Waldosia/// George Weasley

Chapter 10

The second the two made eye contact, he quickly tore his gaze away and shifted his head anxiously. She wanted to know if it was fear or suspicion that always made him act so strange around her, but for some reason she didn't believe it was either of those.

"I'm going to the shop early today to check on George," Ginny interrupted the silence among the three, looking over at Clover curiously.

The younger redhead stood up from the table and began heading towards the fireplace when Clover called out, "I'll come with you."

Ginny momentarily stood frozen in her place. Clover noticed how the two siblings in the room shared a knowing look, the moment only being interrupted when Ginny spoke again, "A-are you sure? George isn't...erm...the best in the mornings."

Clover shook her head and laughed under her breath, knowing that she was probably the exact same way. The nightmares always made sure of that. If only they knew...

"I can handle it," she simply smiled and followed the younger girl over towards the fireplace, respectfully waving a farewell to Percy. Seconds later, they were standing in the one part of the shop that Clover had never been in. The part that just so happened to be the flat above it, where George lived.

It was a small flat; only a living room attached to a kitchen and a singular hallway with two rooms branching off of it. Although, the size wasn't the first thing she noticed about it. It was the walls. They were painted a deep red, but looked like someone had tried to paint over it with white paint. Streaks of white were messily thrown across the red, as if done in a fit of rage. And, Clover thought, she had never seen something quite so...George-like. Something that once must've been so beautiful, yet now only looked chaotic.

Ginny had disappeared from the main room, giving the blonde girl more time to examine the flat. There were no pictures hanging, only one couch in the middle of the living room, and a dusty record player sitting off to the side on the floor. It looked like someone barely lived there, or better yet, the person who lived there was barely living. And just as Clover thought about how that made sense, two mumbled voices awoken her from her thoughts.

"I don't want to eat, Ginny," George's voice grumbled as he was being dragged out of his bedroom, "Let me go back to sleep."

Ginny rolled her eyes and continuously kept pulling a shirtless George over towards his little kitchen area, plopping him down in a seat forcibly. She magically started the kettle and fixed him a stern look, "You need to eat something before work."

"I'm fine, Ginny," he snapped from his seat while crossing his arms over his chest and glaring back up at her.

Clover noticed how similar the two looked: both pale, freckled, tired. Neither of the Weasley siblings looked as if they had slept in weeks. The blonde girl had yet to been noticed, or at least acknowledged, by George, yet she didn't mind staying out of the way. It's what she was best at.

The younger Weasley broke the stare between the two and pointed back towards George's room, "Let me make something for you while you go get dressed. The shop opens soon."

George abruptly stood up from his chair and towered over the smaller ginger, "I said I'm fine Ginny."

A nostalgic looked passed over Ginny's face, one where hopefulness and sadness were battling to take control of her brown eyes. Her voice suddenly became softer and her body shrunk down from his stance of authority. Ginny finally looked like the 18 year she was.

"What if we go to the bakery down the street and pick up pastries for breakfast?" An unsure smile wavered on her face waiting to hear her brother's response, "Like we always used to do with-,"