Backfire

The Great Hall sounded cheerful and busy like it always had, tables and seats of students reaching across each other, whispering, laughing, and even toying with their wands. Holland was trying her best to get any clues on what the first task could be, but it was hopeless. She'd even make a list, none really seeming worthy of being used in a dangerous tournament.

-Scavenger Hunt in the Forbidden Forest
-Hide and Seek in the Chamber of Secrets
-Race around Hogwarts on Hippogriffs

Holland groans at the pathetic list she'd made, it looked no different from a to-do list of a teenage witch's slumber party.

"What's that?" Draco asks, raising his eyebrows at the list his friend had just hidden. Holland decided not to be so vocal about her newly formed alliance with Cedric. Maybe not alliance, but she was not exactly to call him her friend. Draco scrunches his eyebrows, wondering why the girl was acting odd.

"Potions, I've been revising this essay for ages." Holland says, hoping Draco wouldn't push the subject.

"Weirdly protective of it, are you? Not like I could be of any help or anything." Draco rolls his eyes at Holland who had met eyes with Cedric who was waving at her. Holland must have reacted to the sight, Draco turning around to see what she'd been looking at.

"Oh, Draco! You're so funny." She stammers, hands landing on his shoulders so he wouldn't be able to turn fully. "Why are you turning around? I'm right here!" She exclaims.

"You're acting really bizarre. What's with you, Avery?" Draco sneers, losing patience at her nonsense.

"What ever do you mean, Draco Lucius?" Holland purses her lips in exaggerated curiosity, bringing a cup of water to her mouth to calm her down. It took everything Holland had not to cough as water had somehow entered her lungs, none of her body parts cooperating with her.

"Speaking of bizarre. How are your little snogging sessions with Diggory?" Draco teases, catching Holland off-guard. Holland had finally spit out the water, her recovery wasted as Draco had landed a bomb on her. Draco knew they'd kissed in detention, but not that they'd kissed another time after, then spent an hour or two talking in the kitchens past midnight that same day. "Calm down, you!" He began to quickly pat Holland's back as she lets out coughs. Holland had been jumpy, paranoid that word had gotten around about her kiss with Cedric the day before.

"I think I should go." She says before standing to leave, really not able to handle the tension of having anybody catch on her and Cedric. She decided she'd go stay by the trees in the courtyard, sure nobody would be there.

"You're absolutely mental! Let me take you to Madame Pompfrey." Draco insists, Holland quickly shaking her head and walking even faster. Draco looking more confused and frustrated than he'd ever been as he watches his friend make her way out of the hall.

"Holland." A hand landed itself softly on her shoulder as the doors of the Great Hall open. She turned to see George, a boy she had spent almost two weeks not talking to. Was this it? Was he finally ready to patch things up with her? Holland smiles at him before frowning as she'd seen the same expression on his face. Of course he'd be upset, she'd basically brushed him off the last time he tried to speak to her.

"You kissed?" Two words making Holland's heart drop. Fuck. Shite. Holland had forgotten that Fred had seen. Holland whipped to to face the other twin, looking for him and sighing as he was nowhere to be found. She hadn't seen him since the day he saw her kiss with Cedric, not giving her the chance to explain herself.

"I swear I can explain, it sounds bad. It's bad, I know." Holland shakes her head, ready to tell him about the potion and the success of his and Fred's cinnamon chew, smiling as she knew he would be delighted to hear once she'd finished. But Holland wished she hadn't smiled so early, too early for George to understand that she was smiling because her plan had worked, and not because kissing Cedric gave her a satisfactory feeling.

"What's going on with you, Holly? It's like I don't even know you anymore." Holland was surprised at how badly he'd taken the kiss. She forced her mind to overpower her heart that wanted to make her fool herself thinking that the boy was jealous.

"George, just listen to me. Please?" She begs softly, no longer wanting to keep spending days in Hogwarts not being able to talk to him and Fred. She had already felt guilty not being able to catch up with Harry. She made a mental note to set a day with just Harry to make sure he's okay. George sighs, also tired of trying to ignore his favorite person. (Not that he'd be able to tell Fred that)

"Alright," He gives in.

"Come to the courtyard with me?"

-

"That's mad." George says in excitement, finally being filled in on everything he's missed out on with Holland. Holland had just told him about the chew and Cedric drinking his own potion. As she did, George couldn't help but eye his best friend, her paler skin and thinned out cheeks catching his attention. His eyes immediately soften, knowing their fights stressed her out so much. "I'm sorry we had to argue this long." He says, patting her awkwardly on the back. The two were out in the courtyard, characteristically on the grass instead of the vacant stone benches out in the open. The sunlight radiates, warming up their skin. George was sat on the grass, back leaning against a trunk of a tree, Holland sitting with her legs crossed in front of him as she retold her story.

"It's alright. I'm just glad it's over." Holland quickly confesses before throwing her arms on the boy. She never really did enjoy arguing with him.

"Wait, he drank Amorentia?" He realizes as he remembered Holland's kiss with Cedric. He lets go of her, crossing his arms as he tried to take in what was his friend's current predicament.

"Yes." Holland confirms. "I told him to stay away from me right away, but then I remembered he and I have to spend time together every day. Anyway he and I talked last night, we're actually kind of on good terms. This may be over for our little prank war." She sighs, trying to remember all the good old pranks, when she had been successful with them, anyway.

"That's insane. So you're friends now?" George asks in amusement, eyeing the courtyard as students and students made their way out, enjoying the nice weather and time away from class.

"Oh, I don't know if I'm ready to call it that. I could be his little assistant for the tournament, and after the potion wears off, we could pretend like none of this ever happened." Holland concludes. "It's not like I could go back to hexing him. And I'm not exactly ready for piggy backs under the sun and go fishing out in the lake with him, either." Holland laughs. Holland didn't know what she had in plan for the boy, actually. She had hoped that he'd forget all about their time together once the potion wears off, but that was about it.

"That's right, you've already got me and Fred for that." George jokes and the two chuckle. "Where is that idiot anyway?" He muttered to himself.

"I missed you both so much." Holland says, being reminded of how lucky she was to be able to see a boy this good-looking up close. Looking at his wonderful face was almost as riveting and elating as the feeling of being able to ride a hippogriff, freely and most carelessly gliding in the air. His face was most certainly a blessing to Holland.

"I missed you too, Holls. Let's never fight again." He says, Holland letting out a snort. It was astounding to realize that the two bickered like an old married couple. "So when are you and Cedric seeing each other again?"

"Some time later, we still have to try and figure out what the first task is. We've got no idea and it's driving me insane!" Holland admits. George opened his mouth, immediately closing it right after. Holland narrows her eyes at him, it was as if he was hiding something from her.

"What's going on in your mind over there?" Holland teases.

"Me?—Oh, oh nothing." George stammers, not doing a very good job of convincing Holland that it really was nothing.

"Are you sure you're—"

"Yes. I'm fine." Holland blinks in astonishment, but keeping quiet as she didn't want another argument.

"Right, sorry—uh," Holland stammers, trying not to think too deeply about it. "You should be off to class, no? Let's get moving, then." She stands and offers him her hand, to which he takes.

The two awkwardly walk their way out of the courtyard, entering the covered corridors as they make their way further in the castle. Holland sucks in her cheek, cursing at herself at how awkward things have gotten so quickly. Was this how it was going to be for them from now on? She grimaces, hating that this could have easily been because she didn't let him think she actually believed in him. Think, Holland scolds herself, trying to come up with any subject to bring up as she was desperate to break the silence.

"Go to Hogsmeade with me." George takes her aback once more, asking in a tone of voice Holland wasn't quite sure she'd heard before. Was the boy nervous? Holland smirked, satisfied that she'd finally heard a twin actually feel such a profound emotion.

"Visits aren't until next month, we can't do that." Holland responds incredulously.

"And since when has the rules of Hogwarts actually been interesting enough to be followed by you?" George challenges, almost baffled to have heard such preposterous words from his friend.

"What even is in Hogsmeade that's gotten you so eager to visit?" Holland inquires, wondering why the boy seemed to be so determined to go to the village.

"Well, I don't know. I reckon you and I could use a day out looking at some sugar quills and maybe even sneak a quick trip to Zonko's." He offers, clearly not taking no for an answer.

"And just how do you expect to get through our little shortcuts without the map?" Holland teases, knowing very well that the only way the twins got to sneak around so much was because of the Marauders' Map they'd taken from Filch. The three had their golden pranks and rendezvous, but decided that little Harry needed it quite more than they did.

"I know those little secret nooks like the back of my hand and Filch spends his precious time running after first years and whispering sweet nothings to his cat!" George says confidently. Holland purses her lips in thought.

"When exactly is this happening?" Holland asks, the corridors were still echoing the picked-up conversations from students.

"Right now, I suppose." George states as if it was the obvious, already grabbing Holland by the hand and dragging her to the their favorite tunnel, Holland sighing as the two had a long way to go.

"Alright. Let's go skip class then." Holland throws her hands up as she shrugs, sighing as if she had no other choice.

-

A wooden door was forced upwards by George's long limbs as he holds on tight to the ladder he was on, Holland watching in amusement. Holland knew they would have progressed faster if she'd just used magic, but George seemed to want to take matters in his own hands. They were currently in a dark, cobwebbed, and slightly damp tunnel, standing before a ladder that were to lead them to their desired destination. Now that the door had been opened, light had greeted the two harshly, both squinting at the abrupt change of brightness. George then faced Holland.

"Voila." He gives her a wink, pretending not to see the girl's cheeks turn pink and smiling to himself.

"Have to say, I missed our little tunnel." Holland admits softly, eyeing the dusty cellar they were in. George was now looking out the room's tiny door, creaking it slightly open as there were no windows to peak through.

"We're safe. Come on." George motions the girl over, the two quickly tip-toeing out the room. Holland braced herself as she knew what she would be met with, the wonderful scent of sugars in different forms. The two tiptoe down the stairs until they were at the shop, successfully doing so without being caught. The two were now in Honeyduke's, surprised at the amount of people that were in the shop.

"I don't think I'd like to stay here very long." Holland grunts, being shoved to a small shelf by a large man who was in too much of a hurry to purchase his sweets, George giving him the stink-eye.

"Alright. Grab your sweets, I'll get it." He nods to the cashier, implying he'd be the one to pay.

"Georgie, no. It's alright, I've got it." She gives him a toothy grin to try and convince him, but George wasn't having it.

"No, let me. I made you skip, didn't I?" To this, Holland easily drops 3 pakcets of lemon drops and 2 boxes of Fizzing Whizbees onto the palm of the tall twin, who was now eyeing his palm in astonishment.

"You insisted." Holland said, chuckling to herself.

"Me and my mouth." George mutters to himself, lining up to pay for the candy.

-

The two were now alone in the Shrieking Shack, enjoying each other's company. It was quite weird being in Hogsmeade when it wasn't snowing yet. The two occupied either ends of the room, enjoying the secluded space and not caring how dodgy it looked as it was abandoned and known to be haunted. Holland once again found herself reminiscing, recalling the night she had watched someone turn into a werewolf in the flesh. It was baffling how it had been her favorite teacher, too. Holland sighs, really wishing Professor Lupin stayed despite the circumstances. Professor Mad-Eye was spectacular, but Holland can't help but feel that she hadn't seen enough of her former teacher.

"What's got you sighing over there?" George asks by the untouched fireplace, observing the girl who was staring out the window.

"Oh, nothing. Just was suddenly reminded of Professor Lupin, you know how I love him." Holland answers.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you've got a crush on him." George accused, raising his eyebrows. Holland laughed.
"So what if I did? Will a fifteen year old like me end up marrying someone twice my age?" She joked, knowing George was just being his usual, unusually protective self.

"Well, right. Yeah." He said in half reluctance, half disdain. "Can't forget professors as great as him. The timing of his departure was quite dodgy, if you think about it. Right before he left, did you know that there was this word going around, that he was a werewolf?" Holland gulped, not knowing if she should be honest. George must have sensed her hesitance and discomfort, as he didn't try to push the subject further.

After a moment of silence, Holland let out another sigh. "I'm worried." She said, thinking about Harry.

"About Cedric?" George scoffs in disbelief, about to roll his eyes just before Holland speaks. George sure was a bit snappy every time Holland mentioned a male name that wasn't his nor his twin brother's.

"No, Harry. Godric knows how bad I'd freak out if you or Fred were to be out there. The fact that one of my closest friends is going out there, and Georgie, somebody probably did this to him. Isn't that insane? And your brother thinks Harry wanted this to happen, it's all so mind-boggling." Holland stressed, sitting down on a dusty wooden bench.

"I know." George says, squeezing his eyes in embarrassment at his frequent outbursts about Cedric, walking around the room as he explains. "Knowing our little Ronnie, he just probably wanted a chance at the tournament —not that he'd make it, Merlin knows he'd last for about a second or two at least out there,— but yeah. I mean, trying to put myself in his perspective," George slid his fingers above the fireplace, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he'd examined his now-obsidian colored fingers. "Being best friends with the 'Boy Who Lived', not the best for my self-esteem, I don't think. Anything he'd do or accomplish, I'd just be known for watching it happen up-close or having been the little sidekick to cheer him on!" George raises a fist in the air, pretending to be cheering. "I get where he's coming from. That's all I'm trying to say." He finishes, sitting right next to Holland as he did.

"No, believe me, I understand." Holland begins, not wanting George to think she was invalidating Ron's feelings —not that he'd care. "But at the end of the day, Harry still needs somebody. And that'd always been Ron. I just feel for Harry as well where he's in a time of fright and confusion and nobody, not even his best friend, is on his side. And that's just his problems outside the tournament, imagine Harry going through the tasks with all of that in his mind!"

"I will forever be amazed by how you can easily put yourself in other people's shoes and feel for them." George blurts out, catching Holland by surprise. He seemed to have been doing that a lot today. The two were sitting very close to each other, almost looking joint at the hip. This was normal, of course, as they'd grown up so close and platonic. But with the way George had been acting, things didn't feel as normal as they used to.

"Oh.. Thank you." Holland almost stuttered, scratching the back of her neck. "I, for one, don't like being in twisted and manic situations, and I guess just imagining those people who mean so much to me suffer and go through worse, it breaks my heart. I want nothing more than the safety and happiness of you all." Holland says, rambling on, so deep in thought that her gaze had been fixed on the wall in front of her, not noticing how the ginger had been staring at her. She turns her head to face him, being greeted by his face only inches away from hers. Holland internally thanked the heavens and all the great wizards and witches she'd devoured a sugar quill, assuring her that she wouldn't be scaring the boy off with horrid breath.

Holland was inwardly freaking out. What had she done to have the universe let this happen? Thank you, Merlin. Thank you, Merlin. Thank you, Merlin!, Her mind chants, bracing herself for a kiss with the boy she'd been in love with most her life. But then the two broke apart after hearing loud footsteps and drunken chatter outside.

"Oh no, this can't be good. What time is it?" Holland panics, checking her watch. Shite. It was 7 in the evening. How have the two been so caught up in their chatter to not realize it had been dark out already? They should have known, the room had been only illuminated thanks to the afternoon sun! Holland grimaces, knowing Cedric was expecting her. Not that she gave too much of a damn about how he felt, she just didn't like having anybody wait two whole hours for her.

-

"Cedric, I'm so sorry." Holland lets out shallow breaths as she'd been running. The two promised to see each other earlier, but still by the kitchens and on the windowsill.

"No, it's alright. I just hope you and Weasley enjoyed each other's company." He smiles politely, but even then, not being able to hide the hurt in his face. He's bewitched, Holland. Pull it together. Holland scolds herself, letting the effects of his potion somehow still take over her as she began to feel sorry for the boy.

"Right.." Holland trails off, not liking how upset the boy was. Holland had to keep reminding herself that the boy was not actually in love with her and that he'd drunken a potion, but his actions just kept astonishing her and she wound up forgetting. Not even fourteen days ago, Holland couldn't even stand the mere sight of him, and there she was, actually trying her hardest not to upset him. What has the world come to? "Well, have you any thoughts as to what to expect from the first task?" Holland decided to just change the subject.

"I've still got absolutely no clue." Cedric answers honestly, face blank for reasons Holland hoped were about the Triwizard tournament.

"Well, I've actually made a list. Don't laugh at it when I show you, though." Holland says in a small voice, bracing herself for what Cedric would think once he sees her little slumber party list.

-