The Healer | Part 3: The Survivors

Back to The Burrow

Edith

Our blissful post-wedding week came to an end the following day. It was two days before Christmas and the entire Weasley family was gathering at The Burrow.

'Wear your ring,' George told me that evening as we were getting ready to leave after delaying for a song as we possibly could. 'The diamond one.'

I looked back from the bag I was packing and raised an eyebrow at him.

'How?' I asked.

'The way I see it,' he reached for me and pulled me into him, my back to his chest and pressed his lips to my neck. 'It'll ease them into things. Today, we'll be engaged, and next week we'll be married. It won't come as such a shock.'

'How considerate of you,' I twisted in his arms so I was facing him. 'Only we'll be pregnant as well as married.'

'They'll get over it.'

He bent down and pressed a kiss to my lips. I placed my hands to his chest. I knew Mrs Weasley wouldn't think it proper for us to share a bedroom even if she thought we were engaged. And I didn't like the thought of sleeping apart from him.

'Are you ready to go?' He pulled away.

'No.'

'Brilliant, sod them,' he grinned. 'We'll spend our first Christmas right here, just me and you.'

I laughed out loud.

'It's Christmas!' I told him. 'You're meant to spend it with all your family.'

'Next year, we're spending Christmas morning here,' he told he firmly.

'Are we?' I chuckled.

'Yeah,' he said. 'We'll have children next year, I want to spend the morning here with our own little family.'

'They'll be too little to open presents next Christmas,' I reminded him. 'Or even understand what's happening.'

'I know that, but I want Christmas morning to be special for them. I don't want to be hurrying off to Mum and Dad's just because it's Christmas. There'll be too many people there as it is.'

'That's really sweet, George,' I told him. And I meant it. I hadn't thought that far into the future. I was just taking things one day at a time at this point. But I liked the idea of Christmas morning just being about him and me and our children. We would likely go to his parents' house for lunch. But he was right. Between him and his other siblings, three were already married and two were in serious relationships. The Burrow would be overrun before long.

'Is that them?' I heard Mrs Weasley ask loudly the moment we arrived.

Confused, I peered into the house. Was Mrs Weasley expecting someone? George had let me enter first, though he was right behind me. I could feel his hand on the small of my back.

As predicted, the house was packed with people. Ron, Charlie, Harry, Hermione and Ginny were sitting at the kitchen table with a deck of enchanted playing cards in front of them, Mrs Weasley appeared to be behind them in the kitchen, just out of sight. Little Teddy was there as well, along with an older witch I had never met before but assumed she must be his grandmother. Bill and Fleur were absent, along with Percy and Audrey but George had told me they wouldn't be arriving until Christmas Day.

Mrs Weasley shoved her way past Ron and Charlie and smiled warmly at us.

'Arthur, they're here!' She turned around. I hadn't noticed Mr Weasley sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, but he stood at our arrival.

'Yeah, we're all here, Mum,' I heard Ron speak from the kitchen. 'We didn't all get announced like that.'

I wasn't sure what to make of it until I pulled off my coat and mittens and she screeched, making me jump.