Across The Street || George Weasley

18 - betrayed

Y/N's POV

THE store is still open when I walk in, and since it's a Friday afternoon, they're super busy. No, not busy. More like swamped. Fred is busy helping out customers and George isn't anywhere in sight, so I climb the stairs to their apartment, figuring I'll find him up there. 

Just as I anticipated he's there when I open the door. But what I see makes my blood run cold. He's face to face with another girl and I inhale sharply at the sight of their close proximity to one another. It's like the wind has been knocked out of me, but I somehow manage to find the words I'm looking for.

"Who are you?" I ask the girl. She looks familiar but I don't know her name. They both look towards me at the sound of my voice and George looks shocked to see me. Almost like he's been caught doing something he's not supposed to.

"I'm Angelina Johnson, George's girlfriend." She says. "Who are you?"

"No one that matters." I manage to say, thanking Merlin that my voice doesn't crack. 

George opens his mouth and closes it again, clearly unable to come up with anything to say. The tears are already stinging the backs of my eyes, so I don't bother taking the stairs out of the apartment. Instead, I turn on my heels and apparate back to my house.

So much for celebrating tonight. I feel betrayed. He has a girlfriend. Just saying it in my head brings the tears streaming down my face. There's only two possible explanations. 

Either he wasn't as upset over our fight as Fred claimed him to be, clearly moving on pretty fast. Or he was with her all along. 

*****

George's POV

"WHY would you say that to her?" I ask Angelina, turning towards her once I watch y/n apparate away. It's only after she's gone that I find my words. Figures. At the sight of her in front of me after nearly a week, so many thoughts were running through my head, I couldn't form any of them into actual sentences. Until now. And now, all I'm feeling is frustration and annoyance with Angelina.

She looks at me as if I'm stupid. "Because it's the truth George. I'm your girlfriend. I have been since awhile before the War broke out."

I run a hand through my hair, letting out a sigh. "No you haven't. We broke up right after the war, remember?" I say through gritted teeth. I haven't seen Angeline in over a year and now that she shows up, it just happens to be when y/n stops by. When I'm in love with someone else. 

There. I thought the thought that's been plaguing me every night for the past week. Why I was so upset over seeing her with other guys. Why her being upset with me bothered me so much, to the point that I didn't even want to run the joke shop anymore. It wasn't just some stupid crush stemming from one too many hookups. I'm in love with her. But now any chance I could have had with her has likely gone out the window as soon as Angelina told her she was my girlfriend. 

"What are you talking about, George? Right after the war, you told me that you weren't able to be in a relationship anymore because of everything you went through. You said you needed time to focus on yourself." She says. "I thought you meant we were taking a break not that we were breaking up."

"It was a break up, Angelina." I sigh. "I've moved on. Well only recently, and that girl you just talked to is the girl I'm currently in love with. I'm sorry, Angelina. I thought you knew where we stood and I figured you would have moved on by now too."

"I didn't realise...I mean, yeah over the past year there's been a few other guys that I've gone on dates with but nothing serious. I was mostly passing my time waiting for you to be ready. I thought a year would be enough time, but I'm guessing I'm too late."

"You're not too late and even if you came two months ago, you wouldn't have been too early. It has nothing to do with timing. Our time together was great but it wasn't love, you know? I thought it was, but now that my heart belongs to someone else, I know it wasn't. We were just lust-filled teenagers."

She falls silent and when she doesn't speak for a few minutes, I open my mouth again. "I'm really sorry Angelina. I had no idea you've been waiting around for me all this time. Are we okay?"

She nods slowly. "Yeah. We're fine." She smiles. "I'm just glad that you're happy. Now, go set things right with her. 

"Thank you so much Angelina!" I say excitedly, wrapping her in a tight hug. When I pull away it's like my body's been electrified, fuelled by a new sense of purpose. 

I rush down the stairs and pass Fred who's cashing people out. "I'll be back later! I'm going to win y/n back!"

I don't wait for his answer before I rush out into the street and apparate to her house. I rap my fist against the door repeatedly and then wait for her to answer. But she doesn't. 

I peek in through the windows, my heart rate increasing with anxiety. The house is dark, not a single light on. Of course, it's only early evening so that could be an explanation. But there's also no movement inside from what I can see. 

"Are you looking for the woman who lives there?" I hear a voice call out and turn around to see a man walking his dog down the street. 

"Yeah." I nod. "Do you know if she's home?"

He shakes his head. "I don't think she is. My wife saw her leave with a packed bag awhile ago. Not sure where she went though."

My ears are ringing, my head pounding. She's gone. That thought bounces around in my head repeatedly, along with another one. Have I lost her for good?

*****

A/N: You all thought y/n and George would be getting back together in this chapter, right? Well you were wrong. You'll have to wait a bit longer hehe