Real Love

Chapter Two: Told You So

Angelina woke up in the middle of the night with a start.

She had been dreaming about Fred. The dream was dark and she could see nothing, but she had felt Fred-arm around her stomach, a gentle hand in her hair, the kisses down her neck. It felt so nice to be held by him, if only in fantasy. Fred hadn't touched her for awhile now and she missed that. And even though the dream was silent, she understood it as if Fred was yelling at her from across the Quidditch field. He still loved her.

Angelina stood up from her bed and stretched. She didn't feel like sleeping anymore. Not if it meant dreaming about things that would never happen.

Silently, she left the girls' dormitory and walked down the stairs to the common room. She needed to clear of heavy mind. Of Fred. Of the abominable Quidditch Team. Of everything.

Angelina dragged her weary self to an armchair that was set directly in front of the blazing fire and sat down. But somebody was already in it.

She let out a small scream and jumped off the chair.

"Hello, Angelina."

Her heart seem to freeze in her chest. But she found the strength to stare into those warm blue eyes that she adored too much.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked Fred quietly.

"I'm a grown man, my dear," he answered lightly. "I can do whatever I want."

Angelina stared at him piercingly, thinking things she could never say out loud.

"But go on, Angel," Fred said, patting his lap dramatically. "You can sit. I don't mind."

Angelina inhaled sharply. "What did you just call me?" she whispered. Fred frowned. He seemed remotely confused. He wondered if it was a trick question and if so, wondered what Angelina was getting at.

"Angel," he answered slowly.

"Fred's never called me Angel," she told herself, burrowing her brow. "George?" Angelina looked at him as if seeing him for the first time.

He nodded, still puzzled.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried apologetically. Then remembering where she was and the hour, she dropped her voice significantly. "I thought you were Fred."

George looked up at her, his face pale. "It's all right, Angelina. No harm done..." He took his eyes off her at last and stared thoughtfully into the fire place.

Angelina felt awful. Usually, she never had any trouble telling the twins apart. George was whole lot more subtle and considerate than Fred who was...well, an ass at times.

She sighed, then knelt beside him and rested her chin on the arm of the chair. She looked up into his troubled face.

"So, what's got you up so late?" she asked him quietly. He shrugged.

"Just thinking, really," he answered.

"What about?"

"Quidditch...that Umbridge cow...and you."

Angelina laughed. "Funny, George Weasley."

George smiled wanly. "Is it, really? Well, what about you? Why are you down here?"

Angelina sighed and turned her body toward the fire place. She relocated her head on the arm of the chair as she stared into the amber flames.

"Your brother's a prat," she said finally.

"Uh oh," George groaned. "What has my counter-part gone and done this time?"

Angelina looked at him in slight surprise. "Don't you know?" she asked. George shook his head seriously. "No," Angelina sighed as she turned back to the fire. "I suppose I'm the prat, then, for thinking Fred Weasley would actually tell anybody how he's been treating me."

George patted his lap again. "Come up and tell Georgie all about it," he spoke as if he would to a small child.

Angelina looked at him as though she thought he was the biggest nutter in all of Britain, but obliged anyway. She may have been going mental, but part of her wanted this, wanted to feel loved and seen, and not misguided. She trusted George with a hopeful serenity and suddenly looked to him as a refuge.

And then she felt his arm wrap around her waist, soft and subtle.

Angelina stiffened and found that she couldn't bring herself to meet George's eyes. No, this was wrong. She and Fred were still together and her even thinking about is brother that way was not at all fair. Fred was wrong but he didn't deserve this. She was about to tell him this, when he suddenly took his arm away and mumbled a shy apology.

She looked at him, at his crestfallen expression, at his sweet blue eyes that avoided her gaze. Her thoughts began to turn. It didn't matter. If Fred cared so much about her where was his "devoted" ass now? She wasn't going to make excuses for him anymore. He was a prick. A useless and neglectful. Who needed that?

As she looked at George, she had a vague notion that he wouldn't ever do that to her. That he knew better and what real love was all about. Not just pretending.

Angelina smiled at him. "No, it's all right," she whispered and pulled his arm back around her waist.

George looked up into her dark eyes with a mixed expression of ecstasy and agony. Angelina smiled wildly at this and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I thought you were Fred's," he whispered in her ear.

Angelina closed her eyes at the tenderness of his voice. Fred's endless, noisy chatter would never sound that way.

"I'm not anybody's," she whispered back. "Not anymore."

George held Angelina for a long time, until her breathing became steady and deep, when he knew she was sleeping. Then he closes his eyes too and said softly,

" Wish you were mine, Angel."

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Katie and Alicia had been watching Angelina and George from the top of the staircase leading to the girls' dormitory.

"See, I told you," Alicia boasted smugly.

"I'm still not too sure, Ali," Katie bit her lip. "I mean, shouldn't Angel at least tell Fred what's going on?"

"No," Alicia snapped. "Fred should've known how to treat a woman. It's a wonder she stayed with him for this long." She paused and her tone became more pleasant. "Now George on the other hand..."

Katie sighed exasperatedly. "I hope you really know what you're doing." She looked down at the sleeping pair. "Should we just leave them there?"

Alicia thought for a brief moment, if at all. "Hmm...why not?" She turned away grinning from ear to ear.

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Thank you so much for the reviews. I wasn't sure about this one, but you all changed my mind. You guys are great.

SuckerForGrint: Haha, thank you. I had stopped coming here to read stories, because they all just sounded the same and I didn't like that. This one took some real thought but I'm glad you think it's good so far :)

Someone: I do too! I believe that there is deeper emotion when you love more than one person...I really get into this "having an affair" thing. Stories are WAY more interesting. But maybe that's just me, being bad. Thank you.

Ashleigh: Thanks so much. I used to come up here and read your stories all the time. I love your style-you inspired me. haha, yeah, I've always pictured Alicia being the 'spicy' one of the three and Katie being really sweet. It kinda works out...

Evilevergreen: Thank you. When I was writing this, all this ideas popped into my head and I was in a real big hurry to get it all down. And also, there's the acute fact that I was aiming for a lot of chapters...But I'm trying to make them longer, starting with this one. It's probably not even noticeable.

angelface04: Thank you :) I'm really glad you like the story so far. I've realized beginnings are very important in stories, 'cause if you have a crappy start, who's gonna read it, right? lol...but I have had some bad experiences that way and I'm happy this story isn't one of them

Review!