The Sight Of Eternity With You

Does Salvation Come?

"A little used, a little blush
a little frayed at the edge
cut through, hit the rush
let it flow to your head
I think I remember clearly now
Don't slip, it's a long way down
And I swear I never meant to go out"
-Sick Little Games, First and Forever

****

H

I miss you

I promise the boys are having the best success with the shop, I've tried my best to keep up with mail orders. But I'm definitely a better chaser than being in this shop, but we all get by-Lee ends up cleaning up my messes usually. George is hanging in there, day by day, good and bad days. I don't catch him spacing out anymore like I use to, but he still keeps to himself and I can barely get him to smile. Lee and Fred do their best to run the shop floor without him, but I know it's killing George that he can't handle looking at his own dream some days. I think after awhile and your help with some of their products in school, it wasn't just his dream...you were part of it. And it hurts him.

I can't believe how close we were to getting you back, you were right there.

George was livid when Arthur told him, we thought he was going to disown the family like Percy had done for a moment there. But now George is just more reserved and refuses to attend the Order meetings, it's hard for him to look at his parents right now.

Does that mean you've been in Diagon since that day I heard that scream? Was that you? Have you just been a fingertip away this entire time?!

Have we just been completely blind idiots?

The quill hovered over the paper, an ink drop falling and hiding the question mark Angelina had just scribbled. She frowned at the paper, another letter written out that would never be sent out. It was a suggestion Luna Lovegood had given to Ginny who passed it on to the twins and Angelina, Luna had explained that when Harper returns she's going to need to be told all the details-what better way than to write everything down? It was somewhat therapeutic to write out her thoughts, much like a diary, Angelina must've written at least fifty letters now.

There was a crashing noise of glass, Angelina looked up as George sighed, running a hand through his hair and muttering to himself. Wordlessly, Angelina waved her wand and repaired the glass bottles, George glanced back at her with an appreciative nod.

"Are you going to join us for the Order meeting tonight?" Angelina asked, closing the book momentarily and sitting up in her chair.

"So I can yell at Lupin and dad for doing literally nothing for months again?" George gave a dry laugh, he turned away from his workbench, folding his arms. "She was right there and...." he shook his head and kicked at the ground.

"At least she's still alive," Angelina offered, the simple information a slight comfort in the otherwise abysmal atmosphere.

"Barely," George whispered, his hands clenched before he ducked under the workbench and produced a bottle and glass tumbler.

"Oi, I thought I'd gotten rid of all the firewhisky!" Angelina frowned, getting to her feet and reaching for the bottle. George pulled away, holding it high above his head out of reach.

"Come on, Ange. One drink, promise."

"That's what you said last week and then I found you after three bottles having the worst panic attack I've ever seen," Angelina glared at him, reaching for the bottle again.

"What else do you expect me to do?!" George gave his friend and incredulous look, pouring the amber liquid into the glass. "My invention isn't working and I need a moment, Ange. Alright?"