If George had met Her First.

The Exchanging of Stories with the Unnamed Red

 Meredy's POV

No. No Meredy. You can't have any form of feelings for him. I've been thinking about this for hours now. After dinner with the Weasleys, Neville and the Lovegoods went home. I quite enjoyed talking to Xenophilius. He talked a lot about Nargles and special pixies that Ive never heard of, but it was still quite funny. Mrs. Weasley stepped in when they asked me to come stay with them and said I was still too weak to travel, seeing as how I can barely go to the lou without immense pain. It comes and goes now, but it's staying longer then usual and shows up at the worst times.

"Hey there you," Red said as he sat on the couch next to me and my lonely self. "Are you planning on sleeping down here?" I shrugged. What am I supposed to say? 'Actually Red I'd love to sleep in your bed'? No.

"Come on then," he took my hand and helped me off the couch, but the pain of a hundred knives cut into my abdomen, causing me to slump into his arms. He held my back and put the other arm under my legs, then literally lifted me up. I'll admit I'm small- since I rarely get a good meal, except when Mrs.Weasley cooks! But I'm not skin and bones, so I give him props on getting me up. "You really do weigh nothing you know that. But at least you aren't all skin and bones like last night."

"Last night?"

"Yeah remember. I saved you from the doorstep." he smiled smugly as he carried me up the many stairs and I couldn't help but smile back. At last we entered his room and he laid me down on the bed. I looked down at the pair of pajamas I was given by the red girl, who calls herself Ginny.

"What are the Chubby Cannons?" I asked him as he changed into a pair of pants that matched mine and took his shirt off. Oh. Now that's a body.

He grinned as he put his head and laughed. "The Chudley Cannons are a Quidditch team. The family supports them, but they are honestly the worst team in the league." Quidditch. I've heard of this. Ive never seen it though. He laid next to me on the bed and rested his arm on his hand as he looked over. "What's your favorite team?"

I shrugged. "One time some man made a bet with me for ten galleons that Ireland would beat the Holyhead Harpies. I didn't understand, but I needed money, so I agreed. I ate well those next few days, so I'd say it's the Holyhead Harpies." Red laughed again.

"Thats brilliant!" he said still laughing. After a moment we just looked at each other, so I turned on my side to look at him better. "Tell me more about yourself." he said. I looked up and thought for a moment. Then I realized, I've needed someone to talk to for so long so I decided, why not?

"My name is Meredy Jane Carter Longbottom, I am a traveler. I have no money, but I have a lot of friends in a lot of places that treat me like their family, so I survive. At one point I was a messenger for the Order of the Pheonix, but I worked directly for Mad-Eye Moody. He never told anyone of who I was, he only knew me as MJ Carter. It was at that time I'd stopped looking for Neville. You, Ron, and Harry are the first to know of my secret family." I paused for a second to look at him. "One night, Mad-Eye came home and grabbed me. He opened a small compartment in the floor and told me to get inside. I trusted him, so I did. He said not to come out until he came back for me. He hugged me, handed me a letter, and left. I sat in shock, then he locked the door. I called out and hit the door and the last I heard was him walking back down the steps." I sat in silence for a second. The feeling of the abandonment creeped back into my mind. Red touched my arm. I looked up at him and suddenly didn't feel so lonely. Clearing my throat, I continued. "During my panic attack, I forgot about the letter. I lit up my wand and looked around the room. There was a tin of cookies, and a jug of pumpkin juice. I guess he didn't think Id be there that long. I accepted that I couldn't get out, so I sat there and opened the letter. Or tried anyway. No matter how I pulled or tore at the parchment it wouldn't open. I even tried burning off the seal. So for several hours I sat there playing with a whiz ball I had in my pocket. Then the letters seal started glowing. I lit up my wand again to see it open and it read itself in Mad-Eyes voice. It said, 'Dear Meredy Jane, if you are listening to this, I am dead. Do not fret my child, Nemphadora will be coming soon to get you. I trust her, you can too. You'll know her when she comes, she's like you. I've admired having you as an assistant. Between you and Nemphadora it's like I have two daughters. A family. If you don't mind, show this to her when she comes. I want her to know as well how much she means to me. Sincerely, Mad-Eye Moody, Ex-Auror. An hour full of silent shock later, Tonks opened the door. She was like me, her hair was changed when she found me. I hadn't really realized it, but mine had been changing for hours. I jumped out when I saw her and hugged around her neck. I was a seventeen year old crying like a baby as she held me. I stayed with her and Remus, they continued to keep me secret, up until the war. They sent me to Tonks' mothers house with their son and I stayed until it was over. I promised to protect them,and I did. And I got my first scars." I saw his look of general questioning so I lifted my shirt a bit to show him one of the deep red scar that never faded. "They're everywhere now."

"Why? What happened? Who did it?" he asked quickly.

"Don't freak out," I said with a laugh. "Once upon a time, I was a thief. Then a witch doctor in Africa cursed me. Every time I hurt someone, I get a scar. In the same place I hurt them. That's why I went to Mad-Eye. I never had to hurt anyone. Then the night I protected Teddy and Mrs. Tonks, I did hurt someone. A few people actually. They didn't get the upper hand on me though. I had so many scars after that night that I didn't care anymore. I don't attack though, I defend." Red looked at me with wide eyes.

"And I thought I'd been through a lot." he said.

"You thought only having one ear was freaky," I said with a light laugh. He smiled. "So enough about me, what's your story?"

"My name is George Weasley, I am a shop-owner. I own a joke shop in Diagon Alley that used to be run with my brother. I went to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry up until our seventh year, where my brother and I lit the place up with firecrackers." I laughed as he said that, but which brother? How many did he have? His name is George.. His tone changed. "When the war started, I went on the journey that killed Mad-Eye. Me, my brother, Ron, Hermione, Fluer, and Mundungus Fletcher were turned into Harry with Polyjuice and chased by Death Eaters. Remus Lupin rode with me on broom, and Severus Snape cursed off my ear." He motioned to the dark hole in his head where his ear should've been. "Then the war came around. We fought so hard, me and my brothers. Haha, my brother Percy actually rejoined the family so-to-say. By the way, I have five brothers. Well had five brothers. Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ron, and Fred. Fred died in the war." Fred? Finally it clicked. Fred was the brother with the joke shop. Fred was the brother with the firecrackers.

"George, was Fred your twin?" I asked quietly. George nodded. I looked at him for a moment, feeling his sorrow, then he turned over and pulled something out of his dresser, and handed it to me. It was a picture of three boys around two babies as they giggled. The boys must've been his older brothers. And the babies must've been him and Fred. Then it changed into two boys, about eleven, next to a train with people moving about and smoke rolling off the train. They looked exactly the same! But... I pointed at it. "That one is you isn't it?" His eyes lit up as he smiled.

"How'd you know? Even our Mum got us confused."

"Your smile. It's brilliantly recognizable." I looked back at the picture, and it had already changed. Fred and George again, in red and gold shirts, holding.. Bats? "What's with the bat?"

"We played Quidditch. We were beaters and we had to use bats to hit the ball." he said as if it were totally obvious. I nodded like I understood and looked down again. There they were, standing side-by-side in front of a remarkable store called 'Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' as it lit up with hundred of colors. So that's their shop. The next picture was of them and their sister, Ginny. The three of them were dressed quite nice, but here George's ear was gone, the empty side of his head wrapped in gauze.

"Is this a wedding?" I asked. In the picture Fred continuously got on one knee to George dramatically as George, just as equally dramatic, takes his hand, leans back, and kicks his foot up. All the while Ginny is just laughing at them.

"Yeah, it was my brother Bill's. It was an brilliant party until the minister was killed, and Death Eaters raided the place. Still fun." Slowly the picture went back to the one of the babies, so I handed it back to him. "I think that last one was my favorite," I added. George smiled sadly. "Mine too."

I couldn't help it anymore. I reached for his side and pulled myself to his chest, hugging him to me. To my surprise, he laid his arms around me and held me to him. It was a silent gesture. No words. I'm glad it was dark, because lord only knows what color my hair would be. He was warm and welcoming. I liked it.