Spellbind

26. I Only Ever Wanted You

Niyla POV:

George waited outside for me, near the entrance of my common room. While I hurried to my empty dormitory to leave my school bag, before heading to the Forest for the first task. I took a swift look at myself in the upright mirror in one corner of the room. I could still easily feel the way George's lips softly brushed against mine, so my cheeks were rose-pink and only getting redder knowing he was waiting for me.

I took a moment to braid some sections of my hair and pulled it into a ponytail. Then frantically changed into more flexible, high-waisted black jeans and a forget-me-not blue button-up. — As I swapped clothing, I pictured myself falling and hitting the dirt as I tried not to get hit with a ball of flames shooting at me from the mouth of a dragon. I was fidgeting so much with the buttons, I nearly left my wand behind.

The instant he saw me again, George smiled, almost laughed.

"What?" I half demanded.

He held out his hands, gesturing for me to fall in place inside them. And I did; we hugged. George rested his chin on the top of my head, exhaling through a hum as he thought about his response.

"It's only—" he finally said with a sigh, still holding me. "—I know now that you are...but I just can't help thinking; how could you possibly be meant for me?"

With my ear pressed against his chest I listened to the acceleration of his heartbeat.

"Why?" I said without much thought.

I was too distracted by trying to memorize the rhythm coming from his chest. I thought I loved the sound of my name coming from his lips, or the sound of his voice. But now, I think I favor the rhythmic thuds from his incredible heartbeats. A tune, I would surely go absolutely mad, should something permanently stop its melody.

"Because..." For a second I thought that was all he was going to say; I was too enchanted with what was inside his chest to recognize his subtle somber tone.

"...There are countless other people like me; even my brother, who is practically me. Meaning compared to you, I am nothing. I come from nothing—"

"Shh," without looking up to meet his eyes, I put a finger over his lips. I did not want to peel my ear from his chest, but I knew I had to.

"You don't know what you're talking about," I scowled a little, moving away from him.

"George," my face softened. "George, I envy you."

"You?" he looked back at me skeptically.

"You don't come from nothing, George. You come from a family with bonds so absolute, so unbreakably pure. While I? I come from secrets and lies. It is only when I look at you that I know it is you who I cannot compare to, but also that I do not wish to." My eyebrows creased with slight seriousness.

"You are not like your brother," I continued. "The more time I spend with you, the more I can see how much that is true. I'm one of the school's pariahs, undoubtedly viewed as not to be worthy of anyone. So don't think you are less than what you plainly are..."

My cheeks were searing with an intense blush, my eyes fluttered away from George for a moment.

"You're the rarity, one could only dream of...not me," I murmured.

I could feel his gaze on me, I stood less than an arm's length away. Until he wrapped his arms around me again. It was then I realized, after so many years of discomfort of being bumped into or touched randomly by passersby. Or even sometimes with Draco, when he'd playfully hug me. I didn't get rigid or shuddered with uneasiness, but eased into his arms like it was the safest place to be in the entire world. I couldn't remember being hugged and not flinching inwardly at the gesture, even with my father Remus.

Suddenly with my ear resting on his chest again, I found my favorite tune. It was calmer. I exhaled, a smile twitching on the corners of my lips. I found a kind of pleasure in wondering if I was the only girl he held this close. His solid upper arms felt strong around me, I made myself blush at the thought of covertly groping for them the next chance I got. — For instance, when we'd be walking down a corridor and I'd be holding onto one of his arms, for support, because I might trip from being distracted by all the stares.

"You amaze me, you know that?" George sighed.

"I found it hard to see myself as something other than the Weasley's mischievous twins. It was easy to fall into that way of seeing myself; let people only see me as that. But with you... I think I could find my true self with you..."

I was quiet for a moment. Struggling to find my voice, in the confession I was contemplating.

"However long it takes you to see yourself as I do, I don't care." I listened intently to the sound of his pulse pounding, still sounding in my ear.

"I will stumble with you, wait with you, for you..."

I turned my head, so our eyes could meet. When mine met his, I was suddenly so sure of what my next words would be. There was no longer any hesitation in my mind.

"...Because I will never stop loving you."

George seemed to have caught his breath, the inky-colored center of his eyes grew in an instant.

"George, I love you," I breathed. "I think I always have; because I don't think I ever felt the way I've felt for you all these years, for anyone else... Nothing can compare to you, because like I told you earlier; you are everything I ever would want. I want nothing else... no one else; but you."

"Y-You..." George stammered, eyes widened.

"I've been patient in waiting for you to say those words first, and now that you have; I want you to say them until your voice gives out," he smiled widely; while blushing so extremely I could feel the heat resonating from his face.

"I think it would lose any meaning if I said it so much," I muttered.

George laughed lightly. "Not coming from you."

And then he crushed his lips against mine, with much more force. I didn't have a moment to react but melted effortlessly into his embrace.

"You say you loved me first..." George exhaled quickly after finally letting me breathe, he pressed his forehead against mine; our eyes closed.

"It was slow, but surely. But for me, it was like I tripped and fell hard, on my face and into the obvious. You had time and grace to bear it; I didn't. I had no idea what to do with myself. It was agony. But hearing you now say the words..." he let out another sharp sigh.

"I can't — never want to — think of being with anyone else. I just hope to be worthy of you..."

George took the sides of my face in his hands, and before I could argue how much he was wrong to question his worthiness to me. He said those three words I'd been dreaming of for years, that he'd one day confess to me.

"I love you, Niyla," he said slowly.