Ron gave a loud sigh before setting down his fork. A young gray owl was repeatedly pecking on the window.

"It's probably a letter from the Ministry," Arthur said. "Let him in, Ron."

The owl flew in, landing in front of Arthur next to his dinner plate. The family, extended members included, were sitting inside enjoying their weekly Sunday dinner. Teddy was disgruntled when he was told Sophia and George weren't coming tonight.

"Phia! Phia!" he continued to exclaim throughout the meal.

"Teddy, we told you that Sophia is not going to be here tonight," Remus said, looking into his son's eyes.

Arthur untied the letter from the owl's leg before it flew back out the window. His brow crinkled when he couldn't find the Ministry's stamp anywhere.

"Who is it from, Arthur?"

He glanced at his wife. "I have no idea." He ripped it open as all dinner conversation ceased. Everyone's attention was on the yellowish parchment the head of the house held. "Oh no," he mumbled after reading the first line.

Molly looked at him anxiously before she gave up waiting and stood behind him.

"Dad, what's happened?" Bill demanded. His arm was wrapped protectively around Fleur.

Instead of answering everyone's questions, Arthur chose to read the letter.

Dad,

I'm writing this in a rush so forgive the inkblots. Sophia was hit with two bludgers the second the game ended. The Russian ba—

He glanced up. "Just Russians," he corrected.

The Russian's blindly hit her. All they know as of now is that most of the bones in her spine were shattered. She still hasn't woken. The coach has finally convinced the healers here to allow her to be transferred to St. Mungo's. By the time you get this we should be there, and hopefully they'll know the extent of the injuries.

George

Molly was already pulling on her coat and sliding her feet into her shoes. "Bill, Fleur, will you stay here until we get home?"

"Of course, Mum," Bill answered quickly.

She nodded at Charlie. "You too. Watch over your brothers and sister."

George looked up when the door to the private room opened. His parents rushed to his side as they took in his face covered in tears. His body was wracked with sobs as he clutched Sophia's lifeless hand.

"She won't wake up!" he cried.

Molly held him, letting her shirt be soaked by his tears. "It's going to be alright, dear," she promised.

"They told me she won't make it!" he yelled suddenly. He yanked away from his parents comforting gestures. "She promised me! I told her not to go! I told her they were going to take advantage of her and Elizabeth because they were the only women! But she was just so bloody sure!"

They watched as their son suddenly fell to his knees on the floor. His entire frame shook as he cried into his hands. Tears trailed down their faces, but they did their best to pull him up. Molly got him settled in one of the chairs while Arthur stuck his head into the hallway to find a healer.

"We need the primary healer for Sophia Ravenclaw immediately," he said.

The woman nodded and ran off to find the other healer.

"We'll figure this out, George," Molly insisted.

"Still no changes?" Tonks asked.

Remus set a vase of flowers on the bedside table. "She looks like she has more color to her skin today."

Molly sighed. "I thought the same, but I fear it's just our minds making things up in false hope."

Sirius glanced around the room. "Where's George?"

"Fred and Charlie convinced him to get something to eat," Arthur told him. "The boy is making himself sick."

"Wouldn't you?" Remus mused, his hands on Tonks' shoulders.

Teddy whined and reached out towards Sophia.

"Sophia is sleeping, honey," she explained gently.

"Phia!" he exclaimed.

An exhausted looking George came into the room, trailed by his two brothers. His eyes didn't leave Sophia's face as he took his seat in the chair beside her. One of his hands locked onto hers while the other pushed the hair from her pale face.

"We got him to eat half of a sandwich, but that's all," Charlie told Molly with a grimace.

"It's better than nothing," Arthur assured him.

Teddy continued his fussing as he reached and reached towards the bed. George finally looked up at him. He opened his arms to the little boy and once on his lap Teddy looked at Sophia curiously. "Phia?" he mumbled.

George ignored the tears running down his face. "I miss her too, Teddy," he whispered.

"I don't know how much longer we should keep this going," Healer Solis said sadly.

Molly was clutching Arthur's hand. "You're saying…"

She closed Sophia's file and glanced into the room through the glass window in the door. "We've never seen someone wake up after five weeks of being under. Sophia's been asleep for seven weeks now. To be honest, we've let it go this long because your family seems so certain that she will wake up."

"But you don't think she's going to," Arthur said, supplying what she failed to say.

Healer Solis shook her head. "Her injuries have healed; all of her bones and organs are working. We don't know why she hasn't woken up. There may have been a nerve destroyed when the bludgers hit her, or her body might be succumbing slowly. It's not my decision, but one needs to be made soon."

Molly looked up at her husband with tears pouring from her face. "If we lose Sophia, we'll lose George," she whispered. "I can't imagine life with either of them missing."

"George has to make the decision," Arthur whispered as he looked into the room.

His son was bent over Sophia's lifeless body as his own shook with sobs.

Later that night, Molly and Arthur called the family together.

"Is it Sophia?" Ginny asked.

Fred's eyes lit up. "Has she woken up?"

Tonks put an arm around Ginny. She knew what was coming. It was the exact reason her and Remus had left Teddy in Andromeda's care tonight.

"Your mother and I thought we should tell you all what is going on because everyone needs to support your brother in his decision. It doesn't matter what we believe is the right thing to do, alright?"

Bill's stomach dropped as he realized what his father was insinuating. Fleur let out a small sob before burying her face in her husband's arms.

Molly clutched Arthur's hand in both of hers. "The healers don't believe Sophia is going to wake up. They think—"

"George won't do it," Fred said suddenly. "He won't! And you can't let him! You know what he'll do! You know he'll kill himself the moment her heart stops!"

Ginny's eyes widened and suddenly she was trying to force the tears away.

Arthur rubbed at his face tiredly. "Fred, I have no power to stop whatever happens. George is the closest family that St. Mungo's is considering. They said that in a week the decision needs to be made."

"So that's it?" Ron demanded. "You're going to let both of them die?"

Hermoine pulled him into her arms as tears flowed from her own eyes.

Ginny wrapped her arms around her brother's shoulders upon seeing him.

His eyes were glazed over and he didn't acknowledge his family entering the room. Fleur added another vase of flowers to the already packed room.

Teddy sat next to Sophia, gently patting her free hand. "Phia," he whispered. He looked up at his mum. "Phia?"

She stroked back his hair. "Phia's sleeping, honey."

"Wake, Phia," Teddy mumbled. He used both of his hands to clutch Sophia's. He placed a soft kiss against her thin hand.

George let out a strangled sob. "It's because of those-those-those—," he broke off. The chair slid from underneath him and Bill barely caught him before he could hit the ground.

Tonks picked up Teddy, holding him against her chest as she took a few steps away to let Molly in her space.

Bill and Charlie got George back into his set, but they hovered close by, waiting for it to happen again.

George's hand slipped back into Sophia's. "Please wake up," he begged. "Sophia, darling, please. You promised me. You said we'd get married," he whispered. His voice was filled with agony as he spoke. "You said you wanted ten kids, you wanted to outdo Mum. You said you'd never leave me, Sophia. Please just open your eyes, darling. It's all I want."

A veil of silence covered the room. Only the sounds of faint crying could be heard.

The sound of coughing filled with choking suddenly filled the room.

George's head snapped up as did everyone else's.

Molly pushed Ron towards the door. "Go find a healer! Quickly!"

"Sophia!" George exclaimed. He rushed to help her sit up, but his eyes widened in horror as he saw why she was coughing so violently. She pulled her hand away to clutch at her chest when everyone could see the blood dripping from her hand.

"Come on," Tonks said, giving Ginny, Hermoine, and Harry pushes towards the door.

George held her upright as Molly wiped away the blood from her mouth. "It's alright. You're okay," he assured her.

The door closed shut as the three left with Tonks and Teddy.

Another coughing fit had Sophia nearly choking to death. Molly patted her back. "Easy there. Stay calm, dear."

Sophia's eyes began to close and Charlie ran out of the room in an attempt to find a healer because Ron was taking too long.

"Hey!" George snapped. He held her chin in one of his hands, the other supported her neck. "Look at me, Sophia." Distant eyes met his. "Don't close your eyes. Can you stay awake until the healers get here?"

She groaned, coughing up a tiny bit more blood.

He wiped the blood from her mouth and kissed her gently. "Please stay awake. I don't want that to be the last time I ever kiss you."

Something in his words struck a chord with her because her eyes never left his.