Begin Again (George Weasley/Draco Malfoy)

Thirteen.

After exams, it was time for the third task. The entire Weasley family was here, minus Charlie. They came to support Harry. I said hello to all of them before I headed back to my friends on the Hufflepuff side. I didn’t care who won, as long as it was someone from Hogwarts.
   
They didn’t come back for two hours. Fleur came back first after an hour, and then Viktor a half hour later. Then, when Harry and Cedric returned, Harry was holding Cedric’s body. Everyone seemed to cheer, but I didn’t. Something looked wrong. Very, very wrong.
   
Cedric was passed out, unconscious. It scared me to see that he wasn’t moving. He looked dead. I stood up from my seat, watching Harry cry tears streaming down his face as he was clutching Cedric’s unmoving body Dumbeldore began to run over to him.
   
“Something is wrong with Cedric.” I say, my voice frantic filled with worry. Everyone started shouting that he was dead. Harry is overtaken from view by Dumbledore, Minister Fudge, and Amos Diggory. Cedric’s father was distraught. He kept shouting about his boy. And then Harry was taken away from pitch after being pulled away from Cedric’s dead body.
   
Usually the Hufflepuff Common Room was noisy and full of life, but not anymore. We had just lost one of our own. Cedric was always so kind, so thoughtful. He was the first person that spoke to me after I was sorted into Hufflepuff. He introduced himself and he was so happy I was in the same house as him. The next year he was made a Prefect, and he acted more like an der brother and friend than an authority figure.
   
On the last morning of the term, Dumbeldore told us all that Cedric was killed by Voldemort, and Harry Potter brought his body back after fighting the Dark Lord off valiantly. On the train ride home, I sat with Harry, Ron, and Hermione again like I did last year, too. Harry told us everything that happened when Cedric died.
   
The Triwizard Cup was a portkey, and it led to a graveyard where Voldemort killed Cedric right away. He used Harry’s blood to complete a potion that gave him a full on body, and then he explained where he had been, and what he had been doing for the last fifteen years. He had been hiding in Albania, where Wormtail found him. Also, it turned out that Barty Crouch Jr had escaped from Azkaban and was posing as Mad-Eye Moody this entire year, it was him who put Harry’s name into the Goblet of Fire in the first place.
   
When we arrived at King’s Cross station, I was surprised to see my dad here and not my mum. He was standing with the Weasleys. Bill and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley all greeted us with smiles. “Dad, where is mum?” I ask him. He just smiles at me.
   
"I’ll explain everything soon, I promise, just not here,” he assures me, his voice calm.
   
When Harry had left with his Aunt and Uncle, Hermione, all the Weasley Children, and I were all taken to a house in London where Sirius was waiting for us. He looked well fed and showered, too. It was nice to see him, but we didn’t know why.
   
My mum was also here with a bunch of my things, and We were informed that we would be staying here for the summer, and that Harry would be joining us later on, but we were forbidden to tell him that though. They were going to send from him when the coast was clear. Under Dumbledore’s orders, they decided to start up The Order of the Phoenix, the group that fought against Voldemort during the last war. We were under their protection until we went back to Hogwarts.
   
My mum wasn't staying here, but my dad was. So I got to spend a lot of time with him. It was a dusty, ratty old place, and Mrs. Weasley made us clean to keep us busy. Us kids wanted to know what was going on out in the world. Well, the Weasley kids did. I would sleep better at night not knowing what my parents were throwing themselves into.
   
Harry kept sending letters, but we weren't allowed to write him back. If we did, the responses had to be short. Hermione joined us a few weeks into the summer. Fred and George were keeping busy. We didn't know how, but they had come into a bunch of money. They were able to perfect products and they have even started a mail order business. We had no idea how they were doing it, but they were.
   
At the end of July, early August, Harry had been expelled from school, because he used magic in front of his cousin Dudley. My dad and some other order members we sent to retrieve him. I was worried the entire time he was gone.
   
“Are you okay, Adelaide?” Asks Hermione as she sits next to me on the bed. I’ve been upstairs since my father left Number 12 Grimmauld Place. I didn’t understand why he had to leave. Every time he leaves here he’s putting himself in danger. Why couldn’t someone who didn’t have a child waiting for them back here leave with the others? I just hate the feeling of knowing the possibility of not seeing him again.
   
“I’m just worried about my dad is all,” I inform her, and she places a comforting hand onto my mid back. “I worry about him every time he leaves.”
   
“I know you do,” she assures me, nodding her head. “But you know your father is a formattable wizard and he’s not afraid to put up a fight.”
   
“He was also the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we ever had,” reminded Ron, entering the room and sitting on the bed his little sister Ginny slept on, “He knows better than anyone else out there how to defend himself if needed.”
   
“I know, I just hate the feeling of knowing he could be in danger. He just came back into my life two years ago.” I remind them, they both nod, “Sometimes,” I say getting my thoughts back together, “I wish I could have just stayed with my mum this summer.”
   
“I know, but I know you know that you’re safer here with us,” Hermione reminds me. I nod in agreement.
   
That’s when we hear the sound of doors opening and my father enters the room. He looks tired from his journey. I smile when I see him, and he smiles back. I stand up and make my way over to him, and he meets me in the middle of the room and we hug for a good moment. “I just wanted to say hello and let you know that we made it all back safely before the meeting starts.”
   
“I’m glad you’re okay,” I tell him, loosening our grip so I can look up at him. He kisses me on top of the head and leaves. I didn’t even notice Harry Potter was standing in the doorway until my father left the room. I don’t think anyone else did either, because Hermione exclaims his name and pulls him into a big hug.
   
“We didn’t hear you arrive!” She exclaims even more. Ron’s tiny bird Pigwidgeon zoomed around the room excitedly. Hermione kept talking at 1,000 miles a minute. “Oh how are you? Are you alright? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless – but we couldn’t tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn’t, oh we’ve got so much to tell you, and you’ve got to tell us – the dementors! When we heard – and that Ministry hearing – it’s just outrageous.”
   
She kept going on about how the Ministry couldn’t expel Harry, and that there are Laws to protect Underage Wizards for using magic during life threatening events, which is what happened to Harry. I’ve learned to tune her out when she gets going like this. Eventually Ron stepped in to save his friend. “Let him breathe, Hermione.” Ron closed the door behind Harry. Harry’s owl Hedwig landed on his shoulder then and Harry spoke his first word since entering the room.
   
“Hedwig!” Harry exclaims and Ron tells him how she pecked us all for not writing long enough letters back to Harry when he had written to all of us. Ron shows him the new peck marks on his hand, Harry says he was sorry for that but he just wanted answers.
   
“We wanted to give you them,” Hermione explained. I leave the room then at this point. Letting the three of them all catch up. I know that they do consider me a friend of theirs, but I’m not a Gryffindor, so they all spend much more time together than I get to. I’m only part of their little group when I’m needed for something. So I figured that I’d give them all their time to catch up just the three of them.
   
On the walk up to Fred and George’s room I couldn’t help but think about how Harry seemed so different just then. He seemed cold, like he was angry. I would be too if I were him. Last year he was forced to compete in the Triwizard tournament in which he was forced to watch my friend Cedric Diggory die, and then he was attacked by the Dark Lord. That kind of thing will change a guy, ya know?
   
Fred and George had their door open and their little sister Ginny was there, she was sitting on one of her brother’s beds. George smiled at me when he noticed me. “Adelaide! Come on in,” he said in his cheery tone and I entered the room.
   
“Harry just got here, so I’m letting Ron and Hermione catch up with him,” I explain as I enter the room. The twins were practicing some new gadget that they have been trying to perfect. They have a dream of running a joke shop after they finish school.
   
I sat on the bed along with Ginny and we watched them make fools of themselves, and George tried to show off for me. We’ve been here for a month and every time George gets to show off in front of me he does, it’s kind of sweet. I know he’d be good to me, and that fact sometimes makes me wish that I liked him back, but sadly for him I don’t. I don’t think I ever will.
   
“He still talks about the Yule Ball,” Ginny whispers to me so only I can hear her.
   
“Does he?” I ask looking at her.
   
She nods her head yes, “He says it was the best night of his life.”
   
“That’s sweet,” I tell her, giving her a light grin. “I just feel bad that I don’t fancy him like he does me.”
   
“Don’t, he’ll move on eventually,” she assures me. “Once he’s out of school next year and is out in the world.”
   
She had a point. He just needed to get away from me and then he’d get over his crush.
   
Our conversation is cut short by the sound of Harry shouting, “SO YOU HAVEN’T BEEN IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! YOU’VE STILL BEEN HERE, HAVEN’T YOU! YOU’VE STILL BEEN TOGETHER! ME, I’VE BEEN STUCK AT THE DURSLEY’S FOR A MONTH! AND I’VE HANDLED MORE THAN YOU TWO’VE EVER MANAGED AND DUMBLEDORE KNOWS IT – WHO SAVED THE SORCERER’S STONE? WHO GOT RID OF RIDDLE? WHO SAVED BOTH YOUR SKINS FROM THE DEMENTORS?”
   
The four of us all stop what we were doing right away and look out the open doorway. He was so angry at Ron and Hermione and I'm glad that I wasn’t there to watch them get yelled at. Whatever they had said to him was obviously the wrong thing and it sent him over the edge. Harry didn’t stop, oh no, he kept going.
   
“WHO HAD TO GET PAST DRAGONS AND SPHINXES AND EVERY OTHER FOUL THING LAST YEAR? WHO SAW HIM COME BACK? WHO HAD TO ESCAPE FROM HIM? ME! BUT WHY SHOULD I KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON? WHY SHOULD ANYONE BOTHER TO TELL ME WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?”
   
He was fuming, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. He’s been through so much and he has so many questions that we cannot answer because we’re forbidden to by Dumbledore. I want to run down there, tell them not to fight with each other, but I knew I’d just make Harry angrier so I stayed on the bed. I wasn’t brave like all of these Gryffindor’s around me are. Bravery isn’t a Hufflepuff House trait like it is a Gryffindor. We value other things like Honesty, Loyalty, and Friendship.
   
Fred and George stand at the open doorway, listening to their little brother and his friend get yelled at by their other friend while Ginny and I listen from the bed. George had the idea to try and get some extendable ears to the bottom floor so they could hear what Ron and Hermione are saying. It got quiet for a moment, only a moment, before he started yelling again. “CANT’VE WANTED TO THAT MUCH, CAN YOU, OR YOU’D HAVE SENT ME AN OWL, BUT DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR!”
   
Again the silence only lasted a short moment. He was really unleashing whatever he was feeling right onto his friends. “FOUR WEEKS I’VE BEEN STUCK IN PREVIT DRIVE, NICKING PAPERS OUT OF BINS TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON!”
   
Fred looked to his twin brother, “Poor Harry, he’s gone mental, hasn’t he?”
   
“Wouldn’t you if you were him?” Asked George.
   
“I know I would,” I answer when Fred doesn’t respond. George looks at me with a light, but proud, smile. He was obviously happy that I agreed with him on this.
   
Harry continues to yell at his friends, obviously getting out a lot of anger he’s been building up. He only shouts one more time at them that’s loud enough for us to hear up here on the other floor. After it’s been quiet for a good moment, Fred and George decide to go say hello to Harry and they apparate and then they’re gone. Ginny and I hurry to our feet and make our way down to the stairs back to our bedroom. When we get there they’re all already in conversation and Ginny enters gleefully. “Oh, hello Harry! I thought I heard your voice.”
   
I hide my chuckle at that statement. That shouldn’t have made me laugh but it did.
   
Ginny and I sit on my bed, and we listen to the conversation around us. We end up explaining to Harry what The Order of the Phoenix is and why it’s so important. Dumbledore had started the Order back up to help fight against the Dark Lord, Lord Voldemort.
   
Both mine and Harry’s parents were a part of the Order back during the first Wizarding War. And now that he is back it was time to start them up again with some new members along with the older ones as well. Ron’s parents and his two oldest brothers Bill and Charlie are in the order now, but Harry was informed all about how Percy has decided to believe the lies the ministry is choosing to believe about Harry and Dumbledore and it’s not a good thing. He’s totally defied his family to believe lies. It’s sad.
   
After we’ve caught Harry up on everything that we can tell him, Mrs. Weasley called us down for dinner. We take our usual spots at the end of the table away from all the actual adults. George always sits next to me, no matter if I’m near Fred or not.
   
My mum and dad quickly put it together that George fancied me but they don't say anything about it because they think George is a nice boy, I think they'd  like to see me with George if it came down to it. So even though George made sure he was sitting next to me tonight like he has every night since we arrived here all my dad has to say was, “It looks wonderful Molly,” to Mrs. Weasley as he ladled some stew onto a plate and handing it to be passed down the table to someone else.
   
Dinner started out pretty normal, but it quickly got heavy. Sirius, wanted to tell Harry more than Mrs. Weasley wanted him to know. George got upset, saying that if Harry was young enough to know what was going on that he and Fred should be too because they’re older than Harry. I kept my mouth shut and my face in my stew while I silently ate and listened to the arguments around me.
   
Sirius said that Harry has been through as much as anyone in the Order, even more than some of the people in the Order, and for that he should be able to get to ask some questions. Mrs. Weasley was trying so hard to put her foot down, but at the end of the day as much as she loved Harry like he was her seventh son and eighth child, the truth was he wasn’t. Sirius was Harry’s Godfather and that meant he was the one who had the real parental control over Harry.
   
Even her own Husband was against her on this. My dad tried to be the peacekeeper like he always is and tried to get Sirius and Mrs. Weasley to calm down and speak rationally but it was no use. My dad politely tried to explain that she wasn’t the only person here who cared about Harry and then reminded them that even though Harry is young, he’s old enough to make his own decisions so he should have a say.
   
When Mrs. Weasley finally gave in, it wasn’t without a fight. She tried to make the rest of us kids go up to bed but there was protest from all of them but Hermione about this, starting with the twins bellowing, “We’re of age!” at the same time.
   
“If Harry’s allowed, why can’t I?” Shouted Ron.
   
“But mum I want to!” Wailed Ginny.
   
I was ready to retreat up the stairs, and I thought about the fact that if I got up right now, I’m sure George would follow me, and then Fred would follow him, and if the twins go the others will be forced to follow. Mr. Weasley said that she couldn’t stop Fred and George because they were of age now. That made her angrier. Then Ron reminded her that Harry will just tell them everything anyways so there was no use putting him and Hermione upstairs. My parents shared a look and my dad said I could stay and listen if I wanted to as well just because he knows I have some anxiety about the Order and what they have been doing, but then he added if I wanted to go upstairs I could. It was up to me.
   
“Just stay,” said George in a whisper. “You don’t want to be left out of this.”
   
"Actually I don't," I say, standing up. "I don’t want to know anything about this. I'll go keep Ginny company."
   
I make my way upstairs, and in our room Ginny. She was pretending to be sleeping. She was surprised that I didn't want to stay and listen. I didn’t want to know what my parents were getting into every time they left the house. My dad especially. I couldn’t lose my dad again, not when we've only had two years together.

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Here's part 13!

We're in book 5 now!

-Emily Winchester.