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Elle stared at George for a moment as though trying to read his mind. Usually when he saw her, his face broke into a smile however that was currently missing. His eyebrows were raised in a judging matter and truthfully it didn't look like George at all.
"What's up with you?" Elle muttered bleakly hoping that it wasn't anything to do with her. Although she suspected that it might be.
"You and Cedric are very close" he observed. Elle for some reason wanted to punch him in the face. She loved George of course she did but she couldn't believe how wrong he was getting this.
"Yes we're friends, he's been helping me with transfigurations" Elle shrugged annoyed by the fact that first years kept sweeping last them in the corridor,
"I could have helped you with transfigurations, you didn't tell me you were struggling" she sighed, she hadn't told George because she reason she was falling behind... was him but it wasn't really his fault she just found it difficult to concentrate in his presence.
"Yes well I've been helping him too"
"With what"
"With his nerves for the tournament, it's good to have someone to talk to" George's glower seemed to harden,
"I'm sure he has lots of people to talk to like his friends...oh and I've got an idea his girlfriend"
There was no way of getting out of this one. George was relentless and she didn't know how to explain why Cedric felt he couldn't go to them.
"Can we talk about this somewhere quieter" Elle snapped as another first year pushed past her. George nodded curtly and she followed him down the halls and into an empty classroom.
As Elle entered it she recognised it immediately. It was the same classroom where two years ago Elle had found one of her best friends petrified by a Basilisk. Right now she'd take the giant snake over this argument.
She also recognised the enchanted mirror sitting proudly in the corner. Elle knew that this showed your hearts deepest desire.
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"This isn't like you" Elle began and George shut the door more harshly that usual,
"What isn't like me?" He raised his eyebrows as though daring her to continue,
"Getting jealous over me having a friend" she retorted. George seemed more pissed off now. Probably not the right thing to say.
"I'm not jealous" he snapped,
"Really what are you then?"
"I... I'm... I'm betrayed" he replied dramatically,
"Betrayed? Oh shut up" Elle folded her arms snappily and hoped to god he would see sense soon,
"You could have at least told me you were having secret meeting with Diggory rather than having me find out by seeing you two... hugging" he said the last word as though it were some in spoken crime however Elle couldn't deny the truth in his earlier argument.
She hadn't told George that she'd been meeting up with Cedric because if she had she would have had to mention that she'd found him crying. Elle wasn't the best at lying or coming up with alternate excuses and she knew Cedric probably didn't want anyone else knowing about the vulnerable state he was in.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" Elle sighed. George seems to have expected another retort and his frown lightened slightly but only for a moment.
"Is there anything going on between you two?" George asked. Elle looked up in surprise. Was he seriously asking that.
"He has a girlfriend" was the first thing that sprung into the girls mind but it didn't seem to satisfy him,
"That's not what I asked"
"Do you seriously not trust me?"
Silence filled the room as the couple stared at each other neither knowing what to say, both now annoyed for different reasons. Both wishing they could forget this.
"That's not what I meant"
"Really? Because it sure sounded like it" Elle huffed,
"I do trust you"
"But you thought there might be something going on between me and Cedric" George paused.
Yes he had thought the worst. Why? Because he honestly believed Elle could do better than him. If he'd told her that she'd go mental. She cared so much about him and never in a million years did she believe he wasn't food enough for her, if anything it was the other way around.
However when George had come up the corridor looking for Elle and had seen her hugging Cedric, he had realised how good they would look together. How much better they would look than him and Elle. That's what had crossed his mind.
"Yes I thought there might be something going on between you and Cedric, happy?" Elle was far from it. How could she be happy. Silence fell over them yet again as Elle tried to come up with words to explain how she was feeling. It was pointless.
"I would trust you with the world" Elle muttered "and you can't even trust me to have a straight male friend" she continued feeling her blood begin to boil slightly "I don't know what I did to earn this distrust but I sure hope you figure it out soon" Elle spat.
"No I do trust you" George mumbled regretting everything he had just said,
"Then why did you think there was something going on between me and Cedric?"
"You looked right together"
"Right together?" George nodded,
"I thought maybe you liked him" he admitted,
"I like you George that's why I'm going out with you" Elle sighed in frustration, "how much validation do you need, I told you how much I loved you, I told you, I waited for you to tell your brother, I was so excited...why would I do any of that if I didn't want to be with you"
George paused as he tried to comprehend everything Elle had just said,
"How much you loved me?" He mumbled "you love me?" Elle realised what she had said as the boy repeated it. Love was not the word she'd intended to use. Yes it was the word she meant but she didn't see this as the perfect time to tell him that.
"Forget I said that" Elle hastily backtracked and the small smile appearing in George's face vanished causing Elle's heart to explode,
"Right" he muttered bitterly.
Elle was sick of sitting awkwardly in silence. Her mind whirred and the only conclusion she could come to was that George didn't trust her, how could any of this work if she didn't have his trust. She began to wish none of this had ever happened.
"George we were better as friends" Elle finally spoke out "it's obvious you don't trust me and... well this isn't working"
"I told you I trusted you Elle" George raised his voice "I made a mistake"
"Can't you see this isn't working?" She pleaded.
"It is working, you're just overthinking like you always do" yet again he was right. Elle's mind loved giving her the worst possible thoughts which regularly led to Elle making the wrong decisions. Of course she didn't realise that in the moment.
"It isn't working" she repeated duly, "I'm sorry"
"It is' he retorted but she remained arrogantly silent not daring to speak another word. Apparently this had hit a nerve in the usual joking and fun ginger.
"You know what" he piped up "when we both looked in that mirror together do you remember" Elle didn't say a word.
"I told you I saw myself winning the quidditch cup" Elle thought back to the memory and suppressed a smile, it had been a dark time but their friendship had been as good as ever.
"I lied" he spoke again but his voice was shaking slightly now, "I didn't see me winning the quidditch cup.... I saw you"
Elle didn't look up at him, even if she wanted to she couldn't, she had completely frozen.
"I do trust you, I made I mistake and I'm sorry but if you can't see that maybe you're right maybe this isn't working"
"I looked into the mirror of Erised and saw the two of us together happily, that was my hearts deepest desire... now I'm not sure it is" he repeated angrily.
Elle didn't look up but she heard the door slam which told her he was gone. Knowing he was no longer there, she crumpled into tears realising how much of an idiot she was. She'd thrown away the thing most important to her like a fool.
In her gasping and sobbing state she stumbled over to the mirror and gazed into it. For a moment she saw only herself. Them with a blink a figure had appeared next to her. He smiled before taking her hand. They were both happy and she leant her head on his shoulder dreamily.
She stared at the reflection of George Weasley and he stared back. But of course he wasn't really beside her and Elle was left unsure if he ever would be again.
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