Scavenging for a... Friendship? PV George Henry Finished

George was grateful to have the opportunity to wear some of his heavier clothing. An old yellow sweater was layered over a Muggle band t-shirt, mercifully hiding his passion for retro rock hits. A pair of jeans were tastefully distressed from years of use by both him and his brother. He looked almost stylish, by non-wizarding standards, which suited him, as many wizards opted for muggle fashion this close to London. That was how he justified not wearing his robes to himself, anyway.

Every day, the broom race drew closer, and George felt the weight in his stomach get heavier and heavier. It was his first race as the captain of Hufflepuff's racing team, and he was terribly worried that he would mess up or make a spectacle of himself. It was hard to top what he'd already done to the Hufflepuff house, but certainly possible to make it worse.

Whereas most students were spending their days playing sports, having fun, and generally enjoying their summer, a sullen George Henry was reading. Reading about broom sport. He'd already consumed two books on the topic, and was now getting deep into the nitty-gritty of best seating and posture for aerodynamics, as well as optimal broom grip and evasive techniques. Even sports were a study subject for a perfectionist like Henry.

That was, at least, until Alec interrupted his focus. Startled out of his studies, he set his book dwon beside him and looked, bewildered, up to the other boy. Oh, it was Alex. No, Alec. It was a Gryffindor boy he had seen before, given they were in the same year, and George remembered him fondly from something or other they had done together.

"Did something happen?" George wondered, furrowing his brow before jumping to his feet as he felt the other lad grab his hand. George blushed as he was pulled along, still not quite comfortable with the idea of being held on the hand, but if he was going to experiment, this seemed like the best time. It wasn't like there was a friendship to make weird, here. Plus, he needed help urgently. The list came out and George leaned his head down to look, squinting at it. "Oh!"

A scavenger hunt? George hadn't heard anything about one, but that made sense. He'd pretty much ignored all of the summer games aside from Twirl the Flagon, which he inspected the sign-up sheet for before finding it lacked any boys cute enough to justify the potential embarrassment. Not that there was anything wrong with Alex - he was a nice fellow from what George knew. Just not on his short list.

"I'm honoured to have been chosen for the role of your scavenger hunt buddy, I can tell you really put some thought into it," George said, grinning as his new partner plied him with sweets. He liked this job already! "I'm already coming, you don't- er... well, you can get me some chocoballs, if you're feeling particularly grateful. I'm inclined toward teamwork and cooperation without the payment, though."

Alec's hand slipped away from his as the race began out of nowhere. "Hold on!" George said, tripping over himself as he scrambled after the Gryffindor. He barely kept up - losing races to Gryffindors was something he was worried he would make a habit of, but he tried to push the thought from his head and focus on some of the items he had seen on the list.

"An alarm clock?" His eyes scanned up and down the list. "Is this all muggle artefacts?"

When Alec stopped to explain the whole deal to George, Alec practically tricking him into doing a scavenger hunt, the other was surprisingly pleased. Nice, he needed to have more people he could drag around for last-minute scavenger hunts who would enjoy it. Alec had made the amazing offer of sweets, though George seemed hesitant to buy into Alec's bribery. Quite the mad lad! Who didn't want such an amazing deal? He did subside, of course, Alec laughed, “right, so you'll be requiring butterbeer, chocolate frogs, and chocoballs. You know, it's quite a bit, but I think I can manage.” Alec would count on his fingers as he listed the items out loud.

Alec was putting on a show, It wasn't that big of a deal honestly. He liked treating others, like what he'd done for Rose. Bribery was only bribery if he actually spent the money to make it bribery. One thing was not bribery, three was more like it. Perfect. He doubted George's intention consisted of attempting to get an even better mix out of the deal, however, he had sweetened the deal for himself whether it was by or not, it deserved some kind of praise.

Running towards the tents as fast as his legs could take him. Seconds would pass before Alec realized George's trouble struggling behind him stumbling to catch up and Alec slowed, throwing the race, he knew it meant the two of them would end up with an even tie. Alec switched to a breezy walking pace as they reached the area filled with tents. George now bringing up the items on the list. Alec had not checked for the specifics, he had no clue what was going to be on the list if there was a theme going on, or anything else. George mentioned something to Alec about an alarm clock and Alec tried to mask his confusion as they walked. George would ask if the scavenger hunt was related to muggle artifacts and Alec shrugged, “I have absolutely no idea.”

Although George bringing up the fact it may have been about muggle artifacts caused Alec to do a double take. He looked back on the list. Maybe? Alec couldn't be entirely sure. If they were going to be searching for an alarm clock, whatever that was, George was going to have clear up a thing or two for Alec. “Just a quick question for you, cause- cause I'm testing you- uh... what- what's an alarm clock?” Alec's face flushed out of embarrassment, not wanting to seem ignorant due to his lack of knowledge. Considering the earlier context, the object was likely muggle. He looked away, busying himself, he pretended to know what he was looking for as they walked by the outside of the tents. Still waiting on the answer to George's 'test' question.

If the scavenger hunt was filled with all muggle objects, Alec was going to be clueless. Which was a shame considering then they would have to rely on whatever knowledge George had to find everything. He was likely a reliable source, Alec simply felt it was overbearing to be asking about each item on the list.

Once again Alec glanced back on the list finding an item he recognized, “here's an easy one, sock.” Alec was wearing socks, it counted, hopefully, he assumed it wasn't cheating. Were there rules on scavenger hunts? Alec shook his head, he didn't want to think about it, “we can check it off,” Alec would do so, glancing around. Did a sock count as a muggle artifact or just a piece of clothing? Did Alec know more than he thought?

@George Henry

George never had any trouble playing along with a scheme, even if there was no pranking to be done. Unless this was a prank. His eyes narrowed as he scanned the list again. The only thing that Alec seemed to have found was 'socks', which in fairness were something he believed wizards frequently wore, though he had never really made a point to remember. Did Alec make this up as some kind of joke? How would he even know that George was a muggleborn? Self-conscious instincts drove George to start fixing his hair, perhaps worried that there was something about the way it was combed that made it obvious he was muggle-y.

"You have absolutely no idea," George repeated, deadpan. How did a wizard wake up without an alarm clock? Did they just lay in bed until noon? Did house elves give them wake-up calls? Maybe every wizard just owned a chicken or something and rose at sunrise to do their wizard work. "Well, there's two hints in the name of it, for starters. It's a clock with an alarm on it. Have you really not got one? Do you just rise at noon, or...?"

Probably. Most wizards he had met who didn't have muggle parents were filthy rich. They'd probably had generations to accumulate their galleons and use them to make more galleons. It took money to make money. That's why George was always so broke. He paced along, trying to keep an eye out for a few more of the items on the list. "A plastic shopping bag... is this all just rubbish someone is trying to get us to clean up?" he wondered aloud to his scavenging partner. That would be a good trick - maybe the Muggle Studies professor thought she could kill two birds with one stone by teaching the wizard kids what an alarm clock was while getting them to collect all of her things.

"Well, good, I'm glad you've got socks on... does that mean you have to hand in a sock? You'll be walking off-kilter the rest of camp," he joked. "You'll only be able to go in circles."

Of course, with George taking the lead in the hunt for muggle artefacts, they had already begun to go in circles. That was until the obnoxious ring of an alarm clock rang out, tucked sneakily underneath the flaps on the outside of one of the campers' tents. Well, socks and an alarm clock had conveniently presented itself to him. He scanned down the list looking for something that might be funny to teach Alec about. "You haven't got rubber ducks?"

The problem that follows trying to explain an object or item to a person who has never seen or heard it, is the fact they have never seen or heard it. Your mental image of the object is clear cut. You use lack of details to describe it because of that, assuming people will fall towards the right conclusion on their own. Either Alec was utterly helpless at putting pieces of the puzzle together to figure out what George meant. Or George lacked the proper details when describing it, perhaps a bit of key information. “Why- why would you want a clock with an alarm?” Alec asked confusedly. Don't even get him started on clocks, the amount of discussion people had to have with him to explain a muggle clock was tiring for everyone involved. His eyebrows furrowing as he imagined an alarming blaring from a ticking clock at all hours of the day. “Why would I wake up at noon?” Who woke up at noon? Alec had never heard of such nonsense. He couldn't sleep till noon if he wanted too! He just woke up... Unless his little sister was dragging him out of bed earlier, like always.

George mentioned a plastic shopping bag as a part of the list, suggesting it was just a hunt and gather for garbage. Alec laughed at the idea. “Maybe? Feel good about it! Isn't it like saving the environment or something?” Alec said, not remembering the exact term coined. It was important though at least he thought so. “It would be a funny story to tell. Don't you think?” Alec asked, his laughter continued to bubble up at the thought. Alec would cover his mouth with his hands to curb his continued laughter and take the scavenger hunt a little more seriously.

George asked if it meant Alec was going to have to hand in his sock and he nodded. George joked about Alec not being able to way properly while having only one sock. With a fond smile Alec rolled his eyes in reaction, “I appreciate your concern, however, It's not as if I see you offering to help out. I suppose I will have but one measly sock for the rest of camp.” Alec spoke, adding a dramatic touch to his last sentence. They'd already begun walking around and getting off track, they were supposed to be finding that alarm clock right.

Suddenly Alec heard an alarm clock go off, it was loud and Alec didn't realize what it was at first. He flinched back in surprise. When Alec was able to calm his racing heart, Alec's eyes flickered towards the alarm clock. The young teen would take is curious step forward. “Is that what we're looking for?” He paused for a moment to think this through, he turned back to Henry. “Should I just grab it?” Was that stealing? Was Alec going to get in trouble? You know, it might be bad to ponder on it too long.

Alec pondered and carefully inspected the alarm clock with his eyes he would hear George on about another item. A rubber duck. Alec snickered. “Did they really put a rubber duck on the list?” Alec asked, he shook his head and let out a sigh in place of an eye roll. Of course. Alec still thought rubber ducks were another strange concept but he went on to answer. “No, I do know what a rubber duck is though.”

Misadventures of rubber ducks, the pranking possibilities were limitless. “One time me and a friend talked about filling the great lake with rubber ducks. It would have been the prank of the century; had it panned out.” Alec announced with a smirk. He gave George a questioning look. “What else is on that list?”

George couldn't conceive of a world where he did not wake up to an alarm. The only reason he was so punctual at Hogwarts was because all the badgers shared a room, and none of them woke up quietly. He was a light sleeper as well. There were often emergencies during the night, especially when you shared a bunk-bed with the most worrisome badger in the house. "Because the clock wakes you up... whenever you want to wake up," George said. Of course, he had no idea how the mechanism worked, actually. He couldn't explain it beyond its very apparent function. He felt a little proud of that - meant he was acting more like a wizard.

"Because you haven't got an alarm clock," George said to his follow up question. He couldn't help but smile as Alec tried to cover up his mouth to keep in the laughter. He shrugged as Alec noted his unwillingness to volunteer his own socks for the scavenger hunt. "Who says I have socks? Besides, you're in Gryffindor, you're meant to be the hero. You could put it on until you've got the rest of the stuff, by the way..."

It seemed his socklessness did not earn him much sympathy from the Hufflepuff at all. Very unlike his house! When Alec flinched from the sound of the alarm, George let out an impish giggle, swooping in to relieve his distress by slamming the button on top of the clock. "I used to have one like this," George said, enjoying the refreshing silence as he listened to Alec and picked the alarm clock up. He was quite unconcerned that it might be stealing. "Of course you just grab it, it's a scavenger hunt, not a scavenger look. You've got to haul it all in."

He lifted the alarm clock up to his ear, listening to it tick before offering it off to Alec to take a listen if he wanted to hear the mechanism. "Rubber duck is a simple one if you know what rubber and a duck is. Although, the logic didn't work for alarm clock, so..."

Listening to Alec's idea, George grinned again. Why had he never spent time with this boy outside of class? He was quite cute with all his giggling about saving the environment, and evidently at least somewhat clever. "We'll have to do that before we graduate," he suggested. "Something to remember us by."

At Alec's question, he turned his head down to study the list. "Ummm... wow, these are quite pitiful. A screwdriver. An Oyster card. A digital watch," George said, with an impressed nod at the third. The last item puzzled him, his brow furrowed as he read it aloud. "A baseball cap? They're really going on with all these clothes. Socks aren't even muggley. Are they?"

"I don't own any of this. I think we're down to the sock and the clock at this point," he lamented, shrugging helplessly. Was there a prize for this? He had forgotten his suspicion that the whole hunt wasn't real, as Alec seemed too good-natured to be tricking him. "I doubt a baseball cap is going to start singing out for our attention, so - do you know what all of that stuff is? Oh, you don't, do you... you really should take muggle studies. It's an easy O."

Socks. The most uninteresting item on the least and yet it felt like the continuation of a conversation longer than the alarm clock talk. Alec had dramatically complained about having one sock and teased George saying he hadn't offered up one of his own. George came back with the witty remark of, what if he didn't have socks? Alec had never thought about that. It seemed wrong to not wear socks. Alec folded his arms across his chest, “you mean to tell me you're excuse here is that you could be sockless?” George had also brought up the fact Alec was in Gryffindor, supposedly the hero house. Shaking his head, feeling vexed by the mention of house stereotypes and rep Alec would stuck his tongue out of in annoyance, “too much expectation. Let's not rely on house stereotypes. You might not like where you end up.” Alec teased. Gryffindor stereotypes weren't the worst one could have to represent. Each mention of the stereotypes felt like the weight of expectation.

Hufflepuff stereotypes had to get annoying, Alec couldn't even imagine. Slytherin was here and there, it's expectations held weight depending on whether you took certain actions with pride or condemned them. Ravenclaw had always fell loosely on the spectrum, or maybe it was just him saying that.

Relief flooded Alec when the surprising sound ended. Alec wanted to grab it, though he was concerned it was considered stealing, George could have cared or less. He was making the item seem like a necessity, taking it wouldn't be the best thing. Whatever he supposed? It was their fault for leaving it in reach? George picked the alarm clock up bringing it to his ear. Alec tilted his head curiously. Before he could question George on it, George had handed the alarm clock to him. Alec listened to George speak as he inspected the alarm clock while he held it. Seconds later taking it to his ear and listening to the tick.

The teen lit up as he listened to the tick, pulling it away from his ear he whispered excitedly, “this is so...” He couldn't seem to find the words. “Do you know how it works?” Probably not. There was a chance the Hogwarts library would have books on how alarm clocks worked. Alec had mentioned rubber ducks filling the great lake not panning out. He mentioned them having to do it before they graduate. Alec nodded, “It would be fun to think a little bigger than rubber ducks in the lake though,” it was silly and amusing, fun. Alec knew he was capable of more than rubber ducks in the lake.

Alec walked closer with the alarm clock as George listed off items. “Half a list or if we can aim to close to half is better than nothing.” Alec suggested. Trying to think about how they were going to carry everything. Alec huffed at the muggle studies comment, “I take muggle studies, and I get an O, but it's not very easy.” Alec said, recalling the frustration he had faced in many a class. He didn't want to ponder on it now. They could probably snatch a baseball cap off somebody's head, easy enough, they would have to look around for a person. There was also the possibly of a screwdriver being found somewhere near. “I don't know what the oyster thing and the one after it is. Some items are too obscure to go over in class.” Alec's eyes flicked over to the tents ahead. Somebody had been working on a wood project and left it outside.

Alec motioned for George to follow, if he didn't Alec would continue to walk off without him. Waling over to the wood project where a screwdriver and a few other tools lay. “Found it!” Alec shouted, feeling prideful in the small victory. Just then his eyes would catch on to something in the wind, a plastic shopping bag. “Is that one of the things we're looking for?” Alec pointed, he could barely reach it, he needed a few more inches. Inches that George had, hopefully he'd grab it before it flew away.

@George Henry

"I'm not saying I am sockless, only that I could be," George said. He was visibly socked, as his off-size jeans sort of pulled up enough that Alec could see the yellow of his socks with each step. If he really cared enough to look. When Alec teased that he might not like where he ended up, he secretly agreed. George had always wished he'd gotten in Gryffindor, although the soreness of it had faded over the years. "I know where I've ended up, Alec. You got the hero house, so you've got to live up to it just as well as I live up to the loser house."

When Alec questioned him about how the clock worked, George shrugged. He was a muggle-born, not a watchmaker. "Pop it open," he suggested. He reached out to take the alarm clock, inspecting it in his hand and finding a few screws securing the back panel, preventing the boys from their little muggle studies experiment. George showed the clock to Alec and tapped one of the screws. "If we find the screwdriver we can have a look inside. Maybe we'll both learn something."

The suggestion that they return with close to half of the list was met with a frown and a small shake of his head. That was absurd. He knew he was a perfectionist, but 'close to half' didn't even make a passing grade anywhere, even in a summer scavenger hunt. "You've got an O in muggle studies?" That was a surprise, coming from Mr. What's-An-Alarm-Clock Alec. Different standards than what the muggle-borns were expected to know in History of Magic, clearly. "You know what would be bigger than filling the lake with rubber ducks? We could make the ducks giant and ride them around on the lake. We should do that. We could joust or something. And then the loser gets eaten by the squid."

George paused, looking at his scavenger buddy. Two options presented themselves to him. He could enlighten Alec on the Oyster card system and what a digital clock was, or he could spare himself the embarrassment of revealing just how much Muggle knowledge one gained by being muggle-born. As if it weren't painfully obvious already. "I don't know either," George lied. Maybe if someone informed Alec that he was a muggle-born, he could just say he lived on a compound that didn't allow electric clocks or riding the tube. "Maybe it'll be obvious once we see it."

The Hufflepuff made a good follower, and an excellent finder if the alarm clock was anything to go by. Wisdom roll: 23 Thankfully, George spotted the plastic bag just in time to jump out and nab it in mid air, holding it out with the pride of a seeker who caught the snitch. Except he was just a weirdo holding a crumpled up ball of garbage. But another thing off the list was another thing off the list. "Have you got the screwdriver? Let's open the clock," he said, caught up in natural, entirely wizard-like curiosity about its inner workings. "I don't know what clock guts even look like."

Sock talk, sock talk, and more sock talk. Yay. See what George said was that he could be sockless, Alec agreed, apparently George thought Alec was going to misconstrue Alec and felt to need to make his already clear point even more clear. Alec blinked, looking at his scavenger hunt buddy questioningly. “George, I said you could be sockless.” Alec spoke. Concern lit in Alec's eyes when he saw George react to the house comment the way he did. Alec had only meant there were stereotypes, see how they are pushed on you, and see how you would like it, it have Alec feeling as if he was a piece to a completely different jigsaw puzzled to the one people were trying to jam him into. Alec felt there was toxic culture ingrained in all the stereotypes, and it had people feeling certain types of ways. He hadn't expected George to call his house the loser house. Alec wanted to speak, to say he understood he wasn't sure George would ever let him past the surface level. His parents howler reaction to getting into Gryffindor... The years of trying and struggling to accept his house. It was still a sore subject for Alec, having a complicated relationship with what he felt about his house. It had always made hard days easier when he reminded himself he wasn't going to let a house picked by a sentient hat define him. Instead of saying anything in return Alec held his tongue and carried on.

Alec had asked how the alarm clock worked, wanting a simply explanation from George though he had nothing to offer. He told Alec to pop the alarm clock open. George took the alarm clock from Alec, and watched as he flipped it offer to look at the back. George didn't open it and showed it Alec. Screws on the back, of course. George said they have to find the screwdriver so they could open it up and Alec nodded seriously. It was of the utmost importance they did an alarm clock dissection.

Grades, George seemed surprised with Alec's grades, Alec was surprised at George's surprise. “I have a ton of books back home written by muggle authors. I'm not completely clueless.” As a child not often allowed to be socialized by the outside world his parents had to find something to keep Alec out of their hair. They didn't exactly like Alec's obsession with muggle authors, even if they did get him the books. It was annoying to here the encouragement to put the muggle book down and read something 'written by your own kind.' “Muggle studies isn't exactly about educating wizard-born kids on muggle items.” Alec spoke. There was a lot of history... A lot of trying to clear the stigma between the two. It was overall a good class to have at Hogwarts for children whose families tended to have differing opinions. “I try to do my own research but what I find is pretty hit or miss. I can't know everything.” It was the little things a muggle used for everyday life that caught him up the most. Different people have different routines and different ways of life, it varied a lot for muggles. It was hard to get everything. “Besides, I have too. I get O's in every class. My parents would freak if I didn't, wouldn't yours?” George acted as if an E or even an A was actually an option here.

Alec smiled imagining the mental image as George described sizing the ducks up and jousting on them. It would be fun, obviously if it ever were to be done they would need silly rules for it, to make it different from normal jousting, perhaps their battle cry could be each mimicking a duck call. “I mean, sure, but I have to warn you. I'm incredible at jousting. (The Author would like to make it very clear Alec is bluffing and would fall off the duck within two seconds.) If you want to lose and let me leave you to get eaten by a squid that is entirely your fault.” Alec said, seeming to have cheered up now from his earlier silence with the house comments.

When Alec had mentioned not knowing two of the items, and sort of looking for George to explain them in this instance. He didn't. He said he had no clue, it was a very surprising turn of events for Alec though he didn't push on it. One person couldn't know everything. Oh well. It probably wouldn't be obvious to them either so they weren't going to be able to find it but uh only missing two would still be pretty good.

Alec was relieved as George caught the shopping bag in time. Phew. “Nice catch!” Alec cheered. Screwdriver in hand Alec took the clock and turned it over to undo the screws wanting to peek. Alec snickered at George's comment, “clock guts,” he repeated, finding it amusing. Alec would undo the screws before taking the panel off and taking a peek at the inside of the alarm clock. “Cool... I still have no idea how any of it works.” Alec laughed over his own possible clueless-ness and handed the alarm clock to George in order for him to get a better view of what they were looking at. “Muggles are crazily inventive... It's so interesting to see the way people had to learn to survive without magic.” Alec spoke with a hum, his eyes stayed glued to the alarm clock only a few moments longer until Alec's attention would be dragged elsewhere. George's earlier comments still nagging at him. “Put the alarm clock and it's screws and stuff in the bag so we don't have to put it back together.” Alec suggested, they needed to get a move on, there were other items to hunt for.

Continuing on their walking and hunting down scavenger hunt items, an item would present itself for the taking, another thing the two needed for the scavenger hunt. A neon yellow baseball cap very obviously sitting on a pole of front of them. However with a lot of his mind Alec would not notice the object and end up being entirely oblivious to it. His mind racing over and always heading back to the house comments. He'd been sitting on it for a while now. Alec needed to say something about it... right? “Hufflepuff is your house. I really hope you do, or at least someday will have enough pride in it to call it something more than the loser house. I'm sorry you feel that way.” Some of Alec's closest friends had been Hufflepuffs, like Troublefield. He remembered being intimidated by multiple Hufflepuff girls that year and gaining the notion that all Hufflepuff girls were scary. That had been quite the assumption to make. He'd gone back on it now, making up with Rosier solidified it.

Alec shook his head letting out a scoff, “It's so silly,” he whispered, a thoughtful look crossing his face. To let a house define you in some way. Make it a part of your character, examine it in such a way. He didn't want to be known as a Gryffindor. He wanted people to know he was Alec. “You shouldn't ever let the labels of other people define you or capacity and capability to do anything. Being a Hufflepuff is only one small part of who you are George.” What matters is your impact on the world, how you want to affect it. Great Alec was getting into the philosophical junk that never seemed to work with people anyway. Plus maybe George didn't even need to hear any of this, Alec could just be making himself look crazy here. “I'm not trying to give you some stupid speech or anything it's just, you know, even while it doesn't define you it's a small part of you. Because it's a part of you it might do you one better to love and respect it.” Alec frowned and looked away. As anxious feelings bubbled up Alec fidgeted with his sleeves. He didn't want George mad at him for thinking to deep it into, or because Alec tried to say anything at all, or maybe Alec opinions were baseless and terrible and George was going to tell him so and-

Damn. Alec really needed to stop that. He'd cut down on the downward spirals of thoughts and doubts like this but every so often they popped up. It created so many problems for him last year too. “I'm sorry that was- that was a bad idea to say that stuff. Forget I said any- anything.” Alec managed to anxiously stumble through his words. He picked up his walking pace so they both could forget and find another item.

@George Henry

The urge to make a comment about socks was difficult to resist, but George managed. The Hufflepuff's thoughts were now concerned with Alec's visible reaction of concern about George's joke. Oh no. He had only meant to make a joke, but now Alec was going to think he was some pitiful little baby badger who just needed to accept himself. He'd heard that before. The sorting hat never made mistakes, obviously, but that didn't make it any less of a jerk for forcing him into Hufflepuff.

"What books have you read by muggle authors? I didn't really read much before I got to Hogwarts, and they haven't got a big collection of muggle stuff," George said. That wasn't a disappointment to him in the slightest. Any shelf space dedicated to muggle authors was wasted space, in his eyes. Perhaps there were lessons to be learned by muggles, but for George, each year had pulled him further and further away from mundane society. By now he felt like a complete outsider.

"I know," George murmured. It wasn't just about muggle items, yes. Muggle culture, films, et cetera... but what good was it? The muggle world was like food with no taste, lacking the secret ingredient present in every wizard, imbued in every part of the wizarding world. Grandeur, mystery, power... He was taken out of his thoughts by Alec's comment on grades. Oh, that make sense. George knew all about the expectations of pure-blood families. Ivy often complained about the pressures put on her from her family, and George had met one boy that was even 'betrothed'. The way pure-blood parents set up their kids was medieval. "I'm pretty certain as long as I don't get expelled or die, my parents will be pleased. I do toe a line with the amount of detentions I have, though... but they knew I was a troublemaker when I left."

He revealed a wild grin, laughing as he looked to his scavenging buddy. That eased the tension a bit - talk about parents, rubber ducks, and plastic bags. But now, it was time for the clock dissection. George watched curiously as Alec masterfully used the screwdriver, evidently having at least some understanding of how muggle tools worked. He didn't know if the screw-twisting spell was something, or if wizards just used transfiguration to turn pumpkins into houses or something. The back panel removed, the gears within could be seen turning, the complex mechanisms making the whole thing tick in time.

"Yeah, I don't get it." George said, peering into the alarm clock when it was handed back. He blinked and looked up at Alec, giving him a queer look. The way he phrased it bothered George, for some reason. Learning to survive without magic - as if it surviving without magic wasn't what most people on earth did. Oh well. It was none of George's concern - he wasn't one of the muggle masses anymore. "Do you think if we cast reparo on it, the screws would go back in? Or is it like... I guess it's not broken..."

Not bothering to test his theory, he uncrumpled their plastic bag and dropped the clock in. His eyes narrowed as he overheard a whisper from Alec. What was silly? "The clock?" he whispered back, unsure why they needed to be secretive about the clock. When Alec started to speak about defining oneself, George was taken aback - physically leaning back on his heel. He wrinkled his nose and cocked up an eyebrow, incredulous that Alec would dredge up that earlier comment just... to be nice?

"Ah- uh... okay," George said softly, getting a touch red in the cheeks. Maybe it was only a small part to him, but to George, it was so much. It was where he woke up, who he saw every day. Your house was meant to be your family. They were supposed to be his family. But family had come to mean much less to George these days. "You sound like you could have been a Hufflepuff. Not that I'm calling you a loser, or anything..."

He hoped that humor would expunge the interaction from their memory. But Alec's rushing away and rapidly stumbled words made George sigh, the little part of him that did suit Hufflepuff begging to be unleashed. He'd indulge it, just this once. He even relaxed enough to let a bit more of his natural Scottish accent shine through.

"Don't worry about it. Worrying means you suffer twice, aye. And you seem like you've quite suffered enough," George said, giving him a once-over. He was anxious for a boy who was willing to run up and grab someone by the hand for a scavenger hunt. "Dinna fash Don't fuss. You're telling me to respect myself then telling yourself to shut up. Hol' it together now."