JUST BETWEEN US DID THE LOVE AFFAIR MAIM YOU TOO?
taylor swift

GEORGE LAY AWAKE AT NIGHT thinking about her. He hadn't spoken to her in months and fuck, did he miss her. He didn't think after Fred's death that he'd be capable of loving anyone, let alone someone like Kirsty. He felt a void without her, truly. He drove her away. There was no one else to blame but himself for her quitting the shop. He had treated her badly when she needed him most. He could never forgive himself.

He looked outside and saw snow. It was the first snowfall of the year. There was something so deeply nostalgic about the weather. Kirsty loved snow. It made him think of the Yule Ball. The snow was so beautiful and soft that night, just like her skin... He needed to see her again.

He tried to think of what made her quit. He thought he made up for what he did when he made her dinner. They talked about nothing yet everything and he left her home feeling warm. But the next day she sent him a letter of resignation.

Was that her plan all along? Was that why she hired Ron? Had she been wanting to quit for a while? Was it just too hard for her to see him every day with how she felt? She loved him yet he wasn't capable of feeling the same. Or did he? It was hard for him to decipher love from wanting. He wanted to be around her all the time but did that equate to love? He didn't think so at first but now he wasn't so sure.

George needed to talk to someone who understood. The only person that understood him though, was her. She was the most patient person he knew. It seemed as though he had tested her patience a little too much. Still, he needed to reach out.

A soft meow came from beside him and he looked to see Vincent jumping onto his bed and snuggling beside him.

"What should I do, Vinnie?" He sighed.

The cat just meowed again. George pet him and he purred softly. The man smiled to himself.

"I think I need to take a walk... clear my head a bit." He said to the cat. Vincent meowed and George got out of bed. He threw on a coat and a scarf that was sitting in his drawer. It was black and yellow striped and for some reason he couldn't remember where it came from.

He stepped outside of the shop and walked down the snow-covered cobblestone road. A few street lights were still on. George shoved his hands in his pockets and walked without any destination.

As he did, it seemed a film reel began to play in his mind. It started with the Yule Ball. They were so young and naive and indestructible. If he concentrated enough, he could still taste her cherry lips. Snowflakes cling to his eyelashes both presently, and in the memory. His vision was blurry but his mind was more clear than ever.

Then it was the first time they had sex. It was one of his most spur of the moment decisions, but he didn't regret it. He was just sixteen at the time but he swore he knew everything. Although even then he used Kirsty as a distraction from Marina. She was getting over Fred while George was just beginning to realize his feelings for her.

Perhaps their most genuine moment came the last time they got together before deciding to end things. He wanted to lie in bed with her forever, basking in her warmth. She was truly beautiful inside and out. Sometimes he wondered if she was just a fragment of his imagination, his dream girl personified.

They ended things because of convenience. He was worried about dating so young, worried about his small crush on Marina, worried that them being in different years would make things weird with their friend groups. He was also worried about her reputation. People loved to talk about her, whether the words were true or not.

The next memory was one night they closed the shop together before just after he ended things with Marina. She wanted to cheer him up so she put some music on and made him dance with her. It was the perfect distraction. She made him realize things would be okay.

The last memory was the most recent. Him telling her he could never love her. He had taken a knife to their masterpiece. He betrayed every other memory. Most importantly, he had hurt her.

George knew what he needed to do. He grabbed his want from his pocket, shut his eyes, and apparated. He heard a crack and then her voice.

"What are you doing here?" She asked sternly.

George opened his eyes and saw he was standing in Kirsty's living room where she was also standing.

"I need to talk to you," he swallowed.

Kirsty nodded and sat down on her couch. She gestured for him to join her.

"I'm sorry I quit," she sighed. "Being around you hurt too much."

"I know. And I'm sorry. I understand if you don't want to come back to work. I'm not here because of that. I'm here to ask you something."

"What?"

"Did it ruin you too? What we had all those years ago?"

Kirsty chuckled softly and looked down, "We were sixteen, George."

"I mean... I guess I mean our entire history? Did it leave a mark. I guess I just feel scarred. Not in a bad way but — like ever since I met you, it changed what the word love means to me."

"I've felt the same way," she admitted. "I've been mistreated by a lot of people, George. You were the one person I could trust and... I dunno. I want to be with you so bad."

"Can we try?" He pleaded.

Kirsty shook her head, "George, you aren't ready."

"I am. I can prove it."

There was a long pause before she spoke again.

"I want us to start over then. Pretend we don't have a history. I want those scars we gave each other to heal. This version of us isn't good for either of us."

"Okay. Well... hi. I'm George Weasley, you are?"

"Kirsty Blaine," she smiled, shaking his hand.

Kirsty wasn't coming back to the shop, that was decided. She was looking to get a job at the Prophet like she had wanted to for a while.

George was glad though. Perhaps seeing each other every day and him depending on her to do something so little as wake him up in the morning was one of the main causes of their issues. They were also two very broken people who needed to work on themselves. That didn't mean they couldn't find themselves while trying to make things work between the two of them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY EMILY!

It was December first. Strange how it seemed like just yesterday it was September first. In her two months of teaching Rory had accomplished a lot. She began petitioning for Muggle Studies to be a mandatory subject and convinced McGonagall to get a Menorah in the Great Hall after speaking to a few of her Jewish students. They felt so left out during Christmas and confided in Rory. It seemed a lot of students were doing that, confiding her in her. One of her seventh years told her she radiated comforting energy which she found to be a very high compliment.

Her relationship with Cassius was the same. Bickering and flirting and ignoring him when possible.

It was her first time seeing her father and Cordelia since just before she started work, but she was making an exception for her little sister. Yes, she was avoiding her family and she wasn't even sure why.

"So, Rory, meet any dashing Professors at Hogwarts?" Cordelia grinned.

Ah yes, that was why.

Rory shrugged, "I mean..."

"Don't pressure her, Cory," Andy sighed.

"I'm just asking a question to my beautiful daughter! We just like being involved, Rory, you understand right?"

Rory nodded, "Yeah, of course."

"I mean I just assumed you were seeing someone — "

"I am," Rory lied. She regretted the words as quickly as they left her lips.

Andrew and Cordelia raised their eyebrows and had shocked expressions on their faces. Rory found that funny since they said they'd assumed she was seeing someone already.

"What's his name? Or... her name?" Andrew asked.

Rory sighed, "His name is... Cassius. He's the Potions professor."

"Well we'll have to meet him sometime. Why don't you bring him around to your birthday party in a couple weeks?" Cordelia suggested.

She nodded, "Will do."

Rory spent the rest of the night lying to her parents. Even Emily was invested in her fake relationship!

"I - I fink that you having a boyfwend is weawwy good because den youll bwing him hewe and I can have anover fwend!"

"I'm sure he'd be thrilled to come," Rory smiled. "Especially to meet you, Emmy."

"Fanks," the child grinned.

"Are you going to tell us more about this Cassius?" Andrew smiled.

Rory hesitated, "I think you should meet him first, let him tell you everything. He's a great conversationalist!"

"We're so happy you're happy, Rory. It's like the old Rory is back." Her father said.

"Er, yeah, she is..." Rory nodded. What the hell did that mean? There was an old Rory? And she's back because of a man? What? The old Rory was never coming back though, no matter what. Her family needed to realize that. Getting a job and a boyfriend didn't erase the trauma or the pain she experienced. She didn't even want the old Rory back. She was naive and annoying and stupid and lost. Not that this Rory was any better in any of those areas, but she was more handcrafted than the old Rory.

Rory didn't have time to complain though. She needed to think of a way to tell Cassius that they were dating.

a/n:
wrote this whole thing on my phone in the car so if it's shit that's why <3