Disgrace - George Weasley

Chapter 2

Molly Weasley hums to herself as she waters the few plants outside of her front door. She smiles happily when she sees a familiar head of pale white hair, "Oh, Dottie, dear, we wasn't especti-"

She stops when she sees the state of the young girl and runs straight into her house, "Fred, George! George! Get down here, now, quickly!"

"What, mum?" They groan as they ran down the stairs and outside to where her voice is.

George stops in his tracks when he sees Dorothy, "Dot?"

He runs forward and she collapses into his arms crying. He takes in her appearance, her dirty clothes and tear stained cheeks, her puffy, red eyes with dark circles underneath, the few bruises and her cut lip. The large gash above her eye brow that is likely to scar.

He leans back holding her face in his hands, "What happened?"

She shakes her head and wraps her arms around his neck. Fred runs out next taking in the sight of their friend, "What's wrong? Are you hurt?"

She shakes her head as she sniffles a little more. Molly hurries back outside grabbing the small back pack that Dorothy was carrying and taking it inside.

George slowly gets to his feet wrapping an arm around Dorothy to support her as they walk into the Burrow. Molly runs to the kitchen to put the kettle on.

He holds her back checking her for any cuts or scrapes finding several on her face, "What's wrong, Dottie? Talk to me, please."

She sniffles again and avoids his eyes as she plays with her sleeves, "I-I..." She closes her eyes and looks upwards, "He... He disowned me, he kicked me out because I helped Harry, because I'm a disgrace to the family name."

The Weasley twin is quick to deny it, "No. you're not. I promise you're not."

"I'm sorry," She sobs, "I-I'm sorry, It's just I- I had nowhere else to go. You guys are my only family."

Molly wraps her arms around the girl, softly patting her hair, "You can stay as long as you like, you've always been good to us, dear."

"No, M-Mrs. Weasley, I-I couldn't do that."

Molly nods as she pulls away, "You can stay with Ginny, she'll be glad for a bit of female company."

The girl sobs again wrapping her arms back around Molly, "Thank you, thank you, so much."

Fred is back instantly with a large blanket, he wraps it around her shoulders just as Ron comes barrelling down the stairs, "What's going on- Dottie?"

"Right," Molly interrupts as she stands back up, "George, take her upstairs, Fred you can help me with the dinner today, Ron, go back upstairs, we'll explain later."

George wraps his arm protectively around his best friend and leads her upstairs, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

He sits her on his bed and runs to the bathroom grabbing a bowl and a cloth.

He sits opposite her and silently cleans away the blood coating her lip. "Dot," He says quietly, "Did... did he do this to you?"

Her lip quivers as she nods, her tears streak down her face mixing with the blood on her few cuts, "W-We had another row. They were worse than usual. He caught me scolding Draco about being nicer to Harry and your brother, I told him not to make fun of Hermione because she was quite nice."

She gulps and continues to play with her sleeves and he moves onto one cut above her brow. "My father said that if I were to defend the 'blood traitors' then I should join them. S-So I, I told him you were more of a family than he is anyway. He got mad, we both said some things until I said something, I really shouldn't have. He got so angry he raised his wand at me."

"Draco managed to disarm him before he could do any real damage. He helped me get out of the house while Mother tried to calm him down. I had a bag already packed under my bed which he went back to get for me."

"He promised he'd bring Leia to school with him next year. I-I'll just wait here for a few days and go back when he's calm-"

"No," George interrupts sternly, "You're not going back there, Dot. No way, you can stay here for the rest of the Summer, Mum doesn't mind. The entire family loves you anyway."

She look up at him as he wipes away her tears with the pads of his thumbs, "Dot?"

"Yes?"

"How long has this been going on?"

She swallows thickly, "Since I got sorted into Gryffindor." She whispers, "Mum and Draco are too afraid to do anything, they try, but- there's no point, he doesn't care. I told Draco not to, I don't want him to get hurt."

George nods as he gets up and grabs her a clean shirt from his cupboard. He hands it to her and turns around while she changes with her back turned to him. When she's done he turns back around to face her and pushes her into his bed, "You need to have some rest."

She tries to protest and get up but he pushes her back down, "No, you need rest. I promise I'll wake you up for dinner."

Before he can leave she latches onto his wrist, "W-Will you stay with me, for a few minutes, please?"

He nods and climbs into the bed beside her silently, he wraps his arms around her and holds her until she falls asleep. When he's sure she's asleep he walks back down the stairs.

"How is she?"

"What happened?"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Was it-?"

"She's okay, now," He tells them, "Her father, he uh... he disowned her, for sticking up for us and Harry, and Hermione."

"What?" Molly asks in disbelief.

George sits beside his twin while shaking his head, "Called her a 'disgrace' because she's in Gryffindor, he kicked her out and everything, I swear, when I see him next I'll-"

"You'll do nothing. The best we can do is keep a roof over her head for a while, school is staring soon she'll be safe there. Her mother sent me and Owl asking if she was here, it just arrived, she said she'd send some money for school supplies if she was here."

"Is Dottie really here?" Ginny asks walking down the stairs looking around the room hopefully.

The four nod at the same time, "She's resting."

~~~~~

Dorothy places a plate in front of Ginny and Ron before sitting in her own seat beside the twins, "Thank y-"

"No, Dottie, you're our family." Fred interrupts, she sends him a grateful smile just as the door bursts open.

"Ah, good afternoon- Dottie? I didn't know you were coming over today."

"Uh, actually..."

"Arthur, dear," Molly gestures to the last seat at the table and he hangs his hat up before filling the seat, "How about some dinner and then we'll explain everything."