George peered around the corner and sure enough, saw Bella hugging her knees to her chest, her silvery hair cascading down her back and her body rocking back and forward and she cried softly.
Without saying anything, he sat beside her quietly, guilt pouring over him like he had just stepped under a waterfall.
He watched her slowly become aware of him and saw a flash of hurt in her eyes as she stood up quickly, brushing down her skirt and striding away.
"Bella please just wait!" he called out, jogging up to her and grabbing her arm, a sharp pang of hurt in his heart as she wrenched her arm out of his grip.
"Don't you dare fucking talk to me, George," she seethed, her fists balled and one gripping her wand tightly.
"But-" "Don't but me George, if cancelling our tutoring sessions hadn't gotten through to you then this should, I don't want to see you so fuck off and let me resume my normal life, okay?"
He knew this wasn't a question, it was a demand and he couldn't bear to hurt her anymore so he backed off.
"I'll leave you alone but I just want you to know that I'm sorry about what I said and I've regretted it every day," he said quickly, not tearing his eyes from her, remorse evident in his expression.
Without a response she stared at him, her throat feeling tight and swollen and her eyes ready to spurt out tears at any second.
"Hey, I studied and Mcgonagall said I could join her N.E.W.T.S course," he said, his voice wavering as if he too was on the verge of tears.
"I just wanted to thank you," he added, "You were a really great tutor and I wouldn't have had the motivation to do it if you hadn't forced me to."
Tears were now flowing freely down her porcelain face as she finally met his gaze.
"I didn't mean anything I said Bella, I know you don't believe me but I was just a bit stunned when you came to me with issues regarding your family and lashed out on you, I never meant any of it and I miss you-"
He was cut off by Bella sobbing loudly, "You are an amazing human being and I like the person you are, not just your body. I love your unforgiving ferocity and your unwavering morals but most importantly I miss your presence around me, it filled me with a warmth that I can't replace with anyone else."
"No," she choked out, her voice thick with tears, "You can't just come running back to me after-"
Without listening to the rest of her sentence he held onto her shoulders and met her eyes, both of their tear-streaked faces staring back at each other.
"I want you, Bella, I want to be in a committed thing with you, I don't want to talk to anyone else, I don't want to see you with other guys, I want to be yours and I want you to be mine."
Bella looked at him as if entranced, her mouth parted slightly.
"You've broken me, I would have never thought that in a million years I would be wanting to commit to someone not but I met my match with you and I'm not going to throw that away, not for a long time."
Bella gazed up at him, her stormy eyes brimming with tears and her long silvery hair shimmering iridescently. George took a sharp breath as she cupped his face in her hands and stood on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss to his lips.
"Thank you."