I've been at the Burrow for about a month now, and it's been absolutely fantastic. Early morning chats around the dining table with Molly as she makes breakfast, showing Arthur all the muggle technology that I have, being with George all the time. I've managed to get George to shave that awful beard off his face and his ginger roots are showing through the brown hair dye at the top of his head, he's never looked more attractive. It's almost like a fairy tale; like this is what my life should have been like for the past five years.
I was hesitant, to stay here. I'm always scared that I'll fuck it up in some way. Like say something wrong and have Molly kick me out or have a massive fight with George and just be told to leave. But Molly doesn't want me to leave. Course she hasn't said it out loud but every time I say something about the flat that I have waiting for me she gets all sad.
"So you're living here now?" Draco asks me. He comes to visit when he can, we go on walks by the river so it's just the two of us.
I shrug my shoulders, "No... Well.... I dunno. I'm scared that I've overstayed but Molly hasn't asked me to leave or anything."
"Are you and George together now then? Like back to dating?"
I kick a rock into the river and sigh, "Haven't got a clue. I mean we do all the things that people who date do. And I love him and he loves me, just never had that conversation yet."
Draco looks at me. He looks so much like his father now, but with the kindness that his mother has in her eyes. "You should probably have that conversation then. Life is short."
I put my arm around his shoulders and hug him from the side. His girlfriend Astoria has a blood curse which makes her extremely frail and not very healthy. "I'm sorry..." I whisper.
Draco shrugs, "Don't be sorry, not like you're the one that cursed her ancestor or whatever."
"I don't have to be guilty to be sorry Dray."
We walk some more, not talking, just enjoying each others presence. "Are you going home for Christmas?" Draco looks at me. "Mother and Father aren't very impressed with Astoria so I don't think I'll be showing up. Despite all of mothers owls begging to see me."
"I've been living with the Weasleys for a month. With the woman that killed my mother. Do you really think that Aunt Narcissa wants me there?"
Draco chuckles to himself, "You and George are always welcome to come to our place if you want."
"You two are always welcome here too you know. It would be nice, to have my entire family with me at Christmas."
Draco laughs, "Yeah like the Weasleys are going to want me at their dining table. I was such a fucking asshole when I was a kid."
"Language Draco."
He stops walking and looks at me, "You're kidding me right? I am a twenty three year old man."
I don't bother to turn around when I talk to him, "A twenty three year old man child that shouldn't swear."
Draco scoffs then pick up his pace again so we are walking side by side. "Imagine the look on Ronald's face when he comes into his mothers house and sees his childhood bully sitting beside his father."
"I won't have to imagine it because you and Astoria will be coming to Christmas dinner. He's got a month to get over himself." I say casually.
"Are you trying to get kicked out of the house?" Draco asks me with wide eyes.
I shrug, "I plan on being in this for the long haul and if they have a problem with my brother at their dining table then maybe I should rethink my plans."
"You can't keep doing that."
"Doing what?"
Draco rolls his eyes, "Put me over your happiness. You did it our entire childhood, you did it when you joined the Death Eaters. I'm not a kid anymore, you're not responsible for me."
"You're my baby brother. My little cousin. I don't care how old you get you're always going to be my responsibility."
Draco leaves at about five o'clock. I walk back up into the Burrow and instantly George wraps his arms around me and pecks my lips. "Family's coming by for Sunday supper soon. Help me get dressed?" he hums against my lips.
I smile and melt inside a little, "Uhh yeah lemme just go get something to wear from the car."
"How about you just bring all your clothes into our room? It's been a month of you getting changed in my front yard." George says smiling, "Not that I'm complaining really but I'd rather not have all the neighbors know what you look like half naked."
I start laughing and press my forehead against his, "I don't want to overstay my welcome."
"You're joking right? My mum wants you here more than she wants me here. Come on."
Once we are finally dressed and George has brought my trunk of clothes into the room we've been staying in we head down the stairs. Percy and his wife are sitting in the living room with Molly and Arthur. Their daughter bouncing in Arthur's lap. That's when it hits me.
"Do your siblings know that I'm here?" I whisper to George before Percy realizes that we are in the other room.
George peers through into the living room, "I didn't tell them, mum might have though. Why is everything alright?"
"Haven't seen any of them since the war..." I say awkwardly.
George kisses my hand, "You'll be fine." He whispers. He looks into my eyes and nods before walking into the living room.
"George! You look... good." Percy says.
"He's happy." Molly coos at the baby, "Isn't that right Molly? Uncle Georgie's happy!"
I take a deep breath and walk into the living room. Everyone looks in my direction. Percy stands still for a moment, and then, "Haven't seen you in a while!" He says smiling.
"Looking good there Percy." I say back to him.
George comes over to me and kisses my lips softly, before turning around back to Percy. "This is Audrey, Percy's wife." George says gesturing to the woman sitting on the couch. She's got shoulder length brown hair and a very pointed face. She's got a small set of glasses resting on her nose and she's wearing a pale coloured pencil skirt with a flowy bouse. Exactly how I would expect Percy's wife to look.
She stands up from the couch and comes over to shake my hand, "It's so nice to meet you." I says smiling, "I'm Violet."
"Never thought I'd see the day when George has a girlfriend." She says smiling.
I look at George, we still have to have that conversation so I feel a little awkward but George doesn't even react to her comment.
He goes over to his mum and plucks the smiling baby out of her lap and brings her over to me, "And this is little Molly."
I put my finger out to the baby and she grabs onto it and giggles, "Hi precious." I say smiling at the baby.
We all sit back down in the living room. George is bouncing his niece on his knee making her laugh. I've never seen him interact with little kids before and it's making me feel all sorts of ways.
It's not long before there's a rather loud CRACK! outside and Ron and Hermione come into the house.
"Sorry we're late Molly, your son can't seem to figure out how to dress himself in a shirt that's not covered in stains." Hermione calls from the front door.
"Oh it's alright dear, Percy and Audrey are the only ones here right now!" Molly calls back.
Ron and Hermione come walking in the room hand in hand bickering quietly about something. Hermione's eyes land on me and she stops talking. I look up from baby Molly and smile at her, "Alright you two?" I say casually.
Ron now notices that I'm in the room and looks between me and George a few times, "Alright." He says smiling.
It doesn't take long for the house to fill up with the rest of the Weasleys. Fleur is holding her new born baby girl tightly against her chest while their other daughter Victoire is toddling around the kitchen. Bill is walking slowly behind her in case she falls, talking with Percy and Arthur as he does it.
It's loud, happy, warm. Molly, Ginny, and Audrey are getting dinner prepared. George and I are talking with Harry, Ron, and a little blue haired boy who I learn is Tonks and Remus' son Teddy.
"Has mum been getting on your nerves yet Violet?" Ron jokes.
"Not in the slightest! I love your mum."
The conversation quickly moves to Harry and Ron's work as an Auror which I tune out the best I can. Teddy comes over to me and hops up onto the couch beside me, in between George and I. "So are you and Uncle George going to get married?" He says matter of factly.
George looks over at us out of the corner of his eye, like he's waiting to hear my response, "Maybe one day. Would that be alright with you?" I say looking at the little boy.
Teddy shrugs, "Suppose it will be." He then gestures for me to come closer to him. I lean my head down and he grabs my face so he can whisper something to me. I try to ignore that his hands are sticky and his breath smells like chocolate, "I think he really likes you."
I smile and whisper into his ear, "I think so too."
Molly calls us all to the kitchen, she's got extra chairs all around and food on the table. George and I sit beside each other and he instinctively puts his arm round the back of my chair and starts to trace his fingers on my arm mindlessly.
I offer to take baby Molly from Audrey so she can actually enjoy herself for a bit. "You know... we should get ourselves one of those." George whispers into my ear, looking at his baby niece in my arms.
I look at George, "A baby? George we aren't even officially dating." I whisper back to him.
"We aren't?"
"I mean we never talked about it."
"Look, I'm ready to propose to you right here right now." He whispers into my ear, his breath tickles my neck, "But if you think that you're not my girlfriend..."
I roll my eyes and smile at him, "I would very much like to be your girlfriend." I whisper back.
George smiles really big and pecks my lips, "Better tell mum then. Given it's official now and everything."
And with that George clinks his knife against his glass and stands from his chair. His entire family stops talking and looks at him. "As all of you know, I spent a long time feeling sad, being a shell of the person I was before the war. And I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry I put you through all that, forcing you to watch me fade away to essentially nothing..." George says loudly.
Molly starts to wipe her face with a napkin, trying to hide that she's just gone all teary eyed.
"I felt like I couldn't exist... shouldn't exist without Fred here. I was mad at myself, for allowing me to sink into that sort of depression, to waste my life when Fred no longer has one. I felt for the longest time that it should have been me. That Fred wouldn't be sitting on mum couch drunk at eight in the morning and wearing the same clothes that he's been wearing for a whole week because he can't seem to bother to get changed or shower. And thinking like that only made me feel worse about myself."
I look around the table, every Weasley is now trying hard not to cry. I can see the pain in all of their faces, the grief. My eyes start to get pin pricks in them trying to hold back my tears. George takes a breath and continues.
"It wasn't till this dumbass..." He puts his hand on the top of my head and ruffles my hair a bit, "knocked on the door looking for mum that I realized how bad I got. Suddenly I was very aware of how disgusting I must look, how bad I must have smelled. But she came in anyways, sat with me at the dining table drinking wine and talking about school and all the happy memories. And the first time in years I laughed. It freaked me out, I felt guilty, feeling as good as I did when Fred couldn't feel anything anymore."
A few tears slip down my face and I quickly wipe them away. Molly is a complete wreck at his point, trying her hardest not to let it show.
"Then I heard his voice in the back of my head, 'bloody hell Georgie! You're really going to throw away your chance with this girl for the third time all because you think that you shouldn't be happy! Get yourself together and go tell her that you're still in love with her!" George continues, everyone laughs a bit, looking up at George, hanging onto every word he says. "That was the changing point for me. And I know that it's only been a month and things happen and twins die and the world is never fully safe but it's safe to say that I have never been happier than I am right now. And I know that Fred is happy too."
Molly lets out a loud sob and everyone laughs and cries at the same time. George suddenly looks uncomfortable, "So anyways. Long story short, thank you for not giving up on me. I love each and every one of you. And uh, Violets my girlfriend again."
Everyone laughs again and claps a bit as George sits back down. I try not to disturb baby Molly who as fallen asleep in my arms as I pull George in for a kiss. Ron wolf whistles and everyone laughs again. Molly says something along the lines of, 'oh I knew it' as she blows her nose into a napkin.
When I pull away from George he's got the biggest smile on his face. "I'm so totally in love with you Weasley." I whisper.
"I'm so totally in love with you LeStrange."