Tidal Wave [george weasley post war]

38. Open Wounds

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Trigger warning: this chapter contains sexually explicit material.

D E C E M B E R 2003

Time was moving far too fast for Aurora. Deep inside of her mind there was a small hint of fear flickering like a flame of a candle burning out on a windowsill. A fear of her relationship being too good to be true.

They had not spoke a single word to eachother about the argument on Halloween. It wasn't a blow out, per se, but George still - as always - hurt her feelings. Now Aurora knew George was a jokester, she knew it was his way of lightening any sour mood or situation. But it did not excuse the fact that his joke hurt her deeply.

She was worried about the stability of their relationship. Worried that they wouldn't make it because of their differences just being far too great for either of them to live with.

Currently, she was lingering in the kitchen of the burrow, listening to the family opening up their gifts with one another. She excused herself to make more eggnog, though she found herself standing by the back door ready to make a run for it instead of mixing the sickly sweet alcoholic beverage that had become a Weasley-family favorite.

"Ror?"

Ginny stepped into the kitchen slowly, a brow raised high into her forehead as she watched her best friend curiously.

"Hm?" Aurora looked up, pulled from her daze by the sound of Ginny speaking to her. "Oh, sorry. I just, lost myself for a moment there." She laughed softly. It was forced, but Ginny decided not to discuss that any further.

"Are you okay?" Ginny moved to pour some eggnog into her cup before turning back to her friend again. She loved them both, George was her brother and although she knew she would always love him the most - she also knew he was a prat.

"I'm okay. Just thinking a lot lately. But enough about that, it's Christmas. Let's enjoy the holiday." Aurora nudged her friend with a smile before pouring herself some more eggnog and rejoining the party with Ginny by her side.

George wrapped his arm around her waist as she stepped up beside him, a frown forming on his lips as he noticed that she did not relax into his touch as she usually did. "Everything alright, love?"

"Just fine, George." She whispered in response, slowly pulling herself out of his grasp as she made her way over to Charlie and Adelaide's daughter, Adora, who was currently sprawled out on the ground playing with her little brother, Faustus.

George stood in silence as he watched her walk off. Usually, the sight of her playing with his nieces and nephew would have started a fire in his heart but today was different. He was agitated. Annoyed that she pulled away from him, everything about her behavior today screamed that she was not happy. And George needed to get to the bottom of it all.