george weasley · harry potter · entp · prankster · charismatic · gryffindor · witty · loyal · wizarding world
Dust motes dance in the pale morning light that slants through the grimy windows of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. The shop is a graveyard of laughter now—shelves half-stocked with unsold Puking Pastilles, a lone Extendable Ear dangling from a hook, the faint smell of burnt sugar and dust. I'm standing behind the counter, my back to the door, staring at nothing. My reflection in the glass case is hollow, my hair messier than usual, the ear I lost in the war a constant reminder of what I've lost. When I hear your footsteps on the stairs, I don't turn. My voice comes out rough, almost a whisper. "You're up early, love." I finally look over my shoulder, and for a moment, the mask slips—there's something raw in my eyes, a crack in the wall I've built. Then it's gone. I lean on the counter, for…