A Soulmate's Love

Chapter 63 - Testing Limits

George's Perspective

I knew she hated her feelings. Hated talking about them, thinking of them, feeling them. But when she was caught off guard by such emotions, she would falter, may it be for only a few moments. And there, when memories of the people she called family arose, it sent a wave she hadn't braced for. She had had to close herself off from me to handle the aftershocks, and I wish she didn't feel the need to. Her eyes had glistened with the remnants of the memories and I wished she would just let herself feel them because eventually, the dam would crack and I didn't know if it could be repaired. 

Althea was the strongest girl I had ever met, truly, but it was this strength of hers along with her astonishing intelligence, powerful love, and responsibility imposed on her by others that resulted in her obligation to be perfect; in her world, perfect meant emotionless and undecipherable. 

We were in the kitchens while she drank the coffee she adored so, and I couldn't help but feel bad for not finding her sooner; if only I could've gotten her out of that life a little earlier. "Althea Victoria Jane," I loved her name. Not because of its significance in society, the power it held, nor because it screamed wealth - I loved her name because whenever I said it, her gaze would instantly meet mine in surprise, eyes glowing. Slowly taking her coffee out of her hands and placing it on the counter, my arms enveloped her and brought her to me so that my body could do the same. 

It stunned me that back home, Althea was never hugged or shown affection. Her siblings would hug her once upon her return or departure, but at the end of the day, they were siblings. What surprised me were her parents, who didn't bother to lay a finger on her. Even in the pictures, I could now observe that her mother rarely was seen holding her, never mind her absent father; it was only ever her siblings when she was a baby, and as a child, she could always be seen alone. She had been holding herself together since her toddler years, and I could only fathom how hard it must be for a child to never receive love, touch, or words of affirmation. 

"I love you, so fucking much." 

~

We were approaching the beginning of the game, and the Gryffindor common room was buzzing with excitement. Some Third, Fourth, and Fifth years attended the Sixth and Seventh-dominant party as they themselves were interested in the game, but otherwise, it was mostly friends. I was impatient for the game, so was everyone else, but I don't think any of our excitement could be compared to Lee and Althea. 

We had all decided to go to the quidditch pitch and host our very own world cup which was fun, and Althea and Lee remained in their assumed positions as announcers. There was nowhere better for her to be - During the games I could hear her gorgeous voice booming and cheering me on, see her in my jersey despite her requirement to remain unbiased, and I knew she was safe from any injuries, allowing me to play without worrying for her safety. 

However, I never saw Althea on her broom - like ever. She had the fastest one up to date, just like everyone she loved had because she spends too much during the holiday season, but I was never there to see her test it out. 

Inclining my broom vertically to go meet her at the top of the stadium, I sped towards her. When I got leveled with her seated position next to Lee, I leaned over onto the window sill. "Althea darling, let's go," I stated, trying to catch sight of any reaction - was she scared of heights? falling? or had she simply never been interested in flying?

"What?" She questioned me with a blossoming, incredulous smile as if I had gone crazy. "George we're 60 feet-" She calculated looking down, then to me, repeatedly. "The trajectory- If you were to fall from this height it would take precisely 4.87 seconds with an unstable acceleration and wind we would fall on a slope of approximately-"