FINALLY!
Sorry it's taken so long. I'm just reeeeeaaaaally busy, I'm not kidding. All of my weekends are usurped by tournaments, I have school, rehearsals after school, plays, and church stuffs. I try to write as often as possible. It's just hard.
I think you'll really like this chapter, especially the part right next to the end. That was really fun to write, and I was doing all the motions myself when I was writing it.
Disclaimer: Harry Pooter oops Potter is not my creation. None of these characters are mine... except Brad and a few others. But no one likes him, so I guess what I have is stupid. But I did come up with the plot!
Hope you enjoy! I sure did/do! No promises on when the next chapter comes out!
Sir Fuzzalot.
Chapter Nine – Ways and Means
Alicia's POV
What was going on?!
At first I couldn't be happier, standing next to my future husband in the grove a little ways away from the Weasley house.
Then, what seemed like how Solzhenitsyn says in his book, The Gulag Archipelago, came to pass. "That's what it is: a blinding flash which shifts the present into the past, and the impossible into the omnipotent reality."… I collapsed, finding myself in this omnipotent reality.
I now was trying to avoid everyone as much as possible. I knew that I'd need to talk with Brad soon about this… issue… but I didn't want to. I would rather kiss Snape than talk to him about this.
It was kind of impossible to avoid people at this point. Everyone swarmed me like typical frantic women… or more like flies around overripe fruit. Everyone was trying to fan me, or offer me a cup of tea… I just wanted the privacy of an empty room, and the comfort of a soft pillow.
I didn't see George after the fiasco. It was like he vanished for good. He's like smoke, that man… just slips through your hands. Fred was fruitlessly looking everywhere for him. Well, everyone was. Everybody wanted to know just how Brad was my second cousin, and how George found out in the first place.
I wanted to know, too. (A/N: Here. This is for some who are confused about the not marrying 2nd cousins. This is the explanation.) Truthfully, since Brad's my second cousin, I can still marry him here in England. It's not against the law. Royalty marries their relatives all the time! But… George knows me. He knows I could never do this. I would never marry Brad, because he's related to me. Some people can handle it, some people just can't. I just can't. Maybe Brad can, but he can go marry some other second cousin, because I won't marry him.
And I never will.
Brad's POV
The wedding was going perfectly fine. Everyone was happy; nothing had gone wrong… until he showed up.
He made my life a living nightmare. This was just the thing I didn't want… I wanted Alicia, all right, but now someone says I can't have her. Who does that jerk think he is?!
To be honest, I'd never been mad like this before. I was always the good boy at school, the teachers' favorite. Heck, I was even in Hufflepuff. Sure I've gotten into a couple 'disagreements' in my schoolboy days, but nothing like this.
I wanted to kill George Weasley.
I couldn't sit down. I wouldn't let anyone come near me. That… was probably for their own protection. My fists balled up in rage, and I yelled at the top of my lungs everything I wanted to say:
"I HATE YOU, GEORGE WEASLEY! YOU CAN JUST SINK RIGHT DOWN TO HECK, FOR ALL I CARE!! I LOVE ALICIA, AND THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO BRING US APART!! I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF IF I HAVE TO!! I HATE YOU!! I hate you! I-I hate…"
I never finished. I collapsed onto the couch in tears, and curled up into a ball.
No, no… this can't be happening, I thought. This can't be happening to me.
George's POV
The goal now would be to get as far away from that mess as possible. After I revealed that nasty bit of information, I stayed for about five minutes to help get an unconscious Alicia to the Burrow, and then Disapparated.
Now, I was in France. Calais, France, to be exact. I Apparated to Dover, and took the ferry across. It was no vast distance too far, but it wasn't remotely close, either. At least I didn't go to America, or maybe India…
I booked a hotel room with a good view of the English Channel. For some reason, seeing all that water reminds me of peace. Well, I'm sure it does for plenty of people, but, hey, it's special to me. If I could have anything right now, I'd take peace. The kind of peace where I'm sitting on a couch by a lit fireplace, with a mug of butterbeer and Alicia snuggled up to me, sleeping. The peace where you know that you have someone to love to the day that you die, perhaps even longer. The peace where… nothing goes wrong, nor will it ever go wrong.
I want it where Alicia and I would've gotten married after Hogwarts, and have a kid by now, and probably another on the way. Where I would've never met Nora and Alicia would've never come across Brad. I want it where I would be back to my old self again. I want to be the funny one again, the one who's always goofing off.
What happened?
I feel like a different person. I just don't belong. And if want my life back, I would have to turn all of this mess around… and fit in.
Fred's POV
From the moment I turned around and saw George standing there at the end of the wedding aisle, I was thunderstruck. He had come back! He had come back to fight for what he wanted.
And then… he ran away.
Whenever he leaves to somewhere I don't know… I dunno, I feel like part of me is missing. It's no longer 'Fred and George', just 'Fred'. I know, this is all psychological, being a twin and all, but… yeah. It's way deeper than that simple deduction.
And to think, I would still be getting married tomorrow?!
I don't know if Mum could take all the emotion. With the catastrophic wedding today, with the flight of George… and two weddings over the next two days?! We can at least be glad that Nora is out of the picture. No woman in her right mind would come after someone who'd skipped out on his wedding just to save another because he's in love with the bride. Heck, no woman in her right mind would even marry George.
Ha ha, what a chump. When I think I have it bad, I just sit back and think of him, and I feel better right away, know how bad he has it. Poor fellow…
If only I could find him… and make all of this better.
And Alicia! This has been just as bad for her, possibly even worse. You think you love someone, and then something comes up. Maybe I should go talk to her. I'm not exactly the world's greatest sympathizer, but at least I could try to help.
You never know when you can make a reversal of fortune in someone's life.
Alicia's POV
Crying into my pillow, I felt nothing around me. No one to hold, no place to truly call home. I felt like… I would die here; die in my misery and confusion. Of course, that's stupid. I will not die, I won't even come close. Only the saddest of love stories involve the brave lover dying for his lady, and then the lady so beset with woe that she dies shortly thereafter, joining him in the heavens above. Ah, Angelina and Katie know I'm a sucker for those stories… they make me wish I could have my own.
Well, my own turned out very different. Neither of us have died, heck, we're not even together. I shouldsay that this story has not ended—it's just beginning.
Aw, who am I kidding? Me, end up with George? As if this story wasn't enough of a soap opera. Sure, I have not the faintest idea what fate has in store for either of us, but surely it won't bring us together?!
Suddenly, the door to my room opened. I saw a shock of bright orange hair, and for the slightest moment, my heart leaped from its gloomy hideaway and I wanted to scream out 'George!', but once I saw the face, I knew that it was not George.
"Fred, what do you want?!" I asked (a bit harshly!), while drying my eyes.
He faked a smile, and scratched behind his ear nervously. "I came to talk."
I almost snorted. Frederick Weasley, willing to talk to an emotionally broken down female? Impossible.
"I came to talk about George."
My eyes widened in shock. What, at this time? Fred was not one for talking about emotions, or talking about George in this context. And for me, now was not the best time to talk about him. Frankly, it wasn't the best time to talk to me at all.
Sensing my discomfort, he gave me a wan smile. "I'm sorry, Alicia, but I just feel that you need this kind of talk… especially from me. I'm his twin; I know him best. I may even be able to find him."
I relaxed a bit, now interested in what Fred had to say. "Go on. I'm listening," I replied in a voice lacking confidence.
For a moment he looked down at his hands, and then sat down by me. "George isn't like most other boys. Or men, whichever you view him to be," he added with a slight nod.
"He laughs, he jokes around, he gains the approval of everyone, but he keeps everything inside himself. He's two people, infused in one Weasley. No one ever sees his emotional side, the side that truly cares. No one's seen it until, well, nearly half a year ago.
"Ever since a certain someone moved in for good on the one thing he wanted, his barriers have been falling. Falling all too often, in fact. First to go was his humor, second his interests, third his friends, fourth his judgment, and finally he almost lost his mind."
"What do you mean? Sure, I saw him when he was bad, but never at the brink of insanity! That's impossible. That… that just can't be true. Not the George Weasley I know," I added disbelievingly.
Fred said nothing, just kept staring at his hands, shaking his head slowly. "You hadn't seen the worst of it. I don't think anybody did, not even me. He betrayed himself by nearly marrying the type of person he loathed, and he betrayed himself by removing his feelings for everything he truly cared for."
Then, he looked up at me with the saddest yet brotherly-affectionate gaze. It seemed to pierce my soul, and made me realize that Fred was one of those guys that was like the 'mean' older brother that you never had. That was a new side of him that I had never seen. He smiled a bit, though it seemed like it was hard for him to do.
"You don't know, do you?" he asked in barely a whisper.
I tilted my head to the side. "Do I know what?"
Again he paused to look down at his twisting hands. Then, he looked back up at me with that same affection and bright eyes.
"He loves you, Alicia. He's loved you all along. From the moment he met you, through all of the teasing, the heartache, the laughter, and the pain. And in the separation, too. When you talked about other boys, it just about tore his heart out every time. He was miserable after Hogwarts, when you went away for those long two years. He never went out with another girl; nor did he want to. He only just let down his barriers a few months before you returned and went out with Nora... not exactly the wisest choice if you ask me, but still, he was beginning to recover.
And then when you came back… a piece him that was missing was suddenly found. You complete him, Leesh. For awhile, everything was going okay, and then Brad moved into our lives… especially yours," Fred said, with a touch of bitterness on Brad's name.
"It was like heartache all over for him. Seclusion, secrets, and silence were all he was. Just when he finally thought he was going to get you back… you slipped away. He's always been there for you, even through the bad times. And, in return, you've always been willing to help him out… unasked. I recall this one time when you came up to our flat when he was feeling down," he said with a smile.
I smiled back, remembering that. George called in a sick day from work, and I had gone up to his flat to see how he was. I had cheered him up considerably, and then Fred came in, and just blew up at George about his depression. George had stormed out; I did as well soon after, just taking a moment to blow up at Fred myself. I couldn't help but wonder after that… what was going on with George?
Then, Fred started up again. "What I said… I just had to say. I was tired of it all; George had his chance twenty times over. But I was so wrong, it's wasn't that simple. It has never been that simple for him. I gave up too easily on him, I was fed up with holding on to something I viewed to be pathetic.
"George… I bet that right now he'd like nothing more that to just have you with him. You mates seem like… close enough to be, but on the other sides of the world. This will all fade away eventually, and it will just be a painful memory. But…" he trailed off, now looking me directly in the face, "There is a way to make this hurt pass faster. Find him, Alicia. I know thatyou can help him, when I can't. Find him, and help him remember. That may be all he needs. He needs companionship, like that day when you made him instantly better. It willwork!"
I was lost in thought. Find George? Such a task seemed impossible. He could be anywhere! But, still, Fred was right. I did have that kind of power. George had been my best guy friend throughout Hogwarts.
But could I do it alone? Certainly not. I may have the power to save George, but I'm not a superhero. If I was… every superhero needs a sidekick.
"Hey Fred?" I asked, trying to hide my mischievous nature.
"Yeah?" he asked, now perfectly composed again. Well, about as composed as one can be in extenuating circumstances.
"I was just thinking… he's your brother. He's bound to want to see you…"
"No, Alicia, it has to be you who finds him. No one else will work," he said, waving my comment aside.
"No, no, I wasn't saying that. I was thinking it would be excellent if you were to come along with me. I can't do this on my own, Fred, you know that," I said, now clasping my hands together. "Please? For Angelina too? She would be so proud…"
Fred hesitated, then bit his lip. For awhile he stroked his beardless chin. "Alright. I'll come along. But just promise me we'll be back here for my wedding tomorrow if we can't find him by then?"
"I promise. I would never let you miss your own wedding… Angelina would flip," I added jokingly.
Fred smiled. "Then we'd better get going. It's what, one o'clock? That gives us about… 20 hours until the wedding? Merlin, I have to sleep some point in there, too…"
"I'm going to change, okay Fred? I don't want to dirty up my dress," I said, commenting on my wedding dress. My mother would have an aneurism if she found out that I'd been scouring the world for George Weasley in my gown.
"Yeah, okay," he replied. "I should probably change out of my tux, too…"
Fred left the room quickly, leaving me alone. Wow… I thought. What a turn of events. I never would have believed this would have to happen.
My head hurt. All of this was too much. Too much drama, too much heartache. All I wanted was this one chance to mend.
I walked over to the window. Upon opening it, a fresh surge of England Winter came at me, and I shivered. I leaned out, my arms resting on the sill.
I'd never been much of a religious person, but I just had to say a prayer for what I was about to do. I could always use some kind of help. I took a deep breath, and then looked willingly up towards the gray-skied heavens
"God… if you're up there…" I began, thinking to myself how stupid I must sound. "I know I don't usually pray. I don't even go to church, really. I don't ask for much, God. If you could just do one thing for me, just this one, I promise I'll be better. God… please help George. Please help me find him before it's too late. Please, God, let him be safe. Please…"
I paused, finding a tear running down my flushed cheeks. A hand slowly reached up to my face, feeling the warm moisture against the cold skin. I sniffed, realizing how much I missed George. How much… I was sorry for casting him aside, not being there for him, not being considerate of his feelings. Please forgive me, I thought, as though telepathically talking to George himself. My thoughts then turned back to my prayer that I was not finished yet.
"God…" I continued, "Please let it not be too late. There's still so much just waiting to happen, and I don't want that chance to pass by. Please help me find him in time. And God… please help George mend. He has been thought a lot, probably even too much. I've been wrong in my actions toward him, and I want to make it better. I want to see him smile once more for me. I don't want to lose him. I don't know what I'd do, I don't know how I'dever recover. So, please, I ask for just this. Help this man, and help this girl find him. I just want to see him again."
I folded my arms, squeezing myself tight for warmth. Please, God. Don't let me lose him.
Fifteen minutes later, Fred and I were out the door, successfully avoiding everyone from the wedding, which was not such an easy feat. Nearly five times I almost ran into Mrs. Weasley, who was shocked to see me out of my hideaway of misery so soon. It was easier for Fred, except when Lee caught him going outside, wondering if he was going to start a snowball fight or something.
Fred, after much pestering, finally gave in to Lee. We made him swear to tell no one. This, however, was quite hard. First off, Lee wanted to come with us, since he is also one of George's best mates. One shortened explanation and a long sigh from Lee later, and we were on our way.
But soon after, I came up with a good idea to help us out. I knew we had little chance of finding George in less than a day, so I could at least try sending an owl after him. I went back into the house, and quickly found Ginny's semi-new owl affectionately dubbed 'Harry'. After finding a slightly rumpled quill shoved into an apron pocket in the kitchen, I quickly scrawled out a letter for George.
Dear George,
I'm sorry for all that you've been going through. I know it's been very hard.
I just sent this letter to you informing you that Fred and I are going out to search for you. This would've been a lot easier if you hadn't have left in the first place, but I guess you had to.
Fred hopes that you will not miss his wedding tomorrow; he will be thoroughly disappointed if his Best Man doesn't show up. We all miss you, me especially.
I cannot thank you enough for informing us all at my wedding. I am much better off knowing that. I'm sure this is only momentary grief. I guess I was just so ready to be married.
Yes, I'm not going to marry Brad. You and I both know that I just can't do that. I'm sure it was a very hard decision whether or not to tell, but I guess that's the difference between a bit of grief or a lifetime of grief when I finally would find out.
So, please, come back home. We can make things better, we're all ready to recover. I'm not so sure about Brad, though. I heard him yelling something earlier today. So, I have not approached him yet. I am sure such an occasion will not be joyous.
Hopefully you are not too far away. I suspect that we will not make it far with the time allotted. I hope this letter reaches you before Fred and me. It may not be as dramatic as you locked up in seclusion on some remote beach, and then Fred and I appear out of nowhere to come and rescue you, but we wish you home as soon as possible.
If this letter does reach you first, write back with Harry (Ginny's owl, that is) to us. We miss you, just be safe and come home.
Love,
Your friend Alicia.
I rolled the parchment up and tied it to Harry's (the owl) outstretched leg.
"Go find George," I whispered in his ear, "We need him back here by tomorrow morning."
Harry hooted happily, and then flew off through the open window. I then picked up my traveling pack and went to go reunite with Fred.
As Fred and I walked away from the Burrow, we discussed where we should look first.
"I may have a clue where he may be. He probably wouldn't go somewhere to near or too far, that's just not like him. He's definitely still in Europe, but I have no idea whether he's here in the British Isles or in the mainland. He wouldn't go to far east or north, though," Fred explained.
"Great," I muttered, "we have narrowed it down to a vicinity of less than a thousand miles. Joy."
"Aw, come one, Leesh. It's way less than that, most likely. To be honest, he'd probably hide out in France, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, or The Netherlands. They're the closest. If not those, then he's definitely here. It's like… he wants to be found. But not really… aw, I don't know. I saw we just go pick somewhere first and start looking."
I shook my head. "No, that would take way too long. But… I guess it's the only plan we have. Come on, we're wasting time here. Let's start in London."
Fred folded his arms and chewed on his lip. "I dunno, London seems too close."
"Well, where else are we going to start?" I said aggressively, and then took him by the arm. "Come on, let's Apparate."
"Right then. Hm… where in London? It's a pretty big city."
"Let's see, do you know the Lion Rose pub? Right off Larach Street? Apparate into the alley right next to it."
Fred raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And how would you know this?"
I rolled my eyes. Fred wasn't quite ready to be mature yet. "It's right on the street that I saw quite often on a bus route that I went on with my sisters to go to school. End of story."
"Sorry, just… never mind. Let's get going."
Finally... I thought, happy that Fred was now ready to leave. We had wasted so much time already…
George's POV
I lay down on my hotel bed, staring up at the wooden-planked ceiling. How long would I stay here? I didn't really know. Nor did I really care. Right now, I felt like a lifeless mass, sinking into the bed. All senses abandoned, and purposes shapeless and meaningless. For me, did anything really matter? Love has always been a step ahead of me, just out of my grasp.
And who was I to think that after Brad would come and go, would she turn to me? No, no more love. I had had enough already.
I closed my eyes. The power of this foreign silence was breathtaking to me. Thoughts undisturbed, actions unswayed came upon me. But would my family be scrounging the Earth for me? Of course.
Would I avoid them? Most likely… but they probably couldn't find me anyway. Knowing Fred, he would probably use his 'twin extrasensory perception' to 'connect' with me to find me.
And Alicia… yes, I was through with love… but I was still her friend. I could not abandon her so easily in her time of need. Maybe I should go back and help her out till she is fully recovered from that nasty incident at the wedding.
And yet… I had been through a lot more than she had! Why should I rush to her aid again? So I saved her marriage, yeah. But where was she when I was tortured with the thought of her together with that… that… boy? Where was she when I was hog-tied to Nora, having to endure her every advance?
Alicia drove me mad with love. She made me so jealous, I just had to make her regret on what she was missing. It was necessary that I should be engaged to Nora, or else risk never making her wish she'd have forgotten young Mr. Kelligry and loved me instead. There was no other choice.
Oh, what young fools do for love, I thought. You lost her. You know it. You cannot change the past.
And now, it felt like I could not change the future. What I would do now just seemed inevitable. No escape… two words I hate to put together, and yet two words that were now closing in on me.
Alicia's POV
Even though I had gotten so used to it, Apparation was still not one of my favorite methods of travel. Having played Quidditch so long, I much preferred brooms to wand travel.
Even before I made landing on the sodden ground that made up our alley destination, I could smell the wet trash that littered the ground. My guess is that it had been there for at least a year, untouched. Fred came seconds after I did, but lost his balance and fell in the gray, crunchy snow.
I laughed, looking down at the six-foot-three man that now was beneath me. Fred quickly stood up, brushed the snow off, and performed a simple Drying Charm to get rid of the wet spot on the seat of his pants.
"Ruddy snow," he said angrily.
"You seem to have something in common with Carl Reiner, a favorite author of mine. 'A lot of people like snow. I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water', he said."
"Yeah, he seems to know what he's talking about. In my opinion, the only good use for snow is to make snowballs and pelt 'em at Slytherins… or Snape."
We both laughed at his remark. I even remember him being dared to do it once. He and George hid behind a tree, watching Snape, snowballs at the ready. As they threw them, though, the packed wads of snow missed their target and instead acted as boomerangs and came right back at them ten times faster. George had complained to me later that Snape must've been tipped off or something; he didn't even see Snape mutter anything, let alone even look at them. Well, he did happily deduct fifty points from Gryffindor…
I smirked at the thought. Ah, I missed Hogwarts. I had even gone to thinking that maybe someday I could return and give flying lessons… haha, maybe when Hooch kicks the bucket.
Fred reached the end of the alley and looked around. He blew his nose, and turned back to me.
"Coming?" he asked, wiping his red nose.
I jogged to catch up to where he was, and took a look at the street ahead of us. Nothing really seemed out of the ordinary: women clutching large bags full of purchases, while still trying to hold up an umbrella to shield their hairdo; frosty windows decorated with cutout snowflakes that sparked with glitter; Father Christmas look-alikes collecting money for charity on the sidewalks; little children gazing in awe at the window displays showing new dolls, shiny train engines, and four-foot-tall teddy bears; and then, the occasional drunk coming out of the Lion Rose Pub singing 'Oh Come All Ye Faithful' at the top of their lungs, while leaning on their companions for support.
I laughed as I shook my head. "Doesn't look too dangerous, Fred."
"Phew, I was worried there for a second. But if you want to, I can take out the Santa bell ringers. Just for fun… please?"
"Aww, Fred, they're just collecting money for the charities. Is that any reason to harm them? The children get so excited when they see these guys dressed up like Santa."
"I still don't get it, though. If a man dressed up like that and walked down Diagon Alley, he wouldn't get very far. He's justasking for trouble. Sheesh… when and why did Muggles first start to idolize this fat, drunken man in the first place?" Fred asked with a look of disgust.
"Fred, in the first place he's not drunk…"
"Well he sure acts like it," he retorted.
"That's because he's—aw, never mind," I said. I checked my watch quickly, and swore under my breath. "Blimey, we really need to get moving. Is there anywhere in London that you think George would go?"
Fred rubbed his beardless chin in thought as we walked. "Come to think of it, I have no idea. He wouldn't go to a pub, we're both underage for drinking… George likes beaches, carnivals, mountains… you know, like, peace and excitement at the same time."
I rolled my eyes. How in heck were we going to find something like that?
"Well… we could always try Hogwarts," Fred commented. "That'sdefinitely high up on George's list."
I could've kissed Fred. Why didn't we think of it sooner? It was a brilliant idea. We could only hope that the wonders of that magical castle could shelter our missing Weasley.
Brad's POV
Just as Alicia and Fred had mysteriously disappeared, I was ready to get gone as well. Sure, it might not be for the same reason… but I will have my ways and they will have theirs.
My nice tux was now discarded and in a rugged pile on the floor. Now I wore traveling robes, with a special pocket sewn in for a wand.
Yes, I had this all planned out… and there would be no way I could lose. I had so much more to be fighting for… he had taken so much from me, when he had no right… none at all…
And he will pay for it.
I knew Alicia and Fred were going after George, what else would they be doing? With their luck and resources, they would maybe find him in the next five years…
ButI… I knew where he was. Oh yes. Everyone underestimated my talent for spells… but they would all know in the end the power I possessed. I could get Alicia back.
I smirked as I stepped up to the mirror, examining myself. My hair that had been neatly trimmed and combed this morning was now a little unkempt, and anger had etched lines on my face. Physically, I didn't look half bad. Emotionally, I was a wreck.
But what would the Spinnets, Weasleys, Jordans, Bells, and Johnsons think of me in an hour or two? I would be hated. It's my revenge, yet also my downfall. I would make Alicia accept me after this! Life would be normal once again, withhim out of the way. Oh yes. Alicia would just see how great I am, and forget all about George Weasley.
Suddenly, I had a horrible headache. I collapsed onto the bed, holding my forehead. Lately, I had been getting a lot of these headaches. And then the other aches… the stomach sometimes, other times it was chest pain or something like that. I just thought it was pre-wedding jitters… mine just worse than others. But now what would they be—pre-revenge jitters?
Well, I definitely wasn't a coward. And before long, I would prove it to the world.
George's POV
I stood out on my hotel room's balcony for quite some time. I was basically just singing to myself some random tune I had made up to distract myself from all that was going on in my life. For once, I actually felt peace… which was weird, because I knew that ways were closing their doors on me.
Sometime later, I finally got out of my rented room and walked the streets of Calais. There were people bustling about in a hurry, their faces pink from the cold. I kept my head down and my hands my pockets, although I would occasionally stop to wipe my freezing nose.
I couldn't understand a bunch of the signs, since they were in French. But a good few were also in English, seeing as Calais is viewed as 'The most English town in France'. Mostly the signs were advertising souvenirs and beach-wear (which was not getting much business at this time of the year). The pubs were easily the busiest spots in town, full of foreigners in Calais on shipping business. And then there were the stores all primed up for the holidays. There were high-life jewelry stores that men went into to buy their wife something special, the 1-franc stores that children flocked to buy cheap knick-knacks for the family that served little use in real life, and the clothing stores that the mothers stopped at to stock up on winter-wear for the family. I did not enter any of these shops, though, for I had set destination in my mind.
It took me about twenty minutes to walk to my destination: the Côte d'Opale, an extremely scenic cliff-lined section on the coast just opposite the White Cliffs on the British coast. I sat down on the brink of the cliff, looking out at the view before me. Directly below me were the crashing waves of gray-blue water that made up the Straight of Dover. The wispy grass poking out of the thick layer of snow which I sat on blew gracefully in the chilling breeze, dancing as if music were playing. Out in the distance, there was the thin line of white-gray… England. My home.
I exhaled, and closed my eyes. I lay down on the ground with my arms spread out at my sides even though the snow was now seeping through my clothes. I cleared my mind of all my troubles, all of my hardships… and I thought.
In an instant, all my thoughts came flooding in on me, I had a huge dam built up in my mind that I was just now breaking. I thought of Hogwarts. I thought of Lee Jordan, my first friend outside of my family who was a boy. I thought of Quidditch, and flying upwards of sixty miles per hour in the air. I thought of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and the escape from Hogwarts with my twin Fred. Yes… I thought of Fred. He was my best friend, and my best partner-in-crime. And… I thought of Alicia. I loved her. I would die for her. If only I could touch her again, hold her again, and never have to let go.
I wish for too many things… and I too often don't separate the differences between my dreams and my realities. The lines were blurring together into one soppy mess… like cereal that's been left out too long and gone soggy while you were preoccupied dreaming your time away. And then it's too late. You scold yourself for not paying attention to the time, but you know that you cannot change the past.
Fred's POV
Hogwarts held nothing for us. We'd only just gotten to the grounds when Filch found us and kicked us out… and told Fred that if he ever saw sight of him or George, he would personally report them for damages against the school. So, that meant that he hadn't seen George… and Filch sees practically everything, so scratch that plan. So, we returned to London to continue our search.
Five hours, and still no lead. By now Alicia and I were tired, wet, cold, and hungry. So, we stopped for a bite at a local diner.
Alicia had just come back from drying herself out in the women's bathroom. I was sipping a cup of tea, and she was looking at the menu.
"Wow, nothing really looks good right now. What're you getting?" Alicia asked.
"Oh, I dunno. I was thinking about a turkey sandwich, but then I realized that it would be cold, so maybe I'll get the beef stew. It sounds pretty good."
Alicia shrugged. "Yeah, stew sounds amazing right now. Although, it'll taste nothing like your mum's cooking," she added with a slight smile.
"Ugh, don't make me think of my mother right now, she's probably having a fit right now about us leaving."
"Well, I'd probably kill myself if we didn't. George means so much to us… I just feel so bad about not knowing where to find him."
I sighed, having nothing to say. The waitress came by and we placed our orders. We sat for awhile in silence, listening to the holiday music coming from the diner's speakers. Although I disliked the songs they were playing, it was still better than the song styles of Celestina Warbeck Mum fancies back at the Burrow.
No, not Mum again… no matter what, all my thoughts seemed to lead back to the Burrow, like there was something I'd forgotten back there.
Just then, Alicia spoke up. "Just wondering, but is there anything your family has, like some kind of chip inside his head to let your mum know where he is? It would make this process a heck of a lot easier."
"Sadly, no. That would be really useful."
Then, it hit me. I wanted to kiss Alicia; she'd just practically answered my question. My mum didhave something to keep track of us with!
"Alicia… what about our clock? It shows where everyone in my family is at all times! I knew I'd forgotten about something at home!"
Alicia's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Then it'll show exactly where George is!"
Just then, the waitress came back with two bowlfuls of hot stew.
My thoughts raced, and a flaw came up in my mind. I frowned, and said, "I'm not sure if it's exactly accurate, like it would have George's hand pointing at something like Madrid, Spain. That clock can't have every single little thing on its face. I think it just generalizes."
Alicia shrugged my shoulders. "We should still ask your mom. I bet we could still get some sort of an area from it."
I smiled. It was still worth a try. We both got up, and I got out some Muggle coins. We were gone before the money came to rest on the table next to our abandoned bowls of beef stew.
Mrs. Weasley's POV
How could they abandon their poor mother like this?!
It was wonderful to see George again so soon, but to have him take off like that, and then Fred disappears after him? And then Alicia and Brad had vanished, as well. What were they think? Oh sure, let's all just go run away and leave me here to suffer? Did they think of what this would do to me?!
What was I to do? I couldn't just sit here and wait for them to just turn up on the doorstep, no, I wouldn't have that. If anything was to be done right, I'd do it myself. No one knows how to track down someone better than a mother. Mothers just have those instincts, you know? Yes, I could find George on my own… and Alicia, Fred, and Brad as well, come to think of it.
But… it was always like Arthur to read my mind. As I was grabbing my blue and pink knitted scarf, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. I turned out around, and saw his worried face look down on me.
"Please, Molly, for once let them handle this themselves. There's only so much we can do."
My fists curled up into balls and I grimaced. "But there must besomething! I am a mother for goodness' sake! Do not ask me to back out of this situation!"
His loving arms wrapped around me. "No, Molly. This time, there is nothing we can do… nor should we try. We have tried to bend George to our ways his whole life. Now… he must make his decisions on his own. You have to let go, Molly," he said, locking his sea-blue eyes with my earthy-brown ones.
I let out a painful sigh. "But it's so hard."
He hugged me even tighter. "I know. I know."
Alicia's POV
The next few minutes were a complete blur to me. All I remember was the squeezing feeling of Apparition, falling on snow, and running into Mr. Weasley.
Now, we were all on the couch, the Weasley parents hanging onto our every word as Fred and I told our tale thus far. Mrs. Weasley seemed to be thoroughly put out when we mentioned that we'd hadn't found a singe trace of George, but when we told of Fred's brilliant idea, she seemed to perk up a lot, like a flame inside her once blown out had been rekindled. We wasted no time getting to the clock. By this time, others had gathered around us to seem what all the fuss was about. Sure enough, the hands of Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Fred, Ron, and Ginny were all pointed at the marking 'Home', but the hand of George was pointing off into the large category of 'Abroad'.
Fred cursed and banged his fists against the wall in a rage. We had come so close… and yet our only hope had left us with nothing but the knowledge that he was in some other country. There were so many countries… how were we to know which one he would take refuge in?
Mrs. Weasley had already broken down, her hopes now dashed into pieces. Charlie had helped her onto a couch, soothing her as best he could. I felt like I could use someone to hold… if there was such a person who could hold me and love me anymore.
Then, I noticed Mr. Weasley. He, unlike everyone else, remained steadfast and stared at the clock, with the machinations of his mind probably spinning wildly. It was like he hadn't given up yet.
"I'll see what I can do with this. We'll get a location. Trust me. We'll find him yet," he muttered. "Locomotor Clock!"
With that, the clock lifted itself off the ground and followed Mr. Weasley out of the room.
I was left gaping. "Oh Fred," I said, "do you really think he can do it?"
Fred shrugged, amazed himself. "He's Dad. He can do anything."
Most of the later afternoon was spent pacing outside of the tool shed where Mr. Weasley had decided to work on the clock. It was freezing, though, so most of the crowd had dwindled away to warm up inside the Burrow. After half an hour, only the immediate family and I remained.
For the most part, the tool shed was silent except for the flipping of pages and the noises from what sounded like the dismantling of the clock. But, every so often, Mr. Weasley would recite some complex spell or a simple one, like 'Specialis Revelio'.
And so we sat, just waiting for some solution. The minutes seemed elongated, as if the heavens had slowed down time for Mr. Weasley. A blessing and a curse… we all wished that he'd be done quickly. But, I guess, if you want a good solution, the process had better be done right. A rushed fix is hardly a good one.
Finally—after what seemed like days—Mr. Weasley let out a triumphant bellow and banged open the door.
"Come in, come in!" he shouted joyously, beckoning us into the cramped tool shed. He was practically trembling with excitement.
"Have you got it, dear?" asked an anxious Mrs. Weasley, "Where is he?"
"Oh, yes. I found him," he said with hushed excitement.
We all managed to squeeze into that tiny shed; all cramming to get a look at what he'd done with the clock.
"Watch closely now. It's remarkable," Mr. Weasley said. With that, he brandished his old oak wand, and lightly tapped the 'Abroad' mark that George's hand of the clock was pointed to.
The mark suddenly changed colors from a marble white to a blood red. For a second, nothing happened, and we all looked expectantly at Mr. Weasley.
"Wait for it. Ah, there it goes!" he remarked, clapping his hands together.
Our eyes flashed back to the clock and to the bright red 'Abroad' mark. Little golden lines were starting to come out of it! They twisted to the right elegantly, forming a circle. Then, to our delight, one glorious word appeared: 'CALAIS'.
Mr. Weasley beamed. "He's in France."
I let out a sigh of relief, and clutched my shirt's front as I smiled. Mrs. Weasley broke down into tears, and hugged her husband in gratefulness.
Fred patted me on the back, and whispered into my ear: "We'd better get going, then. But France… I thought George would be more of a Germany guy. But still, Calais isn't too shabby."
Yes, Calais. The closest French city to England, if you could even call it pure French. The city had to have a mixed culture with us. Calais… this was the answer. After all of these hours, our search would not be in vain.
George's POV
Eventually, I grew cold and wet from lying down in the snow. Go figure. I had arrived back in my hotel room, and took a hot shower. Now, I was lying down on my bed, trying to figure out how long I would stay like this.
Was I to be a coward and just stay here? Why couldn't I be man enough to face my fears and settle this, once and for all?
Ah, I dunno. Maybe I was afraid of hurting Alicia… well, too late. I'm sure my flight would've made her feel guilty.
Or maybe… I was afraid of getting hurt. Just to hear her say that she loved him and not me would be enough to destroy my spirit.
Suddenly, a knocking on the door. Who could that be? I didn't order room service. Besides, I'm a wizard. I could make any meal with all the training my mum gave me and with the aid of a few spells.
A knocking again. Did I even want to open the door? Not really.
A third knock. Finally, curiosity got the better of me. I leapt up from the bed and hustled to the door before this mysterious visitor went away.
Before I opened the door, though, I looked through the peep hole. Ah, didn't help. The stranger was wearing a hood. I opened the door, now looking what appeared to be a man considerably shorter than I was, but with an air of defiance.
"Hello?" I said, greeting the stranger.
"George Weasley," he said drearily. Ah. Now I knew who he was… Brad Kelligry.
"Get out of here," I said angrily, sneering at him.
He lowered his hood. Sure enough, it was Brad. He had a mischievous smirk on his face, as if he had something planned.
"Come, come, why the rudeness? Is this how you treat all your guests?" he asked mockingly.
I gritted my teeth. "You're not welcome here."
He smiled evilly. "The proper thing to do would be to invite me inside, George. But no matter… I shall invite myself in. It is rather chilly."
My hands balled up into fists at my sides as he strutted into my room, with his smirk and lighted eyes.
"Seems a bit shabby, George. I thought you could do much better, with all your wealth and prosperity. I guess you like to relate t-…"
"How dare you come into my room after what you had done to me? How dare you take Alicia away from me! You have no business here," I interrupted, motioning stiffly towards the door.
Then, his smirk changed. His mocking smile turned rigid and something inside of him snapped. He rushed up to me, slamming me into the wall, whipping out his wand and shoving it against my cheek as his other hand wrapped around my throat.
"How dare I?" he said in hushed anger, his teeth gritted. "HOW DARE I?! After what you had done to me… how… dare… I?!"
He was practically screaming now. He shoved the wand tighter against my cheek, tightening his grip on both the wand and my neck. His hands were shaky and cold.
"You took Alicia away from me! You ruined my life! Everything was perfect until you showed up! How dare you, George Weasley. She loved me; we were going to start a new life together. And then youbother to show up, in all your glory, the prodigal son, and suddenly I'm left with nothing! Oh, how dare I, for ruining your life? How dare you for ruining mine!!"
I stood motionless against the wall, my face a deathly pale. This was not the Brad I knew… the Brad I knew was the carefree teenager I met in my shop months ago, applying for a job. This was not Brad… this was a madman. He had a new look in his eye.
He was going to kill me.
I would've destroyed him the moment he lunged forward at me, but my wand was lying on the bedside table. I knew little wandless magic, and it was only stupid stuff, like turning on lights and opening stuff. Now… I was helpless. I was going to die.
Suddenly, my door banged open, and who appeared but the two most wonderful people on earth—Alicia and Fred. I couldn't have wanted to see anyone else more. Both of their wands were out, and an urgent look was etched on their faces. My eyes locked with Alicia's, and for a brief moment, I felt like I could die happy, seeing her again. The fire in her eyes was enough to reawaken my soul from this misery, and live again. For a moment, I was at peace, feeling her presence, and her spirit. It was all I ever wanted.
But then... I felt the fingers on my neck tighten, and I was jerked back into bitter reality. Brad looked over at them, and simply laughed. Laughed like a madman. Alicia gasped and nearly fainted at the sight of us, but managed to get a grip on the door handle. Fred's expression turned stern as something clicked in his head. His twin was in danger.
Brad continued laughing, and suddenly turned back to me, tightening his grip on his wand. His breath came in ragged breaths, like the feeling of needing to kill me was coming on strong.
"So you think you've been saved, eh?" he whispered.
I said nothing, just looked right at him. I cringed as sparks came out of his wand, probably in response to his anger.
"Alicia won't harm me… I don't think she'll be able to," he said with a laugh, looking over at her. Alicia's gaze turned cold at this insult. "And Fred… he won't harm me, because if he tries to…" he said, and whispered in my ear: "I'll kill you."
At this, Fred leapt forward and baring his teeth in an angry snarl, he bellowed, "THINK AGAIN!!"
Brad didn't even have time to react before a gust of magic pummeled him in the chest, throwing him backwards to be slammed against another wall with a sickening thud.
"BRAD!!" Alicia exclaimed, and instantly rushed over to him, crying. "He's unconscious!"
"Don't worry, he'll be fine," I said with a tinge of bitterness as I rubbed the spot on my cheek where the madman's wand had scorched me.
"How can you still care for him, Alicia, after what he did to George?!" Fred exclaimed, stowing his wand away.
"I cared for him once. But I cannot help feeling human… he isfamily," she remarked, pulling Brad's unconscious body on to the bed.
Then, silence. No one said anything, but just looked at each other. Then, Alicia broke down again and ran to me, hugging me tightly.
"Don't you ever leave like that again, George Weasley. Promise me you won't," she whispered.
"I promise."
Then, she let go, wiping her eyes. I then looked to Fred, who was smiling in relief. He came up to me and we embraced, glad to be back together again.
"We need to get you home," he said as he pulled away. "Mum's going to have a fit if we're not back before long."
I laughed, genuinely laughed, for the first time in a long time. I missed these guys. It was great to be back.
We Apparated back to the Burrow, with Brad using Side-Along Apparition with Alicia. The next few minutes were a complete blur to me, because I was kissed and hugged so many times and crowded around that I had no idea who was who. I remember Mum, though. She was the most ecstatic… obviously. I could tell that she'd been crying for hours, and would wop me sooner than I could blink for fleeing if this homecoming hadn't have been so joyful.
I had to admit, running from this wasn't easy. I fought every impulse to stay, no matter how strong they were. I longed to stay, so fleeing was actually very painful for me. It was like I had been torn in half, with a part of me finding refuge in seclusion, and the other part at home with family, the people who love me. Gosh, I knew I was making a mistake when I left. I had only come to realize in my time in France that my assumption was correct.
I promised Alicia I'd never run away from her again. I fully intended to keep that promise. I would hold on to these people, and anything I faced, they would be at my side.
Even if it were the face of death itself, nothing could keep me away from these people again.
Even if it were myself.
!!!!!!!!!!!
So... how did you guys like it? I worked long and hard, and felt like my efforts were worth it. I love this chapter.
Like I said before, it was so much fun writing the Brad/George scene, because I'd unconsciously be doing all of the motions I was writing. It's so fun to be writing on this at school, because people will stare at me when I suddenly make weird faces when I'm writing. I'm only doing what my characters are doing in the story... :)
Please review, it really makes my day! You have no idea how much reviews mean to mean. I mostly write the stories to get the reviews... and to also write the story. It's a task, but I love it!
I can use all the help I can get! I do this for a profession!
Sir Fuzzalot... till next time. No promises on next update. I can only tell you that I will try my verrry hardest to make the update shorter.
