willow! → george weasley ✓

[2] hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry

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SEPTEMBER 4, 1989. With the first of September landing on a Friday, the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were blessed with a weekend before the official start of term, meaning they were all well-rested when classes began that Monday...and, of course, the weekend meant there weren't nearly as many first years who had gotten lost on the way to their first class of the day.

For the first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, this first class was Charms, taught by the head of Ravenclaw house, Professor Filius Flitwick. Students from both houses wandered into the classroom and chose their seats meticulously, many straying away from the front of the classroom. An exception to this was two particularly brave Ravenclaws by the names of Ziya Khoury and Eloise Longbottom, for they chose the two seats at the front and center of the classroom, earning looks of bewilderment and amazement from their fellow classmates—though some gave them much different looks.

The two girls had peaked the interests of Fred and George Weasley. With three older siblings in the years above them and a knack for causing trouble, the twins were desperate to know anything they didn't already know about the school in which they'd be spending the next several years of their lives. They already knew so much, but that would only get them so far in their hobby for mischief making. They had to know every passageway, every nook and cranny, and every student, and the two Ravenclaws seemed like the perfect people to get to know first.

They sat down at the two-seater table beside the one the girls occupied, and watched as they talked in hushed voices, laughing at things the other had said, but this observing didn't last for long. The brunette with blue-grey eyes that would eventually make George's heart melt had noticed their staring, and with one elbow on the table, arched a brow their way.

"Look at that, Ziya, first day and we've already got admirers," said Eloise Longbottom, failing to hold back a playful smirk—she was many things, but shy wasn't one of them. The brown-skinned girl beside her also turned to the boys, a matching smirk dancing across her lips.

"Would you look at that," said Ziya, crossing her arms over her chest.
"You two would be the Weasleys, wouldn't you?"

"Maybe," said Fred.

"You definitely are. I never forget a face, or a name." It was no surprise why Ziya had been put in Ravenclaw, even from day one.
"I'm Ziya, that's Eloise."

"I'm Fred, that's George." George matched Eloise's pose with his own elbow on the desk, his neck craned just slightly to look at her, and for a moment, their eyes met, and her smirk turned into a smile—one he returned.

"Impossible to tell them apart, surely they'll use that to their advantage some day," said a voice suddenly, and the girls spun around in their seats to the people sat at the other side of them, two Gryffindor girls: Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.

"Reckon we'll know their secret one day," teased yet another voice, and the girls found themselves looking back in the direction of Fred and George. Just behind them sat a smiling boy with dark skin and short, curly hair by the name of Lee Jordan. Eloise opened her mouth to reply, but at that moment, Professor Flitwick entered the classroom and started class. That conversation was the first of many for the seven of them—needless to say, they had become fast friends.

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ELOISE LAY IN HER BED, STARING UP AT THE CEILING. She had been awake for nearly half an hour, yet she had barely moved, her mind completely lost down the rabbit hole that was her memories. The only thing that pulled her out of it was the reminder that she had to open the shop for the day, long before the employees were set to arrive, but as she fumbled for her wand on her bedside table, lit it with a wordless lumos, and directed the wandlight at her clock, she saw that it was only five in the morning. When the hell had she ever willingly woken up that early?