my inheritance (g.w x o.c)

chapter forty-five: let me help

I turned to go towards the door, but he stepped in my way. "George, please, I can just be another Slytherin classmate again. Please. Please forget me."

"You were never just a Slytherin classmate."

"But I can be. Please just forget me." I continued to beg through the sobs as he pulled me into him. I was too weak to fight. I sobbed into his chest, gripping his shirt in my fists. "I did this. I'm so sorry."

He hushed me, running a hand against my hair. "No, darling, this wasn't you," he soothed, holding me tightly. "You didn't do any of this."

"I'm the one who asked Snape to make the potion. I'm the reason our baby is dead," I cried. He didn't reply. He just hushed me, gently kissing the side of my head. For the longest time, my sobs were the only sound. I didn't even notice he was crying until I started to calm down. I felt him let out a shaky breath as I tried to even mine out. I leaned away to look up at him, and my heart broke more if that was possible. His eyes were red, and he had tear stains on his cheeks. "George, I-"

"Don't, princess," he interrupted, clearing his throat. "Let's sit down." We walked over to an office they had on the first floor and sat on the couch. I held my knees to my chest as I tried to remain calm, but all the bottled up emotions I'd felt for the past few months seemed to be right at the surface. He brought me a cup of tea.

"Thank you," I whispered, holding it in my hands.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you like I should've been."

"You couldn't have been there."

"No, but I, I don't know. I should've seen your side of things. It's not easy, I'm sure, and-"

"I wanted to have the baby," I interrupted, staring at the cup in my hands.

"You, you did?" he questioned. I nodded. "Why?"

"You," I answered simply, finally meeting his eyes. I studied him for a moment. "I could never see a future that wasn't full of evil and pain and darkness until you, George. And I tried really hard to keep you shut out, but the second I let one of your letters show me there could be a future for us, it was over." I wiped away a tear on my cheek. "Suddenly, I wasn't doomed to die alone without anyone at my side. I could do whatever I wanted. I could write, I could be with you, I could have a family, I could just be happy. And I loved that, which was my mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake."

"George, you don't understand," I sighed, setting the tea aside so I could face him. "He finds the one thing you care about, the one sliver of hope he always manages to find without even trying, and he crushes it. Every single time." I brought a hand to his face. "That's why I was so scared to let you in any further because my usual dreams of death turned to your death and your family's death, and I just, I was so scared." I scoffed, looking away. "And now, look what I've done. I wanted this baby. I wanted us to be happy, and now that's all gone because of me and my relationship to him, and I just..." I shook my head as tears came to my eyes again.

"Hey, hey, darling, no," he soothed, tilting my head back to him. He looked at me just as he always had, with such sincerity and kindness and understanding. He wiped away a few of my tears before leaning forward to kiss my forehead. "We can make another baby. We can have a whole family. We can't make another you, and the fact that you are alive and that you're here is more than I could ask for."

"But I-"

"No buts," he interrupted. "You didn't choose this."

"If I had never asked Snape for the potion, then-"