𝐄𝐏𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 | g. w

40. its started

I wake up to the sounds of screams coming from downstairs.

The in-between state of being conscious and not fully awake causes me to feel confused and it's not until I realise from where the sound is coming that I start to panic. As I turn to wake up George I realise the bed is empty next to me. It's still somewhat warm from his body lying close to me throughout the entire night, so I draw the conclusion that he can't have been up for longer than a few minutes.

"George?" I call out with a shaky voice, silently praying nothing sinister has happened, despite my own mind's brilliant way of making up all the worst case scenarios possible. "What's going on? What are you doing up?"

I scramble to put on my clothes; a pair of blue jeans and a knitted sweater, whilst also attempting to find some sort of breathing pattern that won't cause me even more distress. I make my way downstairs, nearly tripping over my feet. When I come across not only Tonks and the twins, but a few other unfamiliar faces as well, I realise just what might be happening.

"It's started." I speak, feeling a heaviness settle in my chest that threatens to pull me off balance, and I'm almost certain I might black out at any time. I don't know what I thought, I knew this would happen sooner or later, I just didn't realise how soon. Perhaps it was my brain's way of protecting itself, perhaps I was trying to convince myself we would all be okay, but at the end of the day...

...We were going to war.

(...)

"Are you okay, Freddie?"

"Yeah."

"Me too."

I never thought it would all come to this. I mean, I knew it eventually would, that we would have to fight the dark forces that threatened to destroy the magical world as we know it, I just didn't want to admit to myself just how fucking scared I was. His scared I am. And I know we've technically had a little over two years to prepare for this very moment, but I can't help but hold on to the hope that somehow—by some miracle—this will all turn out okay. That my friends will all make it back, that Voldemort will lose, that good will prevail and evil be vanquished.

I guess I have a penchant for wishful thinking.

Or maybe I'm just naive.

"When all of this is over, I want to do everything with you."

"George, what are you—"

"—No, just listen." George presses his forehead to mine, his dark eyes filled with tears I've rarely seen in them before. His hand goes to cup my chin and I lean into his touch.

He's always been my safe space.

"Whatever happens tonight, I want you to know that I've never felt so strongly for someone before. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, and I don't want us to go into this without you knowing just how badly I want for us to have a future where I can come home to you at the end of the day. A future where we don't have to worry about what's going to happen next and whether it not the other person is even going to come home again at all. I want to shower you with gifts, spoil you with my love and I swear—I promise you—I won't ever take you for granted. I am yours just as much as you are mine and I don't want you to ever doubt that. I'm so in love with you it's absolutely mental. Hell, I fall even more in love with you with every day that passes, even though I would never have guessed it was possible. You're in my bones, Mia. You're everything."

I've loved you since before I even existed.

I've known I was in love with George Weasley for a long long time. Longer than I can even wrap my head around. But it's not until this very moment that I realise just how deep my love for him runs.

He's all I could ever want in this life.

He's it for me.

He's the one I want to be with.

The one I want to come home to at the end of a long day. The one I want to wrap his bones around me while I sleep or cry or just want to be held.

He's George.

And he's mine.

"Fuck you, George Weasley. I love you", I mutter against his lips, before shortening the tiny space between us and pressing my lips against his. He shutters in response, and I can feel the tears slipping from his eyes as they make their way down his cheeks and before I know it, I can taste them on my lips as we continue to meet in a passionate kiss. One that I wish would never end.

But all good things must. So he slips his tongue onto my mouth one last time, promises of forever on the tip of it falling onto mine.

He wipes the tears I didn't notice until now are falling from my eyes and gives me a sad but hopeful smile.

"We're going to be okay. I promise", he whispers before pressing a final sloppy kiss to my temple. I close my eyes hard in agony, praying that by some miracle, we won't have to go into this fight. That we'll be free from this war, this battle, this torment that keeps casting a dark shadow over us.

But I know it's happening.

They are coming.

And there's nothing any of us can do to stop them.