Still ; George Weasley

One-hundred and forty-five

I had decided to visit Marco and Will later that same day.

Well, I came to get Marco for our appointment with the tattoo artist so it wasn't hat much of a visit, seeing as they expected me.

Maybe it was the wrong time though.

As soon as I entered the flat, I could hear the two yelling at each other in their bedroom, and Caroline was watching it all, standing outside of their door, here in the hallway.

Caroline saw me stand there with Chloe and came running over to greet not only me but also her, though she was more interested in Chloe.

I took off Chloe's leash and ran my hand over her head before her and Caroline ran into the living room, chasing each other.

"How am I supposed to know if you don't tell me?!" William's voice boomed through the flat and the strength of it, reminded me of getting yelled at by our dad when we were kids. "Marcus, it's just hair!"

"Don't yell at me!"

"You're frustrating me, Marco!" Will continued to yell. "Just tell me what the problem is!"

"You look like him!" Marco yelled so loudly that everything immediately went quiet.

I paused in the hallway as I had been on my way into the kitchen.

Maybe this is a bad time?

"And it reminds me of him—" Marco repeated. "...he always had a full beard and I could feel it against my skin every time he..."

It went quiet again. No one said anything and then William left the bedroom, hurrying towards the bathroom without looking my way.

I walked over to the door and looked at Marco who had taken a seat at the end of the bed.

"You alright?" I asked.

Marco looked up and I sighed when I saw the way his eyes were bloodshot and full of tears. He quickly wiped them, letting out a small chuckle.

"Course I am." He smiled. "Always."

"Marco, you don't have to shield me from it." I said and walked over to take a seat next to him. "You can always talk to me."

He turned his head to look at me as he rested his elbows on his knees.

"I was always so lonely, y'know." He said. "I spent more time with him than I did anyone else. It started to become normal and when it didn't hurt, it felt good... which is so fucked up, but he would tell me that every young boy my age would have to learn it."

I ran my hand up to the nape of his neck, playing with his hair in a soothing motion as I listened to him speak.

"I've never said that out loud before." He breathed, closing his eyes. "That it felt good."

"Marco—"

"But I didn't know it was wrong." He looked at me again. "I was so young, Allie... I didn't know."

I forced a small smile at him, trying to do my best at comforting him.

"I've never thanked you." He said. "You're the reason I found out it was rape. I'm sorry you had to experience it too."

"The world is cruel." I said. "Don't apologise for what happened. It wasn't your fault."

"I've always—" he sighed. "...you needed to be protected from all the things that can go wrong in ones life, and I thought I did an okay job, but then everything came crashing down around you and it felt like I was just watching without doing anything, and then you started drinking and got addicted like I got addicted to drugs..."