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D E C E M B E R 2005

"I think it would be a good idea for you to go."

"I'm not doing it."

Adelaide let out a frustrated huff, her blue eyes narrowing in on her brother-in-law who stood before her with an angry expression written clear as day across his face.

"Why not?"

George rolled his eyes. "Addy, I don't need it. Better yet, I don't want it."

"You're only fooling yourself when you say stuff like that." She retorted with an eye roll of her own. The blonde moved to sit down, finally, after minutes of standing up and squaring off with the stubborn man before her.

"I don't need to go to therapy. That's just something that I don't need to bother myself with. I am perfectly fine, Addy, thank you very much." George sat down across from her, his form never relaxing as his muscles were tightly wound. He refused to look at her and a part of him wanted to send her away but knew that she was only there because his Mum most likely begged her to come and talk with him.

"So what, did I just waste my time when I went to therapy?" The blonde questioned, her arms now moving to cross over her chest as she watched George stare straight ahead at the wall. The stubborn pride was almost too much for her to deal with. She had been dealing with the Weasley men for most of her life at this point. And Charlie had never been this bad.

"Because if that's what you're implying, George Weasley, you are sorely mistaken." The healer continued, her elbows resting into the tops of her thighs as she leaned forward to look at him. "I wouldn't be here, the way that I am now, happy and healthy, if it wasn't for therapy. After Sirius died... I-I was a wreck. I'm sure you remember that. And Charlie never gave up on me, although sometimes I think he should have."

"Now don't say that. Charlie would have never given up on you. You're his best friend before you're his lover." George stated with a sense of clarity. Suddenly, his head dropped forward into his hands and he let out a deep sigh.

"I have the card of the mind healer I went to. He was excellent. Healer Josef." Adelaide slipped the business card onto the table as she stood up. She stayed where she was for another moment or two before she decided to take the spot beside George. "Please just think about it. I promise you that I won't tell a single soul if you don't want anyone to know."

George turned his attention to the card for. Moment. His fingertips tapped against his knee before he brought his attention back to Adelaide. She was too good to him. And it pained him the more he thought about the way he was treating her. Not to mention knowing that Charlie would give him an earful of complaints the next time he was around.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Adelaide repeated. "Okay what?"

"I'll go. I'll do it." George paused, "I'll try."

"Really? You mean that?" The blonde reached over and rest her hand upon his knee, bringing his attention back to her face now. "I will be there with you every step of the way. If you want me to be."

George grabbed hold of his sister-in-law's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "I promise. I mean it. I'll try. I'm not promising that it will last long, or be successful in any way, but I promise to try." He told her with a weak smile.

"Good." Adelaide leaned forward and kissed his cheek gently. "I'm proud of you. Always have been. Always will be. And you know," she paused, patting his cheek with her free hand. "Fred would be, too."

George wasn't sure why the sound of his dead twin brothers name sent chills straight down his spine. He hated when people said things like that. How could they be so sure? Fred was dead. He took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled as he watched Adelaide get up and head over to the fireplace.

"I'll check in with you later. Or you can tell me when you have your first session. Just remember I want to help." She told him with a nod. In another moment, she disappeared in the green flames and left George sitting on his couch – alone again.

He always thought he would be alone, and he hated the thought – especially after having been with Aurora for a few years. He was only starting to feel alive again but was beginning to realize that maybe it had all just been so one-sided between them. Ginny told him it was toxic, and George couldn't help but roll his eyes. He didn't want to be categorized as the toxic one. He always knew he could have been more supportive.

But really, after all, it takes two to tango.

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"Aurora!"

The brunette turned around from her easel, her tongue darting out to wet her lips as she peered up at Holden, the other newest artist who was taking classes at the local studio. She needed to find something to pass the time. She was terrified that she'd get lonely enough that she would try reaching out to George again.

She knew better than to have too much hope about reconciling with him, though. And she knew the more she sat around with nothing to do, the more she would wonder – and worry – about him.

"We're all heading to the Celtic Cross for a pint in about an hour. Want to join?" Holden asked, his arms crossing taut over his chest as he peered over her shoulder to peek at what she was painting. Aurora could tell judging by the look on his face that he was wondering why there was no structure with what she was doing. Nor were there traces of any bright hues on the canvas. In the end, she had decided to utilize the darkest paints she could get her hands on. It matched her emotions at the moment.

Her artistic mind had taken a hit after the breakup, unfortunately. She had been hopeful that the class would help but still, she was struggling mentally.

"Sure, why not." Aurora finally agreed with a small smile. "I'll meet you there."

Holden smiled and waved over his shoulder as he headed back out the door and into his own portion of the studio. Aurora watched him go and let out a soft sigh upon turning around to face her canvas again.

The reality of the matter was that Aurora had been becoming quite the hermit since the breakup. In the back of her mind she knew there had always been an expiration date on her relationship with George but it still pained her to see those she was surrounding herself with be in happy, healthy relationships.

The next hour passed by fairly quick and she found herself beginning to regret that she agreed to go out. She had been binge watching a television show called 'The X-Files' and often found herself narrating the whole thing from her cocoon on the couch. Being a real witch just made it all funny to Aurora and now she was thinking of sneaking home to lounge on her couch, most likely with a bottle of wine all to herself, to keep up with the binge-watching marathon.

"That would never happen. Those things don't exist!"  She'd often find herself shouting at her television, giggling as the distant memory of fighting in a full-blown magical war decayed more and more in her mind. Her brother, Michael - now his memory she refused to forget. She would never purposely push his face away and out of her mind. In fact, the only magical item she kept in her flat was a photo of the two of them the year before everything started getting worse. They were smiling, cuddled up on the swing that used to be held up by the strong oak tree in their back yard.

Realizing that now with the thought of her brother at the forefront of her mind, Aurora's eyes started to well up and she immediately wiped at her face with both palms hoping she wasn't smearing her mascara in the process. She gathered her thoughts, steadied her breathing, and grabbed her bag before walking out.

"We were beginning to think you wouldn't come." Holden whispered to her as he shifted over closer to his boyfriend, Thomas, in the booth that was nestled securely in the corner of the Celtic Cross pub.

"I almost didn't." She admitted with a sigh.

"I'm glad you're here. Here, I grabbed drinks for the whole table." Thomas spoke louder, needing his voice to travel a further distance and beat out the rest of the noise around them. He picked up the glass and slid it over to Aurora who gladly accepted it.

She sipped it quickly, ignoring the burn fizzling down her throat from the unknown alcohol she had just consumed. With a small cough, Aurora turned to take in her surroundings. She had never been at this specific pub but to her - they were all the same. The same boring decor. The same loud noises. And not to forget - the same bland beer she refused to drink.

It was almost as if her eyes glazed over, the conversations around her were not being absorbed in any way. She was in her own little world and didn't even know when someone was trying to talk to her.

"Aurora!" Holden finally got through to her, his large hand clasped her arm and gave her a little shake, the olive tone of his skin showing as a stark contrast against her alabaster. "Earth to Aurora!"

Blinking her blue eyes that were no longer bright rays of warmth, Aurora turned to look at the couple sitting beside her. She frowned but quickly shook her head to try and break herself out of the funk she was in.

"I'm sorry, you two. I have a lot on my mind lately. I thought I would have been able to turn my mind off for atleast a few hours." She admitted sheepishly. She glanced down at her lap before rubbing at the side of her neck.

"What's his name?" Thomas asked her with a hint of pity in his voice. "Or her name."

"It's a he." Holden hummed, "She's mentioned him before." He told his boyfriend with a nod.

"George." Aurora sighed. "His name is George and he's a bloody bastard. I don't want to keep thinking about him. It just makes me sad." She bit her bottom lip as the thought of being alone infiltrated her mind once more.

"Girl," Thomas sighed, reaching forward to take her hand in his. "Talk. Talk about him. About your feelings. It's not healthy to keep everything so bottled up."

"And what better place to do it then here at a pub with your new best friends." Holden teased with a smirk.

Aurora chuckled softly and relaxed further into the booth. She didn't see the harm in venting about the toxicity of her relationship with George. She would have to limit her alcohol, though, for fear of talking about the wizarding world. Uncovering that hidden world, and that secret part of her, was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Well, I'll start off by saying he's my childhood best friends older brother. He's only three years older than me, so quit the jokes before you even begin." Aurora pointed at Holden with a small smile.

"She's read you like a book, love." Thomas whispered from the opposite side of his lover, a wide grin taking form on his lips as Holden nudged him playfully.

Aurora wasn't sure what she really wanted to share. She had to think of the right words to use. She couldn't very well tell them that she left behind a life of magic and that was what kept them apart. With one quick swig of whatever mixed drink Thomas had ordered for her now, Aurora looked back to the couple and explained as much as she could about her relationship and why it failed.

"So, he's an atheist."

"Who refuses to understand what your faith means for you."

Aurora nodded. She didn't know what else to tell them. It was the easiest lie for her to say, and the situations were similar enough that she didn't have to fashion any other elaborate story to explain things.

"He couldn't see where I was coming from. With my beliefs, you know. Why they were so important to me." Aurora cleared her throat and shifted to lean further more into the cushions back of the booth. It was rather uncomfortable but it made do. "It was too hard in the end but initially we both had agreed to overlook the differences. We loved eachother... I-uh, atleast I think we did."

"It's understandable, love." Holden pat her knee gently before he continued, "You deserve someone who will accept you for who you are. You don't have to be similar for a relationship to work. Beliefs and religion and whatever else there may be, differences should be celebrated."

"Take us for example." Thomas piped up, finishing his drink and raising a finger to the waitress for another before turning his focus back on Aurora. "I was in the closet when we first met. And I was terrified of who I was. I didn't want anyone to know I was gay." He frowned for a moment, sadness taking over as he thought back on the man he was ten years prior. "I was an eighteen year old. Fresh out of school and living on my own for the first time."

"And I was his exceptionally homosexual neighbor." Holden chuckled softly, "I mean, I was pretty much the 'in your face' young gay man you see portrayed in the cinema." He shrugged his shoulders, "and I have always been comfortable in my skin. My parents were so supportive of me, of who I loved, and my dreams ... but Thomas didn't get that same support at home. He didn't know how to handle the newfound freedom he had as an adult."

"I resented Holden at first." Thomas admitted, which prompted Aurora to give him a look that screamed 'I don't believe you'. "Honestly! I did!" He laughed for a moment, "Obviously you would never know that by the way we are right now."

"He's telling the truth. I had to fight tooth and nail to get him to just be my friend." Holden smiled lovingly as he watched his boyfriend.

Aurora could see the love radiating between them and she couldn't help but feel a bit heartbroken. She didn't have that with George. Sometimes she thought she did. And maybe there were those instances that in the right moment, all the two had for one another was love, but it was always controlled by George's attitude and behavior. The love between them was overshadowed by the mistrust and it was just so painful - completely painful - that Aurora knew now the small burst of love, fighting for a chance any time there was an opening, was never going to burn as bright as she had hoped.

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My poor babies. I know I'm evil for causing them so much heartbreak.

Thanks to everyone for sticking with me on their journey ❤️