys left for their dorm while Lorelei was about to go find Brizo. A hand landed on her shoulder, making the mermaid turn a bit too quick as if she was about to get attacked.

"Sorry," Harry muttered. "About that and Hermione."

"Fine, you all right?" Lorelei muttered.

"You have detention all week because you defended me. You shouldn't do that," Harry said with a frown on his handsome face. Lorelei realized how much he had grown up in the five years she had known him. He was forced to live through so much, and she hated it.

Lorelei smiled the smile reserved for Harry; he enjoyed it so much. "I wasn't just defending you. She had a go at my uncle and mother. I couldn't let that pass, now could I?" Harry smiled back for a moment.

"I have detention, too," he muttered after a moment, the smile on his face long gone. "Same thing. Called me a bloody liar. I can't wait for her to leave. I hope the curse still works."

"Oh, it will, Potter. We just have to find a way to rid of her if it doesn't happen naturally," Lorelei said with a twinkle in her eye. "We'll take her out."

Harry smiled a bit again before hugging her. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah. What else would I be good for?" she mumbled into his shoulder. "Try to sleep, all right? Detention won't be a problem."

How wrong she was.