Ch. 25: Sister Snooping

        I stifled a yawn and glared down at my exam notes, widening my eyes in a feeble attempt to force my brain to focus, focus, focus. I rubbed my blurry eyes, acknowledging that this tactic was stupid and flipped through the decrepit pages of the Defense Against the Dark Arts For Dummies book that I had taken off the shelf of the library. I've been up in this dingy place since eight in the morning...and it's a Sunday. 

      I sighed at the thought of my wasted weekend spent on my studies.

      You're probably thinking 'Elle? In a library? At this hour?' and my only reply would be: I know right? Truth is, exams were here, and just as hellish as they were back in Sorcellerie, perhaps even worse, actually. But, there were only two weeks before winter break, so.. silver lining. 

     Plus all the drama of the Common Room was getting to me. Girls would be either talking about boys, or dresses, or makeup, or hair, or they would be crying in front of the fireplace because the guy they wanted already asked someone else to the Ball.

        It was getting horrid, and I thought I was going to go crazy. Maybe I was for being up at this hour. Sighing, I slammed the book shut and strolled over to the bookcase, putting it back. When I grabbed another book, it left a perfect-sized gap for me to see the people at the table on the other side of me.

      I would've been damned if I didn't know them.

       "Mione?" I whispered to myself as I took down the next book as well, so I could get a better view of what exactly I was witnessing.

Hermione was bent over a book, carefully reading out loud-but what threw me off was who she was with-none other then Viktor Krum-the Bulgarian bon-bon! I sniggered-I can't help myself. "Aha bon-bon." I muttered to myself.

      Hermione blushed at something Krum said and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, with a small, embarrassed smile playing on her lips. "What are you playing at Hermione..." I cocked a brow, knowing that if they looked towards the bookshelf they would be able to see me perfectly through the books.

Krum stroked her cheek for a second, causing her to blush harder. Krum picked something under her eye and held a finger out for her to blow on. "Ahh, the old eyelash trick...I gotcha Viktor." I mumbled, watching my innocent twin, totally engrossed.

      So engrossed in fact, that I hadn't noticed someone creeping on me from behind. "What are you up to, Elizabeth?" 

       With a squeak, I hit my head on the bookshelf. But, somehow managing not to get the attention of Hermione or Krum. Blushing, I quickly put the books in my hands on the bookshelf and nervously turned to face the person talking to me. "Oh, nothing--just studying."

George gave me a calculating look, but just shrugged and grabbed a book by my head. I licked my lips nervously, and leaned against the place where Hermione and Krum could be seen, I didn't want George to run off and tell Ron or Harry. "So-where is your doppleganger?"

       "You're referring to Fred?" George chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Probably tossing some things around our dormitory; he's a little miffed that you chose Wood to take to the Yule Ball." George's eyes glazed over as if thinking back to another time. 

     "He and Wood have had this competitive nature -- they're always trying to outdo each other." He snorted and looked at me expectantly, waiting for my reply.

       I paused, 'Wait--what?' I processed what George was telling me, confused.

      "What was that? I'm sorry, I must've gotten dust from these underused books caught in my ear or something. Who am I taking to the Ball?"

"Could you move a little? I'm looking for an alchemist book." He looked at the shelves that my body was covering, hoping his book would be there. "And you know-Oliver Wood. Fred and I heard you ask him on the field the other day."  I refused to move so George pushed me lightly.

        My heart raced, I didn't know why, but I didn't want Hermione to be discovered just yet, so I blurted out: "These are DADA Books! The alchemist books are all the way over there!" I pointed back the way he'd come. George frowned.

     "Really? Great, well thanks, Elle." 

      As he walked back the way he came, I followed him close behind, hands clasped anxiously behind my back. 

      "Oh yeah," I explained in a dull voice, knowing it was no one's business anyway. "I'm not going with Oliver Wood. I was asking him to go with my friend Lana." I shoved my hands on top of my hips with an arched brow hoisted high on my forehead. "If Fred wasn't so jealous I would have explained."

       George snickered and shook his head. "Look, I'm not going to get involved. If he is jealous it would be a first, so he probably doesn't know it. Anyway, I've problems of my own to deal with..." He frowned and blushed a little while carefully examining the books on the shelves.

       I would have waited for George to explain further, but it wasn't in my nature. Plus, any change of subject was a good one.

      "Ohh? And what would those problems be?" I cocked my head to the side, sweetly pretending to be innocent.

        George gave me a weary look, seeing right through it, and scratched the back of his neck. "Okay, so there's this crazy girl that I'm taking to the Yule Ball, right?"

      "Yeah, Blake-why not just call her by her name?" I chuckled at his evasiveness, but let him continue.

He cleared his throat and kept talking. "Well, it turns out that I just may have had a crush on her since fourth year-but that makes me really nervous."

     "Nervous how? You feel like you can't talk to her?" I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned on the bookshelf.

George pulled down an alchemy book and nodded. "Well-yeah, I mean...how do I talk to her with out making a fool of myself?"

       I giggled and rolled my eyes, looking over the books as if they held the secret to the meaning of life. "Look, George, there is no magical solution to your problems. Just be yourself! Besides, I've already told you that she likes you and you've already asked her. Sooo," I dragged the word out like a song, "all you have to do is dance and talk like you do every day. I'm surprised that you aren't more self-secure."

He just shrugged and gave me a smirk. "Thanks Elle, I guess."

"No problem, G." I looked around and started to make my way back over to my table, calling over my shoulder. "I've got to study some more-but you'll do fine!"

As soon as I made it back to my table, I pulled the two books down to snoop on my twin some more. She looked like she packing up her things, but they were talking back and forth. "The history of piggly whips is actually quite interesting, thank you Viktor." She smiled politely, a small reddish tint seemed to be perminitly stained on her cheeks.

       "No problem, Hermi-oh-ninny." His thick accent said, causing me to snort a little, but it was kind of cute he got the name wrong. "Vell you be back tomorrow?" He asked, a little eagerly.

     She bit her lip and nodded. "Yes, exams are right around the corner so I'll be here just like every day." She smiled sweetly. I looked up across the gap towards the next set of bookshelves to see that I wasn't the only gawker, three disappointed girls were glaring through the bookshleves whispering to each other, angrily. Jealous hags.

     Sighing, I pulled away from the bookshelf and grabbed the next book on my list-desciding that I would study over some cereal and coffee.

Elle In This Chapter:

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Catch you in the next one, cheers x