Blessings ; George Weasley

Seventy-seven

"What was she wearing?"

After searching the entire house and the outside, George called the aurors who showed up immediately.

They were asking Inez questions about when she last saw her, due to George and I having been at the birth clinic for the past three days.

"Uh— she was wearing her pink pyjamas. The trousers are plain pink and the top has white polka dots." Inez said, her voice shaking. "She wasn't wearing anything on her feet though."

I stared into the fire, my mind going over all the things that could've happened to her.

My little girl.

George was holding both twins in his arms, trying to get them to calm down after crying.

"Ma'am?"

I looked up to see the Auror who had questioned Inez, walk over to me.

"You reported your father a few months ago, am I right?" He asked, and I nodded. "For breaking into your house and for harassing you?"

I nodded again.

"Is there a possibility he took your daughter?"

I stared up at him, slowly realising that that was exactly what had happened.

Oh my god.

"You need to find her!" I panicked. "I-If he has her..."

I let out a shaky breath as I shook my head, running my sweaty hands along my thighs.

"My father... he sexually assaulted me when I was a child." I said, hating saying it but I needed them to know that he was dangerous, especially to a child. "He abused me in more way than one and if he has my little girl... please find her."

The Aurors stayed for a long time, looking through the house before they left to start searching for her.

"They're going to find her." Alicia tried to assure me as she put a hand on my shoulder.

"I have to call Malcolm." I muttered, getting off the sofa to find my phone.

I leaned against the wall near the stairs, a hand covering my mouth as I called him, but no one answered the phone.

"I'm gonna go to Malcolm's house." I stated, turning around to face everyone in the room. "He's not picking up the phone."

"No you're not." George said as he was putting down the twins with some help from Dove.

He looked at me.

"You're supposed to be on bed rest right now." He said. "Your blood pressure is still slightly elevated. Meg told you to rest."

I laughed.

"My daughter is missing, George!"

"I'll go." He told me. "I'll talk to Malcolm, but you just gave birth two days ago so you're gonna go upstairs, get some rest and I'm sure they'll watch the twins."

He gestured towards our four friends who all agreed to that.

"Fine. Why don't I go rest while my six-year-old daughter is somewhere out there, probably scared out of her mind."

When I got up to the room, I walked to the window and looked out. I didn't know what I was hoping for — maybe that my dad wasn't involved at all, that she had walked out, gotten lost but was nearby.

As I stood there, looking out of the window, I went through so many scenarios in my head that I ended up feeling like my throat was closing in, and then came the tears.

I made my way into the bathroom and closed and locked the door behind me.

I sat down on the toilet seat, crying my eyes out. I couldn't break. I was trying but it felt like my throat had closed up.

"Dahlia?" Inez called from the other side of the door, followed by a few knocks. "Unlock the door, babe."

When I didn't, the used the unlocking charm on the door and pocketed her wand while looking at me.

"I'm so sorry, Dahlia." She said, pain written all over her face. "I had just put her down for a nap. The window was closed. I know how you feel about closing everything after your dad broke in. I didn't know this was going to happen..."

I shook my head.

"It's not your fault." I sobbed. "He probably... I don't know— waited for when George and I weren't around."

I ran both of my hands over my face.

"They're gonna find her." She told me. "They're good at their job."

"Yeah?" I asked and looked at her. "Then why have they been looking for my father for the past few months with no luck? If he's got her... they can't find him so how can they possibly find Leah?"

"Then we'll look ourselves. I'll look, Dove will love. I'm sure Lee will as well. Alicia too probably. And we'll call Fred and the rest of the Weasleys."

I looked up at her.

"You may not get along with Molly and Ginny but do you really think they'd say no to help look for a little child?"

I shrugged.

"I don't know." I cried. "I don't know anything. I don't know why this is happening. I don't know where my daughter is. I don't know how she is right now and I don't know how I'm supposed to take care of my newborns when Leah is missing!"

Inez walked over and crouched down in front of me.

"You'll do that because you are strong as hell." She told me. "You'll do that because you know what it's like to not be cared for by your own parents. You just gave birth so your twins need you..."

"What if he hurts her?" I cried. "She's already been through so much with Malcolm's brother and now she's been taken by the man who hurt me. I don't want her to experience that again. That was never supposed to happen to her."

Inez brought me into a hug, letting me cry against her shoulder as she stroke her hand over my hair.

"I am so sorry this is happening." She whispered. "We're all gonna look for her, and I promise you, we'll find her."

I hoped that was true. She had only been missing for about five hours and I was losing my shit.

I was more than just terrified. It felt like somebody had ripped my heart out and stamped on it.

"What if he kills her?" I whispered, but the thought of that only made me cry even more.

"He won't." She assured me. "I promise you, he won't. We're gonna find her and we'll bring her home to you."

I pulled out of the hug to look at her.

"I'm gonna go out and I don't care if I'm out all night, but I'll trace them down as good as I can." She said. "I won't stop, okay?"

I nodded.

"You need to— she has this stuffed animal that she sleeps with. You need to take that with you and give to her when you find her." I sobbed. "Oh, and she needs her shoes. Her feet are gonna get cold."

Inez cupped the side of my face and kissed my forehead.

She looked at me with a look of pity and sorrow.

A look that I hated.

But right now, I didn't care.

I just needed my daughter back.