FICLET: Hey, Jealousy! (George/Luna)
Title: Hey, Jealousy!
Character Pairing: George/Luna for rarepair_shorts
Prompt: The other dumb chump
Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe, though it's probably more like PG, really)
Word Count: 1,332
Summary: George surprises Luna with a visit at the first Hogsmeade weekend of the new school year, and proceeds to put his foot in his mouth in a *big* way.
Author's Notes: Well, here it is....the long-awaited Hogsmeade weekend installment!! Ta da!! Unfortunately, for those of you who waited so patiently for this ficlet, I have to say it *is* super-angsty and ends on a rather evil cliffie. I apologize in advance!! But I promise that I won't leave the characters twisting in the wind for *too* long.... ;) This is 4/13 for my claim and takes place on October 24, 1998 which I have decreed was a Saturday for the purposes of this fic. I hope you all enjoy!!
Editing Note: I've kept trying to fix the coding on this entry, but no matter what I do, it still won't put the full text behind an lj-cut. Sigh. And somehow during the process, I clipped off the first couple of sentences in the version you can all see here on the main journal page. However, if you click on the lj-cut that says "Hey, Jealousy!", the entire thing pops up again with the missing sentences restored. Go figure!!
Link to Prompt Table: Click Here!!
Saturday, October 24th, 1998 dawned sunny, bright, and quite cold. The crisp fall air was already full of the tang of woodsmoke by breakfast time, and a persistent breeze whirled multi-colored leaves from their branches in intermittent gusts.
Within the walls of Hogwarts a sense of anticipation thrummed so strongly that it was almost a tangible force. Snatches of chattering conversations, undercurrents of early morning whispers, and the weary tones of teachers roused prematurely from their weekend beds all reverberated with the same two word refrain:
“Hogsmeade weekend…”
~*~
Later that morning, Luna had just left Scrivenshaft’s with Neville when several unexpected things happened almost simultaneously. She thought she saw a flash of red hair at the far end of Hogsmeade’s main street, just near the corner opposite the Three Broomsticks. But before she could get a better look Neville promptly stepped on the hem of her robe, causing Luna to topple sideways into him. She juggled the packages she was carrying as Neville reached out and caught her around the waist, preventing her from falling to the ground. By the time she righted herself and scanned the far end of the street again, the copper-colored streak she thought - hoped - she had seen was gone.
George? Was that you? They’d been writing one another steadily since Luna had returned to school for the fall term, but he hadn’t said anything about coming to visit her. She had assumed he would be busy at the shop - two weeks ago one of his letters mentioned that he and Ron were working furiously to get it back on its feet in time for Christmas - but Luna had harbored a secret wish that he would visit her this weekend.
Without a word to Neville she broke into a jog, needing to reach the end of the street before another moment passed. She picked up her pace, heedless of the fact that Neville was trailing after her and calling her name. A few heartbeats later, she stood opposite the Three Broomsticks and paused to look down all of the streets that intersected in front of the tavern. As her eye moved over the lane that led towards the Shrieking Shack, she nearly cried out with delight.
He is here!!
“Luna,” Neville huffed as he reached her, “why in the world did you take off like that?!” He put his hand on her elbow gently, a worried expression on his face.
“Oh Neville, I’m so sorry…it’s just…George is here!!” Neville’s features immediately softened into an understanding smile. He was Luna’s dear friend and, along with Ginny, he was one of the few she’d confided in about her budding relationship with George.
“Well, then…what are you still talking to me for?” Neville said with a wink. He reached out to take her packages from her. “Here, let me take these back to the castle for you.”
“Thank you Neville!” she leaned forward and gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and then turned back to face where George was standing halfway down the lane. She opened her mouth to call after him, but the words died in her throat as she saw that he had already turned to face her and was watching them with an unreadable expression.
~*~
The sight of Neville’s arms wrapping around Luna’s waist was burned onto George’s retinas. As soon as his brain registered the image, he turned and moved out of sight behind the nearest building.
George didn’t know what he felt most deeply - the confusion about what he’d just seen, the anger that Longbottom seemed to have his hands all over his girl, or the fear that he’d made a stupid mistake in trying to surprise Luna today. These emotions, and what seemed like a thousand more, all roiled together in George’s gut.
They quickly formed an aching lump that lodged itself in his chest, and he was more than a bit mortified to find that tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. He knew he had to get out of there before he was spotted, but he couldn’t make his feet take him more than a few paces away from the main street and down the road leading towards the Shrieking Shack before he faltered and came to a stop.
This is what I get for jumping to conclusions, I guess, he thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have assumed that exchanging a few owls and some snogging meant anything, apparently…
He was about to Disapparate when an inexplicable urge made him turn around and take one last look to see if she had followed him. He stood rooted to the spot as delight and bitterness twisted within him, fighting for supremacy in his chest. Luna had indeed followed him, but she was standing in front of the Three Broomsticks with Longbottom’s hand on her arm…and she was kissing him!!
The smug git…now that he’s a “Hero of Hogwarts” he just thinks he can snog whomever he likes, does he?
On some level, George knew he was being irrational. He knew Neville. He liked Neville. And the sensible little voice inside him - the one that was rapidly being drowned out by its irrational counterpart - was telling him that he knew Luna better than this. Whatever it was that they were building together was still fragile and new, but some part of him did know that she wouldn’t betray him with another bloke and that he was leaping to conclusions.
Unfortunately for all of them, that was not the part of George that was controlling his mouth when he approached Luna and Neville where they stood.
“George! You came-” Luna began, a bright smile on her face. But it barely registered with George before he raised his hand and cut her off abruptly.
“Yeah…I did, though I don’t know why,” he muttered, unable to stop the bitterness from invading his tone despite his better judgment.
“George? What’s wrong?” she sounded puzzled. Longbottom simply stood there, his arms full of packages, watching the two of them with an air of concern.
Oh he’s concerned about her, is he? George thought. Well then, I don’t need to be.
“What’s wrong?” he repeated. “Apparently I’m what’s wrong. What’s the story, Luna? Was I just the other dumb chump you kept hanging about until it was time to pick back up with Longbottom?”
Luna looked hurt and George instantly began to regret his outburst, but he was in too far to back down now. She said nothing, merely gazed at him with her usual unflappable stare, which was now tinged with regret and what appeared to be disappointment in him. With all his focus on her, George heard Neville’s protests as if from far away.
“George…it’s not like that at all. How can you even think-”
Suddenly realizing what a cock-up he’d made of everything, all George wanted was to get away as quickly as possible. I really am a tosser…I’ve just ruined the best thing I had left…I deserve to be alone. He managed to choke out a strangled “save it, Longbottom.” And with one last glance at Luna, he Disapparated, dropping the gift he’d brought for her as he vanished with a crack.
~*~
Luna stared at the spot where George had just stood, numbly wondering how in the span of thirty seconds her world had imploded. Bending down quickly, she scooped up what had fallen when George Disapparated. When she saw what it was, her eyes brimmed over with tears…oh, George.
She managed to turn to the still sputtering Neville and ask him if he would still take her things back to the castle for her. “And Neville, if anyone asks, can you cover for me? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Cover for- Luna? What are you going to do?”
She gazed down at the small bunch of bedraggled looking cornflowers that she was cradling in her hands.
“I’m going after the daft git, of course.”
And with a pop she was gone.
Character Pairing: George/Luna for rarepair_shorts
Prompt: The other dumb chump
Rating: PG-13 (just to be safe, though it's probably more like PG, really)
Word Count: 1,332
Summary: George surprises Luna with a visit at the first Hogsmeade weekend of the new school year, and proceeds to put his foot in his mouth in a *big* way.
Author's Notes: Well, here it is....the long-awaited Hogsmeade weekend installment!! Ta da!! Unfortunately, for those of you who waited so patiently for this ficlet, I have to say it *is* super-angsty and ends on a rather evil cliffie. I apologize in advance!! But I promise that I won't leave the characters twisting in the wind for *too* long.... ;) This is 4/13 for my claim and takes place on October 24, 1998 which I have decreed was a Saturday for the purposes of this fic. I hope you all enjoy!!
Editing Note: I've kept trying to fix the coding on this entry, but no matter what I do, it still won't put the full text behind an lj-cut. Sigh. And somehow during the process, I clipped off the first couple of sentences in the version you can all see here on the main journal page. However, if you click on the lj-cut that says "Hey, Jealousy!", the entire thing pops up again with the missing sentences restored. Go figure!!
Link to Prompt Table: Click Here!!
Saturday, October 24th, 1998 dawned sunny, bright, and quite cold. The crisp fall air was already full of the tang of woodsmoke by breakfast time, and a persistent breeze whirled multi-colored leaves from their branches in intermittent gusts.
Within the walls of Hogwarts a sense of anticipation thrummed so strongly that it was almost a tangible force. Snatches of chattering conversations, undercurrents of early morning whispers, and the weary tones of teachers roused prematurely from their weekend beds all reverberated with the same two word refrain:
“Hogsmeade weekend…”
~*~
Later that morning, Luna had just left Scrivenshaft’s with Neville when several unexpected things happened almost simultaneously. She thought she saw a flash of red hair at the far end of Hogsmeade’s main street, just near the corner opposite the Three Broomsticks. But before she could get a better look Neville promptly stepped on the hem of her robe, causing Luna to topple sideways into him. She juggled the packages she was carrying as Neville reached out and caught her around the waist, preventing her from falling to the ground. By the time she righted herself and scanned the far end of the street again, the copper-colored streak she thought - hoped - she had seen was gone.
George? Was that you? They’d been writing one another steadily since Luna had returned to school for the fall term, but he hadn’t said anything about coming to visit her. She had assumed he would be busy at the shop - two weeks ago one of his letters mentioned that he and Ron were working furiously to get it back on its feet in time for Christmas - but Luna had harbored a secret wish that he would visit her this weekend.
Without a word to Neville she broke into a jog, needing to reach the end of the street before another moment passed. She picked up her pace, heedless of the fact that Neville was trailing after her and calling her name. A few heartbeats later, she stood opposite the Three Broomsticks and paused to look down all of the streets that intersected in front of the tavern. As her eye moved over the lane that led towards the Shrieking Shack, she nearly cried out with delight.
He is here!!
“Luna,” Neville huffed as he reached her, “why in the world did you take off like that?!” He put his hand on her elbow gently, a worried expression on his face.
“Oh Neville, I’m so sorry…it’s just…George is here!!” Neville’s features immediately softened into an understanding smile. He was Luna’s dear friend and, along with Ginny, he was one of the few she’d confided in about her budding relationship with George.
“Well, then…what are you still talking to me for?” Neville said with a wink. He reached out to take her packages from her. “Here, let me take these back to the castle for you.”
“Thank you Neville!” she leaned forward and gave him a friendly peck on the cheek and then turned back to face where George was standing halfway down the lane. She opened her mouth to call after him, but the words died in her throat as she saw that he had already turned to face her and was watching them with an unreadable expression.
~*~
The sight of Neville’s arms wrapping around Luna’s waist was burned onto George’s retinas. As soon as his brain registered the image, he turned and moved out of sight behind the nearest building.
George didn’t know what he felt most deeply - the confusion about what he’d just seen, the anger that Longbottom seemed to have his hands all over his girl, or the fear that he’d made a stupid mistake in trying to surprise Luna today. These emotions, and what seemed like a thousand more, all roiled together in George’s gut.
They quickly formed an aching lump that lodged itself in his chest, and he was more than a bit mortified to find that tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. He knew he had to get out of there before he was spotted, but he couldn’t make his feet take him more than a few paces away from the main street and down the road leading towards the Shrieking Shack before he faltered and came to a stop.
This is what I get for jumping to conclusions, I guess, he thought bitterly. I shouldn’t have assumed that exchanging a few owls and some snogging meant anything, apparently…
He was about to Disapparate when an inexplicable urge made him turn around and take one last look to see if she had followed him. He stood rooted to the spot as delight and bitterness twisted within him, fighting for supremacy in his chest. Luna had indeed followed him, but she was standing in front of the Three Broomsticks with Longbottom’s hand on her arm…and she was kissing him!!
The smug git…now that he’s a “Hero of Hogwarts” he just thinks he can snog whomever he likes, does he?
On some level, George knew he was being irrational. He knew Neville. He liked Neville. And the sensible little voice inside him - the one that was rapidly being drowned out by its irrational counterpart - was telling him that he knew Luna better than this. Whatever it was that they were building together was still fragile and new, but some part of him did know that she wouldn’t betray him with another bloke and that he was leaping to conclusions.
Unfortunately for all of them, that was not the part of George that was controlling his mouth when he approached Luna and Neville where they stood.
“George! You came-” Luna began, a bright smile on her face. But it barely registered with George before he raised his hand and cut her off abruptly.
“Yeah…I did, though I don’t know why,” he muttered, unable to stop the bitterness from invading his tone despite his better judgment.
“George? What’s wrong?” she sounded puzzled. Longbottom simply stood there, his arms full of packages, watching the two of them with an air of concern.
Oh he’s concerned about her, is he? George thought. Well then, I don’t need to be.
“What’s wrong?” he repeated. “Apparently I’m what’s wrong. What’s the story, Luna? Was I just the other dumb chump you kept hanging about until it was time to pick back up with Longbottom?”
Luna looked hurt and George instantly began to regret his outburst, but he was in too far to back down now. She said nothing, merely gazed at him with her usual unflappable stare, which was now tinged with regret and what appeared to be disappointment in him. With all his focus on her, George heard Neville’s protests as if from far away.
“George…it’s not like that at all. How can you even think-”
Suddenly realizing what a cock-up he’d made of everything, all George wanted was to get away as quickly as possible. I really am a tosser…I’ve just ruined the best thing I had left…I deserve to be alone. He managed to choke out a strangled “save it, Longbottom.” And with one last glance at Luna, he Disapparated, dropping the gift he’d brought for her as he vanished with a crack.
~*~
Luna stared at the spot where George had just stood, numbly wondering how in the span of thirty seconds her world had imploded. Bending down quickly, she scooped up what had fallen when George Disapparated. When she saw what it was, her eyes brimmed over with tears…oh, George.
She managed to turn to the still sputtering Neville and ask him if he would still take her things back to the castle for her. “And Neville, if anyone asks, can you cover for me? I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Cover for- Luna? What are you going to do?”
She gazed down at the small bunch of bedraggled looking cornflowers that she was cradling in her hands.
“I’m going after the daft git, of course.”
And with a pop she was gone.