By the time George Weasley returned to the Burrow, everyone had already arrived.
George shrugged off his coat at the door and kissed Angelina on the cheek.
“Why so late? I passed Diagon Alley on the way over, the joke shop was already shut ages ago.” Percy looked up from the sofa.
“Had a therapy appointment, and Ron needed to go to the Ministry to find Harry, so we closed up early?” George settled into an armchair with Angelina, the two of them squeezed together, legs tangled.
“Oh, George, you’re back!” Molly came running out of the kitchen at the sound of his voice and kissed George on the forehead.
“Everything go all right?”
“Not bad, Mum.” George smiled.
Bill’s eldest, Victoire, came barreling out of the kitchen clutching a skewer of toasted marshmallows and launched straight onto George’s lap.
George laughed and scooped Victoire up.
“Little Fleur’s favorite uncle is me, right?!”
Victoire’s nose wrinkled, and Victoire wriggled into a comfortable position in George’s arms.
“Where’s Domi?” George looked around.
“Right here.” Ron came around the corner carrying Dominique.
A few strands of Ron’s hair were still damp, and there were water stains on the front of the shirt.
“Absolutely takes after the father’s personality, just poured an entire mug of hot cocoa all over, and it took me ages to get it sorted.” Ron muttered, handing Dominique over to Bill.
“Go torment your father.”
“Do you have the address of that therapy clinic?” Hermione asked George, considerately casting a drying charm on Ron without breaking stride.
George raised an eyebrow and fished a business card from a pocket, passing it over.
“Just got it from Dr. Aiken. Why? Has Harry actually agreed to see a therapist already?”
“Grudging, but it counts as coming around.” Hermione sighed and took the card, studying it carefully.
“Harry’s not here?” George scanned the room and seemed to work something out.
“Mm-hmm. Busy with work.” Ron frowned.
“I’d bet, at the rate Harry’s going, it won’t be long before Harry’s Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.”
“Sounds like a deliberate excuse to me.” Ginny’s eyes rolled.
Ginny was sitting beside Percy’s wife Audrey, one hand resting gently on Audrey’s rounded belly, a new life growing within.
“I even skipped Quidditch practice tonight to be here.”
Ron’s mouth twisted.
“Anyway — Harry said it’s not about avoiding you.”
Molly came out of the kitchen carrying a freshly cut plate of fruit.
“Is Harry all right?” The question was worried, clearly prompted by Ron’s words.
“Harry only just got out of hospital, not even fully recovered yet.”
“Harry’s fine, Mum,” Percy said reassuringly.
“Hermione supervises lunch every day, and I drop by often enough too.”
Molly sighed, nodded, and said nothing more.
Ron and Hermione exchanged a glance, and both broke into a wry smile at the same moment.
Everyone in the room could probably guess what Harry was thinking.
That included the reason Harry and Ginny had broken up, part of it coming down to this very thing.
Yet no one brought it out into the open.
It wasn’t an easy thing to say.
No one wanted to pierce that paper wall, because piercing it would only make it seem as though they cared too much.
“I’ll go call Dad and Charlie in for dinner.” Fleur stepped forward and broke the silence.
“They’re still out back fixing that bicycle.”
➤ Next: A New Visitor
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