FIFTY TWO
RORY GRABBED FRED'S HAND and stumbled out of the muggle cinema. It was nearly completely dark out with nothing but street lamps and headlights illuminating the busy streets of London. It was date night. A rare occurrence for them both, but when they did have a chance to sneak off from their busy lives, it was wonderful.
Going to the movies was Rory's favorite thing to do with Fred. Bowling was high on the list, but she hated how he would sneak his wand out and cheat. The movie they had just seen was a bit of a silly one. Hercules. Rory was glad after all those years of trying to explain what Disney was and why she was called Aurora, that Fred could witness the magic for himself.
Escaping to the muggle world for a night was a good distraction from everything around them.
"Where to next?" Fred asked, clearly wanting to get away from the Saturday night crowd.
"We're not going home until you experience the magic of Chinese takeaway on a Saturday night." She smiled, still holding on tightly to his large hands.
"Alright," he sighed, "Take it away."
The couple trudged to the restaurant and got what they needed to head back to their flat. They found a back ally to apparate and with a pop, they were standing in their small living room, takeaway in hand.
George was sitting on the couch, reading over a single piece of parchment.
"How was your night, George?" Rory asked with politeness, "Did you —"
He shook his head, "Not yet... I'm going over in a bit and then... I really don't want to do it. But I just know I have to."
Fred nodded, "It'll be alright, mate. We'll be here for you when you get back if you need anything."
"Thanks," he said softly, "So how was the movie?"
Rory smiled, "Wonderful. Although Fred here didn't seem to think so!"
"I never said that!" He put his hands up in surrender, "I just preferred My Best Friend's Wedding, that's all. Thought the singing was a bit rubbish."
Rory muttered under her breath, "Yeah I'll show you rubbish." She then grabbed the bag of food and said, "Wanna eat this on the floor?" Fred nodded and followed Rory into his bedroom leaving George by himself.
Rory sat down and began setting the food out in front of their bed. She inhaled the delightful scent as her stomach growled with hunger.
"Shit, we need drinks." She began getting up but was cut off by Fred.
"I'll take care of it, don't worry, love." He left the room and quickly came back from the kitchen with two glasses of water. Rory smiled as she watched him sit down and stare at the food in front of him. He slowly picked up the chopsticks and began to look slightly nervous.
Rory laughed and pulled a plastic fork out of the bag, "Use this."
He nodded in agreement and began eating his meal. From what Rory saw, he seemed to enjoy it. Although it definitely wasn't the food he was used to back home, it was still delicious. Fred and Rory never ate in silence. Especially not after date night.
Rory needed to know Fred's thought process during each scene of the film. Everything from his favorite part to least favorite, to the most noticeable themes, to his favorite song in the movie. They dove deep in Hercules talk as they finished what they could of their food. Although both of them were going to have left overs for tomorrow.
"I need to get out of these jeans this instant," Rory groaned standing up.
"I'll do it for you!" Fred volunteered. Rory rolled her eyes and shuffled through her drawer. She pulled out a pair of soft shorts and a tank top to combat the hot July weather and threw them on the bed.
As Rory was removing her clothes from that night and getting into something more comfortable, Fred could not seem to take his eyes off of her.
He smiled, "You're just so beautiful, can you blame me?" He said before she could ever raise an eyebrow, because he knew exactly what she was going to say before she said it.
"I guess not," She said softly, "Thank you, Fred. You're too kind. I truly don't deserve you."
"I'm just honest. And for the record, I don't deserve you."
Rory shook her head, smiled, and began cleaning up the area where they had eaten, going into the kitchen to throw the bags away and preserve the rest of their food in the fridge. George was no longer on the couch, Rory only assumed he had travelled to Marina's flat to have the talk with her, ending things between them.
"Looks like we're alone," Rory said as she walked back into Fred's room. She expected him to be still sat on the floor probably unable to pick his jaw off the floor after seeing Rory change. Instead he was on his bed wearing nothing but pajama pants sitting crossed legged like a kid on Christmas about to open presents. He reached out his arms and Rory smiled and crawled into them on the bed.
"It appears we are, Rory." He smirked, roaming his hands around her body. "How convenient."
Rory flipped herself out of his arms and was now straddling him, her knees close to his hips, pinned on the soft bedsheets. Her chocolate brown hair cascaded in front of her face, this caused Fred to sweep her hair back and hold it so he could see her face.
"You're really pretty." He whispered, almost shyly.
Rory giggled at his youthful compliment and thanked him with a peck on the lips. Instead of coming back up, Fred had pulled her closer with the hand entangled in her hair and kissed her harder, more passionately. She got into it and slowly began grinding her hips against his, rhythmically with each kiss. The girl travelled her hands to his hair, the back of his neck, and then down his chest.
"Fuck, Rory," He moaned against her lips. He took her small frame and flipped their position so she was now underneath him. Rory had always been a small girl, although she acted like she was ten feet tall on the outside, she was only barely five foot two. Fred on the other hand was quite tall. Their height difference was very noticeable in their current position.
Fred began kissing Rory's neck, which he knew was a sensitive area for her. She bit her lip and pulled Fred closer to her. He continued feverishly kissing her collarbones and explored her body with his hands.
"Rory," He said between kisses, "I love you."
"I love you too, Freddie." She said nearly digging her nails into his freckled shoulders.
Fred stopped kissing her and looked at her with a smile. She recognized that look in his eye, she rememebred noticing it for the first time at the Yule Ball, or in the basement of Grimmauld Place, or in the common room on nights where they were alone, or when they shared their first time... She was not completly sure of what it meant, but he knew that there was nothing but love behind it.
"Rory..." He said, "Marry me? Will you?"
She smiled and kissed the boy softly on the lips before saying, "No."
Fred sighed, "Listen I don't have a ring or... or... and I know I should do it properly so if that's why then I —"
Rory laughed lightly, "Fred Weasley, I would marry you with a... a... paper ring, a piece of tin foil, a strand of twine! You know that's not why I'm saying no. I love you, and I want to marry you. I will. Just not right now. We're only nineteen. Look what happened to my parents when they got married at our age."
"So what I'm hearing is a yes?" Fred smirked, "Just... for a later date?"
Rory nodded, "Ask me again, in a year, and I'll say yes."
Fred smiled and planted a passionate kiss on Rory's lips. Rory was already counting down the days until next year. Because she loved Fred and he loved her. Rory fell in love with her best friend. A special kind of love that only came once in a lifetime.
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GEORGE AND MARINA HAD A LOVE that only came once in a lifetime. A cinematic romance, the kind people write songs about... and the kind that ends.
It was so hard to break her heart when she looked so beautiful, sitting on her bed crossed legged, waiting for him to speak to her.
"Is everything alright, Georgie?" She asked softly. George sat down on the bed beside her and looked in her deep, doe-like eyes.
He took a deep breath, "Mar, I... I don't want to do this. I have to."
"Georgie..." she grabbed his hand, "Are you breaking up with me?"
He nodded and broke eye contact with her, there was no way he could stare at her beautiful face and crush her wonderful spirit.
"Yes," said George, "Listen, Mar. It doesn't change the way I feel about you. Please know this has nothing to do with you. You're the most amazing girl I've ever met. These past few months have changed me for the better. I just... I think this is the best thing to keep you safe."
She processed his words, still holding on to his hand. He lifted his gaze and watched as she looked at him, almost like she was trying to memorize each detail of his face. Her eyes seemed to dart around each freckle, each part of him she would have to let go of.
"Marina..." he whispered.
The girl smiled. The smile of a broken girl. Deep brown eyes filling with tears.
"I understand. I know that... after all of this is over. The war, I mean... that you'll be sitting here where you are, and I'll be here. We'll be just as we are, but happy."
He nodded, "I promise. I swear, this is only temporary. It's just... we're in really dark times and if anything happened to you because of me —"
"I know. You're almost too brave for your own good. That's why I love you. Yes, I said it. I love you, George Weasley," she said as tears now fell down her beautiful round face.
He shut his eyes, a feeling of nausea overtaking him, "I love you too, Marina. I'm sorry I have to do this."
She moved herself closer to him, "Before you go, can you please just hold me again? I want to know what it feels like, one last time. I just want to lay here with you. We don't have to talk."
George nodded and they both lay on her bed. He wrapped his arms around her body and began to memorize every curve, every divot, every dimple and stretch mark, every little detail of Marina. He felt her tears as they fell on his arm, but he didn't mind.
He wanted so badly to kiss her, to tell her it was all some sick joke, but he couldn't. Instead, he just continued holding her.
Her hair smelled like strawberry shortcake, he knew it was from her shampoo. The smell of it came with memories of washing her hair in the shower, or accidentally getting a mouthful of her dark locks when she would laugh too much and shake her head carelessly. The sound of her heartbeat took him to the nights they would fall asleep together in the same bed, holding one another like they were the most precious thing in the world.
To George, Marina's love, Marina's trust, and Marina's laughter were the most precious things in the world.
He didn't want to let go. He wanted to hold her forever, fall asleep next to her and wake up as if nothing happened. As if things in their world were normal. But they weren't. And he had to let go.
But how could he let go of such an angel?
He began to feel her tears stop and her heartbeat slow. She had fallen asleep, in his arms.
Carefully and quietly, he let her go, making sure not to wake her. He stood up and watched her for a moment. She was peaceful. She deserved to be at peace like that always. Unbothered and ethereal.
George dug into his pocket and dug out a piece of parchment. A letter, from him to her.
He placed it on her beside table and took one more look at her.
George knew he would see her again, he just wasn't sure if it would be in the same he had been.
And with that, he went home. Alone.
A/N:
i love george and marina sm i made a playlist for them !! screenshot the image at the top of the chapter and put it into spotify to find it <3 it's called "the greatest films of all time were never made"