Challenge Twelve: March Madness
Title: Unblinded
Wizard/Witch: George Weasley/Penelope Clearwater
Rating/Warnings: PG-13/R for one or two curse words
Genre: Romance/Despair
Word count: 500
Prompt: one more time
Summary: I never should have followed her, but I had to know.
I notice the change awhile after that final fight I had with my parents. It takes me awhile, and yes, I suppose I lost myself in my work just a bit after that happened, but once I start coming back out of my shell, I can see that things are different, and it isn't just me.
She's more aloof, distant. Her smile is still beautiful, but it's not as warm as before. Her eyes are more shielded. She doesn't like me touching her much.
At first I tell myself it's the war. Stress. Anything other than that she doesn't love me anymore. That there is someone else.
Because I can tell there is. She's as dreamy eyed as Ginny when my sister thinks about Harry. She doodles little hearts on random things and then Scourgifies them when I come near, explaining it away as a particularly vexing Arithmancy problem.
So I follow her one day. She goes to a little house in London, and the door opens before she even gets to it. A redhead takes her in his arms and twirls her around and she laughs that laugh that has the ability to make my heart soar.
I go closer, and I see her lip-locked with this man, this familiar man. It's George, I can tell. I've always been able to tell them apart; something Mum always envied of me.
They look perfect, I note numbly. It's spring and there's a blooming tree in the yard, and one petal falls into Penny's curly hair. George plucks it out with absent familiarity and I'm filled with this rage. I just want to pummel his face in. She's mine, mine!
Her smile stops me. The rage dissipates into an agonizing ache as George leans against the little white fence, and Penny leans against him in the circle of his arms.
I am so lost in thought as I stare at the fucking perfect tableau they make that I miss the next bit of their conversation, only coming back to it as she turns in his arms. "I don't want to go back," she says, so softly I can barely hear her from here.
"Just one more time," George tells her. "Then we can be together openly."
Her lower lip pouts out, and I feel my heart constrict. Apparently it has the same effect on George, for he kisses her gently. "I promise," he repeats.
"One more time," she says, like it's a mantra. "I'll see you soon. I love you," she tells him, kissing him fiercely before leaving in a whirl of robes and a crack of Apparition.
I feel lost, adrift. My world is gone. I watch my brother, my traitorous brother, as he goes back toward the door of the house I presume belongs to him and Fred.
Then he turns around before reaching the door, and his eyes meet mine, no matter that I'm invisible. He smirks and winks, and I feel the rest of my heart shatter.
Author's Notes: This could easily have been 1,000 words. As it was, I cut out a whole other dimension of it to fit into the 500 word count. Hope you enjoyed. Thanks to somigliana for looking through this for me.