Learn to Love Again | George Weasley

09. Unexpected

The August heat was unrelenting. It was hot. Not hot in the way that the sun shines bright first thing in the morning and the ocean breeze feels comforting against your skin, it was hot in a way that made the air feel thick and caused sweat to form against your forehead almost immediately.

Eloise was very much looking forward to the next couple of weeks going by quickly and finally reaching September when things would finally cool down. Though she was a summer baby herself, she had always hated this season the most. She would much rather curl up next to the fire on a cool autumn night with a warm cup of tea and a good book over spending a single hour out in the burning sun.

The heat made it difficult for her to sleep in as the house would start getting uncomfortably warm as soon as the sun rose. Eloise frequently found herself to be the first one awake unless Bill was working, she often spent her mornings in the living room which faced south, making it much cooler as the shade fell on that side of the cottage perfectly in the mornings.

But on this particular morning she was surprised to see Fleur already awake, pacing around the kitchen biting her nails.

"You're up early, didn't sleep well?" Eloise asked, though she already knew the answer as dark circles were prominent on Fleur's beautiful face.

Fleur merely shook her head and continued pacing.

"Is everything alright?" Eloise asked, growing more concerned with her normally talkative friend's sudden silence.

She had hoped that her and Bill hadn't gotten into some sort of argument. Maybe something had happened to Gabrielle or her parents. Eloise stood in Fleur's path, blocking the rut she was inevitably going to wear into her kitchen floor had she continued her pacing. She placed a gentle hand on the concerned woman's shoulder.

"Fleur, what is it?"

Fleur continued to look down at her feet, her fingernails still pinched between her teeth, the ghost of tears shed still noticeable on her cheeks. Eloise had never seen Fleur like this before, perhaps she had been anxious like this during the Triwizard Tournament, but Eloise hadn't been there to witness it so this behavior was all new territory for her.

"Why don't you sit? I'll make you some tea, okay?" Eloise suggested, gently guiding her friend to the kitchen table where she began nervously twiddling her thumbs and bouncing her leg up and down.

Eloise furrowed her brows at her friend as she flicked her wand, causing the kettle to float over to the sink behind her, filling up with water before setting itself on the stove to heat up. Fleur hadn't looked up once the entire time Eloise had been in her presence. She was so consumed in her own thoughts and anxiety that the sound of the whistling kettle made her jump, it was as if she had forgotten she was even sitting in her own kitchen.

Eloise poured two cups of tea and added an extra sugar cube than normal into Fleur's before sitting down at the table and handing the tea to her friend. Without making eye contact, Fleur picked up the mug and started drinking gratefully. Nothing cured Eloise's anxiety more than a warm cup of tea, and she was hoping it was the same for her friend.

"Ready to talk?" Eloise asked gently.

Fleur was tapping nervously on the side of the mug, "I am late."

Without a second question Eloise knew exactly what Fleur was referring to, so she just reached her hand across the table for her friend to take. The gesture caused Fleur to stop tapping on the mug and finally meet her friend's eyes, she set down the cup and rested her hand in Eloise's, who ran her thumb over the back of her friend's hand in a comforting motion. Eloise noticed how sleep deprived Fleur truly looked when their eyes finally met, her normally silky straight hair was tangled in a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck and her sparkling silver eyes were now a dull grey and filled with exhaustion.