A/N: My thanks goes out to a good friend of mine for working with me on this chapter. This is for you, Moony.
Also, I'd like to thank all of the people who have made this story possible. Thanks for the favorites and the alerts, the sharing and the help and the love. I'd also like to thank my baby sister for her newfound love for Harry Potter that keeps this Potterhead proud and for her help with this chapter.
Now that I've bored you lot, let's get on with the story…
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Selena stood there as Molly measured her with a faded measuring tape. She didn't pay much attention to the tsking sounds that Molly was making when she read the measurements. Her thoughts were drifting elsewhere.
"Selena dear," Molly said, finally draping the measuring tape around her neck like a scarf. "You haven't paid attention to a single thing I said, have you?"
The young witch shook her head. "No, I was just…thinking…"
Molly smiled sympathetically. "You got into a fight with George, didn't you?"
"Is it that obvious?"
"Well George did sleep on the couch last night…and was grumpy this morning. Not even Fred could bring a smile to his face." She put her hands on her hips and looked at Selena. "I haven't seen him this put off since you broke up with him five months ago. Thank Merlin you got back together, but you both need to work on strengthening your relationship so little fights like this don't send you two in separate directions."
Selena frowned and rubbed her left arm absently. "I didn't want him to sleep on the couch…I told him he could sleep in one of the guestrooms…"
"George would rather sleep on the couch than in a room without you. Trust me dear, he slept on our couch for almost a month before Fred helped him come up with several different plans to get you back…" Molly smiled. "It's evident that the simplest one was the best one."
Selena stepped down off the crate that she had been standing on. Her hand instantly went to the necklace at her throat, her fingers closing around the heart-shaped locket. She sat down on the arm of a couch and looked out a window with tears in her eyes. "Why do I feel this bad? I didn't do anything wrong, so why…?"
"Did you ever get into fights with your boyfriends before George?"
Selena shook her head slowly. "I never had a boyfriend before George…."
"Really?" Molly sounded incredulous.
"No one was interested in me."
"I find that hard to believe. You're a beautiful young woman and -"
Selena looked at Molly with sad eyes. "I'm not the fair beauty that others are…not even the exotic beauty that drives boys crazy…" She sighed and continued to fiddle with the locket. "It wasn't like I was interested in the kind of boys that Evelyn was interested in…Hell, I wasn't interested in anyone because I didn't know who I could trust."
"You can trust George."
The young witch sighed again. "Do you think I made a mistake in naming Severus as the godfather of my child?"
"Selena," Molly said, moving to stand in front of her. "You need to stop asking questions like that. If it feels right to you to give Severus an important role in your child's life, then who is to say it's the wrong choice." She put her hand on Selena's. "I know George and Severus have a sort of rivalry in regards to your heart, but Selena you must know in your heart that you made the right choice…Regardless of what George and his testosterone filled rages say." She smiled slightly. "It's just the cave man in him."
The corner of Selena's lips turned up slightly. "Cave man…that sounds a bit like him…" Selena put her hand on her stomach which she had noticed was starting to grow firmer, rounder. "I have never told anyone that George was my first…first to love, first to hold my hand in public…first at everything a couple does…" She frowned. "I don't want him to be the first man I lost."
Molly pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips. "Do you want me to talk to him? I'll tell him to -"
"Molly, that would be very nice of you…but I think that I should let this simmer down on its own. If George wants to talk to me…he knows where to find me."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
George trudged around Diagon Alley after closing up the store for the night. His hands were shoved in his pockets and he was staring at the ground, not really caring where he was going. He knew Fred was following him at a discreet distance, but didn't care about that either. None of Fred's jokes seemed to get through the dark haze that had settled over George's mind and shoulders.
What the hell has gotten a hold of me? George thought, kicking a small stone out of his way. I shouldn't have snapped at 'Lena…I bet she's had enough of that kind of behavior to last a couple of lifetimes. He sighed and continued walking. She deserves better.
That is right…she deserves someone who will kill for her.
George stiffened and lifted his gaze from the ground, only to meet the red gaze of Voldemort. He reached for his wand, but stopped when he realized that Voldemort already had his drawn. "Was that you in my head?"
Voldemort smiled a very disturbing smile. "Yes…as I have been in your fiancée's – my only child's – mind. Hers is full of beautiful dark thoughts, which require more nurturing to turn into dark actions, while yours is so pathetic. I expected more of a challenge getting into your mind because Selena has shown favor on you…" He circled George as if sizing him up. "There is nothing useful in your mind; you have little value to me."
"Then I suppose you're going to kill me…"
"You have no idea how tempting the thought is… However, there is some value to you." Voldemort smiled that creepy smile again, causing George to swallow nervously and glance in the direction of his brother. "Yes, I know your brother has been hiding from sight. By now he has already sent word to the Order…I did not come here to fight. I came here to offer a way out of this war…"
"The Order is not going to surrender to you and let you kill thousands of "undesirable" wizards," George said, finding some courage that he didn't know he had.
"Do not speak of that which you know nothing about," Voldemort ordered, standing a mere arm's length away. His sudden anger quickly left his eyes as they locked onto George's. "Yes, though they include you in the Order, they do not reveal all of the facts to you or your friends. Dumbledore knows he cannot trust you with the vital information…To him you are all pawns."
"No." George said, shaking his head though he found he could not look away from the older, eviler wizard. "You're lying."
"Am I?" Voldemort smirked and George felt his certainty waver. "Tell me, do you know everything about Selena or just what she wants you to know?"
George took a step back. "She tells me everything…"
Voldemort laughed and to George it was a horribly wretched sound. He hoped that Selena's laugh would never become like her father's.
"Even now you're thinking about her and her many secrets," Voldemort commented, his eyes gleaming with cold humor. "That is why you are angry with her. That is why you think you hate her..."
George paled as a cold chill settled in the pit of his stomach. "I don't hate Selena." His eyes narrowed. "And I think you are insane."
He pulled out his wand and threw a spell at Voldemort. Voldemort laughed and deflected the spell, watching George as a cat would watch a tasty mouse. George stood there, his wand at the ready with a look of absolute hate on his face. The longer he looked at Voldemort, the angrier he got.
"Yes, feed on the hate. It will make you stronger," Voldemort said, lazily pointing his wand at George as if this was boring him. "Unfortunately, you won't last long with pathetic spells…and I am not in the mood to teach you the proper spells to hurt someone…"
George fell to the ground, screaming in pain as Voldemort silently placed him under the Cruciatus Curse. His muscles felt like they were ripping and on fire all at once. It felt worse than when Jacqueline and Evelyn put the curse on him. And he knew that no one was there to help him.
"George!" Selena's voice rang out.
No, Selena…you're not supposed to be here! George thought, trying to see her but he couldn't move his head without causing more pain.
He saw flashes of light fly over his prone body and then the curse was lifted. He fought to catch his breath as he lay there. Friends surrounded him and he had a feeling that Selena was at the front with Dumbledore.
"You dare throw spells at your master, your own father?" Voldemort's cold voice demanded and George heard Selena's teeth grind together as she remained silent.
"Some father you are," Charlie muttered, his wand drawn.
George eased himself up onto his elbows and heard Selena start hissing words when Dumbledore put a hand on her shoulder. Apparently, Voldemort was the only one who could understand her because his face grew darkly amused.
"I believe I have made a stronger son-in-law," Voldemort commented before vanishing in a swirl of black, "and daughter."
Selena shot a curse and made to charge after him, but Charlie caught her around the waist, holding her back. George could see her eyes shining with tears and anger from where he sat. Dumbledore walked over to him and held out a vial, simply instructing him to drink it. Fred hurried to his brother's side and helped him rise to his feet, allowing George to lean on him for support.
"Sorry we couldn't get here faster, mate," Fred apologized. His eyes were full of sadness as he watched George down the liquid in the vial. "I honestly thought I was going to lose you."
"Nah," George said, smiling slightly. "I could have lasted a good long while, mate. It really just tickled…"
Fred flashed the hint of a smile before looking at Selena as she started screaming profanities. "You sure know how to pick 'em Georgie."
George lifted his eyes to his fiancée and nodded. "I sure do."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Charlie held onto Selena as best as she could. He knew that she would give anything to go after her father for attacking George, part of him even wanted to go after the devil. Charlie knew better though, he knew that it would be a suicide mission to go after Voldemort on his own. All he could do was hold onto the girl who had a temper similar to a Hungarian Horntail and hope that she'd calm down.
"Let me go dammit!" Selena snapped, twisting in his grasp. "Let me go after that motherfucking bastard! I'll show the bloody wanker not to mess with people I love!" She stomped on his feet and elbowed him. "Charlie dammit! Let me go!"
"Easy Selena," Charlie said, not relaxing his grip despite the fight she was putting up. "Easy girl…you don't want to go after him. He'll kill you if you do…"
Selena twisted violently in his grip, so he did the only thing he could think of to calm her down, a trick that he had discovered since he had met her. When she twisted again, Charlie grabbed hold of her arms and crossed them over her stomach, holding her by her wrists. With nowhere to go and her body trapped against his, she started muttering profanities and dark thoughts under her breath. Her twisting movements stopped, but she continued to stomp on his right foot.
"Let. Me. Go!" Selena ordered.
Charlie sighed. "I'm not going to let you go after him. No one needs you to go on a suicide mission like that." He glanced over at his brothers, who were talking with Dumbledore. "Do you understand what would happen to George if you died?"
Selena continued to stomp on his foot, but her muttering subsided. "Let me go Charlie!"
"Selena, you know he loves you more than he loves anyone else, except maybe Fred, but your death will be the end of him. I mean, he can't even stand one day without being in some form of contact with you. How do you think he'd react if he lost you?"
Charlie reached around her and grabbed her wand out of her hand without releasing her wrist. He knew he was a little closer to calming her down. Selena wasn't putting up much of fight anymore, her stomps becoming a little less painful and frequent.
Charlie knew that Selena was far from being completely calm. A part of her would always be simmering with anger for wrongs done to her today and for all of her past, some of which he knew he never wanted to know about.
"Charlie," Selena said, her voice full of emotion. "Let. Me. Go!"
"Do you swear you won't go after You-Know-Who?" Charlie asked, his eyes turning back to her.
"I'm…I'm going to check on George," Selena muttered, no longer stomping on his foot or twisting. "Then I'm going to Adele's."
Charlie slowly released her, but kept her wand in his hand. He watched her walk over to George and smiled. Sometimes you had to let the fiercest dragon go to her mate and ease them back into normal life….
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Selena had to admit that she wasn't mad at Charlie for holding her back or for taking her wand. He had probably saved her life…again. She needed a clear head to kill Voldemort, if Harry didn't beat her to it.
The heir of Voldemort walked over to her fiancé, but didn't look him in the eye. "How do you feel?" she asked, straining to keep the ice out of her voice.
"That little potion you whipped up worked wonders," George told her and she could hear the sincerity in her voice.
"Good."
Selena turned and started to walk away, but George reached out and grabbed her hand. She glanced at their joined hands and sighed, a little color coming to her face. The two stood there, not saying a word, for a moment before Selena slid her hand free.
"I'll – I'll see you at Adele's," Selena muttered and George nodded.
She took her wand from Charlie and Disapparated, appearing at Adele's. She had plans to make…
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A/N: So, what do you think? Leave a contribution in the little review box and don't forget to share, read, review, and most importantly, smile at Snape. Thanks! ~ Scarlet who is not on pot right now.
