If You'll Have Me | George Weasley

Chapter 24

Eleanor,

    Your father and I are ecstatic to hear that you've started painting again! I hope that now you'll put some use to the canvases under your bed.

    I must say, I was a bit worried upon leaving you at that house.... But so long as they are taking care of you, that is all that matters. However, I am not sure what kind of mother I would be if I were to leave you there again! Hopefully by next summer you'll have a job to keep you occupied. You father and I have already begun to discuss potential job opportunities in France for when you finish school. He will help you out more than I can. I can guarantee, though, that we will find you something good. Oh, and enough talk of that Auror nonsense! You don't truly want to do that for the rest of your life, do you?

    I do apologize for leaving you in England, though. I know it's far from what you're used to, but I hope that it hasn't been too agonizing. I told you that they were a wild bunch. I'm sure now that you're wishing you'd come to Rome with us! Oh well, perhaps you're better off there like your father said, but I'd feel awful if I let you stay any longer than you've already had to.

On that note, your father and I will be coming home earlier than we expected. I know we said you'd have to stick it out until the end of the month, but something happened at your fathers work that requires him being there. Just plan on being ready by the 15th, we'll pick you up on our way home. You only have to push through for a bit longer.

    Be smart, Eleanor. Make good choices, and don't get tangled up with those Weasley's. You must focus on your studies, and getting distracted by them won't do you any good. We will spend the rest of August getting you ready for school, and discussing jobs for you. Looking forward to it.

Much love,

~ Mom.

——

Eleanor glances up from the piece of parchment, eyes blurry from the tears that had suddenly collected in her eyes.

George had read this. He had read that being with him, and his family, was thought to be agonizing. That they weren't ones to get "tangled up with". That she would be leaving in a week, and that the summer was ending quicker than they both thought.

She did not care about the condescending remark about her desire to be an Auror, nor did she give it a second thought. She did not think about what could have gone wrong at her father's work, or the potential jobs that they had been lining up for her.

Instead, she thought of George.

Did he think that these were her thoughts? That she'd been writing to her mother, speaking of how miserable she was, and how she wished she had gone to Rome instead of that small house that sat just outside the city?  Surely he'd know better than to believe she'd think that way—Write that way—And was only upset to know that she'd be leaving so soon. He knew Eleanor, but perhaps, maybe he was questioning that now.

She feels a pang in her chest, sits upon the edge of the bed, and puts her head in her hands. There was an immense wave of frustration that overcame her, directed at the fact that they had done this to themselves; Started something that they did not want to end, but had to.

It had been a long time since she felt like this; So distraught over losing something that she never really had... But she had been anticipating this very moment since the minute she got here. Since George kissed her in the creek, and since they'd spent that weekend together in London. She always always meant to care for him and to lose him.

After collecting herself, she steps out of his bedroom to find that the living room is empty. The lights were all turned off as if the twins were both still asleep. As if this had never even happened, and she was just sleepwalking around their flat.

The light outside the front door, though, told her that he had gone back down to the shop. Perhaps to continue working, or to drink whatever was left of the Firewhisky that they kept stored in their offices. Maybe he was doing neither.

And right then, as she ponders what she might do or say when she sees him, the summer felt like it was over, and it felt like she had already left him.