Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy.

Opening Up

A couple of days later

Angelina and Alicia were waiting for Katie to show up. They were at a restaurant. Angelina drummed her fingers nervously on the table. Alicia looked over at her and pointed at Angelina's hand.

"Sorry, am I bothering you?"

"No Ange, it's just…whenever you do that you're nervous or you have something to say."

"Oh." Angelina pulled her hand away from the table, "Sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, really."

At that moment Katie sat down, "Sorry I'm late. Were you two waiting long?"

"Not terribly long Katie, it's fine."

After the girls ordered their food, Katie began talking about her day at work and Rob. Alicia then went in and brought up Lee and how things were going. As they talked Angelina thought. She realized that she hadn't been as upfront and honest with her friends like she should be. Some things just felt better if it was just her knowing and yet…George had told her so many times that she should let someone know, especially his family. She wasn't sure how comfortable she was with telling Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about it, but…her friends, Alicia and Katie, she could trust them.

But Angelina still didn't tell them by the time they were leaving the restaurant. It wasn't until they were a little ways down the street when Angelina spoke up, "Guys I have to tell you something."

Alicia and Katie looked over at her, "What is it?" Katie asked.

She stopped and opened her mouth and then shut it. She could tell them now, but at the same time that would leave open the chance for someone else to end up hearing. "Can we go to my place…or one of yours?"

Her two friends looked at each other before nodded. "We'll go to mine." Alicia said.

The three girls quickly apparated there. Once there they took seats in the living room. Angelina then stood up; she should go and stand on the opposite side of the room, which would be good, she could leave if necessary. No. No, that wasn't a good idea, it wouldn't come across well. She sat down. Yes, this made much more sense, but then Angelina realized that maybe she shouldn't be here alone. Obviously Fred couldn't be there with her, but…George. George could be. She stood up and took two steps away from the couch. No, she couldn't. That wouldn't be nice to George. If George and her were going to stay friends then it needed to stay that kind of a relationship, was it? Shaking her head she shoved those thoughts aside, now was when she was going to tell her friends about what had happened between her and Fred. She sat back down; then again if she did get George maybe that would help them all handle it better. Once more she stood up; but would it make her seem like she hadn't been too sure on Fred? Sitting down Angelina took a deep breath, she had been…was…Fred was right to marry. That was what she needed to say.

"Ange, what's going on?"

Angelina snapped back out of her thoughts and looked at her two friends, "What?"

Katie placed her head on Angelina's shoulder, "Whatever it is you can tell us."

"I know…it's just…hard."

"We have time, right Katie?"

"Yes, definitely have time."

Angelina nodded. Taking a deep breath she looked at both of her friends and then quietly said, "We were married."

"What?" Alicia said while Katie responded with, "Who?"

"What I mean is…Fred. Fred and I are...were married."

"Married?" Alicia asked raising her eyebrow.

Katie looked over at Alicia and then back at Angelina, "When?"

"About a month or so before the final battle."

Her two friends were quiet for a while before either said anything. "Wow." Katie shook her head, "Ange we had no idea."

"I know, that was…the idea."

"So who all knows?"

"Besides you two?" They nodded, Angelina took a deep breath, "George."

They nodded, "That makes sense. Does Lee not even know?" Alicia asked.

"No, I never told him. Fred and I, and of course George, were going to tell everyone afterwards. It was fast, but just right for us. We were married…and then…" Angelina felt a sharp tear in her chest and she found herself gasping for air.

She felt an arm around her shoulders pulling her next to Katie and then she felt Alicia knee down in front of her, "Ange, we are so sorry. We didn't know and…"

Alicia trailed off; she must have realized that now was not the best time to explain that to Angelina. Shrugging she tried to move away from them; she didn't want their pity. But instead of allowing her they continued their hold. No it wasn't pity, it was their friendship.

Friendship. Something Angelina knew she wouldn't have gotten far without it. She had friends in school and then afterwards. Lee her best friend before Hogwarts, Alicia at the table after being sorted into Gryffindor, George so easily in the Common Room that first week, Fred reluctantly over the year and Katie the next year. They all fit and hung out together, or separately, or in smaller groups. Fred, George and Lee were more into the pranks and such, not that the rest didn't like it…

How had she fallen for Fred? She wasn't sure, she just knew that it had happened. And things were just perfect, just right, until…

And George, George who's life had a bigger hole than hers. George who…no, no, she knew she shouldn't think about that right then.

Angelina instead stayed in her friends' arms of comfort.

George still felt hollow, much more than he would have thought since F—he was gone. Angelina really had been filling a void in him.

"Mr. Weasley?"

He turned around and saw Verity standing near him, "Yes?"

"A customer was asking if you had some more Canary Creams."

George pursed his lips, "I'll go and look in the back."

She nodded, "I'll go and let him know."

George turned and went into the back. Looking around he realized how much he had neglected everything; there were still many projects left undone. And he hadn't started up making more of items they already had created. He and F—they had worked out a spell to help with creating numerous items. They…Fr—he couldn't think about it just yet. But the shop could not go out of everything. That was definitely out of the question.

He walked over and grabbed another box of Canary Creams and carried them back out to the front. He saw Verity talking with a boy who looked to be 13. He was using his hands and George was able to hear part of their conversation as he got closer.

"So I think that if I gave them one then they would really be a bird, at least for a bit."

"I'm sure then the bird brain term would be used for the wrong term."

"It would serve them right too."

Verity smiled and then looked over and saw George, "Here he is."

The younger boy looked up at George with a grin on his face, "Hi."

George nodded, "Did you need anything else?"

"No, I think that would be it."

George felt part of him searching. Some part of George was looking for something. Sharing his knowledge…their knowledge with this little boy to help him get back whoever this other person was? No, it wasn't it.

"Alright, well, that would be seven Sickles then." He heard Verity faintly in the background and watched as the boy nodded and dug into his pocket for the money.

George slowly walked away and went into the back room again. He felt his breathing increasing again. What could fill that empty ache that was coming from the searching?

All at once it hit him.

Hit him hard.

The searching was pointless. It was pointless and he would end up with nothing. He had been looking for Fred so they could launch an idea for a battle for that boy. But Fred wasn't there.

He was gone.

Forever.

Why did it hurt so much every time he thought about? Wasn't it supposed to get better? Then again, perhaps that was the whole thing, he wasn't going to get better, not fully, but he could survive, this shop had to.

After taking another couple of breathes George stood up straight and looked at the back room; with a simple spell he and Fre—they had come up with he began to fill up the shelves with their products. Their store was not going to suffer, besides maybe in ensuring that he continue on what he and F-Fred wanted to do then that might help him. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad. Knowing that this shop was still here and going strong, that would be good enough for now.