Vulnerability || George Weasley

Fighting Back

PHOENIX HAD FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO APPROACH ANGELINA the next morning. She wanted to see if Angelina was coping in the immediate aftermath of the breakup. But the other part of her, she could not deny, was resentful with Angelina for breaking up with Fred so publicly and abruptly. She knew that she'd have to approach her friend eventually, after all, they had Ancient Runes together.

"Did Fred tell you then?" Angelina asked Phoenix miserably when she took the seat beside her in Professor Babbling's classroom.

Phoenix hesitated for a moment as she pulled out her copy of Futhark Magic from her bag, "He did, yes."

"Am I a bellend?"

Phoenix looked at Angelina; she looked a mess. Her braids were loose, as though she had been tugging at them repeatedly and her eyes were almost as red as Fred's had been the previous night. Phoenix had been so caught up in Fred's feelings that she had completely disregarded Angelina's. Her stomach seemed to tighten and drop as guilt filled her.

"I mean, a bit," Phoenix said honestly.

"I feel, so... bad," Angelina sighed in defeat, she ran her hands roughly over her face. Phoenix also noticed how short her nails were, as though she had been chewing them. "Why did I do it?"

Phoenix was at a complete loss of words as she stared at Angelina Johnson; For a woman that was so put together, Angelina was completely torn apart.

"I mean, what is wrong with me?" Angelina appeared to be talking more to herself than to anybody in particular, "Fred is like... the best thing in the world and I ruined it!"

"I don't know..." Phoenix said, treading her words carefully around Angelina. "Maybe it was your time–"

"Our time?" Angelina spat suddenly. "What do you mean our time?"

Phoenix raised an eyebrow at Angelina. This was very unlike Angelina. Why was she snapping at Phoenix? She couldn't help but feel hurt, upset even. Phoenix was not a punching bag for Angelina to smack when she wished. She knew Angelina was hurt, but that was not an excuse for her to snap at Phoenix when she was simply trying to help.

"Perhaps if you thought more carefully before you spoke, you wouldn't be in this situation Angelina," Phoenix countered, turning away from her friend and facing the front of the class, "Especially when talking to the people that love you most."

Angelina appeared so determined to avoid Fred, that she did not even sit at the Gryffindor table for lunch that afternoon.

"If she was the one to dump me, why is she hiding?" Fred mused as he tucked into a plate full of sandwiches.

Alicia shrugged, "Guilt probably."

"She's probably hiding from me too," Phoenix admitted grumpily, "I snapped at her in Ancient Runes."

"Why?" Lee asked, looking taken aback at the news.

"I was just trying to console her, give advice and she just snapped at me," Phoenix explained, eyeing Fred as he picked at the crust of the sandwiches nervously. "So, I told her to think before she spoke."

"Angelina is more emotional than we all realise," Alicia said thoughtfully, her eyes glassed over though her mind was elsewhere, "She's fierce in more ways than one. She loves fiercely, and she leads fiercely. She just... she struggles to find a balance of speaking her mind and not hurting people who care about her. She's got a lot to learn. Just give her the space she needs."

Phoenix dropped her gaze down to her lunch; Alicia was right. Angelina was not one who could deal with her emotions easily. As her best friend, Phoenix should have known this and known better to let Angelina's comment slide over her head.