Breakfast takes a very long time. After bellowing at James, who's face had turned as red as his hair, she turned on me.
'You can tell your son off too every once in a while.'
I didn't say a word in reply. From experience I know that it is best just to let her fizzle out on her own, especially on days like this one. Fred's presence seems tangible in the air this morning with the anniversary of the battle along with James' latest bout of rule breaking. I have no doubt that later we will laugh about the toilet seat, probably with George and Angelina.
It doesn't take long for Ginny's temper to fizzle out, and she whispers an apology to me as she places the bacon sandwich in front of me, and plants a kiss on my cheek.
'Gross,' James shouts from across the table making a face, but then drops his eyes back to his own plate as Ginny shoots him a look.
I can see Albus smirking at him out of the corner of my eye and I raise me eyebrows at him. Lily is the only one of us no longer focussed on breakfast. Instead she is moving around the room, obviously searching for something. It's not hard to guess what.
'Not again Lily,' I say in an exasperated voice. My daughter is the spitting image of her mother except for two things. Her eyes are brown like Ginny's but are exactly the same shape as mine and her eye sight is just as bad. She is the only one of my children who has to wear glasses like me.
'It's not my fault. I don't like wearing them,' she whines at me. I move to get up and help her but Ginny stops me with a hand on my shoulder. I look at her confused and then follow her gaze. The boys are both laughing quietly into their breakfasts, twin looks of mischief on their faces.
'Lily come here,' Ginny says kindly and carefully Lily makes her way towards her. Ginny strokes a hand down lily's flaming red hair once and then raises her wand.
'Accio glasses.' Immediately pair of purple framed glasses flies towards us from Al's direction and land in Ginny's hand. Without a word she hands the glasses back to their owner. It takes Lily roughly ten seconds to realise what has happened and she begins to puff up with anger. She starts to shout at Al, who looks petrified, stomping over to him and that is when it happens. I watch as Al falls backwards off his chair as though pushed, although Lily is still too far away to have touched him.
'Oh boy,' I mutter jumping to my feet, right as Al starts towards his sister. James just watches with a grin as Ginny and I pull them away from each other, knowing that a fight is imminent. Lily glares at him, and he too is thrown from the chair.
'Enough!' I shout to the room at large and the room breaks into a stunned silence. It's a rare thing for me to get angry.
'Lily, go and get dressed. Al finish your breakfast and James,' I round on my eldest son, who has just gotten back to his feet and looking sheepish. 'If you do anything else to make me or your mother angry I swear I will take away your broom.'
I walk towards the stairs, and move towards the sitting room, searching for peace. Before I reach the top of the stairs I hear Ginny's voice adding her own calmer admonishment to them.
'Of all the days you could choose to behave like this you had to choose today.'
George
George hadn't slept, hadn't eaten, hadn't moved from Fred's side since the battle had ended. He wasn't crying, but he wasn't sure that that was a good sign. His mother had been led away to one of the conjured beds in the early hours of the morning by his father and Bill. Percy and Charlie had tried to do the same with George but had eventually given up. Now everyone was starting to wake up again, and he could hear muffled sobs ringing around the large room as they remembered what sleep had temporarily allowed them to forget.
Charlie and their father were standing behind George, talking in low tense voices. They sounded worried and George guessed that they were talking about him but he couldn't find it in him to care. He couldn't find it in him to care about anything. He didn't know where the rest of his family were, but they were nowhere he could see them.
He hadn't really thought about anything except the loss of Fred since he'd found out. He hadn't even really thought about his own feelings but he did now. He felt lost without his twin. He wasn't really sure who he was, or could be without him. Ever since he could remember it had been as though they had been one person. Yes they would go their separate ways in some things, but through everything it had always, steadfastly been them. Hopelessness was there too. How could he possibly continue the shop that they had set up together without the other half? He didn't even know how he would summon the strength to walk through the front doors.
After all that there was a mixture of happiness and guilt. You know who was finally dead and defeated. The rest of his family, including Harry and Hermione were alive, even though for a dreadful minute they had all thought that they had lost Harry too. As soon as he allowed himself to feel the relief that went with this knowledge the guilt of feeling anything positive when the other half of me lays cold and stiff in front of him consumed him.
The most consuming emotion George was feeling, however was anger. Anger at you know who for causing this. Anger at whoever had cast the curse that had killed Fred, but worst of all anger at Fred for not getting out the way or actually being where he was supposed to be instead of acting the hero.
Ron's voice brought him out of this depressing train of thought and he raised his head enough to see Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny standing beside his father. All of them had red rimmed eyes and all of them kept shooting him worried looks. George looked down again, not wanting to meet their gazes and resumed staring at the lifeless body of the twin who would never again finish his sentences.
Ginny
In her opinion Harry was being infuriating. Ginny had forced him to show Ron and Hermione the grizzly sight of his chest. Much to Ginny's horror it seemed to have gotten worse overnight. The bruises seemed darker than before and there was still blood dripping from the wound above his heart. Hermione had gasped when she had gotten her first good look at it and Ron had paled alarmingly, and raised his eyes to Harry's.
'Is that where…?' Harry nodded before he could finish his sentence.
'Ginny's right, you should go and see Madam Pomfrey' Hermione said. She looked as though she was going to be sick, and Harry hastily buttoned the pyjama top back up to stop them all gawking at him.
'I told you Hermione. She's got too much on her plate already. The scar on my head was fine and no one ever had to look after me for that.' Ginny caught the stubborn tone in his voice and rounded on him.
'Harry, how could you know that? Just because no one has ever told you about it doesn't mean it didn't happen. Anyway Dumbledore personally took you to your aunt and uncle's house. He would have known if anything was up wouldn't he?'
Harry didn't say anything, just set his jaw.
'Harry mate,' Ron spoke up, 'Do you really think that Madam Pomfrey is not going to seek you out. Really all you're doing is making her job easier.'
'Fine,' Harry groaned, staring at the ceiling in exasperation, 'But I'm telling you I'm fine.'
'I'll believe that when I hear her say the words.' Ginny muttered as she moved towards the stairs up to the girls Dormitory, continuing to skewer him with a venomous look. Hermione followed after her, kissing Ron on the cheek before she went.
Harry
I was irritated beyond belief when we finally reached the great hall. The feeling wasn't helped when blood from the wound on my chest started to soak through my t shirt, causing Ginny to give me a look that clearly said 'told you so.'
They didn't really get why I was making such a big deal of it. What I had told them was that Madam Pomfrey would have too much to do with the other people who had been injured, and for the most part that was true. The smaller part of it was hard to admit even to myself. Through the almost seven years of fighting against Voldermort ever almost every major battle had ended with a visit to the matron. I didn't want this time to end the same way, even if I knew it was stupid.
When we walked through the big double doors to the great hall all of us sobered immediately. A lot of the bodies had gone now, along with their families. We Weasleys were not difficult to find. Percy was sitting with Mrs Weasley on a bed that had obviously been conjured for her. She was lying on the bed, her face pressed into the pillow, sobbing and saying Fred's name over and over. Percy sat next to her, holding her hand and crying silently while he sat with his mother. Bill and Fleur were nowhere to be found, and I suspected that they were replaying the scene that we had just gone through up in Gryffindor tower.
Mr Weasley and Charlie were standing by Fred's body, conversing in low whispers. Mr Weasley looked conflicted but his eyes were dry, and Charlie's face mirrored his. Worst of all was George. He wasn't crying but as far as I could tell he hadn't moved since the night before. He was still sitting by George facing us. We moved over to speak to of them, getting quickly more worried about George.
'Hi dad,' Ron said when we were level with them, shooting George a worried look.
'We're going to take Fred home,' Charlie said, speaking for both of them, 'As soon as Bill and Fleur get back.'
Ron nodded and looked back at the sight of his two older brothers, both broken in different ways.
'Harry needs to see Madam Pomfrey first,' Ginny said quietly, obviously making an effort not to look at the sight in front of us.'
'Why?' Arthur looked worried as he looked at me, and then paled like his youngest son had done when he spotted the steadily growing stain on my chest. 'Merlin Harry why haven't you seen her before now?'
'Didn't want to bother her,' I mumble sheepishly, avoiding looking at any of them.
'Harry, why don't you go to madam Pomfrey now? I think she's need the front of the hall looking after Firenze.' Charlie said, 'Ron, Ginny. Mum needs you,'
Charlie sounded older than I had ever heard him sound before, even during the terrible time During the quidditch world cup. His worried eyes went from his mother to George and then settled on Fred.
'Come on harry,' Hermione said from my side, 'Let's get you looked at.'
'Why didn't you come and see me before boy.' Madam Pomfrey was incensed when she saw me, 'I would have though you of all people would need some healing after … after…'
Her lip started to tremble a little as her eyes scanned the room. Hermione coughed a little, bringing the matron back to herself. She blinked as if trying to clear her vision and then was all business again.
'Well take off your shirt Mr Potter so I can see what needs to be done.' She ordered briskly.
'How did you …?'
'Don't be an idiot harry. You have a large blood stain on your shirt. It's obvious.' Hermione said, sounding more like her usual self that she had all morning.
I smiled a little at her and did as I had been asked. Madam Pomfrey froze in shock as the injury was revealed.
'Well?' I prompted when the silence became uncomfortable.
'What did this Potter?' She asked in a slightly horrified voice.
'The killing curse,' I replied cautiously, waiting for her to burst into tears or faint, or something along those lines. Instead of the reaction I had been expecting she just nodded and began to work.
'There's not much I can do for this potter,' she said, regaining her usual matter of fact voice, 'but I can get the infection out of it. Why you didn't come to see me immediately after the fighting I will never understand.'
She continued to tell me off as she worked, managing to clean the infection but nothing more. The blood continuing to seep out of the wound had gotten slower, but nothing she did could stop it.
'That's all I can do,' she said finally slipping her want back into the apron. 'It will heal but you'll have a scar.' He eyes flitted up to my forehead 'But you probably knew that already.' I nodded and put my t shirt back on, ignoring the pain in my chest as I raised my arms.
When we got back to the Weasleys Bill and fleur had returned, and George was pulled to his feet by his father and Ron and Charlie both picked up Fred's body, looking pale. I heard Molly begin to sob again and Percy's murmured as he attempted to comfort her. Together we touched the Port key that Professor Mcgonagall had set up for us and in no time were standing, or sprawled on the cool grass outside the burrow.
Ok here's chapter three :) Thanks again for your reviews, follows and favourites. I'm going to answer the reviews tomorrow, when I've finished the chapters for my two other stories.
Hope you enjoyed it :)
