Competition: George Weasley Love Story

13. return to hogwarts

WHEN MOLLY AND ELLIE RETURNED FROM THE CEMETERY, HERMIONE AND GINNY HAD FINISHED UP DINNER. As they walked through the door, the smell of mashed potatoes and roast wafted Ellie in the face. Her stomach grumbled as the smell tempted her and she hurried to the dining room.

Anyone who knows the Weasley twins, knows nothing they do is subtle.

As Ellie turned the corner, the Weasley family jumped out yelling "surprise!" and small confetti cannons that the twins had conjured up exploded. They all wore silly party hats and a huge smile.

Ellie froze in her tracks. She didn't want to celebrate, that's the reason why she had avoided the question George asked earlier. She stared at everyone in the room. "I told you this was a bad idea!" Hermione scolded, swatting George. Ellie looked at everyone, she could feel Molly staring a hole into her waiting for a response. She looked at her love's goofy smile, identical to his twins. Arthur and Ron beaming while Ginny smiled widely as well. Hermione's smile had fell, in fear that Ellie was upset.

Ellie could have been upset. But, looking at the love of her life and her family who put all this together on such short notice, for her, warmed her heart. She thought about Eva, who loved birthday parties. Her blank stare suddenly turned upwards into a smile. "This is wonderful!" She cheered.

"Really?" George asked, relieved.

"Yes! Where did you all get these decorations on such short notice?" She hugged George tightly.

"We are wizards, you know." Fred said sarcastically. Ellie circled the room giving everyone hugs, stopping at George, she kissed his lips softly.

"This is wonderful, Georgie. Thank you." She whispered as their foreheads touched.

"Anything for you, love." George smiled.

Nymphadora and the two men who had went with her had returned with Harry. Ellie recognized one of them as Professor Moody, the real Professor Moody. The children had all been shewed upstairs as the adults had their usual meeting behind closed doors.

Of course, they didn't stay long. After a discussion about why Harry should be pardoned, the kids crowded around the top of the stairs with the twins expendable ear; trying to make sense of the conversation on the other side of the door. It was a good idea; but they didn't think through the fact that Crookshanks was running free around the house.

Luckily, Sirius spilled the beans soon enough. Much to Molly's disapproval, several of the children wanted to join - Harry and Ellie being the most adamant about it.

"No, Sirius. They are just children-" Molly began, furious that Sirius had let it out to the children what they were meeting about.

Ellie cut Molly off, "not to be rude, Molly, but I'm 18 now."

The room fell silent, George raised an eyebrow at Ellie. Molly put her forehead in her hand. "Eleanor, you just don't know what you're getting yourself into. So many lives have been lost due to the Order."

"Actually due to Volde-" Sirius butt in.

"Enough, Sirius. Yes, they were lost due to you-know-who but they never would have been in that situation had it not been for the Order! I lost my brothers. The Potters. Your father, Ellie. The Longbottoms went bloody insane." Molly looked at Ellie and steadied her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "I can't lose you, Ellie. Especially after what happened with Eva."

"Precisely why I want to fight; why we want to fight." She looked at Harry, who nodded in agreement. "Voldemort took my father, his parents, and my sister. We have lost so much to him already."

Molly couldn't argue with that. She nodded softly and bit her fingernail. "Very well. I can't say I'm happy about it. I had the same conversation with Bill and Charlie when they wanted to join. But, you are of age, dear. Harry, please wait until you're 18. I just would feel much better if you did." Harry agreed.

•

The month of August went by quickly. The twins used the fact that they could use magic to their full ability, much to Molly's dislike. The time for the twins and Ellie's last year at Hogwarts was approaching, with a deep feeling in the pit of Ellie's stomach about returning. She didn't know if she could return without Eva and without the help of her little friend in her tea; nevertheless, she had George and that's all she needed. On the bright side, Harry had been pardoned at his hearing.

Dumbledore's beginning of term speech always went the same; but, as last year came the announcement of the Triwizard Tournament, this year came with the announcement of the new DADA professor: Delores Umbridge.

Returning to the common room, Ellie snuggled with George on the couch next to Fred and Angelina while they talked to some of their fellow 7th year Gryffindor students about the upcoming year; Ellie received many condolences about her sister, which she thanked and quickly changed the subject.

Lost in their own conversation, the couples didn't hear the tempers begin flaring between Harry and Seamus until their voices began to raise. Ellie clenched her fists at her side as Seamus denounced Harry's account of Voldemort's return; stating that his mum didn't want him to return to Hogwarts due to Harry's attendance. Ellie quickly jumped up and walked over to the boys, furious. George didn't attempt to grab her; he would be there if she needed him, but trying to hold Eleanor Blake back when she was angry was like playing with fire. George liked Seamus, but watched proudly as Ellie stomped over to Seamus, grabbing him by his shirt collar and slamming him up against the bricks next to the fire place.

By this time, Ron had joined the argument and was defending Harry. Ellie never said a word, until she had Seamus where she wanted him, quivering under her grasp. She was quite terrifying. "You ever call Harry a liar again and it'll be the last thing you do, you hear me? Maybe if you get your nose out of the Daily Prophet and quit listening to Rita Skeeter's bull than you would realize that my sister was killed and Harry is not a liar." Ellie shoved him harder against the brick. "She didn't die for you to talk like this, you understand, Finnegan?"

"Yes, ma'am." Seamus shook.

"Thank you." Ellie smiled as she released him. He quickly ran up the stairs.