IV- Sydney

I flipped through the pages of my Herbology textbook absentmindedly. As much as I tried to keep my anxiety about today's Quidditch practice at bay, I couldn't focus for more than about two minutes. I laid my head in my hands.

"I'm home!" Zerena greeted, as I heard her throw her belongings on her bed next to my desk.

The Fifth-year girl dormitory only had five four-poster beds in it, as most of the Ravenclaw Fifth-years were boys.

"You left?" I asked, my head still in my hands.

I heard her grunt as she threw herself on her bed. "You won't believe what I just heard."

I lifted my head up to look at her, "Oh more gossip." I clapped my hands. "I can't wait," I sarcastically added.

"Oh, you're gonna want to hear this."

"Doubtful."

She rolled over so her elbows rested on the mattress with her face lifted by her hands. Her eyes narrowed when we made eye contact. "It's about the twins, specifically George."

I felt my heart drop. George and I have been spending every second of spare time I've had trying to help me get over my fear of Bludgers.

"It's probably just a rumor," I told her.

"Or, he is taking Clare Braxton out on a date tonight at The Three Broomsticks." She told me.

If I could imagine how my heart felt at that moment, it was like someone was stepping on it. Why didn't he tell me? Why was he taking her on a date? I mean Clare was a decent person, but besides us sharing a room together we never talked, like ever. And the last time I checked neither did her and George.

Zerena was waving her hand in my face. "Hello!"

"What?" I acknowledged.

"I told you, George Weasley, your George Weasley, has a date tonight and you zoned off."

I ran my hand through my hair. "Yeah, was just a little bit shocked."

"He didn't tell you?"

"No."

I felt like I was going to throw up the lunch I had earlier. Trying to picture George with her just made me absolutely sick to my stomach, and I'm not sure why.

"If it helps, I heard it's more of like a double date with Fred and Angelina."

Fred and Angelina. There, that was a couple I thought of and didn't feel sick to my stomach. The thought of Fred and Angelina officially going on a date actually made me giddy with happiness, as I really liked them together.

George was supposed to be just as much of a best friend to me as Fred, but the thought of him with someone never really sat well with me. Whereas with Fred I was always playing matchmaker for him.

"You okay?" She asked.

I ran my hand through my hair again, a nervous tick.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"

Now she was sitting up in her bed with one of her legs hanging off over the edge.

"Because it's George." She said matter of factly.

"He's just my friend. Best friend."

"I'm just your friend. Fred is your bestfriend." Her eyes softened as she said the next part. "George is something different to you." She held her hands up defensively as if predicting what I was going to say next. "Whether you want to admit it or not."

-*-

After what felt like forever as we sat in silence, Clare walked into the dorm. Zerena's eyes met mine, I could tell that she was anticipating me to confront Clare about her date with George. Instead, I just got off my bed and went to go grab a jumper for Quidditch practice. As I pushed through my clothes to find something to wear, my fingers brushed against the fabric of a knitted emerald green jumper that had a gold "G" on the front.

The night that George had given me the sweater flashed in my memories.

I wasn't too sure how long we were on the couch before I fell asleep. I awoke in George's arms as he was carrying me up the Burrow's stairs. Instead of speaking I just stared at him, the way he was stepping carefully trying not to wake me up. The way I saw his eyelids were almost half shut, as he didn't fall asleep since we had sat down on the couch after I had calmed down from my dad leaving. As I tightened my grip on him, he looked down at me.

"You're awake." He said softly. "I'm sorry I woke you."

Not trusting myself to speak without breaking down again, I nodded softly. We came in front of his door, and he shifted my weight more into his arm that was wrapped around my back, so he could open the door with his hand that was carrying my legs. I'm pretty sure George had never once carried me like this, but he somehow was very graceful in all of his movements.

As soon as we walked into the bedroom, I shivered as the cold air reached my bare arms.

"Are you cold?" He asked as he felt me shiver.

I nodded.

He laid me down on his bed. I could hear Fred on the other side of the room snoring softly. When George appeared in front of me again I could only make the outline of his body in the darkness.

"Here." He handed me a jumper.

I pulled it over my head, as he pulled his duvet over my legs.

"I'll be downstairs on the couch if you need me." He said.

I grabbed his wrist to prevent him from leaving.

"Don't leave," I said ever so softly.

I scooted over in the small bed to where my back hit the wall, to make room for him. I could tell he hesitated before I felt the bed sink down due to his weight. As close as George and I were sharing a bed, was even a first for us, but just as always with George, it felt natural. The way my head lay on his chest, the way his arm wrapped around me. I never felt safer. I closed my eyes and fell asleep to the beat of his heart.

I traced the letter 'G' lightly with my finger. The words Zerena had told me earlier rang in my head. Was George something more to me? I had never thought about it before, I never had to be put into a situation to think about it like that before. I grabbed my black jumper that was under George's and threw that on. I grabbed my bag that had my textbooks and work uniform from the trunk that was at the foot of my bed, and without a word to either Zerena or Clare, left the dorm.

As I closed the door to the common room, I saw the tall figure of George Weasley leaning against the wall. Hands in his pockets staring off in the opposite direction with a blank expression. As soon as I saw him, my heart made an unfamiliar leap at his presence. I silently cursed at it.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

His head snapped in my direction. "Waiting for you of course."

He took his hands out of his pockets and took my bag from me, and slung it over his shoulder.

"Thought I should escort to your first official Quidditch practice back." He told me nonchalantly.

"Oh so not here to see your new girlfriend Clare," I said bitterly.

He flinched when I mentioned her. "She's not my girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Sure, just have a date with her, right?"

"Well technically ye-uh wait, how did you hear about that?"

I began to walk off towards the Quidditch pitch, not necessarily caring he had my belongings. I could feel my heartbeat begin to pick up.

"Sydney!" He called after me.

I took a deep breath. I wasn't angry at him, he didn't have any reason to tell me about his date with Clare if he didn't want to. No matter what George was to me, once I figure it out, I was just his best friend. He didn't owe me any explanation.

"Sorry." I apologized when he caught up to me. "I don't know what that was about. Probably just stress about practice and I'm taking it out on you."

"No, I'm sorry. I should've told you, you shouldn't have had to hear it through someone else."

"There's no reason why you had to tell me about it," I told him.

He sighed. "I-I'm just sorry."

I nudged his shoulder with mine. "You're good."

-*-

As soon as we got to the Quidditch pitch I could feel the mood switch from what it was previously once Isaac came into George's view. I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks, as it always does around Isaac. He came running out of the Ravenclaw locker room.

"Weasley!" He yelled.

I saw George clench his jaw. His hand that was on my bag grabbed the strap so hard I could see the white of his knuckles.

"Westwick." He growled.

As Isaac approached I just kind of stood there awkwardly in their glaring showdown.

"Thought you could sneak into our practice?" Issac questioned.

"Thought you weren't going to play her."

Isaac flipped his platinum blonde hair out of his eyes. His eyes were such a dark brown that could make anyone melt just by looking into them, as those eyes were the reason I gave into him with barely any fight.

"She's fine, right O'Connor?" His Scottish accent layered thick in his questioning.

I licked my lips, and I could feel George staring so hard at me, it felt like he had x-ray vision. He didn't think, even with our after-hours practicing, that I should play in the game. When my eyes met Issac's I could tell what was about to come out of my mouth next wouldn't make George too happy.

"I-"

"Besides Weasley, we wouldn't even have to play her to beat you losers." Isaac cut me off before I could say anything.

"If that's the case, why play her?"

"Guys-"

"We'd love to make it a landslide." Isaac cut me off again.

Isaac was a sixth-year, team captain and beater of the Ravenclaw team. There had always been some kind of nonspoken competition between Isaac and the twins. Practices, before we faced Gryffindor, were always more intense than the other ones we had. And with either George or Fred wanting to escort me before practices and games, always put Isaac in more of a foul mood.

"Then don't play her." George insisted again.

I grabbed my bag from George, wanting to leave this testosterone arguing behind me. George barely moved when I took the bag from him. I began walking to the locker room, and that's when George had noticed.

"Where are you going?" He called after me.

I turned around, as I continued to walk to the locker room.

"To practice!" I told him.

I didn't have to see Isaac's face to know he was grimacing at George in the evil melodically way he normally does when I take his side, versus the twins. I met George's eyes with mine, they were full of sorrow, I mouthed 'I'm sorry' to him before I turned around, as I made my choice to play.