A/N: I apologize for the delay; I've been insanely busy what with being in the States for break, etc., but you really don't care...On with the story!
Bursting with giddiness, Jessica apparated to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes the next morning. George likes me, George likes me! The phrase echoed through her mind again and again. At work, George watched her dance around the store gracefully and completely misjudged the cause of her happiness. Fred looked on as well, but he knew better. Lee had come over last night and had told him about recent occurrences in their plan. Fred smiled before turning back to his inventory sheet.
George likes me, George likes me! Jessica took a lady's order with a glowing smile. The lady grinned back at her. The smiles were contagious.
Later in the day, Jessica was doing demonstrations with the Canary Creams, Headless Hats, Fainting Fancies, and the most recent hat development, Coconut Conks. Small children flocked around her as she burst into bright yellow feathers. George stopped what he was doing to watch her as her head disappeared. Without her face beaming smiles to the entire world like rays of sunshine, Jessica was not the same. Her head appeared and he forced himself to look away.
A moment later, his eyes rested on her again as she took a bite of a Fainting Fancy. She swooned beautifully with the back of her hand theatrically touching her forehead as she fell back onto a cushion. An excited child took the privilege of popping the antidote into her mouth. Right away, she stood up, laughing and thanking the young girl.
She has a boyfriend, George, his mind told him.
It's not wrong to look at my friend, is it?
But she can't be more.
He sighed. I know, but it is so hard to know that she is with someone other than me.
Which would you rather have? Her happy or with no one, and her unhappy?
I would wish her happiness over anything in the world.
Continually, George fought his mind, telling himself to stop liking her while half wishing that she liked him back.
Lee walked into the store and George's heart sunk to his ankles. Lee flirtatiously walked up behind Jessica where she was putting a Valentine's Day decoration up. She turned around and smiled as well. They hugged, then she pushed him away, giggling, telling him that she had to get back to work. In her ear, he whispered an invitation to dinner. She accepted with a coy smile.
George could not bear to watch. He walked into the storeroom to calm down, but it was no good. Over the next month, he forgot about the twenty galleons at stake and instead watched longingly as Jessica would wrap her arms about his shoulders and kiss his cheek. The trip was coming up, and George was seriously thinking about not going, but time without Jessica seemed so empty that he set his mind to go. Wonderful suffering: this is what he felt; the suffering of a man in love.
The week before the departure for the Bahamas, Jessica went on a date with Lee. They did not have to act like a couple on these dates, so they were more laid back. Over dinner, Jessica laid her heart out before Lee.
"I can't take this anymore. I see how much I hurt him, Lee, I see it, and I can't take it!"
"Just a little bit longer," Lee encouraged.
"That's what you said on Valentines Day: just a little bit longer, and he'll realize it. Lee, the problem is that he has realized it and he doesn't want to hurt me by taking you away. Don't you get it? It tears my heart in two! I can't do this!"
"Come on, Jessica, you are doing great! Promise me that you will keep up the phasod halfway through the Bahamas trip."
Jessica looked at Lee, anguish in her eyes. "All right," she sighed. "But no longer."
"Will you make the first move?" Lee asked, smiling.
"No way, Lee, are you crazy?"
"Well, you are so much in love with the guy, and he loves you!"
"If he loves me, he'll come up. He's doing the honorable thing by letting us continue, you realize that, right?"
"I guess. I never understood it, never having had a real girlfriend."
"I was your girlfriend for a little while, Lee, remember? I wasn't faking for a while."
Lee smiled. "You're right, Jess, you're right!"
At the end of the date, Jessica went back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. She had to pick a few things up. Thinking it was empty, she vented frustration out loudly inside the darkened room. She sunk down to the floor, screaming in agony. It softened to a quiet crying, but the pain inside her was deep. A shadowy figure appeared before her eyes as she lifted them from her arms. Without thinking, she flung herself into George's arms, sobbing.
Taken by surprise, George simply wrapped his arms around her, unsure of the cause of her crying, but sure in the knowledge that she was his friend and he must comfort her. She wept into his shoulder for a good ten minutes before she wiped her eyes and looked up into George's silhouetted face.
"Thanks," she said, rubbing her cheeks.
"You all right, Jess? Did Lee break up with you?" He asked, a bit too eager for a positive answer to the second question.
Jessica hiccupped on her tears. "No, he did not break up with me. I was just—just venting a bit of frustration. I'm fine now, thank you."
"You don't seem fine. Do you need to cry anymore?"
"No, I'll apparate home and cry on my lonely pillow in my lonely bed, in my lonely room in my lonely house."
"Are you lonely?"
"A little, but I'll be fine. You go home, George, Fred'll be wondering where you are."
"Only when I know that you won't cry anymore," he answered, sticking his jaw out stubbornly.
Jessica looked up at her amazingly sweet friend. She wiped her eyes one more time. "I promise I won't cry."
"All right. Can you stand?" he asked as he slowly let her out of his arms. Her knees were a little weak, but she nodded the affirmative. He apparated home, thinking of her.