misdirection ⤷ g. weasley

[41] sacrifices

Marlee's POV

I woke up in an empty Hospital room. The windows showed the night sky and moon shone brightly into the room. I looked to my right to see George with his legs straddled around a chair, sleeping on his arms.

I smiled at the sight but quickly felt a pool of guilt fill me. It'd been a thought I'd had ever since the wedding but now with everything else that had happened, I knew I couldn't avoid it. Having George in my life was too dangerous, for the both of us.

I needed to adjust my position on the bed but didn't want to risk waking George as I wanted to enjoy this moment before I had to let him go. I slowly used my hands to shift myself but he was already beginning to stir in his sleep. I thought about pretending to sleep but his eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, darling," he said, a raspy whisper. I smiled but almost started crying at the thought of having to lose him. He scooted his chair closer to me and held my hand in his. "How are you feeling?"

How was I feeling? "Umm...I kind of just feel like someone emptied out my whole body," I lightly chuckled and he did so too as he rubbed the top of my hand with his thumb.

I noticed the scar on his forehead had been stitched. "How are you doing?" I asked, weakly.

He shrugged and pressed his lips together. "I'm doing just fine," he insisted but I frowned, knowing the truth.

"George," I muttered almost sternly.

He let out a deep breath. "Hey, as long as you're okay, everything else is just fine."

I suddenly remembered what his words were after we kissed. I'd felt the same way for a long time but that was in a friend way...was it the same thing when that friend became your boyfriend?

I looked down at his hand caressing mine and picked it up with both of my hands, kissing it softly. We'd had communication problems in the past so I wasn't going to hold this off now.

"George," I spoke barely above a whisper. "I love you but this is too dangerous."

His face lit up but quickly changed to a confused expression. "Mar, what are you talking about?"

"With everything that's happened, they'll keep looking for me and they won't stop until I join them. Plus, with You-Know-Who back it's even more dangerous so it's not..." my voice began to crack, "it's not safe for you to be close to me." Tears freely fell down my cheeks.

"Hey, hey, hey," he spoke soft and gently as he brought a hand to cup my cheek, "it's gonna be okay."

I smiled into his embrace but shook my head. "George, they know you're my weakness and they won't stop at any means—I mean look at what they've done to you within just a day! I won't...I can't watch you get hurt at my cost...especially not with what my mother—" my sentence ended shaky as I gasped for air.

"Shhh shhh, you don't have to worry about that, okay? Yeah, Mum was a bit upset when she found out but she knows you're not your mother," George assured me as he kept his hand on my face.

This conversation hurt me too much and he was only making it harder. "George you're not listening to me. We can't be together. I can't live with myself knowing that you aren't safe," I said, steadily.

George's face fell and he dropped his hand. "Marlee, I don't give a damn if I die, as long as I get to have you—"

"George, please stop making this harder than it already is..." I pleaded, tears pooling out of my eyes.

George stared at me, not knowing what to say. He clenched his jaw as he pressed his lips together and before he could reply, Madam Pomfrey came in and ordered him out. He turned back and gave me one last look before walking away with his head down.