Begin Again (George Weasley/Draco Malfoy)

Nineteen.

Christmas was rather quiet, actually. We woke up to the twins apparating into our bedroom to wake us girls up. “Good morning, ladies,” they singsong together. I sit up, and swing my legs over my bed and stretch my arms out over my head, letting out a little yawn as I do so.
   
“Good morning, boys,” I tell them after I have yawned.
   
George sits next to me in my bed and plants a quick kiss onto my cheek, “Merry Christmas, Love.”
   
“Merry Christmas, Darling,” I say back, flashing him a smile.
   
“Ah yes,” says Fred, now sitting on the other side of me as well, “Your first Christmas as a couple. What did you get my brother, Adelaide? It better be expensive, too, ya know. To make up for all the years you kept him waiting.”
   
George scoffs at his twin, “Ignore him, Adelaide. The fact that you agreed to date me is more than enough.”
   
Hermione coos, and both she and Ginny place a hand onto their chest over their hearts and give each other a loving look, “How sweet,” says Hermione.
   
“I didn’t realize you were such a romantic, George,” Says Ginny, giving her brother a smile.
   
George’s ears turn red obviously embarrassed, Fred snickers, “No, what you don’t realize is how long he’s been in love with Adelaide.”
   
“Stop embarrassing him,” I say to Fred, giving him a look that tells him to shut up.
   
“Well, there was actually a reason why we’re here,” says George, “and it’s not to tease me.”
   
Fred’s smile vanishes, “Right, um, our mum has been crying all morning.”
   
I gasp.
   
“What? Why?” Asks Hermione.
   
“Is something wrong with dad?” Asks Ginny, sounding worried.
   
“No, no, Dad is fine,” assures George, “It’s our arse of a brother, Percy.”
   
“What has he done now?” Asks Hermione.
   
“He sent back his Christmas jumper,” says Fred. “With no note.”
   
“He hasn’t asked how dad is, or visited him, or anything,” adds George.
   
“That arse,” hisses Ginny.
   
“We tried to comfort her,” said Fred, “told her Percy’s nothing more than a humongous pile of rat droppings.”
   
“It didn’t work,” says George, continuing for his twin, “So Sirius took over. Best let him cheer her up before we go down for breakfast I reckon.”
   
The other Weasley’s and their third oldest son, Percy, have been on the outs since he started working for the Ministry of Magic after he finished at Hogwarts. He’s the Junior Advisor to the Minister of Magic, and he believes everything the Minister is saying. He believes that Dumbledore is old and needs to be put out of Hogwarts. If you ask me, it’s Fudge that needs a swift kick in the head, but that’s just my opinion.
   
When we all decided to head downstairs, Mrs. Weasley looked like she had just stopped crying. It was so sad. No one should cry on Christmas, especially not because of one of their children. I give her a hug, and tell her Merry Christmas, and she gives me a squeeze, and I let her hug me for as long as she needs because I know she needs it right now. It’s then that my dad enters the house, and Sirius is excited as usual to see his old friend. George greets him politely, giving him a firm, yet welcoming, handshake. My dad always liked George, but recently, since my dad found out George and I are an item, George has been even more respectful towards him.
   
“I was wondering where you took off to this morning,” says Sirius.
   
“I was just out, retrieving a last minute present for my daughter,” My dad says.
   
“For me?” I ask turning to take a good look at him now. He nods, and moves his hand in the direction of the living room and I enter it. I see my mum standing there, hanging up her coat taking her hat off her head. Her pin straight, light blonde hair falling onto her shoulders.
   
“Mum!” I shout and run to her and we embrace tightly.
   
“Oh I missed you so much, sweetie!” she says squeezing me tightly against her. I haven’t seen her since I found out I was made a Prefect, that was nearly six months ago now. She loosens her grip but doesn’t let go of me but holds me in place so she can look me dead in the eyes and say, “And how come I had to hear it from your father and not you that you have your first boyfriend? I thought we were closer than that.”
   
“Oh, I’m sorry,” I say, and I mean it. I didn’t think dad would tell mum, but I guess since they just saw each other it made sense. “It’s so recent, I haven't had the time to write. Also, the new Hogwarts High Inquisitor is watching all the mail so I didn’t want to send any letters.”
   
My mum rolls her eyes and lets out a quick scoff at the mention of Umbridge, “The new High Inquisitor. Quite the evil being from what I heard.”
    
I laugh at that, “She definitely is.”
   
“Oh, Delilah, what a lovely surprise,” says Mrs. Weasley entering the living room. “Merry Christmas.”
   
“Merry Christmas, Molly,” says my mother as the two share a quick hug.
   
We all retreat back into the kitchen then where everyone else is. Sirius is the first to greet my mum, “Lilah, good to see you. Merry Christmas.”
   
“Sirius,” my mum beams, as the two hug and she gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Always a pleasure. Merry Christmas.”
   
George is next, handing out his hand to my mum saying, “Merry Christmas Ms. Fawley.”
   
My mother isn’t dumb, she knew why this Weasley was saying Marry Christmas to her. My mum shakes his hand, giving him a smile and says, “You must be the twin my daughter is dating. George, right?”
   
“Yeah, that’s me,” he nods, smiling as well.
   
“You’ve got good taste, kid,” says my mum, her smile getting bigger. George slightly blushes. “And so does my daughter,” she cups her hands around his face, “you are just adorable.”
   
“Mum,” I say stepping in now, “Don’t embarrass the poor boy.”
   
“Oh I’m sorry,” she says letting go of George, who still has a big smile on his face.
   
“Delilah, please join us for breakfast, won’t you,” Says Mrs. Weasley as she begins to put out all of the food she’s been working on this morning. “I know you must be hungry from your ride over here.”
    
“I am quite peckish, actually,” says my mum with a smile.
   
We all sit and eat breakfast then, as one big, happy family. My mum, dad, and Sirius start reminiscing over the last time they had Christmas breakfast together. When Harry’s parents, Lily and James Potter, were still alive. “Lily and I were both pregnant,” says my mum, “I was farther along than she was though, given that Adelaide was born at the end of April and Harry at the end of July, and your dad asked Lily and James to be your godparents that day, Adelaide.”
   
I have never heard this story. I was always told that my godparents were dead, that they died while I was a baby. I don’t know why I never put it together that it was the Potters, “What?” I ask, “I never knew that.”
   
“Oh yes,” says Sirius, nodding his head of long, thick, dark brunette curls, “Lily was quite delighted to be a godmother.”
   
“It also could have been the pregnancy hormones,” my dad jokes, “She started crying.”
   
“Wow, I can’t believe I never put that together.” I say as I take a sip of my tea. “I mean, you always told me my godparents weren’t alive anymore but you never told me who they were and I never put it together who they were on my own. Odd.” So, it just further proves that Harry and I were connected long before we were ever even born. My godparents were his parents.
   
My mum decided to tag along with us while we went to visit Mr. Weasley at St. Mungo’s. My dad stayed back to keep Sirius company while we were gone. The oldest Weasley son, Bill, was already there visiting his dad when we arrived. Mr. Weasley was very excited to see all of us. He was excited to see my mum out of everyone, because she was a new face.
   
Fred, George, and Bill all head up to the tea room together after a while with their father. Mrs. Weasley gets angry at her husband when he tells her that he allowed the healer to perform a Muggle practice on him called stitches. That’s when the rest of us kids all decide to exit the room as well. We decide to join the twins and Bill upstairs and we head to the fifth floor. But before we can find the three of them, we run into Gilderoy Lockhart, our old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. He kept badgering us to get his autograph, so we decided to just get the autograph, say thank you and Merry Christmas, and then leave.
   
While we were waiting for him to finish signing our autographs, Harry noticed someone that we went to school with, Neville Longbottom. He was with his grandmother. He called out his name to get his attention and he looked absolutely frightened. He came over to us though, he had already been seen so I guess he figured there was no need to hide.
   
Neville’s grandmother ended up telling us why they were here, to see Neville’s parents. They were original members of the Order of the Phoenix, but they were tortured to insanity, that’s why Neville was raised by his grandmother. That’s who they were here visiting. His grandmother was damn near appalled Neville had never told us about his parents, and what they had done, because they were so brave for what they did, scoffing at him for being ashamed of their bravery. Neville said he wasn’t ashamed to be their son, but his grandmother didn’t buy it.
   
Then his mother joined us, not speaking, but just on a little walk down the hallways. She handed Neville an empty Drooble's Blowing Gum wrapper and trotted off again. That’s when his grandmother said they should be leaving, and she told Neville to throw the wrapper out, but I watched as Neville put it into his jeans pocket.
   
As we were walking away, Harry explained to us that a death eater called Bellatrix Lestrange, and three others, used the Cruciatus Curse on his parents and that’s why she was thrown in Azkaban Prison. Ron asked him how he knew this, and Harry said Dumbledore told him but swore Harry to secrecy because Neville obviously didn’t want anyone to know. When we finally met up with the twins and Bill in the tea room, Ron spilled what had just happened. Fred and George both listened to the story intently. “So that’s why Neville wanted to join the D.A. so bad.” Says Fred when the story was over.
   
We sat at a table with Bill and the twins for about an hour before we decided to head back to Mr. Weasley. We figured that Mrs. Weasley had stopped yelling at him by now.
   
That night when we went home for dinner, Hermione handed out her gifts for all of us. She got Harry, Ron, and I all homework planners. I was the only one of us that seemed genuinely happy that she gave me this. I really needed it with all the homework that the Professors are giving us because of the O.W.L.’s this year. And from what Fred, George, and Bill had told us, it only gets worse after the Holiday break.
   
Mrs. Weasley handed out her hand knitted jumpers to the boys, and handed Hermione and I some lovely hand knitted scarves and a hat. She must have not had time to finish her jumpers with everything going on with her husband. My mum handed me her gift plus a letter she said it was delivered by the same Eagle Owl that delivered the last one. I lied and told her it was from Jude and I took it upstairs to read it, examining Draco’s handwriting on the front of the envelope.
   
I had no clue what this one was for this time, I thought I told him I didn’t want to be his friend. I don’t know why he kept trying. I tell myself I am only reading this letter out of curiosity and then it’s going straight into the fire. I was surprised when he didn’t address me as my little codename/nickname Axinite, but my actual name.