𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗲, george weasley

˗ˋ 22

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
✧
-: the beginnings :-

── IN WHICH THINGS ARE
ADMITTED

. . .

Fred had stuck to his word. George and Rhea had been pulled from their work by the other twin and guided up into the offices and apartment above the shop. He had disappeared and came back with something from the nearest Muggle pizza shop and a bottle of the Leaky Cauldron's best elderflower wine. 

"You're not coming up?" Rhea asked, poking her head out of the window. George had pulled her up through the skylight when she pointed out how pretty the sunset had looked and now the grooves of terracotta tiles made their imprint on the bottom of her thighs.

"Nah." Fred shook his head. "I have some paperwork to finish before the big day. Save me a slice or two though, won't you?" And then he disappeared again, just like that, leaving the two of them to look out on all of Diagon Alley and the London skyline beyond it.

"Your brother is strange... like a Umgubular Slashkilter." Rhea hummed, watching as George opened the pizza box and offered her the first slice. "Thank you." SHe added.

George blinked, taking his own slice. "Like a... what?" 

"Umgubular Slashkilter." She replied - as if what she had said was completely normal and the words that had just come out of her mouth didn't sound like a whole new language. "Umgubular Slashkilter? Not many people have heard of them."

"Yeah, what are they?" George asked.

For once, Rhea was brought to a momentary stop. Nobody ever asked about the creatures she named in front of them. They always passed her off as crazy like her sister and father. And even if somethings were a little out of the bounds of reality, some of them were real. Like Nargles and Wrackspurts. And if they were real, she didn't see why she couldn't believe in any of the others her father named. 

"Umgubular Slashkilters like hiding behind curtains or things they can leap through." Rhea began, between bites of pizza. George pulled the cork off in the pause, and poured them each a small glass, balancing them on the flatter area of the roof above them. "They're green and pot-bellied. They don't have two eyes on their heads, but instead a single purple eye in the middle of their chest... which means they have really bad depth-perception." 

"Sounds... terrifying." George rose his eyebrows. "Does your dad research animals then? Or like creatures?"

"My mum did, before she died. My dad is still sorting through all her research. He publishes it in the Quibbler." Rhea hummed. "He believes that it's some form of hybrid... between a Hidebehind, Pogrebin and Imp - or is some distant relative of a Boggart." 

"Right, okay." George nodded, and pushed the box back towards her. "Take another... how's Clover?"

"I think she misses you." Rhea laughed as she told him. "No, really. She flutters around the door in the evening after you came to visit. And she set my cushion on fire when I was telling her about my day."

"Then I'll come and visit more often." George replied, sipping more of the wine. "If that's alright with you? I wouldn't mind saving a few of your pillows for you."

"I'd like that." She said, a smile on her face. 

Conversation seemed to flow after that, topic after topic discussed and exhausted until they couldn't possibly talk it over any further - but they were never bored. The pizza was eaten and Fred's promised slice was definitely forgotten, and the liquid in their glasses was reduced to dregs before refills came. It was natural, way more comfortable than they could have ever imagined since their first meeting. But something had clicked, whether it was from the pizza or the wine, and somehow, they ended up in a enjoyable silence, her eyes set on the view in front whilst his seemed to watch her every movement.

"I would like to explore London more." Rhea admitted, quietly. The sun had gone down by now, leaving the world in the strange eclipse of blue light that came before night truly fell. Below them, Diagon Alley was dotted with evening visitors, who walked slowly below the amber glows of street lamps. "I haven't left Diagon Alley since I moved here."

"Why not?"

"I was scared. I've never lived in a city before."

"Neither have I." George admitted. "We can go together, right? I'll take you - we'll go explore the Muggle part of London together." He swallowed, watched as she nodded. There was something tightening within him, something due to explode. Which was when he realised that he just had to say it. "I like you, Rhea."

"I know."

"More than a friend." He added hastily, incase it hadn't quite permeated the usual bubble around her.

"I know." Rhea repeated, turning to look at him. Striking blonde hair tumbled down her bare arms, and George reached forward to tuck it behind her ear. She didn't recoil at his touch, and met his eyes. "I like you too, more than a friend."

And then she smiled at him, and George felt like he was floating.

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a/n
i've decided for this book
that it wont be as long as my
other books. they'll start their relationship
in the first act and then there will later
be a second act possibly some time
afterwards