I'm on My Way

It was the day that everyone should be coming home from Hogwarts. George spent most of the morning stocking all the new shipment of Self-Inking Quills as Fred danced around, humming to some tune George couldn’t quite make out. “Oi, what are you doing?” George asked his twin brother, giving him a look that read you’re-a-nutter. Fred just smirked, sending his brother a mischievous wink.

“It’s the day they come home, mate, and little Acey is in my arms.” Fred put his arms out like he was holding someone close to him and George snorted, rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, that is if she doesn’t tear your head off for dropping out of school.” What George told his brother is true; Acey would tear her boyfriend’s head off just for dropping out of school. She knew how much the joke shop meant to the Weasley twins but school always came first to her. Even with the evil Umbridge lady giving them medieval methods of detention. Fred just glared at his brother but went back to humming to himself. George finished off putting away the quills when their father walked into the shop.

Mr. Weasley still held some scars from the snake attack that happened to him around Christmas just the previous year. But he was fine, smiling as he admired his twin son’s work on their shop. “Blimey, boys, maybe you were right on dropping out.” Mr. Weasley gave the twins a wink, knowing full well if he said this in front of his wife he’d get an ear full.

“Thanks Dad, heading over to King’s Cross now to pick up the Hogwarts lot?” Fred spoke up as he stopped humming and dancing. George stopped what he was doing as Mr. Weasley nodded. “I’m coming baby!” Fred yelled loudly, as if Acey could hear him from the Hogwarts Express, and ran out of the shop.

“Who was he yelling to?” Mr. Weasley asked, his voice filled with both confusion and concern, and George shrugged.

“I think my guess would be Acey,” Mr. Weasley nodded and the two walked out of the Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes shop. George locked it behind him and they walked down the street where they Disapparated to King’s Cross. The Twins and Mr. Weasley met up with Mad-Eye Moody, who stood with his magical eye moving all which way and a scowl on his face. A tired Remus Lupin and pink-haired Tonks smiled at them from next to Moody. Mrs. Weasley met them inside where they walked through the station in the group. George remembered the last time he was in this station. It was the end of Christmas holiday and a smile came to his lips at the memory of Roxie meeting him at the bathroom entrance he just passed.

They walked until they got to platforms 9 and 10 where they would wait for the others to come through the portal. George and Fred stood behind the lot they were with, leaning against a wall. Fred held a smirk on his face, just imagining what Acey would say when she saw him. George kept a calm face even though on the inside he was jumping for joy at the thought of seeing, touching and kissing Roxie again.

“How funny would it be if they were still angry with us,” Fred whispered to his brother with an amused voice. George scoffed. It would certainly not be funny if his girlfriend was still mad at him. “What? It’ll be a miracle if Roxie could stay mad at you for so long. Acey, though, that girl is a firecracker.”

“Yeah, you two are perfect, then?” George spat a little bitterly. Fred ruined his good thoughts at the possibility of Roxie still angry with him.

“Yeah, I’d say that Acey and I are just perfect.” George rolled his eyes but still shared a laugh with his brother. Then George noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione came through the barrier. Fred and George got up from their wall and went to join the group. Ginny walked through with Acey and Roxie. Mrs. Weasley hugged her youngest children and said hello to Harry, who seemed to be somewhere else mentally. Fred held a smirk as George held a smile.

“What are they supposed to be?” Ron asked, pointing to the twins lurid green, scaly jackets. Fred’s smirk grew wider as he gave the jacket a little tug.

“Finest dragon skin, little bro,” he told and sent a wink to Acey who just stared at him. “Business is booming and we thought we’d treat ourselves.”

“You look bloody ridiculous,” Acey commented her face stayed straight even though she really just wanted to laugh out loud. The jackets definitely screamed Fred and George. Fred rolled his eyes at his girlfriend’s comment and pulled her close to him.

“You love it,” said Fred as he pulled his girlfriend close, twisting her so her back was to his chest and nibbled on her ear. She squealed before turning around and kissing his lips. George rolled his eyes. Obviously Acey didn’t care that much for Fred dropping out.

George smiled at his girlfriend who stood in front of him with a set jaw. “Hey baby!” His smile grew as he greeted her and she shook her head.

“Don’t you ‘hey baby’ me, George Weasley, I’m still mad at you. And Acey is supposed to be mad at Fred too!” Roxie shot a look to Acey, who giggled in Fred’s arms and shrugged apologetically to her friend. George’s smile fell.

“I’m sorry, Roxie, really! But you know how evil that Umbridge lady is and that I wasn’t really into school. You know, Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes is doing all right, right now. Perfect really,” he was rambling trying to make the girl in front of him to smile, even just a little bit.

“I can’t right now, George, I can’t accept the apology. I thought we were going to graduate together. I-I’ll see you later.” Roxie pushed past George, who’s face and jaw fell, before meeting up with her parents who were waiting for her near the entrance to King’s Cross. George watched Roxie walk away, hearing Fred mutter the word “ouch” and Acey slapping his chest.

“Come on, Georgie, I’ll talk to Roxie later and hopefully she’ll come around.” Acey pulled at her boyfriend’s brother’s hand. George didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay where he was, still perplexed that his girlfriend just walked away from him, unaccepting to his apology for dropping out.

“I blame you,” George growled to his brother before walking away, ripping his arm from Acey and walked on his own. Not even caring that his family asked him to come to the Burrow or Harry Potter walking away with his Aunt and Uncle. George just wanted to get away from everything. His hopes of getting Roxie to stay with him in the flat above the joke shop were crushed. His hopes of coming home to her were crushed.

A week had passed since everyone came home from Hogwarts. Seven days passed since George last saw and talked to Roxie. He owled her of course but she didn’t return anything. Fred and Acey were constantly bugging him, even when they weren’t even near him. Knowing that Fred got to hold, touch and kiss his girlfriend made George jealous. Hearing Acey’s giggles made George scoff and seeing Acey’s stuff all around the flat made George want to throw it away. He wished that Roxie was here to just relieve him of the sickening couple.

He barely even felt at home. At least when they were at Hogwarts, coming back to the Common Room after class or dinner with Roxie, he felt so much at home. Being with Roxie, George felt at home. Roxie is his home. Even going to the Burrow for dinner, George didn’t feel right. His mother asked about Roxie and he couldn’t tell her that she hated him for dropping out. Even Mrs. Weasley didn’t feel right about her twin sons dropping out of school. George missed Roxie so much that it hurt, it physically hurt and he just missed her.

It was Tuesday, that’s all George really knew, when he left the shop without mentioning anything to Fred. George managed to walk up and down Diagon Alley without going into any shops. He walked through the Leaky Cauldron, not stopping for a bit of Firewhiskey before walking out to the Muggle world. He had no real Muggle money on him so not even stopping at a pub was an option. He walked around London until it was just after sunset, too tired to walk back he Disapparated to his flat above the shop. George Apparated right into his living room and Roxie sat on the couch waiting for him. George stared at Roxie for the longest time as she gave him a half-smile and timid stare. George opened his mouth to say something but couldn’t find the words. He just felt overcome with an emotion that just told him he was home. Roxie stood up and grabbed his hands.

“It didn’t feel right, being at home and away from you. I’m so sorry, George. I’ve spent so long just being mad at you… I didn’t realize that there was no need. I just seemed silly, now, that I was mad at you. I’m just so in love with you, school should have never mattered first.” Roxie took in a deep breath when she finished and stared up at her boyfriend.

“Damn right school should have never mattered first,” George joked earning an eye roll and slap to the chest from Roxie. He laughed before taking his hands out of hers, grabbing her cheeks and kissing her on the lips with passion. “I love you too.” The two smiled at each other after the kiss.

“I feel at home, oddly enough, being here,” Roxie commented after another bout of kissing and George laughed.

“You’re my home, sweet, home baby.” Roxie rolled her eyes and snorted before telling George what a cheese ball he is. He just pulled her close and kissed her again. He felt right though, just like he is home for good, kissing Roxie in the living room of his flat. “Really, Roxie, I felt like I came home to you when I Apparated here.”

“But you didn’t know I was here,” she commented furrowing her eyebrows and George shrugged.

“Somehow I just knew that I should have just come home.”

“You are such a cheese.” Roxie commented but George didn’t mind. He came home to his home, to his Roxie.