with love, george |g. weasley|

chapter four

chapter four; the vegetable garden

"Eloise, Molly needed to know by yesterday what our plans were for the cup. I think this could be a really good way for you to ease back into society!" Remus leaned against Eloise's door, giving her a questioning look. He watched Eloise sit up in her bed, her feeding tube and fluid IV tugging on her body.

"You just want to go to the cup, If I don't go then you can't." Eloise smiled down at her copy of The Phantom Tollbooth, her favorite book from her childhood. Her fingers grazing carefully over the worn blue cover and yellowing pages filled with colorful annotations.

"What! No." Remus looked away from Eloise, his cheeks flushed, "I want to spend time with my Goddaughter."

"Right." Eloise tried to hide her smirk, picking up where she left off in her paperback.

"I also think it's a good idea, Elle bug." Sirius appeared in the doorway, putting his hand on Remus's shoulder.

"Are you trying to embarrass me in front of the whole Weasley family?" Eloise nodded to her iv pole, shuddering at the cream formula running down the tube.

"This isn't embarrassing, Eloise. You're recovering." Remus frowned, crossing his arms.

"Fine. Only if I can do my treatments in secret, I don't want the whole house knowing." Eloise dropped her book on her lap, flopping her head on her pillow. Her stomach ached with worry.

what if someone saw her with her feeding tube? Did Dumbledore tell the school where she went after the night at the shrinking shack? Were there rumors going around about her?

"REALLY?" Remus jumped in the air, revealing his already packed suitcase in his hand.

"You already packed?" Eloise put her hand over her mouth, stunned to see how excited her godfather was.

"Eloise, I've been packed since you got that letter."

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Eloise could feel her heartbeat in her ears as Remus knocked on the door of the Burrow. Her breathing felt shallow, and her eyes glazed over as she zoned in and out. This would be the first time she interacted with real people in many months. She tried to remember the little bit she knew about being in a social setting.

They're all going to think I'm a freak.

"Eloise?" Remus looked at Eloise, nudging her with his elbow to get her attention.

"I'm so sorry, pardon me." Eloise nodded to Mrs. Weasley, taking a step backward.

You're messing it up already.

"You okay?" Remus put a hand on her shoulder, trying to look Eloise in the eye.

"I'm fine, I just need a moment." Eloise gave them both a strained smile, turning to the garden.

"Remus?" Molly watched Eloise with worried eyes.

"She's been pretty isolated since the hospital, this is the first time she's been around a group of people since Hogwarts. She'll come around, she just gets anxious." Remus watched Eloise set her trunk down on the grass, then laid down on the prickly ground.

Molly smiled warmly, nodding understandingly while Remus walked into the house. Molly glanced outside once and a while to make sure she was okay, part of her ached that Eloise had such a hard year.

"Have you heard anything from Isa?" Arthur handed Remus a lemonade, his eyebrow raised in question.

"Nothing." Remus grimaced, sipping his drink.