Love Without Demand 1/?
Pairing: George Weasley/Reader
Summary: You reconnect with George Weasley at Bill and Fleur's wedding after a few years of not seeing one another. Takes place during the seventh movie/book
(hi iâm definitely neglecting other fics i want to post on here, but i recently rewatched all the HP movies and Weasley twins r hitting different and then wrote this. LMFAO enjoy!!)
read on AO3
A heavy sigh escaped your lips. You stood in front of your floor-length mirror hanging on the back of your bedroom door, wearing a dress you had been so excited to wear just a few months ago. Now, you werenât even sure you wanted to leave your flat. The Ministry of Magic was threatening to collapse with each passing day and The Dark Lordâs power was growing. Nothing was safe anymore and that terrified you. It didnât feel right to be getting dressed up like this, evident in the way the zipper on your dress was only pulled up halfway.
You had been invited to Bill and Fleurâs wedding, something that surprised you. You werenât particularly close to Bill, or the Weasley family for that matter, but you had gotten to know Fleur quite well when Beauxbatons visited Hogwarts three years ago to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. You two hadnât spoken much since then, so once you had graduated Hogwarts and found a job at the Ministry for yourself, old memories resurfaced upon the inivitationâs arrival.Â
It was odd that Bill and Fleur hadnât decided to cancel the wedding, given recent events. Most days, you half expected an owl to arrive for you, its beak clutching a letter written in Fleurâs neat handwriting informing you that the wedding had been rescheduled or called off all together. No such letter ever arrived, much to your slight dismay.
You studied your reflection in the mirror, debating whether or not you should just toss the dress back in your closet, call out sick, and spend the night on the couch with a cup of hot tea and pore over some files that the Ministry had you take home for review. On the other hand, you had already done your hair and makeup. It would be a shame to waste it, or, at least, thatâs what you kept telling yourself.Â
You sighed again, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles on your dress. Your need to follow through on every commitment and the dark storm cloud that was your anxiety waged a war inside your head as you sat down on your bed. A glance at the clock hanging on your wall signaled you would need to make a decision soon. Guests were to arrive at 4pm and it was nearly 3:45.
You shook your head, as if to clear your racing thoughts from your mind.
Screw it.Â
With a sudden burst of energy, you rose from your bed. You reached for your wand that rested on your bedside table and with a swift flicking motion, zipped up the back of your dress. Another flick of your wand opened your closet door and a pair of heels and a small purse floated out and rested atop your comforter. Slipping on the heels and equipping the purse with an extension charm so it could hold your wand and other miscellaneous items, you apparated to the Weasleyâs.
***
Your shoes hit the ground with such force, it nearly caused you to stumble over.Â
Regaining your balance, you took in your surroundings. You found yourself standing in a field of tall grass that surpassed your head. A small channel of water was to your left and out of pure luck, you had managed not to apparate into it.Â
You could hear echoes of cheerful laughter and voices coming straight ahead, so you pushed your way through the grass to find the source. Once you emerged, you felt some of the anxiety release its hold on you. A white tent had been pitched in front of what you assumed to be the Burrow. A woman you recognized as Molly Weasley was milling about in the yard, assigning tasks to anyone in her field of vision. Ron Weasley rolled his eyes as his mother shooed him inside, telling him to go find a way to make himself useful. Arthur Weasley was hiding an amused smile as she did so. He noticed you approaching, offering you a friendly wave.
âHello, Y/N!â he called, holding out his hand to shake your own once you had gotten closer. You shook his hand firmly, pride swelling in your chest. Arthur Weasley was one of the few members of the Ministry who actually went out of their way to interact with you while on the job. Whenever you passed him in the halls or rode the lift with him, he always said hello and asked how your internship was going. Though you didnât know him well, you appreciated his genuine kindness.
âPlease make yourself at home, but Iâd recommend avoiding my wife for the time being. Sheâll find you something to do before you can even tell her your name.â You smiled and thanked him, making your way to the entrance of the Burrow. Before you could enter, the front door flew open, revealing a frazzled looking Fleur Delacour.
âY/N?â she said. Before you could respond, she threw her arms around and hugged you tightly, which you returned.
âItâs been far too long, Y/N!â she said. âIâd begun to think something happened.âÂ
âRight, um, sorry about that,â you responded, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear sheepishly. âIâve been busy with my job.âÂ
âThatâs right!â Fleur exclaimed. âLast Iâd heard, youâd been assigned a position at the Ministry. Youâll need to tell me all about it.â She slung an arm around your shoulder, guiding you inside. âCome now, you can help me get ready.â
***
Fleur was using Mr. and Mrs. Weasleyâs bedroom to get ready. Her dress was hanging in a garment bag on the closet door and an open bag of luggage lay on the ground, its contents spilled out onto the floor.Â
âDonât mind the mess,â Fleur said, taking a seat onto the bed. âMy mind is a bit all over the place right now.âÂ
âWho else is here?â you asked, admiring the many knick knacks and pictures that decorated the bedroom. Several family photos lined the walls, moving images of the Weasley family smiling back at you as they stood with their arms around one another.Â
âYouâre actually one of the firsts to arrive,â she said. âSo far, itâs just my family, the Weasleyâs, and Hermione Grangerâ. Oh, and Harry Potter, of course.â Your anxiety collapsed back onto you again, squeezing at your chest like an iron fist.
âHarry Potter is here?â you asked nervously. You heard his name whispered in the halls of the Ministry week after week and knew he had a target on his back.
âWell, of course,â Fleur said matter-of-factly. âHarry and I competed together, so it made sense to include him. Plus, he saved my little sister.â Fleur looked up at you. âIs something the matter, Y/N?âÂ
You hesitated. The last thing you wanted to do was dump all your worries and anxieties on Fleur on her wedding day. But, at the same time, you knew this would eat away at you all night.
âHas there been any movement amongst the Dark Lord and his followers?â you asked. Fleurâs face fell, folding her hands into her lap.
âWe were ambushed last night while trying to create a distraction,â Fleur responded. âMad-Eye Moody was killed and one of the Weasley twins lost an ear.â
âI think weâre putting ourselves in serious danger tonight, Fleur.â you said. âIâm terribly anxious. The Dark Lord will tear that boy apart.â Fleur stood from the bed and crossed the room to where you stood by the door. She placed her hands on your shoulders, squeezing gently.Â
âThatâs all Iâve been thinking about too, weâll be alright, Y/N,.â she said. âWeâve hired security to monitor the event. Plus, some extremely skilled and powerful witches and wizards will be here tonight. Theyâll keep us safe.â You relaxed slightly, taking a deep breath.Â
âYouâre right,â you said. âSorry to cause trouble.â Fleur laughed.
âNot at all, now come. Iâm about to be married in an hour and Iâm not even half ready.â
***
Fleur and Billâs ceremony had been beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that you had forgotten all about your worries for the time being. Now, you sat at one of the many guest tables,watching with a slight twinge of jealousy as Fleur and Bill danced happily with another, their arms clasped around one another. A crowd of guests had formed a circle around them and clapped along to the music. Your job didnât allow you much time for romance, so to see Fleur and Bill dancing without a care in the world made you envious. You sipped your second glass of wine for the night, sighing dejectedly.
âEverything alright there, Y/N?â a voice asked, rousing you from your thoughts. You looked up and your eyes met the warm brown ones of a Weasley twin. He was holding his own glass of wine in one hand and the other rested atop a chair in front of him. Bandages wrapped around his forehead to the back of his head, one side pulled down to cover his left ear.Â
âI, um, yes,â you stumbled over your words, beginning to panic as you realized you werenât certain if you were speaking to Fred or George. You had a feeling it was George, but it had been so long since youâd seen either of them, you couldnât be sure. âIâm speaking to George, correct?â You felt your cheeks heat up in embarrassment.Â
âThatâs right, Iâm George!â George laughed. âIâm surprised you could tell, itâs been a few years, hasnât it?â He motioned to the chair to your right. âMind if I join you?â You nodded, pulling the chair out for him to sit. As he did so, you got a better look at his ear. He must have noticed you gawking, because a smile crossed his lips.Â
âLooks bloody awful, doesnât it?â he asked, pointing to the bandages. âGot clipped by a Death Eater.âÂ
âThatâs terrible, George,â you said. âIâm so sorry.â George shrugged, taking a sip from his glass.
âItâs not all bad, I suppose. Better off than being dead and besides, I feel quite saint-likeâ. You paused, not quite sure what he meant.Â
ââSaint-like?ââ
âYeah, I feel Hole-y. Get it?â You burst into a fit of giggles when the joke registered for you and Georgeâs eyes lit up in delight.Â
âYâknow, youâre the first one to find that funny. Mum and Fred didnât.âÂ
âIn all honesty, George,â you said, stifling another giggle. âI can see why.â George swirled the wine in his glass, taking another sip.Â
âWell, a little humor goes a long way, if you ask me. Nowadays, itâs all weâve got.âÂ
You both sat in silence for a moment. You had been in a few classes with Fred and George during your time at Hogwarts, but since you had been a Hufflepuff, your interactions with them didnât reach past the classroom too often. You had always associated the Weasley twins with mischief and rightfully so. You werenât quite sure how to make conversation.
âHow have you been? Since graduating Hogwarts, I mean.â you asked, finally breaking the silence.Â
 âNot too bad,â George said. âI own a shop with Fred in Diagon Alley, Harry helped us loads when he invested. Business has been excellent, but seems to have slowed down as of late. I think itâs because people are afraid to leave their homes.â
âWhat kind of shop do you own?â you asked curiously. George grinned mischievously.Â
âA joke shop.âÂ
How fitting.
âThat sounds absolutely perfect for you two.â you said. âIâm glad youâre doing something you love.â
âWhat about you, then?â George inquired. âAre you doing something you love, too?â
You froze for a moment. You hadnât really thought about that.Â
âI work for the Ministry,â you said, recovering before you could fall into a pit of existential dread about your future. âIâm in the Improper Use of Magic department. Iâm just an intern learning the ropes right now, but Iâm hoping to work my way up.âÂ
âImproper Use of Magic department, eh? Iâm sure thatâs a good time.â George commented. You nodded enthusiastically.
âYeah, weâll receive some interesting cases. They let me read the files sometimes to get an idea of how to document them. We get a lot of instances of underage magic, which Iâm sure youâre familiar with.â you added jokingly, nudging Georgeâs arm with your elbow. He held his hands up, as if to feign innocence.
âIâve never engaged in such trivial mattersâ he said dramatically. âBut to be fair, Umbridge may or may not have had it coming.â You laughed, inwardly grimacing as the memories of Umbridge as Hogwartsâ headmaster came back to you. You never quite looked at the color pink the same way after that.
âSheâs...something else.â you concluded. âI see her quite frequently at the Ministry.â George shuddered, as if haunted by her memory.Â
âDo you ever see my brother Percy? He dreamed about a Ministry job ever since he was a kid.â
âI saw him on my first day, but I donât think he recognized me. Although, I see your da-âÂ
Your words fell upon deaf ears as a blue-ish colored orb suddenly shot into the tent. Silence fell upon wedding guests as they stared in shock at the sudden intrusion, trying to process what was happening. The orb spoke:
The Ministry has fallen.The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming.Â
They are coming.Â
Chaos ensued. Guests shrieked and hollered, pushing and rushing past one another to escape. Inky black smoke flew in and out of the tent, igniting the small chandeliers that lit the venue like flamethrowers. The flames licked at the roof of the tent, causing them to spread at an alarming rate.Â
Your worst fears about tonight were confirmed: the Death Eaters had come for Harry.
âY/N!â you heard George shout over the chaos. He stunned a Death Eater trying to attack Ginny from behind. âY/N, weâve got to go!âÂ
You felt George grab your hand and pull you out of the tent. The booms! and cracks! of spells and curses rang in your ears as you let George guide you, feeling the cool night air on your skin. You watched guests flee a wedding that, an hour before, had been filled with so much joy and love.
âGet yourself out of here, itâs too dangerous.â George said once you two had put some moderate distance between the chaos yourselves.Â
âNo, Iâm staying here to fight,â you responded indignantly, pulling your wand out of your purse. âI want to help.â If you were going to conquer your fears and anxiety, now was the time to do it. You marched back towards the tent, despite George pleading you not to.
Stupefy!
âY/N, watch out!â a voice cried out. The spell hit you with such force, it felt like you had been hit by a bus. You fell to the grass, collapsing onto your side. You watched as a plume of black smoke shot up into the sky, your vision growing dark. The last thing you saw before you passed out was Mr. Weasley and George running towards you.
Then, everything went black.















