A/N: Hello my Blackians! Long time, no see! Sorry it has been a while. So long in fact that my phones keyboard seems to have deleted your nickname. Ah, oh well. So it seems Ophelia is peeking out from her deep, dark cave now. And I hope that is the case. Anyway, I don't want to keep you waiting, not much happens, so it's kind of filler. But George does go visit someone. And we get some Daddy!Draco action.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the plot.

XoXo,

Elle.

"Fuck." George laid his arm over his eyes, pushing his head further into the downy pillow, only serving to force Draco's scent to burrow into his nose. With a heavy exhale, George pulled himself into a sitting position and scrubbed a hand over his face. He hadn't been lying when he had told Draco he needed to go and check on the shop and check in with his mum. He was sure Molly had to be worried sick. It had now been over a week since they had last seen each other. George was thoroughly surprised he hadn't received a Howler by now, demanding to know where he was.

The hardwood floors were cold under his bare feet, but the temperature shocked him from his daze and served to clear his mind. He could see now what he'd been doing. George had been projecting his needs and desires, attempting to sway things to his preferred outcome. Just as he and Fred always had. He stood from the bed and found his clothing in the sheets, pulling each item on slowly. He hated to leave Hermione overnight, but he needed the break. As much as he wanted to tell her that he was going to be gone, George knew that Draco would have went there when he left the room. He couldn't face that pain just yet.

George stepped into the loo and scrubbed his face with a cloth and hot water, leaving it red and looking irritated. He looked down at the pajamas he had on; he'd been wearing them for a few days now. Though the elves had washed them, he needed to go to the Burrow first and get some clothes. He'd taken what few things had been left at the apartment, which had only been a couple of suits and some pajamas. With another look at his forlorn face, he disapparated from Draco's bathroom to the field outside his childhood home.

The moment the crack of apparition faded, the back door opened and his plump and graying mother appeared in the doorway, her hands on her hips. There was a dish towel hanging from one hand and her mouth was set in a worried line. George tried to apply a playful smile to his lips, but he knew it looked strained. "Hi mum," he said when he got closer to her.

"Where have you been?" Molly's sharp voice rang out, doing little to hide her concern behind the old annoyance she was trying to display. "And don't you dare say the Leaky. I owled there and Hannah wrote back saying you weren't there. And Ginny's been at your room in the flat. So where have you been?"

She had yet to move from the door to allow him in the house. George doubted she would until she had an answer from him that she was satisfied with. He darted his eyes past her, looking into the kitchen. "Is Ron home?"

If Molly's eyes could have widened any further, they would have popped right free of her head. The look would have been comical, if not for the trouble he knew he'd get in for laughing, even if he was an adult. "You're not changing the subject George Weasley! Answer me!"

George took a deep breath and let all the pretenses he'd been carefully trying to craft fall from his face. "I've been at the Manor."

"The-" His mother's face started changing colors as one hand left her hip to land on the framing of the door. "Malfoy Manor? You've been with Draco? George...you swore to me...you swore."

This is precisely why he hadn't wanted to tell her. He knew she'd react this way, as soon as she'd heard the word "manor." Even if he'd tried to go on to finish explaining. "Mum, please let me in, and we'll sit down. It's not the picture you're painting in that mind of yours. I'll explain, as much as I can."

Those eyes-hazel, just like his and Fred's-popped up to look at him. "That mind of yours? What exactly does that mean? Oh, blast it all." She slapped him with the dish towel as she realized what he'd been trying to do and smiled at him, finally stepped aside to let him in.

George followed her to the table and sat down in his father's chair, resting his elbows on the table, allowing his head to drop into his hands. The heels of his hands dug into his eyes as he heard a tray of tea being fixed. When the clang of the tray announced its arrival, he lifted his head. "I'm going to start with this. You're going to want to ask who, but I will not tell you. Do you understand?" George watched as his mother frowned, her brow pinching together as her mouth opened to ask a question and he shook his head. "No, please don't ask questions yet." He watched again as she nodded, pouring them both a cuppa. George took a long sip of his tea before continuing.

"On the night of the anniversary, I was closing the shop when I heard someone apparate behind me. When I turned around to see who it was, we caught gazes for a moment, before they collapsed to the ground, unconscious." George was staring into the seemingly bottomless depths of his tea, but he could see his mother's hand come up to her mouth. The shock evident, as well as the burning desire to ask who it was. "I levitated them to the flat and tried to wake them. But was unsuccessful. I know, I know. Why didn't you take them to Mungo's. Draco asked the same thing when I called him over. But I knew if I had, it would have been a nightmare for this person. Something they wouldn't have wanted.

"So I waited a couple of hours, to see if they would wake on their own. They didn't, so I called for Draco. He tried several things there at the flat. But when they didn't work, he needed to get back to Scorpius for bedtime. And he wanted to be able to keep a close eye on his patient, so we moved them to the Manor. That's why I've been there. This person came to me for a reason and I wanted to be there when they woke up. And they did, three days later." George paused to take another drink of his tea, wishing it was something stronger. Finally risking a glance at his mother.

He could tell she was fighting back all kind of questions, so he gave her a nod. "Are they, is this person, someone I know?"

George sighed softly, turning his cup around on its saucer. It was as close as she was going to get to asking who it was. "Yes. But that's all I'll tell you. Until they're ready to tell anyone else. Narcissa, Draco, Scorpius and I are the only ones who know."

"Are they alright?" Molly asked, a waver in her voice. Just knowing that someone she cared about had been in a medical emergency had her worried beyond belief.

"As okay as they can be, given the situation they were subjected to. They were unharmed physically. It was just an emotional trauma that proved to be too much." George gave him mum a look. "Really, mum, I can't say much more."

Molly nodded, "Okay, George. I'm just glad that you're okay. And that you're not...well, you know."

Oh yeah, he knew exactly what his mother meant. But thank Merlin she had misinterpreted the majority of his stress as concern for Hermione's well being and not his heartache over Draco's rejection yet again. "No worries there, mum. Draco and I are just friends. I'm going to go grab some clothes, so I can go back to the Manor. My friend still needs me. But I'm going to check in on the shop first."

George and Molly both rose from their chairs and Molly hugged George round the middle. His own arms sliding around her shoulders. "I love you, Georgie."

"I love you too, Mum." George kissed the top of her ginger hair and headed off upstairs, to Charlie's old room to gather some clothes. He'd taken it over when he moved back into the Burrow. He'd head to the Leaky, secure a room, then go to the shop. Then back to the pub to get pissed.

XxX

Draco had no idea how much time they had spent on the marble floor of the bathroom. But Hermione had cried herself back to sleep and he wasn't going to move her. He heard some shuffling from out in the bedroom and he assumed Scorpius had woken up. "Scorp?"

He hoped his son heard him; he didn't want to raise his voice much higher than a whisper. When he heard the small footsteps coming toward the bathroom, he smiled. A little blond head poked around the corner and those blue eyes surveyed the scene. It never failed to amaze Draco how smart his son was for his age. "Is her sleeping?"

"Yeah, buddy. She's asleep. Come on over here, Daddy needs a hug." Draco smiled and held his free arm open, waiting for the toddler to walk over to him. Scorpius' hair was dangling down into his eyes and Draco couldn't help but be reminded of Potter. When he had his arm wrapped around his son, he whispered in his ear, "We need to trim that hair of yours. It's getting to be a bird's nest. You scared me today, bud. You can't wander off like that without telling someone where you're going. This is a big house, with rooms that are no place for little boys by themselves." While that wasn't necessarily the whole truth anymore, Draco was still uncertain about a couple of rooms and was in the process of getting some curse breakers to come in.

Scorpius hung his head and nodded. "I sorry, Daddy. Uncle Georgie and you came in here lots."

Curious little soul, so much like his mother. And himself, Draco supposed. Merlin knew he'd snuck around this Manor enough, trying to pry into the locked rooms. "That we did, bud. Miss Hermione needed Daddy's help, so Uncle George brought her here. But what have I taught you about knocking on closed doors? Like when you go to visit Grammy in her rooms."

"Always knock first." Scorpius repeated from memory, giving Draco a big smile, which quickly dissolved into a frown. "Miss Herminny is really sad. Her said her Mister died, like my mummy. I don't want her to be sad, Daddy."

Draco sighed softly, kissing the top of Scorpius' head. "I don't either, buddy. I don't either."