Managing The Mischief ~ Sequel to A Master of Mischief

~ Chapter 6

**George’s POV**

I wake up on the couch with Olivia lying next to me with one of her dolls.

“Mummy is still mad,” she says when she notices that I’m awake, “she cried all night.”

I groan and roll onto my back, almost knocking Olivia off the couch, and rub my hands over my face. I’ve never fought so badly with Maddie. We’ve yelled at each other, but in the end we’ve always worked it out. Not last night though. Last night she wouldn’t even look at me. She just put the kids to bed and threw my pillow on the couch. I know I have to make this better, but I don’t know how. What I said was true, partly at least. I love Alithea… I think… But life would be so much easier, so much better without her.

I walk upstairs and knock on the bedroom door. Olivia follows and sits on the top step, watching.

“Maddie?” I call, “can we talk?”

“I told you she’s still mad,” Olivia says. I close my eyes for a moment.

“Liv, could you just not?” I ask her quietly. She keeps watching me, apparently interested. I sigh and turn back to the door.

“Honey, I didn’t mean what I said,” I say, leaning on the door frame, “it came out wrong.”

Olivia gets up and walks over to the door.

“You’re really bad at apologising,” she says, opening the door and walking inside. I go to follow her but she holds her hand up.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you,” she tells me, “you should just leave her.”

“Olivia!” I cry, but she closes the door in my face. I hear the doorbell ring and sigh. I do not feel like visitors right now.

I open the door and find Sirius standing there.

“Hi,” he says, “I’m here to pick the kids up.”

“What?”

“Maddie sent me an owl and said she needed me to take care of the kids for a few days,” he says, “I thought she might be feeling a little off-beat with the baby coming and all.”

“Uh, no,” I shake my head, “we just… It’s okay, we can handle it.”

“What is ‘it’ exactly?”

“We had a bit of a fight, but it’s okay,” I lie smoothly. Sirius raises an eyebrow.

“Well, maybe I should take them anyway,” he says, “it’ll take the stress off while you work it out.”

He walks past me and up the stairs. I hear all the kids greeting him and slide down the wall. Twenty minutes later they all leave together. I can’t bring myself to say goodbye. As Olivia passes she looks at me.

“Good luck,” she says, walking away. I lean my head back on the wall as the house falls silent. I can hear Odwana in the kitchen eating and the occasional car going past, but everything else is still and quiet.

I leap to my feet when I hear footsteps coming down the stairs. Maddie is carrying a bag and looks pale and tired.

“Where’re you going?” I ask her, my heart stopping. She looks down at the floor.

“To stay with Dad,” she says, her voice weak, “I think… I think it’s for the best.”

“No!” I cry, “it’s not!”

I catch her arms and hold them tightly.

“Maddie, please, don’t go!” I beg her. She tries to pull away, but I hold her tighter. The bag falls to our feet.

“George, stop,” she cries, tears streaming down her face, “you’re hurting me!”

I drop my hands and step back. She wraps her arms around herself and suddenly I’m looking at the teenager who I first fell in love with all those years ago. I cover my mouth and turn to the wall.

“Go,” I whisper, “don’t… Don’t let me hurt you.”

I hear a sob escape her and want to hold her, but I force myself to hold still and face to the wall, eyes closed.

I hear her pick up her bag and move towards the door. I hold my breath, trying not to lose control. The last words I hear before she disapparates are:

“I love you.”

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*Weeps* This chapter makes me so unhappy... I wish it got better from here... On the upside, exams are done and I'm free for five days!! Watching Spanglish right now, anyone else seen it? It's pretty good.