ELYSIUM • G. WEASLEY

SEVENTEEN

Iris would never get tired of waking up next to George even though this was only the second time she did it. He seemed so relaxed in his sleep, the small furrow of his brows that was usually present on his forehead smoothed down, his lips puckered into a small pout, half of his face smushed against the pillow. He wasn't holding her in his sleep, although he was right beside her, his feet right next to her own, his head so close to the edge of his pillow he was almost using her own. She couldn't help but smile at him, sleepy still but coherent enough to realise things around her—Ηermione was moving along in the kitchen, making herself a cup of coffee before she were to leave for another tiring day at work—and it was only at the thought of people having to go to work that she realised George couldn't keep on sleeping any longer.

"George," she murmured, raised a hand to his hair and started to softly caress it. George wasn't a light sleeper but he always seemed to hear when someone was calling his name. He let out a short groan so that she knew he was listening. Iris didn't attempt to hide her smile. "You need to get up, go to work. The joke shop won't open up on its own and Ron needs your help."

"I said no," he grumbled, voice deep and heavy with sleep as he hid his face even deeper in the pillow. "We'll go camping."

"Yeah, you told me so," she gently placated him, "you haven't told Ron that, though. Besides, you need clothes for that and that tent you told me about."

George let out another groan. "Do I really have to leave now?"

"You sound coherent enough to me, I think you can," she teased, started to leave the bed, ignoring George's soft calls of her name and his urging to get back under the covers. Iris only shook her head at him and left the room, headed to the kitchen where she knew Hermione still was. Upon her entrance, Hermione looked up at her with a small smile.

"I didn't think you would be up this early on your day off."

"It happens," Iris shrugged, already starting to make herself a cup of coffee. "You look dead on your feet."

And Hermione did look exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes she had attempted to cover up with make-up, her gaze was slightly unfocused, her bottom lip chapped from all the times she had bit on it, her hair not as well-kept as it usually was, the curls a bit less tame today. Hermione could do nothing at her observation but shrug.

"You know I ended up coming back late, not even because of Lee and Angelina, that's the time I would come back anyway. All these hours overtime have been starting to tire me out and when I finally got to my bed I couldn't sleep. I haven't slept much and I'm tired. The alarm clock today rang thrice before I brought myself to stand up."

Iris frowned. "Why won't you take a day off, then?"

"I will only be signing myself up for more work if I do," she pointed out with a deep sigh. "Anyway. This too will pass. What about you?"

"George said we will go camping at a forest he knows," she explained, "just some peace and quiet. Nothing special."

"Nothing special, huh?" George's deep voice was heard as he got in the kitchen, sent a small smile at Hermione and put his arms around Iris, hugging her from behind as she kept on making her coffee. "Good to know."

Iris giggled as he hid his face in her hair, bringing Hermione to smile at the two of them. "Hey, don't fall asleep standing."

"You think so little of me, sweetheart," he grumbled, but Iris only shook her head at him and kept on making her coffee. 

"What happened with Lee and Angelina yesterday?" Hermione asked, stealing a glance at the clock as she did. "I have a while to hear about it."

"They stopped by to greet George and found me here, we told them we were together and that's pretty much it," Iris quickly summarised, "they spoke to George about a couple of things I don't remember and left when I sent you that text. George agrees that he needs to tell them he will be moving to another apartment which will be his actual apartment so they won't come here again."