Accidentally in Love

Accidentally in Love

A Diary-verse Cookie

By Phoenix SilverWind

It had been a night like any other night in the library of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There were students here and there but, on the whole, it was blissfully quiet for one lone Hufflepuff who was studiously reading a book in the corner. Her name was Annie. Alanna Day to be exact but Annie was what she preferred to be called. She was always a hard worker, hence her placement in Hufflepuff. In her sixth year at Hogwarts, she spent at least three nights a week in the library studying. Once in a while Edward Summers would help her with transfiguration and potions but a majority of the time she was alone and she liked it that way.

Without looking up, she reached for the transfiguration reference book that sat across from her. Just as her fingers grazed the cover it moved. She looked up and watched. Every time her hand got close enough to touch the book it moved out of her reach. She tried for it again and heard guarded chuckling from behind one of the nearby stacks.

"Weasleys," she sighed as she pulled out her wand and muttered a counter curse. She grabbed the book and began cross referencing her transfiguration assignment.

"Aw, come on Annie." The girl sighed. "Well at least that's a reaction, Gred."

"I would have to agree, Forge. Miss Day has indeed given us a response."

Frustrated, Annie grabbed her bag and got ready to leave. "Can't you two just... just grow up or something?"

"My, my, my Fred, I do believe that was eight words. It seems our little Annie does have the ability to speak."

"I do believe that was nine words, old bean. She said 'just' twice," Fred corrected.

"Quite right, quite right," George agreed. He then looked around. "Um Fred, I do believe she has left us."

"Quite right, quite right."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She spent the next night in the library as well, seeing as that her session last night was interrupted by the twin terrors of Gryffindor. How she ever found them cute in her first year, she'll never know. Most likely, she just liked them because they were in the year above her and funny.

Her nose was buried in a tome about animagus transformations when she heard a book fall from a nearby stack. "I know you're there," she told whoever stiffly, "Might as well show yourself."

Fred, or maybe it was George, Weasley came from behind the bookshelf with his hands out in front of him. "I come here in peace."

"Fred Weasley, coming here is peace? You expect me to believe that? I'm a Hufflepuff not an idiot," she replied.

He pulled a chair out and sat backwards in it facing her. "It's George by the way."

"I can never tell you two apart."

He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I suppose that's why we're called identical twins." Annie laughed. "So, you can laugh."

"Of course I can. Everyone can laugh." George looked at her with a questioningly. "Ok, maybe not Snape or Filch."

"So," he said searching for something to talk about, "what are you reading about?"

"Animagus transformation, it's the topic of my essay for McGonagall. I'd really like to become an animagus. I think it would be great fun, traipsing about Hogwarts as an animal, no one knowing who I am. I could see people as they really are... but I'm babbling now so I'll just stop." She smiled, a little embarrassed that she had begun to babble.

"You have a pretty smile," he told her quietly.

Annie looked at him oddly, her friendly demeanor shifted to a more defensive one. "Ok, what are you and that terrible twin of yours plotting?"

"Plotting?" George asked, "Why'd you assume that Fred and I are plotting anything?"

"You just complimented me," she stated matter-of-factly.

"So you think I am planning something because I said you had a pretty smile?"

"Exactly, why else would George Weasley compliment plain old Annie Day?" She collected her things and stood up. "I better leave before whatever plan you have er, planned happens."

George watched the little redhead leave and muttered to himself, "Maybe it's because you do have a pretty smile."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Annie was running towards the dungeon. At her pace, she should just make it on time. As she got closer to the dungeon entrance, a suit of armor came to life and stood in front of the archway. No matter which way she stepped the suit moved to meet her. She looked at her watch which now flashed 'Late.' "Please let me through!" she begged to no avail. In fact, it began to do a lovely jig. Well, it would have been lovely if it weren't still blocking the entranceway. She pulled out her wand and flicked it. "Finite Incantatum!" she said, but nothing happened and the armor still jigged.

Finally having enough, she charged the armor in an attempt to pass by it. Not a very well thought out plan. She was knocked back rather roughly causing her book bag to rip open and cauldron, containing her potions equipment, to fall. "Oh no!" she began to cry as she picked up her cauldron and other various belongings. She looked at her watch as it was now flashing 'Too Late.' She continued to pick up her things, thinking she would just head back to her common room. One last piece of parchment remained, but it wasn't hers. She picked it up and read it aloud to herself. "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' Dancing Knight Charm?" She crumpled the parchment angrily and headed to the Hufflepuff common room.

She threw her stuff down and huffed angrily when she got to her bed. Stupid Weasleys, she thought, they always think they are so funny. Fred and George can go... go bugger off in my opinion. Especially George, I can't believe he tried to make that fake plea for forgiveness the other day and I almost fell for it. Stupid! Stupid George Weasley with his stupid blue eyes and his stupid red hair and his stupid attitude and his... his stupid cute smile. Damn him. "Damn George Weasley!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

George Weasley sat at the lunch table with his twin and, best friend, Lee Jordan. They were laughing it up over one of their latest pranks at lunch when an angry Hufflepuff came their way. "Annie," George greeted unsurely as she walked right up to him. Fred and Lee both smirked in his direction.

Picking up the bowl of mixed vegetables, she promptly dumped the contents of the bowl onto his head then splashed a glass of pumpkin juice in his face. "Go to hell, George Weasley!" she shouted, "You, your brother and Lee can just leave me alone! I won't be a victim of your pranks ever again!" After her outburst, she pursed her lips and gave one last hard glare at her redheaded tormentor before storming out of the Great Hall.

George stared in awe at the girl as bits of carrot fell from his head. "By george, she does have feelings, George," Fred observed. He turned towards his brother, who was still silent. "Um, you do know that you have corn in your ears?"

"Yeah," he answered, "I'm going to go clean or something." He stood then left the Great Hall.

For the first time, since Annie Day charged into the hall, Fred noticed the silence which dissipated when his twin left the hall. He looked at Lee who merely shrugged and went back to his meal.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

George walked through the entrance hall, fully intending to go back to Gryffindor Tower to clean himself up, when he heard a soft sound. Curious as a kitten, he followed the sound. It was leading him toward the stairway that lay to right of the marble staircase.

"Gold and silver I have none, | I have none, I have none. | Gold and silver I have none, | My fair lady," the voice chanted.

Still curious, he slowly crept closer to the darkened corridor. He could now tell that it was a female singer and, who ever it was, they could sing.

"Build it up with needles and pins, | Needles and pins, Needles and pins. | Build it up with needles and pins, | My fair lady."

"Annie?" he asked in surprise.

Her head snapped up, startled, and her eyes wide in fear. "George?" she asked.

She began to get up but he stopped her. "Let me join you." He sat down next to her and she inched away from him, uneasily. "What were you singing?"

"It's an old Muggle song 'London Bridge,'" she answered, "My dad use to tell me that if I ever got really mad that I should sing it till I feel better."

"Oh," he said.

"I'm sorry," Annie began, "I lost my head in there. I was just so mad that Snape gave me a detention for missing class yesterday."

"Why'd you miss class? Were you sick?"

She looked at him as if he'd grown another head in the last minute or so. "You're kidding, right?" He gave her a quizzical look and she reached into her pocket and held out a piece of parchment for him to take. He accepted it and began to look it over. "That is your company name isn't it? Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

"Yea," George answered, "We just figured out how to make that charm work last week. I didn't know they tested it. How was it?"

"How was it?" she asked incredulously, "It blocked the dungeon entrance and made me miss potions. Then it knocked me on my bum!"

George was quiet. He seemed deep in thought causing Annie to study him with her eyes. When he finally looked up, he stared straight into her eyes with the utmost serious expression. "But was the jig good?" he finally asked.

Silence passed between them which made George sweat. Yet, when the tension broke, she was laughing. "The jig was great." He mentally wiped his forehead in relief and joined her laughter with his own. As his body shook with laughter a piece of carrot fell from his head and onto her lap. Annie picked it up and smiled. "I really am sorry about the vegetables. I didn't know that you were an innocent," she apologized again.

"It's ok," he told her, "at least the carrots sort of blend in with my hair."

She laughed again and the sound of it made George smile. "Carrot," she said in between giggles, "I'll call you Carrot from now on."

"Well, if you insist on calling me that ridiculous name then I too must refer to you in the same way," he declared, "But what to call you?"

"Insane bint?" Annie suggested.

"No, no, no, all wrong," he replied. George stroked his chin with true dramatic flare as he thought of a suitable nickname. "Eureka!" he finally exclaimed. "I dub thee..." Dramatic pause. "Snidget!"

"Snidget? Like the bird?" He nodded enthusiastically. "Why that of all things?"

"'Cause you're tiny." She opened her mouth to protest but he stood up before she could. "See," he said, now towering over her, "tiny."

"I am not tiny!"

He offered her a hand up and with a quick jerk he hefted her up. Only, she wasn't ready for it so she stumbled right into his arms. Her face was buried in his chest as his arms wrapped around her shoulders like hers were wrapped around his waist. His chin rested perfectly on the crown of her head. "See, tiny," he whispered.

As if the sound of that comment broke her out of a revelry, she separated herself from him and looked up into his blue eyes. "I... I better go and you better clean up," she said quietly. She turned to walk down the dim corridor to her dorm when George's voice stopped her.

"We'll have to do this again."

She turned and asked, "Do what?"

He gestured to each of them. "Talk, Snidget."

At the mention of her new nickname, she smiled. "Yes," she agreed, "Night, Carrot."

"Night Snidget." He watched her walk away till she disappeared into the shadows and sighed. He shoved his hands into his pockets then headed up to the tower just as people began to trickle out of the Great Hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was the second Hogsmeade weekend of the year and currently, George Weasley and Annie Day were sitting at a table in the Three Broomsticks talking animatedly with mugs full of Butterbeer and a plate of warm, salted chips in between them.

"No way!" Annie exclaimed. "Puddlemere is definitely the front runner for the cup! Especially since they wised up and started Wood this season. He's even more phenomenal than when he played for Gryffindor."

George smiled as he watched her eat a chip. "I never knew you were such an avid quidditch fan, Snidget."

"You never asked, Carrot," she pointed out. "Plus, I don't look the type do I? I don't even own any United stuff. I've always had other things to buy, I guess." She popped another chip into her mouth and took a swig of Butterbeer. "Oh! I was thinking about that idea you told me about, the one with the jumping jellybeans, and I think I've figured out a way to fix that problem you were having."

"Really?" he asked as his eyes lit up.

"Yes," she replied, "I think if you use a combination of a modified bouncing charm and that foul potion then adding sugar to the mixture wouldn't hurt the bean's ability to jump."

"That's brilliant," he praised, causing her to blush. "I'll tell Fred and Lee as soon as we get back to the castle. "How did you do on that potions essay, by the way?"

"Oh, I got the top mark!"

"That's great."

"Thanks for helping me with it," she said. "If it weren't for all your tutoring, I would've done dismally."

"I didn't help that much."

"You, George Weasley, were a godsend for my grades," she admitted. "If it weren't for all your help, I'd probably be failing potions and transfiguration. You make it all seem so simple."

"Students," rang out McGonagall's voice through the tavern. "Time to return to Hogwarts."

"Blimey, have we really been sitting here that long?" George asked as he checked his watch.

Annie checked hers as well. "I guess so. Time flies when you're having fun, I suppose."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Helloooooooo George," Fred said as he waved his hand in front of his twin's face.

"Huh? What?" George asked as he snapped out of his thoughts about the last Hogsmeade weekend which was nearly two weeks ago.

"You were completely spacing," he stated, "What were you thinking about?"

His freckles became a tad less visible as his cheeks reddened a little. "Nothing."

"I very much doubt that brother dear. Perhaps you were thinking of a girl," Fred suggested, dragging the last word for emphasis.

His face began to turn the color of his hair. "No, I'm not."

"Are you thinking about asking her to the ball?"

"Yes... no... bloody hell!" George exclaimed.

Fred slapped his brother happily on the back. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"Snidget," George answered. Seeing the quizzical expression on Fred he quickly corrected himself. "Annie, Annie Day."

"The little Hufflepuff!"

"Yeah, she's great." Fred noticed that his eyes began to take on a dreamlike quality. "Did you know that she's a quidditch fan? Her favorite team is Puddlemere."

"Are you two friends or friends?" Fred asked.

George snorted at his brother's question. "We're just friends and speaking of Annie, I better go find her."

After he had left, Fred shook his head with a small smirk. "Blind bugger."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

According to her housemates, Annie hadn't been in the common room since lunch. He, of course, knew she'd be in the library. He had to admire her strict work ethic, though he himself couldn't understand it. George bounded the stairs two at a time. He couldn't wait to tell her that the Quidditch store in Hogsmeade had just received an order of United stuff. As he made quick strides toward the library, he smiled. He fully intended to drag her out of the library and through the secret passage to Honeydukes.

George passed through the doorway and made his way towards the table Annie usually sat at, the one with the big window. He turned left after the last stack and frozen in place. Annie, his Annie, was kissing some blonde Hufflepuff. His jaw dropped and he back away from the scene in disbelief, promptly knocking down several tomes with his elbow. He looked down at the books then back up to find that they were both looking at him. Whoever the guy was still had his arms around Annie.

She made a move towards him. "George," she said almost mournfully, but the boy held her back.

"Sorry," he apologized. He stumbled backwards a few more steps. "Sorry." Then he left, half running towards the library exit.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Please?" Annie asked the Fat Lady for the thirteenth time, "I just want to know if George Weasley is in there or if Fred is." The portrait snubbed her, yet again. "Please, this is very important. I need to speak with George."

The portrait swung open and Annie quickly sidestepped it. From behind the portrait, hidden from whoever was leaving the Gryffindors' common room's view, she saw three people walk out; a girl with frizzy brown hair, a boy with messy black hair and a taller boy with bright red hair... a Weasley.

"Excuse me!" she called out. She half ran up to the redhead and grabbed his sleeve. "You're a Weasley, aren't you?"

He stared at her oddly. "Ron Weasley," he answered, "Can I help you?"

"I'm Annie and I'm looking for George," she told him quickly, "Is he in there? Do you know where he is? I need to find him!" By the time she had ended her little tirade, she was in near hysterics and shaking the tall boy with every word.

A gentle hand touched her arm and a pair of worried brown eyes were staring up at her and, as if breaking some sort of spell, Annie let go of Ron. "I'm sorry, Ron was it?" He nodded. "I really am sorry. I just need to see your brother." She sighed, "And I haven't even introduced myself properly." She stuck out her hand and awaited a handshake. "Annie, Annie Day, sixth year Hufflepuff. I'm a friend of your brother's."

"Ron Weasley, Gryffindor fifth," he responded as he shook her hand. Hermione elbowed him and he dropped Annie's hand. "Ow, what was that for?" he asked as he rubbed his ribs.

She rolled her eyes then offered her hand. "Hermione Granger, Gryffindor prefect and this is Harry Potter."

Her eyes flicked to his scar for a half second before she restrained herself. "Pleasure to meet you all."

"Why are you looking for George?" Ron asked.

"He saw a mistake and then ran before I could explain."

"We haven't seen him," Hermione spoke up, "but I think Harry can help you find him, right Harry?"

He nodded then pulled out a ragged piece of parchment. Harry mumbled a few words then studied it. "He's probably somewhere in Hogsmeade. I can't find him in the school."

"How can you know that?" Annie asked, "And how can he get to Hogsmeade? We can't leave the grounds."

The trio looked at each other with a knowing glance. "Is it really that important to see him?" Annie nodded. "Then follow us."

They led her through the twisting corridors of Hogwarts till she wasn't even sure where she was. They finally stopped in front of a statue of a humpback witch. Harry pulled out his wand and tapped the statue, mumbling something out of Annie's hearing range, and an entrance opened.

"This will take you to Honeyduke's," Harry explained. "Just follow it all the way till the end." They helped her through the opening and she disappeared into the darkness.

She felt like she had been walking for hours by the time she made it to storage room of the local sweets shop. As stealthily as she could, which wasn't saying much, she snuck out of the shop. She walked down the main road looking for the slightest glimpse of fiery Weasley hair, but found nothing. She finally reached the end when she saw he red hair.

She entered the Three Broomsticks and slipped into his booth. He sat there staring at his mug of Butterbeer and didn't even notice she had sat down. "Hi," she said weakly.

His head snapped up and stared wide-eyed at her. He tried getting up to leave but Madam Rosmerta came around. "What can I get you sweetie?"

"A Butterbeer please," Annie ordered, "and some chips." The proprietor of the pub smiled pleasantly then returned to the bar to get her order. Annie turned to smile back and out of the corner of her eye, she saw George trying to leave. "George Weasley, you sit your bum down this instant!" He looked at her with sad blue eyes then sat, dolefully, back down. "Now, I snuck out here and broke about a dozen school rules to tell you something so you are going to sit there and listen."

"Here you go dear," said one of the waitresses as she set down a basket of chips and a Butterbeer.

She smiled politely, "Thank you very much." She picked up a particularly greasy chip and popped it in her mouth.

Huffing George crossed his arms over his chest he slouched further into the booth's seat. "Get on with it," he said impatiently, "Get on with whatever you want to tell me."

Annie stopped mid chew and swallowed. She gave him a hard looked and said, "No need to be rude, Carrot."

"Well I'm very sorry," he spat, "Why don't you go cry on what's his name's shoulder and leave me alone."

"That's not fair. You don't even know anything about that."

"I know enough," he told her, "I know that he had his lips were all over yours."

"That was a mistake!" she growled, "You... you infuriate me George Weasley. You're so full of yourself! You don't even consider what this is doing to me! What I might be feeling!" She took a couple calming breaths while the other occupant of the booth sat in silence. "Edward kissed me. He... he kissed me after I told him I wouldn't go to the ball with him. He wanted to prove that I did care for him."

"So you led him on?"

"No, I never did anything to make him think I liked him." The brunette glared at him. "I even told him about who I wanted to ask me," she whispered quietly.

"Oh, so it's another ponce," he snorted, "Blonde and blue eyed I take it. Someone to sweep you off your feet and provide security."

She stood up quickly and splashed him with Butterbeer. "I don't want to be secure; I want to have fun and, for your information, I like redheads!"

She stormed out of the Three Broomsticks leaving many patrons a bit shocked, including a gaping George Weasley. "Oh bloody hell."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Days went by and all George got from Annie, besides the cold shoulder, was an occasional hex, jinx or both and once he swore she flipped him a very rude hand gesture. If he sent her a note of apology, he'd get an envelope filled with the ashes of said note.

"I'm at my wits end, Fred," George confessed to his twin. "I've messed everything up and now she won't talk to me."

"Have you sent her flowers?"

"Burned them."

"Love letters?"

"Burned them."

"Sweets?"

"Burned them."

"George, my boy, you're in love," Fred congratulated. "Though I'd be a bit careful around her."

"Don't remind me," he sighed, "What can I do?"

"Women are a fickle thing. They say they hate you," he explained, "but, truthfully, they just want you to show them that you care or so Katie says and she's a woman so I'd trust what she says."

"And how do I go about that?" George asked listlessly.

Fred gave his twin a good hearty pat on the back. "Ask her to the ball, old chap. If she says yes then you're a lucky man. If she says no, then run like hell because she may set you on fire."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Annie, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" George asked. "Alanna Day, will you do me the honor of accompanying me to the Yule Ball? Annie, want to go to the ball with me?" George sighed in frustration. He had been practicing asking the mirror to the ball for the last hour. "I should just get this over and done with."

"Sweep her off her feet dearly," the mirror said cheerily.

"Thanks," he mumbled before heading out in search of her.

Annie was sitting in the library, her usual table, sucking on a cherry sugarquill. She didn't know when it started but any time she was stressed or upset she'd eat a cherry flavored sugarquill and ever since George Weasley infuriated her she has gone through at least one whole box by herself. She even got into the habit of carrying a dozen of the wizarding candies in her bag.

Currently, she was working on a particularly nasty, in her opinion, Potions essay. She set down her real quill and sighed as she glanced around the library. It was winter break and the library was all but deserted, except for her and the redheaded boy making his way to her. Annie did a double take and began to panic. George Weasley was making his way towards her and she was not in the mood to be nasty to him. It was all an act, she could never honestly be that spiteful even if said person was a complete git and said something stupid while she was trying to tell him that is had fallen for him. That would just be low and she would never stoop to that level.

Yet, here he came and she lacked the energy to be mean to him. She did the only thing she could think of. She began to shove all her belongings into her satchel as fast as she could, hoping to run out of the library before he reached her, but she wasn't fast enough.

"Annie?" came his very unsure voice. She tried to ignore him and continued to pack her bag. "Annie, I... I was wondering... umm..."

She threw her last book into her bag. "I have to go," she told him while avoiding eye contact.

"Wait."

"I have to go!"

He grabbed her arm and swung her around. He held her upper arms with a vise-like grip. Annie felt as if they were trapped in that one moment. As if time slowed and each passing second was a small eternity. A time warp where she was staring up at George with wide eyes full of shock and he looked down at her with eyes full of something she didn't quite understand. Then, as if something forced them back into normal time, he kissed her. Hard at first, with a sort of desperation, then softening to how a first kiss should be like between two scared teenagers; soft, tender and extremely unsure. His hands had let go of her arms and moved up to cup her face as the kiss deepened.

They broke apart as the need for air became too great. He still cupped her face. Now he studied her face as he looked at her with a sort of wonder. His thumb following the path of her cheekbone and she closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Will you go to the ball with me, Snidget?" he asked her quietly, "even though I acted like a git?"

Her smile broadened as she opened her hazel eyes. "I'd love to, Carrot."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He asked me to marry him after his graduation and we married that July, a little over seven months since we started dating."

"But weren't you still in school?" Rhiannon asked curiously.

"Yes, I was. The name on my certificate says Alanna Day-Weasley on it," she clarified, "Your Uncle George and I, we were inseparable and we knew from that point on that we were meant for each other. We just couldn't wait another whole year to officially be together. I was so ecstatic about changing my name. I kept repeating 'Annie Weasley' over and over again when I knew I was alone. George caught me once and he still teases me about it sometimes."

"Didn't you miss him while you were at school?"

"Terribly," the older woman confessed. "But I saw him every Hogsmeade weekend and every holiday break and we owled each other everyday. Sometimes all we had to say was 'I love you' and other days we wrote novels about the most trivial of things."

The twelve year old girl looked up at her favorite aunt with dream-filled eyes. "It all sounds so romantic. Being in love must be so wonderful!"

Annie laughed. "It is wonderful but it isn't always romantic, Rhi. Sometimes your uncle can be so frustrating that all I want to do is hex him till my wand gives out. Other times, he is the sweetest, most caring man in the entire world but those moments aren't always as common as the frustrating ones." She smiled at the curious blonde. "Love is really just a giant gamble, sometimes you lose but sometimes you win and when you win and find that one person you love with all your soul, you become whole."

Rhiannon looked at the older woman quizzically. "But I don't feel like I'm missing anything."

You might not realize it now but sometimes what piece of you is missing is so close that you think it is there when it's not," she answered, "You'll understand when your older."

"If you feel like you're missing something, then why isn't Mr. Potter and Miss Lupin together? They love each other, don't they?"

"I'd like to think that they still do. I never really knew them to be honest. I was a Hufflepuff and a year above them," Annie explained, "And when they graduated, they were became very private people, but they did seem to be very much in love when I was with them at family functions."

"Then why..."

"You have to understand, Rhiannon, they have been through a great and terrible ordeal that has spanned a decade. You cannot go through something like that and remain the same."

"So it's like they are different people?" Her aunt nodded. "So all they have to do is fall back in love?"

"Theoretically, yes, but love takes time."

"You just said that you and Uncle George fell in love and married in six months!"

"Seven and our situation is different. George and I were headstrong. We knew who we were. Harry and Kali, especially Kali, don't know who they are anymore."

"Will they ever have a happy ending?" Rhiannon asked earnestly.

Annie sighed, betraying her age, "I suspect they may sometime in the near future. Let's hope for Thomas's sake, and for their own, that they do."