Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to JKR! Enjoy!

Not Nearly Enough Light

Three quarters of an hour passed before either of us said anything. My head was foggy with images of Montague floating through time and space, and a small, redheaded baby swimming through Noel's womb.

"It's…Lee's?" I asked finally, the sound of my voice sounding oddly loud after the long bout of silence.

She gave a small, short nod. "I haven't been with anyone else except Patrick way back in September."

My mind raced through half a dozen options. "So, are you going to…you know?"

I remembered her past with Dash, how this was not the first time she had been in this situation. I remembered how she had nearly broken telling me about the decision she had made, how it still haunted her to this day.

She shrugged and wiped away a tear. "I don't know… Prudence, I've been so careful ever since then, I've always used the spell and he still uses Muggle protection on top of it. I don't know how this happened! How can this have happened? I never wanted to-"

My heart ached as she let out a wail, and I nudged closer, wrapping my arms around her frail, shaking form. "Whatever you decide to do, you've got me. And no matter what you think, you've got Lee too."

Noel let out a choked laugh, her voice thick with tears. "Says who? We're not even official anymore. And why would he want the responsibility of a child? It's a bloody miracle he made it this far as it is, he can't even eat a meal without spilling jam all down his front."

"I think you've got to give him a bit more credit than that," I said kindly. "Remember Valentine's Day? He took you to London for Merlin's sake, he figured out how to sneak you out of the country and back in the course of a day. He did all that for you! No matter what he still loves you, he'll always be there. Plus he's been a bloody good Potions partner, he takes his school work much more seriously than either of the twins. You've got to tell him. This shouldn't be all on your shoulders."

"Why is this happening to me, again?" Her voice was hollow, and her eyes blank. "I know I haven't been the most stand-up citizen, but I sure as hell don't think I deserve this."

Her voice cracked and the tears began to flow again. My grip around her tightened. And we sat there, rocking back and forth under the fluorescent lighting.

Lee and the twins came looking for us, as I knew they would eventually. We had skipped the entire day of classes, behavior that wasn't so odd for Noel, but extremely out of the ordinary for me. It spoke volumes that classes and schoolwork were the last things on my mind right now.

I managed to convince them that Noel was ill, and it was best to leave her be for now, although Lee was still giving me suspicious glances. Even still, no one wanted to mess with her, especially when she was sick and irritable, so they acquiesced and allowed me to walk them out of the common room.

Noel was, in truth, fast asleep in her bed. After she had nearly hyperventilated from a panic attack, I convinced her to take a Sleeping Draught and tucked her in. I could only handle so much right now, and a surprise impregnation of my currently mentally unstable best friend by one of my other best friends was not included in that equation. The events of this morning were still weighing me down, and I couldn't shake the sensation of an icy finger stroking down my spine. Noel needed sleep, and I needed George.

The four of us were huddled at a small table by the fire in the kitchens. "Come on love, eat something. You look peaky, and I know you missed all three meals today."

At George's coaxing, I managed a sip from my cup of tea and half of a biscuit, but it tasted like sawdust in my mouth. "I just…can't stop thinking about it. I mean, he was really going to do it, wasn't he?"

The twins exchanged a look. "There's no use thinking about what might've happened," Fred spoke finally. "The point is, we're all fine and Montague's learned his lesson."

"He should be coming out of the effects of the spell in about…oh…another hour or so," Lee added, checking his watch.

I tried to take another sip of tea, but my hands were shaking so badly that I got more on the table than in my mouth. George's arm wove around my waist, and I relaxed against him, closing my eyes. This warmth, this steadiness and certainty was what I had become accustomed to. I didn't want to go a single day without him, especially if Montague came back. He would be out for more than just my life. He would want revenge on everyone around me, too.

"Love, please try and put it out of your mind. He's gone, and we're still here. There's more important things to focus on. We can't let them win, you know that as well as I do."

I lowered my gaze, unable to look any of them in the eye. More important things to focus on, like the fetus growing inside of Noel's stomach that shared half of Lee's DNA? Like the fact that my boyfriend and one of my best friends were about to flee the school and disappear from my life until June? Like the world's darkest wizard back on the rise, killing innocent wizards and Muggles alike? My fists curled up and I slammed them against the thick, oak wood.

"Nothing matters anymore, don't you get it?" I practically shouted, and several house elves squeaked and retreated from the kitchen. "Voldemort's out there, hunting new recruiters – he's even seeking out children. Montague may be the only one at Hogwarts with the physical mark, but plenty others know he's back, and they're on his side, just biding their time. Who cares about classes, or jobs, or – or anything? By the time the school year's over we could be on the brink of war! Who. Fucking. Cares?"

Silence fell, and the three of them were staring at me like I had suddenly sprouted three flaming heads. "I'm sorry," I said shortly, "but there's no use in pretending anymore."

"No, but that doesn't mean we have to wallow in fear and misery either," George spoke finally. Lee's mouth was still agape. "That's what they want, and I don't intend to give them that satisfaction for one bloody minute. That's why this joke shop is so important to me, to us. I don't want to watch the world I grew up in evaporate under the evil of You-Know-Who. I don't want to live my life like that!"

Fred nodded vigorously. "Here, here, Gred. Or are you Forge? I've forgotten."

In spite of myself, I managed a bit of a smile. "There it is!" Lee exclaimed, and my smile grew. And then I remembered that he was completely clueless about Noel's situation, and how utterly unequipped either of them were to deal with it. It promptly dropped from my face. "And there it went."

"Everything is bollocks," I said numbly, collapsing my head onto the table. "There's no point to anything anymore. Dumbledore's gone, you two will be leaving, we'll be finishing school just in time to greet a full-blown war, and I'm supposed to, what? Sit in the library and study for exams?"

George soothingly stroked my hair. "I think it would be best if you two went back to the dormitory. I want to talk to her alone, yeah?"

Without another word, Fred and Lee stood, both stooping down to give me a pat on the arm and a peck on the cheek before departing. It was the most tactful I'd ever seen them. Everyone had done their fair share of growing up these past few months. "There's no use George. This has just been an awful day, and I'm in an awful mood."

He put his head down on the table so he was staring into my eyes. He looked quite silly, and I gave him a slight shove. "Stop being so adorable when I'm trying to pout."

"Never," he said with a roguish smile, sliding forward to plant a kiss on the tip of my nose. "I never want you to pout, or be upset. I just want you to be happy, love."

I sighed. "Thank you George. It's just…everything is happening so fast, it's all so real. We're not supposed to be dealing with this stuff yet. We're barely 17. I mean, look back to the start of term. Look at where we were, and where we are. It's like adulthood has come crashing down on us, and it's not been kind, at all."

He returned to a seated position, pulling me with him. His hand cupped my chin tenderly. "Harry was just 11 when he faced off against You-Know-Who for the first time. None of this was supposed to happen to him either. But you're right, we've all had to age very quickly, hence why Fred and I act the way that we do. There's a lot of darkness in the world, and not nearly enough light in times like this. When the time comes, if it comes, I'll fight, as I'm sure you will. But for now, I don't plan on sacrificing anything I don't have to. That includes you smiling."

George bent down and placed a short, firm kiss on my lips, and I stared at him. A feeling of utter helplessness had welled up inside me and taken root in my heart, but sitting here, with him, everything felt like it would be okay.

"Feel better, love?" he asked. I wanted to nod, to say, "yes!" but the words wouldn't come. I didn't know how to answer his question verbally, so I reached out for him instead.

My mouth collided with his, immediately desperate, fervent, hungry. My hands roved from his strong, taut shoulders to the back of his neck, and I knotted my fingers into the shaggy ends of his hair. He was caught off-guard but recovered smoothly, sliding me over and placing me on his lap. Eagerly, I wrapped my legs around him and he growled slightly, pressing me down onto his…

I gasped aloud, then whimpered slightly as his fingers glided up my thighs and beneath my knickers, leaving goosebumps in their wake. He was gripping my arse so firmly I was sure he'd leave bruises, but it only made me kiss him harder. This was nothing like our previous kisses; there was nothing slow, sensual, or gentle about this. It was pure gluttony. We were insatiable.

Our mouths mashed together, our tongues tangled and our breath ragged. He tasted of coffee and mint, and as his tongue slid over mine I grew dizzy. Time was running out, soon I wouldn't be able to do this anymore, and I was feeling greedy, so greedy…

His lips ravaged my neck, my earlobe, the top of my breasts. My skin was on fire – it was too hot. I tore my sweater off, desperate to feel the heat of his body against mine, and his quickly followed suit. Deftly, each button on his shirt was undone, and soon my mouth was gliding over the gloriously smooth skin of his chest. I didn't want to stop, ever, I couldn't let him pull away.

I brought my lips back to his, softer now, and I teasingly dragged my fingertips down his torso. He groaned when my hand landed on top of his hardness, and I lightly stroked him through his pants. George's eyes snapped open, his brown eyes nearly blackened with lust. "Prudence," he panted, and I could tell he was on the verge of losing control completely.

And just like that, the fire that had set inside me, running through my veins at his every touch, died. I sat back.

Our chests heaved, our cheeks ruddy with passion. "Merlin," I whispered. "I don't really know what just came over me."

"Whatever it was, it was bloody brilliant," he replied with a smirk. "But I don't want to do it, not like this."

The redness in my cheeks spread to my ears at his mention of intimacy. "Right. Me either."

"Not that I don't want to, because I really want to…" George started, reaching out and gripping my waist. "But I want it to be special." His fingers stroked my hips so softly I could almost swear I was imagining it.

"You're such a romantic," I said with a grin, trying to mask my discomfort. This was twice now I had nearly pushed him all the way, despite the fact that, when I was in my rational state of mind, I wasn't sure I was ready for it.

His forehead rested against mine, and I could feel the warmth of his breath spreading across my cheeks. "Well, I don't know about you, but I've given it a fair amount of thought-" I flushed. "-and having it happen in the Hogwarts kitchen where a house elf could walk in at any time just doesn't seem quite right."

I managed a small smile at that. "No, I suppose you're right… I've not given it much thought, but it should be more special than a spontaneous tryst on what must be the castle's most rickety chair."

The two of us sat there for a moment, wrapped in each other's arms and enjoying the stillness. "I'm really going to miss you."

George gave me a soft smile. "I'm going to miss you more than anything. I know I may not act like it, but I really am dreading not having you around, even if it's only temporary. I'm not leaving because I'm unhappy, or because I want to get away from you – this is just a lifelong dream of mine and Fred, and the time…I can't really explain it, but it just feels right."

"I know George, I understand, I do." I wrapped my arms more securely around his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of pine and smoke from a joke-product-gone-wrong. "Plus, this way you get to stick it to Umbridge, and that makes it all worth it."

He laughed as my lip curled with contempt. "Prudence, my love, you are absolutely right."

"Will you stay the night with me?" I asked suddenly, not wanting to let go of him for anything. My grip on him tightened, and I was overcome with shyness at my bold request.

Swooping in for a searing kiss, he gave a mumbled answer against my lips. "Anything for you."

And, not caring how ridiculous it looked, I let George carry me all the way to the common room, where Martin, Grace, and co. gave us extremely curious looks, and to my dormitory. After the events of today, who knew what tomorrow would hold? All I knew was that I wanted George by my side every single minute.

When I awoke the next morning, I was greeted by the radiating heat of George's body, entangled with mine. One arm was flung around my waist, the grip surprisingly firm despite the fact that he was essentially dead to the world. Both of his legs were woven between mine, and my head was tucked in the crook of his neck. I was sweaty and slightly uncomfortable from the temperature, but I didn't want to leave his warmth.

My free hand, the one not pinned against his chest, flew to the silver trinket resting against my neck. That, at least, was cool to the touch. I knew the curve of the wings and the sharpness of the beak by memory now, the smooth metal a comfort and a habit. I remembered standing in the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron, seeing the look on his face at spotting his charm next to Cedric's, how we'd decided to just be friends…

I'd been kidding myself, and he'd gone along with it. My heart contracted thinking about how I had hurt him, and I wriggled myself in closer to him. With a yawn, his brown eyes opened lazily and a smile spread across his face as he wrapped both arms around me. "Morning gorgeous."

I blushed slightly as he gave me a slow, tired kiss that left my lips tingling. "Morning."

"How'd you sleep?" There was an edge of concern in his voice.

"No nightmares," I reported, finding myself grinning at his look of self-satisfaction. "Yes George, it was all thanks to your big, fat muscles and your extreme masculinity. Your snoring did a great job protecting me."

He merely brushed off my teasing and snuggled in closer to me, shutting his eyes once more as he breathed in my scent. "You're welcome, my love."

I tensed, but he was already back in dream land. He'd never phrased it like that before. His love? A pleasant feeling swelled up inside of me and I felt too giddy to fall back asleep. I lay there for a long while, comforted by his presence and reveling in our closeness, but eventually I remembered Noel, and managed to extract myself from his grasp. His snores deepened as his limbs fell into the empty space I left behind, and I couldn't help but to smile.

Noel's hangings were drawn, so I tiptoed over and opened them a few inches. Her bed was empty. I frowned. I hadn't noticed her presence last night, I had just assumed that she was still under from the Sleeping Draught. I supposed I'd been too distracted with George… Where could she have gone?

My stomach clenched. Was she telling Lee? I needed to get to Gryffindor Tower. Leaving George asleep in my bed, I quickly changed into my uniform, ran a brush through my hair, and grabbed my satchel before departing from the room as quickly as I could. The common room was empty, save a few first years struggling to master Wizard's chess in the corner. I was thankful; I didn't need my classmates seeing me flee like I'd been set on fire. The less attention anyone paid to the situation, the better.

The halls were cool, and I wrapped my robes more tightly around me. Thanks to the stress of the past few months, I had lost several kilos and found myself near the verge of freezing at all times. Every time I glanced at my peaky, pallid, bony appearance in the mirror, it fueled my hatred for Umbridge and the Minister, and renewed my courage to keep fighting.

As I was making my way up to the fifth floor, my calves burning from the speed with which I was forcing myself to climb, I heard a harsh exchange coming from the small wing off to the side of the portrait of Durkin the Destroyer (great giant-fighter of the seventh century).

"I don't care what you want right now – I have to report to Professor Snape!" I recognized the firm voice with the vaguest of French accents.

"And I don't care about that right now," snapped a second voice whose silky, dulcet undertones sent chills down my spine. There was shuffling, and I heard several thuds, like books dropping to the ground.

I raced around the corner with my wand out. Pucey was wrenching Gemma's wrist, trying to pull her down the hall, while she resisted with all of her strength. My own wrist began tingling in a fashion that it hadn't since the Christmas holidays, and, in spite of the fact that not a drop was to be found anywhere, my nostrils filled with the scent of whiskey.

"Let her go, Pucey." I spoke as firmly as I could, trying to keep the warbles out. Though I'd come a long way in terms of my bravery, confrontation with the Slytherins still made me want to jump out of my skin.

He turned toward me in delight, and Gemma's eyes widened, though she could do nothing, as the dark-haired Slytherin still had her firmly in his grasp. "Look, the half-breed's here trying to play the hero! Mind your own business, half-breed." His tone shifted from false perkiness to one of warning.

I held my ground. "I said, let. Her. Go." My arm thankfully did not waver as I pointed it at his temple.

Pucey smirked, and by now Gemma's naturally darkened complexion had turned pale. "What are you going to do, Turner, tickle me?"

My mouth set in a firm line, and wordlessly, I cast the most powerful Bat-Bogey hex that I could muster. Immediately, a flurry of bats began attacking and attaching themselves to his face in spectacular fashion, and he released his fellow prefect so that he could whack away at the creatures. I scooped up Gemma's books and gestured for her to follow me.

We raced back toward the staircase, and she looked frightened as she turned to me. "You shouldn't have – you might've – you just got me into trouble!" she finally burst out shrilly, then a look of shock overcame her, like she had revealed something she wasn't supposed to.

"Got you into trouble with who, Gemma?" I asked curiously. "With Pucey?"

She shook her head wildly and grabbed her books from my arms. "Just – just forget it, forget what I said and forget what just happened, okay?"

And with that, she was gone, the sound of her expensive boots clacking against the ancient brick of the castle floor. I heard Pucey casting spells, undoubtedly to undo my jinx, and, choosing not to stick around any longer, continued racing up toward the seventh floor.

By the time I reached the portrait hole, I was out of breath, and all but wheezed the password. The Fat Lady hadn't quite accepted the notion that someone from a separate house was now being granted all-hours access to the common room, but still she swung open. No Lee, no Noel.

"Prudence!" a jubilant voice called out. "What are you doing here?"

I managed a smile as I spotted Ginny by the fire, a mostly blank scroll and an open textbook in front of her. "Hi, thanks for teaching me that jinx the other day, by the way, just came in handy with a Slytherin."

Her face lit up. "Wicked! How many bats were there?"

"About six, I think," I said, smiling despite myself. "Not quite your record, but I wasn't complaining seeing him running about blind. By the way, have you seen either Lee or Noel?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I haven't, and I've been down here for about an hour, but you might try checking upstairs. Congrats on hexing the Slytherin!"

I waved goodbye and forced myself up even more stairs, my legs screaming in protest with every creak of the wooden floorboards. How the Gryffindors did this every day was still beyond me, even after all this time. Once I reached the very top, I rapped on the door, impatiently tapping my foot.

After several moments, it swung open to reveal a half-dressed Fred. The rest of the room was empty. I barged in. "Good morning to you too, sunshine!" was his response.

"Where's Lee?"

Fred finished buttoning his shirt. "Popular lad this morning, that one. Dunno really. Noel came blazing in her about three hours ago, similar to you, don't know where you Puffers learnt your manners-"

I cut off his ramblings. "So you don't know where they went?" I was pacing slightly, and he was eyeing me carefully.

"Prudence, love, you might want to calm down, else you'll wear holes in the carpet." Gently, Fred eased me down into a chair, brushing a stack of papers and joke products onto the floor. A rubber wand let out a defeated squeak and a miniature confetti cannon let out a tiny puff of colored paper. "Right, now tell Uncle Fred what the problem is."

I let out a ginormous sigh and slumped over onto the desk.

"There, there, love," he said soothingly, patting my back. "I'll tell you a secret of mine if you'll tell me what's wrong."

Taking my silence for confirmation, he pulled up a second chair and rested his elbows on his knees. "I told Angie what George and I were planning and she chucked me."

"What?" I sprang upwards into a stark, seated position. "Wait, you two were dating?"

He gave me a solemn look. "No, not exactly."

"So…how did she chuck you?" I hated to admit it, but this was a good distraction.

"Well, everyone knows we've practically been dating since the Yule ball last year-"

"Yes, but did you ever make if official?" I asked, cutting him off.

Fred tutted. "You and your manners this morning, I must admit Prudence I am rather shocked. But no, I never made it, what's the term you used? Ah, right, "official." I mean, what's the point?"

I gave him a dead-eyed stare. "You're a moron, no wonder she gave you the old heave ho."

He snorted. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was spilling the beans to Noel!"

"You're right, I'm sorry Fred. How are you feeling?" I rested my hand on his reassuringly.

The sleepy redhead shrugged and let out a yawn. "It might be for the best…wouldn't really be fair for us to keep on like we've been doing while I'm not even here. And I'm going to be devoting almost all of my time to the business until it's officially up and running, so she deserves someone more…there."

"What exactly did she say she wanted?" I asked, not feeling as though Angelina Johnson would appreciate this martyr act Fred was putting on.

"She said, and I quote, 'we're not even dating you dunderhead so why are you putting me in the middle of your expulsion-worthy plans?' End quote."

I cringed. "Yeah, she's put off about you never making it official."

He looked more downcast than I'd ever seen him. "Suppose that's another thing I've right mucked up, isn't it?"

"Do you want to fix it?" I asked, and he glanced at me. For once, his guard wasn't up. It was even more rare to be able to see real emotion behind Fred's eyes than those of George or Lee's.

Again, he shrugged. "Maybe after she's finished out the year and the business is up and running. I don't think I'd be able to focus on her the way I should if I were to make things proper right now. And besides, she's pretty well chuffed at me so I think she needs to cool off. Focus on quidditch and the like."

I chewed my lip as I thought and finally nodded, trying not to reinterpret his words as something that George might be thinking about me. "It sounds like that might be best, for now. But you should fix it, or try to, in the future. You two are sweet together. She hardly ever smiles anymore, except for when you're around."

He enveloped me in a bear hug and ruffled my hair, one of his favorite activities. "Thanks my favorite little Puffer – don't tell Noel I said that. She terrifies me. Anyway, what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Well, it's not so much my problem as it is-"

Just then, the door burst open with such force that it ricocheted off the wall and nearly whacked the hulking figure that had just entered the room in the face. "Lee's," I finished lamely, watching as he wrenched open his trunk, yanked out a bottle of firewhiskey, downed half of the bottle, and collapsed heavily onto his bed.

"Geez mate, you look like you just got told you have six months to live," Fred said wryly, eyeing his wallowing mate.

"More like eight and a half," he said hoarsely, and I winced.

Fred blinked. "Eight and a half? Like…"

"I got her pregnant. I'm a sodding MORON!" he bellowed suddenly, the contents of the bottle in his hand sloshing. I couldn't help thinking that it wasn't yet nine in the morning, but then thought about being in his position and got up and cracked a second one open for him. He finished his first in a heaving gulp and accepted the fresh bottle from me.

I chanced a glance at Fred, who looked rather like someone had whacked him over the head with a frying pan. "This is why you came barging in here like a mad man was chasing you?"

"Yes," I said quietly, looking back and forth between the inconsolable Lee and the utterly baffled redhead. "So…how did you take it when Noel told you?"

He pulled a pillow over his head. "I told her I wanted to keep it and she said no."

"What?!" Fred and I exclaimed in unison.

"I said-" he mumbled.

Fred cut him off. "We heard you mate, we're just confused as to why you want a child of your own at the age of 17?"

"And why Noel said no," I added softly.

Lee groaned loudly and forced himself to sit up so he could ingest more alcohol. He made a face as he chugged it down. "I don't know…I know I can barely take care of myself sometimes," here, Fred snorted, "but I love her, even if she doesn't love me…and I just feel like it's what's right, you know?"

I sat down on the end of his bed and gingerly patted his ankle, uncomfortably soothing him much in the same manner I had just done with Fred. "And she said no?"

He nodded glumly.

"…did she tell you why?" I was unsure just how much Noel had revealed to him, whether he knew any details about her past with Dash beyond what the average Hogwarts student knew.

He shook his head. "Just said neither of us were ready for it, that the child would probably grow up mentally deformed because we would raise it so badly."

"Jesus Noel," I muttered to myself. "Well, I don't think that's true, and I doubt it's what she really thinks."

"Really?" he looked at me hopefully, nursing his drink.

"Yes, really?" Fred asked incredulously.

I gave him a nasty look and he raised his hands in surrender. "Noel really cares for you Lee, and thinks highly of you. I just think that she's afraid right now, and she's acting out."

"Makes sense," Fred said, helping himself to one of Lee's bottles. I glared at him. "What? It's for solidarity."

Lee shook his head. "We all know Noel. Once she makes up her mind about something, that's how it is."

I reached down and wrapped my arms around him. "Maybe, but I have a feeling this is a situation she'll give a second thought to. Do you happen to know where she went?"

"Back to your dormitory, I reckon. Said she was feeling ill."

I grabbed my satchel and hurried towards the door. "Fred, don't let him get too drunk," I said wearily, and he saluted. I sighed and exited the room, knowing full well that they would both be completely knackered by the time I saw them next.

I retraced my steps back down to where I had started my morning, ignoring my growling stomach and the fact that I was missing breakfast. Choosing an alternative route that passed by the fifth floor, lest I find myself at the scene of the crime from earlier, I rounded my corners carefully and breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the pile of barrels safely.

The common room was packed full of students either just returning from breakfast and preparing for the first class of the day, and those who had just awoken and were hurrying to the Great Hall for a soggy bit of toast before the food disappeared. Thankfully, when I entered my own dormitory, Grace was nowhere to be seen. Both my hangings and Noel's were flung wide open, and I head retching coming from the bathroom.

"There, there," I heard George say, and when I peeked into the bathroom, I saw him holding Noel's hair back as she emptied her sick into the toilet.

I gave him a grateful look and knelt down on her other side, rubbing her back soothingly. "I just saw Lee."

With one last gag, she sat back, swiping a hand across her mouth. "Oh yeah?" Her brow was sweaty. "Relieved, was he?"

"Well on his way to getting drunk actually. Fred too," I added. George shook his head, a small, wry grin on his face. "And no, don't you dare even think about joining them." His grin dropped.

"How else am I supposed to find out what's going on around here? No one's telling me anything, yet everyone else seems to know all the details." He was pouting, and I sighed.

Noel scooped her hair back into a low, ratty ponytail. "If you must know Weasley, there is a fetus growing inside of me that shares Jordan's DNA."

His face mirrored that of Fred's from fifteen minutes ago. "Er-what?"

"She took the potion," I said, my tone soft. "It was blue."

George ran a hand through his hair. "Are you – is he – okay?"

Noel gave a breathy laugh as she tried to gulp in fresh air to ebb her nausea. "What do you think?"

"He's not relieved, Noel." I forced myself to look at her. "He wants to keep it. He's devastated that you don't."

She snorted. "Yeah, right. I guarantee once that wriggling, slimey things pops out he'd regret ever saying that. He has no idea how to be responsible."

"Give him a little bit of credit, at least," George reasoned. "He did manage five OWLs, and somehow Snape hasn't permanently thrown him out of Potions yet. Plus, he's been commentating the quidditch matches since our third year, he knows what an obligation is."

Noel shrugged tiredly. "None of that means he'd make a good father, especially when I'm the mother. I'm a mess and everyone knows it. But I mean…"

She went silent, so I put a hand on her shoulder to prompt her. "I mean, I don't honestly know if I can put myself through…getting rid of it, again."

"Again?!" George exclaimed, and I kicked him in the shins as hard as I could. "Ouch!"

Neither of us paid him any attention. "So, what do you want Noel?"

"I don't know," she started slowly. "All I'm really saying is that… Lee might be right."

A/N: So...here's chapter 30! I was really pleased to see that so many of you are still here even after my incredibly long hiatus (which I am SO sorry about!) But the good news is that the Prudence and George and Noel and Lee love saga continues! Please let me know your thoughts, I love hearing ideas and suggestions :)

UP NEXT: Lee and Noel make a decision, phase 1 begins, and Prudence has an interesting encounter.