Royalty (George Weasley) (Completed)

A Letter from the Minister

I rubbed my temples, leaning against George on the sofa in the Weasley's sitting room.
Remus, Sirius and Mr. Weasley had successfully gotten the fire put out in the field while Mrs. Weasley was preparing tea for everyone. George had refused to leave my side, his arm tight around me as we sat together.
I hadn't spoken much since my mother dissaparated. I could only think about one thing. I had attacked her with her guard down. And it wasn't just some mild attack, either. Was I truly as much like her as she said? She said she wanted to see the "Lestrange fire" in me.. Did I really have it in me, to hurt people as she did? I was always told to never attack another wizard when their back was turned, and here I was doing just that.. What did that say about me? My stomach felt sick at the thought of it. I wasn't a lunatic like she was.. I never once felt the desire to truly hurt someone as she did. But when I saw her, all I could imagine was getting her as far away from my people as possible. I'm afraid of what I'd have done to get her to leave if she hadn't gone of her own accord.
"Drink this, Eliza." Mrs. Weasley smiled down at me, handing me a cup of tea in her slightly trembling hand.
I took it, "Thank you," I mumbled, but continued tearfully before she could leave the room, "Mrs. Weasley, I'm so sorry for all of thi-"
"Nonsense..." she paused for a moment, then continued, "We can't choose our blood, dear. We are all on your side, no matter what." she had a hand on her hip, looking at me in a firm, but also very motherlike way.
She left the room, leaving George and I to ourselves.
The tea had a hint of orange in it, and I smiled as I thought of Mrs. Weasley's ability to brighten most situations. I snuggled further into George's side, the blanket he had thrown over me draped across my lap.
"Well, I must say, that is not how I imagined I'd meet your mother at first.." George joked lightly, rubbing circles in my shoulder as he did so.
"To be quite honest, me either."
"Do you want to head up to bed?" he asked me, his voice full of worry.
"No, no, not yet.." I trailed off, becoming silent.
We sat there for a few minutes in silence, the orange glow from the outside fire dimming more and more as it was put out.
"Well, we've got it all, Molly." Mr. Weasley announced as they walked in, all out of breath from having to fight such a blaze.
"Wonderful, Sirius, Remus, a word please?" Mrs. Weasley called out.
I heard the back door shut again, and silence fell once more.
"I know they're talking about me.." I mumbled, staring at the loose tea leaves at the bottom of my glass.
"Don't worry about it.." George whispered down to me.
The silence felt like hours, I had a good feeling I would know what they had been discussing the minute they walked inside.
"We're going up to bed, Liz, you alright down here?" Ginny and Hermione had peeked their heads in the doorway moments later. They both wore concerned looks on their faces.
"I'm alright, goodnight." I tried to give them a weak smile.
Silence, again.
"What are you thinking about?" George asked me quietly, shifting a bit so he was facing me.
I sighed, picking at a loose strand of thread on the blanket.
"She said she wanted to see my 'Lestrange fire'." I repeated to him, my voice coming out barely above a whisper.
He was silent, clearly waiting for me to explain more.
"Well.. what if I'm more like her than I thought? I mean, you saw me out there.. I hexed her with no warning, I was just so angry she was here and-"
"You are nothing like your mother, absolutely nothing. You are kind and full of compassion while she is ruthless and savage. You have never and will never be like your mother, Liz."
I sighed, listening intently for a sign of what the adults were talking about, but being unable to hear anything I went back to my tea.
I absentmindedly began drawing circles in the back of George's hand, tracing a zig-zag shaped scar.
"What's this from?"
"When Fred and I were eight years old we had been in the garden playing on some old brooms. We, of course, hadn't known Bill had bewitched the brooms to prank us. I ended up in the garden with a stake in my hand and an angry gnome biting my ear. I think that's about when Fred and I started our pranking actually..." he trailed off, a thoughtful look on his face.
I was laughing quite hard at the image of Fred and George being knocked off of bewitched brooms. I tried to imagine growing up here in the Burrow. It must've been worlds different from growing up in Grimmauld Place, where we had to try very hard to keep hidden, so outside time was quite limited. I mentally pinched myself, reminding myself that Sirius did his best and I ought not complain even in the slightest.
I hadn't noticed the door open, Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, Mrs. and Mr. Weasley all piled back into the small kitchen. Mrs. Weasley began busying herself in the kitchen, and Sirius and Lupin joined George and I in the sitting room. I sat up slightly, seeing Sirius eye George and I's close proximity.
"Is everything okay?" I asked tentatively, seeing the look of tire and stress on Lupin's face.
"Just trying to figure out how Bellatrix may have gotten through the protective enchantments.. It's got us stumped. Dumbledore even tested them himself.." Sirius told us, leaning back in an armchair by the fireplace.
Remus stood up from his seat and added a log to the fire, poking it with an iron rod and sitting on the hearth with his back to it, rubbing his hands together in warmth.
"Does that mean.. someone let her in?" I asked quietly, knowing the answer had to be no.
"Not exactly. She's a very smart witch, I imagine it may have been possible for her to find a way in. We'd just like to know exactly where it happened so we can do some work on it." Sirius answered, looking into the flames in the fire.
I nodded, feeling George's arm tighten around me.
"Remus, did you know my mother in school as well?" I asked him, watching as he rubbed a hand over his tired face, his eyes filled with exhaustion.
He nodded, "I did. I know, you must keep hearing people say she was a wonderfully talented witch. And she was. In my time at Hogwarts, Bellatrix Lestrange was a name that caused jealousy. She was top in all her classes, being especially attuned to Charms and Defense Against the Dark Arts. I remember people saying she had once wanted to be an auror, actually."
Surprised, I opened my mouth to ask another question, but Sirius spoke first.
"That was before Voldemort really got a hold of her. It seems right before my cousin left Hogwarts, she began taking a more serious interest in the Dark Arts. It is probably because of her meeting your father, Rodolphus. He was already known to be in contact with Voldemort and numerous death eaters. He was a right piece of work too. Your mother was no longer interested in the dark arts for educational purposes, but for her own good. She became obsessed with it, and she soon left Hogwarts with only two months left. She, or your father for that matter, weren't seen again for a long time.."
"And that's when the disappearances and killings started. A few witches and wizards had placed her at the scenes of some of the crimes, though she wasn't caught until later, of course.." Lupin continued.
I sat quietly, listening to their accounts of my mother. I was unaware how little I actually knew about her. I thought I had known all I needed to know, but apparently I was wrong.
"So.. what ever happened to my father?" I asked, realizing I was unaware of his fate for so long. I had only known his name up until now.
Lupin looked to Sirius, who eyed me warily but nevertheless continued. "Your father is thankfully still in Azkaban. When the mass breakout happened a couple of months ago he was unable to escape, and rumor has it Bellatrix was not interested in helping him escape either. She became selfish, not even worried for her own husband.."
A wave of relief swept over me. I was sure he was probably out causing mass chaos as well, but turns out he was locked up in Azkaban. From the sound of things, he didn't sound much better than my mother.
"That is enough."
We all turned to see Mrs. Weasley standing in the doorway, hand on her hip and an angry look on her face.
"Molly, she has the right to know everything-" Lupin started, only to be cut off immediately.
"No! Not as long as she is under my roof. She has enough to worry about with exams and such.. It is too much!"
"Mrs. Weasley, really, it's okay. I want to know just who I'm dealing with." I tried to stay calm, though the fear in my voice must have been evident as George tightened his grip around me.
Mrs. Weasley sighed, looking at me with sad eyes, "You're only seventeen, dear. You shouldn't have to think about these things.."
I smiled softly at her, truly appreciating her motherly instinct of worrying about me.
"I shouldn't have to, but I do. It's not what I'd like, but life doesn't always go as planned."
She sighed in clear defeat, but continued, "Well, just know we are all behind you. Always." she was firm on the last word, making my heart swell with pride.
A rustling sound against the window made us all turn, most of our hands reaching towards our wands.
"It's just an owl, everybody relax." Mr. Weasley told us, walking towards the window to undo the latch.
"Who would be sending an owl at half past midnight?" Fred asked, standing up with me to see what it was delivering.
Mr. Weasley untied the letter from the brown tawny owls' ankle and read it, eyes meeting mine when he was finished. The room had fallen silent.
"It's.. it's got to be some mistake, Eliza. He can't possibly think..."
Sirius snatched the letter from his hand impatiently, his face contorting with anger the more he read.
"Absolutely mad, Scrimgeour is.. to think you would do such a thing. You're just a kid!"
I was growing impatient now, "Is it my turn? I'd love to know what you are both talking about!"
I read the letter Sirius had handed me, George reading over my shoulder: