Author's Note: Hello, my wonderful readers! I've been so melancholy lately. :/ I apologize. I also wish I had planned this story out better... But I didn't do so bad considering my limited experience! This story is winding down, all. NO this isn't the last chapter. But I'm pretty sure the next one will be! The mother will be reveled in the next chapter... I hope you won't hate me for it! Does anyone remember if George said whether or not he ever met Pen's mom? I'm sure I said that he HADN'T. Which is true. The only person that knows is Percy, and Mr. Weasley, and that's only because they work at the ministry. (hint-hint) ;) This chapter contains the smallest memory/flashback of them all, and it's not even at the beginning! I'm also debating on whether or not the last chapter will even have one! We'll see!
Now, thank you so much for your reviews. Grumpypirate, IamTheStars, and Gentle Catastrophe were my reviewers. Thank you for your wonderful reviews. :) You guys warmed my heart! And if any of you are curious: I'm doing okay. There seems to be a problem with my colon (I can't remember specifics, darn you doctors! With your big words that I can't remember!) But I'm on two medications for the next six weeks, and it should make it better!
On to the story!
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Chapter Ten: The Unbreakable Vow
Eight Months After The War.
The Morning After The Halloween Ball. George's Room.
Gently rising from sleep, I turned my face towards the pillow and inhaled deeply. Gunpowder from inventing, cinnamon from his mother's constant baking, and a woodsy sort of cedar smell...just George; My favorite smell. I gingerly opened my eyes, and felt an arm snake around my waist. Glancing at the tall, second-hand grandfather clock standing against the wall, I saw that it was roughly three in the morning.
I fought off a yawn by biting my lip as I stretched out my legs for a moment. Neither of us speak, but merely lay there in contented silence. George shifted closer, placing his lips against my bare shoulder. Then, at the exact same time, our stomachs growled. I put my hand against my forehead as we both laughed. I rolled over to face him and caught sight of his grin. How could anyone not grin back?
"Hungry, then?" He mused, brushing my hair away from my face. I closed my eyes at that, only nodding my head. "Hmmm...you know what sounds good...?" His voice lifted an octave at the end and he trailed off, hoping to catch my interest. I didn't even move.
"You ask me to make you a sandwich, and you're not going to like where I put it."
"I'll find something for the both of us!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, jumping out of bed.
Once he slipped into a pair of jeans, and shut the door, I smiled. I sat up, and wrapped his blanket around me. Running my fingers through my hair, I tried to ignore the fact that I knew what day it was. It would be useless to dwell on it right now, considering there was nothing much I could do at three in the morning. Several minutes later, after I had slipped on one of his shirts, George came in carrying a plate of Mrs. Weasley's fettuccine alfredo. I'd never heard of it in my life until a few years ago when Mr. Weasley had given his wife a muggle cookbook. Sure, we already had a lot of similar dishes with the muggles, but some of the things in that book were absolutely heavenly. One of those things was fettuccine alfredo.
"Hey, calm down, you're drooling all over my pillow!" George chuckled as he got back into bed with me. He made a big show of twirling the noodles with the fork before popping them into his mouth quickly. I scowled, and would have hit him if he weren't the one holding the goodies.
"George!" I whined, hitting my fists on my knees in impatience.
"Whoa! Deja vu!" He laughed, and I felt my face grow hot when I realized what he was talking about.
"George!" I exclaimed sternly, and he offered up a fork-full of fettuccine as distraction. It worked.
We ate back and forth, sharing the fork in companionable silence. When the alfredo was almost gone, I eyed him out of the corner of my eye quietly. I'd thought long and hard about this. It had to go down like this, because it was the only thing I could think of.
"So George," I started, clearing my throat, "I was at the shop the other day, looking over the documents that were left there."
For a moment George was silent, but he finally nodded.
"Well," I started, before crossing my arms, "They were hideous."
"What?" George looked at me, clearly confused and just as taken aback.
"You heard what I said! Your spelling and punctuation is atrocious." I stated, scoffing dramatically, "You always make your letter n as capital. Even in the middle of the word! That's very wrong, George. You should only ever use capitals in the appropriate place."
"Ummm..." George looked away from me, weirded out, "Okaaay..."
"Good, don't forget that, either!" I warned, pointing my finger at him to emphasize my point.
George smirked at me, grabbing hold of my hand. His placed the tip of my finger against his lips slowly, his eyes locked with mine. Raising his other hand, he opened my hand gradually rotating it, placing slow, individual kisses on each of my fingertips. He lifted the plate off his lap, leaning in closer to me, he sat the plate down on the table beside the bed with ease.
Wrapping my arms around his neck, I didn't lay back. I met his mouth with mine, floored by the feeling just like every time before that. Kissing him. Kissing George. Pressing forward, his tongue ran against my lower lip and I moaned. Trying to keep my head about me, I pulled back. He wasn't have any of that, and caught his teeth on my bottom lip, nibbling.
"George." I managed out finally, trying to get his attention.
Not listening, he turned his lips to my neck, trying to distract me. The shiver that ran down my spin certainly did cloud things a bit. I closed my eyes for a moment, almost drifting off.
"How..." Sucking in a breath, I tried to clear my head, "Would you be willing to make an unbreakable vow?"
George stopped his attack against my neck immediately, pulling back at looking at me. "What?" George demanded, obviously thinking I was off my rocker this morning.
"Would you make an unbreakable vow with me?" I repeated, my gaze unwavering. George returned it curiously.
"What would it be?"
This could make or break my plan. "That no matter what, you reopen the shop, and keep it running." This was very important. I knew once George was surrounded by laughs again, he could heal. He would be crushed if he lost the shop, even if he thought he couldn't bare to enter it anymore. George looked at me for a moment before sucking in a breath of air, and running a hand through his hair.
"Tell you what," He started, and I knew he was going to try to get out of it, "You find someone willing to perform the vow's spell, and I'll do it."
I smiled at him, working hard not to make it a devious one. Pulling him toward me, I gave him a hard, quick kiss. "You got it!" My mind running at a million miles an hour, I tried to pull myself from the bed. George pulled me back.
"Wait, wait, wait! You didn't my my other condition." He grinned at me, pulling me closer as I laughed.
"George!" I laughed, rolling on my belly out from under him, I quickly tried to crawl off the bed, "I have important things to do today!"
"Rubbish!" He growled, pulling me back by my ankles. Despite myself, I laughed again.
"You'll be sorry!" I sing-songed, despite the fact that I was serious. He wasn't even listening to me. I turned around to scowl up at him, pretending to be annoyed. Lifting my foot up to his chest, I pushed gently. "Back off, Gryffindor lion!"
He made a big show of roaring, and dramatically pounced on me.
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Dressed in a pair of jeans, I slipped on the black leather boots I used to wear all the time at Hogwarts. Pulling on a black tank top, I opted to wear a jacket instead of a wizarding robe. I had to get to the Leaky Cauldron on time.
I was pulling my hair into a pony tail as I stepped into the kitchen to find Percy and Mrs. Weasley. Percy was still having breakfast. Percy looked away from me awkwardly. I looked at Mrs. Weasley, and the look she gave me was a cross between stern, and elated. It was my turn to look away awkwardly. They knew!
"Er..." Stepping past Mrs. Weasley, I moved towards the door before turning around, "I have an appointment in Diagon Alley. I'll be back later."
"Had any breakfast?" Mrs. Weasley asked casually, stepping closer to me.
"Uh, yeah. I'm good." I nodded, managing a weak smile. Mrs. Weasley stepped forward and hugged me tightly, catching me off guard.
"Come back safely." She smiled, and I nodded, my face growing hot.
Escaping off of the porch, I let out a breath. That was so embarrassing. Sucking in a breath, I closed my eyes, and tried to pluck up a little courage. Then, I apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.
I spotted him sitting at a booth with the breakfast platter, and I remembered what he'd said to me. I hoped he did, too. 'If you ever need anything...'
"Hey Oliver, thanks for coming here on such short notice." I smiled, slipping myself into the booth, sitting across from him.
"Was no problem!" Oliver insisted, sitting down the fork-full of hash brown he'd been about to eat, "I'd been up for quite awhile when I got your owl. The letter sounded urgent, what do you..." He trailed off in shock, raising his eyebrows as I ordered from the waitress.
"Three shots of firewhiskey, please."
"Er, Pen?" Oliver said, slipping his hand around his butterbeer.
"Yes?" I asked, unfolding the large napkin that had been waiting on an empty plate, before refolding it into a triangle the way I liked it.
"You do know it's eight o'clock in the mornin'?"
"Yes, Oliver," I locked eyes with him, "I know very well. I'm going to need some firewhiskey in my system today."
Oliver ran a hand through his hair back and forth a couple of times before slipping it over his forehead and covering his eyes. He sighed once, before looking at me again. "Okay, I'm curious enough now, and a little bit more stupid. You need me for something?" It was a question, but he didn't say it as one. "What is it?"
Glancing down at the napkin, I fiddled with the edge of it, before tearing it off and rolling it up into a little ball. "I need you to perform the spell for an unbreakable vow."
"Really?" He did seem surprised by this, and I looked back up at him. "On you? And?"
"George."
Now it was time for him to look confused. I'd caught him off guard completely it seemed, because for a second it looked like he'd bitten down on something sour. So I decided now would be the best time to him.
"I have to leave again."
Caught off guard again, Oliver shifted in his seat. Tapping his hand on the plate of his half-eaten breakfast, he didn't seem hungry anymore. "You're leaving again?"
I downed one of the shots of firewhiskey, letting the burning sensation overtake me before answering. I could be honest with Oliver. For now.
"I'm in an arranged marriage."
"What?" He demanded, his brows scrunching up in more confusion, "I thought you got out of that with your mother?"
"I did." I shrugged, "But I made a deal with her. That was the deal."
"You getting an arranged marriage was the deal? What'd you get in return?"
"Money." I stated flatly, knocking back another shot.
"Oh, come on, Pen!" Oliver sat back, looking disgusted, "That doesn't sound like you at all! What's really going on here?"
I looked at him for a moment, dunking my the tip of my pinky into the firewhiskey of my last shot. "George is about to lose the shop." I admitted, swallowing my last shot before looking back at him, finally calm again. Oliver was silent for a long time before he spoke up again.
"So...you did this so your mother would give you the key to your trust fund?"
"Yeah," I admitted, still feeling guilty I'd only told Percy I was being given a certain portion of money. "I'm going to give to the key George. It's already charmed to only work for him. I had to put it in an envelope and everything. I can't touch it."
Oliver seemed genuinely impressed before turning sympathetic. He reached his hand across the table for mine, to offer support, but I pulled away. No, I don't still have feelings for Oliver, but I knew what happened to me when I mixed firewhiskey in my system. The last time I'd drank around him it hadn't ended well.
"So...what's the unbreakable vow for?" Oliver asked finally, motioning to the waitress before I could answer. "Bring me three as well, I have a feeling I'm going to need them."
I grinned and leaned forward, happily, "You're going to do it then?"
"Well," Oliver sighed, knocking back a firewhiskey, "I owe you, don't I?"
My smile faded and I sat back, remaining silent. Why bring this up now?
"Listen Pen, about the night of the Yule Ball..."
"No."
"But-"
"Oliver," I said, reaching over the table and grabbing his hand this time, "There's no need anymore. It was then, and this is now. Stop feeling bad."
"But, I knew you liked me..."
"Yeah," I admitted, knowing that Oliver had liked me a little, but not enough, "But not any more. No, it wasn't fun waking up that morning. Horrible, actually," I continued even though Oliver winced at my words, "But it's whatever now. I've had other shags, thank you." I grinned, and was pleased Oliver smiled back.
"So," I started, my confidence lifting, "You're going to do it then?"
"Say what you will, but I still owe you. So, yes, I'll do it."
"Brilliant! Here's my plan. Tell anyone, and I'll cut my debt from you off of you, if you catch my drift."
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"George? George! Get up!" I demanded, finding him fast asleep on his bed. "Merlin's saggy pants, George, it's it's already twelve! Up!" Picking up the dusty Quidditch book on his desk, I threw it down on his arse.
George jumped awake, flipped over in mid-bounce, and sat up. "Bloody hell!" He managed to exclaim as he yawned, rubbing at his right eye.
"Get up, Ginger. And come outside." I tugged him out of bed as he protested and whined, not even noticing my use of the old nickname I'd called him before we'd become friends.
"What's the matter? I'm still tired!"
"No you aren't, you're just used to laying in bed for all hours of the day." I said, helping his sleepy form down the stairs so he wouldn't fall.
He gave an indignant huff before finally complying with me. We stepped out into the sun and he hissed, shielding his eyes. "Oliver? Is that you?" He asked, unshielding his eyes to look before hissing again. He covered his eyes completely for a moment before finally starting to adjust.
"Yeah man, long time no see." Oliver and George then proceeded to do that weird guy hand-slap-shoulder-bump thing that guys did, and if I hadn't been so nervous, I might've rolled my eyes.
"George," I stated, motioning for Oliver to take out his wand, "Oliver is going to be performing the unbreakable vow spell for us."
George looked at me for a second, then to Oliver, then back to me, and back to Oliver. I knew he'd thought I wouldn't have been able to find anyone. He probably hadn't thought any farther past his own family, seeing as my sister was at Hogwarts. "Really?"
"Yeah," I spoke steadily before shrugging, trying to remain casual, "He owes me one."
Oliver looked away when George glanced at him. George looked at me, before gazing behind me at the Burrow. He wanted to back down, but he'd already said he'd do this. After he broke his promise, and left Hogwarts back in seventh year, George had worked hard to keep his word ever since. I knew he would go through it.
"O...okay. Let's do this then."
The air surrounding us grew quiet, and solemn. Looking at George, I did try to feel some happiness. When I had first come back, there was no way I could have talked him into this. He was slowly returning, and he needed the shop to do that. Looking up into his dark chlorine-blue eyes, I held out my hand. He did as well, and we gripped each others forearms tightly.
Stepping up beside us, Oliver lifted his wand steadily, placing the tip just so so that it touched the both of us. Sucking in a deep breath through his nose, he cleared his throat, waiting for me. Would my plan work itself out? I hope so.
"Do you, George Weasley, vow unconditionally to, no matter what reopen the shop in one week's time? To reopen it fully stocked, full of your inventions and products, and to keep it running until I say when?"
The thick ropes of fire wound around us. They were hot, but oddly enough they didn't burn. George looked down at them, before looking at me.
"I will."
Oliver's voice reminded us of his presence as he relayed the spell. The fire bands disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Okay George," I spoke on a sigh, rubbing at my wrist behind my back, "I'm sure your mum has lunch on the table, you better go get some. I'm starting to get hungry myself. I'll see Oliver away." George looked at the both of us again. I could tell he didn't have a good feeling, that he was sensing something in his gut. He nodded anyway, bidding goodbye to Oliver.
When I turned around to meet Oliver's gaze, I found George wasn't the only one with a bad feeling.
"Pen, are you sure this entire thing is a good idea?"
"No."
"Are you sure you should be doing this?"
"No."
"Are you sure this is going to work?"
"No."
"Oh, my head." Oliver pressed the palms of his hands against his temples as he looked at me. I grinned.
"I guess it's a good thing you never did give us a shot. I think I would have been the end of you." I joked, giving him a light punch on the arm.
"So you're still going to do this? You really think George is going to be okay?"
"Oliver," I sighed again, ignoring him, "Don't forget to bring Lee to the shop. They need to talk. I mean, Lee might as well have been Fred and George's long lost triplet...at heart, anyway. Promise?"
"...I promise." Oliver said, before checking his watch. "I have to go. Good luck." We shook hands before Oliver bent down to place a brotherly kiss on my forehead. He apparated away, and I shook my head. The git would feel guilty forever...
Glancing back at the burrow, I had the deepest urge to run back inside and lock the door. As if that could keep me in. I'd never seen a real home until I'd visited the burrow. I'd barely spoken two words my first day there because all I wanted to do was just...watch them. Watch what they had. I think I had carried a little bitterness for the Weasley's in my heart after that, at least for a year or two. It was hard not to be bitter for a family like that, until you turn around and realize that somewhere down the road you became their family too.
I knew it was time to force myself away. Turning my back on the burrow, I climbed the main hill in silence. Reaching the top, I knew I wouldn't be visible from most of the Burrow's windows. In the distance was a small pile. My luggage. But I had one more stop to make. One more stop, under the old, giant oak tree near the woods.
Run-away spells flew in every direction, in every color. How we were missing those when we had to focus on the deatheaters in front of us, I'll never know. I was fighting along side Percy, and Fred. George went to help some younger students that had snuck out to fight, and had begged me to stay with Fred.
"Watch Fred's back! I'll be fine!"
I only had one problem. Where the hell was my sister? Flinging the only nonverbal spell I knew at the deatheater, I tried looking around the main hall, to find Cam. Hogwarts was already in ruins.
A hand closed around my wrist, and yanked me to the right. I turned, and watched a flash of green light whizzed past my eyes, mere inches away from my face.
"Go find Cam!" It was Fred I turned to as his hand released me.
"No, I'm supposed to stay with you!" I disarmed a deatheater, and accio'd his wand. Snapping it half, I sent a jelly legs curse at him.
"No go! You're going to die if you stay this distracted and try to fight!"
Looking at Fred, I bit my lip. I had to find Cam. "I'll be right back!"
I ran out of the great hall, and into a horridly dismantled hallway. The sound of the battle echoed back and forth across the high ceilings. Before I could even look for her, I heard a loud explosion, something slammed against my head, and everything went black.
The stone was always cool underneath the shade of the oak tree. It was chiseled to perfection, the edges rounded, the face smooth. Fred Weasley. 1 April, 1978 – 2 May, 1998. There were flowers charmed to never wilt, several little trinkets, and the plack of the decree signed by Dolores Umbridge banning all Weasley joke products from Hogwarts.
I sat down near the stone, placing my own gift beside a small gathering of daisies. A pink hair color-changing sucker. It was the last of the Weasley candy I had saved, and it was also probably the last sucker of it's kind. The suckers had been discontinued when the twins had come up with a better line of hair color changing candies.
A small holder had been created on the top left corner of the stone, and an the flag of the Irish International Quidditch team hung on a little stick, pushed down into the holder. The flag was dirty from several rain sessions over the past few months. Clearing my throat, I pulled out my wand, and charmed it clean. Then, muttering a few spells, I made sure it would never be dirty again.
I fiddled around for several more minutes, straightening a few of the things surrounding his grave before finally resting my head against the cold, gray stone, shaking.
"Why?" I gripped the top of his Fred's head stone with my hand as I burst into tears. "Why did you tell me to leave when you knew I was supposed to stay with you? He told me to stay with you!" Furiously I wiped at my eyes before giving up and placing my free hand over them, "Why did I leave you when I was supposed to be protecting you? What if I had been there, Fred? I should have been there! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
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Dear George,
I'm leaving again. This time I don't want to, but I couldn't really find a way other than this way. So I have to leave, even though I was sure I was there to stay this time. I'm sorry. I'm so bloody sorry.
Enclosed you'll find a key. It's the key to a vault at Gringotts. Yes, it's my trust fund. You know very well my mother took it back when I ran away from the engagement she tried to set up for me in France. I got it back when I finally gave into her demands. I'm engaged to be married by a man my mother has picked out for me. My mother has already distributed most of the family funds into my trust fund now that I'm the eldest, and also first to be married. She expects to come live with us after the engagement, so I supposed that's why.
I've charmed the key so that only you can touch it, George. Not I, my sister Cam, or even my mother can lay a finger on it. Just you. Go to Gringotts, and use all of the money in there to open the shop again. Fill the shop up with jokes, and laughter. Expand the shop even, because there's more than enough money in there to do that. Now, I know you well George, so I know you're right pissed, but don't stop reading. Keep reading, okay? You're about to lose the shop. You need the money in my vault to pay off the lone, and restock, so don't ignore it. Open the shop, because you remember our vow, right?
George, I'm sorry about Fred. You remember, I know you do, remember how you told me to watch his back? To stay with him? Your concern was for your brothers and sister. My concern was my sister. I wasn't paying attention. Fred told me to go. He told me to go find Cam. I left him to fight with Percy once I took out a deatheater. I wasn't there, George. I should have been there. I don't know how different things would be...but it's my fault. I'm sorry George. I worked hard to geT you to foRgive me for leaving back then, but I UnderStand if now you're noT so Mad that I'm gone again. I nEver meant to leave.
I'm sorry, again.
I love you, George,
Sandrine Penelope Knightley
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Author's Note 2:: Sorry for the long wait of an update, guys. The next chapter is the last, and I'm extremely worried about it. I guess because I regret not planning this story out better, and I don't want to disappoint you all. I'm also finding it hard to write, which I'm pretty sure is because I don't want this story to be over. I love it dearly. It's going to be the first story I finish, and even if I have some regrets, I don't think I did so bad. :)
I'm about to make a shout out to a friend, which I'm kind of on the fence about. If you happen to click on my profile, you'll find I've posted a link. If you're a fan of Greenday, Cage the Elephant, or Puddle of Mud, and you want to support a fan, click that link. I've got a friend that does covers, and has written and sung his second song on that link. The link his second original song. I really am regretful of adding this snippet to my author's note, because I don't want to make you guys do anything. Buuut...we'd all do anything for friend's, wouldn't we? I feel inclined to do this because he has practically no confidence in his art, even though I think his singing is amazing. I used to hate my writing until a friend helped me, so I kind of would like to do the same by getting him some views, and a few comments. No pressure! You can ignore this if you want!
By the way, I think I'm going to be writing that Cam/Draco story next. Only it's actually going to be about everyone. Ginny. Harry. Neville. Luna. It's going to be about how everyone is effected and changed after the war, and how they get back to normalcy, and overcome the things that have scared them. I'm reeeeally planning this one out in detail, and I hope you guys (those of you that are interested) will like it.
Until next time, my lovely readers! p.s. Did you find the hint I left in the chapter?