A Soulmate's Love

Chapter 67 - Dismissals

Elise and I were talking to one another as we waited for our boyfriends to leave the changing room after their Quidditch Match, which George had won of course. "Don't tell George, but I'm so fucking scared for the exams. If I don't get a perfect score, my mother is never going to let me spend the break at Hogwarts again. What if she sends me to board in Switzerland and I don't come back until graduation? They're both going to see the scores, and I can't afford to fail, El." Just talking about it made me lose my breath, and without realizing it, I was panicking. "Everyone thinks it comes easily but it's not and-" I was running out of breath, "-and I can't manage it on my own, Elise, I need something-" I was referring to the pills that would take the edge off, but she knew better.

"-NO." She stopped me, bringing me in for a hug and breathing heavily so that I could match her. After a few moments of silence that centred me and returned my pulse to a somewhat acceptable rate, she continued. "I know it's hard, babe, and I am so sorry." She began as we heard the whoops of some Gryffindors approaching. "But you do not need anything, Althea. You have always managed yourself perfectly fine, and you will be fine. Do not do this again, don't you dare start." I nodded at her assurance and shook my hands violently at my sides, expelling my built-up nerves while taking deeper breaths. 

Suddenly, I felt a looming presence above me, grazing my back and casting a shadow over Elise and me. From the shadow alone I could discern that it was George, and leaning my head back, I smiled lovingly up at his freshly showered appearance. He gave me a little smile but I could tell he was pissed at something as he pulled me into his chest so that I could not see his face anymore. 

"What were you saying, Elise?" He asked coldly, leaving no room for excuse. From his icy, defensive tone, I could tell his facial expression must match, and I cocked my head to the side in confusion. What was going on?

She glared at him right back and crossed her arms defensively. "Nothing that involves you, George." Ok. This had just gotten much weirder. Thankfully, Cedric came up from behind her and as he approached, I stared at him in a warning. While George and Elise were locked in their own match, Cedric and I just stood there awkwardly, sensing the anger radiating off of our soulmates. After a small motion for him to do something on my end, Cedric brought his arm around her shoulders. In seconds, she was being pulled away in the other direction, not before tossing George another cold stare, however. 

When they were out of hearing distance, I briskly turned around to George, who was glowing from his shower and exertion and sharply carved into a brooding statue of a man. "You did a great job today, babe," I said while entwining my hand in his strands of hair, my soft tugs and caresses visibly relaxing him enough to make his previous frustrations slowly drift away. I knew how men worked, and more specifically, I knew how George worked. When a man is angry like this, filled with testosterone that clouds his judgement, it's best to distract them with feminine reassurance. I had studied and practised various techniques, but this one I found worked far better.

"Can we go back to your dorm?" He asked, his jaw still tightly set but his glare no longer present. I knew he was upset just by the way that he didn't follow his question with 'love', 'darling', 'Althea/Althea Jane', or anything else George called me. 

I didn't want to overthink before I actually found out what was and has been going on between Elise and George for some time now. But it was going to end today. 

~

Once we had made it to my bed and I had felt George's frustration subside, I knew I could begin my investigation. "What has been going on between Elise and you?" We were both sitting upright, so I could clearly see his expression harden at the mention of her name but he quickly masked it. He stayed silent after my question, which George rarely does unless he is incredibly perturbed or attempting to reign in his anger. "It's ok, George. You can tell me, and I promise if you two have some issues to deal with I won't be mad. I just don't like seeing you upset." He ran a hand through his tousled hair, and I could sense that the string keeping him passive and neutral was close to snapping. "Nevermind Elise, are you mad at me?" I had been hoping it did not have to deal with me because my last wish would be to hurt him and have him so angered by it unknowingly.