Vulnerability || George Weasley

Rumour Mill

Nobody woke up very early on Boxing Day. It was noon when Phoenix and Angelina finally descended the stairs from the girl's dormitories, leaving Alicia, Ava, and Arista all still very much asleep. When they arrived in the common room, they found it surprisingly quiet; evidently most of the Gryffindors were still asleep.

"So," Angelina yawned, sitting down at the rather empty Gryffindor table for lunch the day after the Yule Ball, the Great Hall had been retransformed back into its original appearance, this fact rather impressed Phoenix. "Have you thought anymore of what I said last night?"

Phoenix reframed from rolling her eyes with great difficulty. Of course she had thought about it, it had been what was keeping her awake most of the night. But she wasn't going to tell Angelina this; she would probably scream it to the heavens and then tell Fred and then it would reach all the ears of all the students before dinner that night.

"I told you, he's my best friend," she said finally, picking up a turkey sandwich to avoid looking at Angelina.

"You're so bloody stubborn Phoenix," said Angelina, her arms were crossed and she looked rather like Mrs. Weasley surveying Fred and George when she knew that they had done wrong. "You just don't want to talk about it because you're scared,"

"I'm not scared–"

"Then talk to me," Angelina coaxed, a pleading expression upon her face. "I'm one of your best friends, I'm a girl and I'm a sympathizer. Girls have each others back."

"You're also persistent," Phoenix mumbled under her breath before taking a large bite from her sandwich. This comment however just made Angelina beam fondly. She reached a hand over the table and patted Phoenix's forearm in a sort of sympathetic way.

"Tell me your problems Phoenix, I'm here for you."

Phoenix snorted with laughter. "Okay... I've thought about me and George–" Angelina squealed, sounding horribly like Alicia. Phoenix felt it had something to do with finally being with Fred that Angelina was now becoming a little more girly when it came to 'feelings', things that usually made Angelina feel like she was going to throw up. "And I have realised how terrible it would be to have any such feelings for one of my best friends."

"Merlin's bloody pants Phoenix!" Angelina almost shrieked. "Don't be so stubborn when it comes to your feelings. I haven't seen you so bloody embarrassed and flirty around a bloke since... since... that guy from Ravenclaw you used to fancy!"

"Marcel was really cute! I was eleven; of course I thought we were going to be married!"

"His last name was Maycock and if you thought I was going to let that happen to you, you are severely wrong. I saved your life as well as your dignity!" Phoenix rolled her eyes; Marcel Maycock was her very first crush when she arrived at Hogwarts. He had been third year when she was in first and in Ravenclaw – she had fancied him terribly for around three months before she had given up and she had not shown any interest in a boy since (apart from having to kiss Roger Davies reluctantly during a game of dares in her fourth year).

"Back to the matter at hand," said Angelina, who looked as though she was seconds away from throwing her pork pie at Phoenix. "I haven't seen you so flustered by a guy since our first year and then suddenly you're all blushing and flirting with George!"

"That doesn't mean anything!" said Phoenix desperately, she felt like Angelina was digging closer and closer to the truth that she was simply too scared to fancy her best friend. "Friends can flirt–"

"You don't see me trying to flirt with you do you?"

"Lee flirts me with!"

"But that's Lee!" Angelina argued. "He'll flirt with anything as long as it has a pulse."