Embers of the Heart ; George Weasley

Three - 2.0

When we got back to the flat, I started packing. George watched me from the rocking chair where he sat with Freya. He really needed to rest after being tortured by the Death Eater, but his kind of resting was just watching me.

"What are you doing?" he asked as I dragged a suitcase from the closet.

"Packing. We're leaving."

"Leaving? Why?"

I paused, looking over at him. "Why do you think, George? Look at what just happened!"

I walked over to the dresser and threw open the first drawer, gathering our clothes and putting it carefully into the suitcase. George got up, placed Freya in her crib and walked over to me.

"You're not thinking straight right now, Ro. Let's take a moment and think before you do something drastic like you're in the middle of doing right now."

I shook my head. I was terrified and angry, and no one would stop me from packing our shit and leaving. I didn't care if George didn't want to leave. I'd drag him out that door while holding my baby on my hip. I. did. not. care.

"Ro. Aurora." George grabbed my hands when I went to zip the suitcase. "Look at me, my love."

I looked up at him.

"I know you're scared—"

"Oh, you do, do you?" I asked, walking past him to grab a duffel bag to pack Freya's stuff in. "I don't think you realise just how terrified I am, George. You were crucio'ed, Freya was shaking from fear, and Bill and Fleur's wedding was interrupted by Death Eaters. We can't stay in this country. We're leaving."

"You want us to leave the country." It was a statement, not a question, so I didn't bother answering it. "Ro, we cannot leave the country."

"Why not?" I asked, spinning around to face him. "Loads of people are doing it. They pack their stuff and they leave. It's really not that difficult."

Fred showed up in the doorway for the sixth fucking time, to check on George since he was told what had happened in that basement. The crucio curse had opened up his wound again, so he'd started bleeding from his ear once again, and that alone had frightened me more than anything else.

"What are you doing?" Fred asked when he saw that I was packing.

"Leaving. You coming, or staying?"

"Uh..."

"We're not leaving!" George raised his voice, and I stopped to look at him.

"Well, Freya and I am." I said. "So either you come with us, or you stay here and won't know when you'll see your daughter again."

"You'd actually do that?" he asked quietly. "Take her away from me? I know you're scared and all, but—"

"I will do anything, anything, George to keep her safe." I said. "If that's leaving our country behind, then so be it."

"Aurora—"

"We can't all be you, can we? Risking your life for some seventeen-year-old boy." I said, grabbing some of Freya's toys. She stood in her crib, holding the edge while keeping an eye on us to see what was happening.

"You think we should let Harry fight this all by himself? He didn't ask for this!"

"No? Well neither did I." I said. "I've been through enough in my life, and I refuse for Freya to grow up with trauma. She needs a happy childhood, not one filled with war."

"And we'll give her that! But we can't leave everyone behind, Ro. They need us."

"No." I said, shaking my head. "They don't need us. They have enough people on their side. Believe it or not, but they'll be able to manage without you, George. So are you coming with us?"