Unlikely || George Weasley

Chapter 14 - Reparo

{Thank you for your comments! Keep them coming. I think I've established a good schedule for writing now, and I'm down to weekly updates (maybe twice a week if I'm really productive) of greater length.

I'm also over on TikTok, if any of you are - my username is laurazzie. Go and say hi!

Now. Here we go...}

Grimauld Place, 20 June 1998

Ron slid the copy of the Daily Prophet across the dining table. The remnants of their dinner vanished, summoned away by Kreacher to the kitchen and replaced by bowls of steaming sticky toffee pudding.

"Front page, Hermione. Nice one! A bit concerning you were followed by paparazzi, but..."

She glanced down to see a photograph mostly of her, shot from a distance behind, taking up two thirds of the page. Ginny's sheet of red hair was recognisable beside her, crouched in an duelling stance as they both cast the spells that disarmed and brought Yaxley down.

George Weasley was not featured in the black and white looping image.

"Thanks," Hermione muttered, pushing it back towards Ron without reading the text. He was right – it was worrying that they'd been photographed by an unseen reporter. But she was too exhausted and drained from the last twenty-four hours to think about it.

Ron frowned at her lacklustre response, folding the paper in half and pushing it to the side of the table. "Kingsley asked Harry this morning if you could be convinced in joining the Academy too. Harry said he sounded really impressed." Ron downed the last of his beer and watched her closely.

Hermione prodded the pudding unenthusiastically with her spoon, breaking the mixture open and watching the caramel ooze out slowly. "Harry knows my answer already. I don't want to join. I don't want to be an Auror." She flickered her gaze upwards to Ron, sounding more weary than she'd intended.

On top of everything else, I can't handle this right now.

Ron raised his hands in surrender, finally registering her disinterest and not wanting to push her further. "Ok. Got it. Just thought I'd tell you," he began to tuck into his own dish, fanning his mouth when he didn't let the piping hot caramel cool down enough. With his eyes watering slightly, he pointed down at the photograph facing up at them from the head of the table, "you did a bloody good job of catching him, Hermione."

She smiled weakly at him, wishing Harry was back from seeing Teddy at the Burrow so he could steer the conversation in another direction. Neville, still staying with them, was seeing Hannah that evening, and even he would have been better in this scenario. Ron was far less observant at noticing when someone wanted to be left alone.

They ate together in an awkward silence for a few minutes, but it finally became too much for her to bear. Hermione picked up the hot bowl and stood suddenly, pushing her chair away from the table with the backs of her knees.

"I have a headache, Ron. I'm gonna finish this in my room. Goodnight."

She turned and left before she heard his reply, and walked quickly up the flights of stairs to her room, closing the door firmly behind her. She put the bowl down on her bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed, taking a deep breath.

The dull, sinking weight in her stomach was still there, lodged uncomfortably in her middle. Her chest was tight with the mixture of overpowering emotions; hurt and anger equally matched by guilt and regret, clashing repeatedly and leaving her feeling constantly nauseous. The arguments circled over and over in her head.