A/N: Thank you all for your reviews! I realised when I was writing this chapter that I have been working on this fic for almost a year now! And the end is in sight … but don't worry, there will be a few more chapters!

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Chapter 25 February 20th, 2000

Katie came back from Paris on early Sunday afternoon, all happy and excited, telling her friends about the city's beauty. "And the best thing", she finally ended her tale, "was that – you won't believe it – Lee did ask me to marry him!"

"Wow. That's exciting!" said Alicia, sounding happy but not the least bit surprised.

Katie lifted an eyebrow. "You knew, didn't you? You knew that he was really planning to ask me." She turned to George. "And you knew it first, am I right? You told Leesh."

George shrugged. "Not my fault if Lee has to tell me such big news. I just had to talk to somebody about it." He winked. "But you knew it, too, didn't you, little Katie?"

Katie blushed. "I … sort of had a feeling that … that he might ask me, yeah," she admitted. "But that is no excuse."

Knowing that Katie was right George decided to take her mind off it and ask instead, "When's your wedding going to be?"

"In the summer," said Katie. "We decided we're not in such a hurry that we can't wait until the weather gets a little bit better."

"Has Lee chosen a best man, yet?"

Katie grinned. "Guess, he has, but obviously he just hasn't asked him, yet. Anyway, the more I talk about it, the more excited I get. I could get married tomorrow."

"I thought you weren't in a hurry."

Katie rolled her eyes. "I want a perfect wedding on a sunny day in … in August."

"What if it's going to be a rainy August?"

"George," said Alicia. "Leave it." She glanced at the clock on her kitchen wall that read 3 p.m. and continued, "We need to get ready, anyway. – Sorry Kates, I'd love to talk to you about everything, but it's my Muggle Granddad's eightieth birthday – and you know what my Mum's like. We have to go."

"I thought your Mum doesn't even like your father's family all that much," said Katie.

"She doesn't, but that doesn't mean she's not going to family parties. Family is important to my Mum, even if she doesn't enjoy their company."

"Wow." Katie let out a low whistle and shot George a short glance, "well, I don't envy you two."

George couldn't help pulling a face. He was sure that he wasn't going to enjoy the afternoon very much himself. But he knew that it would make Alicia happy if he went with her and he still had to make up for a lot. So he was going to bear her mother staring at him with that cold expression of hers all afternoon.

But maybe it wasn't going to be that bad, though, he thought. Maybe Alicia's Grandmother was a good cook. And maybe, Alicia's Muggle cousins were going to come as well and then they could talk about cars. (George had always found cars absolutely fascinating, unlike Fred who was only interested in cars that could at least fly.)

Before Katie left she and Alicia arranged a meeting for the next weekend to go shopping and talk about Katie's wedding plans. Since they ignored his amused comments about the wedding not taking place for another couple of months, George went into the bedroom to get changed already. Most of his clothes were here in Alicia's flat now and it reminded him again that it was about time that he moved in officially. He made up his mind to talk to Percy next week and ask him if he wanted to move into the other flat.

The one that he, George, used to share with Fred.

There were times when thinking about Fred was easier these days, and others when George couldn't bear it at all. Today, however, was one of the good days. Despite the fact that he had a long afternoon with the Spinnets ahead of him, George was happy. He was happy for his friends, Lee and Katie, and he also had had an extraordinarily good week at work. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was going better than ever, and the old idea of expanding and opening a branch in Hogsmeade had returned to the front of George's mind.

And there was another thing that had returned to the front of his mind.

"Are you ready, yet, love?" Alicia shouted from the living room. When he came out of the bedroom she beamed at him. "You look nice," she said, her cheeks glowing red.

"So do you," he replied and put his arm around her. Together they went outside from where they could Disapparate.

Alicia's Mum's reaction when she saw George was exactly as he had expected. She gave him a frown and said, "Hello" in a very cold voice. But George couldn't blame her. The more time had passed since he had stopped taking Lethe the more time he had had to think about how much his behaviour in the past two years had hurt Alicia. Any mother would react the way Alexandra reacted.

It was the first time that George had met Alicia's grandparents but they were as friendly towards him as Peter had once been. And Alicia's Cousins, Brian and Edward, turned out to be quite nice, too, so did their parents. Peter Spinnet however, pulled George aside in a quiet moment.

"I don't know why my daughter gave you another chance," he said, his hand holding an unexpectedly tight grip on George's right wrist, "but if you don't make her happy this time, you'll hear all about it from me."

George was a bit taken aback because Peter had always been friendly to him. Quickly he stammered, "I will make her happy. I promise."

Peter regarded him for a moment with knitted brows. "Good," he finally said and turned around to go.

George stood where he was for a moment, rubbing his hurting wrist, but then Alicia came to tell him that it was time to eat the cake her Grandma hade made and drink coffee and watch her Granddad unwrap his gifts. George didn't tell her about his little encounter with her father, but he made up his mind to keep that promise he had just made.

It turned out that Alicia's Grandmother, Emma, as she had told George to call her, was a good cook indeed. When the two of them got ready to return home later that evening, they were so stuffed with cake and dinner that it felt like they could barely move. Alicia was inside the house to say good-bye to her Grandfather who was in a wheelchair and therefore stayed inside the house while everybody else had gone outside already. That was when Alexandra came up to George and quietly asked him to have a quick word.

George felt uncomfortable. He expected another speech like Peter's but instead Alexandra said, "I know my husband has talked to you and I'm not here to repeat his words." She sighed. "He is a good man, but he doesn't have my intuition when it comes to knowing people."

Not knowing what to say George nodded and waited for her to continue.

"You must know that when Lissy first brought you home for dinner, Peter liked you right away. And he trusted you. But you disappointed him."

It hurt to think about it, but George knew it was true. "I must have disappointed you both," he said.

Alexandra shook her head. "No, not me. Not really. I knew at once that you were going to hurt my daughter. I don't think it was your intention, and I never did think that, but I knew you weren't ready for the kind of relationship Alicia wanted and needed. Your body might have been, but not your mind."

Alexandra was always blunt. George looked down at his feet, still not really knowing what to reply. He knew that she was right with every word she said but it was hard to hear it all and be reminded of it what had happened.

Alexandra continued, "When your brother died in the battle – and Merlin knows I do feel compassion for what you must have been going through – Alicia was always there for you. She did everything to try and help you."

"I know," said George quietly.

"You didn't let her."

"Maybe."

"She told me, it was the night before your brother's funeral that you went to buy Lethe the first time."

"I didn't plan to –"

"No, you planned to get drunk, didn't you? Look, I know this isn't my business. All I'm saying is that if she had known how bad you felt she would have stayed up with you, all night even. You would have never gone out that night." Alexandra paused to let put a deep breath. Her expression softened. "But I know you have learned from all this."

Surprised, George looked up and into her eyes.

"I can't say that I like you now or that I'm happy that you two are back together, but I know my daughter loves you and I want her to be happy. And now I know that you will make her happy."

He was about to repeat the promise he had made to Peter earlier, when Alexandra interrupted him. "You don't have to say it. I know it."

George smirked. "And what makes you so sure?"

"I knew last time, didn't I?"

When they arrived at home it wasn't late enough to go to bed, yet and so Alicia put on a DVD. Having Muggle relatives did have a few good sides, George thought and suggested to her that they should give his father a DVD player for his next birthday.

"Well, there's no electricity in The Burrow, is there?" said Alicia.

"Oh, do you need that to make that thing work?" asked George. He had never thought about it but the look on Alicia's face made it clear how stupid is question must have been.

"You're such a Pureblood."

"Oi, you say that like an insult."

"Don't worry, it's not."

George grinned. "Maybe one day I'll be a part of your family." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence when George realised what he had just said. He remembered with a stinging feeling in his stomach when he had asked Alicia to marry him in January and her reaction. And obviously she remembered it, too, because she turned her head away, looking guilty.

George decided to make a joke to ease up the tension. "I have already got some Muggle sides, you know."

"Oh yeah? Which are those then?"

"Well, I liked the Muggle music your cousins were listening to. What was the band's name again?"

Alicia pulled a face. "They're called 'Bloodhound Gang' and they're horrible."

"Well, I thought they were good."

She rolled her eyes. "I'll bet you did."

He laughed but after a moment he became serious. "I had a talk with your Mum today."

Alicia made a face. "Oh dear. What did she say?"

"She said that if I had accepted your help back then you might have been able to keep me away from the Lethe."

Alicia shook her head. "There are way too many ifs and wouldhaves and couldhaves, George. Don't worry about this now."

"I wish it was that easy, Licia. Because I think that she is probably right."

"I know. But you have learned from it all, haven't you?"

"That's what your mum said, too."

"And she's right. Spinnet women are always right."

"Are they?"

Alicia grinned and ruffled his hair up. "Always," she confirmed.

George sighed. "I really hope so."

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A/N: Haven't you missed Alicia's mum? I have ;)