A white marquee once again stood in orchard of the Weasley yard. A celebration of love and life was being held in honour of Bill and Fleurs newest addition, Victoire. The vast open space was crowded with friends and family and an array of unfamiliar but intriguing scents. The guests were piling in, some heading straight for the food others for the dance floor, it wasn't till the veela cousins started to show up did a wave of emotion hit George. Jerking his head away he stared at his empty plate that he couldn't find the desire to fill. He felt the chair beside him move and someone sat beside him. Rons plate was full of exquisite looking food and the smells assaulted his senses.
"Want me to get you some food mate?" Harry asked sitting on Rons other side.
"N-no I'm alright." George proceeded to look at his plate as Ron and Harry shared a glance, it was then that Hermione showed up lacing her hand with Rons she pulled him away to dance. It wasn't till Ginny showed up that Harry looked at George again.
"Do you mind mate? I don't really fancy leaving you alone..."
"No go on have fun you two." His smile though present on his lips did not reach his vacant eyes.
Harry hesitated, then followed Ginny out to the dance floor.
George was finally alone. It was the way he liked it, he'd spent most of the last year in his room when he wasn't helping his mum around the house or being dragged to the shed for his father to show him some new muggle contraption that he had enchanted. But even alone the ghosts still haunted him, at least when he was alone he could deal with them. Everyone was worried about him, he wasn't stupid he noticed how they watched him like he could go off at any minute. They all tip toed around him like one false move and he might disappear. He was stronger then they give him credit for, he knew that. He also knew they all cared but it doesn't change the fact that if they kept treating him like this that he might actually crack.
"Hello George" Interrupting his train of thought he looked up to find Luna Lovegood sitting in Rons vacated chair. How long had he been thinking? The sun had set and he saw Muriel had fallen asleep on a table near bye.
"Hello Luna."
She just watched him making him feel slightly uncomfortable.
"What is it Luna?"
"Your ear, well what's there any way, does it hurt?"
As if by habit George lifted his hand to the hole in the side of his head, like he was surprised it wasn't there, maybe expecting to find that his ear was back but of course it wasn't.
"Umm, not really I don't even notice it's not there most days, sometimes I even think that maybe it is still there." He had no idea what he was doing telling all this to Luna, but it had been too long since someone had really talked to him.
"Phantom Limb" Luna said mutely in her dreamy voice.
"What?" Georges confusion was evident.
"Well sometimes when people lose a limb or a part of their body, it still feels like it's there working with the rest of you."
George took a minute to ponder this as he thought back to the sensation a minute ago when he truly thought that maybe his ear had returned.
"Oh, I really do love this song."Luna said swaying in her seat closing her eyes briefly.
"Luna, do you want to dance?" Georges request shocked even him.
"Sure." Luna smiled as she stood and took Georges hand walking him to the dance floor. Her reaction was typical she never did seem surprised. It would be an exaggeration to say the world stopped but everyone in the room looked on with surprise as George put his hand on Lunas waist and they began to dance.
George was extremely uncomfortable with all the attention and his hand began to shake.
Luna looked at him till he met her eyes.
"Don't bother worrying about them George, it's the wrackspurts,it's confusing them."
George looked at her and smiled, it was probably the most real smile he had given in a year.