What must it be like to grow up that beautiful?
Lottie babel had been friends with the twins since first year. They had met on the train and immediately clicked, along with lee Jordan. Their little group had become quite well known for the twins antics, but Lottie tried to lay low. She wasn’t loud or excitable but she wasn’t mute either. She just minded her business… along with helping plan pranks here and there.
she’d always had a small crush on George but suppressed it out of fear of jeopardizing their friendship. If he, Fred or lee EVER found out, she would probably curl up into a ball and die on the spot from embarrassment. Fred would tease her into oblivion.
Her silly little crush aside, she and George had always been closer with each other than the other two. Besides Fred and George being the duo they where, Lottie was George’s best friend, and lee was Fred’s. The group of 4 was rarely seen apart during free time. Wether it was in the common room planning a prank, or in the library when Lottie would force them to study, they where always in close proximity.
Out of the two twins, Fred was definitely the flirty one. He would tease Lottie and Lottie would pretend to blush and swoon, just to go along with the joke. George didn’t voice it, but he hated these jokes, and Fred knew it. Lottie never noticed the angry glances he would throw at Fred, no matter how much attention she payed him(conscious or not), she couldn’t see through the weird twin telepathy thing they had going.
Fred being the flirty twin didn’t stop George from also flirting though. The difference was that Fred flirted with everyone, while George only flirted with Lottie. Lottie just thought that the twins loved to tease her. Any little blush they could get out of her would have them wooping and jumping around the room. Lottie would just laugh.
George was very smooth… he knew just how to get her in a way that Fred couldn’t even reach. George was very touchy in his flirting, it could be twirling a piece of her hair around his finger or a hand on her back. It got her every time, and he would point a finger in her face and coo and laugh and smile. Jesus the smile. Lottie would fold just at the sight of it, but she held it together, only letting a slight blush through just to egg him on. It was a fun little game they had.
***
Today the main hall was very busy. It was in between classes, Lottie had just left her advanced potions class and was making her way to history of magic. She was sorting her books in her bag, not watching where she was going in the busy hall, just vaguely following the feet in front of her. The one moment she fully lost attention of the other feet, she collided hard with another person walking the other direction. She stumbled a bit, her hair falling in her face so now she was really blinded.
She felt a pair of hands find her hips and grab on from the front to stabilize her. “Wotcher love.”
George. Shit.
“Sorry Georgie.” She said quickly before she felt him start guiding her around himself, still holding onto her hips. “S’alright.” She could hear the smirk on his mouth. He didn’t let go of her hips until she was fully behind him and he just walked off, watching her for a second while she just stood there. She probably looked like a tomato, hand on her mouth, hair still in her face.
She quickly regained her composure, remembering where she was, and stalked off to class.
***
In history of magic, professor binns droned on and on about the goblin uprising. Boring stuff. Lottie was still thinking about the way George had grabbed her. It had been such a swift and easy motion for him. She had enjoyed it thoroughly. She was sat at the back of the classroom at a table by herself, which was proving very useful at the time. She couldn’t imagine how flustered she looked right now. If anyone had been near her, they could probably smell the crush radiating off of her.
Sooner than she thought, class ended. She composed herself and then realized she hadn’t been listening to not one thing professor binns had said the entire class. She’d have to go to the library later to catch up.
***
On her way back to gryffindor tower at the end of the day, and arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her close. “Good afternoon sweet sweet Lottie.” “Hullo Fred.” She replied. “You know… I know a little piece of Information that may interest you.” He said with a bit of a teasing tone. Lottie was sceptical. “And what would that be Freddie.” “Ahh, you see that’s the thing, if I tell you, you cannot tell on me. It must stay between us. You understand?” “Alright, weirdo.” She was definitely interested now. “What is it.” She added.
“A little birdie has told me, that a certain red head we know has a little crush on you.” He beamed down at her with that stupid smug face he did so well. “I beg your pardon?!” She spluttered, stopping in her tracks. Fred let go of her. This could not be happening. “I think you heard me quite well.” He replied. They both knew that they where not talking about Fred, he had his own situationship with Angelina Johnson. “And dear Lottie, I know you like him too.” “How could you possibly know that?!” She whisper yelled, now clutching her school bag to her stomach. The ghost of George’s hands still on her hips.
“Oh please,” he said “you think lee and don’t notice your guy’s constant flirting? It’s painful. “You and lee both flirt with me as well! It’s a joke!” “Yes but Lottie what your not seeing is that you don’t flirt back to me and lee, only dear old Georgie.” Lottie rubbed a hand over her face. “So how do you know he likes me then?” Her tone of voice was tired, pleading almost. “Ah, lee told me about your guys little hallway altercation today. Said George was red as a tomato afterwards.” “Your kidding.” She demanded. “Not one bit.” Jesus Christ.
“So what do you want me to do with this Information then? It’s not I’m gonna ask him out.” “No, I knew you would say that. But maybe just make your ‘flirting’ more like flirtinggg, if you know what I mean.” Fred was very convincing. “Ok.” Was all she said and they continued their way to the common room.
***
Lottie never thought of herself as pretty. Her curly blonde hair sat strangely, her hips where wide and her shoulders where strong. She often wonder led what it was like to grow up beautiful. Where your hair fell into place perfectly and you didn’t worry about how much space you took up. She never in a million years expected George to like her back, she almost didn’t believe Fred but he wouldn’t lie about such a thing. It was ridiculous really, this whole situation.
She came down from her dorm later to find the twins and lee huddled around a piece of parchment on the table by the window. The common room was calm, the fire crackled and students chatted.
“Evening gentlemen.” Lottie announced herself. George’s head sort of shot up before he caught himself while the other two just looked up casually. Lottie was still standing next to table. Fred and lee where sat next to each other on one side of the table, and George was sat closest to the window with an empty chair, presumably saved for Lottie, next to him. “Lottie! My good friend!” Said lee with a big grin on his face. George eyed him carefully. “What are you guys up to?” Lottie asked, now leaning against the table with her hands, trying to get a better look at the parchment. “We’re planning a party.” Fred said with that same smug look from earlier. Oh god.
“Why don’t you sit?” Fred suggested. Lottie looked at George. “What’s the matter love? Don’t want to sit next to me?” George said with a false pout. He didn’t know that she knew. Oh this was good. “Of course not.” She replied with an innocent smile and sat down, placing a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. “So a party huh?”
***
From the time Fred told her that George liked her, up till the party, Lottie had been relentlessly flirting with George. Trying ANYTHING to get even the slightest blush out of him. Nothing. But he had been flirting back ten fold.
There had been a time in the last week that really stuck out though. The four of them had been making their way down to the great hall for dinner. Fred and lee where walking a bit ahead as to give them some space, they had been in on it of course. George and Lottie where having their normal back and forth flirty banter, there had been an arm slap after a dirty joke and a few hair ruffles from George. When somebody bumped shoulders with Lottie as they walked passed. It had clearly been an accident but George didn’t seem to think so. He wrapped a protective hand around her waist and pulled her into his side as they continued to walk. “Oi! He called over his shoulder at the person, “watch it will ya!” He kept his hand on her waist all the way to the table.
Now at the party, Lottie had been hanging out with lee most of the night. They sat on one of the sofas, both nursing their cups of whatever the twins had come up with. It was definitely alcoholic. Lottie had been in charge of the music, which was easy she just brought her record player down from her dorm along with her vinyl collection.
Lottie felt the top of the sofa dip behind her head as a pair of arms wrapped loosely around her neck. She looked up to see George’s face directly above hers. “Hello gorgeous.” She said teasing. “Hello Lottie.” He said smiling at her. “What’s up?” She asked. He just looked down at her. “Not much, just wanted to say hi.” The song switched to a new one by the weird sisters. “Oh! This is a good one cmon Georgie let’s dance!” Lottie says, placing her drink down on the table and grabbing him by his tie to drag him around the sofa.
Lottie keeps a hold on his gryffindor tie until she’s sure he’s not going anywhere. She grabs hold of both his hands and starts dancing. It’s a funny scene, because he’s not dancing, he’s just watching her with a grin on his face. He twirls her around and her hair sprays all over the place, a complete mess now.
“Lottie.” He says quietly. She stops and looks up at him. He’s blushing! I did it! The alcohol in her system made it so she couldn’t quite put the pieces of this moment together, but she knew what to do. She grabbed hold of his tie once more and pulled him close to her. Chest to chest, except he was much taller so not really. His lips ghost over hers for a moment, their breath mixing and fanning each other’s faces. “Kiss me.” Is all she says and immediately he’s kissing her. It’s gentle at first but quickly turns hungry. All that flirting really built it up. His hands find her hips once more, his favourite place to put them, and pulls her closer if even possible. Her hands snake around his neck and are playing with his hair.
They go un noticed for a moment before there’s a shout. “Fucking finally!” It’s lee, Fred standing close by. Soon enough the whole common room is whooping and hollering. They both are just standing there red faced after they pulled apart, Lottie buried her face into his shoulder to try and hide from the embarrassment but George pulled her away. “Hey.” He whispered to her. “Hey.” she whispered back. They both had goofy grins on their faces.
This time George grabbed her by her jaw and kissed her hard and quick, just to put on a bit of a show. Then he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and ran around the common room cheering. She was just a mess of laughter.