Annabella The Sidekick (Sequal To Defiance)

Chapter 50

(A/N) Oh my gosh. This is the fiftieth chapter to this story! It's so amazing to have written this much. I love you all and thank you for reading!
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*Annabella's POV*
    It's about an hour later when the boys leave. I said I was tired but I'm unable to sleep. My eyelids are heavy and I'm tired but the fear of nightmares always keeps me up. They've been getting worse lately. They aren't always the same, although some are repetitive. Some are past experiences. My least favorite is that night in the graveyard when Voldemort returned.
    I don't know how late it is when I hear my door creak open. I shoot up into a sitting position, but it's only George. "Hello there, Love." A smile breaks across my face as I scoot over to give him room to lie down. "I thought you would be asleep by now. I just wanted to check on you," he tells me as he's lying down.
    "No I'm wide awake," I inform him. A concerned look creeps upon his face. "Bells are you sure you're alright?" He asks me. "Never better. It's just a few nightmares really." Georgie wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer. "Have you tried dreamless sleep potion?" He asks me. I nod my head. "It makes me feel sluggish."
    "Well I'm here now. Get some rest." I shake my head and kiss George's neck. "Can't we do something else?" I ask. George shivers beside me. "No Bells we can't. There will be plenty of time to spend together. Get some rest right now." I curl my body into him and rest my forehead on his chest. George strokes my hair lightly, making me relax. Even though I don't want to, I fall asleep.
"Hello there," Bellatrix hisses. I say nothing, just lie on the floor of Malfoy Manor. "Did you think your friends from the order would come and save you?" She speaks to me as if talking to a very small child. Again, I refuse to answer. "Well you were wrong!" She screams.
The torture begins. It's never ending. I scream over and over but it won't stop. Bellatrix is ruthless and she won't stop until I break. "You are of no use to anyone!" She berates me. Instead of using crucio on me, Bellatrix uses one of the other three unforgivable curses. I can't hear her say it over my screaming but I know by the flash of green light.
When I sit up in bed a hand grabs my arm. I jerk away from them and reach for my wand, but then I hear his voice. "It's alright Bells it's just me," he whispers. Chest heaving, I turn to face him. The look on his face is serious. "They've gotten worse haven't they?" He asks me. I shake my head at him. "Of course not. You just haven't been here for a while that's all," I lie.
Of course Georgie sees right through my lie. "Tell me the truth," he says quietly. "Okay so they have gotten worse. A lot worse." Pulling me close to him, George sighs. "Bells why didn't you tell me?" He asks. "I didn't want to worry you!" I exclaim. "It didn't work because I worry about you all the time," my boyfriend informs me. I lie back down with my head on George's chest. "I love you."
"I love you too."
The next day Remus and I go out to a muggle cafe for tea. We've been coming here for a long time and it's a tradition of sorts for us.
    "How are your nightmares Bella?" Remus asks me before taking a sip of his chamomile tea. I get a bit nervous because Remus always figures out the truth. "They're fine," I tell him with a dismissive wave of my hand. "It's just some silly dreams." Rolling his eyes, Remus takes another sip of his tea. "We both know that isn't true."
    "Alright! They aren't silly," I admit. "How often do you have them?" Remus asks me. I sigh as I answer him. "Every night now." Remus gives me a serious look. "Annabella, do you want to tell me what happened in Malfoy Manor?" He asks. I shake my head immediately. "No. I can't talk about it. I told Harry once and I never want to speak about it again."
"Bella it may help," Remus says. "Not today Remus," I say. Sighing, Remus sips his tea again. "Will you tell me someday?" He asks me. Although I'm not sure, I nod my head. "Someday I will."
A few days before Christmas I head to the twins' store to visit. They've been very busy selling Christmas presents. "Bells!" Fred shouts from the counter as I walk in. "Hello!" I reply happily. "How's the shop?" Fred grins widely. "We're a bit slow at the moment but I suspect it'll pick up later." I sit on the counter and turn to face Fred.
"Where's Georgie?" I ask. "Getting some stuff from the supply room. It's nice and dark in there," Fred teases me. "Shut up!" I exclaim, my face turning red. Fred begins to laugh and so do I. "Well we all know what's going on with you and Alicia!" I say. Fred gives me a shove and I give him one back. He shoved me harder and I begin to fall off the counter, but I'm caught by a pair of arms.
"Well hello there," George says. "Hi," I reply sheepishly. "I'm taking lunch Fred. I'll be back in a bit," My boyfriend says before grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs. "I feel like I haven't seen you in ages!" I say. "I thought you were supposed to join us for dinner last night."
"Oh yeah sorry. I got caught up at Angelina's." I'm about to change the topic but I stop. "You were at Angelina's? With Fred and Lee?" I ask. George shakes his head. "No I just popped by to say hello. We all check in on each other." He tells me. "Well why couldn't Fred do it?" I ask. George rolls his eyes. "Don't tell me you're jealous!"
"Of course I'm jealous! Angelina is the same girl that tried to get you to cheat on me and the one that you snogged to win some stupid bet!" George stops cold. "She's not the same as she used to be." Now it's my turn to roll my eyes. "If course you'd defend her since you're at her house all the time," I say angrily.
"Bella, for the last time it's not like that!" He says loudly. "So if I'm spending my weekends and the time I'm supposed to be spending with you at another guy's house it's fine?" I ask. "Of course it isn't fine! You should trust me though!" I roll my eyes again. "Why would you not trust me?" I demand. George shrugs. "Oh I don't know! Maybe it's that time you dated my brother!"
"Yeah, just like that time you dumped me for no reason!" George slams his fist down on the kitchen counter. "I can spend time at Angelina's if I please." He says. "Is it like the time Fred spends at Alicia's?" I ask. George doesn't say another word, just walks out onto the balcony muttering about a "headache for a girlfriend."
I rest my head on the wall for a moment. A few moments later, Fred enters the room. "Lee got here so I thought I'd join you two for lunch. Where's George?" I shrug in response. "He's out on the balcony because I'm too much of a headache to deal with. Really it's just another word for annoying," I say, trying to disguise the fact that my eyes are filling with tears.
I'm sure Fred knows though. My face tends to get terribly blotchy when I cry. After knowing me for so long, I'm sure he can pick up on when I'm crying. "Bells don't cry," he says quietly before pulling me into a hug. "Georgie doesn't really think you're annoying. Why are you fighting anyway?" I hiccup a bit and shake my head. "I was upset he missed dinner with us to go to Angelina's and he just called me jealous." I wipe my eyes because the tears have begun to spill over. "It's going to be fine, just talk to him."
I walk over to the balcony door as Fred goes back downstairs. It has blinds on it so I can't see out. Reluctantly I open the door and step outside. George is sitting against the wall with his head in his hands. He looks up at me as I step outside. "Can't you tell where you're not wanted?" He asks harshly. I take a step back as if I've been physically hit.
I open my mouth to say something but no sound comes out. Regret crosses George's face, but I've already run inside crying before he can say anything. When I reach downstairs, Fred grabs my arm. "Hey, what is it?" He asks. I jerk my arm away. "Apparently I'm no longer wanted here." I say bitterly. "That's not true Bells. I want you here. Lee likes you." Lee nods.
"You're probably going to get busy soon. I have things to do anyway," I tell him in response. Fred laughs and wipes a rouge tear from my cheek. "Like what?" He laughs. "Clean?" I roll my eyes. "Of course not. Kreacher does all of that!" I joke. I hop up onto the counter and sit with the boys. "I'm hungry," Lee says. Fred and I nod in agreement but say nothing. "Who's getting food?" Lee asks. "You," Fred and I say at the same time before bursting into laughter.
"I walked into that. Where from?" He asks us. "Pizza?" I ask. Fred nods. "I like pizza." Lee also nods his head. "Me too. I'll go up and see if George wants any." Fred and I sit in silence after Lee leaves. Finally I sigh. "I've really done it this time, haven't I?" I ask. "Every couple argues," Fred says. "Are you and Alicia a couple?" I ask him finally.
"I don't know really. I'd like to think so but really we're just friends," he replies. "With benefits," I add. "With benefits," Fred repeats as the door opens. Who should walk in but Angelina? She waves happily and smiles at Fred. When she sees me her smile falters a bit but stays on her face.
"I was just heading into town and wanted to know if you needed anything?" She asks. Fred shakes his head. "We're okay," he tells her. "Is Georgie upstairs? I better see if he needs anything," she says, looking at me with the last two words. My face flushes as she walks up the stairs. "Wow," Fred says after the door closes. I nod. "I'm choosing to believe she was not referencing what I know she was referencing." I say. Fred snorts. "What? Your non-existent sex life?" I give him a shove and laugh. "Exactly."
Angelina soon leaves and Lee walks in with a couple boxes of pizza. "Lee, there are four of us," I point out. He nods and points to one of the boxes. "I know. That one is for me." He goes upstairs to get George and Fred and I begin to divvy out the pizza. "Don't touch Lee's pizza," Fred says with a laugh as I pick up the box.
"Who's touching my pizza?" Lee asks as he comes downstairs with George in tow. I begin to howl with laughter. "That sounded so dirty," I say. The boys begin to join in and soon we're all laughing. We're all quiet for a moment as we begin to eat our pizza. George says nothing to me and doesn't even look at me.
"What's Mum making for dinner tonight?" Fred asks me. "I don't know," I reply. "Well we'll be there," he says. "Yeah if someone doesn't get caught up at Angelina's," I say to myself. George however, hears me. "You're so petty! Get over it!" He shouts. "Stop shouting!" I exclaim. "Maybe I like shouting!" He yells. "George, please stop it," I say quietly, reminded of other times I was yelled at.
"I'll shout if I want to! Stop being so sensitive!" He screams. I set my plate down on the counter calmly and run out of the store and down the street. Most of the shops are abandoned and empty, but I run past them. For a brief time I hear my name being shouted but ignore it. It's only when I stumble over something and fall that I stop. My ankle burns and I crawl over to two empty shops and sit between them crying silently.
I have no idea where I am, but I don't really care. My ankle hurts and I'm sad and maybe my boyfriend broke up with me. Leaning against one of the shops, I rest my head on my knees. I don't know how long I sit there, but it's a very long time. My ankle begins to swell and I know that the funny way I landed on it wasn't good. After a while, I begin to hear my name being shouted again. I'm not entirely sure I want to be found, but a certain quidditch commentator walks by and I find myself saying his name.
"We've been looking for you!" He says. "I hurt my ankle," I tell him. He walks over to me and picks me up bridal style. "It's alright, don't be upset," he says. "Easy for you to say," I laugh. Lee chuckles along with me. "Yeah I guess it is. I don't remember the last time my boyfriend named George was angry at me." I laugh again.
I apparently ran quite a long ways because it's several minutes before the shop comes into few. "We have been worried sick," Lee says, setting me down on the counter. "I can fix your ankle." I shrug before kicking out my leg. "Go for it." Lee mutters a spell and I feel a sharp pain that makes me squeal, but then it feels better. "Thanks Lee," I tell him. "No problem," he replies.
He goes outside to find Fred and George and leaves me behind the counter. Nobody comes in anyways. A few minutes later, the twins walk in. They both look terribly distraught until they see me, like maybe they didn't believe I was here. They come over to me. "Gave is a good scare," Fred says. I nod. "Sorry. I would've come back but I hurt my ankle. I better be getting home anyway. See you for dinner?" I ask. Fred and Lee nod, but George says nothing.
I walk to the fireplaces and go home. Around six, Fred and George apperate into the living room. We talk for a bit before dinner time and when we sit down at the table, George takes the seat next to me. "Still angry then?" I ask quietly. Stuffing his mouth, he nods.
After dinner, I go up to my room. It isn't long before a certain someone comes in and closes the door. "I'm tired of fighting Georgie." He nods before sitting down next to me. "I came up here so we could talk actually," he tells me. "Oh," I say, feeling my heart break. "You don't need to say anymore." He looks confused. "I don't?"
"No. I don't want to hear you say it." George just looks at me. "I want to say it anyway, just so you understand." I turn away from him as a tear escapes my eye. "We'll go on then, say it," I tell him. "I'm sorry Bells. I love you." I turn to say something but George stops me. "Maybe we need to take some time apart." I nod my head even though I don't agree.
    "I'm not breaking up with you. Not at all. I would never date anyone else. I'll never be with anyone else. The store is just busy and I'm stressed out. It's not fair to either of us this way." I pull my knees to my chest and lay my head down, not wanting George to see me cry. "It's not forever. I just need some time." I nod my head, afraid to say anything in case I break.
    "Go away," I finally say. "Just go." Without another word, George leaves my room and closes the door behind him. When he leaves, I let myself go and start sobbing. There's a knock on my door and Mum steps in slowly. "Are you alright Darling?" She asks me. I nod and bury my head into my pillow.
    A moment later I feel her sit down on my bed. "Are you really okay?" This time I shake my head no.