December 25th, 1890 — Ravenclaw Tower, Hogwarts

George Waterford did not love abandoning Christmas dinner before dessert, but she did love knowing that at least for a blissful half hour—possibly a full hour, if the boys ate enough—she would have the dormitory to herself. The Ravenclaw Tower was vacant upon the sixth year's return, as expected: it had largely emptied for the winter holidays, and those students who did remain were well tucked into dinner.

Unhurriedly, she made her way to the dormitory she called home before deftly stripping off her shirt, revealing the bandaging she used to disguise her (blissfully small) breasts from the general public. She sat on her bed for a long moment, relishing the freedom she was not typically afforded (she had not dared be in any true state of undress since her body had begun to mature in a more feminine direction in her fourth year).

This was short lived, and she had time only to clutch the shirt awkwardly against her torso as the door was opened.

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

  

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

George's early departure from dinner hadn't gone unnoticed. In fact, Thomas was sure that he had rather quickly become the only Ravenclaw with a decimal of sense and propriety left at the table. He had watched in horror as a first year decimated a rather strange looking decapod as if he hadn't ever used cutlery in his life. It had taken the boy nearly a decade to finish the damn thing and not look like some sort of barbarian whilst doing so. The train wreck's neighbor kept squirreling away bits of food into a tin decorated with decangles. If he hadn't been so disgusted by their friend, he might have questioned why.

By dessert, a redheaded denarian, from another house, was so loud in his ramblings about Tennessee (of all bloody places) that Thomas decided he would rather be attacked by a venemous tentacula then remain seated with the Lords and Ladies of idiocy any longer. It was with a huff that he pushed his plate aside, grumbled out excuses, and scampered off to check on one of the only tolerable people left at the blood school.

It didn't take him long to find his way back in Ravenclaw Tower and climbing the stairs that led to their dormitory. It seemed he was yet to cease growing, and his legs had decided to appear somehow even more gangly than before.

Shouldering his way in through the door, Thomas glanced about for George. He seemed about to launch into a rambling rant about how disastrous dinner had been, but the words ended up getting forced out of his mouth with a cough instead. He couldn't recall ever seeing his friend undressed in front of any of them, even in a minor way. It was odd, and, by the way George clutched the shirt in front of him, he felt as if he had intruded.

Merlin, this was awkward.

However, his attention quickly snapped to the bandaging, his mouth forming a thin, worried line. "George, are you alright?"

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   George Waterford

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By the awesome MJ <3

Merlin help her.

This wasn't like when Lestrange had stumbled upon her in the bath. Then, George had been afraid, of course, but in the my entire life is about to blow up sort of way; the Ravenclaw hadn't cared at all about her actual relationship with the other prefect, because...they didn't have one. But this was Thomas, Thomas her best friend, Thomas the person who knew her best in the whole world, and yet still did not know this.

Thomas who had already been betrayed by one person he cared about, who was all but dead to him now.

Even if George's life didn't explode, her friendship would.

And the Ravenclaw, bright as she was, couldn't see any way to stop it.

"Don't be cross," George requested softly, tears pricking her eyes—eyes that would not meet Thomas' own. This wasn't a spilled inkwell or a torn textbook; this was a life lived a lie.

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

George's situation wasn't something Thomas could predict, even if he tried. To him, the sight of bandages meant only one thing--George was hurt. So, it was with furrowed brows, that he took a step closer and slowly asked, "What do you mean?"

Why would he be cross if George had injured himself. Even if he had done something incredibly stupid to warrant such a thing, Thomas' reaction would be one of concern and disappointment, not anger.

"Why would I be cross? Did you have a quidditch accident?"


George Waterford | Aldous Crouch

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   Cassius Lestrange

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By the awesome MJ <3

"I'm a girl."

What. The. Fuck.

Thomas had thought there had been a quidditch accident. George might have been able to talk her way out of this but then her stupid tongue had blurted out the secret without her assent! The Ravenclaw knew then she would be no good in any sort of interrogation, just as she knew that her life was over and her best friend would tell everyone and her father would disown her and she would die a pauper in a London gutter.

George buried her face in her hands, still clutching her shirt.

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

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   Cassius Lestrange

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

"What."

George might as well have told Thomas that he was a duck or a centaur. Disbelief contorted his face until he settled on a forced sort of laugh that was somewhere between amusement and confusion. Surely, his friend had to be joking. Clearly, it was just the other boy's attempt at a joke, stating the most ludicrous reason for bandages he could think of.

But why would a girl need bandages?

Thomas looked a bit lost, and it took an embarrassingly long minute before realization dawned on him. The bandages were where a woman's--wlekhwlekthwelt. Fuck no.

The teen let out a squeak, and he reached out to snatch up the nearest cloak he could find, one of their roommates, and he hurled it in George's direction, a silent plea for the boy...girl? to cover up more. This had to be a joke, an elaborate prank, a ruse.

"Are you serious?"

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By the awesome MJ <3

Her face grew moist—George was surprised to realize that she was crying. The Ravenclaw didn't think she had done that in front of anyone since she was a child. All she could do to answer the question was to nod solemnly.

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

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   Cassius Lestrange

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

So it wasn't a joke.

In six years, Thomas had never seen Waterford cry. In fact, he wasn't exactly sure he'd seen him exhibit any large displays of emotion. It was jarring. So much so, in fact, that he started to feel almost regretful and sorry for George. If hadn't walked in at that moment, none of this would have happened. How hadn't any of them realized all these years?

It was probably for the best that Thomas had been the one to walk in on him her. He was the least likely culprit to take the opportunity to leer and shout idle threats. Instead, the teen turned bright pink, unsure what he was supposed to do or say, especially since George was in a state of undress. And--MERLIN! Hadn't George seen him in such a way before. The poor kid paled at the thought and sputtered about until he could decide what to say.

"If you're a girl, why have you been pretending to be a boy?" He settled with, deciding not to beat around the bush. Their friendship was the only reason he hadn't fled from the dorm right then and there. He needed answers as to why his best friend had lied to him, to them all.

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By the awesome MJ <3

George emitted a loud sniff before murmuring, "I don't think that whilst I am undressed is the best time for such a conversation. Would—would you turn around, for a second?"

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

  

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

If it was physically possible to turn an even deeper shade of scarlet, Thomas succeeded. Instead of calmly murmuring any sort of polite phrase such as 'of course,' he let out a noise that was somewhere between a cat whose tail had been trod on and a foghorn. With a good helping of voice cracking and hand waving that turned it into an embarrassing noise altogether.

He whirled around so quickly that it was a wonder the teen didn't suffer from whiplash. He even threw his hands up toward his eyes and blocked them, for good measure.

Please nobody walk in.

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By the awesome MJ <3

The Ravenclaw sniffed loudly, willing the tears to crawl back up into her eyes—quite unsuccessfully, of course—as she scrambled to put her shirt back on.

"Alright," she voiced softly—an alert that he could turn back around, not a statement on how she was feeling.

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

  

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

Thomas was somewhat reluctant to swivel back around. In fact, he almost had it in his mind to beeline out the door and flee to the farthest corner of the castle. Perhaps, he could even skip the staircases altogether and fly out the window. He was a professional at avoiding uncomfortable situations. Why should he start now?

All his calculating was interrupted by George's soft voice, and he slowly turned back to face her. He needed to know. A jumble of emotions battled with the default anger that he portrayed to most, but it soon fizzled out and settled on something more potent--betrayal.

"Why?"

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   Cassius Lestrange

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By the awesome MJ <3

"My father wanted a boy," George answered, as though it were that simple. Want did not adequately encompass it; even need somehow paled.

Her parents, George had gleaned piece by piece over the years, had so struggled to produce a healthy child that her father had been unwilling to bow to nature's whims. Alexander's birth might have been a second blessing to their parents, but to George, it seemed one of life's meaner ironies. George had dutifully played her role for so long, even after she knew the truth—but she knew it could not make her happy, just as she knew she was in too deep to escape it now.

"He didn't think that my mother would give him another child. In fact," George added, more to herself than to Thomas—and certainly not looking her friend in the eye, "I don't think he much expected me to last. I can't say whether or not he gave much thought as to what would happen in the future."

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

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   Cassius Lestrange

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

Thomas supposed it made sense. The need and want for a male heir to carry on the family name and legacy was vital for many families. In fact, he knew it brought their neighbor great shame that he had sired eight children, all daughters. However, he had never heard of anybody who was desperate enough to pass their daughter off as a son.

"Clearly, he didn't give it much thought," he murmured. After all, Mr. Waterford had sent George off to school where he she was expected to live in a dorm and share a bathroom with males. Honestly, Thomas was impressed that none of them had discovered the truth before now.

And what of George? If the entire school found out, her days at Hogwarts would be finished. Not to mention the social implications that would follow her into adulthood.

After a few moments of silence, while he allowed his friend's words to sink in, he tentatively questioned, "Do you even want to do...this?"

  

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By the awesome MJ <3

George blinked.

No one, no one, had ever asked what she wanted in this particular arena. Indeed, while the Ravenclaw had vague notions of the life she wished she could lead—most of them conflicting with one another—she had never had the opportunity to articulate them in any way that made them concrete.

"I don't know," she admitted, voice pained, "but it doesn't seem as though I have much option."

— Thomas Montgomery/Billie Farrow —

  

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He/Him/His by those around her.
She/Her/Hers OOC and in her own narration.

Thomas pursed his lips. It seemed the only person who had options was himself. He could release the secret to the gossip hounds of Hogwarts, or he could pretend as if he still didn't know. Neither option seemed particularly enticing, for either of them, but the latter was the safest for George. Despite the betrayal he felt, he didn't have it in him to be the cause of her ruin. Nobody deserved that.

Fuck.

"What are you--?" He started to question, but he shook his head, choosing his words wisely for once. "What are we going to do now?" There wasn't even a hint of malice in his voice. If George had been Jemima or the list of persons he disliked, he might have held it over their heads, but, girl or not, he she was still his best friend.

  

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By the awesome MJ <3