Deafening Silence | George Weasley (COMPLETE)

2.

I may be quiet but I have so much on my mind

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Iris Menkem lost her voice during the war. She didn't know why, maybe it was from the screaming and shouting as she tried to protect some first years or maybe she just didn't want to talk about the war and say 'I'm sorry' everytime someone cried because they lost a loved one at the war. Nonetheless, the girl started to lose her loud self, becoming quieter by the day because she didn't want to explain to people how she lost her voice or why she 'rudely' ignored them when they were talking to her or why she carried her notepad everywhere all the time.
Adeliene 'Adele' Menkem helped her sister out a lot. She gave Iris a job at her shop in Diagon alley which involved stocking, restocking and delivering. Iris didn't have to talk much and that saved her a lot of her dignity.

No, Iris didn't stop being happy, didn't stop laughing and she didn't stop confidently walking around but that was only in front of her family. The girl talked her sister through notes, actions and facial expressions because she hadn't learned any sign language. She silently laughed when her father cracked a lame and stupid joke that barely made sense. She danced around with her mother in the kitchen sometimes when they were baking cupcakes together. But, when it came to people outside the three, Iris found herself hiding behind her father like she was six and too shy to meet new people.

Her friends at Hogwarts came to visit her a lot but that didn't boost her confidence, she felt unheard, different and unfitting.

Adeliene tried her best to make Iris heard. She even started learning sign language for her younger sister who had refused to go and learned. The healer had said that it was just trauma but they tended to say that for everyone these days and the sisters believed none of it.

The older sister had seen the younger one try to talk again when she was alone in the room and cry when she failed. Adele looked for spells, charms, curses and even potions to bring her sister's voice back but none of it worked.
Adele didn't give up. She forced her younger sibling to go to sign language classes held at St. Mungo's everyday. She went herself too, to be able to communicate with her sister better.

After Five months and minimal progress, Iris became worse. She became more stubborn, less outgoing and refused to go to those 'stupid' classes. But, Adeliene never gave up. She went and taught her sister the same thing at a slower pace at home.

The biggest challenge for Iris came when Audrey, her close friend, got engaged. The girl was beyond happy for her friend but didn't want to go to the big party planned by her and her fiancée, Percy Weasley.

"You have to come! Please!" Audrey had begged.
"No!" This was one word Iris knew very well when it came to signing.
"Just for an hour! I'm getting married and this is the least you could do for me! And you would also be my maid of honor.." Audrey smirked at the girl.
"No!" The girl then took out a notepad from her pocket and started to write something in it.
"I love you and I'm happy for you but I don't want to go into a crowd when I can't even talk to the people. And I can't be your maid of honor because I don't want that attention and I won't be able to do anything without a voice"
Audrey looked at her friend sadly, "Please just come to the party for half an hour! There will be cake and cookies and amazing food! Please! For me!"

Iris rolled her eyes in defeat. She brought her hand into a fist, hitting her chest twice before pointing at her friend.
This wasn't sign language, it was something Iris and Audrey did when they were younger. It meant a lot of things depending on the context of the situation, here it meant 'you owe me' and 'only for you' sometimes it was a greeting and sometimes it was I forgive you or I love you.
Audrey jumped up and down, clapping her hands, "thank you thank you thank you!" She hugged her friend and pecked her cheek.

The party was at the Burrow and Iris arrived with her sister by her side to the lovely house. The door was open and so the two simply walked in.

Iris greeted her friend and hugged her in congratulations and then hugged Percy who was taken aback a little but hugged her back. 

"You're late" Audrey complained and Iris rolled her eyes.
"You should be happy she came, she was planning to bail" Adeliene tattled and Iris looked at her sister in horror. She took out a notepad and scribbled something on it before showing it to Adeliene. Traitor!
"Quit being dramatic, Iris" The girl smiled at her friend and stuck her tongue out at her sister.

The three girls stuck together most of the time because Iris was too insecure to talk to anyone in this loud family.

The party had moved out in the lawn and everyone continued their chatter. Iris was busy looking at the time. The moment the clock struck at eleven pm, she motioned for her sister to leave.

"I want to stay though!" Adeliene whined. "You can go home on your own if you want" Iris tipped her head back to show that she was internally groaning before waving at her sister.

Iris started to walk towards Audrey and Percy who were talking to someone else while scribbling something on her notepad. She was so into the writing that she almost bumped into someone.

The girl looked up to see a red haired man making silly faces at a red haired baby. The red head sheepishly smiled brought the baby closer to him as he rested his shoulder on the older one.

Iris opened her mouth to say sorry but remembered that she couldn't talk. So, the girl smiled at the boy who smiled brightly back at her.

Iris then stepped and motioned for the the two go ahead. The red head nodded at her and she was thankful that he did as she nodded back.

Iris then walked over to Audrey telling her that she was leaving, hugging the couple and apparating out.

Iris assumed the redhead was one of Percy's brothers but as far as she knew, Percy was the second in his family to get married and none of his brothers had any children yet. Maybe he was just taking care of it for someone else.

As the girl lay in bed, she thought about the boy she had encountered. His bright red hair that could be spotted from anywhere in town, his freckled face that smiled brightly at her. That smile was beautiful. He looked adorable with his silly faces but Iris would never go and talk to him. She physically couldn't and was too nervous to talk to people anyways.

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