The Happy Ending We Deserve

Chapter 2- Hope

I looked around the Joke Shop office and spotted George staring at a picture on his desk. I knew what it was, without looking.
Cutting off the spell, I told Ginny and Harry to watch the kids while I went and grabbed George. Not even bothering to knock, I gently pushed the office door open and headed towards the man in the chair. Slowly, I slid my hands down his shoulders, before wrapping them around his neck.

"It's been six years." He whispered.

"I know." I whispered back, pressing a gentle kiss to his neck.

"It was getting easier, then all of a sudden it was like it was happening all over again. I could barely eat lunch today." He said, leaning into me further.
I sighed sadly, hating that this was happening to him. I knew this all too well.

"It will happen. Sometimes it will be like it happened yesterday, others it will feel like it happened ten years ago. It will hurt and push you to a breaking point, but the only thing you can focus on are the happy products that came out of the grief and pain." I whispered, feeling my own tears building. "It's been a few years."

George slowly turned in his chair and pulled me to straddle his lap. He pressed his face into my neck, as his arms circled my waist and held me tightly. I felt his hot tears land on my bare skin, and all I could feel was the hallow empty pit in my stomach. Time doesn't heal wounds, it dulls them till their bearable to live with.

"I love you." He whispered, pulling away and wiping at his eyes.

I smiled softly, my hand running through his hair gently. "I love you too."

Leaning forward, he pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. "We have to get going." He kissed me again and again.

"Your not moving." I pointed out, kissing him back.

"Neither are you."

Chuckling, I kissed him one last time before standing completely and pulling me with him. After closing everything up, we apparated home.

The hallway lined with photos was the first thing I saw, before Ginny stuck her head around the door to the living room. Smiling and nodding my head, I directed George to the nearby bathroom to clean himself up; while I grabbed the kids.

"Kids! Come down here please!" I called up the stairs, as I picked Freddie up, who was crawling up my legs. Amelia, Nikole, and Teddy barreled down the stairs and stoped in front of me. "Hey, girls, I need you to go give your dad a hug. He's having a bad day, and the only way to fix it is to hug him really tightly." I whispered with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because he had a bad day at work." Was all I said. They nodded enthusiastically, before rushing away, leaving Teddy behind. "Why don't you come grab some watermelon and go hug your parents."

When Teddy disappeared from sight, I bounced Freddie lightly on my hip. The usual empty feeling filled my body like a punch to the gut. It's been six years. I saw a picture of Remus, my mom, and I standing outside the bayou house.
'It use to be Jackson's house, until he died.' Mom explained one day. 'He would be so happy that your here, Hope.'

A suffocating feeling tightened around my chest and squeezed harshly, forcing a sharp breath out of me. Loss had a funny way of showing up like this, but this year has been harder. When I was pregnant it was always worse, it was like I was reliving their deaths over and over again in my dreams. Quickly wiping a tear away, I headed for the kitchen.

"Everything ok, Hope?" Ginny asked softly.

"It's been six years. It's been a few years." I whispered softly, placing Freddie back on the floor. "It's just harder today than others."