Angelina Johnson was many things, Clover found out as days came and went. She was not George's girlfriend, but rather his late-night lover, as well as both his and Lee's best friend. It was no wonder, however, seeing how the girl was equally as witty and funny as she was beautiful. With her smooth features and tall stature, she was the epitome of a goddess; Clover was sure she never saw the dark-haired beauty without her chin held high. That was until an hour into work a few weeks after she had started at the shop.
Clover was ringing up a customer, seeing as she was the only employee in the main room at the time. Lee was only coming in later on and George was no where to be found. Just as the girl in front of her was handing over the money for a box of dungbombs, a slammed door caught her attention.
She looked over while finishing up with the customer and saw that a straight-faced George Weasley had rushed into the main shop area followed by a saddened looking Angelina. No one else was in the shop and Clover found herself intriguingly curious, so she leaned on the counter and silently watched the scene play out.
"Georgie, it's only three weeks," the dark-haired girl caught up to George and placed a hesitant hand on his shoulder.
"Exactly," he snapped, his voice softening as he turned around and saw the girl's apologetic demeanor, "You're never gone this long, Ang."
She sighed and hung her head low; it was a motion that looked odd on a girl who was always so confident. Guilt swam in her eyes.
"This is my job, George," Angelina spoke harshly, her tone so opposite to the soft expression on her face, "You know that. I'm a professional quidditch player, if I don't go to training then I'm off the team."
George ran his hand through his hair in frustration, "Well does the training have to be in a bloody different country?!"
"That's not my choice and you know it," she narrowed her eyes at him and stared knowingly, glaring at him to indicate that there was no room for anymore arguing, "I don't see you picking up your things and coming with me. Don't play the victim here, George. It fucking goes both ways."
Angelina's glare was hard and stern and knowing, but most of all desperate. The words she had just shouted throughout the shop became so clear and defined as Clover figured out what was happening. Angelina was leaving for a few weeks, and George didn't want her to. Like a smoker addicted to cigarettes, he needed her. She was his drug to keep him from distracted from feeling, Clover knew that. But as she watched Angelina's face fill with both frustration and desperation, she knew George was her drug just as much as she was his. George needed Angelina, and Angelina needed George. It goes both ways...
Lost in thought and her eyes trained on the silent eye-lock the two in front of her were in, she didn't register the fact that someone had walked up to the counter.
"Looks like there's trouble in paradise," the familiar voice snapped her out of her own head.
"Oi, shut it you wanker," she nudged her best friend from across the counter, "I want to hear."
"Nosey git," Babs rolled his eyes while leaning on the countertop and focusing in on the scene Clover was watching.
The redhead and the dark-haired girl were standing there with their eyes trained solely on each other, not noticing the audience they now had. Angelina dropped her hard stare and reached up to place a kiss on George's cheek.
"I didn't want to leave like this, but now I have to go," she said, her hand reaching over to squeeze his, "Owl me if you need anything."
He grabbed her hand back and pulled her into his chest, his voice pleading, "I need you. Ang...I-I...please."
"Three weeks, George," she whispered onto his lips before pulling away and walking out the door, refusing to look back at him.
The bell that rang when she walked out echoed through the shop, which was mostly empty due to it still being early in the day. Clover had to nudge Babs in the arm when he began chuckling under his breath at the same time that George looked over at the blonde girl. His fist was tightened at his side and his jaw was locked firmly into place. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it almost immediately as a pink tint rose to his cheeks.
"Not a fucking word," he looked between the two of them, before pointing towards Babs, "You don't even work here."
"Oi, I'm a paying customer," the boy smirked while disappearing into an aisle and grabbing a bunch of random items in his arms.
"Git," Clover snickered into her hand as George grumbled out loud. "Just get back to work."
"Yes, sir," she chuckled, watching as George momentarily froze in place. His nostrils slightly flared and his jaw tightened.
Slowly, George walked over to the counter, only stopping when he was standing directly in front of the blonde girl. Her breath caught in her throat when he leaned his head down to become level with hers, yet she kept her head held high challengingly.
"I wouldn't call me that if I were you," he whispered, his breath lingering on the skin of her face.
She narrowed her eyes and pushed down the blush forming on her cheeks, smirking, "You told me to, remember? You are my boss after all."
"Right," his tongue visibly brushed against his inner cheek as his eyes looked over her body quickly, a smirk of his own decorating his face with a sultry chuckle, "Good girl."
And as quick as the words came out of his mouth, he was walking away from her, leaving a red-cheeked Clover standing there with slightly widened eyes. Something stirred inside of her, but she pushed it down when she heard Babs come back to the counter and throw an armful of products down.
"You know I'll have to put all of that away, you prat," she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at Babs.
"Maybe Mr. sexy boss man can help you," he said in reply, simply laughing and wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, "For fucks sake I could sense the sexual tension from over there."
Clover rolled her eyes and began scooping the products into her arms, walking away to put them all back, "He's got Angelina. Besides, you know I don't do relationships."
"Angelina is going to be gone for three weeks," Babs pointed out with a smirk on his face, following after Clover, "And, who said anything about a relationship?"
The blonde-haired girl looked over at him and placed a hand over her heart, dramatically gasping, "Babs, are you suggesting I sleep with my bloody boss?"
"Me?! I would never do such a thing," he feigned hurt and pointed at her accusingly, before dropping the act and winking, "But, lover girl will be gone for three weeks, just saying."
"I'm not interested," she casually droned out, placing down the last item and making her way back towards the register.
"Yeah, and I like girls," Babs sarcastically rolled his eyes as he followed his best friend back.
"Arse," she laughed, and it was nice, he thought, seeing her with a smile on her face.
It wasn't rare to see Clover smile, she smiled all the time. Babs knew that was her mask, the way she hid her true emotions from everyone. The difference is that this smile wasn't fake or forced, it was real. And, he thought no one in the world deserved that more than the girl in front of him. She has had to go through so much on her own and he had been there for almost everything. Almost everything; he has regretted that one word since the day he stepped foot on the muggle plane to leave for India. Because, he wasn't there when she needed him most. Suddenly, a surge of regret and guilt swept through him.
"I should've been there," his voice dropped it's playful tone and his fingers curled into his palms.
Clover stopped what she was doing, her body freezing at his words. She knew what he was going to say next, she knew what thoughts would implode in her brain next, and she didn't want that.
"Babs-,"
"No, Clover. I should've been there that day at the castle," he snapped, sharply cutting her off while locking his eyes onto hers, "You were fighting and I wasn't there."
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, knowing he wouldn't let it go any longer without having this conversation.
"There was nothing you could have done besides get yourself killed," she responded softly, images of the day of the Battle of Hogwarts flashing through her mind.
"I-I should've been there," he stuttered out, his fist tightening on top of the countertop as he remembered the night so clearly, "It wouldn't of mattered if I-,"
"Don't," Clover ripped her eyes open and stared at him sternly, "Don't you dare say it wouldn't have mattered if you died. Where would I fucking be if I lost the both of you?"
The silence was louder than any words that could've been said. Nobody wants to think about death, yet alone their best friend dying. Truth is, on the day of the battle, Babs was once again in India with his family. He knew the war was getting bad and knew he should have stayed to fight by Clover's side, but his parents never let him have an option. The day he landed in India was the day the war had ended; the day that Linny had died. And he hated himself for making her go through that alone.
He brought his eyes back to hers strongly and genuinely spoke back, "I should have been there. I should have said no to my parents...tell them I wasn't coming home."
"You would have been disowned if you said no to them, Babs," she explained knowingly, "You had no choice."
"I'm going to be disowned anyways," he whispered so low she barely heard him, knowing that if he ever admitted to his parents that he was gay he wouldn't be allowed back into his family, "I should've been there. I'm sorry."
She sadly smiled at him and squeezed his hand, "Don't make me go all sappy on you."
"You'd never," he gasped out jokingly. She chuckled and teased him back, "For you, I just might."
They both laughed, only to be brought back to reality by the next words that came out of Babs' mouth, "Clo, how are you? Be honest with me."
From the first day the two slytherin's met, they were attached at the hip. They were best friends; they told each other everything. But somehow while looking at him, Clover's mouth froze open. How could she tell the only person who has always fought for her that she was barely living? How could she tell him that at night when she closed her eyes she sometimes wished they'd stay close for good? How could she tell her best friend that there was this dark storm brewing inside of her? She couldn't. She wouldn't do that to him.
"I'm fine," she gritted her teeth and plastered a fake smile on her face, even though she knew he wouldn't believe it for a second.
Clover raked her mind to find a way to change the subject before he called her out on her lie, and soon enough, her solution had walked right through the front door of the shop. Her eyes snapped over to the boy who walked in, her smile, albeit fake, wiped clean off of her face. She couldn't believe it; she didn't want to believe the boy was standing right in front of her. And instead of shifting the subject to a lighter topic, Clover knew that it was about to get much darker. Babs immediately stepped in front of her with an angry expression formed on his face as she gritted her teeth.
"What the fuck are you doing here?" She seethed, clenching her jaw as she narrowed her eyes at him.
All and every memory that she had purposely put off and tucked into an unlabeled section of her brain unfolded as the blonde boy in front of her locked his eyes on hers and spoke. She was able to avoid this for 7 years, but here it was coming back to bite her in the butt.
"He misses you, Clover."
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AUTHORS NOTE:
SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE BUT HERE IT ISSSSS... just a little filler chapter until drama begins unfolding;)
Who do we think the boy is?
AND DONT WORRY, ✨Spice✨ is coming soon;););)