Disclaimer: All characters, places, and spells belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. The title to the song "Cover Me" belongs to the band members of Candlebox and Maverick Records and Warner Bros. Records. Copyright infringement is not intended.
A/N: This chapter took a lot out of me and it definitely took me a while to write. We are slowly progressing through this story, even though it may seem like we're at a standstill right now. I hope that you all like this chapter. The song in this chapter is 'Cover Me' by Candlebox. R&R and enjoy!
Cover Me
Nobody commented on how I sleep in now, I was grateful that the family never asked. Molly never said anything to me about putting on weight. Normally she would say something about how nice it was that I was finally eating right. I never got a strange look shot my way at all. Everyone kept to themselves and never asked questions anymore, they never even bothered to talk either. I was starting to worry about what their reaction would be to me bringing George around to coming out of his room during the day….and then there was how they would react to me being pregnant with Fred's baby. I didn't know if I could stomach doing it alone. Would the rest of the family be the same way that George had been when I first told him? Would they throw me out and accuse me of being a 'scarlet woman'? Would they be ashamed of me? Would they even react?
George had become considerably tolerable since I got through to him. He found my 'muggle' ways a little silly, but he never discouraged it. I think he secretly enjoyed the idea of doing things the muggle way. I knew that he could tell that my body was getting larger, or that it was larger since the war. He didn't say anything about it either except for one time, right after coaxing him out of his room. He said that I had the glow of a woman who was definitely 'preggers' with a Weasley twin's baby. I tried to laugh when he said that, so did he.
George seemed to be in a more pleasant mood every time that I came to his room. He never really cracked any jokes, but he would give me the best smile that he could muster. We were going into the second week of getting him out of his room every night. He was slowly coming around to warming up to the idea of coming out during the day. I was even more surprised when he brought up the idea of finally coming out of his room during daylight hours. "Are you sure that you're ready for that?" We were once again eating our late night dinner in the kitchen when he said it.
"Yeah, I'm sure." He took another mouthful of mincemeat pie before continuing. "Besides, you're not going to be able to keep the little one there from everyone else for very long. You're going to need me there with you. You know, just in case they decide to do something rash." I only nodded in agreement. He wanted to come out of his room and help me tell the family that I was having his dead twin's baby. He would be able to handle the family better than I would. He knew how those people's minds worked, I didn't.
"So, when do you think you will be ready to make your grand entrance then?" I wasn't entirely sure that he was ready to face them all yet. I suppose it just depended on how well he was up for it.
He didn't say anything for a few minutes. "In a couple of days. We're not getting any younger, we might as well before they think that I've died of starvation and you've given birth to some anonymous redhead." I couldn't stop the laughter that came from my mouth. The way he said it made it so funny to me. "Shh! You don't want anybody hearing you and coming down to investigate, do you?" That shut me up immediately. I squeaked out an apology as I covered my mouth with my hands.
After finishing up our meals we moved on into the living room to lounge on the couch. George was much more at ease than he was before I was able to get him out of his room. I had my baby book sitting in my lap, opened to the page that I had bookmarked. I started off reading to George, keeping my voice down to where only the two of us could hear my voice float around the room. George had become much more talkative than previous nights out of his room. I was happy that he was coming around the roadblock that interrupted his life. "I think I would like to get a book for myself to read, you know, a book on babies." I was more that surprised to hear him say something like that. Don't get me wrong, I was more than happy to help him obtain such a book, but it thrilled me to no end that he really wanted to be there for me and the baby. Fred would have been so happy to hear his brother say something like that.
It was starting to get lighter out; I could see the light peeking over the horizon through the window and over the pages of the book that I was reading. George was quietly sitting next to me; his head was resting on my shoulder, as he looked at the pages that I was reading from. His breathing was light and soft. So soft that I could barely hear him breathe at all. I had just made it to the bottom of the page when I stopped reading. I was thinking that I should check to see if he was asleep. But I was surprised when he reached over and turned the page for me, silently asking me to continue reading. "George, it's getting light out. Maybe we should just go on up to bed." I heard him give a whining protest. It sounded like he said something about not wanting to go to bed yet. I felt a light smile come over my face. "Come on, I'll walk you up to your room."
After finally getting him up off of the couch, I walked George to his room and was getting ready to bid him a good night. He stopped me though before I could even get the 'good night' out. "I'm not too tired. Do you think you could stay in here with me? You can read to me until you're tired, you can even sleep in here if you want. You know I have an extra bed." The look of desperation on his face made it hard for me to say no. I just gave him a small smile and nodded my head before following him into his room. When I turned from closing the door, I found that he had pushed the beds together and he had laid out some clothes for me. I wasn't sure if they were his clothes or if they were once Fred's, either way, I was thankful that he was being so hospitable towards me. "Sorry, I just hate being alone, even if you are going to be in here with me on another bed, I'll still feel like I'm by myself." I understood what he was saying. I didn't like being alone either.
After I changed and came back into George's bedroom I settled into the bed that was once Fred's. I was a bit surprised that he was going to let me sleep in Fred's bed. I was even more surprised when George pulled me into his arms and held me to his own body. I couldn't help but to take notice of how much he felt like Fred did when he would hold me after a bout of passionate love making. The thought of how much he felt like Fred I could feel the all-knowing burning in the corners of my eyes, I wanted to fight them off, I didn't want to cry anymore. I just couldn't help it. Before I knew what was happening I was crying freely into the shoulder of my dead lovers' twin brother. I felt so horrible about it, crying on George, crying because of who he would constantly remind me of. That night, he held me close and allowed me to cry it out. If I had met his eyes, I would have found him crying right along with me. I never did though. Instead, I succumbed to the father of sleep; the sandman.
I woke up the very next morning, Georges arms still wrapped protectively around me, just as we had fallen asleep the night before. He was awake and from the looks of it I had only shifted a little bit in my sleep, but just enough for us to be able to see each other when we were to wake up. He had a slight smile on his face, lighting up his features just a little. It was refreshing to see him smile once more. I returned his smile and lifted my hand from where it had been resting over his beating heart to comb through his brightly shining, silky red hair. The thought came to me that he would eventually need a haircut. 'One step at a time, Hermione.' I tell myself. I watch as his sad tired eyes close at the contact. He looks so content like that. Much older, but content. "Thank you for staying with me Hermione." His voice is rough from sleep.
"You're welcome. I'd do anything to make you feel better." I let my smile linger a little longer for him to see when he opens his eyes. And he does. Bright sparkling blue eyes look into mine and for a split second I can see the man that I had known for most of my life come back, almost as if his other half had never died.
His smile disappears just a few seconds after opening his eyes. "Everyone must be wondering where you are." He fidgets a little under my hands and breaks the eye contact. "You don't want to worry them."
I feel my smile turn sad, and with my suddenly changed expression, Georges' eyes are no longer sparkling. "They won't notice that I'm not in my room." He gives me a quizzical look, mentally begging me to continue. "They don't pay attention anymore. Even your mum doesn't pay attention. They all mostly sleep in. Your mum doesn't check the room anymore. She cries more than anything. She doesn't even get upset, or even notices, that I can tell, that none of us really eat a full meal anymore." I don't feel comfortable telling him this, but I knew that I would have to eventually tell him. "Charlie has yet to go back to Romania; I don't think he will go back. Bill and Fleur don't bring up the baby that's on the way. Percy doesn't talk much anymore. No more smart remarks or anything related to work. He stays at work more than anything, and when he's home he stays in his bedroom, like you did. Ron, well, he's been staying with Lavender Brown more and more, it's like he doesn't even live here anymore. Harry and Ginny have put off getting married. I think that they don't think that it's a very good time for them to do it. You know, with everyone still in mourning. Your dad, he goes to work in the morning and comes home in the evening. He doesn't eat with us at dinner anymore; he takes his food to his garage. That's where he spends his time the most. I've accidentally walked in on him on more than one occasion crying, sometimes even throwing things. He doesn't know though." I paused and took in what he might be feeling. What I saw was tears. "I-I don't think that they are just mourning Fred though. I think they are mourning you as well. I think it's because you never come out of your room. They haven't seen you since the funeral. They're really worried about you." Neither of us spoke for a while, and I knew that what I had told George was torturing him. He and I both knew that he needed to know what was going on on the other side of his bedroom door. I didn't want to make him feel bad or any worse than he already was. I was trying to help him, just as he was trying to help me. I met his eyes once more. "If you want me to stay here, I'll stay here. I don't plan on going anywhere George."
He pulled me close to him, into a strong hug. "I don't want you to go." That was all I needed to know. As long as he wanted me to stay, I would stay. We clung onto each other until sleep started to take over. Just as I was beginning to succumb to the sleep that once again had taken over our bodies, I could have sworn I had heard the bedroom door being quietly shut.