Caught up in a mischief called love (George X Reader)

Year two: Silly little thing

The Christmas holidays felt like anything but. At times YN even felt sorry for the twins for tagging along, as the sudden change in her behaviour simply couldn't go unnoticed. She didn't smile nearly as often, she took a while to laugh at a joke, she poked at her food. She tried her hardest to avoid the many mistletoes around the house. She didn't even find amusement in teasing Tibby. She often found herself with her knees close to her chest, staring at the roaring fire. Just like she did back in the common room, only lately she found herself wrapped in a new jumper Molly had sent her. She couldn't bare looking at the pale snow, as it brought her mind back to that night. As quite a few things did, lately. But the twins never failed to do, what only the two of them could – to make her forget, even for a while. Forget about the bloody letters shimmering upon the damp wall, the shadow underneath, forget about the constant fear, lose the feeling of constant unease, forget about Ernie's words, forget about Justin's face... Justin's terrified face. A pair of desperate eyes, staring down the pits of her soul.

She forced a blink and found herself staring out the Hogwarts express window. She got lost in her thoughts again. Surely, she must have flinched, because not a moment later she felt George gently tap her fingers. Despite the reassuring smile she offered, George's eyes showed concern. And despite his best efforts to focus on whatever mischief Fred and Lee were working on, his eyes kept darting back to YN.

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There had been no more attacks since those on Justin and Nearly Headless Nick, and Professor Sprout was very pleased to inform them that Mandrakes were becoming moody and secretive, meaning that they were fast leaving childhood. She reassured them that the petrified students would soon be joining them in their assignments which only kept piling up. Snape had given them so much homework, YN was certain she was likely to be in the sixth year before she finished it. Ernie didn't take Professor Sprout's cheerful view. He was now very much convinced that Harry was the one to blame, and that he had given himself away at the Duelling club. Which only left YN more disappointed. Hannah made it clear that she strongly disagreed with Ernie. She also made it very clear that she understood how YN felt at times, without her having to explain herself. Wayde didn't intend on leaving Ernie on his own, but he always made sure to make some time for YN, by the common room fireplace. At a time like this, the only thing the whole group could agree on; was that they terribly missed having Justin around. Peeves the Poltergeist wasn't helping the matters; he kept popping up in the crowded corridors singing that awful song he sung the night of the last attack. YN had to cover her ears each and every time, in at attempt to prevent that awfully dreading sight from crossing her mind. Yet it kept reappearing, over and over again.

Ron wrote to YN about their little Polyjuice potion adventure during the holidays. It made YN wonder what it was like talking to Draco, not as his arch enemies, but as... his goons? She wasn't sure Draco considered Crabbe and Goyle his friends. She wasn't quite sure Draco had anyone he could call a friend... at all. He had sent her another card this year, addressed to her and her grandparents. For a moment she even considered it his way of an apology, but that wouldn't be Draco at all. So she sent back a plain 'Thank you.' No golden stars attached.

YN found it hard to believe that not a single person noticed three students going in and out of the girl's toilet which was apparently out of order, or that none of the staff sensed a potion brewing in one of the stools. She found it even harder to believe that Hermione somehow managed to turn herself into a cat. She finally left the Hospital Wing; de-whisked, tail-less and fur-free at the beginning of February. There had been a flurry of rumour about her disappearance when the rest of the school first returned from their holidays, because of course everyone though she had been attacked. That duffer Lockhart somehow got the idea he himself had stopped the attacks and YN found him to be less and less bearable by the day. He though, what the school needed now, was a morale-booster. And his idea became clear at breakfast time on February the fourteenth.