Waldosia/// George Weasley

Chapter 30

"Yeah," George murmured, watching the way Clover spoke with Theo Nott across the shop hesitantly, yet warmer than he's seen before.

A conversation was going on around him, but if anyone asked him about what, George would be absolutely clueless. He was too wrapped up in the way Clover seemed to be fighting with herself. The way her eyes would gleam like a child while talking to Theo, but a moment later dimmed in a type of cautiousness. A type of fear, George knew.

Someone nudged him to get his attention, but he didn't budge. It was like he needed to keep his gaze  on her, he needed to know what secrets she was hiding in those eyes. Eyes not of light and dark, but of everything else in between. The unknown.

"Mhmm, yeah," George muttered again, just trying to please whoever was attempting to talk to him.

Clover was glaring at Theo now, and George was ready to jump the till he was leaning behind and march over to her side just to make he wasn't bothering her. Their heads were bowed together, talking in hushed voices as the blonde girl stocked the shelf by the door. Then a moment later she was smiling. Not her real smile though, George noted and relaxed into. He would've been able to see, hear, know that smile with his eyes shut and his mind asleep. An ache rippled through him at that thought, and he was reminded of the dark nights made even darker without her there. Because even a week after he had asked her to come back, to come home, nothing had changed.

"Oi, he's lost again."

"He's not lost, I know exactly where his mind is."

Clover's hand was on Theo's shoulder, calmly and soothingly. And then George was the one smiling, because he remembered just how much she used to hate the thought of touch. How she would move, shift, flinch away whenever he reached out to her. But now here she was, doing the same to others. Doing the same to Theo. As soon as George's mind processed that, the smile fell off his face.

"He's thinking about his girlfriend, isn't that right Georgie?"

George snapped his attention back to the conversation being had and looked over to see a smirking Charlie wiggling his eyebrows at him. Lee and Ginny were holding back a chuckle right next to him.

"Or should I say my wife, yeah?"

"Shut it," The younger Weasley boy shoved Charlie playfully and then looked back over at the blonde girl across the shop.

"Who's the boy talking to our girl?" Charlie leaned next to George and stared over to the same scene as his brother.

"Not ours. She's not my girl."

"So she's mine?"

"No."

"Whatever helps you sleep better at night," the older boy laughed, but continued to nod back over to the scene, "But who is he?"

"Theo Nott," Ginny added in, her and Lee sharing a knowing look as she finished her sentence cautiously, "Slytherin in Ron's and Harry's year."

"So a little snake friend, huh?" Charlie chuckled under his breath, "Are we sure he's just a friend?"

George's stare immediately fell, "You think they're something more?"

He had grown up sharing everything with Fred, his siblings, his family. He was never one to be selfish, never one to expect something to be only his. But in that moment, George wanted to jump the till and steal Clover away from the world that never deserved her. He wanted to hold her away from Theo, press her against his chest, and whisper mine over and over again until everyone knew. George wanted to be selfish.

"They can't be," he whispered decidedly, his stare strong and narrowed.

"Georgie, I don't think you have to worry about-," Lee shot Ginny a look and began trying to subtly relieve his worries.