E I G H T Y - F O U R

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The final train ride to Platform 9 and 3/4s in June was a bittersweet moment for Adeline, Estelle, Melanie, and Ophelia. Leaving Hogwarts had already been an emotional event for all of them, especially Adeline. She had to hold back tears as she left the castle that had become her first ever proper home over the seven years she had been a student there.

It was also difficult for Adeline to face the fact that she wouldn't be seeing her friends every single day from now on. For seven years, she had been waking up in the same dorm as Estelle nearly every day and had hung out with Melanie and Ophelia as well. But now they were heading off into different careers where they didn't have the chance to see each other every day. While Melanie and Estelle were staying in London like Adeline, Ophelia was moving all the way to Romania to start working with dragons in the same place as Charlie Weasley.

Estelle was starting at a job in the Department of Intoxicating Substances at the Ministry of Magic. While she wasn't passionate about what she was going to do, she still didn't mind what her job would entail and figured she would work there until she found a job she was truly excited to do. Plus, she figured that it would likely entail work with potions, so at least there was something there Estelle was interested in.

With her Herbology skills and knowledge of magical properties Potion ingredients, Melanie was going to work at the Apothecary. Like Adeline, she was more happy that she would be able to move out of her parents' home and into a small flat on her own in Diagon Alley.

On the train, Estelle turned to Ophelia as she began unwrapping a Chocolate Frog. "So...when do you start up with all your dragon training?"

"I'm traveling to Romania next week," Ophelia answered.

"Dragon training sounds so badass," Estelle sighed in awe. "I think I would get burnt to a crisp if I even try."

"Well let's hope that I don't," Ophelia laughed. "I think the weirdest part is that I'm going to be so far away from my family and all of you."

Adeline gestured over to the owl cage sitting on top of her trunk. "Well it's a good thing Cecilia can fly long distances really well."

"Adeline, I will be using Cecilia to send letters so I don't have to pay those ridiculous postage prices across long distances," Melanie said.

"Both you and Estelle are able to send letters with Cecilia whenever she's available. We can even organize and send all our letters together so Cecilia doesn't have to go back and forth so much."

"So concerned for the health and well-being of your owl, how very much like you Adeline," Estelle laughed.

Adeline's eye rolled as she threw a Bernie Bott's bean at her best friend's head. "Well, excuse me for not wanting my owl to suffer from exhaustion."

Ophelia then changed the subject, saying, "Wait, now that we're graduated and official wizarding adults out in the world, can I ask you about something?"

Adeline sat up straight, confused as to where Ophelia was leading to. "What do you want to ask me about?"

"That strange secret group you spent the summer with," Ophelia started in a quiet voice, worried about the potential of someone listening in. "Are you able to tell us about it now?"

Adeline pursed her lips together, then nodded. But first, she made sure the door to the cabin was tightly shut and she had cast a spell to soundproof the room to make sure no one who shouldn't be hearing it couldn't. Adeline then sat down on the bench once more and began, "It's called the Order of the Phoenix."

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The train platform was chaos as students reunited with their families as well as said goodbye to their friends. Adeline, Estelle, and Melanie had all come together into a tight group hug, but Ophelia didn't immediately jump in at first.

"I don't want to do a hug," Ophelia tried to say. "I don't want to be violently crying in front of half the school."

"Too late!" Melanie shouted, tugging Ophelia by the arm and pulling her into the circle. "Prepare to be smothered by our love and affection."

"None of you better cry," Ophelia muttered in defeat. "I'll hex you if you do."

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Adeline teased.

The four girls hugged for what felt like an eternity, but eventually they all separated from each other. "I hate saying goodbyes," Ophelia said with a frown. "They feel so final, like I'm never going to see you all again."

"Alright, then we won't say goodbye out loud. We'll just think it in our heads." Estelle glanced into the crowd of people and seemed to spot someone. "I should probably go. I can see my mum waiting for over there.

"I think I better go too," Adeline said. "I think George is waiting for me with his family."

"Someone's got to snog her boyfriend!" Ophelia shouted as Melanie made kissy faces over her shoulder and Estelle laughed loudly.

Adeline, in return, stuck her tongue out before turning to start walking further down the walkway.

The first thing Adeline noticed was the gaggle of people with bright red hair standing near the end of the platform, along with Harry and Hermione. One of them pushed to the front from the back of the group and began walking quickly towards Adeline. Once she recognized who it was, Adeline began to run forward, abandoning her trunk and owl cage entirely as she leaped into George's arms.

"There's my girl," He mumbled in the crook of her neck, lifting Adeline up in the air as they embraced. George then settled down on the ground and cupped her face with hands. "You made it back all in one piece, thank Merlin."

"Something that's become an increasingly difficult task for me," She laughed as she went up on her tip toes to give him a quick kiss. "I know it's only been a few months, but I missed you so badly."

"I missed you too, Addie," George sighed, finally content again now that he was back with Adeline. "I can't wait to take you back home with me."

Mrs. Weasley, who was standing nearby, overheard this part and whipped her head to face George. "Wait," She began loudly. "Is Adeline living in the flat with you two?"

George squeezed his eyes shut, knowing the storm that was about to erupt. "Yes...?"

"And you didn't think it was important to tell me?"

'Yeah, George," Adeline repeated, turning his head to look at him with a similar expression as his mum. "Did you not tell your family that I was moving in with you and Fred?"

"It never came up in conversation..." George said quietly, fiddling with his hands.

Mrs. Weasley looked as though she was about to burst a fuse at that. Not because she didn't like the fact that Adeline was moving in with them – frankly, it was the best piece of news Mrs. Weasley had heard all day. What she was mad about was the fact her sons didn't tell her.

Meanwhile, Adeline sighed and picked up her trunk and owl cage. "Sometimes you make me feel like you're ashamed of me," She joked.

"Never in a million years, Addie," George said with such an endearing smile that it nearly made Adeline forget why she was even annoyed with him in the first place.

Adeline sighed in defeat and exchanged a look with Mrs. Weasley, who looked exasperated but unsurprised about it all. She looked back at George and suddenly realized that he looked slightly different than usual. "Did you get a new suit?"

"Yeah, since when did you two wear dragon suits?" Ron questioned.

"Business is booming," Fred proclaimed proudly, and both him and George puffed their chests out. "Thought we'd spoil ourselves a little."

George turned back to Adeline and asked, "Do you like it?"

"You look incredible. The most handsome wizard I've ever laid eyes on."

He beamed, and Adeline wanted to reach up to kiss him again. But, she was hesitant to do so in front of his entire family, worried about any potential teasing from anyone there. George seemed to be feeling the same way, plus he had been itching to show Adeline the joke shop for weeks now. "Should we had back to the flat?" George asked, and Adeline nodded.

George went to place his hand on Adeline's eye, and she couldn't help but begin to laugh. "Why do you want to cover my eye?"

As George placed one hand completely over her eye and the other on the small of her back, he answered, "I want to make everything a complete surprise for you and do a big grand reveal."

"But how are we going to get all my stuff to the flat?"

George briefly uncovered her eye so she could see him point his wand at her stuff and it disappear into thin air. "See! No more worrying about it. It'll be in our bedroom waiting for you."

"You better not have sent Cecilia and all my belongings to some strange place in the process."

"You have such little faith in me, it's so disappointing," George teased as he covered her eye and placed his hand back where it was once more. A few seconds later, Adeline felt that familiar tugging feeling in her stomach that was familiar with Apparition.

The loud chaos of the train platform disappeared, and it was replaced with the familiar bustle of Diagon Alley. George uncovered her eye, and Adeline's mouth gaped open when she finally saw the store. Diagon Alley was more dull and gloomier than it had been the past times she had gone there. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, however, stuck out like a brightly-colored theme park attraction in the best way possible. It's warm, bright exterior was enticing for onlookers, and the few people who were walking through Diagon Alley that afternoon couldn't help but to turn their heads to get a second look.

"Merlin's beard..." She whispered in awe as she turned to look at George. "You've done this all since leaving Hogwarts?"

"It's even better inside the store," George stated proudly. "Do you want to see?"

"Why do you think that's even necessary to ask? Of course I do."

As the two walked towards the store entrance, Adeline asked, "Who's the giant head supposed to be, by the way? You or Fred?"

"Still fighting over that one. As far as you know, it's me on the front of the storefront."

"I'll tell that to every customer who asks," She grinned, kissing George's cheek. "Can you show me inside?"

George happily agreed, linking his arm with hers as he led her through the large wooden doors. The inside of the store was just as bright as the outside, and it almost seemed it was bursting at the seams with so many different products with a variety of different displays. Adeline was in awe as George led her around the store. "You and Fred did absolute incredible in here. It looks like a theme park and candy store all wrapped up into one but somehow even better."

"What's a theme park?"

"Muggle thing, I'll explain it later," She said, waving his question off. "But it looks amazing in here. I'm so proud of what you two have done with the store."

"Really?"

"Really," Adeline confirmed with a smile.

George kissed her temple, beaming with pride at Adeline's praise for the business him and Fred had spent so long creating. "And...here's the staircase to the flat."

"Can you show me up there? I'd like to see where the three of us are living."

George led her up the stairwell, still keep his arm linked with hers. It seemed that George and Fred had mostly settled in, but still had to do some unpacking. The furniture was simple and there was a slight mess, but nothing was out of control. It was cozy and reminded Adeline of the brief amount of time she spent in the Burrow.

As if he could read her thoughts, George said aloud, "Fred and I have been trying to figure out how best to set up the flat, but I think we spent all our creative energy on the store downstairs."

Adeline waved him off. "That's alright. You've been busy. This isn't too bad anyways, and we can all figure it out together at some point."

George led her over to the small hallway and opened a door on the left side. "And here's where we'll be bunking."

The bedroom was small, but just as cozy as the rest of the flat. Dark, thin purple curtains hung over a window that looked out onto Diagon Alley, and a large dresser sat against the wall below a mirror facing the bed on the opposite wall. Just as George promised, all of Adeline's belongings sat in the corner of the room.

"You can do what you'd like in here," George told her. "I tried in here, but I don't really have an 'eye for decorating' or whatever."

She shook her head. "Maybe a spot to put all my books and a few things here or there, but I really like how you've set the room up."

Adeline reached her hands up to fix the tie on his suit and let her hands linger, and George picked up on the hint almost immediately. "You want to catch up on something else, huh? Really not going to build up to it? Or are you just going right into it."

Adeline chose not to respond with yet another teasing remark, instead pulling George in for a deep kiss that he happily reciprocated. Unlike other times where they had been slow with each other, she didn't hesitate to start trying to take off his suit, but she found it significantly more difficult than in the past when she just had to deal with his Hogwarts uniform.

"Why is your suit so complicated?" Adeline managed to say between her giggles as she fumbled with the different buttons.

"Expensive suits, angel. Hopefully you'll be getting used to it."

When George pulled off her blouse, however, he paused. Normally, he would falter a little anytime he got Adeline's top off, especially when she was wearing the specific lacy bra she had on now. But George barely even processed that she was even wearing it, as he was more focused on the large scar on Adeline's torso that certainly had not been there prior to him leaving Hogwarts.

The scar reached from the middle of her stomach to nearly the top of her ribcage. It was still a dark purple color, just barely healed over. Adeline knew the intensity of the scar would fade away to a paler mark in the future, but it would still be prominent. It wasn't a clean, pretty line either. Instead, it was jagged at the edges and curved around Adeline's side.

"I was meaning to tell you..." She said quietly, refusing to look him in the eye. "But I wasn't sure how to bring this up. Not exactly something I want to talk about over a letter. It came from the Ministry battle from Bellatrix and was part of the reason I was stuck in the Hospital Wing for so long."

George didn't respond for a few moments and she couldn't fully read the expression on his face. which absolutely terrified her. Adeline being told throughout her entire childhood that the slightest imperfection made her unworthy of love and affection had twisted her view of herself. On too many occasions, she would ridiculously think to herself that if she became too scarred and damaged, George would find her unattractive and would not want her anymore.

George, meanwhile, couldn't figure out how to tell Adeline that the scar was the hottest thing he'd ever seen.

The reason why he was so shocked and hesitated was because he hadn't expected her to be hurt so badly. Although, George wasn't sure why he was so surprised. Adeline had talked about being in the Hospital Wing for several days. He just wasn't fully anticipating such a large scar.

Not that he didn't mind it. Obviously.

"Does it hurt?" He eventually asked in a quiet voice. "When I hold you?"

Adeline shook her head. "There's not really any pain in that area anymore."

"Good," he muttered before enveloping her in a kiss that made Adeline's head spin.

"You." Kiss. "Look." Kiss. "Fucking." Kiss. "Beautiful."

George kissed her even harder after that, if that was even possible. For a second, Adeline couldn't help but mentally slap herself because of course George wouldn't stop loving her or being attracted to her because of a scar. She certainly wasn't less in love with George every time he got a mark after being injured, whether it be from a joke product gone wrong or Quidditch.

Why would George stop loving her for something so insignificant?

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a/n:

hi guys !!

and that's the end of part 3 !! it ended up being SIGNIFICANTLY longer than expected, but i loved every minute of it and i hope you did as well :)) adeline and george are doing wonderful (despite the wizarding world not doing so well), and i love them for it.

i hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that you have a lovely day !! i'll see you at the next update !!

- g ♡