Malignant ••• George Weasley

Chapter 52 - Cafe On The Edge Of Town

Dear Juna,

Fred's doing better today. He only woke up once last night from a bad dream, the potions the healer gave him seem to really be helping.
He's still not really speaking to anybody though. Not out of any kind of spite, more that he's just in his own head and trying to sort out his feelings I think. He's never been one to ask for help.

I know I say it every letter, but I miss you.
I wish you would speak to me, or see me.
I suppose I can understand why you don't, but maybe it could help Fred if you at least would see him? It might be the closure he needs to get back to himself. You could shed some light on things maybe.

I don't want to pressure you. I realise you probably won't read this... but it makes me feel like I can at least pretend I'm actually speaking to you if I write it down.

Hope you're well, wherever you are.
Yours,
George.

George sighed as he placed the quill down on the desk crammed into the corner of his childhood bedroom and stuffed the letter into an envelope. He knew she wouldn't read it. He sent a letter to her nearly every day, but they always came back unopened and unread.
Charlie had come to see him and Fred not long ago, saying that he had run into Juna in a pub on the outskirts of London. Said that she wasn't living at her flat anymore and rented a cabin in the woods. Hermione confirmed this saying she never answered when she went by her flat, the lights where always off.

It irked George that Juna really would just abandon him like this. Him and Fred. Neither of them blamed Juna for what happened, but it would be nice if she showed that she cared and wanted to be there, or at least follow up.

Fred wasn't in a good way after what happened with Perseus. He was in the Hospital for a week and he was an absolute wreck. He would wake up screaming and kicking from bad dreams he would have, he shook when people moved to fast too close to him and he was distraught over losing his left pinky finger from the second knuckle.

"What girl would ever want me now?" Fred would mumble.

It was difficult to explain to the rest of the family what had happened, George had no choice but to come clean about a dark wizard impersonating Fred and kidnapping and torturing the real Fred for who knows how long. When he had finally convinced them that that was the truth and not some elaborate lie, they asked why and George could only tell the truth. That he had become close with someone who a dark wizard had a vendetta against and who used Fred as a pawn in his game. Ron immediately figured out he was speaking of Juna and did not hesitate to tell the rest of the family all about her. They all assumed their own things about Juna, some of which George did not appreciate, but he kept his mouth shut.

Fred and George were re-opening the shop today. George had made the decision to shut it down while Fred recuperated, it had been closed for nearly two months. In that time the two of them had moved back to the Burrow so that their mum and dad could be at Fred's beck and call, but honestly the both of them were feeling smothered at this point.

"Now, are you sure you're ok to work today?" Molly fussed, straightening Fred's purple collar and looking at him with deep concern.

"I'm fine." Fred mumbled back.

George put his empty plate down on the counter.
"Yeah, it's fine. You really need to stop worrying mum. Fred's a big boy and I'll take care of him-"