Chapter Two: The Lonely One

The funeral was a sad affair, but George couldn't let his brother be remembered as just another wizard whom the world would mourn. He set off a series of firecrackers that spelled out Fred's name, he was determined that Fred would be remembered and celebrated as well as mourned. The family and friends of Fred Weasley gathered at the Burrow, red eyed and determined to do something to honor the name and the late wizard. George, crushed though he was about his brother's death, would not let the name of Weasley turn into something boring. He pulled out a chest from under his bed and with Mary's help brought down elixir for lifting spirits, muggle home videos of himself and Fred experimenting, and Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes paraphernalia depicting the twins setting off fireworks.

Those who had gathered at the Burrow to celebrate Fred's life got nothing less than twin style memories of the late trickster. It was well past 3 a.m. when George found himself ready to sleep. He wanted to find Mary first, however, and escort her back to her bedroom before settling into his bed. He searched the small crowd in the kitchen and checked outside before discovering her already slumbering in a corner of the living room, propped up against a large chair. He carefully picked her up and apparated into her room, then gently settled her into her unmade bed before heading back to the Burrow to get some sleep.

The next month found George very busy reopening the shop. He had determined that Fred would have come back from the grave and killed him for letting such a prosperous and exciting business die and for moping around constantly dwelling on his death. Fred was always in the back of George's mind, however. There would be no getting rid of such an influential and determined man who had meant so much to George, not that he ever wanted to rid himself of his twin. George simply kept busy and slept at the Burrow, hating the emptiness of the upstairs loft without his brother.

In commemoration of his brother, George charmed a large portrait of his brother to hover close to the ceiling; the portrait seemed to have acquired the spirit of Fred, much as the portraits of previous Hogwarts Headmasters had done their subjects. It floated along behind the redhead as he worked making suggestions and funny quips about customers that were sure to love the products. On the day that George finally reopened the shop, with much excitement and advertising, the painting of Fred followed teens around the store, deterring them from shop lifting products.

George stood near the entrance to the back room and watched happily as his brothers face curled into a snarl as a young wizard attempted to back talk Fred's painting. Neville Longbottom and a Huflfepuff boy who had been in George's year called Lionus Porre had been hired to work as cashiers and stocking help and were hurriedly ringing up customers' orders when Mary and Luna Lovegood entered the shop. George put on a smile and moved to greet the girls.

"Hello ladies, fancy taking a look at our new Wonder Witch products?" he asked. Luna ignored him and dreamily made her way toward the muggle magic display which featured a magician hat which she promptly tried on. George laughed and turned back to Mary, who still stood in front of him. "Bonkers that one. How about it? Wonder Witch?"
"No thanks," she declined with a smile. "I just came to browse and see how you were doing. Long time no see..." Before George could reply they were interrupted by the charmed portrait of Fred flying by in pursuit of a juvenile with three pygmy puffs stuffed down his shirt. Fred nearly took out two older witches near the door and George groaned.

"Hold that thought, would you?" He caught up with the portrait and the obnoxious wizard who had been backed into a corner and retrieved the frightened pygmy puffs before escorting the youngster out of the shop. When he turned back to where Mary had been standing she was nowhere in sight so he bade Fred to scan the place for her. Fred found her talking to Harry, Ron and Hermione who had slipped in while George had been occupied and informed his brother accordingly.

"There you are! We saw you with that little prat, but didn't want to interrupt," Ron told George as he joined their group.

"Yes, well we can't all be shoppers. Someone has to take care of the business end of this place," George pointed out.

"I like the painting of Fred," Harry grinned, "It's just like him." Hermione started asking questions about the spell George had used and about the semantics of the painting and George was put off answering anything else about the painting. Fortunately, Ron saved him the trouble.

"He isn't going to tell you how he did it, Hermione. He won't even explain to me how he charmed Percy's underpants last week."

"Oh, Ronald, do you have to be so obtuse? It's a simple charm…" She continued explaining to a disgruntled Ron who wished he hadn't said anything and the other three stepped to the side to avoid any conflicts.

"They've been going on like this ever since they started officially dating," Harry explained. "I think they were more laid back as friends." Fred and Mary laughed sympathetically, knowing Harry was left to deal with their problems as he was their best friend.

"How's it going then, you two?" George asked his companions. "Where's Ginny?"

"She's at the robes shop. Your mum is having her get new ones for school."

"Right, are you going back as well?" Mary asked Harry, glancing over at the still chattering Hermione and the slowly reddening Ron.

"Probably. McGonnagal sent a letter stating that I could come back. I have to finish my NEWTs to qualify for Auror training, or pretty much anything else," he pointed out. "Hermione will go back as well. She loves school. Ron will if we do. Mrs. Weasley and Hermione are harassing him about it."

"Well if mum wants it he'll go back or face hell." George laughed. "Fred and I took the second option. Not for the faint of heart."

Harry laughed. "What are you doing now, Mary?"

"Well I didn't get a real job last year as I was working for the order full time. I dunno now. I was thinking about teaching potions if Hogwarts is still hiring."

"McGonnagal will hire you. She loved you in transfigurations," George told her. "Dunno why you'd wanna go back with this lot, though. Sounds like a lot of trouble if you ask me."

Mary laughed. "I think I can handle it. Besides, I always liked potions."

"Whatever heats your cauldron," George shrugged with a grin. "What do you think of the shop? I didn't change all that much yet. Just had to fix the place up and hire some employees."

"It looks great," Harry clapped him on the back. "Is that Neville?"

"Yeah. He wanted a job so I figured I'd try him out. He's alright."

"Right. I'll just go speak to him. See you two later if you'll be at the Burrow for dinner." Harry wandered off and George turned back to Mary.

"So how are you?" she asked.

"Tired." He smiled at her and she understood what he meant. They hadn't seen each other since the funeral gathering, but she could still tell that Fred was never far from his mind.

"Well I'm around if you ever want to talk," she offered.

"I wouldn't talk to anyone else," he said and meant it. Ever since she spent the night holding him he had felt close to her. Seeing Mary again seemed to reawaken the feeling of closeness that he had pushed to the back of his mind while working to reopen Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. "So you really want to teach?"

"Sure. It's a living. And like I said, I like potions. It's too bad about Snape, though. I thought he'd be around for another century or so."

George snorted. "Sure he worked for the order, but I don't feel any camaraderie with him. Too many detentions."

"Well, I'm sure you didn't deserve all of the detentions, but you were certainly not completely innocent George Weasley."

"Maybe not, but it was worth it." His grin was one of wicked pleasure that she loved and she couldn't help but smile back at him. The moment was lost, however, when Hermione caught sight of the exploding owl display. George rushed off to explain about the fakeness of the birds after inviting Mary to the Burrow for dinner. He was in trouble as usual, and she smiled thinking of good times to come.

Dinner was a loud affair, which was usual for the Weasley kitchen. Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Percy, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, George, and Mary occupied the seats around the table and several conversations were going on at once, which made it difficult to concentrate on one thing for very long. Mary and Ginny were involved in a discussion about the coming school year, Harry, Ron, and George chatted about recent Quidditch games, Percy and Mr. Weasley discussed Ministry business, and Mrs. Weasley was telling Hermione of an interesting new cleaning potion when several owls swooped in through the windows and landed on the table, sending food flying in all directions.

Percy opened the first letter and let out an outraged cry. "They cannot do this!" he yelled, prompting the others at the table, to focus all their attention on him. "They've instigated a new law," he told the others, "A marriage law!"

"What?!?!" was the collective response from the group. A flurry of hands reached for letters with their respective names on them and hurried to open the parchments to read the announcement for themselves.

George read his aloud with a look on his face that was indeterminable.

"Dear Mr. Weasley,

Due to the recent war and the many casualties the Ministry of Magic is given the duty to repopulate the magical community. You have been entered into the marriage pool as an eligible Wizard of Age. It has been determined that your best possible mate for a union of marriage should be with one Miss. Mary Darkbow. She is a pureblood witch and recent graduate of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry who has today placed a request for a position as potions professor at the school. You and your assigned mate are scheduled to meet with me this Thursday, 26 August at 10 a.m. to sign the marital contract and your ceremony is to be held the 28 August at a location of your choosing. The following stipulations must be agreed upon by means of signing the contract:

Your magical union must be consummated within 24 hours of the binding ceremony.

Your magical union must produce a child within one year of marriage.

Failure to meet requirements constitutes annulment of said marriage and will place you back into the marriage pool for another union.

Thank you and I look forward to meeting you both,

Regina K. Yeban

Department of Magical Marriages,

Ministry of Magic"

"They've gone too bloody far!" Mr. Weasley shouted, noticing that his only daughter who was not yet of age also had a letter.

"Calm down, dear. I'm sure that the Ministry is only doing what is required," Mrs. Weasley told him.

"Ginny's got a letter as well!" he yelled, effectively changing his wife's mind about the whole situation.

"The bastards! Give me that letter Ginevra!" she demanded. Ginny reluctantly handed over her still unopened letter and waited for the verdict. The rest of the group waited in anticipation. "Oh…" Mrs. Weasley said gently after reading over the letter.

"Well?" Ginny asked after her mother handed the letter to her father.

"Those students in school won't have to marry until they've finished up," Mrs. Weasley stated simply. As Mr. Weasley read over Ginny's letter the others opened their own and searched for their fates.

"Will somebody tell me who it is I'm supposed to marry!" Ginny yelled.

"It's me," Harry said quietly from her side. She looked shocked for a moment and then threw her arms around him excitedly.

"Mine says that if I don't go back to school I'm stuck marrying Millicent Bullstrode," Ron announced unhappily. "If I do go back it'll be Hermione."

"Well," Mrs. Weasley said sharply. "You're going back so it doesn't matter."

"What about you, Perce?" George asked his brother, trying not to catch Mary's gaze as he still didn't know quite how he felt about the situation and not wanting to see disappointment or anger in her eyes. He stared intently at his brother, willing himself not to look at the girl at his right side.

"Lavender Brown, whomever that is," Percy said annoyedly. George was sure he had wanted to be paired with Penelope, his Hogwarts girlfriend with whom he had lost touch.

"Lavender Brown?" Ron repeated, outraged that his brother was to wed his former girlfriend. "Lavender Brown?"

"Yes, Ron, Lavender Brown," Hermione said sullenly. "We've established that he's stuck with Lavender Brown." She was clearly not happy that Ron had paid little attention to her being his chosen mate.

Mary watched the family stirring around and tried to get a look at George's face to determine how he was taking the news that they were to be married in less than a week. He was determinedly looking the other way, however, and she couldn't get any information about the subject. She kept reading over her letter, hoping that George would turn to her and say something. It was awkward for her to sit there trying to puzzle out her thoughts on the matter when she so desperately wanted to see his reaction to the news first. A few moments later she realized that she needed to see his face to gauge his reaction so desperately because she wanted the marriage…thought perhaps not as soon as was suggested by the Ministry. She really liked George and they knew quite a lot about each other. There were definitely worse options.

"They've gone too far," Percy kept muttering. Ron and Hermione were arguing about the virtues of Ron having Lavender for a sister-in-law across from Mary and George and Ginny was still embracing Harry, pleased as pie to have been paired with the love of her life. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were conversing quietly at the head of the table about Mr. Weasley getting more information about the new law. George still hadn't looked at Mary and kept poking Percy to keep himself distracted from Mary's reaction to their pairing.

Finally after almost an hour of the mini conversations, Mr. Weasley stood up and instructed everyone to quiet down. "I'll find out about what's going on with this marriage law tomorrow and we will have a real discussion tomorrow at dinner. I expect all of you to be here, even though two of you ladies aren't my children. This concerns all of you. Percy, bring this Lavender girl with you as well. I'm going to bed now, help your mother clean up and get to bed yourselves. Tomorrow is going to be an important day." Mr. Weasley trekked upstairs leaving his children buzzing about new information around the table.

Having nothing better to do, Mary tucked the letter into her pocket and helped Mrs. Weasley clean up the kitchen. The others seemed to be too involved in their conversations to help out, though she was sure George wasn't getting as much enjoyment out of tormenting Percy as he pretended. Mrs. Weasley thanked her and then followed her husband's route up the stairs.

With a sigh, Mary spun on the spot and a loud 'pop' marked her exit. George immediately looked up. "She left?" he asked himself out loud.

"Well obviously. This is chaos," Percy said, standing up and eager to make his own exit. George stopped him, however.

"Did she look pissed?"

"How the hell should I know? You were badgering me, remember?" With a disgruntled huff Percy retreated from the table and another loud 'pop' signaled his exit. George left his companions, who were still highly involved in their own discussions, and made his was up to his bedroom. Charlie had gone and the room seemed empty once again and he considered moving back into the flat. At least there he could be kept company by Fred's portrait.