Cast Aside

Lunch and Little Brothers

Chapter 6

Waking several hours later, it took George several minutes to remember where he was. For a moment he imagined he was back at his Aunt Muriel's as he had been for a time during the war. Then he remembered the battle and Fred's face, cold in death and that same cold rushed over him as the familiar pain of their severed bond made itself known again.

A soft snort from his right stole his attention from his brother's memory. Hermione's mouth hung slightly open, a thin rivulet of drool dampening the pillow beneath her cheek and her hair a wild mass around her head. Amusement at the state of her relaxed him somewhat.

In school she had always been fastidious. To many she came off as uptight both in and outside of class. But knowing her as he did now—seeing her like this—the difference between the Hermione she projected to the world and the Hermione she was with him, he was thankful they had become so close. It was one of the very few good things to come from the end of the war.

Knowing they should talk and eat and probably interact somewhat with their hosts, George sat up and wiped the lingering sleep from his eyes. He got up from the bed, dressed and visited the bathroom across the hall and Hermione was still asleep when he was finished. Huffing a quiet laugh, he walked around to her side of the bed and gently shook her shoulder, mindful of her tendency to wake suddenly and with wand drawn.

"Wake up, Hermione."

Somehow not having been disturbed by him moving about the room, she jerked awake now at the sound of his voice. Looking around in confusion before her eyes landed on him, she sighed heavily and buried her face in the pillow only to sit back up in disgust at the cold slobber. She wiped her face and blinked up at him.

"Not a dream then?"

George shook his head. "Nah, sorry."

"Damn. Alright, I'll have a shower and then we can figure out what to do."

He nodded and once she was safely in the bathroom, George decided to find them something to eat. Wandering slowly through the house, taking the time to look around a bit more, he thought he could almost recall vague memories. Ghosts of himself and his brother running through the well lit halls.

The kitchen almost reminded him of the one he shared with Fred in their flat. It was small and clearly saw more of their sister's packed meals or muggle take away than any real cooking. Smiling sadly to himself at memories of better times, George picked through the small fridge and made a few sandwiches for himself and Hermione.

As he headed back up the stairs, he wondered idly where his uncles were. It was quiet in the house and that seemed off. No sooner had the thought occurred to him then the front door he was just happening to pass flew open admitting the two missing men.

"Haha! Can you believe it, Gid? Twins! And named after us, bless her."

Fabian looked jubilant, grinning from ear to ear as he threw his robes over the stand by the door. Gideon came in behind him, smiling just as wide.

"Poor woman, those two are going to be little terrors I reckon. Drive their mother spare."

"Just like their uncles did, eh?"

They laughed at the same time then as they walked further into the house. George's chest ached and his eyes burned. In that moment he could see the future all at once. Their joy at his own and his brother's birth, the shadow of the war, the few happy memories to be made yet and then their brutal death. Then he thought of the years of peace, his childhood without these two men in it. And the second war and the running and the broadcast show and Fred.