Chapter 7: The Girl Is Mine

George was humming a random tune loudly as he went over the inventory for the shop. Lee looked at him in confusion and asked, "What has gotten you so chirpy this morning?"

"Nothing.", was his quick reply, not even bothering to look up from the papers in front of him.

Shaking his head, Lee turned to flip the sign in front of the shop to signal the start of the day. He was about to walk back to the counter when he heard the bell tinkling, signaling the entry of someone into the store.

"Can I help …" his voice trailed off as he saw who came in. "Luna?"

At the mention of his estranged wife's name, George apparated quickly to the loft above the shop, heart thudding in anticipation at the thought that she would most likely follow him upstairs.

"Hi Lee." She greeted him with a smile and asked quickly, "Is George around?"

Lee was stunned at the change in Luna's appearance. She had always been attractive, albeit in a strange kind of way, her manner of dressing and accessorizing almost always detracting from her looks. But right now, she was wearing a summer dress that showed off her lovely shoulders and quite an expanse of long lovely legs and instead of sporting her usual petrified fruit/vegetable accessories, her ears and throat were bare. "Nice hair…" he mumbled, shaking himself visibly, not hearing anything beyond her greeting.

"Uhm…thanks?" she offered tentatively, quite unused to the reaction she had gotten from him.

"How have you been?" He asked, chatting her up. "It's been years since I last saw you…"

"I'm good." She answered, uncertain whether he was just being polite. "Just came back from the States. I finished my studies there at a muggle university."

"Cool!" he responded. "What did you take up?"

Luna relaxed at the genuine interest in Lee's voice and smiled broadly, "Marine Biology."

"Oh? That explains the tan then…been swimming a lot I take it?"

She laughed. "Yeah…I couldn't exactly study the mating habits of crumple horned snorkacks in the States could I? So I figured, studying the creatures of the deep seemed like the next best thing…"


Upstairs, George was tapping his foot impatiently, not quite sure what was holding Luna up. He would have thought she'd be here as soon as Lee realized his absence. Unable to wait any longer, he crept slowly down the stairs to see what was taking her so long and was quite unprepared for the scene he found.

Lee was chatting her up and was slowly moving closer to her. He had seen that same move work time and again whenever his best friend – make that his soon-to-be-ex-bestfriend – tried to hook up with girls. And before he could even think about it, he found himself apparating behind her so he could quickly wrap an arm around her waist, draw her body flush against his, and loudly stake his claim against her ear, "Welcome home, wifey!" while his eyes shot daggers at his friend.


"What the heck was that about?" She shot at him furiously the minute they got to the house by the hill. Lee had understandably been left flummoxed at George's bold announcement and had offered no complaint when George further announced they were going to their conjugal home for some alone time before apparating them both to their current location.

"I would have thought it was obvious." He shrugged nonchalantly. "Or did they really sort you by mistake into Ravenclaw?" he added in jest, eyes twinkling merrily.

"Why did you tell him we were married?" she asked, trying to ignore his playful mood.

"Uhm… Because we are?" he drawled in response as he sat down the couch, patting the space beside him as though expecting her to sit next to him.

"We are getting a divorce…" she reminded him, ignoring his offer to sit down.

"No we're not." He answered with deliberation as though it was a foregone conclusion.

"An annulment then," she answered waspishly, frustrated with his hot and cold treatment.

"We both know that's out of the question." His matter of fact response startled her.

"What do you mean?" she asked guardedly, heart thumping madly. Surely he didn't know about that night? He was half asleep after all – and he never opened his eyes.

"You have a birthmark shaped like a half moon on your lower back." He answered obliquely.

"I …what?" Her eyes widened at his revelation, blushing furiously.

"It isn't visible when you wear jeans." His voice came out hoarsely. "And no, I hadn't seen it five years ago when Percy found us at the loft."

She bit her lips nervously unable to refute him. They both knew he never had a chance to do so that night. Still, she had to deny the claim, "I…" but before she could even finish the thought, he had tugged her towards him so she was standing between his legs.

Looking up at her, her left wrist held by his right hand, he wrapped his left hand around her right thigh and asked, "Shall we see if I'm correct?" his eyes boring into hers intently.

"But how...?" She asked him in bewilderment. "You were half-asleep…" she trailed off helplessly, not realizing she had inadvertently confirmed his suspicions with that statement.

"I had thought it was a dream…" He agreed dazedly. Despite his claim, he hadn't been completely sure it had been real at all, except for that small memento that had been left on the sheets. And even then he didn't think it had been her. It was only when Ginny had distractedly let loose that Luna had spent a night at this house that he had suspected it was her.

They didn't know how long they stared at each other after that. It could have been seconds. It could have been minutes...hours. Until finally, she whispered, "So now what?".

George gave a humorless laugh. "Now we wait." He let her go reluctantly and deliberately sprawled his long form onto the sofa.

"For what?" she asked in confusion as she sat down next to him.

"Have you had your monthly yet?" He asked conversationally, trying to keep a straight face.

And for the first time that day, George Weasley finally managed to render Luna Lovegood Weasley speechless.