Forget Me Not || George Weasley

Chapter 56

"Your planner is under the register,"

Olive glances up, sniffling, "I love you, Jackie."

The witch rolls her eyes, and instead of torturing her further with emotional outbursts, Olive reaches under the counter and grabs ahold of her yellow book. She hurriedly flips it open to December, her pen grasped tight between her fingers as she scrawls Wedding under December 24th.

As Jackie finishes up cleaning, Olive casts a protective spell on the register and heads towards the front. Her most favorite employee joins her, a knowing smile on her face as she says, "Tell your boyfriend I'd like a chess rematch one of these days."

Olive has to take a deep breath to keep from crying, nodding quickly and pecking Jackie on the cheek. Olive heads down Diagon Alley, stepping from new cobblestone to the old ones as she goes. She whistles and hums until she gets to her destination, a grin on her face as she remembers Lee's insults towards her singing. She's tempted to start up a song when she knocks on the door, just to pester her friend. She knocks again when no one answers, confused for a moment. She looks up to check that she is indeed at the right place, nervous she'd gone to the wrong building again. That hadn't happened in sometime. 

She's still looking up when she hears movement from inside the shop. Lee cracks open the door, smiling like he always does. But there's a strained sort of look to his face, one Olive could not recall seeing before.

"Hi, Lee," Olive's brows furrow when his smile grows, the tension refusing to leave the lines around his eyes. "I'm just coming to see George—"

"He's out," Lee says smoothly, wedging himself further in the small opening of the door. He winks playfully, "Just you and me, Liv. Fancy getting a drink?"

Olive's eyes narrow, glancing down at his tapping toe. Her throat suddenly feels uncomfortably tight. "You'd like that wouldn't you, you flirt. Where's George gone?"

He blinks at her, peering over her head as nonchalantly as ever as he says, "He had some errands to run. Orders to send out, deliveries to be made. You know how busy he gets."

She does know. She also knows that she checked her planner at least five times today and each time she read under todays date 'George.' She knew that meant she was meant to stay at George's, that they would either go out or she would watch George cook something from her spot on his green couch. That meant that they would inevitably get distracted during dinner and end up tangled up in each other before they'd even finished eating. She knows that George gets busy. She also knows that she's supposed to see him tonight, and she always trusted her planner. She had to.

Lee's smile wavers when she whispers nervously, "Lee. What's going on?"

He shakes his head, jerky and unsure. She admired his loyalty, thought it was incredible that George had someone that was still his confidant. It didn't dull the hurt however. Evidently, something on her face crumbles Lee Jordan's resolve. He sucks in a short breath before muttering, "Go home, Olive. I don't...he wouldn't want you to see him like this."

Her hands ball into fists, her mouth pressing together in a firm line. She was bad in a crisis, but maybe this wouldn't be one. Maybe she could help. She knew George. She knew him.

"I can help."

Lee grimaces, and Olive digs her heels in, saying firmly, "I can help. Tell me what's going on, and I can help. I helped the last time it was bad."

He's shaking his head, his mouth opening to urge her away again, to warn her. A loud noise shatters the silence, and Lee's eyes clench shut as he mumbles, "Olive, don't—"

She shoves past him, ducking under his arm and through the door of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It's dark, and despite the loud noise the shop is perfectly neat. Her eyes dart up towards the stairs that lead to George's flat, ignoring Lee's voice shouting after her as she starts scurrying up the stairs.