PART TWO CONCLUDED

Chapter 7 - Refilling the Burrow

George went over to the struggling figure of Lakim. He knelt down and looked the man in the eye. "I've had to go nearly a week without playing a prank on anyone. Much as I'd like to do something really painful to you, I think this is more fitting."

With a few whispered words, he stood Lakim on his feet, gave him long blond hair and dressed him in a hideous evening gown. Behind him the girls laughed hysterically. Then he took it a step further and gave him breasts, huge ones to fill out the dress. George was laughing so hard that tears were pouring from his eyes, though it wasn't really a funny situation.

"I'd say a few hours muddling around Cairo dressed like that will give you a small inkling of the humiliation you've inflicted on others," he said quietly, so the laughing girls behind him couldn't hear. But Jamila caught the words and stepped to his side.

"Who knows? Perhaps your foul brother will mistake you for a whore and treat you as you've treated us all these years," she added. The girls had suddenly stopped laughing.

"Where should I put him?" George asked.

"Just toss him out the door. He'll have to find his way across town." Jamila was still smiling wickedly.

George turned back to Lakim, who was still bound and looked horrified. "Don't bother bringing the goons. By the time you get back there'll be more protective charms on this place than you could ever hope to overcome. Or better yet," he added, casting a quick glance at Jamila. "Maybe it'll just be empty."

An instant later George and Lakim disappeared. Jamila looked questioningly at the girls, but her eyes were drawn back at the sound of George's return. He was grinning, but looked suddenly nervous. "He's gone. Can I talk to you for a second?"

At her nod, he led her out into the hallway. His hand came up to grasp the back of his neck and his eyes seemed permanently fixed on the floorboards. Somehow the knowledge of how she'd been treated growing up made him far more shy than he'd ever been. He wished suddenly that he was his brother, calling across the common room to invite a girl to the dance without a trace of embarrassment. He swallowed hard and pulled the ring out of his pocket.

"Look, I know you have a lot of responsibility here that you can't just leave behind," he began. Jamila was looking at him confusedly. "And my family's got a big house that's empty now that we've all grown up." He risked a glance at her face, then continued so quickly that his words ran together. "It's near a great little village called Ottery St. Catchpole, with a school, and Hogwarts would take Nicora and my mum would love to have the girls stay there, I know. She was complaining about the empty house just last month, and – "

"George, what are you saying?" Jamila interrupted worriedly.

His eyes snapped up to her face. "Marry me," he said quickly, "and bring the girls to the Burrow." He felt his heart race as her mouth dropped open, then he remembered the ring and opened the box to show her.

From the other side of the door came the buzz of excited whispering and Jamila blinked and stuttered. "I – I can't just uproot them. I need to talk to them first." She reached out with a shaking hand and closed the box, breathing heavily.

George recovered quickly, though it seemed to him that his heart had quit beating. "I'll go back to Hogwarts for a few days, then, shall I, and check on Ron? I'll come back Friday."

Jamila nodded, not knowing who Ron was, but feeling the need to escape. She went back into the girls' room and closed the door. George fell back against the wall heavily and wished he'd brought his extendible ears. As it was he caught a few whispered comments.

"You're crazy, what are you waiting for?"

"Back in bed, Domica, you know better than to be up!"

"How could you tell him no?"

"I could study magic!" This last was Nicora.

"That's enough, all of you! You should all be upstairs having breakfast. Not you, Domica, Marlynn will bring you something down. Out, all of you!"

Realizing that he'd heard all he was likely to, George hastily disapparated before the hallway could flood with children. He walked the perimeter of the building, casting charms to keep out those with bad intentions, then hurried back to Hogwarts. He had an awful lot to discuss with his parents, but he knew they wouldn't mind. Molly Weasley had been heartbroken when Ginny'd told her she wasn't coming back to the Burrow if Voldemort was defeated. She'd wanted a chance to make her own way in the world, and now she had it, but it left the Burrow empty.

Friday morning found him wandering the street outside Jamilla's shop, wondering when was an acceptable time to start banging on the door again. His mother had been thrilled with the idea. She'd already gone down to the school building to inform them that she might be adopting several children who would need to attend there and gotten the necessary forms for the muggle school. His father was no less enthusiastic. Having muggles in the house meant having muggle technology and books in the house, which meant he would be free to learn and experiment to his heart's content.

George walked past the antique shop again and noticed that the sign now said, "OPEN." After a moment's hesitation, he went inside.

Domica, looking fully healed, was perched on a stool behind the counter. She looked up when he came in and smiled. "Told her you'd be back." Then she went to the door and opened it. "Gather your things, girls," she hollered.

George grinned at the sudden laughter and shouting that accompanied this proclamation. Domica had turned back to him. "I'll just go get my own things and send Jamila out," she said, returning his smile. But Jamila was already coming through the door.

"I guess they're excited," George commented as the door closed behind Domica.

"They didn't particularly care if I was coming along, I don't think," she replied laughingly, then her face fell as she saw his expression become serious.

"Well, I do."

"George, I don't know if I'm ready. It's just a spell. It could wear off and then I – " She didn't finish.

"Then you what?" he asked gently. He reached out and took her hand.

"Then I'll be all alone in a different country," she finished lamely. He wasn't buying it. He'd gotten too good at making up stories not to recognize one when he heard it.

"If you think I could ever hurt you – "

"Not on purpose," she assured him quickly.

"Jamila, I love you," he whispered, his free hand coming up to brush her cheek. "It's so much more than just the spell."

She watched him close his eyes and lean toward her, and for the first time she wasn't afraid. She met his lips with her own and heard the girls on the other side of the door giggle. George heard them too, and started to pull away, but she'd already put a hand at his neck and didn't let him. She may not be ready to get married, but this kiss was long overdue.

When he realized she didn't care who saw, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her closer. This brought outright laughter and whoops of joy from the girls, who were still peeking through the crack in the door behind them.

"Now," George said, his arms still around her waist possessively. "For your introduction to the wizarding world, I'll summon the Knight Bus and we'll meet Mum and Dad at the Burrow." He knew the kind of welcome that would await them. Mrs. Weasley had spent all last night deciding what to serve for lunch. Fred and Angelina had promised to be there, as well as Bill, Fleur, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Harry and Penelope. Percy had to work, and Charlie had just blushed and said he was busy, but it still looked to be a great turn out.

With any luck, Nicora would ride her first broomstick today, and the rest of the girls would be enchanted with the sight of the village from the hill. He grinned as he helped the girls onto the bus and told them all to hold onto something, then grinned even more when Jamila decided to hold onto him. A few hops, skips and jumps and they'd all be happily and SAFELY at the Burrow.

AN: An epilogue is coming, and should feature the whole gang. I know this has been a triathalon, and I appreciate everyone sticking with me. There've been some dogs among my stories, I know, but you all read them and told me honestly what you didn't like, and that was really helpful. Thanks so much to all of you who reviewed, and especially those I've kept up a running correspondence with - there are so many that I can't name you all here. (Not that all those people are still reviewing, but it is nice to have made so many online friends out of this experience.) The epilogue will be a fitting reward for those of you who've suffered through the short chapters in this installment of the story. Thanks again.

-Brandy