Learn to Love Again | George Weasley

44. The Man With Twenty Keys

January 2000

Eloise was walking down the sidewalk, pulling her coat tight around her body as she fought against the winter wind. Here the weather always seemed to be coldest in January, somehow she had nearly forgotten.

The streets were comfortingly familiar as her heels clicked against the cobblestone path but at the same time it almost felt like a distant memory. For a moment she nearly had to remind herself how exactly to find her way to where she was going but luckily it seemed like her body still had muscle memory as she passed by the same old shops and cafes she'd come to know over the years.

She picked up her pace slightly, hoping she'd be able to get to where she was going before it closed but also because she was craving the warmth of the indoors as the wind whipped harshly against her skin. When she finally reached her destination, she pushed through the door and a familiar ring of a bell filled the shop as she stepped inside. Almost everything looked just as it always had and she found comfort in its familiarity. But there was one thing she noticed immediately that felt starkly out of place.

A young brunette woman was sitting on the counter passing the time by flipping through a Quidditch magazine, clearly making herself feel right at home. The sound of the bell gathered her attention as she glanced up from the pages to see who had just entered. A frown immediately formed on her face when she locked eyes with Eloise before she set down the magazine and hopped down from the counter.

"So you decided to come back after all. Here to see George?" Alicia asked, taking a step towards her.

The impatient tone in her voice took Eloise by surprise, "Um, no. I'm here to see Verity."

Alicia's expression softened ever so slightly and Eloise did her best to not read too deeply into it.

"She's upstairs." Alicia remarked as she turned around to return to her place on the counter, quickly picking up the magazine in what seemed like an attempt to ignore Eloise's presence.

"Okay, thanks." she said softly before making her first step up the spiral stairs but right at that moment, a door towards the back of the shop opened.

"Elle?" George stepped out of his office with a smile on his face as his eyes fell on her.

"Oh, hi." she replied, quickly glancing at Alicia for a split second before taking a step back from the stairs and turning to face George, "I'm just here to see Verity. We're going to go look at a flat together."

His smile widened as he approached her, clearly happy to hear the news that she had decided to stay, "That's great, I'm really happy to hear that."

Alicia cleared her throat as she set down the magazine once more, "Why don't I just go tell her you're here?"

"Oh sure, thanks."

The brunette quickly brushed passed them and climbed the stairs before disappearing into the flat with a slam of the door. Both Eloise and George looked up at the sound of the 'bang' and an exasperated a sigh escaped from the tall redhead the second the door shut.

"Sorry about that, she's been in a bit of a sour mood lately." George muttered.

"Why?"