Across The Street || George Weasley

1 - flourish and blotts

"I...uh...brought this for you. I figured it was the least I could do after preventing you from having your morning caffeine fix." He says, sliding it across the counter to me. 

I take a grateful sip. "Thank you, but you really didn't have to. How did you figure out that I worked here?"

"Just asked if anyone knew where the cute h/c haired girl worked. The barista at Rustic Refreshments was a huge help since apparently you go there every morning for coffee."

"Yeah, Joe and I are on a first name basis at this point." I laugh. 

He grins before extending his hand. "I'm."

"George Weasley." I finish for him, taking his hand and then my cheeks pinken. Why did I just do that?

He laughs. "Yeah."

"Sorry, it's hard not to know your name when your face is literally on the brightest story in Diagon Alley." I laugh. That and the fact that him and his brother were quite popular during their time at Hogwarts. 

"It's my brother's face, actually." 

I raise an eyebrow at him. "You share the same face."

"That's where you're wrong." He grins. "I'm the more handsome one."

I can't help but laugh. 

"Anyways, do you think maybe I could know your name? I feel kinda bad that you know mine and I have no idea who you are." He says. 

No idea? He really has no idea who I am? It's strange but also refreshing. 

"Maybe I shouldn't tell you my name and instead keep up the act of being mysterious." I tease.

"If you want but then I might have no other choice than to refer to you as Klutz or Latte Girl. You're British though, so you had to have gone to Hogwarts, right?"

I nod my head, a smile spreading across my face at this game. 

"Not Gryffindor though. I would remember you if you were."

Most people remember me from my time at Hogwarts regardless of my house, I think to myself. "Hufflepuff." I tell him. "I've also dyed my hair since then." I add. "It used to be-"

"Lighter." He fills in. "Now I remember, y/n y/l/n. You were Cedric's girlfriend."

I nod sadly, the memories coming back to me. Cheering for him as he ran into the maze. Seeing him come out with the cup and Harry Potter, his body still and unmoving. My cries and screams ripping through the air as Michael McManus held me back, keeping me away from his body when all I wanted to do was kneel over his body and cry myself into oblivion. 

"Yeah. That's me." I say, my voice cracking slightly. 

"I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn't have brought it up like that. I didn't mean to upset you."

"No. It's okay. It was years ago, I've moved on." I assure him. 

"That's good." He nods. "Are you dating anyone new?" He asks, changing the subject. 

"No." I answer.

It took me a year to get over the pain of Cedric's death, and that year was my last at Hogwarts. The following year I did an internship at a publishing house which didn't leave much spare time for dating. And then I was on the run from Death Eaters because at that point being a muggle-born was a crime. 

"Neither am I." He lets me know. "So, I was wondering if maybe you want to go out with me some time?"

I bite my lip. Nobody's asked me out since Cedric and as nice as it is, it's also terrifying. After everything that I went through and witnessed during the War and leading up to it, I'm not sure I'm ready to put myself out there again. Not yet, at least.

"I'm sorry, George. But I don't know if I'm ready to date yet. Not after everything that's happened in the past few years."

He nods. "Right, I should probably have figured as much. I mean, I don't even know if I'm entirely ready to date yet either. Being at the frontlines, seeing everything that I've seen and what you most likely saw as well, it makes it hard to move forward and live life normally, which is why I have an alternate arrangement." 

"An alternate arrangement?" I wonder. 

"Sex." He blurts out. 

My face heats up and I'm also pretty sure my jaw lands on the floor. That three-letter word coming from this man's mouth is definitely appealing. Maybe it's because I haven't had sex in five years or because I'm developing a sudden attraction for George, but I decide to indulge him. 

"Sex?"

"Yes. Just sex." He tells me emphatically. "Neither one of us are truly ready to open up emotionally, so why not just get the physical stuff. I don't know about you, but I'm strongly attracted to you."

"I'm attracted to you too." I find myself saying. 

"Good." He smirks. "Then I suggest we sleep together. We both have needs and other than the use of my own fist, my needs haven't been met in the past year." He chuckles.

I find myself blushing once again at the mention of him pleasuring himself. But he has a point. I myself have only found my release with the use of my fingers and toys in the past few years. 

"Do you often go around to various stores propositioning girls to have sex with you?" I ask. 

He shakes his head as he laughs. "No. This is a first. But I'm seeing an opportunity and am seizing it."

"Okay then deal."

"Deal? Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Weren't you being serious?" I ask, suddenly nervous.

"Hell yeah." He grins. "Meet me at my store after closing on Friday."

"Um...okay." I say and then he leaves, heading back down the street to his own job. 

It takes me a moment to fully register what I've just agreed to. I'm both excited and anxious. I haven't even kissed him yet. Actually scratch that, I've barely talked to him. We've had one conversation. Two if you count when we ran into each other this morning. No kiss. Two conversations and somehow I've agreed to casual sex with him. 

It's so unlike anything I've ever done before, but that just makes it all the more thrilling. 

*****

A/N: First chapter done! Thank you for the support you've all given me so far! A few things I have to ask. 

1) What do you think so far?

2) What kind of smut do you want to be included? I'll obviously only write what I'm comfortable with, but I would still love your suggestions. It will help me widen my horizons so the frequent smut doesn't get boring.