Title: A Lid For Every Pot, George Weasley

Author: BooksVCigarettes

Summary: Set a couple of years post-war. Still struggling with the absence of his twin, George Weasley needs some time away from the world he grew up in to heal. Alice Clark wants a flat mate who doesn't want to kill and eat her. It was perfect... Except not really. George/OC Ron/Hermione Harry/Ginny

Chapter Fifteen – December

A month later

Before George realised it, November wasnearly over. He and Alice had fallen back into their usual comfortable rhythm of hardly seeing one another except for the coincidental occasions when they would both be brewing tea at the same time. Sometimes they would chat, but Alice was usually on her way out the door to work or band practise or a gig. There had been a few nights when she didn't come home - presumably spending them with Daniel. George tried not to think about this too much. For his part, he stayed out of the flat as much as possible. Walking Driscoll had proved a useful distraction and he had taken to stopping in at Arlene's every day for a cup of tea. Arlene was a devil for cutting him another slice when he wasn't looking - George liked to think that Molly Weasley's mothering instinct would somehow know and be pleased that her son was slowly beginning to fill his clothes out once more. He liked that Arlene didn't expect him to talk about anything to do with his old life. Instead, she happily regaled him with tales from her life abroad, her three marriages and her weakness for taking in stray animals. George wondered briefly if he counted as oneof them.

He had spoken with Hermione a number of times using the tiny machine as well, and each time she had patiently and gently informed him that no, there wasn't any news but they were working on it and please don't worry. George knew that she was trying to soothe him, encouraging him to have faith in the Ministry and the Order, but the very thought of Fred's killer walking around free made George's head spin and his blood boil.

By the first Saturday in December, things had settled well enough to lull George into a false sense of security. He still hadn't received a reply to the note he had sent via the Floo, but knew enough about the respondent to know that if speed were a priority, he had chosen the wrong person to assist him in this endeavour. And in fairness, he had been asking rather a lot of this person lately anyway. He awoke early in morning to the sound of rain lashing against the windowpane and padded out to the kitchen in search of breakfast. Alice was already ensconced at the kitchen table, notes and papers spread all around her. However she wasn't working, but rather staring distractedly off into the distance, a small smile playing on her lips. She started as George entered the room and sent him a beaming smile "Good morning George! Isn't it a gorgeous day?"

George gave her an odd look, quirking an eyebrow "You… like the pouring rain?"

"Is it raining? I hadn't noticed." Alice picked up her coffee and took a sip. George frowned, leaning in as he caught the scent coming from her cup. There was something oddly familiar about it "What's that you have in your coffee?"

Alice smiled dreamily, leaning over the mug to inhale the aroma "Daniel's personal blend of coffee syrup – isn't that amazing? He's so talented. It has rose and peppermint and... I can't remember the rest but here-" She reached into her handbag and pulled out a tiny glass bottle. She unscrewed the cap and held it to George's nose "Smell it. It's divine."

George didn't need to smell the pearlescent liquid to know what was inside the bottle. He felt as though he'd been punched in the stomach. What was in there was unmistakable, and Alice was well and truly under its effect "Daniel... gave you this?"

Alice nodded, beaming "Isn't he wonderful? He's the most amazing bass player, and he's gorgeous and he can make coffee syrup that turns the world into a better place."

George nodded dumbly, not trusting himself to speak. A memory had surfaced within his consciousness. Draco Malfoy, oily git and all-round bastard, teasing nervous first years in the halls of Hogwarts with his little crew of Slytherins: Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson... and Nott.

Theodore Nott. How could he have been so blind? George felt his blood run cold as he realised that the nasty little bastard had been under his nose the entire time. Nott had been missing since the final battle, presumed dead. George had never really believed it. The last time he had seen the whiny little tick he had been throwing around unforgivables for Voldemort while the Dementors formed a protective shield around him. That was the last time Fred had been by his side and George had to blink back tears as he remembered what it had been like as they had cast their Patronuses together that final time. Obviously, Nott had made some alterations to his appearance to evade capture – George didn't remember him being so muscular or his hair being quite so dark and he had definitely gained a few inches in height but there was no mistaking that smarmy expression, the cruel curve of his lip.

"Alice, when did he give this to you?" George asked quietly. Alice, barely listening, was now drawing hearts on her lecture notes "Hmm?"

"When did he give this to you?" George couldn't keep the edge out of his voice, reaching out to grab her arm. Alice looked at him in confusion "A month ago maybe?" her eyes began to mist again "The most amazing month ever."

A month? Nott was alive and he had been plying Alice with a love potion for a month? George's head was spinning "Alice, are you drinking this every day?" she responded with a nod. George ran a hand over his face. Fuck.

"I need you to stay here today."

"I can't. I'm meeting Daniel." Alice's tone was matter-of-fact, but her eyes widened when she saw George pocket the glass bottle "That's mine! Daniel gave it to me!" She reached out for it "Give it back!"

George held her by the shoulders firmly "Alice, I mean it. You have to stay here today. OK?" Even as he said it he knew it would never be that easy. He tried to think of someone he could call, someone who would understand. He tried not to wish for the millionth time that Fred were there. He stared down at Alice and couldn't help but feel some tenderness toward the woman. He didn't know what she was caught up in or why Nott was slipping her a dose of love potion every day, but something was very wrong here and he could take a wild guess that it probably had something to do with what happened when she sang. All thoughts of neglecting to report that he happened to be lodging with an un-documented Obscurial flew from his mind. He needed to get her an antidote and he needed to tell the Ministry that there was a Death Eater posing as a muggle in London who was up to something. But first, he needed to make sure that Alice wasn't in danger. And he couldn't do any of it alone.

X

George cast the Floo powder into the living room hearth and tried to ignore the hammering and shouting coming from Alice's bedroom. He had (with considerable difficulty) managed to shut her in there after a small scale struggle during which he was fairly sure she had tried to bite him.

"George?"

"Ginny?" George peered into the fire.

Ginny Weasley's face appeared in the grate looking puzzled and concerned "Is everything alright?"

"Not exactly... I need a favour."

X

"George, you cannot seriously expect me to let you go and confront a suspected Death Eater alone whilst I babysit your muggle landlady!" Ginny was standing in the living room doorway to block her brother's path, arms folded and a look of consternation mixed with fear on her face. She had grown into an exceptionally pretty young woman, petite but with an athlete's stature. Her hair was wet from the shower and she had piled it loftily atop her head and her lips were chapped – she must have been out on the Quidditch pitch before he had contacted her via the Floo.

"Gin, I don't think she is a muggle," Ginny raised an eyebrow and George tried to explain "I mean, I think she thinks she's a muggle and she definitely doesn't know any magic-"

"George, if she is a witch who has never used her power then why hasn't there been an Obscurial sighted and logged by the ministry? She's old enough now that any repressed magical energy would have had to go somewhere. Someone would know by now…" Ginny did her best to sound soothing and reasonable. George shook his head.

"I think that she sings her magic." He held his hands up at his sister's disbelieving look "I know it sounds mad, but hear me out. Her whole life she's been able to see music – she's always been told that it's some sensory disorder or something. She thinks she's the only one who can see the music when she sings. But I saw the music too... Ginny, it was so beautiful." George whispered, and for a brief moment Ginny Weasley saw the boy her brother used to be and wondered if he realised that his feelings for the girl currently creating a racket from her locked bedroom went beyond the normal concern one flatmate might have for another. George took a deep shaky breath "And I don't know why, but that filthy bugger Nott is up to something and he's trying to drag her into it."

Ginny's gaze softened "Why didn't you tell anyone?"

"I only realised who Nott was when Alice showed me the potion he'd given her-"

Ginny held up a hand to stop him "-No George, why didn't you tell anyone that you thought Alice might be a witch?"

George's shoulders slumped "I told myself I was wrong, that I hadn't seen what I thought I saw." He sighed "I came here to try and get away from magic. I didn't want to believe it. So I ignored it."

Ginny reached out a hand and squeezed her brother's arm. She didn't know what to say. George had been wrong not to report a potential magic repression case to the Ministry but as she stood before him, she understood what he was going through. Sometimes it was easier to pretend things weren't happening when you knew that to acknowledge them would only hurt more. George stared at his shoes "I have to try and make this right. Who knows what he could be planning?"

Ginny shook her head "George, you should report him to the Ministry and let them deal with Nott. You can't just sort this out on your own – especially since he's a Death Eater!"

"Ginny, don't you understand? I knew that Alice had this power that she doesn't even know she has and I was so caught up in missing Fred and feeling sorry for myself that I failed to recognise that all along someone was taking advantage of her. If anything happens to her, it will be because I pretended not to notice just to save myself from any more pain. I can't let that happen." Ginny looked into her brother's eyes and saw something else alongside the guilt he was feeling… a spark that she had long thought gone. The will to fight, the will to protect – the nerve she had always so admired him for. In spite of her concern, it warmed her heart a little to see a flash of the old George. Even so, she knew that he couldn't be thinking clearly about this. It scared her that he was about to rush headlong into danger without a thought for what might meet him there. The banging and shouting from Alice's room had quietened now; she appeared to be sobbing for her 'beloved Daniel' in there. Ginny rolled her eyes inwardly – Love potions were so bloody undignified. She nudged George's arm again.

"If you find him, he'll know you're onto him," She said gently "He'll just disappear again, and then you'll be no further forward. Have you thought about that?" George paused as he shrugged his coat on and Ginny could tell that he hadn't given any thought at all to what Nott might do if he found out that George knew about the potion "And if you do confront him, what will you do? Ask him nicely to stop slipping Alice love potions?" Ginny's face hardened "Or were you planning on killing him?"

"I don't know, alright Gin? I just know that I have to do something!" George threw his hands into the air in frustration "Maybe I should kill him!"

"George Fabian Weasley, I forbid you to behave in such a cavalier manner!" Ginny's tone was sharp and not unlike their mother's. Both she and George stared at one another in shock for a moment before bursting into hysterical laughter. George held his stomach as he doubled over "You've – t-turned into mum!" he wheezed, leaning against a wall for support before eventually sliding down to the floor.

"Y-you made me!" Ginny giggled, reaching up to wipe tears from her eyes. Eventually their laughter subsided and Ginny sighed, sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor next to her brother.

"What am I going to do, Gin?" George reached into his pocket for the love potion and turned it over and over in his hands. The pearlescent liquid seemed to glow inside the bottle and even sealed up, George could still smell the faint aroma.

"Don't you mean what are we going to do?" Ginny elbowed George affectionately in the ribs "You've dragged me into this; I may as well help you."