Whispers began circulating the Bloom Bunker as the requests from the clientele began to get stranger and stranger. Request for defensive plants was raised and Beth soon put a new system in place for the purchase of anything dangerous. This was a major cause of stress for Cosette, as that required her to constantly be suspicious of everyone who walked through the greenhouse doors.
The more private guests that got to purchase from Beth's private stock and store, passed along her subtle warnings if someone with known connections to "he who must not be named" was spotted near the shop and left her bits of information that the papers coincidentally left out. Cosette was well-liked, even among the less trustful and she couldn't exactly talk back, so old men loved to run their mouths as if she had never seen a word formed in a mouth before and couldn't put the pieces together.
Cosette began to relay these whispers to her father who, after turning 17, no longer felt like he needed to shield her from what was happening in the world. She made it clear to him that she could handle herself and had a mind of her own. He was prouder than he could say to see her blossoming into an independent witch who didn't need her father to protect her anymore. She had started her seventh and last year in school, and wouldn't be his little girl for much longer.
While at school, having Cosette be so far made George want to be at school even less as Umbridge's refused to teach them the defensive magic that they desperately needed to learn. Even Dumbledore's army couldn't fill the hole that was left when trips to Hogsmeade were revoked as punishment and Umbridge began making sure that he and Fred were accounted for at all times, making it impossible to sneak off and see her. By the time Christmas started to roll around, it had been a month and a half since he had last seen her.
He did get to see her early, but not in a way that was good. His father had been attacked while doing some kind of mission for the order of the phoenix that they refused to tell them any details about. The kids were snatched from their beds and moved to Grimuled Place in the middle of the night and George was so scared for his father he couldn't even be excited about seeing Cosette, worried that he might cry in front of her. He absolutely did, just a little, when he finally got settled into her arms as they silently waited for information, but he didn't think that anyone noticed. He couldn't help it as he laid his head against her chest and she wrapped him up in her arms and her hands in his hair, twirling a small piece in a soothing yet innocent gesture.
When it came time to go to bed, having to leave her was much harder than he had expected it to be or that it ever had been. Every nerve in his body screamed to stay with her and the idea of walking away seemed so unpleasant that as he lingered by the doorway unable to force himself to move. She smiled and jumped into bed, holding out the covers to him with a mischievous smile.
He laid with her for a while, wondering and hoping that when he found a good moment to ask her, that she would say yes to moving in with him and Fred into the new building they were in the process of purchasing for their joke shop.
Before he left he told her that he loved her, and she told him with her whole heart and soul that she loved him back.
They were allowed to visit their father in the morning, taking Cosette along with them. She carried with her an elaborate bouquet of Queen Annes Lace and the loudest batch of honking daffodils that they had ever had the misfortune to listen too. Their effect was as intended as the funny flowers had Arthur laughing before they even entered the room. That was one of his favorite things about her, she always knew just what to do to brighten up a room.
After Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny left, the conversation took a darker turn as the adults loosened their words to reflect the absence of children in the room. Cosette was no longer treated like a child in the eyes of the order- the information she brought to the table was too valuable to treat her as such. That meant that Fred and George were ignored, as they wouldn't be leaving her side anyway.
Everyone extra started to file out as the conversations came to an end and as soon as the last non-weasly or Cosette left the room, Molly spontaneously burst into tears. Arthur reached for her but winced as his fragile wounds pulled at the movement, so Cosette rose from her seat to comfort her for him.
"Don't worry about me, dear," She said, wiping her tears. "I could really just use some good news for once."
With that, she glanced at George and raised an eyebrow at him. She had an idea of how to cheer Molly up but wanted to make sure that George was okay with it. Bill was there giving her a nod and a smile encouraging her to do it as well. With the attention on her, Molly turned to fully face her to see why the boys had suddenly given her so much attention. Cosette took her hands, just like she had to George the night of the yule ball, and placed them around the pendant.
"Maybe this helps?" She asked innocently. Molly didn't hesitate to look in her hands as George did, and the room seemed to erupt into happiness. Molly was crying and hugging her and hugging George and hugging them together, Arthur was cheering himself trying to get a better look as she made George come and compare the two necklaces to each others.
"I must admit this does help!" She told them, tears forming in her eyes that weren't the anxious and scared ones as before but happy and hopeful. That was what the real purpose of a soulmate was- hope. Hope and the idea that somewhere out there there is someone who is made especially for you and will assure your happiness. Arthur and Molly had known they were soulmates from about the same time as the two of them were finding out, and knowing her son would be loved and cared for was all that a mother could want.
AUTHORS NOTE
Long time no see everyone. I haven't posted since march 2021 and its currently February 2023... my bad. I got a random spurt of inspiration after having drafted this story to its end then proceeding to lose the entire folder that i kept it all in. I cant promise that this will become a common occurrence but it felt good to reread and write for you guys so the more you hype me up in the comments the more likely you are to get a new chapter because its you, reader, who inspired me to continue.
This chapter is very much unedited and riddled with mistakes but you get what you get and you don't pitch a fit!
Love yall
Rose
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Compass *George Weasley
Fanfiction"I thought you were stuck on the whole soulmate idea?" He asked him. At first, George was confused, not understanding what he meant or why he couldn't just say it out loud, then his brain processed what he was being told, and he pulled his hand away...
