I meant to write a cute, fic about established George/Angelina but then it somehow turned into this. Oops!
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Behind the lids of my eyes,
I can still see Frederick's laughing face.
-Pheonix Lament, Ministry of Magic
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George watches Angelina as she drives, her hair whipping around her face, her finger tapping on the wheel to the song playing, her mouth-oh her perfect mouth with it's perfect plump pink lips-form shapes as she sings along to the song playing. He's jealous-he can barely drive, Freddie had been the one to figure out how to drive, George had never bothered to learn properly and Freddie had never bothered to teach him, they'd always figure Freddie would be there to drive him anywhere he wanted to go, hell they'd never thought he'd go anywhere Freddie wasn't going anyway. Tears fill his eyes as he thinks of how naive they'd been, complete idiots. He reaches to turn up the music trying to drown out his thoughts. It works, he turns and looks at her but even music can't drown out thoughts of her-the completely inappropriate thoughts.
As if she can feel him staring, a secretive smile creeps up on her face and she laughs slightly. He's surprised, it's been a long time since he's heard anyone laugh, and it surprises him how much he wants to hear it again, how much he wants to be the reason for it, he used to have such thoughts before the war, before Fred but lately the only thing he has wanted is Fred, Fred, Fred.
But this the only reason he asked her to drive him was to get away from all of that. He refuses to dwell on it. So, he asks, "What? Why are you laughing?" She shakes her head, looking at him amused. "Just imagining Lee's face when we tell him we went road tripping without him." He feels dread settle in the pit of his stomach, Lee was going to murder him and then pickle his remains and feed it to one of Hagrid's creatures. He groans but he smiles through it and says, "I'm telling him you took me hostage." Angelina laughs again, and he feels like he could burst with pride.
He's still smiling when he turns and looks out at the view beyond. His smile fades when he realises that the river they are passing is blue, blue-like his eyes, like brother's eyes.
"Where are we going anyway?" Angelina asks, her voice is light, but there is something soft in the look she shoots him. "Careful. Eyes on the road. Would be stupid to die of a car crash after surviving Voldemort." He says, aching to make her laugh again. And she does laugh but it'd drier and more wry than before. He stares confused, before realisation strikes and it wrecks with guilt that it takes him a moment to remember that he isn't the only one who has lost family in the war.
He wants to say something. But the words catch in his throat and choke him. He can't say anything because nothing will help, so he helps the only way he knows how, he reaches out and takes her hand. Her breath catches in her throat and she looks at him. And for a moment he forgets it-the war, Freddie, Percy, everything.All he knows is that this girl in front of him is hurting and that he'd do anything, anything to take it all away.
She looks away first and says again. "You didn't tell me where you want to go. I'm almost starting to believe that you don't know where you want to go." He's jolted back into reality. "I don't." He says. And she grins at him. It's not quite a laugh but it will do. "I just...I couldn't stay there anymore."
He's loathe to admit it but it was true, he was starting to feel suffocated by it all. His room-which used to feel far too small with the two of them now feels far too big, his mum's anxious looks. He's sick to death of people telling him that Freddie wanted him to move on. He knows it. He was his bloody twin after all. But people don't understand that despite everything it doesn't make the emptiness in his soul fade away any sooner.
He wants to curl in on himself and sob. He wants to lie down and never get up, he wants, he wants, but now he knows more than ever that wanting doesn't mean getting.
"Pull over. Let me drive for a while." He says. Angelina laughs,"I've got no intention of getting killed." He's embarrassed but he covers it up by acting offended. He leans away from her, place a hand over his heart and says dramatically, "You've wounded me, m'lady." She laughs again. "You know this might be the most I've laughed since after the war started." "Is it?" he asks. "It might be,"she replies. The thought makes him want to weep with pride. He's not nothing after all. He can do something.
She swerves, changing lanes with an ease that reminds him of her on a broom. The gracefulness of her on a broom that he'd fallen for in the first place. Merlin, look at him. He's such a bloody sap, now. Fred is probably turning over in his grave. It takes him a moment to realise that for the first time that thought doesn't make him choke on his breath. He's adjusting. He'll be okay. Glancing at Angelina he thinks, we'll all be okay.
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The smile left your face,
A part of me died.
They are all moving on,
But I can't leave your side.
-Brother's Lament, Let's Lumos
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So, that was that. I hope you liked it. Don't forget to review. Feel free to flame. If you have any prompts let me know in a review or PM me.
Thanks for reading!
-Love,
Lakshmi.