The Fourth Week After

It had already been four weeks, and the pain wasn't getting better. George still felt awful, and didn't think it would ever get better. Maybe that was why he was drinking his life away. Maybe he did it because he felt Fred wanted him to. Maybe it was because he felt like he needed to. Whatever reason he had, he did it. He had never been the type of person who drank excessive amounts of alcohol. He drank a shot her and there at parties and such, but never full time. Now, he would get bad headaches if he didn't have a drink. Everyone was worried about him. Molly was forcefully trying to change his mind, but it wasn't helping. Percy was being too over bearing, and constantly coming around, but successfully bugging George. Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny helped by coming to the shop, and helping cleaning up. They were mourning just the same as he was, and didn't try to "protect" or "stop" him. Harry was good to talk to because he knew what it was like to lose somebody, and had felt that loss many times, and still felt the pain. But, the best person to comfort him was Angelina Johnson. She would come to the shop and spend long hours just sitting there. Sometimes she'd come in, and George wouldn't say a word, but she'd continue to sit there. Sometimes she'd stay for four hours, without George recognizing her presence, which was when she'd leave in a huff.

Today was no different. George walked down from the flat, and into the backroom. Everyone in his family was able to floo in, so was Angelina.

As he walked into the backroom, he heard the fire, and knew someone had flooed in.

"George?" He heard Angelina call.

"In the back." He called back George heard her walk into the back.

Now, Angelina was sick of George bottling up his feelings, she was going to make him "blow".

"How are you feeling today?" Angelina would start out nice, and gentle. She waited a minute, but she he didn't answer,

"What's your problem George?" He didn't even turn around. "I come here everyday, so that you're not alone, and so that I can help you! Wouldn't you rather me than your mum?" George only physically flinched. "George!" George turned around.

"What, Angelina?!? What?" He shouted, raising his arms in the air. "What do you want me to do? Sit and pour my heart out to you?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice! Anything would be better than this silence! You know as well as I do that this silence isn't normal for you. You're not a quiet person!"

"Well, I'm sorry that I miss Fred! Maybe I should just sell the shop, and pretend he never existed!"

"George! Don't twist my words! That's not what I said! I don't want you to forget Fred, and I'm not going to forget him either."

"Well, I just need time to think things through." George stopped shouting and looked down.

"Well think aloud. I want to help you. I care about you George. I don't want anything to happen to you." Angelina walked over and put her hand on his shoulder.

"What you're doing is unhealthy. You're hurting yourself."

"But I like the alcohol."

"It's only numbing you. You're going to feel pain, no matter what." Angelina pulled him over to a chair, and sat him down. "I care about you. You can say whatever you want to justify it, but it won't change anything." George pulled Angelina onto his lap, and gently kissed her.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not the only one you should apologize to. Your family comes in just as much, and you ignore them too."

"Alright then. After this, I'll go over to the Burrow."

"I'll come along if you want me to."

"Alright." He then kissed her. This time it wasn't soft or gentle, it was hard and fierce, and she contributed to it. It was a peaceful bliss, a sign of healing, a sign of pure content.

-finished-

A/N- Please Review! In the review tell me if you have gotten the pattern yet, or just guess it. Also, if you review and ask for a preview of the next chapter (it's just small, I'll just tell you the character, and a line) I will send you a preview.

There will be a new chapter of Life Goes On tomorrow, so put it on story alert, so you know!