Wow! First of all I am so excited that you guys really like this! I have never felt so good about writing before and its all thanks to your wonderful reviews!

Much thanks to: elka78, Oliverwoodschic, satinzevi89, Twisted Little Star, Lady Mione, Jagged Epiphany, Ins Pins, mrsgweasley, KitKat001, and FizzingWhizbeez! You guys are so super and definitely make my day when I come home and see that you have reviewed.

I wont go on to long cause I'm sure you don't want to here me ramble…so…. On with the fic….

Remember When

Chapter 10 - The Past Comes Out to Play

"Don't take shots at him simply because your angry." She frowned. " Or is it something else? Maybe I don't deserve someone like him either? Is that it? "

"Don't get into this Alicia. I told you that you misinterpreted what I said." He groaned. He definitely didn't want to get into this with her drunk.

Apparently she didn't care. She always did march to the beat of a different drum.

"Oh did I? That's a joke. Lets see if I can remember exactly what you said that

night…lets see how much of it was misinterpreted and how much was the bloody truth!" Her whole body shook

" I had been waiting to tell you how much you meant to me and instead I get crapped on…

"George!"

"What?"

"The important thing you needed to tell me…" She rolled her hand in front of his face as if to urge him onward.

"Oh right." He sighed. " I was just about to get to that…" Taking the pillow from beneath his chin he rose from the bed and took a few hesitant steps across the room. " You know Fred and I have been working on the joke shop for awhile now, right?"

Alicia furrowed her eyebrows. "Uh huh." Well this certainly had nothing to do with him confessing his heart.

" We were going to open it as soon as we got out of here." He sighed. " And nothing about that has changed. Just…well I think we will be opening it a bit sooner then expected."

Alicia studied his body language for a moment. Something just didn't seem right about the whole situation. " Ok, and this all ties together how?"

"Fred and I are leaving tonight." He said it so quickly that it took Alicia a moment for it to register.

"What do you mean you are leaving tonight?" She pushed herself up from the bed and hurried to his side.

"It's a rather long story, Ali, and as much as I would love to sit down and tell it to you I can't. We just need to do this to help out Harry. The poor kids sorta in a jam plus neither of us can take Umbridge anymore so we decided that the best way to put all this behind us is too leave in the most dramatic way possible. This way no one forgets us. " He winked. " It's gonna be great too. Fred concocted this whole prank in order to drive Umbridge out of her skull before we jet off. You should definitely come down and enjoy the festivities."

Alicia was silent. This was supposed to be the moment he was taking her in his arms and whisking her away. Now he was just running out on her. "You can't leave, George. What about finishing school? You cant just take off when your so close to graduation! Plus" She took a sharp breath, " what am I supposed to do with my best friend gone?"

"Oh come on Ali, like finishing off these last few weeks will really sway my decisions on my future occupation. I already know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life so there is no reason for me just sit here on my arse and wait."

"What about me?"

Silence.

"What about me, George?"

"What about you?"

That struck her deep. " What about our friendship? What am I going to do without you here? George you are my best friend, and we've been through everything together. How am I supposed to finish off the last of our schooling without you by my side?"

"Nonsense, you have Angie." He swallowed a lump in his throat.

"And I love Angie dearly, but there's a difference between what I hold for Angie and what I hold for you. I can't…I can't let you throw all this away simply because you can't hack what Umbridge is throwing to you."

"I told you we were doing this for Harry, for a friend."

"Well do something for me then. I'm your friend, right?" She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. " Stay here and finish school, and then on the last day of classes have your fun and knock Umbridge down. Fly off and out of this school in your blaze of glory, but don't let her get the best of you now!"

"What the hell, Alicia! Why does it matter? Why do you care so bloody much what I do with my life? I'm not like you!" He turned towards her, his eyes trying to mask the formation of tears. "I don't have all these glorious options like you. I'm not brainy or patient enough to go out and search for a job. My parents don't have the financial backing to let me bounce around and try out different occupations. You've got everything Alicia! Your parents have money and you have the brains to be something brilliant. There's nothing left for me here."

"George, I love you."

It wasn't supposed to be like this. There was supposed to be laughing, and hugging and kisses everywhere. Instead there was just a vacant stare coming from George's face.

"Don't say that."

"But it's true. Gods George don't tell me you've never noticed the electricity between us. Don't try and pretend that you have never known how I felt. Granted I might have kept it quiet for so long, but I- I didn't want to lose you as a friend. I need you in my life."

"This isn't going to change anything Alicia. I cant be with you-" Closing his eyes he sighed. He didn't want his final moments with her to be lost in anger. He didn't want to leave this place knowing she was dying inside. " There couldn't possibly be anything between us Alicia. We come from two completely different worlds, and as much as I value our friendship, that's all it will ever be."

Grabbing at his robe she shook him. " Don't tell me that. I know you care about me! You wouldn't have come up here to tell me you were leaving if you didn't. Don't lie! Just tell me how you feel, tell me that you love me too and everything will be all right. I don't care if we come from different backgrounds because its our differences that make us stronger. Don't leave me like this. "

"And what are you going to do once you get out of here, Alicia? I'll be busy working at the shop while you go on to become this famous writer. We wont see each other cause you'll be out doing interviews and becoming famous. That's not a relationship, Alicia! "

"Then I won't go into writing. I'd rather be with you then without you. I'll take up a position in the shop. I'll write your ads or something. I just- don't push me away."

When they were in their second year together George had asked Alicia to spend some of the summer holiday at the Burrow. She of course had said yes, and George had been elated. When she arrived with her parents, they had been so cold to George and the rest of his family. In fact Alicia's mother had pulled her aside and gave her a stern talking to. Alicia, with tears in her eyes, yelled back at her mother. George was a little shocked by her attitude towards her parents, but when she later told him that they had practically forbid her to associate with someone lower in class he was heart broken. Alicia reassured him that she took care of the mess, but he didn't learn of the repercussions until a week later. She received a letter from her parents stating that they would not be paying for her schooling supplies anymore if she continued her friendship with George.

Alicia was devastated at her parents ridiculous behavior and wrote them back saying that she'd rather tap into her own account in Gringotts then ever foil her friendship with George. Of course George felt awful and that summer the two had concocted a plan that would allow them to remain friends without worrying about the watchful eyes of her parents. But even after things seemed to calm down around the Spinnet home, even after they thought Alicia wasn't spending time with 'the lesser class', he had begun to take notice to all the sacrifices she made simply for him. All the times she lied to her parents so she could spend time with him, all the vacations she missed out on simply to have her parents gone and the house to herself so he could come by, or even the time she declined attending the prestigious Austrian Quidditch Summer Camp because she had promised Ginny that she would teach her some amazing chaser skills in July. She had sacrificed for him for the last five years.

He didn't want to do it, but he had to. He couldn't risk her giving up everything she had been working so hard for just for him. Not again. He cared for her too much. He had to be straight with her. They couldn't be together. Even if it killed him. " I don't want you giving up your dreams for me. You don't -"

"What? Say it! Spit it out!" She was pushing him quite hard in the chest. " Tell me!"

" You just don't deserve someone like me, Alicia."

"What?" Her voice was flat.

And then George realized what he said and wished he had just left without even telling her a thing. Course in his head he had meant it as she was too good for him and deserved better, but the way it came out just sounded cold. He felt sick.

"I didn't mean it like that Alicia. What I'm trying to say is-"

"Deserve you! I don't deserve you!" She began punching at his chest. " How dare you even place me so low George Weasley! Have you always thought this about me? Have you always thought of me as some worthless pile of trash?" Her hands were flying so hard at his chest that it took him all of his own strength to grab her arms and hold her back. " What's your problem anyway? What is it then? Am I too ugly? Not slutty enough like the rest of the Hogwarts population? Or is it because your just damn jealous of my parents money? " Oh she knew it was low, but her heart hurt too much to care. Hell if he thought she didn't deserve his almighty godlike image then she was going to make sure she made him feel like dirt before he left. " I don't deserve you." She scoffed.

"That's low Alicia. You misinterpreted what I said…" He dropped her arms.

"Yeah well maybe if you'd take your head out of your arse for a second you'd realize what's right in front of you. I am right here George. I have always been right here waiting for you. Please, tell me that you need me as much as I need you. "

He glanced over at the clock. He needed to get to Fred if they were going to pull the whole fiasco off in time. As much as he wanted to stay there beside her he had to let her go. His own life was screwed up enough and he'd be damned before he'd let Alicia fall into the vortex of his hellish nightmare. She'd go on and be bigger, she'd go on and be better, happier. She'd have the world at her fingertips but if she felt like there was some shred of hope between them all of those dreams of hers would simply drift away. She'd stay to be with him and he couldn't let her do that.

He'd cut the hope.

"I don't need you. I don't need you at all actually. In fact I'm pretty sure I can get along perfectly fine without you around. You see Alicia, I don't need to cling on to someone in order to function in life. I can go out into the big wide world all by myself because I'm not afraid to live. But you Alicia " He turned away from her so she couldn't see the pain in his eyes. " You need to hold onto someone for dear life because you are too weak to go out there and live a life of your own. You cling onto Angie, you cling onto me, god I'm not surprised you don't let your mother pick out your clothes when you are home on holiday. Forget me, and forget this and bloody hell stop trying to hold on to something that's never been there! I don't need you! I don't want you!"

There was a loud crash in the bathroom and Alicia's eyes darted between the door and the back of George's head. She was mighty surprised Angelina hadn't come out and beat the snot out of him. She, on the other hand, couldn't move. She couldn't breathe.

"You were my world."

"Yeah well here's a tip…sometimes the world isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Pushing him from behind, Alicia cursed. And cursed. And continued to spew out the most vulgar language he had ever heard come from her tiny lips. And though it would have seemed as those vulgar words would have cut him deep, nothing hurt more then what she said before she kicked him out.

" I hate you." As soon as the door slammed in his face he leaned back against it and listened to her sobs, but it was hard to make them out since they were muffled by his own…

"I still hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I hate you…" She repeated over and over again while her body swayed from side to side. " I hate you so much, George Weasley!"

"Alicia, I- " He reached out but she swatted his hand away.

"Don't try and make up for it because even if you didn't mean it you never came to me…" And then the drunken tears broke through. " So now, ya know what I'm gonna do…" And then as suddenly as the tears came they left. "I'm gonna do another handstand…" She slapped her hands together and started hysterical laughing. Flinging herself forward she went up on her hands and held the position.

"Alicia stop it. You are going to hurt yourself!"

"Here's the deal Weasley." Her words were so slurred together that he had to bite back his own laughter.

"What?"

"You and I have a handstand contest like we used to do back in school. If you stay up longer then me then I'll stop and go to bed. If I win well then you have to go home and leave me alone."

"Ok ok ok…" He hoisted himself up on his hands. Turning his head slightly towards her he sighed. " You know I cant do these things for very long. This isn't a fair contest."

"Shut up, you owe me."

"Yeah yeah…"

George felt his own arms begin to wobble as he remained up in the handstand. Even when he was younger he could never do the blasted things. Then it happened. He sneezed and completely fell flat on his face.

"Crap."

"I win! I win!" Coming down from the handstand quite gracefully she jumped up and down. "Now go! Get out of here and leave me alone!" Her tone was harsh and as George hoisted himself up off the floor she began shoving him towards the door.

"Alicia, stop I can't leave you like this…"

"Like what?" She paused.

"Ali?" Turning around he watched as her face went completely white. "Alicia are you ok?" Placing his hands on her shoulders he held her straight. " Alicia?" She didn't say a word. "Stop giving me the silent treatment! What's wrong?"

With that she proceeded to vomit down the front of his robes before her eyes fell shut and she passed out against him. Oh how utterly romantic. With a sigh he lifted her up in his arms and made his way towards Katie's bathroom.

Leaning over he planted a tiny kiss on her forehead. "I guess I deserved that. " He said with a soft chuckle before closing the bathroom door to take care of his best friend.

Well stay tuned for the next chapter because if you think things are all worked out between our two little love birds then you are sorely mistaken. Alicia's got a date with Ollie, remember? Heh it should be interesting to say the very least. Thanks for reading and please leave a review before you head off to another story !