GEORGE:

Hermione paced back and forth, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"They should be back by now," she muttered.

"You said that ten minutes ago," Ron pointed out.

"And ten minutes before that," Fred added.

"And ten minutes before-"

"I get it!" she snapped, pacing faster. "I just hope nothing went wrong, that's all I'm saying."

"Hermione, relax, it's Lucy and Harry," Ginny said. "You know bloody well neither would ever let anything bad happen to the other when they're together."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, it's when they're not together problems arise. But there's no way that will happen anytime soon. They're inseparable."

"Ron and Ginny're right," I said. "I'm sure they're fine. I wish I could have seen the two of them shouting at Umbridge, though. You said they even shouted together at some point? Like, in unison?"

That distracted Hermione, as I hoped it would.

She smiled a bit. "Yeah. Umbridge kept using her middle name for some reason, calling her Miss Everlin instead of Miss Diggory. At one point, they shouted 'Diggory!' at her in unison, then Harry jumped up, too. They were... quite the pair."

"Just wish they'd hurry up and start snogging already," Ginny commented, reaching forward for another liquorice wand. "But that won't happen until Harry gets over Cho Chang. Bloody idiot got all starry-eyed yesterday when she showed up."

"How'd Lucy react?" Ron asked. "Can't imagine she was terribly thrilled."

"She looked more sad than anything." Ginny ripped a solid six inches off the wand in one bite. "I mean, Cho was Cedric's girlfriend. She didn't seem too fazed by Harry making a fool out of himself, come to think of it."

"She better not be giving up on him, blind though he may be," I said with a chuckle. "I honestly expected him to come to his senses after the Yule Ball, but here we are."

"But what if they are snogging right now?" Fred asked with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Hermione swatted his arm when she passed him mid-pace. "Lucy was crying, so I doubt he'd decide tonight was a good night to... well, you know."

"It'd certainly cheer her up a bit, though-"

The portrait hole swung open then, and Fred immediately shut up. Lucy and Harry climbed through. Lucy's hair was up in a ponytail, and even though her eyes were red and swollen from crying, there was a different air about her.

Something big had happened between Lucy and Harry.

"Merlin, you're all still up," she said, blushing a bit.

"Told you they would be," Harry muttered.

She blushed harder. She didn't reply.

"So how was detention?" Hermione asked as she rocked back and forth on her feet. "What did that horrible woman make you do?"

Lucy and Harry exchanged a look before Harry answered, "Lines."

"Which wasn't too bad," Lucy said quietly. "It was just... the principle of it all. Set me off a bit, I guess." She shook her head, blushing somehow even harder, then glanced at me. "How'd tryouts go? Who's the new Keeper?"

I hesitated.

Lucy hadn't been there, obviously. Neither had Harry.

But Harry didn't know that there was a new Chaser as well as a new Keeper.

"Well, go on," Fred said, punching Ron's knee. "It's your news."

"Ron, that's amazing!" Lucy exclaimed, grinning.

Ron turned red. "Yeah, well, someone had to fill in for Wood."

Harry grinned. "Bloody hell, that's great! Merlin, now the team will be nearly half-Weasley." Harry glanced at me. "Angelina wasn't too upset about us missing tryouts, right?"

I shook my head. "No, it was alright."

"Harry, mate, you should have seen it!" Ron seemed to be glad to have a new audience for his favorite story from tryouts. "There was this one shot Angelina made, and I really thought she was gonna make it, but I..."

Lucy's eyes found mine again, and she wedged herself between Fred and me.

"Angelina was honestly glad Harry wasn't there," Fred whispered. "She seemed worried he'd blow up like he did at Umbridge once he realized there were two open positions. Because you still haven't told him, have you?"

Lucy blushed all over again, swearing under her breath and shaking her head. "I forgot. I'll tell him tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning's the first practice," I said.

She sighed. "Then I guess he'll figure it out when he sees... who's my replacement?"

"Katie Bell," Fred answered. "She's good, but she's not you."

"Yeah, well, that's for the best, the world doesn't need more of me," Lucy muttered moodily.

Fred and I exchanged a brief Where did that come from? look. Before either of us could speak again, Lucy yawned and dragged her sleeve across her face, suddenly looking so much more exhausted and sad.

"I can't believe I just told him," she whispered, eyes sinking shut. Her entire demeanor had shifted, just like that.

"Took you bloody long enough," Fred whispered back.

Lucy opened her eyes wide enough to offer a playful exaggerated glare. Her entire demeanor had shifted again. "Fine, if you're going to be like that, I'll use George as a pillow." With that, she let her head drop onto my shoulder and stuck her tongue out at Fred.

"I'm honored to be your pillow of choice, but I think your bed would be more comfortable," I said in a louder voice, catching Harry's eye. He understood my meaning and came to crouch in front of Lucy.

"George is right, you know," he said with a small smile. "We'll all be here in the morning."

Lucy sat up to turn to me. "You're lucky I don't know the human-to-pillow transfiguration yet."

I laughed. "That doesn't exist."

"I'll invent it," she said, making a face and rising to her feet. "Fred can be my test subject, in case something goes wrong."

"Oh, shove off, Cub," Fred retorted, laughing too.

Lucy offered him an innocent smile. "Sweet dreams, my future pillow. Enjoy being human while it lasts."

"Yeah, sleep well, you might want to try to beat me to breakfast tomorrow before I spike your pumpkin juice with one of our new products."

"George wouldn't let you, would you, Georgie?" she asked with puppy-dog eyes.

I looked between my twin and Lucy, pretending to be thinking hard about it. "I don't know, Cub, I think you'd benefit from your old favorite." I glanced at Fred. "You think we could whip up a liquid form of truth or dare overnight?"

"Oh, don't you dare, George Weasley," she said, sounding legitimately concerned now. Her face turned the same color as the red Gryffindor banner behind her.

"What?" Harry asked in a voice so low only the three of us could hear him, grinning. "I say go for it. It's not like you have to keep secrets from me anymore."

"Right," she replied with a nod, sending me a look that informed me that while she may have confessed that she was a werewolf, she had not confessed that she was head over heels in love with Harry. "You know what, go ahead. I'll tell everyone that it was you two who gave Peeves the idea to, er, creatively fill in the gaps of the Christmas carols the statues were supposed to be singing."

Fred and I high-fived, laughing.

"Go ahead, Cub, tell the world, that was one of our best ideas yet!" Fred crowed.

Lucy shook her head. "Unbelievable. Sounds like I'd better get up early tomorrow, then, that was my worst threat. G'night, boys."

We all watched her leave, Hermione close behind.

"She'll be alright," Harry said softly as we listened to their footsteps fade away up the stairs. "I'll make sure of it."

"And we'll help, of course," Ginny added. "Don't think she's all your responsibility, Harry."

He gnawed on his lower lip for a second before responding. "Right."

But his "Right" was the same as Lucy's.

He was hiding something, too.

Something big had happened between Lucy and Harry.