Warning: I don't own Harry Potter nor do I make any money.

A Surprising Hurt

No matter what she did, Tracey couldn't get her feet to move any faster as she weaved through the pedestrian traffic of Trafalgar Square. She had to get away from him and she figured with all the Muggles lingering or scurrying about this would be the perfect place.

Unfortunately like so many times since he had squirmed his way into her life: she was wrong.

She could hear him call her name as she pushed through the blur of people. Granted the people were only a blur because of the tears she was struggling to fight back. Finding her way blocked by a group of tourists, she looked frantically about for a quick escape only to feel his hand wrap around her elbow and spin her around.

"What is going on?" George asked frantically, his brown eyes wide and full of concern. She hadn't noticed until this moment that the haunted look that had lived there for so long was no where to be found; frozen in that realization she wondered just when that had happened and it made everything hurt even more.

In anguish she cried out as she tried to pull her arm away from him, "Why couldn't you just say 'I've found my own flat.' Five simple words. It's not hard. I've. Found. My. Own. Flat."

"What are you talking about?" his face incredulous as he tightened his grip on her.

"When were you going to tell me?" she shrieked, not caring that people were starting to stare at him. "Where you planning on just sneaking out in the middle of the night? I know I'm the one who said for us to keep this casual and without strings but I'm the one that dragged your arse out of the Leaky Cauldron, I'm the one who made you go back to the store, I'm the one that let you stay without paying rent or utilities or even food, I'm the one who convinced you to eat instead of drink. So when where you going to tell me that after two years you went and found your own flat? You know the one above the store?"

Tracey watched as the colour fell away from George's face as he let go of her arm. She saw the haunted look return to his face; the emptiness to his eyes; the sorrow to his body. Warm tears fell down her face as she watched him back away from her before disappearing into the swirling crowd.

She felt so stupid, so foolish for believing that she actually meant something to him. Before long she was balling and embarrassingly, in the middle of Trafalgar Square, she fell to her knees.