Finding Neverland | George Weasley ✓

Chapter Ten

Thea definitely couldn't say she was enjoying the detention or cleaning the floors of Fred and George's failed prank, she wasn't even enjoying the company she was currently stuck in but the detention was a nice break from all the drama her and her friends were currently stuck in. Thea was definitely tired of all the drama between Cedric and Marquis, what had happened to always sticking by each other and being best friends forever. These were vows they had made at eleven and often repeated at the start of every year. Six years of friendship going down the drain just like that? Over a silly, simple argument? It was plain ridiculous. 

Fred and George were too busy whispering about something to notice Thea place her cleaning cloth down and stare at the floor unblinkingly her face sad as she thought about her friend's broken friendship. The whispering suddenly stopped as the Weasley twins looked over to Thea and more surprisingly were concerned. 

"Thea? Sorry. We'll keep cleaning I just had to talk to Fred about something." George asked concerned lightly tapping her arm to bring her back to the present. 

Thea shook her head slightly as she was brought back to reality and was greeted with two pairs of concerned, anxious eyes, a first for the Weasley twins.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Thea? You were really spaced out."

"I'm fine. I suppose the more important question is to ask if you two are alright? You two actually seem concerned about me. Who are you and where are the annoying twins I have the most unfortunate pleasure of knowing?" Thea grinned sticking her tongue out again. 

When Professor McGonagall finally showed up to release them to bed she was most surprised to find her three students cleaning quietly not at each other's throats as she had assumed. That's right Professor McGonagall was more than aware of the Weasley twins' and Thea's friendship or knowing each other. They weren't exactly friends. McGonagall assumed their toxic friendship had started long before any of them actually started Hogwarts which made sense considering their two families lived close to each other. This just added to her surprise when she arrived at where she had left them to discover the floor clean and the three not fighting.

"You are now dismissed." Professor McGonagall said sternly looking at her students. 

Was that a hint of sadness she recognised in their eyes? No, it wasn't because Fred and George immediately rose to their feet and tried to leave. 

"I better not see any of you in detention again."

"This year?" Fred asked cheekily.

"Ever. We have important guests in the castle you have to be on your best behaviour. That means no daydreaming in class and no pranks. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Professor." 

"So what was detention like?" Max asked her the next morning over a large plate of bacon and eggs. 

"Interesting to say the least."

"Why do you say that?"

"Fred and George well more George comforted me." 

"WHAT!" Max shouted her mouth dropping open in shock.

"Quiet! I don't exactly want the entire school to know."

"Know what?" Sadie appeared on the other side of Thea.

"That George comforted Thea last night during detention."

"WHAT!" 

"Quiet!" Thea and Max said in unison.

"Let me get this straight. George as in George Weasley, prankster, Gryffindor and someone who doesn't care about anyone they prank, comforted you?"

"Yeah. Apparently, I spaced out thinking about the whole thing with Marquis and Cedric and what it means for the future of our group when George brought me back to the present and made sure I was alright."

"Wow." Sadie breathed in shock.

"So, what does this mean?" Max asked.

"I honestly don't know, M. We have been fighting since we were little. I can't even remember why we started fighting just that we have done so for as long as I can remember."

"That's a long time."

"Thanks, Sadie for saying the clear truth."

Thea was sitting in the hallway by herself. Classes had finished for the day and despite the mountain of homework that awaited her back in the Hufflepuff common room, Thea was taking a moment to do something that seemed that she never got to do nowadays. Breathe. 

Life was extremely busy. Just life in the castle was busy even without the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The old days of her childhood where she and Cedric would sit under a blanket into the late hours of the night reading 'Peter Pan'. It was their favourite book, it still was her favourite book but it wasn't Cedric's. Cedric had grown up and it often seemed that he had grown up without her. Cedric was going on to do big and amazing things while his little sister was left behind. 

Thea looked down at her lap to see the tattered, ancient book sitting on her lap. She always brought that book with her to Hogwarts even in her teenage years its words comforted her. She fingered the pages, viewing the old writing, the dog-eared pages and the places where some sort of food had been spilt on the book and forgotten to be cleaned off.  Thea quickly landed on the page she would always remember, her favourite page of the entire book. 

"To die would be an awfully big adventure." Thea read feeling the familiar smile spread across her face. She just hoped that she would never forget that there was an adventure waiting for her even after death. 

"Thea, what are you doing?" Cedric asked.

"Oh. Hi Cedric. I'm just reading through this again."

"Is that our old copy of 'Peter Pan'?"

"It is."

"What's it doing here, I thought it was back home?"

"I've brought it to school with me every year since the first year."

"Have you really?"

"Yeah."

"That's awesome! Why didn't you tell me? We could try to memorise the pages again, like when we were kids. Do you remember that? Reading it over and over, every night."

"Of course I remember. You and I reading this book every night is one of my favourite memories."

"Well what do you say? Do you want to read this with me again?"

"Of course."

The Diggory siblings settled down and began to read their favourite childhood book together, smiles evident on both of their faces, finally happy.