The American. (George Weasley)

Thirty.

My mom told me that Harry made it to the Burrow safely, and that he's staying there until Bill and Fleur's wedding. He tried to leave the night he arrived, but Mrs. Weasley was able to talk him down and convince him to stay for the wedding. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are leaving off no one knows where the very next day.

The next time I saw George was at his brother Bill's wedding. I needed to talk to him about that kiss we had when he was injured. I shouldn't have done it. He probably thought I was falling for him again, when I wasn't. I just got caught up in the moment. He was injured and talking all cute and romantic. I kissed him against my better judgement.

As I got ready for Bill's wedding, I felt sick. My dress was cute, it was taupe colored. A-line, V-neck with a tulle skirt that went down to my knees and a lace bodice. I felt terrible wearing it because I knew I had to go see George later. It was going to break his heart, but I couldn't let him think I was into him or falling for him again.

We apparated to the hill outside of the Burrow, where Fred and George were waiting. George had his ear wrapped up still, so I could easily tell who was who. He smiled so wide when he saw it was us who had arrived.

"Hello, Partridge family," George greeted us warmly.

"Hi George, honey," my mom greeted him, "How is your ear?"

"It's gone but I'll live," he jokes, "Come on, let me show you to your seats."

We started walking down the hill, as we did he told my brother that Luna was already here with her father. My brother insisted on dressing in bright yellow robes because Luna told him that her father says you should wear sun colors to a wedding. It was very cute.

My brother went and found Luna, and when all of the guests arrived, the ceremony began. Ginny looked gorgeous in her gold bridesmaids dress. Fleur really wanted to put her bridesmaids in pink, but decided not to so it wouldn't clash with Ginny's hair. A few rows in front of me I hear a woman my mom told me was the Weasley's Auntie Muriel scoff and say, "Ginevra's dress is far too low cut," to which no one replied.

Then it was time for the reception to start, and us guests stood aside as the tent was transformed for us. The seats on which we had all been sitting on rose into the air as the canvas walls of the marquee vanished, so that they stood beneath a canopy supported by golden poles, with a glorious view of the sunlit orchard and countryside.

Next, a pool of molten gold spread from the center of the tent to form a gleaming dance floor; the hovering chairs grouped together themselves around small, white-clothed tables. Which all floated gracefully back to Earth around it, and the golden-jacketed band trooped toward a podium.

It was getting dark when the dancing started after we all ate dinner, and after everyone had been dancing for a good moment and everyone was hopped up on butterbeer, or firewhiskey, or champagne, and I knew it was time for me to talk to George, because I didn't know when I'd see him again.

He asked me to dance with him, and of course he picked a slow song. It was a good time to talk to him though, so I did. "I'm sorry so kissing you the night you were injured."

"Oh no, don't be." He assures me, like I knew he would.

"No, I should be," I say, "I don't want you to think that I am falling for you again. I'm not."

"I know," he assures me, "but that doesn't mean that you won't."

"But what I did wasn't okay. The last thing I want to do is lead you on. You have to understand that it was a mistake. I got caught up in everything you were saying. I shouldn't have done it."

"Okay, you obviously need to talk, come with me," he says and takes my hand and leads me out of the tent where we are alone. "You don't need to blame yourself, Daisy."

"You don't understand what it's like for me right now George, and I don't know what it's like for you. I don't remember you, and you remember everything, and the last thing I want to do is make you think that I want you again."

He doesn't take my concerns seriously, "It was just a kiss, Daisy. It's okay."

"A kiss that happened after we were talking about getting back together one day. I shouldn't have done it. I got caught up in the moment. It was a big mistake."

"But it's what you're feeling then you should act on it.

"I don't know what I'm feeling," I admit to him. "I feel something different every single day. I'm so confused, George. I don't know if I want to kiss you or tell you to leave me alone. Because obviously being friends with you doesn't work for me. It just makes me more confused."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." He admits, "When I kissed you for the first time I got so scared I stopped talking to you. I ignored you completely until you confronted me and forced me to be honest with you. I told you that I was scared of my feelings and I just needed to figure them out. I'd never felt like that for anyone before. It scared me."

"What did I do when I found it about that?"

"You told me to take as much time as I needed to figure it out. So, that's what I'm going to do for you. You figure out how you feel, because obviously it's not nothing. You can't tell me that it is. So just figure it out. Take as much time as you need. I'm busy with the shop. I won't bother you about it."

"You're too sweet, George," I say, my tone was soft.

"I'm sorry you're so confused," He replies, "I wish there was some easy spell I could use to bring it all back. I've tried to find one. I've done so much research. You have no idea. Snape is sure good at his dark magic. Mum couldn't bring my ear back, either. But I can't imagine what it's like for you, just like you don't know what it's like for me. So if space away from me is what you need to figure things out, then I will give you space."

"What did I ever do to deserve someone so kind and understanding?"

He smiled at me before saying, "I ask myself that about you all the time."

"Well, we should get back to the party so people don't think we ran off together."

"Right," he agrees, and we head back to the tent, where everyone was dancing. I saw my sister, Gen, and Ginny all sitting together at a table and I went to join them.

"Hey Daisy," said Genevieve as I sat down, "We saw you and George take off. Where did you guys go?"

"I just really needed to talk to him," I say.

"Talk about how you kissed him the other night," said Genevieve and then she quickly added, "Which Fred and I know nothing about."

Ginny and Irina laughed at that.

"I just told him I'm confused, that I need to figure out some things."

"I'm sure he understands," says Ginny.

"I just don't want to hurt him, or lead him on. I'd feel so bad if I did that," I explain.

"He knows that," says Genevieve. "You just take your time and everything will be just fine."

I sigh, "I still need to focus on learning four years of Magic that I don't remember."

"I-I will help you," says Irina, smiling.

"Thanks."

That was when a silver Lynx came running across the field. Someone sent a message. Fred and I watched as it stopped in the middle of the dance floor and spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Everything seemed to be fuzzy and slow. Harry and Hermione jumped from their seats and drew their wands, all of us girls did the same. Harry and Hermione threw themselves into panic mode when we heard somebody scream. Guests started to Disapparate around us, which meant one thing: the protection charms on the Burrow were now broken.

People started to clear out quickly. The Death Eaters came and trashed the place once they realized Harry wasn't there and then they left. I didn't see any Death Eater that I recognized, not even from the papers. They made their mess and then they left when Harry was nowhere to be seen.

We helped clean up, and we wanted to go home after, but then we were all pretty shaken about what happened. That certainly wasn't on the list of things planned tonight, that was for sure. I'd never seen Death Eaters in person like that. Professor Snape never acted like that at Hogwarts. Just when he killed Dumbledore but I wasn't there to see that.

On things for sure. I needed to figure out what my feelings were for George. Did I like him again? Was I falling for him again? Did I just want to be his friend? I didn't know, and the more I thought about it, the more confused I was.

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Here's part 30!

Poor Daisy, she's so confused.

-Emily Winchester.