Madison Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Chapter 24: How to Make Mrs. Weasley Cry

"So Snape was offering to help him? He was definitely offering to help him?"

Harry had just broken the news to Ron and I as we stood at the kitchen sink in the Burrow what he overheard at Slughorn's party.

"If you ask him again, Ron, I will stick this sprout knife up your ass," I grumbled at the boy, causing him and Harry to have a look of fear flash across their faces.

"But anyway," Harry stated, "Snape said he promised Malfoy's mom to protect him- he'd made an Unbreakable Oath or something."

"An Unbreakable Vow?" Ron asked Harry, stunned.

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"What is it, anyway?" I asked, confused.

"Well, you can't break an Unbreakable Vow," Ron trailed out.

"I think Harry and I have worked that out already," I told him, skinning sprouts as I did so.

"But what happens if you break it?" Harry asked.

"You die," Ron simply stated. "Fred and George tried to get me to make one when I was five. I nearly did- I was holding hands with Fred and everything when Dad found us. He went mental. That was the only time that I've ever seen Dad as angry as Mom. Fred says that his left butt cheek has never been the same since."

"Yeah, well, I don't want to hear about Fred's left butt cheek," I told Ron.

"Excuse me? I think my ass is perfectly good," Fred said as he and George entered the kitchen.

I put my sprout knife down and walked over to George. He kissed me on the lips quickly, and my brother gave a look of disgust.

"Look, George, the three of them are using knives! Bless them!" Fred laughed.

"I'll be seventeen in about two months," Ron grumbled. "And then I can do it by magic!"

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Well I think that it's a perfectly good skill, to learn how to use utensils for the kitchen the Muggle way. Besides, Harry and I can get it done faster."

"Yeah, we've done it before," Harry agreed.

"Well why didn't you say so?" Ron asked me.

"You didn't ask," I sassed.

"Anyway," George said, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it. "We will watch you do this."

I narrowed my eyes at George and picked the knife back up.

Mrs. Weasley soon came in as soon as we finished with the sprouts. I was sitting on George's lap as he sat on the chair. My head was leaned on his shoulder.

"Fred, George, I'm sorry, but Remus is coming tonight so Bill will have to be with you two," Mrs. Weasley said.

I frowned. I couldn't very well sleep in the same bed as George now.

"No problem," Fred said, ignoring George's sad look.

"Then, since Charlie isn't coming home, Harry and Ron will be in the attic, and then Fleur will share with Ginny and Madison-"

"That'll make their Christmas," muttered Fred.

"Anyway, everybody should be comfortable."

Mrs. Weasley left us in silence.

"Well, we better get going George," Fred said as he got up. I hopped off George's lap and George got off.

"Where are you two heading off to?" I asked.

"Down to the village," Fred replied. "There's this very pretty girl working at the book shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvelous... Almost like real magic..." Fred sighed dreamily.

I felt something bubble up in me, and I'm not sure what it was.

I mean, I know Fred can handle this on his own, so why was George going?

"I will see you later then," I stiffly stated, walking past the twins.

After the twins left, I heard Harry ask Ron, "What's her problem?"

"Dunno," Ron replied.

I marched my way up the stairs and into Ginny's room, not bothering to close the door behind me.

"Madison! What's wrong? You look like a puppy just died!" Ginny asked me, looking up from her book.

I sat down at the end of her bed, and wiped the tears away that I didn't even known had fallen.

I proceeded to tell her everything that happened downstairs.

"And I don't get it," I hiccuped as Ginny handed me a tissue. "Fred is perfectly capable of going down to flirt with her himself, so why did George have to go?"

"You seem jealous."

"I don't know, maybe just a little bit. But... It's just... What if Fred was just covering for George because I was there?"

"I highly doubt that-" Ginny began.

I interrupted her. Tears rolled down into my mouth.

"I have faced rejection too many times, Ginny. I don't want to face it anymore," I told her as I began to full on sob.

Ginny patted my back and comforted me.

"Madison, dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she set down a laundry bucket with Ginny's clothes in it by the door.

I shook my head and Mrs. Weasley came and kneeled down in front of me. She took my hands into hers and gave a tight squeeze.

I told her what Fred told me and told her exactly what I told Ginny.

"Listen to me, Madison. George is not there for that girl, and he is there probably for Fred's moral support. Most likely to laugh at him as well."

"But what if the girl likes him more than Fred, and... And..." I sobbed.

Mrs. Weasley hugged me tight.

"Is there something else bothering you, dear? Because I know that deep down you know the reason why George was there at the book shop. At least, I do," Mrs. Weasley asked me in a motherly tone.

"Mrs. Weasley... I'm scared. Harry and I are probably going to be the most wanted- we will probably have a bounty on our heads, and with all of this Ministry of Magic... And Voldemort... And the Veil... It's all getting to my head. I've been away from George too long."

"I understand, dear," Mrs. Weasley told me, hugging me like a mother.

"Thank you for comforting me, Mom," I didn't even think about what I said.

She let go off me, and my eyes went wide.

"Excuse me," I said, getting up and putting my coat and shoes on. "I'm going for a walk."

And so that's what I did.

I found myself walking through the winter wonderland down to the village.

There was a coffee shop, and I went in. I went and sat at the bar and ordered a hot chocolate.

"Madison?" I heard a familiar voice ask.

"George?" I asked him turning around.

"Hey," he said, sitting next to me. "Fred's on a date over there."

He pointed to Fred, who was sitting next to a girl. He was flirting with her and it was very weird because she was flirting back.

"I was scared that you were going going to be the one with the girl," I admitted, sheepishly.

George laughed and took my hand. "Oh my God, no. I didn't need anybody else to love but you," he said, kissing my hand.

"I guess I've just faced rejection far too many times for me to handle. I'm sorry, George."

"It's okay, Maddie. I'm sorry too, I should have told you why I was going with Fred, but then it would ruin the surprise I have for tomorrow morning."

"Oh, would it?" I asked him.

"Yeah. So you are just going to have to wait until tomorrow morning."

He took my hand and led me out of the coffee shop.

He led me over to the village square, and right in front of the fountain, he kissed me. I kissed him back like there was no tomorrow, and there were sparks flying everywhere.

The kiss got deeper, and I remembered that we were in public.

"Georgie, we are in public. I wish we could maybe finish later, but since I have to stay with Ginny and Fleur tonight... And you have to share a room with Fred and Bill..."

"There isn't really room for us to do some... Stuff, if you know what I mean," George told me.

"I do. I guess we could always go to the basement in your house and make it soundproof tonight..." I told him.

"Sounds like a plan, love," George smiled.

Later that night at the Burrow, we were all sitting around the table.

"This dinner is delicious, Mom," Bill told Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley let out a sob.

"Molly, dear, why are you crying?" Mr. Weasley asked.

Before she could reply, she got out of her chair and made her way over to me. I got up and hugged her.

I am so sorry that this isn't an actual chapter, but I just wanted to get this out to you guys. Something for you guys to read, at least.

I will update something actually worth while soon. Probably this weekend.

I just want to announce something real quick:

I like food.