Chapter 20

They hadn't been fighting for long when George spotted Severus Snape his former teacher the man who had killed Albus Dumbledore looking back at them his hood having fallen back from his head. George was about to fire a spell at him but Snape got their quicker.

"Sectumsempra!" George and Remus heard him shout. Remus tried to go faster to fly out of the way but the next thing they knew George felt the side of his face contort in pain and his hearing go. His vision was blurring and he felt like he was going to fall from the broom. He wasn't aware of what was happening anymore all that he could see was images of Fred, Jackie, his family and friends his whole life flashing before his eyes. He could see images of his and Jackie son before him red hair like him, blue eyes like his mother and then everything went blank.

The next thing Remus was aware of George was slumped against him unconscious and his thick red blood dripping onto Remus body. The weight of George was pushing Remus forward and he had to struggle to keep control of the broom while making sure to keep a tight hold on George. He was injured and in bad shape but he would get his future son in law home to his daughter he had promised her that and he wasn't going to break his promise to her if it was the last thing he did. He wanted to go after Snape for hurting him just like he had killed Dumbledore but he knew now that he could not make chase he could not go after him or George would be gone.

Not far away Fred and his dad were in a battle of their own against their own death eaters Fred firing spell after spell at his would be attackers.

"Stupefy!" he shouted casting his spell and then following it with "Protego!" protecting himself and his dad from their opponents spells.

He stopped suddenly as his head started to pound and his heart started to beat rapidly in his chest and he felt like he was suddenly going to faint. Fred knew what this meant something had happened to his twin, something was wrong with George. Fred felt like his world was about to fall apart he just prayed and hoped that George would be ok he couldn't deal with it if he wasn't. He would rather die himself than to cope with having to lose his twin. Not George his brother, best friend. His brother that was due to marry and have a child with his childhood sweetheart, he couldn't live without him.

At the Burrow Jackie was pacing now she was positive that they should be back now and yet the only people in the Burrow where still her, Ginny, Jessica and Molly.

"Sit down Jackie please I know that we are all worried but you need to take it easy" Jessica told her.

"I'm fine" Jackie whispered as she rubbed her stomach absentmindedly and continued to pace.

It wasn't long before they finally heard something outside and flashes of light. The four all looked up and looked at each other.

"Is that them!" Jackie exclaimed.

The four of them made their way outside and looked down at the rusty old oil can that was lying on the floor. Molly gulped.

"That should have been Tonks and Ron's" She teared up and was struggling to hold It together for the younger girls.

"I'm sure they'll be ok" Ginny said but her own voice was laced with fear.

"Who's due back next?" Jessica asked.

"Fred and Arthur" Jackie said as she looked at them. "Due back any moment" Just then their was another flash as a second port key landed back at the Burrow.

"Where are they!" Jessica started to sob as she saw that the old trainer was lying on the ground with not a soul in sight.

"They'll be ok they probably just got holed up I'm sure" Jackie said but she too was worrying and on the verge of tears as she wrapped her arms around Jessica.

"We should all go back inside and wait" Molly cried tears rolling down her face as she rushed inside and back to the washing up the girls following behind.

"I think so someone's definitely outside" Ginny said rushing to the doorway not long after.

"Ginny wait!" Molly exclaimed rushing to Ginny's side as Jessica and Jackie rushed to join them the four girls quickly making their way outside where the saw the unmistakeable figure of Hagrid and Harry.

"Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" Molly cried.

"Dad, George the others have you seen them" Jackie cried.

"What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted. Their blank and grim faces told Harry all he needed to know

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her, "We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us –"

"Thank goodness you're all right," Molly said.

"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" asked Hagrid a little shakily, "Fer medicinal purposes?"

She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Jackie knew that she wanted to hide her face. Harry turned to Ginny, Jackie and Jessica and looked at them for information.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them," Ginny said, pointing at a rusty oil can lying on the ground nearby.

"And that one," she pointed at an ancient trainer "should have been Dad and Fred's; they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and," she checked her watch, "if they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute." Molly reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.

"Mum!" shouted Ginny pointing to a spot several feet away. A blue light had appeared in the darkness: It grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling.

"DAD! GEORGE!" Jackie screamed racing towards them she paused in horror for a moment as she saw even in the dark midnight skies that something was wrong George was unconscious his face covered in blood as Lupin supported him.

"Here quick into the house!" Lupin cried Harry ran forward and seized George's legs. Together, he and Lupin carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the living room, where they laid him on the sofa. Jackie nearly collapsed onto the floor as they passed her and Ginny and Jessica quickly helped her supporting her and leading her inside to the house.

Once inside she rushed to his side where he lay on the sofa and crouched down beside him grabbing hold of his hand.

As the lamplight fell across George's head Jackie gasped her stomach churning she felt sick to her stomach. One of George's ears was missing. The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood. Although Jackie wasn't a healer she knew what this meant and it wasn't good. She grabbed her stomach and felt herself being sick on the floor beside the sofa.

"George" She sobbed as she took his hand again "Please George please be ok please wake up" she sobbed "Me and your baby, our baby need you please don't do this to us"

Molly and Jessica were beside her trying all that they could to try and heal George's wound and reverse the spell. But despite everything despite Jessica's healing skills as a trainee Mediwitch nothing was working.

Jackie was completely oblivious to everything else the only thing she could see was George lying their bloody and still she couldn't hear a thing over than tingling as if nothing else mattered and at that moment in time it didn't to her. She didn't notice Lupin grabbing hold of Harry and pushing him by the wall to question him.

"How is he?" Harry asked as he made his way back inside shortly after.

Molly looked around and said, "I can't make it grow back, not when it's been removed by Dark Magic. But it could've been so much worse . . . . He's alive." Jackie started to sob once more and threw her head down into his lap clutching his hand tightly. She just wanted him to wake up.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Thank God. I'm sorry Jackie"

"Don't Harry it's not your fault" Jackie whispered looking back up and speaking through her tears as she looked at him.

"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked.

"Hermione and Kingsley," said Harry.

"Thank goodness," Ginny whispered.

Suddenly they were interrupted by loud shouts and Jackie recognised them as Arthur who she'd only ever heard shout at Percy.

"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!" He burst into the living room, his bald patch gleaming with sweat, his spectacles askew, Fred right behind him both pale but uninjured. Fred looked in horror down at his twin he had been unable to speak since he had experienced the aching in his heart and had known that something wasn't right with his twin.

"Arthur!" sobbed Molly. "Oh thank goodness!"

"Oh Fred your alright" Jessica gasped rushing to embrace him he hugged her tightly but quickly got down beside his twin and Jackie he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"How is he?" Arthur asked. Molly was about to reply when George started to stir.

George could feel the pain ripping through his body and could start to hear again ever so slightly. He could feel tears soaking onto his hands and could smell Jackie beside him he knew that they were her tears and that it was her head draped over his lap. He opened his eyes slowly.

"How you feeling Georgie?" whispered Fred finding his voice again. George's fingers groped for the side of his head. He knew then what had happened but he would not let it show the horror that he felt at it.

"Saintlike," he murmured as he looked up.

"Come again" Fred said.

"Saintlike," repeated George, looking up at his brother. "You see. . . I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?" he pointed at the gaping hole where his ear should have been. Molly and Jackie started to sob harder than ever. Colour flooded Fred's pale face.

"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?"

"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum." He looked down at his fiancée who was sobbing in his lap. "It's ok Jackie I'm fine don't cry I'm fine see" he whispered as he ran his fingers through her hair. Looking around the room he looked at Harry "Hi, Harry – you are Harry, right?"

"Yeah, I am," said Harry, moving closer to the sofa.

"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"

"They're not back yet, George," Molly said George's grin faded. Jackie's heart sank as she looked up from George's lap and at her father she somehow managed to find her feet and flung her arms around her dad.

"Oh dad" she hugged him tightly he held onto her supportively. She knew that Tonks and Ron would be ok they had to be. "She will be ok you know Tonks she's strong and so is Ron" she whispered but the tears still fell.

"I know sweetheart" Remus said stroking her hair back Jackie pulled apart and made her way back over to the sofa as Remus went outside again.

"Jackie come here" George said as he gingerly lifted up his legs for her to slide in beside him. His head now wrapped in bandages that Molly and Jessica had magically wrapped on him.

"I love you" Jackie whispered as she slid in beside him. "I'm sorry Mrs Weasley" Jackie whispered feasibly as she looked at where she had been sick beside the sofa.

"Oh love don't worry about it" Molly comforted she muttered a cleaning spell removing the blood and sick stains from the sofa and floor.

"I love you Jackie you and little Bludger I told you that I'd make it back didn't I. Even if it's without one ear" George laughed light heartedly Jackie snuggled into his side as he placed a hand on her bump.

Jackie and Jessica were talking as Fred and George joked with each other sharing a laugh as they could hear everyone outside and knew that their brothers and the others must be back.

But as they entered the four stopped and looked up their faces sombre. The twins quickly searched the room to see who was standing with them and who wasn't.

"What's wrong?" said Fred, scanning their faces as they entered, "What's happened? Who's -?"

"Mad-Eye," said Arthur "Dead." The twins' grins turned to grimaces of shock and Jackie and Jessica started to cry silently once more. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief: She had been close to Mad-Eye, Hagrid, who had sat down on the floor in the corner where he had most space, was dabbing at his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.

Bill walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of fire-whisky and some glasses.

"Here," he said, and with a wave of his wand, he sent the full glasses soaring

Through the room to each of them apart from Jackie, holding one aloft and shouting "Mad-Eye."

"Mad-Eye," they all said, and drank.

"Mad-Eye," echoed Hagrid, a little late, with a hiccup. The firewhisky seared Harry's throat. It seemed to burn feeling back into him, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality firing him with something that was like courage.

"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Lupin, who had drained his own glass in one.

The atmosphere changed at once. Everybody looked tense, watching Lupin, both wanting him to go on, it seemed to Harry, and slightly afraid of what they might hear.

"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Harrys, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skullduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to makeanyone panic."

"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks.

"Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Harry to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away he switched to Kingsley. . . . "

"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey know we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan." She glared around at them all, tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was that of Hagrid hiccupping from behind his handkerchief.

"No," Harry said aloud "I mean . . . if somebody made a mistake," Harry went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," he repeated, again a little louder than he would usually have spoken. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."

More silence followed his words.

"Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.

"Year, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched. Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harry. It was close to pitying.

"You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry.

"No, I think you're like James," said Remus, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends." He turned to bill "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether –"

"No," said Bill at once, "I'll do it, I'll come."

"Where are you going?" said Tonks and Fleur together.

"Mad-Eye's body," said Remus. "We need to recover it."

"Can't it - ?" began Molly with an appealing look at Bill.

"Wait?" said Bill, "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it?"

Nobody spoke. Lupin and Bill said their goodbyes and left leaving the others alone.

They stayed at the Burrow that night and after Jackie's tears and pleads that she would not leave George's side Molly had let her sleep with George in the twin's room along with Jessica on the condition that the door be left over. Once George could see that his twin and Jessica were asleep he turned to Jackie squeezing her hand tightly.

"You ok George?" she asked worriedly a few tears falling down her face.

"You still want to marry me don't you" he asked her despite the fact that his confidence had been shining through earlier despite his new appearance as soon as it was just them he found a new insecurity beating at him.

"George of course I do what do you take me for!" Jackie gasped her voice strained like it was about to break down in sobs once more.

"I know Jackie I know I'm sorry I just well look at me" he said pointing to his ear.

"You are still the same gorgeous, caring, charming and hilarious George that I fell in love with and nothing will change that ever" Jackie said clearly as she looked deeply into his eyes. Leaning over she kissed him deeply on the lips before snuggling down in his arms. "George" she whispered.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"I love you please don't leave me" she said softly.

"I love you too and I won't I promise" he told her stroking her hair softly as the pair of them fell into slumber.

Thanks for the reviews hope that you will like the chapter hopefully more up tomorrow. Again a lot of this content was linked in with the wonderful works of J K Rowling and the WB Producers as well as my own ideas. I do not own any of the characters apart from Jackie and Jessica as much as I want George as my husband and Remus as my father. :P