Competition: George Weasley Love Story

20. the flu

EVERYONE HAD PITCHED IN TO ASSIST REBUILDING THE BURROW. With the exception of those still in Hogwarts, and Percy, who was a completely different story, everyone worked tirelessly to rebuild the house they all called home. Things were finally getting back to normal; as normal as it could be with the war soon approaching.

"Wake up, love." George crawled onto the bed and rubbed his wife's shoulder. The shop had been open for two hours; Fred and George had agreed to let Ellie sleep. She had been working furiously to help their parents get back to normal, everyone had really. Ellie spent many sleepless nights, thinking of the small details Molly had lost: family photos, all her knitting equipment, her dishes, pots and pans.

"What time is it?" Ellie shot up in bed so fast her head spun. She groaned and grabbed it, feeling a throbbing pain radiating from her forehead to the back of her head. She had been up late into the night, writing a list of things she would go to the shop later and get for Molly and Arthur.

"10 am." George chuckled nervously. Ellie was always on time for work and George knew she would be upset knowing she overslept.

"What?" She yelled, she glanced out the window to inspect the weather. It was rainy. She grabbed her wand from her bedside table and waved it, causing the closet door to swing open and a "E" jumper and old jeans to come flying out. "Why didn't you wake me?" She asked, jerking George's old t shirt off of her body and sliding the jumper on. George simply chuckled, watching his wife frantically get ready for work as if her husband wasn't one of the shop owners.

"You were up so late. You deserve to sleep in." He smiled, fiddling with a bottle of perfume. "It's supposed to be warm today." He suggested as she pulled the jumper over her head.

"I'm freezing." She shivered, stepping into her old jeans. George cocked an eyebrow, realizing that the winter was well over and they were months into spring, knocking on summer's door. He held a hand up and felt Ellie's forehead.

"Ellie. You're burning up!" He gasped, realizing his wife was running a fever. Upon closer inspection, she had bags under her eyes and kept sniffling. "That's it, back to bed." George demanded.

"Absolutely not." She sniffled, her voice nasal from congestion. "I'm fine."

•

She was not fine. Ellie, in classic Ellie fashion, protested her husband's demands to go back to bed and went to work anyway. She sneezed and sniffled as she assisted customers, running quite a few of them away with her fits. George sighed, feeling defeated.

"Can't tell the woman anything. She's so stubborn." George sighed, crossing his arms. Fred was furiously walking behind Ellie, disinfecting all surfaces she touched.

"You know what you need?" Fred finally suggested, wiping a puking pastel package off. Ellie rolled her eyes.

"What, Fred?" She sniffled.

"Mum and a good bowl of her soup."

"Absolutely not. Molly has more to worry about than a little head cold." She turned to finish stocking the shelf and her head spun, causing her to stumble slightly before catching her balance.

"Eleanor!" George called, steadying his wife. "That's it." He grabbed her hand and lead her to the fire place, grabbing a handful of floo powder. "THE BURROW!"

•

"Why didn't you come sooner?" Molly scolded, seeing Ellie's state and immediately tucking her into bed.

"Molly," Ellie insisted, "I'm fine, I promise."

"No, you're not. From the look's of it you have the flu, you're not going anywhere until we get that fever down at the very least." Molly demanded. Ellie sighed, relaxing back into bed. She knew she wasn't going to get anywhere going up against the twins and Molly.

George snuggled with Ellie until she finally dozed off, cozied up in a blanket. He slid out from under her grasp and went downstairs. He got hisself a cup of tea before turning to go back up the stairs.

"Go back to work, George. I can take care of her." Molly insisted.

"I know, but-" George protested, staring up the stairs.

"No buts. Fred needs you at the shop. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of Eleanor. Now go." She pushed George to the fireplace; he then, reluctantly, floo'd back to the shop.

•

Within a few hours Ellie got the strength to make it downstairs. Still wrapped in a blanket, she slowly descended the stairs. "Eleanor! Back to bed." Molly shewed her back up the steps.

"Molly, if I lay there any longer I'll go insane. Can I have some tea?" Ellie sniffled, sitting down at the table, still wrapped in her blanket.

"Of course, dear!" Molly scrambled to get a piping hot cup of tea, setting it down before Ellie. "I don't know if you'd heard, but Nymphadora and Remus were married."

"Oh!" Ellie said happily, sipping her tea. "Good for them." Molly smiled warmly and sat across from Ellie.

"Have you ate?" Molly questioned, pouring her own cup of tea.

"No," Ellie made a disgusted look, "I can't bear the thought of food. This flu is taking a toll on me."

"You haven't had my chicken soup thought." Molly wagged a finger at Ellie.

Molly quickly made Ellie a heaping bowl of her famous chicken soup. Ellie had only seen and heard of this soup; never tasted it. She didn't get sick often and Molly only made this soup when someone was sick. Ellie sat at the kitchen table and slowly ate the warm soup, allowing it to soothe her sore throat. Molly came up behind her and gently rubbed her back.

"Now, as soon as you've finished, off to bed." Molly kissed Ellie's hair.

A/N: this chapter is kind of short and just random, but I love the bond between Ellie and Molly so I wanted to show that!