Secrets Only Trouble Knows - George Weasley

71 - Something Special

{ A/N: the pictures are a little blurry, but what I've linked above are a pretty good depiction of the idea I had in my head for Nova's Yule Ball dress :-)

Hope you all are doing well! Sorry for the wait in updating. }

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Arthur Weasley woke us after only a few hours of sleep (and surprisingly didn't comment on the fact that George and I had shared a bed). He then used magic to pack up our two tents and, without any breakfast to fill our growling stomachs, we left the destroyed campsite as quickly as possible. We passed Mr. Roberts, who was now safe from harm and had definitely had his memory of last night modified, at his cottage along the way.

Soon we'd reached the spot where the Portkeys laid, finding it to be swarmed with people who had the same idea as us to leave the area as soon as they'd gotten the opportunity. After a hurried discussion with Basil, the keeper of the Portkeys, Mr. Weasley was miraculously able to get us teleported back to Stoatshead Hill before the sun had truly risen.

From there, we trudged down the steep hill, walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole, and up the damp lane toward the Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because we were so tired.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, we rounded a corner and the crooked Burrow came into view, looking like an oasis in the middle of a desert because it meant our breakfast. But as we started for it, a cry echoed along the lane.

"Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness!"

Mrs. Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for us in the front yard, came running toward us, still wearing her nightgown and bedroom slippers. Her face was pale and strained, visible hints of tears on her plump cheeks.

"Arthur— I've been so worried— so worried," said Molly with a rolled-up copy of the Daily Prophet clutched in her hand.

As she flung her arms around her husband's neck and began to cry, the newspaper fell onto the ground. The front page sported a horrific shot of the glittering green Dark Mark that plagued the sky last night.

"You're alright," Molly muttered distractedly, finally releasing Arthur and staring around at all of her children. "Oh, boys..."

To all of our surprise, she then seized George and Fred, bringing them into such a tight hug that their heads banged together.

"Ouch! Mum, you're strangling us—"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Molly cried, ignoring them. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh, I'm so sorry, dears..."

"It's alright, Mum—"

"Yeah, now let us breathe—"

As I watched Molly hug her boys to death, I was pleased with her for apologizing to them for the way she'd been treating them these past few days, but I wished it wouldn't have taken just what happened last night for her to realize she'd messed up with them. Regardless, though, I smiled warmly at the sight before me, giggling a bit as George looked over his mother's shoulder and shot me a desperate look that said, "Please help me."

However, before I could attempt to assist George in prying Molly off him and Fred, I noticed off in the distance the front door of the Burrow opening suddenly.

"Molly, are they back yet—? Oh, thank Merlin—"

It was Mum. She'd stepped out onto the porch in a bathrobe with a tea cup in her hand that she instantly dropped at the sight of us. Then, she was hurrying across the lawn, heading straight for my brother and I. The minute she reached us, she wrapped us in her arms like she hadn't seen us in years.