Cast Aside

Heartache and Determination

Chapter 7

Several hours later, George sat beside Hermione in the garden outside the Burrow. Arthur had joined them briefly to greet them—looking as delightfully exhausted as George remembered him being when he was a boy—and carried up two portions of food for himself and Molly.

Once the boys had been fed, George had joined Gideon, Fabian and the older two of his brothers in the yard for quidditch. Hermione, opting to stay on the ground with Percy, was nearly beside herself watching the seven and four year old boys chasing after the quaffles. Remembering the many games he'd played with his brothers before ever going to Hogwarts and seeing how low they were keeping to the ground, George knew this was rather tame.

Now they sat together, Hermione resting her chin on her knees, watching the three boys and their uncles root about the garden for gnomes. "It's always been so amazing to me how easy it is to forget about the war when I'm here."

Hermione was smiling to herself as she watched Percy run on short legs from Charlie and the howling gnome he carried. The afternoon sunlight looked good on her. Allowing himself a small smile, he didn't let his eyes linger on her long before turning back to the chaos in the garden.

"Ya... we had a happy childhood despite it all. Bill always said, at least until Gideon and Fabian... well until then things were usually pretty normal. Sometimes tense and once when I was almost two, they came late with another Wizard. He wasn't too clear which one of them was hurt as he'd been watching from the stairs, but Mum had to patch them up."

She didn't say anything for a while after that. Eventually, George turned to find her watching him with a hesitant lip caught between her teeth as if unsure if she should speak. "What?"

Looking back at the others in the garden to make sure they were far enough away, Hermione sighed and started to speak. "George, I..." Only to be interrupted by Arthur coming out behind them.

"Five boys. I can hardly believe it." Looking up at his father, George was stunned into silence to see the two small, red haired infants in his arms. Arthur smiled down at the twins, shaking his head fondly. "Not even a day old and already wearing your mother and me out. Well, you'll fit right in with the rest of the family."

George could hardly breathe as Arthur carefully sat between himself and Hermione. For half a second he expected reality to implode as he came face to face with himself. But it didn't.

"Could I bother the two of you to look after them for a bit? I uh... well it's been a long day and they're not at all tired. Molly's sleeping and I'd like to join her. Just for a few. Get some rest for the night shift." He laughed to himself as he looked between them.

Still unable to speak, he looked to Hermione who held her arms out in something of a daze. "They really shouldn't be much trouble, they've just been fed and changed. Wide awake and darling." Mimicking Hermione, George held up his arms in time to take a baby too.

Arthur said a few parting words and hustled back inside but George didn't notice. All he could see was Fred. They were indistinguishable, not even their own mother would be able to tell them apart. But George knew. Like a missing piece of his soul slid back into place, for the first time in half a year he felt the ease of their magic flowing together. Harmony.

Little Fred had stopped squirming nearly as soon as he'd been placed in his arms. They stared at each other now, dark grey newborn eyes locked onto his, the same brown they'd eventually be. The world around them didn't exist. All George knew was his brother, so small and precious and alive. It was all he'd wanted for months. So desperately he'd wanted it.