Eleven Years Later
Hermione stepped into the room and nodded at Ginny. She almost instantly moved to sit in the corner as the second figure entered. Ginny's eyes moved up the figure that was stood in front of her. Eleven years had changed the man in more ways than she could ever have expected.
Ginny's brown eyes travelled along her brother's body. He was still the tall figure she remembered but he was definitely different. He stood there in what would seem to the untrained eyes muggle clothes. A pair of dark trousers and blue shirt with dragon skinned boots. She smiled at his unchangeable sense of fashion.
However slowly she raised her eyes up to his face. It surprised her how much older he looked. He was thirty seven, still a young man, but his face told of horrors that a man twice his age was unlikely to have seen. The first thing she noticed about his features was that his hair fell to his shoulders as Bill's had always done. Although he hadn't tied it up. His mouth was held in a stern grimace but as brown met blue she saw the hurt bedded deep within him. Sadness reined his face. As they stared at each other she knew of the horrors he had faced and not only from the scar through his right eyebrow. His eyes held a haunted look that only death can bring to them.
"George."
"Don't."
His voice was soft to her ears but held a key that was unrecognisable. She became aware that his eyes were travelling along her. He was taking everything about her in. Slowly he turned from her and looked at Hermione.
"This isn't right."
He was out of the room so quickly that Ginny missed it. Her stomach was in knots as she looked at the doorway. Tears were forming in her eyes as she realised what had just happened. Without hesitation Ginny ran through the door after her brother.
"George wait!"
"How could you do this?"
She stopped running and looked at his back. He too had stopped walking but was refusing to turn to look at her.
"I had to."
"That's a lie. You didn't have to leave you could have stayed."
"And what would have happened George? I was pregnant."
"We'd have supported you. We're not animals Ginny we wouldn't have turned our backs on you just because you were having a baby and not married."
Ginny felt her mouth drop open a little.
"You think that's why I left?"
"Isn't it?"
"George it never crossed my mind that me being pregnant was going to make a difference to the way any of you treated me. I left because I wanted to have the children."
"What?"
He turned slowly and looked at her.
"Hermione said that Draco called you and Fred to the flat that day."
"Yeah."
"That wasn't staged George. The Death Eaters turned up and tried to kill me. They were after me and I was pregnant. George I was scared."
Tears were once more falling from her eyes.
"Gin –"
"No George let me finish. I thought that if I stayed they'd keep coming after me. And that could have killed my babies. I wanted my children and I did what was best for them."
"Why did you stay away then?"
"I was waiting for Draco. He told me he'd come to me. I didn't want to risk coming back I thought maybe that something had happened that it wasn't safe."
"Then why now?"
"Alysia and Ralph are eleven. It's time for them to start Hogwarts."
"So you had no choice but to come back."
"I could have continued being a muggle let them believe that they are muggleborns. But George I've missed everyone. I want to be here with you all."
The space between them was shortening and then it didn't exist. George had his arms around her middle holding her closely against his body. Her tears run down her face as she gently rested her head on his shoulder taking in his scent. She felt warm and safe in his arms and she couldn't believe that she had been stupid enough to leave for all that time.
"Shh come on sis stop the tears."
George gently slugged her in the arm and she couldn't help but laugh. Pulling back from him she met his eyes again and saw that some of the hurt was now hidden behind laughter.
"Want to see the twins."
"Twins. This could be fun."
"No! No pranks, no tricks and no bringing out that side of the Weasley in them."
"You're no fun anymore."
She watched as he walked back towards Hermione's office. She followed him stopping in the doorway watching the scene inside. He had stopped a little away from the twins looking at them closely. Ginny smiled as she watched.
"Are you George?"
"That's Uncle George to you."
Ralph was smiling now. Ginny saw that twinkle in his eye. He might have the look of the Malfoys but he certainly had the Weasley spark in him. Ginny couldn't help but wonder what her brother would soon teach him.
To answer one question. Draco is a mystery. Nobody knows what has happened to him or even to Charlie. Everyone just thinks they're dead. And that's the way its going to stay, I'm not giving away that part of the story just yet.
Kris xx