Elusive // The Weasley Twins

16. Morning After

George sat up awake in bed for nearly thirty minutes after Cosette dozed off. He couldn't fall asleep even if he tried.

Cosette had called him Fred.

After everything that happened today. He showed up with a box of memorabilia for her, he made Cosette her favorite drinks. He kissed her, she told him to spend the night and then she kissed him.

And that whole time, she had been picturing Fred.

Cosette didn't want George. She wanted Fred.

George was on the brink of thinking that maybe, possibly, he had formed a connection with Cosette. One that was stronger than just their previous years of friendship.

Turned out it was only because she was drunk and was thinking of his twin brother.

George ran a hand through his hair as he glanced down to look at Cosette. She had fallen asleep almost immediately after saying goodnight to him, well, to Fred, which was good on George's part because he didn't know how to react. He didn't know what to say and he had been awake for the past thirty minutes, anxiously expecting Cosette to wake up and he still had no words for her.

He could barely look at her.

Knowing that she didn't see him in the same light that he saw her was devastating. George could never be Fred, but Fred seemed to be the only person on Cosette's mind. Even when they were together.

George had to leave. There wasn't anything in the world that would convince him to spend the night. It didn't matter anymore that Cosette had asked him to stay with her because in the back of George's mind, he knew that she was just wanting a body to keep her warm.

Slowly, he climbed out of bed, careful not to disturb her or adjust the covers too much. He slid his bottoms and shoes back on before quietly opening the bedroom door. George peeked over his shoulder one last time to see Cosette still peacefully sleeping and there was a part of him that told him to get back into bed.

He had never been so conflicted before and it was hard to accept the fact that she would never want him the way he wanted her.

George stepped into the hallway and shut the door behind him with defeat weighing heavy on his chest. He grabbed his wand that had been left in the pocket of his pants and made his way across the house. He was going to apparate back to his flat, but apparition was a very loud form of transportation and George didn't want to wake anyone up with the loud cracking that followed.

He didn't bother checking on anyone in the living room before walking out the front door. They had all been dead asleep by the time him and Cosette made their way to the bedroom.

When George stepped outside, he made sure to shut the front door behind him softly. It wasn't just the people in the house he was trying not to disturb, but Cosette's neighbors as well. It was nearing two in the morning and although it was very unlikely anyone would be up at this house, George still didn't want to draw any attention to himself as he walked along to the side of the house.

He meant to ask Cosette why she had chosen to move into a muggle neighborhood. There were a few other things that he wanted to talk to her about, just out of genuine curiosity. She had been out of his life for three years and George wanted to get that time back. He thought that showing up tonight would be the first step, but apparently George thought wrong.

He had no idea how he was going to continue to see her, or if he was even going to see her after tonight. Did he even want to?

She called him Fred.