Lover ; George Weasley

Seventy-six

After about an hour, I decided to go talk to George.

I changed out of the shorts I was wearing and into a pair of sweatpants instead, making my way downstairs.

I walked down until I had an overview over the entire shop, my eyes searching for him but when I couldn't locate him, I continued down and found Ron.

"Hey." I breathed, causing him to look at me.

"Dahlia... right, George told me you were sick upstairs."

"Yeah." I nodded. "It's not uh— it isn't physical. Have you seen him?"

Ron nodded and pointed towards the small hallway that led to the offices in the back.

"He's tidying up in there. Said he needed to think to himself."

"Thank you." I offered him a smile before making my way down there.

I knocked on the door a few times before opening it and revealing myself. George was putting away some files in a filing cabinet, glancing at me without saying anything.

"You know, I'm not an idiot." I said and stepped inside of his office, closing the door behind me. "I'm not going to go back to man who was the reason I left in the first place."

"I'm sorry—" he laughed. "...did you just come down here to continue fighting with me?"

I pressed my lips together. I really did not like his attitude but I decided to not comment on it.

"We aren't fighting."

"Of course not." He shrugged. "We're just discussing your new found love for your ex-husband."

Seriously?

"I don't— I'm not in love with him."

George froze, then turned to look at me with a frown.

"You love him."

I sighed.

"Of course I do." I said. "But it's not like that. I love him because he's the father of my children and I love him because he was my first love. That's not something that just goes away. Don't tell me you don't still love Angelina."

"I don't." He said, raising his eyebrows. "She left me and my kids. I loathe her, but that's the difference between you and I, Dia. I'm not manipulated by my ex-spouse."

"Neither am I."

"Oh c'mon—"

"No." I cut him off. "I am so done with everyone telling me that everyone is manipulating me. First it was Malcolm, then my mother and now it's Malcolm again. You, Inez and Dove are all just—"

I took a deep breath.

"I'm twenty-six fucking years old. I'm not some child that you need to look out for. I am aware that Malcolm can be a fucking bastard and that he can do some nasty things, but—"

"There's no but, Dahlia!" George yelled, causing me to flinch. "I love you, Dia but you are so bloody naive. I see how you've slowly warmed up to him for the last month. He's managing to pull you in again and eventually he'll convince you to leave me and go back to him."

"That's what you think?" I asked. "You genuinely think that'll happen?"

"Yes."

"Well, then I don't see why we even bother." I scoffed. "Why are you with me if you think I'll dump you?"

We looked at each other for a moment before he shrugged.

"I don't know, but maybe I shouldn't be."

I frowned and took a few steps closer to him.

"Excuse me?"

"You're right." He said. "We shouldn't be together."

"That is not—" I laughed out of frustration. "...an hour ago I was telling you how I could see us marry each other in the future, that I never wanted to lose you, and now you're breaking up with me because of what? Because you're scared that I'll leave you for my ex-husband who beat the shit out of me when he got drunk?"

"Oh so now you admit that he's horrible—"

"Fuck you." I spat. "If that's how you feel, I'll go pack my things."

He didn't say anything, simply looked at me and I realised he wasn't going to try and stop me.

I turned around and left his office, marching through the shop before hurrying upstairs.

While packing the few things I had at his place, I innerly hoped that he would barge into the flat and beg me to stop and apologise for breaking up with me, but he didn't.

When I left with my bag, he still wasn't in the shop, so I just hurried out before Ron asked any questions, and then I apparated to my flat.

I unpacked my bag, throwing most of the clothes in the laundry basket, and it wasn't until I had made myself a cup of tea and sat down on the sofa, that I realised what had just happened.

Oh shit.

I broke into tears, feeling my heart shatter at the thought of not being with George. I accidentally dropped my mug of tea, spilling it all on the floor and that only made me cry harder.

How did that fight turn into a breakup so quickly? How did Malcolm manage to ruin my relationship while being locked up in a fucking facility.

I cleaned up the tea from the floor, put the mug in the sink before I picked up my phone and called Inez.

She picked up quickly.

"Hey babe."

"He broke up with me."

"What?"

Sobbing, I ran a hand over my face, laying down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.

"I don't know what happened." I cried. "We were fighting over Malcolm and then he broke up with me."

"Where are you right now? Your flat?"

I hummed.

"I'll be right over."

She hung up and only a second later, she walked through my fireplace, brushing powder off her pants.

"Hey." She said softly, approaching the sofa. She sat down on the edge of it, looking at me as I cried.

"He said he was scared that I was going to end up leaving him for Malcolm." I sobbed. "Because apparently he's been able to manipulate me again."

I covered my face with both of my hands.

"Oh god." I choked on my own tears as I sat up, Inez bringing me in for a hug.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it." She tried to comfort me. "Give it a day or two. It's probably just a fight."

"No," I shook my head. "He said that we shouldn't be together and he didn't stop me when I packed my things... he— I can't do this, Inez... I'm my happiest with him. I don't want that to stop."

"Hey, let's relax for a moment." She said, stroking my hair. "Go take a nap. You'll feel better when you wake up. I can get Dove to pick up the girls from school and spend some time with them so you and I can have some time to talk this through, yeah?"

I nodded, taking a deep breath, forcing my tears to stop. I needed to relax. I needed to not panic.

Inez was right.

It was probably just the fight.

George wouldn't break up with me over that.