Chapter Five: Can't Shake You Off Of My Mind

My and George's relationship could be surmised with one word, "Finally."

"Finally" was the reaction that we got when our friends, and sometimes not friends, found out we were together. As it turns out, the entire world seemed to know that George was madly in love with me. Except, of course, for me.

The only person who didn't seem thrilled with my newest life development was Cedric. Cedric's jaw tightened, and he shot daggers at George whenever George doted over me. When I brought this up to Kelly and Kim, they shrugged it off.

"You guys didn't break up that long ago. He's still got a sore heart," Kim rationalized. "He doesn't spend much time in the common room anymore, so I can't do much snooping."

"He's probably not completely over you yet," Kelly agreed.

"He has an old soul."

"A sentimental soul."

"He can't shake you off of his mind," Kim snapped her fingers, singing the lyrics to an old Weird Sisters song.

"If I meant that much to him, why did he break up with me?" I asked indignantly. I was annoyed at Cedric for being so wishy-washy with his feelings, especially when he knew saying the right thing could have kept us together.

"Did you want to stay with him after what happened with George?" Kim proposed. "Imagine this: Cedric begs you not to leave. You were completely paranoid after Cho. Then what?"

"Or better yet, would you leave George now to go back to Cedric?" Kelly held her finger in the air like she did when she got a good idea.

"That's not fair to compare. I've only been with George for a few weeks. Cedric and I had two years with each other." My heart ached at the thought of choosing. "I really was unhappy though. I guess I would stay with George regardless."

"That's what I thought," Kelly said conclusively.

Kim added, "You're meant to be with George."

Meant to be. The words made my heart race.

"You think so?" I asked, my face hot. I tried to imagine my future with George, but I had everything planned with Cedric for years. The future seemed hazy and unsure.

Kim and Kelly mimicked my bashful look. They caught each other's eyes, and started cracking up.

My friends had a much a different perspective on their own relationships. Kim had apparently spent the night with Thom getting drunk on their ship, where "the beds were cozy and the alcohol was cozier." She hardly lasted an hour at the dance. The good news, Kim bragged, was that Thom had not yet run away screaming. Kelly said she had fun with Billie, but didn't see much of a future with him. Kelly wasn't much for romance anyway.

George put his hand on my shoulder, startling me. When I turned my head, he was grinning.

"I missed you," he said earnestly, and kissed my cheek.

Kelly and Kim cooed. I flipped them off.


Despite Kelly and Kim's insistences, it seemed like Cedric had moved on. His prized possession in the Second Task was Cho Chang. Cho's face glowed with pride for Cedric, and her face stuck that way when she was swarmed with admiring girls in the common room. I wondered if she had helped him rehearse spells that he might need, or fucked him to help him relax. What they joked about on his pillow before they fell asleep, or if Cedric kissed her neck in the same spot he used to kiss mine.

Why was I so obsessed?

I wanted Cedric to like me. I wanted to have some sort of relationship with him, but I didn't want to be the one crawling back to him to get his attention. I didn't want him to think I still loved him the way I used to, or was merely using George. George was much different than Cedric, but that was a good thing. George was more impulsive, and more passionate. George didn't care about kissing me in public, and sometimes snuck me into dark hallways for a quick snog and feeler. George was exciting, and he really did love me. I could tell by the way he held my hand tightly, the way he offered to carry my bag to class, even if it wasn't that heavy, the way he asked me if I was alright after we fucked (or as he called it, making me feel good). His lips would still taste like me, and he would kiss my cheek roughly, and tell me he loved me more than I could ever imagine, his voice and his breath hoarse.

I felt strongly about George, because he felt so strongly about me. I loved him; I loved spending time with him, joking with him, and fucking him. We were so compatible and so perfect together. I understood why all of our friends groaned, "finally!" when George said we were in a relationship. How could I not see that he was utterly and completely perfect for me? And yet something was keeping me from really committing myself to George. My brain seemed to think I was planning a short-term relationship, when really I wanted long-term, or forever. Meant to be, like Kim said.

"Why did you pick me?" I asked George one night. We were lying on the couch in front of the fire, as we often did. Students were still milling about the common room, completing last-minute homework assignments and gossiping. "You could have had any other girl, and yet you chose me."

"It was always only you. When I saw you on the train before our fourth year, my heart dropped into my stomach and I thought, wow. I haven't stopped since." George nuzzled my ear. He was very affectionate.

I decided to fish for compliments. "What did you like about me?"

"Your freckles." He poked the bridge of my nose. Freckles spread across my cheeks and nose. "How funny you sound when you say British slang in your American accent."

I puffed out my cheeks. "That is rude, sir."

He chuckled. "Oh, you wanted to me to flatter you. Well, you're nearly as clever as I am." I rolled my eyes.

"What would have happened if I didn't break up with Cedric?" I pondered aloud.

George's face reddened. "Kelly and Kim were going to make me tell you the end of term anyway."

I laughed. "They were?"

"They said they were tired of my moping about. I had to at least let you know, and then maybe I could move on."

"You don't mope." I shook my head. "I don't believe it."

"Then you'll have quite the range of depressed Georgie stories to hear from if you ask them about it." George paused, and I tried to imagine him sulking about me. "What would you have said? If you were still with Diggory."

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine the scenario. I pretended to be happy with Cedric, but when George entered my mind's eye, I broke out in a goofy grin.

"That's what I thought," George said proudly. I punched his arm, and George punched me back so hard I thought I might bruise.

"Fucker," I swore, and he gave a loud, appreciative laugh.

"That's what I like to hear!"

"You're lucky I love you," I told him.

"Clearly," he said, and I knew he meant it.


"Are you done yet?" George asked for the umpteenth time.

"If you keep asking me that, I'm never going to finish," I answered, annoyed.

We were both supposed to be studying; and then I remembered that George doesn't study. Ever.

"You don't need to prepare this far in advance," George told me matter-of-factly.

I shut my book. "Why not?"

"Exams are in a month," he explained, as if I didn't know.

"Exactly." I opened up my book and buried my nose in it. I had reread the same sentence five times in a row. I couldn't focus.

"You'll do alright," George reassured me.

"It's the price I pay for wanting to be a Healer."

"Stop being so noble, dammit."

I smirked. "I might have to if you won't let me study."

Madam Pince shushed us, and we both apologized under our breath. I stared at the text, but I wasn't retaining anything.

"I'm going to fail everything," I moaned, and slammed my head on the table.

"If you do, you'll always have a place in our shop," George beamed. "In fact, you can quit while you're ahead and help us plan."

"You're such a bad influence," I teased him.

"Clearly not bad enough. You're still trying to study." He motioned to my books. "Herbology, Transfiguration… Ugh, Potions. No, thanks."

"I think that's what Kim said before she took the OWLs."

George grinned. "Smart girl."

I gave him a patronizing look. George relented and went back to doodling on his pad of paper, where I advised he take notes on what he was supposed to be studying.

"Would you want to work in our shop?" George asked.

"Hey, listen, I love you and all, but I need to get this done," I stressed.

George didn't seem to hear me. "Fred and I are extremely attractive, but it might help to have a pretty blonde behind the counter."

"That statement hurts my feminism," I grimaced.

"Once we get our money back from Bagman we can really start working on ideas," George rambled. I sighed exhaustively, but he didn't get the hint. "The problem is money."

"Have you had any luck with that?"

He shook his head. "Haven't heard a word. Fred wants to blackmail him. But I'm not so sure it's a good idea."

I stuck out my bottom lip. George reached out a finger and flicked it. We both laughed, which earned us a stern, "One more time and you'll leave!" from Madam Pince.

"Maybe we can take out a loan at Gringotts. And once we make it big, just pay them back," George was still talking. Clearly he didn't understand the purpose of study time.

"Loans collect interest too, you know," I said from beneath my book.

"We're going to rich, you'll see." I heard George scratch a line on his paper. "And we'll have everything. We'll be able to help Mum and Dad out. And then you and I could get a place together. A little cottage in a forest somewhere."

My heart hummed in my chest. "It will have to have flowers out front. Lots of colors, and trees. And we can grow our own food." The idea stuck to me, and now I was envisioning our future, instead of relearning chapter three: spells for basic injuries.

"Whatever you want, love," George promised, and wrote a few more things down.

We fell into silence for the first time in ten minutes. I was grateful for the break, but I still couldn't focus. George was already planning our future. I couldn't ignore the sudden knot tied around my stomach, and the excited pounding in my chest.

"I'm bored," George announced.

"Oh really? I couldn't tell." I joked.

"Thought I would remind you." George stood and stretched his arms. "I'm going to find Fred. Love you."

I waved goodbye. "Love you."

I noticed that George had left his paper behind. I dragged it across the table, and smiled at what I saw: a crude drawing of our house in the forest, flowers and all, the words "George and Michelle" floating in the sky.


A/N: Things seem to be going well for George and Michelle... But will it stay that way? Has Cedric Diggory really moved on? Let me know what you think (and if you actually listened to Ludo because of my shameless plug last chapter... I'm telling you, if you don't, you're missing out. They're perfect, like cats).