The next day, George found Esme sitting by herself in the library, studying hard like usual.
She was even tougher on herself on the days of a match. The games always stressed her out and today was no different.
"Do you miss Elliott?" He asked as he leaned against a bookshelf, and Esme looked up quickly, eyes landing on George.
"I... yeah." She nodded and George inhaled sharply before pushing himself away from the shelf, approaching her.
He pulled out the chair next to her, slid into it and turned his body so that his knees scraped against her thigh.
"Did you miss me?" He asked in a whisper, referring to the time when they were fighting and didn't talk.
"George—"
"Did you?" He pressed, moving closer to her while resting his elbow on the table.
He placed his hand on Esme's books and pushed them out of her reach before he took her hand that had tried to reach for them.
"What do you want me to say?" Esme asked quietly, her eyes meeting his hazel ones.
"I want you to tell me if it's true what Fred told me." He said. "What he's told me so many times. Are you in love with me?"
Esme couldn't believe that he was so forward all of a sudden when he had never told her about his feelings before that day in the dressing room.
She didn't know why, but the thought of admitting to the feelings she just figured out herself, scared her to death.
"I don't... know." She said and watched as his eyebrows fell into a frown. "Yes. I mean — it's complicated, George."
"How is it complicated?"
Esme shrugged slightly and pulled her hand out of his, pulling her books back in front of her.
"It just is."
"Essie."
She shook her head and George sighed. Esme was too stubborn for her own good and he knew he couldn't possibly be the one to get it out of her.
She had just admitted to her feelings which she quickly tried to cover up, but now she was quiet.
George stood up to leave. He pushed into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small pile of her favourite sweets, dropping them on her book.
Esme looked at them, dropped her quill and then looked up at George who turned to leave.
"I like you." She blurted and he froze, slowly turning to look at her. "A lot. But it's not right. We're friends, George. What would happen if it didn't work out between us?"
George shrugged.
"Why worry about that? That's all you ever do, Ess. You worry about the future instead of just living now."
"Well, someone has to worry about the future when you never do." She responded. "You and Fred always just live now. You never prepare for exams and you don't seem to care if you fail or not."
"Because we don't!" George exclaimed. "We don't need those stupid exams. We know what you want to do with our lives! I thought you supported us in that..."
Esme sighed and put her hand in her hands.
"I do." She said calmly. "You know I do."
George walked over to the table again, reached across and grabbed one of the sweets. Esme looked at him as he took it out of the wrapper and threw it into his mouth.
Then he leaned his hands on the table and looked at her.
"At least I don't plan every single part of my life. I bet you've got your own fucking funeral planned." He said in a whisper, and somehow, the way George looked at her, made her want to kiss him.
"You're right." Esme nodded, folding her arms on the table. "Your name is on the chair at the back of the room, far away from my dead body."
Esme went to pick up one of the sweets but George placed his hand on hers, locking it against the table.
"Essie..."
"Georgie." She mocked, shaking her head. "Go. I'm studying and you're distracting me."
"Yeah?" A smirk crept onto his face. "I'm distracting you?"
"Yes! Literally." She nodded. "Go play a prank with Fred and Lee or something."
George shook his head.
"Not unless you're coming with me." He said. "You've been in here all day. We've got a game tonight and you are stressing."
"I am not."
Instead of answering, George packed together all of her things, then pushed the sweets closer to her.
"I snuck into Honeydukes earlier. Took these, left some money on the counter, then headed back to the castle." He said. "They've always been your favourite."
As George swing Esme's bag over his shoulder, she watched him. She had no idea how this boy could feel any sort of romantic love towards her.
She didn't think she was anything special. Not in the way that he was.
"Are you coming?" He asked, and Esme had to give in. He had already packed her things and was planning on leaving.
Esme gathered the sweets on the table and George grinned, watching her put them in her pocket.
Then she stood up and they walked side by side, out of the library.
"Ess—"
"No, please don't. Not right now." She answered as she recognised the tone in his voice. "Can we just hold it off until tonight? When we've been through the game and we don't have to worry about winning or losing."
George bit down on his lip, then nodded. At least she had agreed to talk about the feelings they had each admitted to having.
"We don't have to worry." He said, shrugging. "We'll win."
"I don't—"
"We will win."
"George, you broke up with our captain yesterday... the day before the first game of the season." Esme said, shaking her head. "Everyone needs to be focused but—"
"I've talked to Angie." He told her, and he meant it. "We talked earlier and everything is good. I never cheated on her and she agreed that it was right to end it before we fell in love with each other."
Esme looked up at George.
"She's not in love with you?"
"No." He looked down. "We never got that far. It's only been a few months since I asked her out and you've been in the back of my mind the entire time."
Esme stopped walking and looked at him with a look that could only make him laugh.
"I'm sorry. I won't mention it until after we've won."
"Thank you." She muttered and they continued walking.
George so wanted to hold her hand but he had to remind himself that she wasn't ready, so he had to keep his hands hidden in the pockets of his trousers.