And that's how it works
That's how you get the girl, girl

Remind her how it used to be, be

GEORGE ALWAYS KNEW. Even before Fred knew, George already knew. Maybe it's because they're twins, all that 'I know you better than you know yourself' — some would say that's the reason —, but the redhead in question always thought it was because he watched everything.

George was a natural observer, preferring to keep quiet rather than talk about everything and nothing — and when he spoke, George knew what he was saying. He had been this way since he was a little boy, knowing when Bill or Charlie got a new girlfriend and when they broke up, noticing how Percy was insecure about his brothers' opinions, and when his parents chose to skip dinner so everyone could eat.

For the same reason, because he was so observant, Georgie had been the first to realize that Fred was in love, even before he did.

I mean, how could he not notice? Fred's gaze, so full of love, was always directed at the same person, and after a while, it became so obvious that anyone around him could see it.

In fact, anyone except the person in question.

And the Weasley tried, Merlin knows how much, to make his twin brother confess his feelings. And, according to Fred, he tried all these times, and in none of them she understood.

"Have you ever noticed that, maybe, just maybe, you didn't declare yourself seriously once and just waited for her to realize what you felt?" George said, one day, while the twins spent time in the dormitory doing nothing.

Recently, some mishaps between the twins and the Slytherin Quidditch team ended up leading to the withdrawal of both from the Gryffindor team, causing the anger of Angelina Johnson, the captain, and the increase in the brothers' free time.

Fred looked at him with serious features, eyes closed as if he were in a debate with himself. "No, I'm pretty sure I have already confessed my feelings." This made the younger Weasley twin sigh deeply, catching Frederick's gaze again. "What?"

"I'm just saying that you never even declared yourself to her, hitting your eyelashes and praising her hair is not the same as a confession. A real confession."

"Hey!" Fred seemed stunned by his brother's statement. "I don't hit my eyelashes, and that's not all I do. I've been following the manual."

George let out a blown laugh. "Oh, yes, the manual. Two steps so far, right?"

"Actually, three. Lie gave me the third step this morning."

"And what is it?"

Fred seemed to search his memory in search of the conversation he had had with Amalie, looking for the third step. "Something like memories, pictures or whatever."

"Memories? Man, I'm not trying to discredit Lie or anything, but I don't think the manual has any more impact than a declaration of love." By the look Fred gave him, he threw up his hands. "I'm just saying."

"You know very well that I can't declare myself, I tried to flirt and everything else, give indications of what I felt, and she didn't get it. Now it's with the manual." Fred said, proudly.

"You do you." George shrugged. "How are you going to move forward with this step, by the way?"

Fred gave an embarrassed smile.

"You have no idea, am I right?"

"Pretty much." The older one replied.

After a few seconds of silence, George spoke again. "You know you won't be able to end this plan before... that, don't you?"

Fred's face darkened with the mention of something that, until now, was only shared by the two of them.

"Yes, I know." He finally said. "I'm aware of that, George."

"You... you also know that we'll have to tell Lie, right?"

This time it wasn't just Frederick's face darkening, George's repeated the action. None of them wanted to deal with it, especially knowing how it was going to turn out.

Fred didn't respond. Instead, he turned his head to the twin, crossing glances with him and nodding, both in a silent agreement made through looks alone.

.

Amalie arrived at the planned location exactly at the agreed time. Fred and George had asked her to meet them in the Hogwarts gardens, next to one of the ancient trees that occupied the space.

Being spring, the sun shone loudly in the sky, warming those who dared to walk the land, even though they knew they were the target of Umbridge's constant observation.

Sitting under the tree where they had arranged to meet, Fred and George soon caught their best friend's eye, who was running towards them with a smile.

Lie has always had the same smile, Fred thought, looking at his best friend.

George seemed to realize what Fred was thinking, and chuckled to himself.

When Lie was close enough to touch them, she sat down on the grass next to them, on top of a sweatshirt she knew was Fred's.

"I never thought McGonagall wouldn't teach a Transfiguration class, I think it's the first time she hasn't taught a class in like, I don't know, forever." She commented. "She must not want to deal with Umbridge inspecting every class and everything. I would do the same, call in sick or something, just to avoid dealing with the pink cow."

Amalie turned her head to look at her two best friends, expecting to see them agree with her, but she only saw both of them with serious expressions.

"Is everything alright?" Amalie frowned. "Umbridge didn't give you two detention again, did she? I told you guys you need to start behaving in her classes, that woman is sick."

Before Amalie could continue to throw words out, George stopped her. "Lie, I need you to listen to this very carefully, and that, despite everything, respect what we are going to say. "He looked at his twin. "We thought about it a lot and came to the conclusion that it is the best decision, there is no turning back."

She let out a nervous laugh, looking at both of them. "You're scaring me, what's happening?"

"You have to promise not to try to change our minds, Lie, please."

"I can't promise something when I don't even know what it is, Georgie."

"Lie, please." Fred took the floor.

Seeing both of their worried eyes on her, she gave a tense half-smile. "I promise, boys. It shouldn't be as bad as—"

"George and I are leaving Hogwarts." Fred interrupted Amalie's sentence, and at that moment, hearing those words come out of the mouth of the person she was growing to like more and more, Amalie's heart seemed to have fallen into the hands.

But it wasn't into her hands that it fell, it was into the firm, freckled hands of the boy in front of her — even though he had no idea.

❦

AMALIE DIDN'T TRY TO CHANGE THE TWINS' MIND, as she had promised. She simply spent the rest of the day with Fred and George, trying to make the most of the time they had together before they left for life outside Hogwarts; George even joked, saying that he never thought he and Fred would finish Hogwarts before the blonde, but that it seemed like the smartest ones had finally been singled out, making the girl laugh.

Unfortunately, after the afternoon spent with the boys, she knew she had to let them return to their lives, leaving the twins so they could organize everything for their farewell, heading towards her dormitory despite the wave of sadness that covered her.

Her dorm mates acted naturally, doing their chores as usual, but Angelina gave the blonde a reassuring smile, as if they both shared the same secret. Perhaps she knew too, since, over time, the Johnson and the younger Weasley twin — George — had become closer than usual.

This was the reason that led Amalie to dismiss the idea that Fred's mysterious girl was Angelina.

Stone responded to the smile, and allowed curiosity to overcome sadness when Johnson pointed her head at her secretary.

In fearful steps, Amalie got close enough to the desk so that she could see a package on top of the surface next to the bed.

Amalie untied the rectangular paper package. Inside it, there was a frame with a photo, as well as a handwritten note.

In the picture, Fred and Lie, both eight years old, were hugging. Fred was kissing little Amalie's cheek, who was caught in the middle of a laugh, with her head tilted back

It had been photographed by George — she remembered that day well. They were in the Burrow in the summer, and Georgie, months before, had received a muggle camera from Amalie's parents.

Since it wasn't magic, it wasn't possible to see the seconds before or after the action, but Lie remembered the environment around her well; her and Freddie's childish laughter, her standing on tiptoe and with her head tilted back which, despite being due to laughter, ended up making it easier for Fred due to the height difference, George's shouts for them to be quiet so as not to ruin the photo.

After it was printed, George was the only one to see the photo, but he ended up saying that it hadn't come out well, putting it in his pocket and saying that he would throw it in the trash later.

Amalie smiled with the memory, her eyes in water when she picked up the note.

"Thank you for the 'How to Get The Girl' manual — even though I don't think I got her after all this time.
Love, Freddie."