Waldosia/// George Weasley

Chapter 28

Clover took a step closer and lifted the hem of his shirt, tucking the wand delicately into the waistband of his trousers. Her touch lingered on his skin before she had her lips against his again, "You need me, George."

Then she pulled back and looked him directly in the eyes, every part of them touching. Chest against chest and skin against skin. And for one breathless moment, they stayed like that. Two hearts calling out to each other, lying, lying,lying.

"But you don't own me," her fingers grazed over his stomach and then back to the wand she placed against his skin one last time before pulling away, "So take your wand back and go fuck your self with it."

The look he gave her was all she had ever wanted in life. Love down on its knees, completely powerless to her. Pure rawness struck her and she reminded herself that this wasn't love. This was George. And so she shut her eyes as she apparated back to the Burrow, not wanting to see the damage she had done.

Wordlessly, she went up to the only room she knew would be empty at the Burrow, Fred's and George's room. Because in that moment, she didn't want anyone near her. She wanted to be alone with herself, with her anger, with the utter look of destruction on George's face. This is who she was, she told herself, a girl who had to destroy the world in order to protect herself. The nightmares that hadn't visited her in a while came storming back that night. And all she could do was bury herself in George's old bed and greet her old friend.

Clover was used to the cruelty that came along with the night. But absolutely nothing could have prepared her for the twists and turns her mind took her on as soon as she fell asleep.

"I need you, mum," a 6 year old Clover whispered to her mother, the older woman's body limply laying in a hospital bed at St. Mungos.

"You need no one but yourself, my lovely girl."

The line went flat. She was gone.

"Don't be a pathetic girl like your mother," her father spat at a 10 year old Clover after admitting she wouldn't mind being placed in Hufflepuff.

"Maybe you shouldn't have cheated on your wife with her then," Clover spat back, angry and defensive.

She realized her mistake as soon as his wand was pointed at her, the first time he had ever done so. Theo was standing in the corner watching from afar and she called out to him, one last hope.

"Theo, I need you," she begged.

Nothing.

"Crucio."

The spell hit her, and when she looked up again Theo was gone.

"Clo, we've got to go. You need to eat something."

It was Babs. His arms were wrapped around her shaking body, holding her as she cried out to her sister's gravestone. It had been a month since the war ended, but it never truly ended for her. Babs had only come back to England to see how she was doing. Clover knew he'd be leaving soon. Everyone always left.

"Linny, I need you," she pleaded, begging her sister to come back to her.

But it was too late, she was already gone. It was all her fault.

"You need me," she whispered against George's lips.

She said it on a whim, out of anger, just hoping it was true. But he just laughed, cruel and twisted and distorted.

"Nobody needs you, especially not me."

She felt tears fall down her face and a yearning urge to grab onto him, stop him from going like everyone else. So she did.