10. empty

George's POV:

The morning sunlight crept gently through the Burrow's windows, casting a warm glow over everything it touched. Birds chirped outside, and the usual cozy hum of the house beginning to stir filled the air.

George stretched lazily, a rare peacefulness clinging to him. For once, he hadn't woken up to chaos or worry. For once, everything had felt... right.

Still smiling to himself, he swung his legs out of bed and padded down to the kitchen, his mind immediately drifting to Talwyn. Maybe he'd surprise her this morning, make her a cup of tea the way she liked it. She deserved something nice after all the stress lately.

He hummed quietly under his breath, reaching for the kettle and setting it to boil. He added a splash of honey, just the way she preferred, and carefully carried the cup upstairs, his heart oddly light.

He stopped in front of her door and knocked softly with his knuckle.

"Talwyn?" he called. "Brought you tea. Thought you could use a lazy morning."

No answer.

George smiled, imagining her still wrapped up in her blankets, and slowly pushed the door open.

The smile slipped off his face instantly.

The room was... immaculate.

The bed was neatly made.

The wardrobe stood open... empty.

The little things she always left scattered around; her books, her hair ties, the worn jacket she always tossed over the chair.  

Gone.

George froze, the cup trembling slightly in his hand.

He blinked once. Twice.

No, no, she must have, maybe she moved rooms? Maybe-

Panic clawed up his chest as he backed out of the room and stumbled down the hall.

He nearly tripped over himself rushing to Theo's door, shoving it open without thinking.

Same thing.

Neat bed. 

Empty wardrobe. 

Silent, hollow nothing.

The cup slipped from George's hand, shattering against the floor.

He didn't even flinch.

He just stood there, staring blankly at the empty room, his breathing shallow and uneven.

They were gone.

Talwyn was gone.

Theo was gone.

And they hadn't even said goodbye.

George stood frozen, the shattered cup at his feet, tea slowly spreading across the wooden floorboards like a stain.

He couldn't breathe.

His mind couldn't even form a coherent thought, just one loud, pounding realization echoing over and over:

She's gone. 

She's gone. 

She's gone.

"George?"

Molly's voice floated up the staircase, light with concern. Footsteps followed, quick and worried. She appeared in the doorway, her apron still dusted with flour from breakfast preparations.

She took one look at the scene, the broken cup, George standing like a ghost, the eerily empty room behind him, and her face paled.

"George, love, what happened?" she asked, stepping carefully over the shards of porcelain.

He didn't answer. He couldn't. He just stared numbly at the barren room.

Molly's eyes flicked around, her frown deepening as she slowly registered what she was seeing.

The closet open and empty.

The drawers pulled out and cleared.

The little framed photo of Talwyn and Theo that Theo had brought when he came, gone.

"Oh... oh, sweetheart," she breathed, a hand coming up to cover her mouth.

George finally moved, just enough to turn toward her, his voice hollow and cracked when he spoke.

"They're gone."

Molly blinked back the sudden sting of tears. She reached out, brushing a hand over his shoulder gently. "Maybe they- maybe they just went to Diagon Alley. Maybe they needed something-"

"No," George said, almost a whisper. "They packed. They didn't just leave. They left for good."

There was a long, heavy silence.

Molly swallowed, her heart aching for him. "They must've had a reason, George," she said softly, squeezing his arm. "They wouldn't just... disappear like that. Not without a reason."

George pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, breathing hard.

He knew she wouldn't.

He knew something was wrong.

But why hadn't she told him?

Why hadn't she trusted him?

Molly stayed with him for a few moments, offering the only thing she could, her quiet, steady presence, while George stood there, shaking slightly, feeling like the entire world had just shifted under his feet.

George barely registered Molly calling after him as he turned on his heel and barreled down the stairs.

He didn't know where he was going, only that he had to find someone. Had to do something.

Fred was in the sitting room, tossing a Quaffle lazily into the air and catching it again, pretending like the world hadn't just fallen apart.

George stormed in, heart pounding like a drum against his ribs. "They're gone, Talwyn and Theo," he said, voice raw.

Fred caught the Quaffle midair and stood, his expression unreadable.

"I know," he said quietly.

George froze.

A heavy, stunned silence filled the space between them.

"You knew?" George's voice rose sharply. "And you didn't tell me?"

Fred flinched like George had struck him. "It wasn't my choice, Georgie."

George's hands curled into fists at his sides. His whole body was vibrating with rage and heartbreak.

"You let her leave?" he hissed. "You let her walk out of here without even telling me?"

Fred stepped closer, his face tight with guilt. "She asked me not to. She made me swear, George. Said it was for your own good."

George's chest heaved as he shook his head in disbelief. "That doesn't make it right. That doesn't make it-"

Fred cut him off, voice rough. "She loves you, you daft git."

George froze.

Fred swallowed hard, the anger draining from him, leaving something much sadder behind."Last night," Fred said, voice barely more than a whisper, "she hugged me. Told me she loved me, loved all of us. But especially you. She said..." He trailed off, blinking hard.

George stared at him, barely breathing.

"She said if she stayed, it would only put you, and all of us, in danger," Fred finally got out. "Said leaving was the only way to keep you safe."

George felt like the floor had been ripped out from under him.

All the fight drained from his body at once, leaving him feeling hollow and cold.

Fred reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "She didn't leave because she didn't love you, George. She left because she does."

George closed his eyes, squeezing them tight against the sting.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The house was too quiet now. Too wrong.

George found himself moving before he even realized it, his legs carrying him back up the stairs. His hand skimmed the railing, cold and trembling, as he climbed.

He didn't know what he was expecting, maybe some clue, anything, but what he wasn't prepared for was the way it still smelled like her when he pushed open the door to Charlie's old room.

The faint, sweet scent of Talwyn's perfume hung in the air, delicate and soft, like she'd just been there a moment ago.

George stepped inside slowly, every inch of him aching.

The bed was neatly made. The few little things she had brought, the worn book she kept by the nightstand, the sweater she always shrugged into in the evenings, they were gone.

It was like she had never been there.

Except,

Something caught his eye.

Sitting on the desk by the window was a small folded piece of parchment and a necklace she had seemingly left behind. It was the one she wore everyday. It had a small dove pendant, so small you had to really look to see it.

He put on the necklace without even thinking twice. 

His name was written on the front of the parchment.

"George"

In her familiar handwriting.

He swallowed hard and unfolded it carefully, the parchment crinkling in his hands.

The words inside were rushed, a little messy, like she'd written it quickly, probably wiping away tears as she did.

~

George,

If you're reading this, I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you everything. I wanted to stay.

You have to believe that.

But it's not safe for me to be here anymore. And if I stayed, it wouldn't be safe for you either. I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because of me.

You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. You made me feel like I was home for the first time in my life.

I love you. I love you so much it hurts.

Maybe one day, when it's safe, I'll find my way back to you.If you'll still have me.

Until then,Please be happy. Please don't blame yourself. And please go live your life. You've got so much ahead of you, you're so much smarter than you let on. 

Please remember I never left because I stopped loving you.

I left because I do.

Yours,Talwyn

~

George's breath caught, and for a moment, he couldn't breathe at all.

He sank down onto the edge of the bed, the letter clutched in his hands like it was the only thing tethering him to the earth.

The walls of the room blurred, and he realized too late that he was crying, silent, furious tears he couldn't even wipe away.

She loved him.

She had loved him the whole time.

And now she was gone.

George pressed the letter to his chest, bowing his head, as if he could hold onto her just a little longer that way.

As if loving her hard enough could somehow bring her back.

But deep down, he knew,

He was going to have to fight for her.

And no matter how far she ran, no matter who tried to stand in his way,

George Weasley wasn't going to let her go.

Not without a fight.

The quiet weighed on George's chest as he walked down the stairs, his mind racing. Talwyn and Theo's absence had left an undeniable void. As he descended the last few steps, he stopped, catching sight of Molly sitting at the kitchen table, her face hidden in her hands.

The kettle whistled softly, but it was the sound of Molly's muffled sobs that struck George the hardest. He froze for a moment, not sure what to do. His mother was rarely this distraught. He had never seen her like this, and it made his heart ache for her.

"Mum?" he called gently, stepping into the kitchen.

Molly looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy from crying. The sight made something inside him twist painfully. She sniffled, wiping her eyes, and without saying a word, she reached over and handed him a piece of parchment.

George took the letter from her, his hands trembling slightly as he unfolded it. The handwriting was unmistakable, Sloppy but also put together, it was Theo's. 

He read the words quickly, the lump in his throat growing with every sentence.

~

George,

I know this is sudden, and I know I've never really shown it, but I need you to understand one thing. You've been a protector and a friend to my sister, and I'll forever be thankful for how much you've cared for her. I may not have shown it in the best way, but I appreciate you, more than I could ever express.

I'm sorry for the way things have turned out. Please, don't blame her.

Take care of yourself.

– Theo

~

George felt a wave of emotion hit him like a tidal wave. The words, simple as they were, felt like a punch to the gut. He had hoped for something more, something that would tell him they were still coming back, but this, this was a farewell. 

A quiet goodbye.

"Mum..." His voice cracked slightly, though he tried to keep it steady. He looked up at her, meeting her tear-streaked face. "Why didn't they just tell us? Why couldn't they just talk to us?"

Molly let out a shaky sigh, wiping more tears from her eyes. "I don't know, George. I don't know. I wanted them to be safe, to stay here with us. We could've helped them..."

George's heart tightened in his chest, the weight of it almost unbearable. "They didn't want to hurt us. I think they thought it was better this way."

Molly's gaze dropped to her hands in her lap, and she gave a small, bitter laugh. "I guess... I guess I just didn't want to let them go, George. I didn't want to lose them. You know hoe fast I start to view other children as my own."

George walked over and sat beside her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. It wasn't much, but it was all he could offer. "You didn't lose them, Mum. They just... they needed to do this on their own. We can't change it now."

Molly leaned into him, her sobs quieter now but still full of the ache of a mother who felt like she had failed. "I should've done more. I should've made them feel like they could stay, like they could be part of this family. Instead, they left without a word."

George hugged her tighter, wishing he could say the right words, but everything felt so wrong. It was as if the world had shifted without warning, leaving them scrambling to make sense of it all.

"I just..." Molly's voice faltered. "I just wanted them to be happy. I wanted them to know they were loved."

"I know, Mum," George said softly, the words catching in his throat. "I know."

There was nothing else to say. They both knew that Talwyn and Theo had done what they thought was best. But that didn't stop the pain from cutting deep. George knew his mother would always carry the guilt of not being able to keep them with her, but they had made their own choices. And though George wished they had come to him, he couldn't fault them for trying to protect themselves in the only way they knew how.

As he looked at his mother, trying to offer what little comfort he could, his thoughts couldn't help but drift to Talwyn. He hoped wherever she was, she was safe. He hoped they both were.

"Do you want me to make you some tea?" he asked, trying to shift the moment into something more normal, more manageable.

Molly nodded weakly, a faint, sad smile on her lips. "That would be nice."

George stood and made his way over to the counter, focusing on the task at hand. He needed to stay strong, not just for himself but for his family.

He had no idea where Talwyn and Theo were now, but he would find them. He would make sure they knew they still had a home here, whether they wanted to come back or not.