Trust Me // George Weasley

Chapter 26: The Zoo

Though she hated giving her father a chance, she could not help but wonder what it was like to have a sibling. The way George always talked about his siblings and his family had only made her inner-child crave those same relationships even more. Now that Anna found out that she had a half-sister, one who was excited to meet her, she simply could not say no.
However, she was not ready to build up a new, better, bond with her father yet, so George had suggested taking Laurie to the zoo. That way Anna did not have to sit in her father's new home where the conversation would feel incredibly forced and uncomfortable.
Her father and Holly had thought it was a good idea because Laurie apparently loved going to the zoo. Her father had happily told Anna that they went at least once a month. Anna had gone to the zoo with her father once when she was eight, they left within an hour because he had to go back to work and she could not even visit the elephants.
So, about two weeks after she saw her father, George and Anna travelled for two hours on the train on their way to Leeds. Anna had never been to Leeds before. Her father moved here a little over six months ago and she had not visited him, obviously, because if she had she would have found out that she had a two-year-old sister.
The house was big, really big, with loads of windows and what seemed to be a brand new door. There were two large garage doors and she was sure two expensive cars were behind them. The front-yard had perfectly cut, green grass and several bushes. Everything seemed so perfect. If people only knew what kind of man lived inside.
"Are you ready to meet your sister?" George asked her, resting his hand on her lower back. She nodded and looked up at him.
"Yeah, I mean, as ready as you can be for that?" she said, unsure, and shrugged her shoulders. He nodded and then rang the doorbell. Her heart was beating in her throat. She was so nervous about what was to come. It was an indescribable feeling, finding out you have a half-sister and another sibling on the way.
Holly was the one that opened the door for them. Anna's eyes instantly noticed that she already had a large belly. Holly smiled brightly at them and wrapped her arms around Anna, who was a little shocked at the enthusiastic hug she received.
"Hello! It's so nice to finally see you again," Holly said excitedly and then turned to George. "And it's so nice to meet you. I'm Holly, Anna's step-mother." Anna almost choked on air. Never had she heard Holly say those words before.
"I'm George. Anna's boyfriend," George said and shook Holly's hand, a smile on his lips. He was so social and open. He was the one who convinced Anna that it was worth a try, just one more try. Without him, she unsure if she would have been here today. He was not pushing her to do it, he just did not want her to live her life full of regret because she never took the chance to meet her sister.
"Come in, come in," Holly said waved them in, closing the door behind them. "Laurie is so excited that you are here. Richard is too. Would you like some tea?"
"No, thank you, Holly. We're just here to pick up Laurie," said Anna. Her entire body had stiffed up again. It always happened when she was in situations with her father.
"You have a beautiful home," George said politely as Holly guided them to the kitchen. She thanked him politely and talked about how her sister had helped her with the interior, joking about how Richard did not have an eye for home decor.
Anna could not say that Holly and her sister had. The house was filled with picture frames of Holly, her father and Laurie. On every wall, there were inspirational quotes that she found to be a bit cringy.

"Anna, George, welcome," Richard said and stood up from the kitchen table. He went for a hug, but Anna moved back slightly, so instead, he patted the side of her arm. "Good to have you here." He shook George's hand and then sat back down.
"Come on, don't be shy. Sit down, have some tea," he said and gestured to the two chairs in front of him. "Holly, could you wake Laurie up from her nap? I would like to talk to Anna for a moment."
"Of course, darling," Holly said, hurrying off again.
"We don't want tea, father," Anna said, not moving an inch. "We're just here to put up Laurie and go to the zoo with her."
"Very well," he said and took a sip from his coffee. "Laurie is excited to meet you." Anna nodded. 
"We're excited to meet her too," George broke the silence. "Aren't we, Anna?" He raised an eyebrow at her. She looked at him and then at her father.
"Yes. I am," she mumbled.
"Have you sold a painting yet?" her father asked her, trying to make conversation. It felt forced to her. The tension between them was insane. She was not trying to make it disappear anymore, she had learned better than that. Relationships are two-sided, and her relationship with her father had been one-sided for years until even she stopped trying.
"Erm, yes, I have actually. Five. Two people bought two and then another customer bought one," she explained. It excited her a lot, but it was not showing right now. Five of her paintings sold and she did not even feel like celebrating it with her father.
"It's fantastic," George said, beaming with pride. "I'm sure all the other's will sell this last week too." She smiled a little at him. He was trying to make this easier for her and she appreciated it so much. There were footsteps coming down the stairs again and before she could fully turn around, two small arms wrapped around her leg tightly.
"Anna!!" Laurie cheered happily. "Anna is here!"
"Oh, Laurie, you can't just-" Holly sighed, but Anna shook her head.
"It's okay," she said and then bent through her knees so she was at the same height as Laurie. "Hi Laurie, I'm Anna." Laurie giggled and nodded. Anna could not be cross with a two-year-old who did not even know about her existence either.
"Hi," she said. She shyly looked up at George, who then also bent through his knees.
"Hi Laurie, I'm George," he said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he patted her back, chuckling slightly. Anna smiled a little at the sight. Though she felt weird in her stomach, seeing her little sister made her feel happy too.
"We go zoo!" she cheered and turned back to Anna, who had stood up straight again. Laurie held her arms up and moved her fingers, motioning for Anna to lift her up, so she did. She sat Laurie on her hip, who immediately started to play with Anna's hair.
"Do you have a bag with her stuff? A bottle, diapers, I don't know?" she asked Holly, who lifted up a large bag and patted it. Anna had zero experience with babies or young children, but she was sure that she and George could figure it out.
"Bottle, diapers, wipes, pacifier, some food, biscuits, her blanket as well as her favourite stuffed animal," she explained. "Just give her some food around noon and if she asks for a biscuit she can have it. I also packed some strawberries for her and a juice box. There's also a towel in here, just in case."
"In case of what?" Anna asked, confused.
"She gets wet from rain or the playground. Today it's supposed to stay dry but you never know," Holly smiled. "Also, if you let her on the playground, keep a close eye on her, she likes to put stuff in her mouth lately."
"Will do," Anna said and nodded.
"Come, I will show you how the car-seat works and how the stroller folds and unfolds," Holly said and waved for them to come along.
"Oh, I don't have a car. We came with the train," she explained quickly, making Holly stop walking.
"You can take our car," Richard said and handed the keys over to George. "Do you know how to drive?" Images of George flying in his father's flying car when he was sixteen flashed before his eyes and he quickly shook his head.
"I don't have my license," he said. Richard frowned a little and then handed the keys to Anna, who already had her hand out. "Just be careful." She nodded and then followed Holly out to the garage.
Holly showed them how to put Laurie in her car seat and then explained how to fold the stroller before putting it in the trunk. Laurie was mumbling happily in the backseat as Anna got behind the steering wheel and George sat in the passenger's seat.
"Who's ready to go to the zoo?" he cheered. Laurie shrieked a loud 'me' and clapped her hands happily. Anna chuckled a little and then started the car, driving off to the zoo.