Chapter 9 – An Unexpected Trial
"Luna love! Help! Do we have more wipes?"
"In the closet dear."
"Um, kind of have my hands full. Roxy, hold still!"
Luna laughed and made her way into the nursery. Shimmying past George, she reached the closet and found the wipes he needed. Looking over, she saw that he really did need them. And Roxy was being her usual early morning squirmy self. She pulled out a couple of wipes and offered them to her boyfriend.
"I wonder sometimes how you managed before I moved in."
"Barely dear, we barely managed. If you hadn't been here I probably would have put poopy butt on the floor, gone to find the wipes and cleaned the floor after."
"Poopy butt!"
"Poopy!"
"Poopy poopy!"
George looked over at three grinning little boys standing in the doorway and groaned while Luna let out a belly laugh.
"Remember to watch what you say George. Little ears."
George nodded as he finished Roxy's diaper change. Luna picked her up while George went to wash. Ushering her brood out the door, Luna headed them all toward the kitchen where she had left the porridge cooking. A few minutes later, George joined them and the family sat down for breakfast. George ate quickly and then passed kisses around the table before hurrying off to the store, grateful yet again to have Luna. Since she had moved in two months earlier, she had taken the task of dropping the kids off at the Burrow, while George usually did the afternoon pickups. Once breakfast was finished, Luna cleaned up everyone and double checked their bag before shuffling them all through the floo to the Burrow. Molly was waiting and quickly took the bag from Luna with a hug, before she made her way outside to apparate to the Ministry.
Meanwhile, George was busy opening his shop and getting ready for his Thursday morning supplies shipment. The morning was seeing an unusual surge in business and George found himself running from one end of the shop to the other, trying to meet the demands of his customers. At ten, he opened the back door and took delivery of the shipment and then went back to help up front. Finally, about an hour later, the flood of traffic slowed and he took a few minutes to go in the back and look over the shipment. A few minutes later, Verity came back to find him.
"George, there's a man up front to see you. From the Ministry."
"Ministry? Alright, send him back. I wonder what they want to order now."
Verity nodded and a minute later, a tall, balding wizard stepped carefully into the back room. George stepped forward to introduce himself.
"Good day sir, George Weasley, proprietor of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Wares and your service."
"Yes, hello Mr. Weasley. I'm Bert Rhys, with the Department of Magical Games and Sports."
"Good to meet you. We haven't done business with your department before. What can I help you with?"
"Um, actually, I'm not here for the department. This is more a personal call. This is a bit of an unusual situation. Can I ask, what is your relation to Angelina Susanna Johnson?"
George took a deep breath. "Angie is my ex-wife. The mother of my two children."
"Ah yes, well that would make sense. I've been asked by our colleagues in the States to locate Ms. Johnson's next of kin. I tried to contact her mother, but she passed about six months ago. The stepfather was very disagreeable. You are the next on our list."
"Next of kin? You mean? My god, what happened?"
George stumbled and sat down heavily on a nearby box, not caring what was in it. Mr. Rhys wrung his hands, obviously disturbed.
"I am sorry to have to deliver this news. There was an automobile accident several days ago. Ms. Johnson was killed instantly. I don't have many more details. She was second team for the Denver Dragons and they contacted their local Quidditch Division, who contacted us to find someone to make arrangements. I understand you are divorced. Is there anyone else we could contact?"
George was quiet for a minute, trying to absorb the news. Angie was gone. After everything they'd been through, it was hard to believe. He would have to tell Fred and Roxy. Well, eventually he would tell them. They were probably too young to understand. And now this man was looking for someone to make arrangements. What should he do? Eventually, he found his voice and looked up at Mr. Rhys.
"You said her mum is dead?"
"Yes sir. I found out yesterday."
"Well then, there's no one else. Her mother's husband hasn't been around long. He's just the latest. She has a brother, but he's young. None of her stepfathers will care and none of them should be allowed near her, even now. I guess that leaves me. I'll make arrangements. She is the mother of my children after all. Who do I contact?"
Mr. Rhys handed George a piece of parchment with all the details he would need. He extended his condolences again and then excused himself from the store. George took a couple of minutes to collect himself and then sent an emergency owl to Luna at the Ministry. Once that was done, he went to talk to Verity and give her the news. She had never gotten on well with Angie, but the news still came as a shock. George then went to put things in order to prepare to travel to the States. A few minutes later, Luna arrived.
"George, I'm here. What?"
George went and pulled Luna into his arms, unable to talk at first. Understanding that something was terribly wrong, she let him hold her for a few minutes. When he was ready, he pulled back and sat down with her on the chairs in his office.
"An official from the Ministry came by a while ago. Angie was in an accident. She didn't make it and they came to me as her next of kin. Her mum passed a while ago, so I'm the only family they could reach. I'm going to have to go to the States and make arrangements. I'll try to arrange for a portkey today. It'll probably take me a couple of days. Do you mind staying here with the kids?"
"Oh George, I'm sorry! Of course I'll stay with the kids. Unless you want me to come with you?"
"No, I think I need to do this. It's such a shock. After everything…and now…now she's gone. Thanks for taking the kids. I'm going to call Ron and Harry and see if they can help Verity with the shop. Then I'll go to the Burrow and talk to mum before I head to the Ministry and arrange a portkey. Given that it's an emergency, if I pay enough fees I should be able to get one quick."
"That sounds good. You go ahead and do that and I'll head home and pack you a bag. Come home after you talk to Molly."
George nodded and pulled Luna into his lap. They held each other for a few more minutes before they separated. Luna headed back to their flat while George sent his and Verity's owls off to Ron and Harry. Once that was done, he apparated to the Burrow. Molly was upset upon hearing the news, but agreed that George was doing the right thing. He spent a few minutes with the kids and then apparated home to the flat. Luna was waiting with his bag.
"Alright George, I packed enough for a week. It's probably more than you'll need, but I figured it was best to be prepared. I have casual clothes, as well as a suit and dress robes. I don't know who you'll be meeting with, but I thought they may be needed."
"Thanks love. I'm sure you've got me covered."
Luna insisted on going with George to the Ministry and soon they found themselves waiting in the Department for Magical Transportation while George's emergency portkey request was processed. After paying a hefty fee, the two stage portkey was arranged to depart in forty-five minutes. As the portkey glowed, Luna gave George a final kiss before he winked out, on his way to the Ministry office in Washington DC, where he would pick up his second portkey to Denver. With George on his way, Luna left the Ministry and headed back to the shop to help Verity with the last customers and closing.
George arrived in Denver a couple of hours later and immediately floo called the Denver Dragons office. They provided him an apparition point and he made his way to the director's office. When he arrived, two men were waiting for him. The first man was slightly shorter than George with graying black hair. He introduced himself somberly as David Mason, assistant director of the team. The other man was a head taller than George with a massive build and a blue mohawk, who introduced himself as Tyler Gallagher. When Tyler said he was a first team beater, George was hardly surprised, the man certainly had the build for it. David started the conversation and issued his condolences, before leaving Tyler and George to talk alone. Tyler was visibly upset and a bit nervous as George asked him for details about what happened.
"Well Mr. Weasley, you see…"
"George, please."
"Okay, George. You see, Angie and I were friends. Good friends. She told me she had been married, but I didn't know anything about you. She didn't like to talk about England much. We were, um, together that night. I've already admitted to the team what we were doing. We did some coke, that's a muggle drug, and then we split a delirium potion. After that we decided to go out with some other friends for drinks. I don't know, it was probably a bit past midnight by that point. Jamie is muggle born, loves his cars. He was going fast and lost control on the freeway. There were four of us in the car. Jamie and Angie were in the front. Neither of them made it. I got away with just a broken arm. Guess I was lucky, but it doesn't feel like it. I wish I could trade places with Angie. I know you and her probably had bad history, but she was a sweet girl under the toughness. I cared for her."
George nodded as he absorbed the information. None of it really came as a surprise. Angie was partying and it got out of hand once again. She always played too close to the edge and it finally caught up with her. Looking at the young man in front of him, George judged that he was only a couple of years younger than him. They were vastly different, but they had both cared about Angie. Now she was gone. George tried to figure out what to tell him.
"Thanks for letting me know the truth. I can't say I'm surprised. Angie always was wild. Having a baby didn't settle her and having a second sure didn't. I wish she had had an easier life. I tried to help her once, but it wasn't something I could do. Now at least I can see to it that she gets a proper memorial."
"Angie had kids? Man, I didn't know. She never talked about her past. How are they taking this?"
"I haven't told them. Fred is three and a half and Roxy's a year. Fred hasn't seen her for nearly two years and she left Roxy with me when she was an infant. They don't have any memories of her. I'll probably wait and tell them when they're older."
"Wow, that's rough. Well, whatever you decide to do, I'd like to come to the service. Me and some of the others from the team. If that's alright."
"Sure, I'll send details to the office once everything is arranged."
Tyler thanked George and left the office. Mr. Mason came back in to talk to George next. A few minutes later, he was on his way to a local funeral home. Since he had received the news, George had been contemplating what to do and now he was decided. He made arrangements for immediate cremation and then went to check into a local hotel. It was still early local time, but he was completely spent as he collapsed in his room.
The next morning, George woke and went to the Dragons office to send a floo note back home. Then he followed a couple of team members to the flat that Angie had shared with them. With their help, all of her stuff was packed up. It was difficult, but not as bad as he had anticipated since she hadn't kept anything from the past. The only thing she had from her previous life was one picture in the back of a drawer that had been taken with George on their honeymoon. He stared at it for a long while, remembering one of their few happy times. Once the flat was cleaned out, he accepted her flatmates offer of lunch. The meal was a bit somber, but it was good to hear her friends talk about Angie's brief life in the States. When they finished, George went back to the hotel and watched the television. He had seen them before, but had never worked with one much. He spent the rest of the day flipping through programs, not really watching much.
The following afternoon, George collected the small urn that contained Angie's ashes. As he held the simple container, it seemed impossible that the larger than life person that had been his ex-wife was contained in so small a vessel. He broke down briefly and the funeral director comforted him with practiced ease. Once he was under control, George left and went to the local Department of Magic to arrange for a portkey. They were initially perturbed with his request for an immediate portkey, but his upset state and the fact that he was carrying remains helped to calm the few staff members in the local office. Shortly before five in the evening, the portkeys were arranged and George was on his way home. He arrived back at the Ministry shortly before six in the morning on Sunday. The Department of Magical Transportation had one old witch on duty who waved him through without even glancing at his paperwork. Once he left the Ministry, he apparated back to the flat.
Luna and the kids were still sleeping when George arrived home. Tucking the bag with the urn on the top shelf of a closet and shuddering a bit at the thought, he made his way in to look at the beautiful blonde in his bed. She was so much different from Angie in every way. He felt blessed to be given a second chance. Feeling completely exhausted, he stripped to his boxers and crawled in next to her. Luna squirmed and mumbled at him as she wrapped her body around his, never waking completely. George pulled her close and drifted into a content sleep. Three hours later, he woke to the sound of children being shushed as Luna fixed breakfast. Feeling much better after just a couple of hours sleep in his own bed, George stopped at the loo and then made his way to the kitchen. The kids all screamed and the boys jumped out of their seats to run for him as Roxy squealed, upset at being contained in her high chair. George hugged all the boys and then picked up his daughter before crossing the kitchen to pull Luna into the embrace. He kissed her deeply as her eyes asked a million questions.
"Later."
Luna nodded and turned back to add cheese to the eggs she was fixing. George finished smooching Roxy and put her back in her chair, before then helping to settle the boys and filling sippy cups. After breakfast, the kids went to the living room to play and George sat down to talk with Luna.
"So, you made the trip quick. How did everything go? What are the plans?"
"Yes, there wasn't much to do. I spoke to some of her teammates and then made arrangements for cremation. When Angie was pregnant with Fred, I once tried to discuss wills and directives with her, but she refused to even think about those things. She doesn't really have family and any she once had moved around a lot, so they don't really have an area they're tied to. I decided it would be easier to cremate rather than figure out where to bury her. I thought I'd spread the ashes at Sheepstor Lake. It was one of her favorite spots to go to when she needed to get away. I'll probably just do a small memorial, myself and a couple of friends. Some of her teammates want to come. I don't think I'll tell the kids. They have no memory of her. Maybe when they're older, we can go to the lake together."
"That sounds reasonable George. I'll keep the kids here if you want. When were you planning on doing this?"
"Thanks, but would you mind coming with me? I'll ask mum or Ginny to keep the kids. I…this has been harder than I thought. I was thinking next Saturday. That will give her teammates time to come in from the States."
"Of course George. Whatever you need. We'll plan on Saturday. We should pick up some flowers to spread."
George nodded and let Luna hold him as they grew quiet. He was perched between two lives, saying goodbye to his ex-wife while his girlfriend comforted him. He felt raw with a mix of emotions.
Over the next week, George and Luna continued with life as normal. George was back at the shop and Luna was working her three days at the Ministry. George sent memorial service information to the Dragons headquarters in the States and recommended the Leaky for rooms for anyone staying overnight. He'd planned the service for 11am, followed by lunch at the Leaky. He notified several of Angie's friends and expected a few to be joining from both sides of the pond. Ginny had offered to take the kids so that Luna could be with George.
When Saturday arrived, they took the kids to Ginny's around 10:30 and then floo'd to a pub in the village near the lake. The area had a small, well-established magical community and was easy to travel to and from. That was part of the reason that Angie had enjoyed it when she needed to get away, often after she and George had a bad row. George and Luna waited in the pub and gradually others began arriving. Katie Bell came first with her long-time boyfriend Oliver Wood. Next, Tyler came with another wizard from the Dragons and two witches who had been Angie's flatmates. Finally, Alicia Spinnet was the last of Angie's old friends to appear. George greeted everyone and introduced Luna to those who didn't know her. Katie and Oliver were a bit surprised to see their pairing, but welcomed Luna enthusiastically. With the group assembled, they made the brief walk out of the village and up the hill to the lake.
The walk took about fifteen minutes, during which time everyone remained quiet, lost in their own thoughts. When they reached an overlook at an outcropping of rock with a beautiful view off to the west, George paused and said a few words. He chose to remember the bubbly girl that he first met at Hogwarts and then to remember a few of their good times, skipping over the rest in between. When he finished, he turned to the others and each person in turn gave their memories. Luna was the lone exception, as she had hardly known Angie. She simply stood and held the flowers that they had picked out, while clutching George on her other side. When everyone finished, George muttered a short prayer as he opened the urn and let the ashes blow out on the breeze. As the last of the ashes settled on the water, Luna passed out flowers and everyone tossed a few over the ashes and let them drift on the lake. George wiped away a few tears, as did a couple of others as the brief service concluded. George then drew his wand and excised a small hole on the bank of the lake, where he placed the now empty urn. With another wave of his wand, he filled the hole and turned to leave, clutching Luna to his side as the last remnants of his first love drifted into the water.
