Joke's on Me | George Weasley | Book 1

chapter 20 - break down

Natalia woke up on New Year's Eve with a groan, then quickly remembered it was her birthday and grinned. The girls in her dorm didn't particularly care - they didn't like her much - but Natalia just showered, dressed, dried her hair and joined everyone downstairs in the common room.

"Good morning!" She kissed Blaise lightly before leaning against him.

"Morning babe! Happy birthday!" He rested his forehead on hers, before handing her a small-ish box.

Natalia smiled, kissing his cheek before opening it. There lay a silver necklace with inset emeralds and star rubies. "Oh- Blaise. It's beautiful."

He smiled.

"Put it on me?" She turned, lifting her hair just as she saw Draco coming down the stairs to meet them, her present in hand. She really did love birthdays.

Blaise clasped the necklace together, wrapping his arms around her.

"Happy birthday Nat." Draco smiled, sitting on the opposite sofa, placing the box on the table in front of her.

She smiled and opened it. She stared at Draco then back into the box again. "Are- are you serious?"

Draco grinned.

Natalia pulled out a framed photograph of herself and her mum from when she was nine, only a few days before her mother's arrest and sentencing. She recognised the photograph from her father's mantlepiece, and she wondered how he'd managed to get a copy, and even then charm it to be able to move.

Blaise looked a little confused at first before he could see it clearly. "Oh, Natalia- Is that your mum? Old photo isn't it?"

She could only manage a nod, tears forming in her eyes.

Draco grinned, "it's one she lost a long time ago, I managed to find a copy of it at ours, somehow. Just got it retouched, and framed."

Natalia wiped the tears away, smiling at Draco. "I'll put this away and we can go to breakfast?"

She quickly ran back to her dorm, placing the photo carefully on her side table before rejoining them. Pansy had also appeared, ignoring Natalia as usual.

Breakfast was good, and the house-elves seemed to realise it was her birthday with blueberry pancakes and maple syrup waiting right in front of where she usually sat. "Blueberry pancakes! I've missed these. My dad makes the best blueberry pancakes."

Draco rolled his eyes but held his tongue, not daring to say anything.

Not everyone knew he was a muggle, most thought he was a muggle-born. Of course, those with death-eater parents knew otherwise, but they never said anything themselves.

Post came in, and two owls landed in front of Natalia, each with a small parcel attached. Natalia smiled, untying both of them to the owls could rest in the owlery. She opened one, smiling at the polaroid camera from her dad. She'd been after one for a while, after seeing some old ones of his in a box in the attic. She left it in front of her plate, glaring at Blaise as he tried to reach for it. There was no way she was letting anyone tamper with it, it was way too precious to her.

The second came as a small surprise until she saw the note. The cursed dagger her mother had used on multiple muggles, squibs, even muggle-borns. The note was clearly in Draco's handwriting, signed as though it was from her mother. He did this every year, since her first birthday when there were many questions about why she hadn't sent her a present, only for it to arrive a day later, in Narcissa's writing.
She wondered how he'd got it. As far as she knew it was hidden away in the ministry - maybe Lucius?

She smiled, careful not to touch the blade, wrapping it back up so as to make sure no one accidentally touched it. "I'll write to her later." She smiled, tucking it into her pocket. She'd have to thank him properly later.

**

"Well, if it isn't Nat White."

Natalia froze, hand half-way to the railing, ready to climb to the Owlery tower to send her father a letter thanking him for the present. "George." She replied curtly.

"Ah come on, you can be a little nicer than that."

She sighed, turning to face him. "Why are you here? Why are you here alone."

He turned a little red at that. "Just came to say happy birthday." He shrugged.

Natalia stopped, nearly choking on air. "Um, thank you."

"Who's that to? Parents?"

"Yeah." She looked down, turning the letter over in her hands. "Dad got me a polaroid." She stopped, shaking her head, "sorry, it's an old-style camera. Muggle camera."

George smiled gently. "So, you and Blaise."

Natalia looked up so fast she thought she might give herself whiplash. "What?"

"You and Blaise. Your... Boyfriend." He let the word roll off his tongue, breaking eye contact.

Natalia nodded, not really sure what to say. "It-" She faltered. "It's complicated. Your family- would never let you have anything to do with me if they knew me. And mine do know you - or at least they know your family - and let me tell you." She swallowed, meeting his gaze with a fury she'd never felt before. "They would murder you, your family, and everyone you love if they found out we had ever spoken in a friendly way. I don't fancy watching you die."

George didn't have a reply to that.

Natalia turned, walking up to the owlery, taking Draco's owl and sending her letter to him.

"So you still send them letters?" George called up to her, bitterness in his voice.

Natalia turned, pointed her wand at George, muttering a slew of curses under her breath, her words merging.

And all of a sudden he looked as though he was drowning on air, gasping and spluttering, falling to his knees.

Natalia appeared by his side in no time, not entirely sure what she'd done but taking the opportunity nonetheless. She gripped his collar, leaning over him. "Don't you ever speak to me like that. And don't you dare talk about my father like that. Ever."
She pointed her wand at him again, muttering a bunch of counter-curses until one of them worked and he was able to breathe again.

He collapsed, laying on his back on the floor trying to catch his breath. "Jesus Natalia. You really do have a lot of power behind that"

She smirked, crouching over him, lowering her voice. "So are we clear? Mention anything about my family again, mention this interaction again, and I will leave you here to die, choking on your own lungs."

George didn't respond or react in any way, so she stood, turned and walked away, keeping her head high, not turning back to even check if he was ok.

Though she knew as soon as no one could see her she'd break down. Maybe Natalia was too like her mother for her own good.