Just Like Home | Charlie Weasley

Chapter 10

When Friday rolled around, Eleanor found herself to be in a bit of a state. To say she was nervous would be an understatement. Despite the fact she had spent hours chatting to Charlie only a few days ago when he surprised her as she was walking home, she was still beyond scared to see him again. Also, the thought of meeting new people was causing a bubble of anxiety to build in her stomach.
"What exactly are you so nervous about?" Darcie giggled as she sat on the edge of Eleanor's bed. She had come to help her find something to wear, which Eleanor was eternally grateful for.
"I... I don't know!" Eleanor squeaked. "It's.. him, and... people!".
"If by him you mean Charlie, then yes, it is! And he clearly is interested in you. Merlin, Ellie, you should see the way he looks at you,".
Eleanor pulled a short, beige tie-sleeve dress out of her wardrobe and held it up. "What do you think?".
Darcie pursed her lips thoughtfully before standing up and rummaging through her wardrobe herself. "With this, definitely!". She pulled out a black, high-neck long sleeved top. "And don't wear tights. Show off those legs, girl!".
Eleanor's eyes widened a fraction. "But it's freezing!".
"Then hot stuff will have to keep you warm, won't he?" she winked. Eleanor flushed, shaking her head as she retreated into the bathroom to change. Once she'd paired her outfit with a pair of chunky black boots, settled her hair into smooth waves and styled the look with a pair of small gold hoop earrings and a dainty golden ring, she was ready to go. Darcie insisted on walking with Eleanor down to George's apartment to stem her nerves.

Once she reached the side of the building that had stairs leading up to the apartment, Darcie bid Eleanor goodbye and sent her a devilish wink before making her own way home. Eleanor stood at the bottom of the stairs for a few moments, taking a few deep breaths and psyching herself up. It's just people, she told herself. You know George, you know Charlie... I'm sure everyone else is just as nice. She shook her head, letting out a long breath before making her way up the stairs. Before she could decide against it, she raised her fist to knock on the door. It didn't take long for the door to be opened from the other side, and Eleanor was met with the sight of a tall, smiling, red-headed girl.

"Hey!" The girl beamed, opening the door wider for Eleanor to enter. "You must be Ellie. I feel like I already know you from the amount my brothers talk about you,".
Eleanor felt a small blush creep onto her cheeks as she stepped inside. "You must be Ginny, then?".
"The one, the only!" Ginny giggled as she pulled an unsuspecting Eleanor into a firm hug. "Sorry, a family of huggers," she smiled.
"It's okay," Eleanor giggled, feeling herself loosening up already. If the whole family were as nice as Ginny, she'd be more than okay.
"Let's go get you a drink. Charlie's been whining for the past half an hour waiting for you to arrive," Ginny said smugly before grabbing Eleanor's hand and tugging her towards the kitchen. From there, she could hear the sound of multiple voices coming from the living room through the open door.

"Charles!" Ginny shouted not-so-subtly once she'd handed Eleanor a drink she'd told her was one of her own concoctions.
"What do you want, you lunatic?" she heard Charlie's gravelly voice come back as he made his way into the kitchen. "Why are you always shouting you—,". It was almost comical the way Charlie's words caught in his throat as soon as he walked in through the door. His eyes widened as he looked at Eleanor who was stifling a giggle as she took a sip of her drink. "Ellie! When did you get here?". A beaming smile overtook his features and Ginny gave him a firm pat on the shoulder before leaving the room.
"Hey there," Eleanor spoke, her voice quiet as her nerves began to get the better of her again.
"You made it! You... You look really lovely," Charlie smiled, running a hand to the back of his neck as the other gripped his drink. So do you, Eleanor thought. He truly did. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans, just fitted enough to outline his broad, muscular legs. He'd paired them with a deep, olive green corduroy shirt that he'd buttoned all the way up and some worn-out, tan desert boots. She could almost feel her mouth dry out as she gazed at him. His fiery curls were hanging effortlessly over his forehead, evidently still a little damp from his shower.
"Thank you," Eleanor gushed as she looked down at her shoes. "You do, too,".
"You ready to meet the others?" Charlie questioned gently, sensing her aura of nervousness. Eleanor nodded with a smile, and Charlie guided her out of the kitchen with a soft hand on her back that sent flames across her skin.

A little while later, Eleanor had met everybody and had begun to feel a lot better. They were all truly lovely people, and she found herself getting on with Ginny like a house on fire. She was currently sitting on the arm of a chair that Charlie was sitting on, his arm resting against the fabric behind her. They had already played a game of charades, which ended up with Eleanor and Charlie losing spectacularly as Eleanor couldn't stop giggling long enough to guess before the time ran out. Her body felt light and warm as the alcohol took effect, coursing through her veins and making her head fuzzy. Although she was on her way to being tipsy, she didn't miss the way George's face screamed discomfort as he excused himself to make a drink.
"I'm just gonna go check on George," Eleanor informed Charlie as she leaned her head closer to his so he could hear her over the sound of the music. Charlie lifted his gaze to meet her eyes, forest-green meeting emeralds. Eleanor's stomach flipped mercilessly as his lips curled into a small smile, his scent engulfing her. Had she had a bit more to drink, she probably wouldn't think twice about crashing her lips onto his, wondering what his lips tasted like.
"Okay love," Charlie murmured back, giving her a nod. Eleanor was basically a puddle after that, her legs quaking as she stood up. She stepped slowly into the kitchen after pushing open the door. She saw George sitting up on the counter, his legs dangling as he looked down at the floor.

"Hey George, you okay?" Eleanor questioned softly, moving closer to him. She could see just how broken he felt when he looked at her, and her heart wrenched for him. His brown eyes were glassy from the tears in them and his bottom lip quivered. "Oh George, it's okay,". Eleanor didn't think twice about rushing over to him, wrapping her arms around him as best as she could. That's all it took for his walls to crumble, for the dam to burst. He sobbed onto her shoulder, his hands clutching at the material of her dress. She held onto him as tight as she could for as long as he needed it.
"I— It just... He should be here!" George managed to croak out after a while, pulling back from Eleanor's embrace. "I don't think... I can't do this and pretend it's all okay,".
"Nobody is expecting you to, George," Eleanor told him. "Nobody is ever going to forget, to pretend it doesn't still hurt, to act like everything is okay. That's not how it works, y'know?".
"But how am I supposed to hang out with our friends and our family when he's not here? This was always his thing,". His voice was thick with the emotion he was feeling.
"That's exactly why you do it, George. How proud would he be now, watching you having a good time? You don't need to feel guilty because you live your life. That's everything that he would want. Trust me, I know firsthand how bloody difficult it is. The guilt you feel, the gut-wrenching pain every single day. I won't tell you that it goes away, because it doesn't, but it does get easier,". Her green eyes screamed sincerity, boring into George's as he let her words sink in. She was telling him the truth. Eleanor would never lie to him.

George let out a long breath and nodded slowly, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. "Th-thank you, Ellie. Truly. I don't know where I'd be...".
"You'd be just fine, George, I know it," Eleanor smiled, cutting him off. "Come on, let's get a drink and get back in there, yeah?".
She watched as a devilish smirk began to form on his features. "And get you back to Charles, eh?".
"Oh do shut up," she giggled as she playfully slapped him on the back. "Back to Angie more like... She seems really lovely, George. And completely smitten, may I add!".
"I could say the same to you," he winked, causing them both to chuckle as they made their way back into the living area. Charlie looked up as he heard the sound of laughter, his eyes meeting Eleanor's. He sent her a smile and cocked his head, inviting her back to where she was sitting before she left. She was only too happy to oblige.

A/N: Don't worry, this is only part 1 of the evening! It gets much, much better 👀