ELINOR WOKE UP feeling... incredibly sleepy.

Which was odd, since she had spent the last ten hours being asleep.

"Ellie?"

Elinor's eyes peeled open. The curtain was drawn closed, the lamp was turned off, and the only source of light in her hospice was the yellowish gleam from the busy St. Mungo's hallway.

Under the dim lighting, George's flaming red hair turned ashen.

"Hey..."

He took a seat on her bedside as he reached for her limp hand, kissing her knuckles softly.

Elinor's eyes travelled sluggishly to meet his and she smiled. She croaked back, "Hey..."

George kept his promise. He vowed to stay with her and be the first person she saw when she woke up. And he did.

"How are you feeling, love?" He whispered as he brushed some stray strands of hair off her pale face.

"Sleepy," Elinor admitted, causing George to chuckle.

"You're cured, Elle. We have to return every few months and make sure it stays that way, but your head's cured," he said as his fingers rhythmically caressed her head, "Hermione and Mum is taking your family out to eat. They still can't stop asking about our world. Marco asked me to make him fly and he shrieked like a little girl when I levitated him."

Elinor mustered enough strength to chuckle lightly and shifted her position.

"Go back to sleep, Elle."

"Will you stay?" She whispered hoarsely.

"I'm not going anywhere," George said in assurance.

With his melodious voice and the feel of his soft, warm lips pressed against her forehead in mind, Elinor closed her eyes and fell back into a state of torpor.

☆★☆

THE ROUSSEAUS WERE enjoying a slow, nice dinner when a bluish magpie flew right through the door, earning a series of shrieks as it circled over their heads.

And then the magpie spoke.

It actually spoke in George's voice.

"Ellie! Ellie, I can cast a Patronus now! Can you believe it?! Whoa-ha-ha! Bloody hell! This is brilliant!"

Elinor smiled toothily, feeling genuinely happy for his accomplishment. This would be the first Patronus he could conjure after the death of his twin brother.

But then the magpie spirit dispersed into thin air and she remembered that there were four Muggles in the room.

Ezme was the first to react. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Etienne was too stunned to shun his daughter for cursing out loud.

"It—" Elinor cleared her throat, flustered, "It's a corporeal Patronus. Like a spirit animal that contains positive force conjured by— it's— it's George."

Bielle gaped like a fish out of water.

Elinor hurriedly said, "I'm sorry! I know there are too many things and information to take. I'll tell George to tone it down a bit. He often forget how new all these are to you."

"No!" Cameron exclaimed, "That is so cool! So you can communicate like that?!"

"Yes!" Ezme added in pure excitement, "Tell him to do it again! Wait, I'll call him myself."

☆★☆

"GEORGE, I'M HEADING out now!"

George ran over and skidded to a stop, "What? Where?"

"I told you, I'm meeting some friends nearby," Elinor said as she walked out the door, into the busy joke shop. She counted the number of wizarding money she had in her purse and asked, "Hey, are three Galleons and ten Sickles enough?"

George was already standing beside her, thrusting his hands into his pockets, "For lunch, yes. Who are you meeting, again?"

"Peter—"

"You're meeting your ex-boyfriend?!"

Elinor looked up at him with a frown, "He's a friend. And there are others too —Xander, Chris, Audrey, Joey..."

"So, four boys?"

"Three —Chris is short for Christina," Elinor pursed her lips playfully, "Are you jealous?"

"What?!"

"Just admit it," she teased.

"Maybe."

"Really?"

"Just a little bit," George murmured.

"They're just some old friends from Hufflepuff," Elinor stood on her tip toes and kissed George's cheek sloppily. She left a reddish lipstick stain there. "See you tonight."

"See you. Hey! Don't forget to bring your wand!"

☆★☆

THE WEDDING PARTY was held at an outdoor venue near Kingswear Port in a very Muggle-friendly way.

The groom looked incredibly nervous as he fixed his bowtie over and over again in reflex.

The bride looked exuberant and beautiful, draped in white, satin A-line gown with off-shoulder neckline. Its train brushed against the green grass as she made her way down towards the wooden platform. Towards her future.

Mason jars filled with fairy lights and dried babybreath flowers were placed between bouquets of white roses, guarding both sides of her lane.

Satin cloths were draped over the towering trees' branches, above the guests' heads. They successfully made the vicinity looked even more magical in the most Muggle way possible.

Of course, Ezme had begged Elinor and George to add a touch of their magic in her wedding, but they both refused.

"Hey, gorgeous," George smirked when he saw Elinor coming over, "Did it hurt?"

"Huh?" Elinor frowned.

"When you fell from Heaven, did it hurt?"

"Shut up," she chuckled, slapping his arm playfully.

"I'm not lying, though," George said. He pulled her onto his lap and circled his left arm around her waist, since his right one was occupied by a plate of Coq au vin. "You look really beautiful."

Elinor groaned, "It's the corset. I can't breathe."

As Elinor fiddled with her ivory-colored Maid of Honor dress and pursed her red-colored lips, George's mind was blown away by her beauty.

He always thought that she was pretty, but her natural make-up and chic, braided hairdo enhanced it a hundred times more.

"It's not the corset, it's you."

"Awh... You look pretty handsome yourself," Elinor cupped George's cheek with her hand and stroke it with her thumb, "Thank God Ezme had the decency to buy you a proper, formal suit."

"She said she won't let me enter if I wear my dragon skin one."

Elinor's eyes widened and she looked around, checking if anyone was listening. She hissed warningly, "Keep it down!"

"Sorry, sorry!" He laughed.

"Were you alone? I'm sorry I couldn't accompany you."

"Nah... I was chatting with Marco's twin cousins, Brandon and Becca. They complimented your handiwork," George said, referring to the beautiful, aesthetic decorations and choices of food.

"Merci. Can I have some?"

"Sure."

Elinor leaned back more comfortably into George's arms and took his plate out of his hands. She stabbed a chicken dice with his fork and ate it.

"When it's our turn, Mum won't like this kind of dresscode. She's more into bright, colorful decor."

"Whoa..." Elinor paused, "Are you talking about our wedding?"

"Why are you so surprised? I'm twenty-six, you're turning twenty-five next month. Plus, we've been dating for more than three years," George raised his eyebrows, "Don't you want to marry me?"

"Well... I like nudes. I chose this color palette myself. You have to convince your mother to compromise on that."

George snorted, "Oh... So you like nudes."

Elinor choked on the food, "That— I mean, the color— you know, dusty pink and— and nude colors."

George didn't bother hiding or keeping his laughters down.

"George!" Elinor exclaimed, blushing profusely.

"Yeah, yeah..." He wiped the stray tears from his eyes, "But you know how Mum is. She won't listen to me."

"We can talk to her together," Elinor shrugged, "And I don't want a wedding this big. Just our families and a few friends —my Hufflepuff friends, Mel's family, maybe Professor Sprout."

"Small wedding? Mum would be horrified."

Elinor forked a lardon, dipped it in the wine sauce, and fed it to George.

"Your family alone is already a big crowd," Elinor pointed out.

"Yours, too," George said through his full mouth, "Now that Regina forgives you and sees you as a daughter. Along with my Mum, you have three families fighting over you."

Elinor sheepishly smiled at that.

"So... should I propose to you now?"

"Stop it!" With an abashed grin, Elinor playfully pushed George's cheek, forcing him to look away. "Give Mama some time to breathe. If I tell her we're getting married one hour after Papa gave Ezme away, she would literally die."