Chapter: Fifty-One
Engaged
"Oh my god, Georgie. Just hold on a bit longer kay?" Hailey said softly as she and Remus helped the boy get inside the burrow. Ginny, Harry and Hagrid outside the house. Harry quickly came forward and helped the two of them carry him inside lying him down on the sofa.
"Oh... My boy." Mrs Wealsey muttered as she saw her son's bleeding side. His ear had was blasted out. It was Snape. Of course, it was. She wondered how Dumbledore trusted him and how he broke it. Hailey and George were on the same broom with Remus just beside them when it happened. Hailey for some seconds thought they both were going to fall off the broom. Thankfully she was behind him, so she had the chance to hold him and the broom.
"Harry." She sighed, about to pull her brother in a hug when Remus yanked off Harry shoving him against the wall making the boy grunt loudly. "Oh my god... Uncle R-"
"What creature sat in the corner when Harry Potter visited my office, in Hogwarts for the first time?" He asked, his wand still posting at his face.
"Are you ma-"
"What creature?!"
"Grindylow!" Harry yelled pushing his hands off. Remus slowly nodded moving aside.
"They knew we were moving you tonight. Had to make sure you weren't an imposter." He said with a sigh. The boy nodded understand his reason as he moved to hug his sister.
"Are you hurt?"
"N-No I'm fine." She said. She wasn't hurt in any way, but she was worried about the others. Especially Ron and Tonks as they were supposed be the first ones to come. She closed her eyes taking in a deep breath before helping Mrs Weasley and Ginny to clean George's bloodied ear.
"Thank you Ickle Haileykins." The boy whispered as she sat beside her cleaning the blood off his face with cotton and antiseptic.
"This is going to sting." She warned extending her hand so he could hold. He hissed loudly when his cut came in contact with the liquid.
"You're strong." He said letting go of her hand. "Did think you could hold me up. I'm a feet smaller than me and probably weight half of me."
"It's nothing." She smiled patting his arm continuing her work. Harry and Remus went outside and soon Hermione and Kingsley had arrived. But where was Ron? She started shaking her legs nervously looking out the window every five seconds. They heard another loud crack indicating another duo had arrived. And she noticed Tonks.
"Go. He's probably worried sick. You know what, I'm sure he's worried sick." George said with a lazy lopsided smile. Hailey grinned before running out the door. What if Ron was hurt like George? But she sighed in relief when he saw the boy in one piece. Small cuts on his faces, but nothing big. His hair slowly turned back to his natural red as she tackled him in a hug.
"Are you okay?" She asked holding his face with both of her hands checking his face.
"I'm okay love." He said with a smile wrapping his arms around her waist pulling her closer to him. "Are everyone else inside okay?" Hailey sighed and was about to talk when Bill and Fleur arrived soon followed by Fred and Mr Wealsey who smiled at them all.
"Everyone alright?" He asked cheerfully to Remus who gave him a sad look. He looked around and saw only one person was missing. "Where's George?"
Almost as if he could sense something was wrong, Fred ran inside the house as fast as he could to George. He smiled softly kneeling in front of him. "How are you feeling Georgie?" He asked, his voice sounded broken. Hailey knew how he must be feeling. George wasn't just his brother. He was his twin. The relationship between twins were always the strongest.
"Saint like." He muttered but no one heard properly.
"Come again," Fred asked leaning a bit forward.
"Saint like. I'm holey Fred. Get it?" He asked pointing at the place where his ear was supposed with a goofy smile. Hailey admired his way of covering up his pain. He was in pain and it was obvious. But he started strong for the rest of them.
"The whole worldwide of ear related humour. And you go for I'm holey." Fred said with a small chuckle shaking his head. "It's pathetic."
"I reckon I'm still better looking than you. I bet Mione, Haileykins and Fleur agrees." He said making all three of them smile. Harry looked around to see if everyone was inside when Bill spoke up.
"Mad eye's dead." He said as everyone's face dropped. Hailey looked up to Ron and saw the boy looking down at him with a confused look. He further explained how Mundungus had dissaperated leaving Moody when Voldemort himself shot the killing curse at him. Even if he survived the curse he fell of a a great distance which definitely killed him.
Moody was a moody person, but he was a great wizard. And the way they had lost two members of the phoenix in such a small time. The war had started a while back, but everything started to feel more real now.
"You lots must be tired." Mrs Weasley said to the kids while the adults went to find Alastor's body. Harry was blaming himself. It was all because Voldemort wanted him. And because of him, all these people were dying. He even lost Hedwig. "Clean up. I'll get George to bed and make some tea for everyone."
All of them just nodded one by one going up to take shower and change into cleaner clothes. Hailey was the last one to get down to the living room after showering. When she walked in she saw Hermione sitting beside Harry. Ginny beside Fred. And Ron sitting on the single sofa. Why weren't Fred and Hermione sitting together? Or Harry or Ginny?
She didn't ask anything but was about to sit down on the other sofa when Ron extended his arms to pull her on his lap. She didn't mind, and sat down resting her head on his shoulder. There was an undefeated silence as none spoke.
The silence was too much for Hailey to take as she was a talkative person. The tension was too much. She looked at the side table to see a copy of the Daily Prophet. She picked it up and started reading while Ron too read it over her shoulder. One particular thing caught both their eyes.
Hailey Potter Engaged At The Age Of Sixteen
Hailey Potter, the girl who fought a bright half blood Gryffindor, has been a known face in the wizarding world since birth. She along with her twin brother Harry Potter had been going to Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry for about six years now, where they have met their friend Hermione Granger, a devious muggleborn witch who had been dating Harry Potter in the past and Ron Weasley, a purebloood wizard who is Hailey Potter's longtime boyfriend. Hailey Potter and Ron Weasley were always more than friends. Insiders have said Ron Weasley had a thing for the beautiful witch since their second year but the young girl was too infatuated with late Cedric Diggory. Their relationship finally bloomed since their fourth year and since then they have been inseparable.
But just before the end of the term a picture of Mrs Potter has been found where she is wearing, what looks like an engagement ring leaving thousands of people in shock. "I mean, I knew they were in love, but didn't think they'd go this far. It's kinda disgusting." Said Pansy Parkinson, a fellow classmate of the two.
So is it true? Is Hailey Potter actually engaged to Ron Weasley? Stay tuned to find out.
-Written by Rita Skeeter
By the end, both of them were trying their best not to laugh out loud. The ring they were talking about was a ring Hermione had gifted her on her fifteenth birthday and it was on her right hand not left. She looked at Ron who leaned and and whispered an just act along to her.
"Guys. I have to tell something." Ron said grabbing everyone's attention. He pretended he was nervous and sighed.
"We have to say something," Hailey said with a dramatic sigh understanding what he was planing on doing. "Ron and I... We..."
"We're engaged." He said as all of their jaws dropped. Hermione looked like she has seen a ghost. Ginny looked shocked. Fred had a kinda saw that coming look while Harry looked furious.
"What?!"
"We're sorry you had to find out this way it just happened last day at Hogwarts," Hailey said as she looked back at Ron, both of them trying to cover up their mischievous smile. "Here. Read this out for everyone Hermione. You guys deserve the truth."
Hermione snatched the paper out of her hand and started reading out loud. And they too by the end were laughing. All of them except Harry who was mad at them for the prank. "Hey don't go around making jokes like that! I nearly had a heart attack and was ready to kill Ron."
"Isn't that the ring I gave you?" Hermione asked with a laugh as Hailey nodded.
"Yup. Guess you and I are engaged then."
The tension they had minutes ago was now completely gone as they all joke around. Maybe for once, Rita Skeeter did a good job. Most of the people didn't believe what she wrote, so it wasn't a bad thing. Later Mrs Weasley gave them all some tea. They drank their tea and went to bed earlier that day due to them all being tired.
"Hey guys, can I ask you something?" Hailey asked as she and Hermione were on the bed with Ginny on the mattress.
"Sure," Hermione said looking at her best friend.
"Are you guys dating? Both you all seemed a bit distant with Fred and Harry." She said looking at the ceiling.
"No... I mean I and Harry aren't."
"Neither are Fred and I." Hermione said with a sigh. "It was mutual. We couldn't date with all of this going on. But we're planning on getting back together once all of this is over. I told Fred he doesn't have to wait... But he insisted."
"Same. Just- Just Harry didn't say anything. He... He just said it was better if we didn't date. But I know why he said that. But it still hurts, not gonna lie." Ginny said truthfully recalling the conversion they both had. "You and Ron seemed fine."
"Yeah, I guess..." She said trailing off slowly. They didn't talk much after as all of them fell asleep. Even though they were young, their lives were far from normal. Because each day they fell asleep knowing they all might not make it to the end. And it was daunting.
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