Madison Potter: After the War

Chapter 14: I'm Not Here For You

"So, I was thinking, what if we went with a light blush pink?" Mrs. Weasley asked, hurriedly.

It was still quite awkward between the two of us. But it seemed that as long as nobody brought up the issue of Witch Weekly, everything went smoothly.

Both Hermione and Ginny, who were home for Christmas, looked at me with apprehension. They both knew how I felt about pink. I hated it.

I bit my lip, and said, "I was actually thinking... navy blue."

Molly seemed taken aback at my statement. I'm not quite sure why, because in the seven years that I've known her, not once has she seen me wear pink.

She looked like she wanted to say something, and opened her mouth to, but Ginny was my knight in shining armor.

"Yeah, navy blue's good— it doesn't clash with the hair," she said, acting as if she was in deep thought.

"Remember when I wore red to the Yule Ball? That clashed so bad with my hair now that I think about it!" I laughed, and Hermione looked at me and proceeded to laugh as well.

"Your mother's bridesmaids wore a blush pink," Molly said softly.

I sighed and looked out the window, my smile turning into a line. I was tired of this. It was exhausting, because everywhere I went, I was reminded of her. I was told that I looked like her, I was told that I had her personality, I was told that I had her temper, and I was tired of it. My heart always inflated with delight at first, when I had been told that, because I was eleven and in desperate need to know about my parents. But now I'm eighteen, and each time I'm told that, my heart sinks and burrows into my chest, because my mother isn't here, and she never will be.

"I'm not so sure if you noticed, Molly, but I'm not my mother."

"I just thought you would like to know."

"I appreciate it, I always do, I really love learning about my parents, but don't guilt trip me into wearing a color you would prefer. That's not fair," I said, my voice steady and even.

"I just thought you would like to honor your mother at your wedding," Molly said, her voice beginning to sound like she was bracing for a fight.

"Lilies. Those are the flowers. Her veil. That's how I'm honoring my mother. Look, Molly, I know I'm stubborn. I know I have a temper, and I know I've made some choices recently that you don't agree with," I said, emotion lacing my voice.

Molly's demeanor shifted. Her body language was much more calm, and her shoulders weren't as tense. Her face didn't have pity in it, and I appreciated that more than she probably could have ever known. 

"I know that you're just looking out for me, and I know that you're just trying to tell me about my parents, and I really, really appreciate that. I didn't grow up with... I didn't even know what they looked like until Hagrid showed Harry and I photos of our parents when we were eleven. I really do appreciate you telling me about the color she had at her wedding. But it's just another reminder that... that they were only three years older than me when they died. George will be the same age my parents were when they died this April, and... uhm, yeah," I trailed off, not really sure on how to end my statement.

"Lilies," Molly whispered, a soft smile on her face. "We'll just have to make sure that they're the best lilies around, and oh, we can do a cake that has lilies on it!"

I felt like crying, because in that moment, I knew that all the guff between me and her recently had been forgiven. I abruptly stood and made my way over to her, my chair falling to the ground behind me. I engulfed her in a hug, and she wrapped her arms around me too, and I felt a comfort that I hadn't felt in a while.

"And, if... if you'll let us, I would like to have the wedding here, at the Burrow," I sniffed, my emotions overtaking me.

Molly erupted into sobs and held me tighter. "There's nothing I would want more!"

A sudden pop echoed through the room, and before I knew it, Bill and Fleur were also present. Fleur, while as beautiful as ever, looked a bit peaky, as if she had just spent the morning with her head in the toilet bowl. She was also glowing, just like Tonks had been when she was—

Pregnant. Fleur was pregnant, but I wasn't going to say anything. It's their news, not mine, and I wasn't going to ruin the surprise. I caught Fleur's eye, and I sent her a knowing look and a nod, signaling I wouldn't say anything. Relief washed over her face like a tide washing away a sand castle. I wasn't sure how far along she was, but if I were to guess, she was probably just about four months along, give or take a few weeks.

"Shoot," I murmured, looking at the clock on the wall. "I promised Fred I'd help at the shop this afternoon. I've got to go! We still on for brunch this Sunday?" I asked Molly.

"Of course!"

I bid goodbye to everyone and turned on my foot and disappeared.

"I have an idea," I said to George later that night as I sat on the bed, my head on my pillow.

George made his way out of the bathroom, still brushing his teeth. "What is it?"

"How would you feel about getting a dog?" I asked him hesitantly. "I mean, we're moving out soon, and I'm pretty sure Angelina is going to move in here—"

"Yes," he said after he spit into the sink and came out of the bathroom.

"Is that a yes to Angelina is in fact moving in or—"

"To the dog. And to Angelina. But yeah, we should get a dog," George chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

I sat up and grinned. "We should get a little dog, one that's hypoallergenic and doesn't shed."

George grinned in response and sat down on the bed and pecked my lips. "We can name it Padfoot, if the dog's black. Maybe Moony, if it's white like the moon."

My heart melted at the ideas for names (which I didn't even think of naming a dog, surprisingly), and I didn't think it was possible, but I fell more in love with George at that moment. I moved closer to him and crawled onto his lap and wrapped my arms around the back of his neck and kissed him quickly.

"I think they would have loved that, having a dog named after them," I said, grinning.

"Sirius especially, you know, he was a lot like a dog—"

I laughed and said, "I think that's a given with only his name."

"We can go the day or so after we get all settled into our new house next week, and we can get a dog," George smiled, kissing my lips sweetly.

I grinned and connected my lips with his, and let my lips linger. George took charge and flipped us over.

The rest of the night was full of bliss.

"What the hell are you doing here?" George asked the next week as we walked in the front door of our new home.

The house itself was a cute little cottage, one of those cute typical Tudor style homes. The street it was on was unlike Privet Drive in every way possible. The houses weren't identical, the neighbors that I had seen seemed friendly, and if a house had a car in the driveway, it wasn't a new pristine model. There didn't seem to be a need to keep up on appearances here, and it seemed to be a normal neighborhood. It wasn't abnormally normal and bland like Privet Drive at all. Perhaps the worst thing I would have to deal with here is making sure that I didn't use magic outside in the front yard, and make sure that George didn't pull any stunts. It was perfect.

"George, don't be rude," I said. "Charlie, why are you here?"

"I really messed up this time Madison, and there's nowhere I can go," he said, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

"What happened?" George asked as he put a box down on the table that had been set up earlier in the day. "Charlie, I swear, if this has anything to do with drugs—"

"Charlie, talk to Draco. I'm not about to get into this with you," I said as I crossed my arms.

"I did, and he told me that he can't help me with this—"

"What in Merlin's name did you do?" George asked as he ran a hand down his face.

Charlie looked nervous, and he bit his lip and said hesitantly, "I relapsed."

"Okay, that's normal, but like I said, Draco is your go to for that, not me," I said, taking a deep breath. I had told him this even when he brought this up the first time he came to me about his drug addiction, and I didn't like repeating myself.

"I didn't have any of the drug so I went to get some and I didn't have any money, so I had to use magic to rob a Muggle bank so I could have money to give to my dealer," Charlie said as he ran his hands through his hair.

I felt as if my world was closing in and I felt my breathing pick up. "Then why the hell are you here Charlie?"

"I need your help! You and Malfoy are the only ones who can—"

"Give it to you legally?" George cut his brother off in disbelief. "Charlie. Get it together."

Charlie looked at me with a mixture of despair, anger and a lust for a high that was out of reach. "Come on, Madison—"

I shut my eyes. The combating words of George and Charlie reached my ears, and I was trying to think of how I could help Charlie in any sort of way.

"Charlie! Get a hold of yourself—" George had exclaimed.

"If your Death Eater pal would just help me—"

"Get out," I demanded. "Leave. Draco's my friend, and while he might have made mistakes in the past, he isn't the only one who has."

"What?" Charlie asked harshly. "George, you can't let her tell me what to do! I'm not going to listen to your whore of a fiancé!" Charlie screamed.

It was silent, and both George and I looked at him. George looked disgusted and offended and ready to punch him into the next century, and I looked at him indifferently.

"Get out," I said again, stronger this time. "You don't get to refer to me, or to any woman as that. Don't make me seem like I have no worth."

"Jesus Christ, stop acting like a bitch!" Charlie yelled. It had to have been the drugs causing an influence on his behavior, it just had to be.

"Hey, don't call her a bitch!" George said, beginning to walk towards him. He tried to look threatening, but it was a bit difficult for him to be taken seriously given the fact that I knew for certain that he had triple checked to make sure his stuffed lion was packed in a duffel bag. "You can't say that. Never. Do you understand me?"

"George it's not worth it. He's just going to fight you," I calmly stated, not meeting anybody in the eyes.

"So you're not going to help me? Some Healer you are, Potter!" Charlie said. I wanted to throttle him.

"You're walking the line, Charlie. I will not hesitate to turn you into the Muggle police. I will not hesitate to alert the Aurors about the laws you've broken just so you could get a fix. Draco and I have risked our careers to help you, and I won't do it anymore. You can call me a bitch, you can call me a whore all you want, I've heard it all. But I've never been reduced to property. I have a name, and it's not 'whore of a fiancé'. It's Madison."

"George, you've gotta help me—" Charlie pleaded to George, who apparently had left the room.

"I'm not here for you Charlie. I'm not your shoulder to cry on. You've come here and have treated her with disrespect, and have badmouthed Draco, who is trying his best to help you," George said. It came apparent to me then that he was stalling and making things extend longer than they should.

I heard a knock on the door, and I went to get it. It was two police officers.

"We got a call here that a Charles Weasley showed up? And that he was responsible for the bank robbery that occurred in down town London earlier?" The police woman said.

"Yes, I believe my fiancé is the one that called. Charlie is his brother and he showed up here without warning. We didn't know what Charlie was going to do, but he's in here," I said as I showed the two into our abode.

George's quick thinking and resourcefulness made me want to kiss him and just take him in the middle of the kitchen. Intelligence is attractive, especially on George.

"Put what brotherhood we had aside, Charlie. I'm standing by her side," George said to Charlie as the police officers took Charlie into custody.

And as the police car drove away with Charlie in the back seat, I collapsed into George's arms and started bawling.

I must say I really am kind of digging this character arc I have for Charlie at this point in the story. These past few chapters have been filled with some angst and kinda dark themes, but I promise that after the next chapter, it will become much more lighthearted! Or will it????

I hope you are all staying safe in this crazy world!