Picking up the Pieces ▪▪▪
It had been a year since Fred's death and George was still not over it. He spent his days working at the shop; it had been he and Fred's favorite place and ironically the only thing that made him happy. It seemed like he lived for that store and the little kids who came in looking for a way to get back at their friends tricks, or frenzied mothers looking for birthday gifts, father's who wandered away from the family and felt like a kid again.
Today it was a few days after Christmas so the shop was unusually quiet giving him time to think to himself, something he hated. There weren't very many people except kids spending birthday money here and there and a few returns and exchanges.
He was doing inventory at the cash register when he heard the door open and a soft, vaguely familiar voice say his name with a shy smile to it.
He looked up to see Angelina Johnson standing at the front of the store, smiling shyly. She had on a black pea coat and her black hair up in a high bun on her head. She seemed to be a little uncomfortable and awkward and George could not blame her. They hadn't seen one another since Fred's funeral.
She'd been crying and swearing because she said her makeup was expensive and waterproof. George was crying too but had sat there telling Angelina everything would be okay and that as long as they loved him Fred would never die. The next day Angelina called him (one of those wonderful, muggle inventions his father loved that he'd embraced) to tell him that she would be moving to the states to live with an aunt who was a Squib. She didn't explain but only that she'd find a muggle job and just live there for awhile. George understood and felt his heart sink when she called herself a coward for running away; she hung up before he could respond.
And now here she was right in front of him and he wondered if she too still missed George as much as he did, if she sometimes forgot he was gone only to remember and feel worse than before. It was so weird having Angelina there only she could understand his pain. They'd loved Fred in two different ways but he was sure no one had loved him more than them.
George finally noticed that there had been silence since Angelina spoke his name and he snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh. Hello, Angelina it's…really great to see you."
He walked to the door and put the "back in 15 minutes sign" up, giving them time to talk.
"I just got back today and you were the first person I wanted to see." She said walking back with him to the counter. "How have you been? How's your family?" Angelina's eyes were filled with curiosity.
"Mum's been well. She misses him terribly but she and dad are both so thankful that they didn't lose anymore kids. That I came out of this with only one ear missing" Angelina cringed and laughed as if it were something she scarcely did. "My siblings are also doing well—Ron and Hermione are finally dating. I'm not as sickened by all the mushiness as I thought I'd be."
"The war made people realize a lot of things." She said quietly.
George nodded and cleared his throat. "How have you been?"
Angelina shrugged, "okay. I worked at a bookstore in Maine where my aunt lives for the longest time. I kept to myself mostly and I didn't like to talk about home or before. No one would understand they didn't go through this war and I'd left to forget. It's why I think of myself as a coward because I wanted to forget my life and everyone in it. And then one day it hit me that I never would and I came home on the first flight out yesterday. After a year, I'm home."
"You were never a coward not then and not now." It felt good for George to finally be saying this to her, after he'd wanted to for a year.
Angelina shook her head but didn't say anything. She looked around the store as if reminiscent and remembering something, someone. She sighed, "I miss him so much."
"Me too" whispered George and he hesitated before putting his hand atop hers on the counter. She started to cry and he didn't know what to do. It was like at the funeral only this time she wasn't wearing any makeup at all. He came around the corner and took her in his arms. She held onto him tightly burying her head in his chest and just cried. George got the feeling that it was the first time she'd really allowed herself to cry. "I just miss him everyday." She said in between sobs and gasping for air.
▪●▪
Angelina started helping out at the shop and in the few months she'd been there she made life bearable again. They even talked about Fred sometimes and it was so much easier to do so with her because she knew what to say and not what to say. She didn't elaborate too much or try to figure out what needed to be tiptoed around and was okay to bring up. She just knew.
It was March and unseasonably cold and the shop was extremely busy. Angelina was helping out with the confused mothers and doing great. While ringing up people and helping kids (and realizing he needed to hire more people) George watched her out the corner of his eye. She seemed so relaxed and happy in her jeans, sneakers, and white and gold "WEASLEYS WIZARD WHEEZES" t-shirt she'd convinced him to have made.
It struck George that he was falling in love with her and it made him feel sick to his stomach.
That is a terrible way to describe being in love but it was fitting to who he was in love with. In love with the love of his brother's life! If she knew she'd probably slap him and hate him and never come back to the shop. George didn't think he could handle that—not with her being so great with the customers and funny. That was probably why Fred loved her so she was smart and pretty and funny.
When it was time for closing Angelina lingered around to help him clean up and do inventory. "I'm glad I came back."
He looked at her and smiled. "I'm so glad you did too."
They stood looking at one another for some time. He stroked her cheek, smooth and brown and warm.
She didn't move or flinch away from his touch. But only looked as if she thought she was doing something forbidden and wrong just by letting this occur. He felt that way too, for being the one to initiate it.
"Happiness has been so foreign to me for the longest time." She said quietly with trembling lips.
George nodded looking at her lips as they moved. He'd slept with girls in the last year; hurried kisses, drunken sex, and one night stands only. He'd been too sad to feel anything real for anyone, to even try. He was broken and he didn't want to burden anyone with that. But he knew Angelina was broken as well and that maybe she could pick up the pieces.
"I feel like I'm doing something wrong."
"Maybe we both are." She whispered. She leaned back onto counter and smiled at him biting her lips, "sometimes what's wrong is right in the end, and sometimes you just need it for the moment."
He shook his head, "no, I want you for more than just the moment. I want you forever." And he kissed her before she could protest or give him all the logical reasons of why he shouldn't want her forever, why they couldn't be.
And she kissed him back hungrily wrapping her arms around him and holding him to her. He felt like he would suffocate in a good way if she never let go and they kissed like that until there was a knock on the door. They were startled and looked over at a middle aged man who wanted to get in.
"We're bloody closed!" Shouted George and he turned the sign to closde and the man shuffled away bitterly.
Angelina put her hand over her mouth to try and stifle her giggles.
George scratched his hair and blushed. "So, are you hungry at all?"
"I am actually." She said looking everywhere but at him.
"My mom cooked dinner—"
"I couldn't face your family after what just happened and not feel awkward."
"Chinese?" He asked relieved that she'd been the one to say she didn't want to go.
She nodded, "wonderful."
"It's…a date." He said cautiously.
"A date."
He smiled at her and took her hand as they left the shop. He didn't know what they were getting into or if they'd regret it in an hour, a few days, weeks, months. If they'd spend years together happily or realize years too late their mistake. But nothing seemed important right now other than the fact that she was the only person alive who seemed to be able to dull the hole in his heart. The only person alive who understood without questions and gave him what he needed. They were happy for right now and George had learned sometimes you just had to live in the moment.