The Girl who Survived (Fred Weasley)

CH 43. Reading

~Elodie's POV~

          Sleep was still evading me. It wouldn't have bothered me as much if it weren't notable on my face. I hated being awake at one in the morning, nightmares haunting me, leaving me breathless, feeling as if I would wake the entirety of the house. I went down into the kitchen and prepared myself a pot of tea, hoping it would be enough to coax me back to sleep. I turned on a little Lumos, small enough that it would not be noticeable for anyone who came down. Not that they would.

          The house creaked of oldness and dust. I could sense why Sirius hated hiding here, no one else could hear it, but the wall vibrated of the hatred the Black family bushed into their generations. Nonetheless the house was sturdy, so the only noises that sounded off came from within. I heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Sirius had a habit of checking on me throughout the night so I figured it would be him coming to see if I was down here and not in bed where I was meant to be.

          I was surprised to see that it was George who came into the kitchen. I watched him quietly as he tiptoed his way to the refrigerator and nabbed the last piece of chocolate cake. He looked like a thief in a black and white movie that exaggerated his movements to not be caught. The kettle on the stove caught his attention which led to him touching it to realize it was still hot. He turned to look over the kitchen and saw me seated at the end of the table.

          "Blimey, you nearly gave me a heart attack," He said as he stumbled back into the counter. "What are you doing down here?" He asked me.

          "Couldn't sleep," I answered as I set my mug back on the table.

          "Nightmares? Or the voices?" He asked as he walked over to take a seat near me, but not next to me.

          I nodded not wanting to speak on either too much. George hadn't spoken to me much since he arrived. I knew that everyone was giving me my space, and it had only been a couple of days. But it still felt odd. George had always been by my side when I needed him, even if Fred and I weren't speaking, he never took a break from being my friend.

          "You've been avoiding me," I said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement of fact. He set his fork down and looked at me, a bit surprised by the bluntness of accusation. "Is it me, am I the one that pushes people away? Am I destined to be alone? I mean, it must be, because it doesn't make sense. You've spent the last two years constantly at my side and now you can hardly look at me."

          "I can't..." He began, keeping his eyes locked with the chocolate mess in front of him. "El I feel like I lied to you."

          "You didn't," I told him confidently. I felt terrible that he'd been holding on to this guilt.

          "Yes, Elodie I did. I told you nothing bad was going to happen. I took you for granted, I underestimated you and now look at what's happened. I promised you. So not only did I lie to you, but I also broke a promise," He said and ran a hand through his hair before finally looking at me. "I listened to you fall apart and all I did was sit outside of the door and listen. I thought it would be punishment enough, but all it did was make me realize-" he said as his voice cracked a bit.

          "Hey, it's okay. Georgie, look at me," I said and reached over and put my hand gently on his cheek.

          "El..." He began as he placed his hand over mine.

          "I'm not broken. You can't see me as a raindrop in the vast moving ocean, that's wrong," I told him as I placed both my hands in front of me. "The more time that passes, the more I think I'm actually the Ocean. I am capable of dangerous hurricanes, and harsh waves. I can destroy everything in the blink of an eye. When it comes to chaos and mayhem, I'm far too capable of losing myself," I said and took a sip of my tea that was beginning to go cold. I placed it back on the table and blew a long breath into it until I saw steam emerge from the cup.