99 ways to say I love you- Draco Malfoy

No.88

I missed him within the hour

"How you holding up?" George questions as he enters the office.

Emily is sat at a desk, she's sketching out ideas for a new display stand but seems distracted and George had a good idea why. In a week Draco would be getting married.

"Just swell," Emily smiles, it doesn't meet her eyes and George frowns dropping into the seat opposite her.

"You know, Hermione mentioned she's worried about you?" George questions. It was no secret her friends were worried, they'd turned a blind eye to her obvious sadness at first but eventually admitted to each other their concerns.

"She over thinks," Emily shrugs in response. George lets out a sigh.

"She said she'd popped by your apartment a few times this week. That every time she'd found you drunk and crying," he's trying to be gentle with her but his worry is filling his voice.

"Bad timing," Emily shrugs

"If you're drinking because you are upset and you don't know how to cope we can help you,"

"George are you asking all of this because you're my employer. Because I've never been drunk at work and I am putting in high effort and I'm never late and I-"

"Emily, I don't care. I don't care that your my employee. I'm asking you because you're family. You're my sister. I don't like the thought of you drinking alone every night and crying yourself to sleep and not knowing how to come with the fact you're heartbroken,"

"I'm fine George," Emily groans, she doesn't want to admit that she's struggling. Doesn't want to seem weak.

" you're not. You haven't been to family dinner in two months. You hardly talk at work. You don't make plans outside of working. You aren't fine,"

After the engagement party for the first month nothing much really changed. Then all of a sudden to the rest of their friends it did. Emily became unavailable, no one could get her out of her slump. Draco was hardly better, he attended family dinner and he would see the boys semi regularly, he met Hermione for coffee a few times.

The rest of them weren't aware that Emily and Draco had decided to stop speaking. It was too painful. They wanted more than anything to be in each other's lives and they vowed one day they would be again. But at that moment it was hurting them both more than helping. They agreed to take a step back from their friendship.

They both regretted the choice within 24 hours of making it.

"I feel so stupid," she admits, George coos lightly at her leaning forward to grab her hand

"You're not stupid. Anyone would be upset," he comforts gently.

"It's just so ridiculous of me. I knew the whole time that he would marry someone else and now I'm running around the world butt hurt he's doing it. He told me he was going to,"

"Yeah, but knowing it's coming and actually witnessing it is two very different things," he reminds her

"I guess- I don't know- it's stupid- but I just- well I thought-" she cuts herself off, looking away when she feels tears in her eyes

"That he wouldn't go through with it?" George questions. She nods, still not looking at him. "We all thought that sweetheart, not just you," he assures

"We aren't talking," she admits

"What?"

"Two months ago, we agreed being friends was too much right now. Watching him wedding prep just hurt and he found planning a wedding with someone who wasn't me was awful. We agreed to take a step back until the dust had settled,"

"And now?"

"I missed him within the hour," she admits

"I'm sorry," George sighs. He knows there's nothing he can say. Nothing he can do. The only thing that would make her happy would be to get her man back and he couldn't give her that. George Weasley would move heaven and earth for her, but he couldn't give her what she needed.

"I know," she sighs and allows herself to let George look after once more "one week and it's all done. Signed for all eternity,"