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content warning:
mildly suggestive themes
| as always, nothing graphic |
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The impossibility of predicting what would come was what kept Eloise on edge the entire day as she stared at the clock on the wall above Audrey's office door. The ticking of every passing second taunted her mercilessly. Every fleeting moment gave George more of a chance to change his mind, to take it all back and leave her cold and empty.

Another sunset.

They'd parted ways on his birthday with uncertainty. Their lingering touch was the only thing holding them together until they both set foot inside the Burrow once more and acted as though George hadn't just laid his heart out to her. Part of her regretted telling him to wait, to sleep on it, to reconsider. But she knew it was the right thing to do.

Allowing him to make a decision like that when it seemed like Fred's words were the only thing spurring it on would have led to disaster. The ruins of their relationship couldn't handle any more destruction. Gentle tip-toes and checking both ways before crossing through the rubble was the only option they had.

Seconds felt like minutes and minutes felt like years as she nervously fiddled with the swan charm that had been clasped around her wrist. The silver chain finally returned to where it had always belonged after months of being locked away, much like the way she had attempted in vain to lock away her feelings. Like the jewelry adorning her wrist, George was forever a part of her body and soul.

The end of an unproductive work day had finally come to a close as Eloise left her office. But instead of taking a fireplace in the atrium home, she decided to walk. It was a decision she'd never usually make, but she just wanted to clear her head. The cool spring air, the smell of a new season - of a new beginning - would help clear her foggy mind.

As she walked down the side streets of London, she tried to resolve in her mind how she would feel if George did in fact change his mind. Part of her wanted to say that it would be the end, that she would finally take the bloody hint and just move on. But she didn't know if she could.

What if his letter was another apology - another well rehearsed spiel about how he wasn't truly ready to be with her?

What if there was no letter on her window sill when she arrived home?

What if he never said anything at all and pretended as though it never even happened?

In the midst of her racing thoughts, a drop of springtime rain hit the top of her head as she neared the Leaky Cauldron. Hoping to avoid a sudden downpour, she picked up her pace as she ran into the old pub. The smoky and familiar atmosphere took over her senses as she glanced over at the fireplace, suddenly wishing she did take the Floo Network home to avoid the rain. She could disapparate from here but it felt rather unnecessary when her flat was just a short way up the road.

Instead, she pulled out her wand and made her way to the back door. Tapping the tip of her wand on the bricks in the pattern she'd had committed to memory, she prayed the rain would hold up as the archway to Diagon Alley appeared before her. The weather seemed to be cooperating with her for now, as it only sprinkled around her. The worst it could do was cause her hair to become a frizzy mess, but at least she wouldn't be soaking wet by the time she got home.

The bright red door was within sight when the floodgates seemed to suddenly open causing a downpour right as she reached the door. She couldn't help but hope this wasn't a horrible metaphor for what the rest of her night had in store.

When she finally entered the building, her golden hair was darkened as her wet curls stuck to her face. She dug through her bag for her keys as she walked up the steps without paying much attention to her surroundings. As she reached the top, she suddenly ran into a solid object she definitely did not remember being in the hallway just outside of her door.

First her eyes fell on a burgundy pair of slacks, then a dark purple shirt, then an orange 'W' pin, and finally a pair of warm golden eyes as she gazed up at the obstacle.

"Hello, love." George said with a smile as he grabbed her arms to steady her.

"Hi." Eloise breathed out, as if her greeting combined with a sigh of relief without her even intending it to.

An amused smirk grew on George's face as Eloise fumbled with her keys a bit. Despite her best efforts to seem cool and collected, her hands were shaking nervously as she attempted to unlock the door.

He placed a hand on her wrist and took the keys from her, "May I?"

All she could do was nod as she smiled at him wearily before he turned the key and opened the door with ease. George dangled the key out to her from his finger as he stepped aside to allow her in.

"Thanks." she said quietly as she retrieved it from him and made her way into the kitchen to set her bag on the counter before turning around to face him.

George closed the door gently behind him and put his hands into the pockets of his slacks. They stood there for a moment just looking at each other. In the silence of the room, Eloise was certain her heartbeat could be heard echoing off the walls.

"Did you have a good day?" she asked.

The question seemed so casual and out of place, given their current situation, and George couldn't help but chuckle.

"It was alright, I was a bit distracted for most of it though." he shrugged.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I had a lot on my mind." he said calmly as he walked up to her.

Instinctively, Eloise backed up until her body hit the counter behind her and she had nowhere else to go. She raised her hands to tuck her damp curls behind her ears as she looked into his eyes. As she did so, George's eyes were drawn to her left wrist, to the bracelet she wore as if it had always been there.

He gently grabbed her arm and brought her wrist up to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her pulse point before guiding her hand to rest on his heart which seemed to be beating just as erratically as hers. He placed his hand over hers and looked into her eyes intently. As difficult as George was to read at times, this time Eloise felt like she knew exactly what he was feeling.

"What was on your mind today?" she asked innocently.

"Hmm," he contemplated as he tilted his head slightly, "just this and that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, the beginning of April is a busy time at the shop." he shrugged with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"So, it was just work on your mind today?"

Eloise knew he was messing with her, teasing her as best as he knew how and she could tell that he was enjoying it as the faint wrinkles around his eyes deepened when he smiled at her. The only thing giving away that he was just as nervous as her was that she could feel his heart beating wildly against her hand.

"Well, there was one other thing I'd been thinking about all day." he finally admitted.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." he confirmed with a grin.

"What's that?"

"You, my darling."

"What about me?"

"How unbelievably gorgeous I think you are, how adorable it is that your accent gets thicker when you're excited, how you are quite possibly the biggest sweet tooth I know, and how I'm absolutely mad about you." he smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on the side of her face, "But for most of the day, I was just thinking about how much I really wished I could leave work to come see you and ask you something."

Eloise was on cloud nine. Every word he spoke filled her with pure unbridled joy, as if every painful moment had all been worth it. George was worth the wait, she'd wait for him forever if she had to.

"You're here now. You can ask me anything."

"Well, I do want you to know that I did think about this carefully," he started, "Although I have to say I was quite confident the first time I asked, so I hope you'll give me an answer this time."

If Eloise's heart was beating fast before, she was certain it was ready to pop out of her chest at any moment as she waited with bated breath.

"Will you be mine?" he asked with a look of pure adoration as he traced a delicate line with his thumb to connect the dots of her freckles on her cheek.

Without even answering his question, Eloise flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his, kissing him as if her life depended on it. It was as if she needed his lips on hers more than she needed oxygen to survive. George stumbled backward slightly at the sudden embrace as he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, smiling against her lips.

After a moment Eloise pulled away to catch her breath. As her hands made their way to cup either side of his face she looked intently in his eyes, surveying them for the truth.

"Is it safe to assume that was a yes?" he asked with a laugh.

Eloise's mind was screaming, yes you bloody fool, yes! But she couldn't deny that she still had an uneasy feeling stirring inside her chest.

"You promise this is real this time?"

George's expression fell slightly, "Yes, Ellie."

"Say it." she whispered timidly.

"Say what?"

"That you really want to be with me, I need to hear you say it."

George leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth before moving to her jaw, then right below her ear causing a shiver to run up her spine.

"I want to be with you, you're mine." he whispered in her ear.

A rush of heat washed over her body and she nearly forgot how to breathe. After trailing a few more open mouthed kisses down her neck, Eloise nearly forgot what year it was when George finally pulled away from her with a smirk.

Oxygen felt foreign to her as she gazed up at him with half-lidded eyes, she was just thankful that she was pressed up against the kitchen counter because she knew her knees would have most definitely buckled by now. His gaze was filled with a combination of utter admiration and unbridled lust. It was clear to see that he seemed quite proud of the effect he had on her.

"You're a bloody nightmare." she said breathlessly.

"And I'm all yours."

Something in his words ignited a fire in Eloise. She was desperate for him, as if she felt like she could lose him at any moment if she merely let go of him.

Wrapping her nimble fingers around his tie, she pulled him back and pressed her lips against his feverishly, trying anything to put out the flame inside her. If anything, it was just growing larger.

George's hands dropped from her wet tangled hair down to the back of her thighs as he picked her up as if she weighed nothing. Instinctively her legs wrapped around his waist and without breaking their kiss, he set her on the counter.

A slight whimper fell from Eloise's lips as the cold granite hit her thighs, the dampness of her clothes only amplifying the sudden shift in temperature. As the sound escaped from her throat she felt George smirk against her lips. His touch was stoking the flames within her and he knew it. When he pulled away to catch his breath, he looked at her silently almost as if he were an artist admiring the masterpiece he'd created. But Eloise was growing impatient.

"Georgie..." she whispered with a slight pout, pulling against the fabric of his tie once more.

"What is it, love?" he asked with a grin.

"I want-" she paused as she looked up at him with doe eyes and he was certain he was almost going to combust right on the spot.

"Want what, darling?" he asked, giving into her desires only slightly as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"You." she sighed as she felt his lips travel down to her neck.

"You have me, love. I'm yours, all yours." he whispered against her skin.

A satisfied sigh fell her lips as she felt his hands ghost over her thighs, his touch felt like it was million degrees against her. The only thing that was keeping the lifelines on his palms from melding into her own skin was the thin fabric of her pantyhose. Bracing her against the counter, he pressed endless kisses on her neck as the stubble on his chin grazed against her delicate skin, scratching at it in a way that was driving her crazy.

"Tell me again, Georgie. Tell me I'm yours." she pleaded as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close.

It was as if she could never hear the words enough. Hearing them made her soar but part of her felt like none of this was real, he'd felt so unattainable for so long she had trouble believing it. The constant reassurances were the only thing keeping her grounded.

"Mine, all mine."

When George ran his hands up her thighs, she felt his rough fingertips sneak under the hem of her tweed skirt ever so slightly and a quiet whimper left Eloise's lips at the mere thought of him touching her where she wanted him most.

It felt like she was in a dream. In that moment all she wanted was to feel her and George's souls meld together into one, to be filled with all the devotion he was willing to give her. But something in her mind suddenly clicked and brought her back down to Earth. Despite her desires, she pushed against George's shoulders slightly so she could look him in the eyes. When he gazed down at her, his expression seemed to turn into worry.

"Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, "No... I mean, sort of. Not wrong, just..."

"Do you want to stop?" he asked as he interrupted her stammering.

"I was just thinking that the kitchen counter might not be..." she said quietly before trailing off and chewing her bottom lip nervously, "I think we might be moving too fast."

An amused smirk grew on his face as he raised an eyebrow at her, "All I'm hearing is that the counter is an option for the future." Eloise hit him lightly on the chest causing him to laugh, "Only joking, love. We can stop or we can move to another room, we can do whatever you want."

She nodded as she braced her hands on his shoulders and jumped down from the counter before using her hands to flatten down the fabric of her skirt that had ridden up quite a bit more than she thought it had. As soon as her feet were planted firmly on the ground, she tried to not think about the way the warmth of George's hands felt on her thighs. Her bottom lip tucked between her teeth as she reminded herself that they had plenty of time to explore that particular area of their relationship in the future.

"I think we should wait."

George straightened out his tie and smiled down at her, "I can be patient."

"I hope you're not disappointed."

"Disapp- Ellie, are you joking? You could never disappoint me, especially not with something like that. Plus what do I have to complain about? You're finally all mine. I'm the happiest bloody man on Earth." he assured her as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug, not caring that the cold dampness of her rain soaked clothes had begun to bleed through his.

Her head came to rest on his chest as she listened to his heartbeat slowly return to a steady pace. Each thump feeling like it was falling in sync with her own. Their hearts and souls intertwined in harmony - perfect harmony for the very first time.

"This doesn't feel real." she whispered aloud, not realizing she was verbalizing the thoughts in her mind.

"What do you mean?" George asked as his chin came to rest on her head.

"It feels like a dream and I don't ever want to wake up."

A chuckle escaped from George, the sound of it echoed through Eloise's ears. If she could listen to his laugh forever, she'd consider it a perfect life.

"I'm soaked." she muttered after a moment, stating the obvious that she had become distracted from as all of her thoughts had been so focused on the way George's lips and hands felt on her.

As he pulled away from her an amused grin instantly grew on his face, "Oh?"

"The rain George." she huffed with a roll of her eyes.

"Right, of course." he nodded with a smug smirk.

Eloise narrowed her eyes at him before taking a step back, "I'm going to go change."

"Take your time." he replied as his hands returned to his pockets.

Those hands. The thought of them on her body, roaming and exploring to his heart's content distracted her for a split second before she shook her head and quickly retreated to her room before she could change her mind about the kitchen counter.

Once Eloise was more comfortable, the two of them made their way into the living room. Rather than becoming tangled in sheets, the two of them found themselves wrapped up in blankets as they cuddled on the couch talking for hours about everything and nothing. Catching up like old friends and reminiscing like lifelong lovers.

They'd been so consumed with one another for hours, Eloise had barely even noticed that the sun had long since set. She gazed out the window and her face fell slightly, realizing that George would eventually have to return to his own flat.

It was a silly thought, but part of her wanted to just exist in this night with him forever, as if they could just stop time and spend the rest of eternity in this moment.

"It's getting late." she said vaguely.

"It is."

"Did you want to stay here tonight?" she asked before really realizing the words had escaped from her mind through her lips.

The look on George's face was hard to read. She could tell he was contemplating her offer as his bottom lip tucked between his teeth momentarily. In his hesitation, she couldn't help but wonder if she'd already crossed a line with him and been too presumptuous.

How could she have been, though? He was about thirty seconds from taking her on the kitchen counter earlier, Merlin knows Verity would never forgive either of them if that had happened. Why did sleeping beside her rather than with her cause him to second guess himself?

"Or, you know, you don't have to." Eloise quickly added when George didn't respond right away.

"No, I want to, I do. It's just that I'm out of my sleeping draught until Friday morning and I tend to not sleep very well without it."

"That's okay with me."

Eloise would happily and willingly stay up all night with George if it meant they were together. Whether they were talking about nonsense into the early hours of the morning while insomnia took hold of his mind, or if she was consoling him after being awakened suddenly by a horrifying nightmare. She'd do it, again and again, she'd take care of him no matter what.

George, however, didn't seem to agree. He simply didn't want his burdens to encumber Eloise's life. That's what he'd tried so hard to avoid ever since he first fell for her. Even when he was falling apart, he wanted to protect her from all of the horrible things the world had to offer. She was pure and innocent and perfect while he was troubled, haunted, and bitter.

The fog clouding George's existence had been kept tightly secured within himself and Eloise was trying so hard to open Pandora's box and allow that darkness to bleed into her own life. While it may have helped lighten his load, it would have put unnecessary weight on her shoulders and he just didn't want to do that to her. He wanted to take care of her, even when he was failing to take care of himself.

"If you want, we could stay at your flat if being there makes you more comfortable. I just want to be with you." she smiled sheepishly, feeling somewhat silly for practically begging for his affection.

George thought back to the first anniversary of the battle last year, to when his world felt like it was crumbling around him. The sudden realization that he'd been without Fred for an entire year made George feel as though he was losing all control of his life. Then it hit him. In one of his darkest moments, Eloise was there. Without even being asked to, she stayed with him, she held him, she consoled him.

If she really wanted to be there now, who was he to stop her?

"Alright, darling."

A/N:

We finally made it!

I've actually been both so excited and so nervous about this chapter because everything has been leading up to this moment!

I hope George and Eloise finally getting together was worth the wait. But don't worry, 'Learn to Love Again' isn't over yet! I still have roughly 15-16ish chapters and an epilogue planned before the end. Thank you all so much for coming on the journey with me thus far and I sincerely hope you stick around until the very end.

Love you all!

- Andi