Stay With You
By Emalyzah
George.x.OC
This is just a simple one-shot between an OC and George. Nothing much. Completely pointless, really.
Hope you like it.
"My pillow.
Enveloping me in your soft folds of comfort.
Eyes closed, your gentle caress soothes my concerns
and carries my thoughts to a bed of pure contentment...
---
-Lauren Hunt
---
How could it have happened?
He didn't deserve it.
I didn't deserve it. We didn't deserve it.
I sobbed quietly into my Superman pillow the twins had given me on my fourteenth birthday. They were always boasting that they were the real thing and were secretly Clark Kent in disguise on a top-secret mission for the Justice League. What losers.
It was probably midnight by now and yet I still couldn't fall asleep.
Another sniffle escaped from me. Could he hear me crying from downstairs?
If someone peeked from outside the door, all they would see was a huge lump of blankets and sheets on the bed and assume it was me, drowning myself in my misery.
I bet George was worse.
Releasing a ragged and exhausted sigh, I slowly tossed the blankets to the side and swept my legs off the bed.
Maybe a small nightly visit would do us both good...
The bare wooden floors were cold to the touch. Barefoot and dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, I gently closed the door to my assigned guest room and made my way to downstairs.
Knowing the twins for so long, I knew George wouldn't be sleeping in their room. He would try to avoid any memories of him.
The living room couches, of course. I'm so freakin' smart, sometimes!
The aging stairs of the Burrow creaked under my weight as I made my way down as silently as I could. Finally, I reached my destination. I checked myself in the oval mirror hanging on the wall in the living room.
My hair was messy from so much tossing and turning. I fixed that. Fred always did make fun of me for my strict perfectionism.
Ugh. Why's it so cold? I shivered.
Sweeping a final lock of hair behind my ear, I glanced at the couch. True enough, there was that familiar lump of... what seem to be legs, blankets, a pillow, and... Was that an arm? Ew.
But I was right. George always did say I had an accurate intuition.
Those happy times were long gone, weren't they...?
I timidly made my way to George's sleeping form on the couch. What if he was sound asleep? What if got angry when I wake him up?
Out of nowhere, the dark figurine of George snapped up into a sitting position and, frightened out of my wits, I let out a loud shriek.
Hearing my stupid scream of terror, George turned his neck in my direction so he could see me. My breathing was in raged gasps and I had pushed my back against the wall.
Because of the darkness, I couldn't make out his face but I could tell he gradually relaxed once he recognized it was me.
"Ellie?" George murmured incredulously, making the move to stand so to acknowledge me. But I beat him to it. I quickly walked over to the couch and quietly sat right by him on the warmth where his body was. "What are you doing up so late?"
I swept stray hairs behind my ear. "Couldn't sleep," I whispered, feeling the blood rise to my cheeks in embarrassment. "And I missed you," I added, shyly shrugging a shoulder.
Turning to look at him for a reaction, he had his face buried in his hands while leaning his elbows on his knees.
My eyes lowered to his sleeping attire.
A sad smile crept up my lips when I noticed he was wearing the t-shirt I bought him of the Red Hot Chili Peppers during my stay in New York City. It turned out to be one of his favorite shirts. He wore it along with a pair of plaid boxers.
"Did I wake you?" I asked lowly, mentally criticizing my toe nails in shame. He was probably asleep and I just ruined his sweet dreams.
George shook his head in answer. "Haven't slept a wink since we hit the sack," he answered, running a hand through his long, carrot-colored hair.
"I'm sorry that I bothered—" I began but he interrupted my apology.
"Don't be stupid, Ellie," George said, flashing me one of his crooked but charming grins. It was weak, though. "Glad ta have you for company."
Blushing, I smiled back at him. Mine was small, though.
That well-known awkward silence followed.
We were both lost in our own little worlds, drowning in those over-bearing thoughts, remembering old, worn smiles, whirlpool-ing through the black-and-white photographs.
Fred's teasing smile flashed in my head for a second before disappearing.
"Mind if I call you Ellie?"
I turned around from where I sat on the Gryffindor table to see the person who had tapped my shoulder. It was one of the red-headed twins I had met earlier on the Hogwarts Express train.
I was at loss for words. Was he speaking to me
"Elvira's just too formal for our taste." The other one appeared by his side. But which was which...?
"I'm Fred," the first one said. A bold but toothy smile.
"And I'm George," the second one said. His lopsided but charming.
I smiled up at them and said, "Ellie it is, then. Want to sit down?"
They grinned down at me. It would be the beginning of a wonderful friendship and a time of never-ending laughter.
Who knew that one of their smiles would forever fade...?
I glanced George's way. It was amazing how many hours have past since sunset and he couldn't have looked any more wide awake even though his appearance was messy and it looked as if he spent every minute tossing and turning.
My eyelids began drooping, making my eyesight blurry. They felt so heavy...
I blinked several times so to wake myself up and then I noticed George staring at me with a fixed and hard but thoughtful gaze. I blinked stupidly at him.
"Am I ugly or something?" I asked unsurely, self-consciously touching my face.
George's eyebrows rose incredibly high. "What?! No, no! I was just..." he looked away with an unreadable expression on his freckled face. And was he...blushing?
Him? Blushing? No way. At least not because of me. We've been close friends for far too long. Never in a million years would he think of me that way. Impossible. Preposterous. Unthinkable, I tell you—
Am I rambling? I'm rambling, aren't I? Because I usually don't ramble, y'know? Oh, gawd, just shut up, Ellie! …But, still.
"Look," George said, breaking the tension and silence, "I know I've been hard on you..." He hesitated. "And everyone else. It's just..." George rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. "It's been hard for me here. Especially with..."
Is he...? Is he going to say what I think he'd about to say? That would be a sign that he's moving on.
Say it. Say it. Say it, George! Just let it go...
"...Fred gone." Thank God. Thought I'd have a heart attack from all the suspense! Phew!
Now it's my turn. "I'm sorry about Fred, George. Really, I am," I whispered sadly, wrapping my arms around my knees and letting myself fall comfortably on the blankets. "I should've been there with you..."
George flicked his gaze to me and leaned back too with an arm lazily thrown above his head. "No. Bloody hell. Thank Merlin you weren't. Wouldn't want ta lose you, too."
My eyes found his. Apparent surprise and shock was written all over my face.
How sweet of him.
Beet-red, George looked away from me and laughed hollowly. "Fred always told me to make a move on you or some other bloke would sweep you away from your feet. Thank Merlin no one has yet." He eyed me curiously. "No one has, right?"
A line of red appeared on my cheeks. "N-no, of course not," I stammered. He l-likes me?! Dude, no freakin' way...! At least it was semi-dark so he couldn't really see my face.
"I know...," he started again nervously, searching for the right words, "I know this is sudden and all. I've..." George irritably ran his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated grumble. "I've..."
I looked at him worriedly. From experience, I know it's hard to tell somebody you like them...
Yes, I remember Geoffrey from fifth year who I had liked for quite a while. We were taking a walk together after I asked him if I could speak with him when I tripped over lump of dirt in the grass. Yeah, that wasn't very pretty…
"George, you don't have to say it," I murmured softly, scooting closer to him and spreading the blankets over our tummies and legs. "Let's just—"
"No," George interrupted gently, taking my hands in his, "I want to tell you this. I've... liked you for a really, really long time."
I couldn't help but smile warmly at him. "Since when?" I asked, leaning in curiously.
George laughed lightly and kissed my fingers. God, his lips were so soft and warm. I wonder if they'd feel the same if I kissed them. "Since fifth year."
My eyes widened. "And how long ago was that, George?!" I nearly scolded him.
He looked up at me, surprised by my outburst. Then understanding, George mumbled, "Prob'ly 'round five, six years..."
"Why didn't you ever say anything?" I whispered incredulously at him, putting my warm hand on his cheek and forcing him to look at me in the eye.
"I dunno," George confessed ruefully, leaning into the sofa and pulling me with him. "We were always busy with pranks and jokes, and then we did our flashy exit so we never finished school."
I listened intently, never realizing I had intertwined my fingers with his. "I planned to tell you," he continued, "After you graduated but, the murders of muggle-borns increased dramatically. I was kinda' glad your dad sent you back to New York. At least you were safe from harm. Then... Fred was gone."
George drew in a shaky breath. My smile faltered and I pecked him on his cheek. He smiled cheekily and continued talking.
"When the war was over, you came back." George tightened his grip on my hand and I squeezed back almost in apology. "You were just a mem'ry by that time. A faded photograph. Blimey, I still had feelings for you. But they were numbed by the grief of Fred's death..."
He bit his lower lip but went on. "I was always thinking about you. If I'd ever see you again, if I'd ever hear you laugh again, if I'd ever see you smile, or even if I'd ever get to hex that journal you'd always carry around so it'd sing 'Feliz Navidad'..."
I blinked. "Wait. That was you?!" Then I remembered the frustration I'd got from it because it would randomly start playing.
Particularly in the library. That stalker. I would always get kicked out by that old bat of a librarian.
George snorted and burst out laughing. "Blimey, Fred and I loved the look on your face when you got absolutely sick of it and threw it at the wall in middle of class! And it never stopped playing!"
We both began laughing our heads off while leaning our shoulders into each other.
"That was sixth year," I whispered finally after our laughter died down. Then I noticed our position.
My head was comfortably lying on George's shoulder while his cheek was leaning on my hair. What a sight.
I gently craned my neck upward to see his face but not to bother him. The first thing I see are his hazel eyes staring into my chocolate ones with an unreadable expression.
What was he thinking these days…? I wonder if I would cross his mind even for a moment? What does he really think of me?
His face was getting closer as he was leaning in closer… My eyes are half-closed now, so are his… I could feel his hot breath tingling on my lips and then—
Footsteps.
Holy crap! Holy crappity-crap-crap! Get away, get away, get away, get the hell away!!
George heard it too because we both immediately jumped in place and shoved ourselves away from each other, creating a small space in between.
Both of us were blushing like morons and gasping for breath when Ginny appeared at the foot of the stairs looking sullen and weary.
Noticing a baffled brother and me would've sent hints flying through her mind as she grinned knowingly at us. "Not doing anything illegal, are you, George?"
I thought it impossible that we couldn't get any redder but reality proved me wrong. Like that one time when I was convinced the eggs wouldn't explode when I got that new microwave for Mr. Weasley on Christmas…
Oh, shut it, Ellie…!
"N-No!" George stammered. "Beat it, Ginny! Wouldn't want me to go get your precious Harry-poo, now would you?!"
Appalled, Ginny stubbornly stuck her chin out and stomped her way back to her room.
Laughing, I swatted his arm which caused him laugh along with me. Still chuckling, George caught my eye and—
"Quiet, you two! Or you'll wake up the entire house!" Ginny's loud hiss echoed in our ears but we ignored her as our lips finally met in a sweet but passionate kiss.
"Promise me…," George murmured incoherently against my wet lips, "That you'll stay with me 'til the end…" Our kiss was getting deeper until he was on top of me, hands roaming everywhere.
But you don't want the details, do you? Of course you don't.
"Promise," I whispered in his ear and laughed lightly.
Soon, his hands were circling my waist as my arms were wrapping around his neck. We were both lost in our snog to notice the four pairs of eyes staring at us from the foot of the stairs, trying to hide their snickering.
We'll get them later with a few dungbombs. Now wouldn't that be nice?
---
"...Completely satisfied, I lay in your sweet embrace, This is love."
longing to remain indefinitely.
---
-Lauren Hunt
What d'you think?
Title from "Stay with You" by the Goo Goo Dolls