Begin Again (George Weasley/Draco Malfoy)

Forty-One.

Having to tell Andromeda that her only daughter and only child was killed wasn't fun, my mum and George went with me. It wasn't how I imagined meeting my little brother, but it was. She assured us she'd raise Teddy, and she told me she was sorry for the loss of my father that he was a good man and she enjoyed having him with her the past few months.
   
We had a joint funeral for my dad and Tonks, it's what they would have wanted. It was a nice, late spring day. I was an absolute mess. But I was lucky I had my mum, my friends, and George there with me.
   
I stayed behind after everyone had left because I wanted to say goodbye to him just us two one last time. I knelt down on my knees in front of his grave, and I started talking to him.
   
"Goodbye dad,"  I say, wiping the years out of my eyes. "I wish we could have had more years together, but I'm grateful for the ones that we did have. You taught me so much, things I will never forget. You were an amazing dad, when you could be. I promise you I will look after Teddy as much as I can, but I have no doubt that his grandmother will take great care of him. She did raise Tonks after all, and she was pretty awesome. I love you guys, and I will never forget you. Ever."
   
I started crying uncontrollable then. George was next to me and he held onto me and let me cry. This was harder than I knew it was going to be. He held one me for a good moment before he said, "Come on, love, let's go home," and he stood up.
   
George couldn't stand to be at the flat above the joke shop without Fred, and I didn't want to leave my mother alone after everything. So George actually packed up his things and he moved in with my mum and I. This way he was still close to the shop but also out of the flat where everything rinsed him of his twin.
   
It rained on the day of Fred's funeral. The service was held indoors, and we stood under umbrellas when he was buried. George asked me to stay behind like he did for me at my dad's funeral. He wanted to say goodbye to Fred alone.
   
I wasn't listening to what he said, I let him have his moment with Fred alone. I saw something that caught my eye, a blonde haired figure standing by a tree. I was enraged at the sight. I stared over there without thinking about it.
   
"What are you doing here, Malfoy?" I ask, my tone hard.
   
He wipes a tear out of his eye, "I just came to say I'm sorry."
   
"Oh how rich," I say, crossing my arms over my chest. "Why are you here?"
   
"Because I feel responsible, Adelaide. I wanted to say goodbye. I was at your dad's funeral, too. But you didn't see me. I'm so sorry about that by the way."
   
"You should feel responsible, Draco," I hiss.
   
"I do," he says, "I never wanted anyone to die. Even as much as I hated Potter I never wanted him dead. Adelaide, you know me better than anyone else. You know I never wanted this."
   
"I don't believe you," I say, it's practically a hiss.
   
"I do," says my boyfriend's voice. I turn and I see he's now standing behind. His eyes are puffy and red from crying, and his cheeks are flushed and stained with tears. "I believe you, Draco. You wouldn't have come here. Thank you, if you want to tell my brother you're sorry, he's over there. Everyone is gone so you'll be alone."
   
Draco wipes a tear from his eye again, "Thank you," says Draco, his voice breaking. "I know you and I never got along, George. Mainly because I was always jealous of you and Adelaide, but I always thought you and Fred were actually quite entertaining. You were a great pair."
   
"Thank you," says George again. "I knew the good was inside of you, if not Addie wouldn't have dated you."
   
"Just stay true to yourself." I say, "Your family is safe now, feel free to be yourself. You don't have to hide yourself to be a part of your family. I know your Aunt Andromeda would love to meet you. She's looking after my little brother now, I could take you to meet her if you'd like one day."
   
"Thank you," says Draco, and then he throws his arms around me. I hug him back. He needed it. He was going through a lot of emotions he's never felt before. He could use a hug. I let him hug me for as long as he needed, and then he went up to Fred's tombstone and George and I left.
   
My mum held the wake at Fawley Manor, and George didn't seem to be in a mood for people. He snuck away, and I didn't know where. Until much later when most of the people had left and it was just the Weasley family, Hermione, and Harry that were here.
   
I found George in our room. He was sitting on the bed in silence. I walked over to him and sat next to him.
   
"Not in the mood for people, are you dear?" I ask as I sit next to him, taking one of His large hands in mine.
   
"No," he says, shaking his head.
   
"Everyone is gone, it's just your family that is here now."
   
"I don't think I have the strength to be around them," he admits, looking down at his feet.
   
"It's alright," I say, running my hand up and down his back. "You don't have to go out there if you don't want to."
   
Eventually though, Ginny came to find us, and eventually Harry, Ron, and Hermione were following her into my room. Then Percy and Bill with Fleur behind him followed in not too long after. Soon enough all of the Weasley Children were in my room.
   
"We've missed you out there, Georgie," says Bill.
   
"Yeah, mum keeps asking about you," adds Ron.
   
"Guys, he doesn't want to be crowded right now," I say, my tone turning firm and protective over George. "I love you all, but George wants to be alone."
   
"It's okay, Addie," says George.
   
Ginny sits on the other side of George on our bed, and she takes his other hand in hers. "We've all been thinking about you all day. We just wanted to remind you that we love you."
   
George smiles and places a kiss on his sister's head, "I love you, too." He looks to the rest of his siblings, "and I'm so grateful that I didn't lose any of you, even though we lost one, we gained a few in the process. Didn't we?"
   
"We did," says Ron as he grips Hermione's hand in his, Ginny looks up at Harry and smiles at him, Bill drapes an arm around his wife, and I give George's hand a squeeze.
   
"We all love you so much, George," I tell him, looking right at him.
   
"I know, I love you too," he says, nodding, "I'm especially glad I didn't lose you."
   
"You're never going to lose me," I say and then I hug him.
   
After a moment of hugging him, Ginny yells, "Weasley Family Dog Pile!" And she jumps on George and I. The rest of them follow, and soon enough they're all on top of George and I. George is laughing so hard, and I love the sound of it. It was so nice to hear him laugh today. He gripped me tight in the hug as his siblings and the others tackled us.

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Here's part 41!

This is the last chapter!

There will be an epilogue and that is it!

-Emily Winchester.