Forget Me Not || George Weasley

Chapter 38

George can't stop smiling.

He can't.

Because he'd been brave enough to say the things he'd felt. He'd been brave enough to put it all on the line, and Ollie hadn't stopped him. She hadn't stopped him from nearly kissing her.

He would have just done it, he so badly wanted to. That's what he thinks about at night now, her soft lips brushing against him, the shock on her face, the dreamy light green flecks in her eyes.

George was on top of the world after that. Because he finally felt like himself. Not just when he'd almost kissed the girl he dreams about consistently now. The whole evening, talking with her grandfather, sitting and eating in the house where she grew up, dancing with her to a song that he and Philip Murphy had picked out together. He felt like himself, even though he was still trying to figure out who he was now.

He needed to go slow though. He wouldn't risk scaring her off or freaking himself out. Not over this.

"You're scaring me, mate."

George slowly lifts his head from the boxes he's stacking, turning to pin Lee with an unappreciative stare. His friend throws his hands up in defense, saying pointedly, "You're smiling like a madman. It's terrifying, George. Truly."

"Fuck off," He mutters in reply, feeling his good ear burn from Lee's comment. Lee reaches out and gently punches his arm, teasing, "I'm just fucking with you. Care to tell me what has you in such a good mood?"

George turns back to his work, saying simply, "No." Evidently, his voice doesn't hold as much edge as he'd thought it would, because Lee hums thoughtfully before carrying on, "It must be something in the air. Liv was singing like a sodding banshee yesterday despite my many attempts to stop it."

George bites down hard on the inside of his cheek, keeping his mouth shut for a moment before replying nonchalantly, "That's odd."

He just sighs when Lee snorts behind him rather loudly, "You're full of shit, George Weasley. Out with it!"

Nervousness churns his stomach, but he can't stop smiling. He can't stop smiling and it doesn't hurt to do it. It doesn't hurt, even when he wishes for a moment that Fred would tackle him to the ground with Lee, forcing him to answer all of their unspoken questions about a witch with curly hair and sage eyes.

"I like her. Like-like."

He chances a look over his shoulder and sees Lee grinning as wide as he had in a long time. His friend laughs, nodding his head up and down while saying, "Okay. You like-like her. You going to tell me why else you and Liv look like you're both full of sunshine?

George huffs out a laugh, rolling his eyes before saying pointedly, "No." His cheeks burn at the thought of confessing to Lee the sappy things he'd said to the girl. Nope. Absolutely not.

"Just as well," Lee smirks when George pauses, "I'll just get Liv to tell me when she gets here."

He nearly drops the box in his hands, cursing irritably when Lee laughs and slaps him on the back, "Did you forget about the Leaky Cauldron? We're meant to meet them in a few. Better get cleaned up."

George turns at the words, panicked for a moment. He'd been so caught up in the tiny moment he'd had with Olive that he'd completely forgotten that he'd be seeing her tonight. More laughter reaches his ear and shoves Lee playfully, muttering, "I don't need to get cleaned up. You do, Jordan."

Though he second guesses it when the bell above the door rings and he hears, "Are you two ready to go?"

His heart pounds at the thought of seeing her, his hands shoving up his sleeves and smoothing the front of his shirt. He glares when Lee snickers before shouting, "Just a second, love!"