A New Year's Encounter

Chapter 2


Dear Diary,

I am so humiliated and I have no intentions of leaving this bathroom ever again. I still can't believe it happened and, as much as I want to blame Penny, it's really my fault for letting her talk me into this--even if she is the most persuasive person ever. One of these days I am going to learn how to say no... and mean it.

It's hard, though, because my cousin's enthusiasm is extremely contagious. Sometimes I forget that even though she doesn't care what other people think, I do.

It all started when Penelope decided to awaken the rest of us by playing the Wireless, a wizard equivalent of a radio, really loudly in the kitchen while making breakfast.

We - Percy, Penny, Miss Poppy, and I - all slept in the living room last night because Penny found out that neither Percy nor Miss Poppy had ever experienced your traditional 'sleep over'. Penny absolutely insisted we all slumber in the same room and tell stupid stories, and do all sorts of ridiculous childish things. Actually, that part was fun. And Percy and Miss Poppy were very good sports about everything. Miss Poppy, or Madam Pomfrey, is quite funny; all my old school nurses were squares. But I guess if she is Penny's friend, then she would have to have a good sense of humor.

Her and Percy's willingness to act foolish las night was part of the reason I consented this morning. Penny came dancing out of the kitchen acting like a fool. She was using a spatula as a microphone and moving around the room, hopping on furniture and doing a jig. It was really quite funny, and there is no better way to wake up than to do so with laughter. Miss Poppy and I both woke up right away and were already giggling.

Percy, who was sleeping flat on his back with no pillow (how odd!), just opened his eyes. He closed them again and groaned. I noticed he's been overly tired since I got here shortly after Christmas and when I mentioned it to Penny, she just blew it off and said, "He gets like that every year about this time."

Anyway, once Penny noticed that there was one member of her audience who was displeased by her show. She set out to win him over--in her own Penny-ish way--meaning she pestered him by grabbing his hand and holding it to her heart while she sang the words into his eyes. I don't know how Percy maintained a straight face when she got on her knees beside him and flared both arms out wide when the singer hit the high notes. I certainly couldn't have. But then right at the end, when Penny got nose to nose with him to mouth the finale, he burst into an ear-to-ear smile.

Man, let me tell you, if a guy ever looked at me like that I'd probably fall head over heels. Sometimes when he looks at her, I lose my breath. I guess Penny must have too, because I saw her physically shake herself. Then she looked over at me and uttered the words of my downfall.

"Mary, it's your turn."

I didn't want to. But they all insisted. (I'm skipping over the details here because I don't think I can actually put them into words, it would be too embarrassing.)

Let's just say, I was in a very humiliating position with the spatula when I noticed someone standing in the doorway. I recognized him immediately as one of Percy's brothers (Fred or George) from last night.

Anyway, the first words he said to me were, "I saw you laughing at the way those witches last night were dancing. Maybe you should have been learning instead." And then I knew it was George.

That jerk! And Penny only made it worse because she started laughing. Miss Poppy just gasped. Percy came to my defense (I knew I liked him), but I'm clueless as to what he said because I left the room and came to hideout in the bathroom.

I wonder what's going on out...

Bang. Bang. Bang. "If you're tired of trying Muggle methods on your looks to impress me, I might know a few spells that would work."

Mary jerked guiltily and smeared the pen across her diary. Annoyance soon replaced guilt. What did she have to be guilty about? He's the one that should have left already. If anyone should feel guilty he should, for seriously overstaying his welcome. After all, she had managed to waste almost an hour in this bloody (Oh man, now she was even starting to think European!) bathroom.

She stood up and yanked the door open. George towered over her as he blocked the doorway. Both of his hands were resting on the frame and he smiled down at her.

"George," Mary said.

His smile got bigger, "Ah yes, ladies and gentlemen. The lady is definitely smitten, as we have never been properly introduced and she already knows my name." He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. Allow me to remedy this gross oversight."

Jerking her hand away mere inches from his mouth, Mary took a breath and pointed at his wand. "George," she said again. "Let's get one thing straight. You are not pointing that thing at me."

George raised one eyebrow and looked at her finger then at his waist, where his wand was slid in underneath his belt.

His knowing smirk made Mary look to where her hand was really pointing. Heat rushed her face and she slammed her hand back to her side. Man, it was starting to get warm in this suddenly spryte-sed bathroom. She briefly wondered if the rooms in wizard homes randomly changed proportions.

Well, if he was going to act immature then she would just ignore him. Mary stepped forward to leave.

George moved further into the doorway to block her exit. "Before I will let you pass, you must pay the toll," he said.

"Oh, and at what price?" Mary asked.

"How about that kiss you denied me yesterday? I think, since it is technically New Year's Day my year is still salvageable."

Mary snorted. She placed both of her hands on his chest and pushed him into the hallway as she stomped past. Within ten steps George managed to regain his balance and race in front of her; he spread out his arm across the hallway. "All right," he said, "then just answer this one question." He leaned forward and got the most somber look she had seen on his face yet and, for a brief second, Mary was grateful he was finally going to be serious. "Tell me...when did you first know it was love?"

Mary's mind raced. What was he talking about, she thought. "George, what are you talking about?"

His solemn statement started to dissolve, broken up from underneath by little chinks of humor. Finally he erupted into gales of laughter and dissolved onto the hallway floor.

"You...should have...seen the look..." As he attempted to tease her through his cackles, Mary was again reminded of last night and she refused to be victim to his humor another second.

George regained his composure and started following Mary as she walked around the house. With both hands behind his back and a smug smile on his face, he imitated her movements. The annoying git - oh man, she really was starting to pick up on this slang - even stepped on her heels a few times.

Mary walked into the middle of the living room, looked at the couch, chair, fireplace, and then turned and looked at George. He still gave her the same smug smile (what a prick). Mary then walked past him and into the kitchen. George was so close Mary felt his breath on her neck.

Finally Mary reached her limit. "Stop doing that!"

"What?" George asked with feigned innocence.

"That." Mary flapped her hand up and down, signaling his entire body and turned to leave the kitchen. "Just stop," she said over her shoulder.

"Is this about the whole, 'I turned your skin green' incident yesterday?"

At these words Mary jerked to a halt and returned to the kitchen. She walked towards him so quickly, that she stopped much nearer than she intended. But she extinguished the desire to back up a few steps. Mary had to crane her neck, but she met his eyes head on. After staring him down for a few seconds, she finally spoke. "Why are you still here?" As soon as she said this, something else occurred to her and she continued, "and where is everybody else?" She had just noticed that they were alone in the house.

"At Hogwarts."

"What?"

"They went to Hogwarts. Someone, no one is sure whom, left an experimental novelty, Fillibuster Firefarts, sitting out and a few of the Slytherin fourth-year students ate them." George snickered. "I would not want to be in their Common Room right now. Although I bet they are used to bad smells, living in the same dorm with Malfoy. Anyway, I kindly volunteered to come to Hogsmeade and fetch Madam Pomfrey to cure their intestinal troubles and when I told her, Penny and Percy said they needed to speak with Dumbledore, so they went well."

Mary completely deflated. They went without her. She wanted more than anything else to visit Hogwarts, and she probably missed her only chance because she was hiding in the bathroom. Disappointment drowned out everything else.

"Oh. That's okay," Mary said. She hated for others to see her upset and so Mary tried to hide it, but her facial expressions always betrayed her words.

Mary turned to walk down the hallway. As an afterthought she said over her shoulder, "Thanks for staying to tell me." She closed the bedroom door, and missed the first truly serious look on George's face. He stared at her door, as if to try to determine her sudden change in mood.

After a few moments, he got a huge smile on his face and raced out of the house.

***
"Why do I get the feeling you dislike George?" Penny asked Mary this as she flopped down on the bed next to Mary. Her sudden movements on the bed made the other girl's pen streak the page of her diary for the second time that day.

Mary gave Penny an annoyed look before replying, "Probably because I can't stand being in the same room with him." She furiously started to erase the streak.

"What? Why not? He's great."

Mary stopped blowing off the eraser dust as she looked up to see if perhaps her cousin was fooling around, but Penny looked serious. But even then, Mary refused to believe it. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Mary, he's perfect. He's funny, light-hearted," Penny got a mischievous look before continuing, "and best of all, he drives Percy bonkers."

"Percy's not the only..." Mary started to say before Penny interrupted her.

"When you told me about last night, you thought he was funny, and now all the sudden, he's not. I think maybe you just feel that way because he embarrassed you." Penny paused here and rolled onto her side to look more closely at her cousin. "Mary, you always react badly when someone makes you feel self-conscious."

With those simple words, Penelope diffused Mary's anger. Maybe she was being a little rigid. Mary started to feel a little guilty about ignoring him when she found out she missed her chance to go to Hogwarts.

There was a quick knock on the door, and then Percy peeked his head in. "Penelope, it's time."

Penny gave a startled look. "Already?"

"Yes, we have to leave right away."

Mary looked first at Percy, then at her cousin. Something was up; they'd both been acting very strangely since she got here. She also knew it was pointless to ask questions. Penelope was Mary's best friend and never kept secrets without a good reason, so Mary assumed there must be a very good one.

"I'm sorry to leave you alone again," Penny started to apologize but Mary cut her off.

"It's all right. I am very tired, from being so rudely awakened at the crack of dawn," she teased her cousin. "I think I might take a nap."

Penny gave Mary a grateful smile and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. "We'll be back late."

Mary watched them leave. She drifted off to sleep, pondering what exactly was so secret that Penny couldn't tell her.

***

Mary awoke after dark. Something was wrong, but what? The room was FREEZING and she had no idea what time it was. Mary barely had time to process all these thoughts when she noticed her window was open, and her blood chilled as a shadow passed over her bed.

"Ahhhhh...," Mary started to scream but was cut off as the person placed a hand over her mouth.

"Mary. Stop screaming." He released her mouth.

"George? What are you doing in my bedroom? And why did you come in through the window?" Mary questioned in rapid succession.

"No, it's Fred. I came to get you. And the front door was locked.&rdqu;

Mary sat up and put her feet on the floor. "Okay, I'm way too drowsy to figure out what you just said," she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. He didn't give her much time to collect her thoughts before trying to place a cloak around her shoulders.

"Hurry up, Mary, we have to hurry," he said as he got on his knees to force Mary's shoes on her feet.

"Where are we going, Fred?"

The tall redhead looked up from tying her shoes. "I was just kidding. I'm George." He reached his hands towards her face, and with a huge smile tucked her hair behind both ears. Mary noticed how much George resembled Percy when he gave a sincere smile, instead of that annoying snicker. They stared at each other for a second, and then he jumped up and reached out his hand.

"Come on," he said. "I'm taking you to Hogwarts."