Chapter Text
: SPRING HOLIDAYS. 3rd of APRIL, FRIDAY.
The sun's rays cast a beautiful glow upon the Burrow. That evening, the twins had their own birthday party. The preparations were quick: Molly baked pastries and criticised Ron whenever he misplaced a decoration. Meanwhile, the twins sat up in their rooms looking their best; it was their late-birthday party, after all.
Outside the door, Nile stood, holding a small present. Inside the golden birthday bag, there were two handmade pairs of winter gloves, sewn by Nile himself. His breath felt heavy, his throat dry. The main door stood before him, but he couldn't bring himself to knock or even move.
"Oi!" A distinguishable voice called from a window above, Nile's body went cold. With the little movement he still had, he looked up, catching the twins' eyes as they looked down. "You plan on just staring at the door?" George, wearing a brown suit with a handmade 'Birthday Boy' sash, smirked as he analysed Nile's stiffness.
"Or you deciphering another riddle?" Fred, wearing a similar outfit to George, chuckled at his own statement, then continued, "Hogwarts traumatised you, Grace. This one's got no riddles."
The laughter from above eased a bit of Nile's nervousness, he hadn't seen Fred and George in so long. He smiled, then knocked on the door; the twins watched from above. It wasn't very long until someone opened the door. Ginny stood on the other end, grinning ear to ear, her perfume wafted into Nile's nose, a nice, sweet one. She leaned in and hugged Nile tightly, then smiled.
"You made it!" She moved behind the door, allowing space for him to enter. Nile nodded, then inched himself inside the Burrow. The Burrow was different today; the room was wrapped in sugary, sweet scents and decorated gently. A cake was in the oven as Ron sat at the dining table wrapping a birthday gift, his demeanour focused on the rebellious ribbon in front of him. Nile walked over with the golden bag still in his hands, Molly nowhere in sight.
"Ron," Ginny sighed, "Nile's here."
Ron's eyes darted up without hesitation, looking away from the horrendous gift wrapping, then beaming. He stood up, revealing his nice casual outfit; he wore no fragrance or cologne, but the sweet scent of the home penetrated his jumper.
"Nile!" He swung his arms around him, wrapping him in a brief, warm hug. "Harry and Hermione shouldn't be too long… you're here rather early." He giggled, ignoring his own horrible gift job on the table, then diverting his attention to Nile's.
"That's for Fred and George?" he pointed at the gift, smirking as he tried to peek into it.
"Yeah, made it myself, too," Nile replied. He lifted the bag, but before he could open it, a faint smell of new cologne and sugar, with a mix of gunpowder, infiltrated the room. The footsteps caught Nile's attention; Fred and George walked down the stairs calmly. Fred whistled as he looked around the room, chuckling for a brief moment at Ron's terrible attempt at gift wrapping on the table. Meanwhile, George's attention was on the golden bag hanging from Nile's hands; his playfulness was visible as he walked over, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face.
"Made what?" George raised an eyebrow, leaning over the bag. Nile moved the bag over to his other hand, shaking his head. "Fine, fine, I'll be patient." He backed away one step, his smirk lingering in Nile's mind as he walked away to reunite with Fred.
His face felt a slight blush creeping; the man he admired so much at Hogwarts was closer once again. He watched him for a moment, reminiscing about the many times Nile had sneaked glances at George from the Ravenclaw table. The many times Cho had to wave her hand in his face to bring him back to reality. It was embarrassing; he'd never think that one day he'd be missing those moments.
The party's atmosphere was growing as people arrived; Harry and Hermione sat by the bonfire outside along with Ron and Nile. Their laughs were genuine, Harry charring his entire marshmallow and Ron poking fun at it as if his wasn't actively on fire as well.
"That's mental," Ron teased, his own marshmallow neglected as the fire grew. "It's like a rock, Harry."
"How 'bout yours, Ron?" Harry snarled back, then gestured at the marshmallow fire next to Ron.
Ron's laughter faltered as he raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze slowly. His eyes widened as he attempted to blow out the fire from his skewer; Hermione's laugh was teasing yet soothing, causing Ron's ears to go pink.
As the moments went by, Nile's thirst grew; the party was fun, but marshmallow after marshmallow parched him. He leaned over to them, stating he'd be right back. The walk over from the yard to the kitchen door wasn't long, but Nile watched the groups of people as his eyes searched for a specific man. Failing to find him, Nile just decided to go inside instead. The door creaked as the warm air from the Burrow hit his face; the sweet fragrance was still very prominent. He walked over to the kitchen, prepping his own cup of water, watching the party from the window above the sink. The silence inside was calming until it was interrupted.
"Thought I heard someone come in," George said from behind Nile. He stood, putting his blazer back on. "Party bore you, Grace?" The teasing smirk was back as he fixed the cuffs on his outfit.
"Nah." Nile turned slowly, shaking his head. His gaze lingered on George for a second longer than he wanted, taking in the man in front of him. "Just… thirsty." He looked away, back towards the window, sipping his drink.
"Right. Thirsty." George took a few steps forward, his hands in his pockets. "I needed a moment away, too." he passed a hand through his hair, a slightly nervous gesture. "Fred reckoned I'd Irish-goodbye the party anytime soon." He chuckled softly, but the chuckle held a hidden undertone. Then, he exhaled, walking over to lean against the table in front of Nile.
"Not enjoying yourself at your own party? That's new." Nile raised an eyebrow, watching George closely.
"Not that." George shook his head, looking out of the window behind Nile. "Attention's fine." He shrugged, then his eyes met Nile's once more. He shifted in his position, making himself more comfortable. "Just needed a moment to gather my energy. Can't leave the people wanting more."
Nile let out a small, genuine chuckle, the kind he'd let out when speaking with George back in Hogwarts. George's expression softened slightly, his posture eased as he crossed his arms. "Still find me funny, huh?"
"Don't let it get to your head." Nile's smile was teasing; he held George's gaze for a moment before he hesitantly looked away, scanning the room as if searching for something. "Hogwarts is seriously boring without you. Without you and Fred."
"Thought so. Nobody can keep the energy alive as we did. Except maybe Lee." He looked up, as if reminiscing, then back at Nile's face. He tilted his head, watching him scan the room. "You nervous to graduate?"
Nile's gaze dropped; he hesitantly nodded, then exhaled, "Honestly, I am." George pulled the chair in front of him, gesturing for Nile to take a seat. As Nile took a seat, he looked up at George, who stood leaning on the table still; he nodded.
"Fair enough, I'd never really expected much of it." His eyes lingered on the window, staring at the commotion, then they flickered to Nile's nervous eyes. "But you'll be fine, Grace. Smart guy, plant whisperer, y'got it in ya." He winked playfully. Nile's eyes dropped to the floor again; he felt an inch of blush reaching his face.
"Thanks," Nile muttered, looking at his lap, fidgeting with a loose thread. George's eyebrows rose in surprise watching the man in front of him turn slightly anxious and nervous. His eyes filled with curiosity, one he hadn't felt in some time. George exhaled, then turned to face Nile more.
"Y'know, Grace," he hesitated, "you never were good at staying hidden."
"What?" Nile scoffed, meeting George's eyes once more.
"I mean, seriously," George uncrossed his arms, tapping his finger on the edge of the table gently as if to concentrate. "You were always sitting at the library reading or doing some Ravenclaw activities," he paused, looking around the room, "But you stood out a lot… a lot more than you'd probably wanted to."
Nile's eyes flickered towards the window, then to George, a tint of nervousness meeting his eyes again. "What are you saying, exactly?"
"I'm sayin'," George moved his hands back into his pockets. Inside them, he fidgeted with the seams. "I'm sayin' you always somehow stood out. I mean, for starters," he tilted his head up, rethinking his own words, "you always smelt like flowers… quite distracting, really."
"Right," Nile scoffed, attempting to hide his underlying feelings. "Greenhouse will do that to ya."
George nodded, looking down. His hands unsure of where to go, "Right. Greenhouse."
Nile's eyes watched George's, noticing the switch in demeanour. He stood up slowly, picking up the glass of water as he rose.
"You leavin' already?" George whispered.
"Yeah, maybe." Nile shrugged, looking out of the window: the trio had now been joined by Fred, who seemed to be in an overjoyed mood. "Unless you want the company, but they might start questioning where we're at."
George exhaled, watching Nile's side profile silently. "They'll be fine." His hand reached down, leaning himself against the edge of the Burrow's dining table. His gaze slowly met Nile's; his voice soft.
"With how hidden you liked to stay, you'd think I'd never notice the way you'd look at me." His voice was soothing, quiet enough to make the scene feel intimate. "The way your eyes would linger on my face as if I'm some great, renowned mage."
As the words left George's lips, even through the contrast of Nile's dark skin, it was clear his cheeks had become crimson. The space between them suddenly felt tense, charged with something new, something undiscovered.
"No…" Nile stumbled back one step, avoiding George's gaze, his head shaking intensely as if trying to convince himself as well. "That wasn't it."
"Then," George's gaze widened, a strange, sudden disappointment reaching his eyes. With his other hand, he reached to scratch the back of his head, anxiously looking away from Nile and out of the window where the party continued. "I guess I was just seeing things."
Nile’s eyes stayed on George’s indescribable expression, his face tensed for a second before easing. The moment felt longer than usual; memories flashed in seconds. Times Nile tried to get a glimpse of George, times they’d make eye contact for just a second, and now, Nile realised he wasn’t as subtle as he expected.
A faint guilty feeling weighed him down. He searched for George’s eyes to meet his, but his gaze fixated on the window instead. "George?" Nile spoke, his voice unsure, wary.
"Yeah?"
"Happy… birthday." Nile blurted out, his eyes widening for a moment, shocked by his own words. George’s face turned a slight pink, then he dropped his head, laughing. His laugh was loaded, something hidden within.
"Thanks, Grace. 'Bout time you said it." George turned back up to Nile, grinning, and shaking his head. The grin was more genuine this time.
"Yeah," Nile said, exhaling, relieved at the reaction. Then he turned to look out of the window. "Shall we go back then?"
"Right." George nodded. He walked towards the door hesitantly. Nile stood behind him, watching his hand gently grip the knob, then turning it slowly, almost as if he had something to say. But in the end, he didn’t.
"Thank you, Nile!" Molly smiled, her hug warm and her face genuine. "It was a pleasure to have you today." She broke the hug, placing her hands protectively on Nile’s arms.
"Of course, I wouldn’t be happy with myself if I missed it," Nile grinned, his eyes slowly meeting the individual behind Molly. George stood next to Fred, his blazer off and his posture calm, but the moment Nile’s gaze was on him, he tensed. Molly spoke, but the sound blended out with the murmurs around Nile.
"Right, I won’t keep you, dear." Molly patted Nile's shoulders, then stood to the side. "Go say your goodbyes." She winked. Nile smiled, then walked over to the group: Ron, Fred, George, and Harry.
"You headin’ out, Grace?" Ron said, having traded his jumper for a T-shirt instead.
"Yeah," Nile nodded.
"Oh, come on, Grace," Fred whined. "Harry's sleepin’ over, why don’t you?"
"No, I wouldn't want to bother–"
"As if!" Interrupted Ron, he let out an airy laugh then spoke again. "This is your place too, Grace!"
Before Nile could answer, George's eyes settled on his. The brief moment was an answer in itself, granting permission even when he didn't ask. "Fine. I'll send an owl to my family later."
"Right, now help us clean." Ron teased.
"This was all a trap to get me to clean, wasn't it?"
"A bonus, if you will."
The night grew over the Burrow's tilted structure. Inside, the faint fragrance of the party lingered, and upstairs, Ron, Harry, and Nile shuffled in their beds. Ron's snores were loud; Harry's eyes were shut closed; he was used to the snores by now. Nile, on the other hand, wasn't.
The snores intensified by the second, leaving Nile even more restless. He shifted several times in bed, facing one way, then another, then face-planting onto the pillow. Nothing eased his discomfort. At this moment, an inch of regret crept up. Nile groaned, then got up. He attempted to be quiet, but regardless, Ron and Harry were entirely out of it. He padded down the squeaky stairs towards the kitchen.
Downstairs, the atmosphere was strangely cold; the warmth from the party had left entirely along with the guests. The kitchen stood silently, imperfect, fairly clean from the chores from earlier. Nile walked up to a plain, lonely sofa; the blanket Molly’s needles were knitting was complete and sat folded. Nile dropped himself onto the sofa, exhaling at the final moment of silence he had finally achieved.
The crickets eased his busy brain, his eyes closed, and he relaxed on the sofa. The creaks from the old home only became part of the white noise to Nile. A few moments passed until Nile felt a presence.
George, who had now been in plain pyjama pants and a T-shirt, stood by the fireplace, watching Nile's breathing, smiling gently.
Nile's eyes opened slowly, watching. "Hi, George." He said softly as a tiny smile formed on his lips.
"Caught me," George whispered, walking a few steps towards Nile. "What are you even doing down here?" He raised an eyebrow teasingly; Nile chuckled.
"Let's just say your brother's snoring is not very musical." Nile chuckled, opening his eyes further as George approached.
"Bad idea to sleep over, then?" He tilted his head, stopping a few feet in front of Nile. "Fred's the same, anyway."
"That's why you're down here?" Nile's tone hinted at disbelief.
"Sorta. And because I heard footsteps."
"So, you followed me." Nile raised an eyebrow, his tone less of a question, more of a statement.
"Got me," George muttered, running a hand through his hair, messing it up further. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, as if to defend himself, but nothing came out.
"So, how'd you like your party?" Nile said, hoping to ease the slight tension. George's gaze snapped back to Nile's; he grinned.
"Good. Amazing, actually." Despite the darkness of the night flooding into the Burrow, George's face was glowing with happiness.
"I'm glad," Nile said, returning the same authenticity. "Now, take a seat before you make me nervous hovering over me." George let out a quiet laugh, then turned to sit on the couch next to the sofa, spreading his legs out.
A few moments of pure silence passed, Nile's eyes staring ahead. George shifted in his seat, unsure of what to do with himself, and glancing between Nile and the ground. Then, he finally spoke.
"Hey, Nile," George said, his tone almost nervous.
"Yeah?" Nile responded, turning his head slightly towards George.
George's eyes fixed on a piece of loose thread on his pants until he lifted them to meet Nile's eyes. "You're a terrible liar, too." He teased.
"What?" Nile's eyes widened, his brows furrowed slightly. He knew exactly what George was referring to, but he didn’t want to admit it.
"'That wasn’t it'" George repeated, tasting Nile's words from earlier with a certain bitterness. "Terrible liar, I say."
"Merlin’s beard, George." Nile rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Indeed, but you're not denying it so…" George raised an eyebrow.
"C’mon." Nile looked at him shyly.
"What? Just a thought. Plus, I think I'm pretty good at checking for discrepancies." He teased further, smirking mischievously.
"Why does it matter, anyway?" Nile looked down at his lap, suddenly nervous and wary of George.
"Why?" George exhaled nervously, his gaze watched Nile's profile, the way he avoided his gaze. It felt like Hogwarts all over again, his heart started to pick up its pace. "Because…"
"Because?" Nile repeated.
"Because." George swallowed. "Because I want to know if I've been losing my mind all these years." George muttered, his voice rushed and sprinkled with uncertainty.
"Is that so bad?" The last word came out like a spear, a gentle hurt beneath it all. He dropped his head back down, pausing for a moment before speaking.
"I just wanted to know if you saw me the way I saw you. If I’m wrong, just tell me." His desperation sneaked up from underneath every word he said.
Nile's eyes finally looked at George, widened. Years of yearning, years of stolen glances, and years of countless shoulder-brushing. And George sat in front of him, practically confessing to it too. Nile's face turned red, he leaned over the sofa, closer to George, "George." Nile stuttered, his tone hesitant and unsure.
"Just." George sighed, fidgeting with the drawstring of his pyjama pants. "Forget it." He slumped on the couch, his gaze visibly avoiding Nile’s.
Nile sat silently, unsure. His eyes watched the wrinkles on George's furrowed eyebrows, his hands fidgeting with the drawstring, and his tense demeanour. He was nervous, just like Nile.
"No." Nile spoke, standing up slowly. "I won't just 'forget it,' George." Nile's hand reached to scratch his forehead, shivering slightly. "I can't." He murmured.
"So tell me, Nile." George looked up, his eyes expectant.
"I…" Nile's lips parted, but his courage failed him. Meanwhile, George simply watched.
"You." He repeated dryly.
Nile stiffened, staring at George silently.
"It's fine." George sighed, facing away from Nile, disappointed.
"It's not that easy." Nile stuttered. "You say it like it is, but it's not. I can't just admit it like it's something easy to discard." He groaned, stepping closer to George's reluctant posture. His eyes lingering on his lips.
George's eyes slowly lifted to Nile's face, his eyes grew with faint familiarity. Nile's eyes shined from years of pining. Their stances made the room feel heavier, contradictory to the cheerful atmosphere of the earlier party.
"You don't have to say anything, Nile." George said, his tone carried slight annoyance. His eyes dropped for a moment then back to Nile's. He paused, swallowing as he prepared his next words. "I noticed you." He whispered.
"When you'd bump into me. When you'd pretend to clumsily drop your quill so I could hand it to you. When you'd search for me as you walked into the Great Hall." George admitted, his hand tugging further on the drawstring anxiously.
"And every single time, I wanted it to keep happening." He dropped his gaze back towards the floor. "I liked the thought of it. I liked seeing that look in your eyes as I passed. I liked the feeling I'd get from seeing you blush and pretend you weren't." George laughed.
George looked at Nile, admiring his features for a moment, then deciding to stand up. The floorboards creaked under him, his steps were slow and gentle. He stood a few steps in front of Nile, but not enough to suffocate the air between them.
"It got so bad, Nile." He whispered. "I couldn't think. I'd see you walk by and my mind would wander, too."
Nile watched George, his eyes never leaving his. His hands curled into an anxious fist around the hem of his shirt. "You're not being serious."
"Oh, but I am." George shrugged. "It's up to you to believe me."
The two stood in the darkness of the Burrow's first floor, the crickets singing their lullaby alongside the creaks of the old home. Nile's posture stiffened, George's was the opposite. And for what felt like forever, they simply stared into each other's eyes, an unspoken conversation.
"Goodnight, Grace." George whispered dryly. Before Nile could respond, he turned on his heel and walked towards the stairs. Nile's eyes watched as he left, an uncomfortable, aching feeling pounding inside his chest.