"I like you George, but I can't"
"Why not?"
"Because I'm going to die"
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Astrid is not your typical Ravenclaw. She doesn't study, she isn't smart and she has gotten stuck out of the Common room way too many time...
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"Are you sure this is completely safe from Death Eaters?" George asked, following Astrid into her house. "I've been living here for a while now. It's safe." She said before biting her tongue. Astrid realized that her choice of words only indicated that she had been there all along and didn't contact the Weasley even once. "Would you like some water?" She asked George and he shook his head. The two sat down at the dining table not speaking another word to each other. "Let me fix that for you.." Astrid stood up and vanished into her room, returning with a first aid kit. Though the girl could easily fix George's bandage with magic, doing it the muggle way would allow her to stall talking to him.
"How'd you lose your ear, Georgie?" She asked in a soft voice while removing his bandage from his head. "How'd you survive, Astrid?" He looked up at Astrid who was standing before him. "It's a long story George-" "-you conned me into thinking that you were dead for a year. I think I have the time."
"I don't know," Astrid knew there was no point stalling the boy, it was a now or never situation, "I did fall through that veil you know, and I did technically die. I met my dad, I think he's responsible for this.." She said. George's eyes were closed and he was listening intently as Astrid replaced the bandage with a new one. "I didn't come back because I just could. I came back for a mission which I need to complete. I woke up about two days before Dumbledore's death. I was at the funeral, I was in st. Ottery too. But I had to complete this mission before I could see anyone. I swear, if this wasn't putting your life in danger, I would've been in the burrow on day one, but it's funny how life works. The mission bought me back to you..." she chuckled in the last part. There was a silence, tension was like oxygen in the air and Astrid's heart was racing. "George..please say something.." Astrid was starting to get more and more nervous. He didn't say anything for a while, they just sat there in complete silence. Astrid frustratedly stood up and vanished into one of the rooms again. George didn't know how to feel yet. The girl he loved lied to him. He had to live without her for a year and only Fred knew how he survived. The boy had lost the will to do anything. He stayed in denial for so long, he wasn't ready for it. And now here she was in front of him, telling him that she wasn't dead, that it didn't matter, that she wanted forgiveness.
She appeared again from behind the door of her room with a cigarette in her hand. George's jaw fell as she easily smoked through it. "You're stressing me out George!" She said again.
George looked at the girl, her hair was a mess, her eyes were baggy and she was stress-smoking. No matter what had happened, George loved her and couldn't see her so distressed. "Pack your things, you're coming home with me." He said, his jaw clenched. "Really?" "This doesn't mean I want anything to do with you. It will make mum feel better is all" Astrid felt bed when he said those words, he really hated her. But she took it as an opportunity. If they lived in the same house, Astrid could make up for her disappearance.
With a flick of her wand, Astrid and George apparated to Aunt Muriel's. It was one of the safe houses for the order. Molly wasn't there when George and Astrid reached home. She and Arthur were back at the burrow checking on things. George went up the stairs and came back down with Fred. The older twin had a fit. "She could be an impostor!" Fred said. "I'm not, I can prove it" Astrid felt a little better about Fred's reaction. Atleast he reacted. George had completely shut her out. The girl showed Fred the two necklaces again and he believed her. Fred was ecstatic to have one of his best friends back. "I've missed you" he hugged her tightly. "I've missed you too, Freddie" She whispered into the hug. Astrid then proceeded to explain to Fred, and an unresponsive George, what had happened in the past month. "What is this mission?" Fred asked her. "I had to find something or rather someone" She said. "Verena Reeves to be exact" Fred's eyes went wide at the mention of Verena. "What do you mean?" "Well, my dad was married before he was married to my mom. Her name was Aubrie. But they got divorced, Verena is my older sister. Her powers are dangerous and I can protect her. I have to protect her" Astrid continued to explain what her father had told her and it seemed like Fred's jaw dropped further by each piece of news.
