Day Eleven

Prompt: Continually

It was getting late, the sky was darkening and a fire had been lit in the hearth. Capella was sitting in her favorite chair in the common room, reading the text Professor McGonagall had assigned for Transfiguration. Vega was curled up in the chair next to Capella and they were both trying to focus on their work. Suddenly, a loud banging on the door jarred them both; Vega dropped her book and Capella almost knocked over her inkwell.

"Which is stronger, fire or water?" The cool voice of the eagle knocker spoke. The two sisters looked at each other curiously and then turned towards the door, wondering who it could be. Everyone should be in their dorms by now.

"Oh shut it, you bloody bird, I don't know," came a voice from the other side of the door. "Pell? Can you hear me? Pell?"

"George?" Capella crossed the room quickly and pulled open the door. George rushed into the room and swept Capella into a tight hug. When he set her down he seemed to be checking her over. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I wanted to know that you were safe," he said, his voice shaking. "Where's your sister?" George asked, without looking around. He couldn't bear to look away from Capella.

"Behind you," Capella said. If George hadn't looked so frantic she would have laughed.

George spun around to find Vega waving at him from her chair. "Are you alright, George? Is something wrong?"

"Has there been another attack?" Capella asked as she picked up her sister's book from the floor and set it gently on the table.

George frantically shook his head. "Ginny. She's gone." Capella's hand fluttered to her mouth in shock and Vega jumped out of her chair. "It took her to the chamber." He started pacing the floor. "Ron's missing too," he said, continually pacing. "He's probably gone with Harry to try to save Ginny." He kept pacing. "Oh Merlin, if something happens to them. What if something has already happened to them? What if Ginny…"

"George, Ginny is going to be alright," Capella said, following him with her eyes as he continued to pace. He was clenching his fists but his eyes were filled with tears. "George," she repeated, reaching out towards him. "Ginny is going to be alright."

George stopped quickly, coming to a halt in the middle of the common room. He turned to Capella, caught her outstretched hand in his and embraced her again. This time he kissed her fiercely on the top of her head. "Tell me something," he said, his arms still around her.

"What do you want me to tell you?" Capella asked as she tilted her head, moving into a more comfortable position in George's arms.

"Anything," he sighed. "Something good."

Capella glanced at her sister over George's shoulder with a questioning look in her eyes. "Do you remember when we told you our mother was going to have a baby?" Vega asked.

"Yes, of course," George said. "Wasn't that a while ago?" He released Capella but quickly grasped her wrist and led her to the chair she had previously been occupying. He sat down and then pulled her onto his lap. Capella was startled at first but then she relaxed into him, resting her head on his chest.

"Yes. Orion had his first birthday not long ago," Vega said as she returned to her seat, smiling a little at her sister. "He's already very smart."

"He's definitely a Ravenclaw," Capella added. "Plus, he's so cute." Both girls giggled and Capella said, "he's got the chubbiest legs I've ever seen."

"He knows all of the animal noises already, even dragons," Vega said. "He just can't do a fish." She laughed a little and pursed her lips, making a noise that was somewhere between sucking and kissing. Everyone laughed. "His hair is so dark it's almost black and he has the bluest eyes I've ever seen."

"Bluer than yours?" George asked the girls and they both nodded. "Ginny was a cute baby too. Her cheeks were so chubby it looked like she was gathering food for winter." He laughed and then grew silent. "I'm her brother; I'm supposed to protect her."

"We know how you feel," Capella said as she leaned back a little to look up at him. "If Orion was in trouble and I couldn't help him, I'd be beside myself." She leaned against George again. "You are a great brother to Ginny," she said.

"Thanks," George said as he gently ran his fingers through her hair. They sat there together the rest of the night like that, waiting for good news.