DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or the settings and ideas described in J.K. Rowling's books. I only own the character of Payton and her family and friends.

Note: that some of the dialogue comes directly from the Deathly Hallows text and will be italicized. I will also put the page numbers and chapters that they correspond with when they do arise, because the story will now run parallel to the events in the text.

Payton and the twins had not been living at the flat for some time now. In all honesty, they hadn't left The Burrow in a few days at this point. The shops had remained closed, but there was a more pressing matter. The dark forces were gaining power and an alliance called the Order of the Phoenix was doing everything in their power to plan a counter-attack. George had joined the Order. Payton didn't know much about it. She knew that he would be gone for hours to the meetings and come home looking tired. It was taking a toll on him. However, no matter how tired or beat he appeared he always had a joke or a prank ready to make her laugh. She had a feeling that he was trying to keep her in the dark for her own good, but there were moments like the one now that she wished she knew something.

"Why are you going?" Payton pleaded with George outside of The Burrow. They stood by the back door which was closed. Through the door however the voices of Fred, Remus, Tonks, Ron, Hermione, Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Mad Eye, Fleur, Kingsly, a giant called Hagrid and a Mundungus Fletcher could be heard. They were breaking down the plan again and again to make sure that there were no loose ends.

"I have to help Harry," George said. "Harry is a brother to me. The reason we have that joke shop is because of him, he funded the business." Payton felt a pang, she knew that George really did care for Harry and he didn't just feel indebted to him but last night they had all sat around talking about what could go wrong so everyone knew the risks. That had done it for Payton. The thought of losing George was unbearable to her. He had become such a vital part of her life that she didn't know what she would do without him. The plan was simple enough. Go to Harry's, make decoys, fly him out, everyone make it home in one piece. There was just one problem, there were no guarantees. He moved a strand her now solid brown hair out of her face.

"I'm coming back, I promise," he said and grabbed her head pulling it towards him so he could kiss the top of it. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "I love you." She looked up at him. "Plus," he said wiping a silent tear from her cheek. "Life would be too boring without me. Also, someone has to open the shop on Monday, and we all know you can't run two shops."

"Everyone mount up," called Remus from the front lawn. George gave her one last squeeze and smiled at her.

"Just come back," she called as he walked away. He turned around to flash her a smile and then he was gone. Payton walked back into the house with Ginny and Mrs. Weasley. The three of them stood around the kitchen table looking at the plans that were laid out, not knowing what to say to each other.

They were awkwardly pacing for a good hour to an hour and half before anyone said anything. "They should be coming back in minute now." Payton felt her stomach drop. There was no way of communicating with any of them, all they could do was sit and wait. George was supposed to be changing into one of the Harrys and in her head flashed a million ways that they could think he was the real Harry and kill him.

Payton, Ginny and Mrs. Weasley stayed with their faces pressed against the windows to the backyard for the last half hour before the first pair was supposed to be transported back. Mrs. Weasley looked anxious as she took a sip of water from a shaking glass. There was a bright flash and a pop and a portkey fell to the ground, no one to be seen.

"Where are they?" cried Mrs. Weasley. Ron and Tonks should have come back with that portkey. Payton felt her breath catch in her chest as another portkey fell to the ground unaccompanied. Mrs. Weasley was now crying. That was for Mr. Weasley and Fred. Payton was now breathing faster and faster with each passing minute. She knew that George and Remus should be two more in. There was a bright light and loud pop, this time accompanied by two people, neither one of them George. Hagrid and Harry stood up. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny ran outside as Harry explained that they had been ambushed. Payton was steadying herself against the door frame.

She saw Mrs. Weasley pull Harry into her arms as Ginny explained the absent people. Mrs. Weasley came back toward the house and wrapped an arm around Payton and led her to collect the brandy for Hagrid. Just then Ginny called from the back yard.

Both Payton and Mrs. Weasley ran to the back door and down the steps. She saw the blue light and saw two figures, her heart sank. Remus was supporting George, who appeared to be unconscious. Payton screamed and ran out to them, she lifted his head up and saw that his eyes were closed but there was blood everywhere, she couldn't even tell where it was coming from. Harry pushed around her, grabbing his feet and they carried him into the house.

They gently placed him on the couch and Mrs. Weasley scooted the lamp over closer to assess the damage. They shifted Georges head and saw that the blood was coming from the hole, where his right ear should be. Payton collapsed down on her knees by him on the floor and began to cry uncontrollably.

There was loud talking from the kitchen where everyone was gathering. Payton was half listening as she ran her hand through his hair and was holding the robes on his chest in the other. Payton had heard Remus say that he thought George would be alright when he came to but there was no chance of fixing the ear due to the dark magic used to remove it. Payton didn't even care about the ear, she just wanted for him to say something, anything.

She could hear the males talking loudly as Mrs. Weasley and Ginny had come to tend to George. She didn't budge, she just kept her head down resting it on his shoulder as she listened to his staggered breathing. She didn't move when Mrs. Weasley left, and she didn't move when she heard Mr. Weaseley come in and felt his weight settle next to her. It wasn't until she felt George stir under her that she opened her eyes to look at him.

i"How do you feel Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley./i (DH 74)

Payton watched as George let his hand wander up to the side of his head that now held a hole. In a rough, low voice he managed to get out a sentence.

i"Saintlike," he murmured./i (DH 74)

Payton made no sound, she didn't even dare to breathe. Even as he had to explain the joke that he made, due to his lack of ear. Mrs. Weasley was sobbing harder now. It wasn't until he had told his mother that she would now be able to tell them apart, and they could no longer change places that Payton let out a laugh. An awkward cry kind of laugh. It just escaped her, she just stared at him. He looked at her and the tears began to flow down her face. He used his right hand to pull her head to his chest as he began to speak to Harry. George stopped cracking jokes when he found out that not everyone had returned yet, Payton felt herself be pulled in closer to him.

People began to shuffle out of the room and talk in the kitchen, while waiting for everyone else. Once Ron had made it home and there were only two left to wait for and the mood had lifted slightly while everyone was recounting what had happened to them during their flights. Fred had excused himself for a moment just leaving Payton and George.

"Are you not going to speak to me?" George asked with a grin as Payton slowly looked at him. Her eyes darted back and forth between his eyes and the hole. "You like it?" he asked smiling again. "I think it will start a new fashion trend." Payton gave a weak smile. "Come on," he said as he shifted himself to sit up a bit, pulling her onto the couch so he could wrap his arms around her.

"I can't even feel it," he said shaking his head with a laugh.

It then all flowed out of Payton and she couldn't stop herself, it was like word vomit. "I was so worried that you weren't going to come back. I kept making all these scenarios in which I would never see you again. Everyone was missing their portkeys and I thought for sure that everything had gone terribly wrong." It was at this point that George cut her off by pulling her towards him and pressing his lips to hers.

"I told you I would come back," he said.

"But look what happened," she said nodding to his ear that was missing.

"You told me to come back," he said with a grin. "You never said in one piece." For the first time since they had left earlier that night Payton let out a laugh and let her head fall into his chest again.