If breaking up with Cedric felt like the end of the world, then breaking up with George felt like the end of the universe.
Kelly and Kim were a massive support. Kim brought me toast and tea from the kitchen, and Kelly tried to reassure me that everything would be alright. But days went by, and I hadn't heard a thing from George. I had already convinced myself it was over.
"He's just hurt. And stubborn. Mostly stubborn," Kelly explained. "He'll come around to it."
But what if he didn't?
"He will. He fought too hard to get you," Kim rubbed my leg. Her touch was soothing, and it made me feel a little better.
My tear ducts were completely dry. I couldn't believe I had fallen so hard for George Weasley.
Charms class was the worst. Since we had started dating, George usually sat next to me. And the class had adjusted to this new seating arrangement by moving around us. But students were hard to budge, and so George was still stuck next to me. My words got caught in my throat, and I couldn't speak. I forced myself to stare straight ahead. My eyes burned with tears, and a few slid down my cheeks. I could still smell him, and his scent made my heart feel like it had been pummeled by hippogriffs. It was the longest two hours of my life.
"He looked at you a lot," Kim told me after class, as we walked back to the common room. "He didn't seem very happy."
"He's still mad?" I panicked.
"No, he's upset that you're upset," Kim explained, rubbing my arm. "Take a deep breath and try to relax. This isn't over."
It felt over. Fred and George walked by; Fred gave me a sympathetic smile and a wave, but George had his eyes glued to the floor. Kim squeezed my shoulder in support.
"It'll be fine, trust me," Kim kissed my cheek. "He loves you; I can see it in his stare."
The June sunshine crept into my room at 7AM. It had only been a week, but it felt like centuries. Beneath my clock, I found a note scrawled with familiar handwriting: I've thought about it, and I hate seeing pretty girls cry. I love you.–George
Despite my best intention to smile, I sobbed, my cries shaking my lungs. Kelly and Kim shot up in bed. After a half second of confusion, they noticed the small piece of paper in my hands. Kim muttered, "oh no," but Kelly ran over to me and tore it out of my hands.
"I'll kill him," she seethed. But her body relaxed as soon as she read the note. "Oh—never mind. This is… good. Why are you crying, you crazy person?"
"He… He," I gasped, my lungs desperate for oxygen. Kelly rubbed my back while Kim watched from her bed, concerned. "He loves me."
Kelly smirked, and held me in her arms. "You have no idea, love." She kissed my temple. "Go get dressed, you nut ball."
We resumed our morning with a tinge of normalcy: a lot of complaining about the early time, and slow moving bodies. We piled down the stairs and across the common room, when I heard Cedric's voice.
"Are you alright?" Cedric asked. Kelly and Kim stood behind me, their arms crossed and eyes watching. "How is everything?"
I turned to my friends, and told them to go ahead. Kelly opened her mouth to say something, but Kim grabbed her arm before she could find the words, "Come on."
"It's good now, anyway," I beamed, and Cedric smiled.
"I'm so glad. I was worried about you. Do you mind my asking what happened?"
I decided to tell Cedric the basics of the situation, and censor out most of the argument. In this new version, there was much less yelling, and a lot more understanding.
"Well, I'm glad you're feeling better," Cedric said. We were approaching the Great Hall, and our conversation was getting lost in the mix of hundreds of other students. I scanned the crowd, and saw Fred and George sitting at the Gryffindor table, having a laugh with their friends.
Fred noticed me first. When he saw me, he bared a toothy smile and waved enthusiastically. He then nudged his twin in the arm, who leapt at the sight of me. George nearly ran over to me, and seeing him smile at me again made my heart race with excitement.
George wrapped me in an embrace. I could hear his heart hammering inside his ribcage. We stood awkwardly in the middle of the Great Hall, for everyone to see.
"You're my everything," George whispered in my ear, and his breath sent shivers down my spine.
As June wrapped up, and the third task drew nearer, everything seemed to fall into place. I resumed my normal schedule of class, fun, study, and run—despite George's tightened jaw every time I told him I was going out. George and I had resolved to treat the Cedric situation as a "don't ask, don't tell" sort of thing. But even the thought of me being in the same vicinity as my ex-boyfriend drove George mad with jealousy: he was unnecessarily protective of me, and always made sure to speak loudly whenever Cedric was around. I thought was an ego thing—but George wouldn't talk about it.
On the day of the third task, Cedric and I went for an early run. The air was cool, but the sun was warm.
"Are you nervous?" I wondered aloud. The Quidditch pitch was completely lost in a maze, so we ran around the grounds.
Cedric's face turned a little green at the question. "Definitely. But I'm more anxious to get it over with. I could sure use the winnings."
"You'll share, right?" I joked, and Cedric laughed.
"Yeah, right. The task doesn't seem so daunting, anyway. My mum and dad will be here soon to watch."
"That's so nice!" I loved Cedric's mom—she was like my second mother, considering the amount of time I had spent at their house over the summers.
"Oh, yeah. I'm looking forward to seeing them."
We ran the rest of the time in silence, unsure of what else to say. When we reached the end of our run, we hugged, his sweat invading my nostrils.
"Good luck tonight," I told him, earnestly.
"Thank you," he murmured into my ear, "for everything." And those were the last words Cedric Diggory ever spoke to me.
Hogwarts was bustling with energy. Exams had ended that morning, and students were emerging from their dorms or the library to greet the warm day. Family and friends of the champions were beginning to arrive as well. After my run, I ran into Cedric's parents. His mom hugged me just as tightly, but his dad sent me a stiff smile and avoided eye contact. Cedric's dad never thought too much of me anyway—I was not a prefect, and I did not match "Cedric's life plan."
I wasn't sure who, if anyone, would show up for Harry. Hermione and I—who had become much closer after spending several late nights studying in the library for exams—tried to distract Harry with conversation, but he seemed just as tense as ever about the task.
"Oy, come here," George did not hide his excitement well. He was standing a few feet away from the table, motioning me like he was landing an airplane. "I want you to meet someone."
Hermione snickered over my boyfriend's enthusiasm. "He's like a little kid, isn't he?"
"That's alright. Better than a human vacuum," I nodded towards Ron, who was shoveling food in his mouth like he had never eaten before. Hermione's face reddened.
I gave her arm an affectionate squeeze, and then ran over to meet George before he imploded from sheer excitement. He linked our arms together and hurriedly led me out of the Great Hall.
"Who am I meeting?" I asked, my words jostled by our pace. Students flew past us; I felt like we were in a Quidditch match. "And where, exactly?"
George led me into a small room down the hall from the Great Hall. The champions' families were littered about. I wondered again about Harry, when I heard George say, "Michelle, I want you to meet my mum."
Mrs. Weasley looked a mixture of disheveled and ecstatic. When she saw me, she didn't hesitate to engulf me in a bone-crunching hug.
"So nice to meet you!" she squealed, and my face burned at her love. "George has told me so much about you."
I never imagined, nor did I ever see, George writing letters home. But I knew his family was too important to him to keep a detail like this from his parents.
"Good things, I hope," I joked, and Mrs. Weasley laughed.
"The best! You want to be a Healer! That's fantastic, dear." Her eyes twinkled. I may have liked her more than Cedric's mom.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," I bent lower—she was much shorter than me—to give her another hug. "I appreciate it."
"Call me Molly, dear," she placed her hand on my cheek, like she was trying to memorize my face. After a few seconds, she dropped her hand. Her touch was gentle, and it warmed my cheek.
It was then I noticed a second person standing next to Molly. He was the same height at George, and had long red hair pulled into a pony tail.
The stranger offered his hand, "I'm Bill. Nice to meet you."
"Michelle." His grip was firm. It hurt my fingers.
George was so proud to show me off to his family, even if it was just his mother and brother. I was a distinction to Fred ("A damn good one at that," George winked), and he loved being able to brag about something he was really passionate about—his love.
It turned out that Molly and Bill were there for Harry, who did not yet know of their arrival. When George and I offered to go get him, Molly waved it off.
"We'll walk around. They have to be in here soon, anyway," she rationalized. "Go get good seats, and we'll meet you up there."
A/N: I just discovered Robot Unicorn Attack on Facebook. Playing until I die, BBL. (Also, review and stuff. That makes me happy.)