Catch Me When I Fall ~ [George Weasley]

Chapter Two

To the twins, it never mattered who Eleanora's father was or what he'd done. It didn't matter that she wasn't into making a spectacle of herself like they so often did. They didn't care that she didn't have a family like they did, didn't have a mother. To the twins, all this only contributed to their view that Eleanora was the strongest, most beautiful girl in the entire school. They would do anything to keep that pretty smile on her face, cheer her up at her lowest moments, throw punches at anyone who threatened to bring her down further. She was as important to them as they were to her and they loved her. They knew she loved them too, but they also knew she would never admit to it- and they accepted that.

As Eleanora sat atop the astronomy tower, the cool September breeze flowing through her long dark hair, she let her mind wonder to her father. Where was he? What could he be doing right now? She found her even contemplating whether she swam through his thoughts as often as he did hers- a thought she rarely let herself have as she was sure she already knew the answer. Tears began to fall down Eleanora's rosy cheeks. This was the only place Eleanora let herself cry, it was the only place she could be alone. No one at Hogwarts had ever seen her cry, even the twins, and she planned to keep it that way. Eleanora prided herself on being able to hide her emotions, maintaining a collected and cool exterior, even when all she wanted to do was scream. She rarely faltered in her façade, but when she did she made sure no one was around to see. Remus frequently mentioned how being so skillful in hiding one's emotions was a classic trait of the Black family, which only contributed to the self-loathing that Eleanora battled with on a daily basis. It pained her to know she had anything in common with her father.

The sound of footsteps echoed up the staircase, and Eleanora managed to wipe her tears away and regain her composure just as the door swung open. She fought the urge to see who had interrupted her thoughts, hoping they would simply see her sat there and leave- like usual.

"Hey Lenny." Eleanora found herself feeling a wave of comfort at the sound of her best friend. A brief silence spread throughout the tower before Fred spoke again. "You didn't eat, so we thought we'd bring you some food."

Fred was usually so full of energy he was practically bouncing off the walls, and this was generally portrayed in his voice. He always spoke loudly and excitedly, tripping over his words as if not saying them fast enough risked them not leaving his lips at all. But now, as he spoke to Eleanora, his voice was soft and laced with concern. Eleanora turned her head towards them slightly.

"Thanks guys" she said almost in a whisper "but I'm not too hungry".

She listened to their footsteps as the twins drew nearer, placing themselves either side of her at.

"That's bullshit Len, and you know it." Fred's voice was still soft, but this time there was a sternness to his tone. "Eat". He lifted Eleanora's chin with his finger so she was looking at him completely, before cocking his eyebrow and giving her a look signaling she really didn't have a choice in the matter. Eleanora forced a polite smile and simply nodded, the twins responded by emptying their pockets and handing her the food they had smuggled out of the hall.

The three sat in silence for a while, looking out across the grounds of the school. George and Fred also picked at the food, knowing that Eleanora would not like to eat alone and that they had gathered far too much food for one person.

George hadn't said a word since entering the tower with his brother. Truthfully, he wasn't sure what to say, and he was sure that Eleanora hadn't been in the mood to talk about anything anyway. As they finished their food, Eleanora bought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her chin on her arm, never allowing her gaze to part from the darkness outside. Behind her, George and Fred shared a discreet glance at one another and Fred nodded at his brother knowingly. Without a word he stood up, giving Eleanora's shoulder a squeeze before leaving the tower. Eleanora still didn't divert her gaze, even when she felt George scoot so close to her that their shoulders were touching and she could feel the heat radiating from his body.