Patience

Chapter 72

For best reading experience, listen to "til forever falls apart" by ashe after the divider. and keep some tissues by you

I groan as I roll over in bed, the sun shining through the windows in my dorm. I look around and see that everyone is gone. So it's just me this morning. Great. I get up and let my hair out of its usual wrap, taking in my face this morning, which looks just as sleep deprived as usual, if not more. I got like no sleep last night due to thinking about what happened with Oliver over and over.

"Shit! Shit shit shit!" I cry out, glancing at my neck. There's faint purple bruises all over it. They're faint but definitely noticeable.

"E? What's wrong?" My stomach drops. I definitely thought I was alone. At least it's just Marissa. She'll take a secret to her grave.

"Er nothing"

"It sounded like someth-" she starts to say as she comes out of the bathroom. Her mouth is wide open and staring at my neck.

"Don't say anything!" I shout, frantically trying to cover the bruises.

"Holy shit Emmeline" she whispers

"I know!"

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Who gave them to you?" she demands. I've never seen her look this serious. Come to think of it, I've never heard her swear either.

"I- er..."

"Yes? Was it Cedric?" she questions.

"No. It wasn't him"

"Oh so it was Wood?"

"WHAT? How did you know??? I thought you were going to ask if it was George!" I cry, taken aback.

"Oh sweetie I knew it wasn't George. You haven't had feelings for him in a long while" she responds, smiling.

"How did you know that?"

"I can just sense things like that. To be honest, I'm glad that you and Wood kissed already. The tension could have been cut with a knife it was so thick" she responds, chuckling. I just stare at her, jaw on the floor.

"Well?" she asks.

"Well what this time?"

"How was it? Did you enjoy it? And don't say any bullshit about other people. I'm asking about you and Wood and the kiss. Though it seems to have been a bit more than innocent kissing." she asks, smirking. Who even is Marissa right now? But with her knowing, I realize how glad I am that I can talk about what happened. I've been bursting with feelings and no one to tell them to.

"Oh god Mar. It was brilliant. With Ced it was sweet and soft and like you wanted more. But this. This. It was everything Mar. It was passion and aggression and I want to be doing it again so bad. I don't just want more, I need it. It just feels like this is what I've been waiting for. All the flirtations, all the nicknames, just made me want him so bad. I didn't realize until recently but MERLIN MAR. It was the most incredible thing ever. It was everything. I never want to do anything else in my entire life but kiss him" I say, spewing out all of the things I've been feeling.

"Oh my god E that's wonderful! I'm genuinely just so glad that you're happy. I don't know if I've ever seen you this happy. But serious question. What's the game plan from here?" she asks, grinning. We're both sitting cross legged on my bed now, facing each other.

"I dunno really. We didn't talk much after it happened. The only thing I'm certain of is that I need to straight up tell George that I no longer have feelings for him. It'll be hard but it needs to be done. He's my best friend and I can't keep messing with him" I tell her. She just nods her head, smiling.

"I agree. And I'm proud of you. Now, let's do something about your er- marks" She says, making to get up. I grab her before she goes and pull her into a big hug.

"Thanks Mar. You're the best. You won't tell anyone right?" I ask as I pull away.

"Of course not. That's for you to do when the time is right" she says. She then disappears into the bathroom and appears a few moments later concealer and brush in hand.

"Wait how do you have a concealer in my shade?" I ask, bewildered.

"Simple color changing spell of course" she responds.

"Of course" I mutter, amazed. She then gets to work. She dabs the concealer on me and then a few minutes later, the bruises have disappeared. You can't even tell that they are there in the slightest.

"This is brilliant Mar! Truly brilliant! Thank you so so much" I cry, hugging her. She just smiles and hugs me back.

"Merlin's beard! Look at the time!" she cries, pointing at our small clock.

"Shit! We missed breakfast! We'd better run or we'll be late to class too" I say, grabbing my things and rushing out the door. Marissa is trailing behind me, and though McGonagall is going to be pissed at me for being late, I'm grinning wickedly.

~*.'~*.'~

I'm shaking. I mean, I was planning this but I'm still crazy nervous. And scared. But I'm going to do it. Lee told me that George was somewhere outside. Alone. Which works out perfect for my plan to confess. Plus, we don't have any classes left together today so it won't be awkward. I think I'm finally ready. I just really don't want to lose my best friend. I head out of the entrance hall and spot George sitting under a tree about 100 meters away. I take a deep breath and walk over to him.

"Hey Em" George says tightly as I approach.

"Hey George. Can we talk?" I ask him.

"Sure."

"Okay so this is going to be awkward and I feel like a shit person for saying it, and for it being true, but it has to be said. It's just that er, I don't have feelings for you anymore. I'm really sorry. I know we had this grand plan and everything and trust me, if I could choose to feel for you I would. But I just don't. I still want to be your friend. Hell, you're my best friend and I wouldn't be able to take it if you wanted that to end. But I'd also understand. I was so shitty to you and you deserve someone better than that. Than me. But I just wanted you to know. And by the way, this has nothing to do with Cedric. It's a me thing. I really am sorry George." I say, on the verge of tears. Don't fucking cry Emmeline! You're strong. A piece of shit but strong. I look back at George and he's just looking at me. He's quiet for a while before he finally speaks.

"Okay" That's it? Okay!? What the hell?

"Okay?"

"It's not like I didn't know. I see the way you look at Diggory. And don't get me started on how you look at Oliver. I think I was just trying to hold on to something that hasn't been there for a long while. And I'm sorry for everything that happened. Were you kind of shitty? Yes. But you didn't deserve what I did. And said. So yes, okay. You've let me go so now I'm going to try to do the same" he says, choking back sobs. Tears are streaming down my face and I rub them off quickly. Too late on the not crying thing.

"I never really deserved you George" I say, and then I'm gone.

George's pov:

And then she's gone. Just like that. She's gone, and she's taken her feelings with her. At the end of the day, I just want her to be happy. Even if that doesn't mean me. All I know is, my feelings for her will never cease, not really. Because for me, it's more than just a silly crush. It's love.

"I'll always be here waiting" I whisper to the air.

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Question of the Day:

Dang...my eyes are sweating again :,( I'll let this sink in for a sec...

Okay! All done! Question time! Do y'all listen to music when reading? If so, would you want us to keep putting song suggestions at the beginning of the chapters to set the vibe? I promise it won't all be Taylor Swift (though that will be most of it...) Any-who-diddy. Have an awesomesauce day lads and lassies!!!