━━author's note: I was having a breakdown when I wrote this. Something really angsty turned into FLUFF. Past never leaves you. Something, which turns out true when you return to George.

━━warning(s): breaking down, anxiety, character death

━━word count: 1,615

You pulled the coat tighter around your body, shivering from the cold. Walking through the diagon alley, you felt a wave of nostalgia hit you. You looked around the shops, remembering shopping and having fun at various places and it all felt so far far away. You saw the enormous colourful sign board of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and you took in a deep breath. It had been so long since you'd seen George.

You held George in your arms as he shook violently. You were crying too, tears streamed down your face constantly but you didn't have time for yourself. George needed you. He didn't stop for hours. No matter what someone did or said there was nothing anyone could do to reach out to him. You just held him, because just like him you felt numb too. Everything was blurry. Way too loud as something seemed to ring in your ears. George looked at you.

"Why?" he croaked. You looked at him in confusion. Your head was pounding and you weren't sure what was going around you.

"Why did you save me? Why did you push me out of the rumble? " he said as your mouth quivered.

"George, I didn't. I didn't choose anyone. I-"

"You could have let me die, it would have been better than this."

"Don't say that, I d-"

"NO," George took your hands in his. "Why would you do this to me? You could have let both-"

"George, stop! I'm sorry I just-"you were shouting.

"NO NO NO (Y/n)!" George screamed. "You, could have saved him, he would have been alive. He would have been here celebrating with us. He-"

You were frozen to the ground; you didn't even hear what he rambled on. Your vision was smeared with tears and yet he failed to notice it.

"... Leave, just leave. I don't ever want to see you again." You heard somewhere in between and your heart beat stopped. He wanted to leave too? It was too much too handle. You turned slowly, and apparated to your apartment. You fell on the ground and cried for what felt like days. You didn't quite well remember what happened after. You just remembered packing your bags and swishing to the forest you went camping to as a kid.

***

A man bumped into you breaking your reverie. You blinked. You contemplated whether you should go inside. Shaking your head, you stalked towards the red yellow shop. The doorbell ringed as you opened the door and you saw Ron. His eyes widened a bit and he gave you a wide smile.

"(Y/n)! How are you?" he said joyfully and you found yourself smiling.

"Never better."

"Oi George! (Y/n)'s here." Ron called out and you felt your heart beating faster. George came down stairs mumbling.

"What Ron? I've t-"he froze and he saw you. You looked more beautiful than ever.

You gave him a small smile and waved a little. He looked older, better. He blinked as if coming back to his senses. He cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something but Ron interrupted in.

"Why don't you two go to the back area, you'll be able to talk." Ron said smiling and gesturing towards the customers.

George led you to a small room and offered a small seat.

"How have you been?" you asked breaking the tense silence.

"Good. Ron decided to help with the shop saying he wanted simpler things. Who would have thought? Ron actually comes up with amazing prank ideas." He said leaning back as you let out a small laugh.

"What about you? Where have you been? It was as if you disappeared from the face of the earth." George asked in a light tone but you could feel the hurt there. You did disappear without any trace.

"I've been travelling. After," you cleared your throat. "After the war, it all felt too much. It hurt too much. So I ran away."

You didn't know what else to say. There were more than a thousand things you wanted to say right then, but couldn't. You couldn't get it out. You had missed him, so so much. His freckles, smiles, jokes.

"I read your book." George sighed and your face quipped up.

"You did?"

"Yeah." George breathed. "the character Emma, you were Emma, right?"

Your eyes widened slightly. Of course he knew that, he was your best friend.

"Yes." You said as he nodded at you. "I never thought you'd read it."

"It was your book, I had to."

It felt noisy, the silence that eloped you. You had the urge to say something, George did too.

"How's everyone?" you asked. "How's Ginny, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley?"

"Ginny got into the Holyhead Harpies," George said as your eyes went wide and you smiled.

"Holy shit! That is so so nice!"

"It is."

"Mum and dad are happy than ever, Charlie is still working with dragons. Percy's got a nice job as a manager and Bill and Fleur had a baby." He continued as you tried to suck in everything that you lost.

"That's amazing. I missed so much." You said and sucked in a breath, "I missed you."

George looked at you softly.

"I did too."

Taking in a deep breath you got up.

you said turning towards the door. A selfish part of you wanted to stay there desperately. After all those years...

"(Y/n)!!!" George called out and you turned quickly. Too qickly.

"Would you" George swallowed, "like to go out, you know, and catch up sometime?"

You nodded and let a small smile play at your lips.

"Madam Rosemeta's at 7?"

"I'll be there."

***

You looked at your appearance yet again, checking for some imaginary wrinkles. You sucked in a breath.

"This is stupid, he's George!" you chided yourself. It was true, you'd been best friends with him and Fred since childhood. Except for well, one night. You squeezed your eyes shut. What was about him that eased and set you on the edge at the same time?

You took a deep breath, apparating to the pub you went as a teen. You sighed looking around. It hadn't changed, not one bit. The same quaint Hogsmead. You felt a gush of warm air as you entered the pub. George waved over to you as you made a beeline towards him.

He had already ordered a butterbeer since it was served as soon as you sat down. The two of you talked for hours. George had matured, a lot. He was always the calmer one, of the two of them. While Fred was always quick to retort, George always tried to take in the situation before anything. He still had the aura of mischief around him, his eyes sparkled as he made a joke. He pointed out to the teens sneaking out recalling all the stories of your years at Hogwarts.

"(Y/n)! George!" Madam Rosemeta's chirpy voice came. You looked up to her. She was a little rounder and had more white hair. You smiled at her.

"Hello!"

"Don't you two look just lovely today! I haven't seen you in years, are you finally together?" your eyes widened and George let out a laugh.

"Oh no no, it's nothing like that." He said a tad bit bitterly as she smiled leaving.

You both were quiet for a while.

"Do you remember? Do you remember how many kids used to come to ask us whether we dated?" you asked and biting your lip, giggling. George snorted.

"Are you dating (Y/n)?" he said in a squeaky voice and you laughed.

"WishIwere." George mumbled and you furrowed your eyebrows.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. Wanna go through the woodlands?" he asked and you nodded getting up.

***

You both walked through the woods as you'd a thousand times before. But this time felt different. It wasn't because Fred wasn't there. There had been countless times it had been just you and George. Walking through the forest, sitting in front of the fire in the common room, chilling by the lake, him disturbing you in the library, dancing at the Yule ball after ditching your dates, sneaking off to George's bedroom during Bill's wedding...

This time was different. It was as if something weighted on your shoulders. You kicked small peddles on your way. George cleared his throat.

"I went to your apartment after..." he whispered.

You looked at him. You knew what he was talking about.

"And it was empty, you'd gone. You never said goodbye." He sniffed. Your eyes watered too.

"George I-" you said but he interrupted you.

"Wasn't it me though? I was the one who acted like a complete prat. I should have supported you-"

You cut him off by hugging him tightly. He wrapped his arms around you, burying his face in your neck. You relaxed immediately drinking in the similar scent of pine wood and incomparable warmth. You missed him.

As you pulled back there were tears in both your eyes. You both giggled a little at that. George looked at you and removed a twig from your hair. You didn't know how it happened, who leaned in but it happened and you kissed. And you couldn't even blame the moment. His hand slid along your waist and the other one cupped your cheek. You let your hands wander in his locks pulling at the a little. It was like fireworks throughout your body. As you pulled back, George held you by your waist. He placed his forehead over yours.

"Never leave me again." He whispered.

"I don't plan too."

━━P.S. Lmk what you think!