The Mother We Share

[Virginia Carmichael I]

April 12th
The weather in Padmore Park was not as glorious as Ginny hoped it would be for their picnic. The sun was hidden by a layer of grey clouds, though there was no hint of rain yet, and there was a brisk breeze winding its way through the park, making a cloak a requirement to be outside for any substantial length of time. Still, it was tolerably warm and she’d already had the cook put together a lavish basket, complete with chocolate frogs for George; it would take more than a few clouds to deter her from getting off the estate and seeing her brothers!

With the spread all neatly arranged under a birch tree and her chaperone chatting with an acquaintance nearby, the Carmichael siblings were largely left to their own devices. It had been a while since just the three of them could spend time together outside of their massive family functions in Wales. While Ginny loved all of her family, she was connected to her brothers in a way that few could claim; for better or for worse they were quite literally stuck with one another, and that bond had, thankfully, only served to strengthen their relationships rather than strain them.

“I’m so glad to see you both,” she sighed contentedly after she took a bite of a strawberry. “Father and Mother send their love, of course. I trust you’re both keeping the student populace of Hogwarts in check?” she asked playfully. George had always been so serious, and Elliot so…. well, not serious. The idea of the pair of them being in leadership positions among students still made her giggle.

[Elliot Carmichael]

Elliot was more than happy to be spending the day in Hogsmeade with his siblings - it wasn't as though he had anything better to do, and besides that, they hadn't gotten to actually spend time together in ages. (Except for, of course, the moment he had taken to ask Ginny about Miss Reid's prediction. But that only sort of counted.)

He sat cross-legged, and twirled a piece of grass between his fingertips almost absently even though his siblings had his full attention - Elliot was just the sort of person who always needed to be doing something with his hands.

"I'm thrilled to see you two too, of course. Do tell our parents that I return the sentiments." Elliot grinned. "Well," he said, "I've been doing my best - though two students did manage to get themselves expelled in the past month. So." He could be much more frank here, with George and Virginia, than he could with anyone up at the school - it was a little bit relieving, if only because Elliot was naturally inclined towards sarcasm.

  

[George Carmichael I]

George was happy to finally get some time away from school, and see Ginny without their parents getting in the way. It was no secret amongst their close family that George and their father didn't see eye to eye on certain things. Especially when it came to dealing with Virginia. Both George and their father had a few heated conversations over the situation in fact. Granted it had been sometime since the last one they had, but it was clear when ever they were in the same room longer than a few minutes that there’s tense there between them.

It was why George decided to stay in Hogwarts over the Christmas period, a holiday like that didn't deserve such tension. He didn't want to be in school, but at that time of year there wasn't many places to go. Granted George was sure that their uncle James would have put him over the holiday. But George didn't want to be a burden on anyone, and he wanted to make a stand in a sense toward their father. All of that was in the past now, and George was sure that his point was put across. The only thing left to do now was to wait and see which one would make the next move.

While Ginny asked about how things were in school. George was tucking into his second chocolate frog, and was examining the card that came with it. He then turned his attention on Elliot as he answered the question first. George hadn't gone that far yet with his prefect position, but he had dished out a few punishments. "Thus far I haven't been involved in anything that serious. But I have made it clear amongst the student populace that I am not a person to be crossed." George whipped his top lip of chocolate while he spoke. "Tell mum that I miss her, and apologize for my absence over Christmas. As for father...well tell him I'm well." When he spoke of their father George's tone dropped, slightly, and he turned his attention onto the next chocolate frog.

  

[Virginia Carmichael I]

"Two students expelled! My, but it seems the both of you have been slacking!" Virginia teased. "How awful, truly. I expect they'll not take well to the consequences; students never seem to fully appreciate Hogwarts until they can't go back." It had certainly been true of herself all those years ago, though dwelling on it now was of little use.

Ginny didn't miss George's lack of enthusiasm in his greetings for Father. The pair had quarreled more than once in the few occasions they had been in the same room in the last year, and Ginny couldn't help but feel some guilt in the role she played in it. Of course she had never asked George or Father to do the things they did, but that didn't change the fact that her condition was a source of stress and conflict for the family. Father was just trying to protect her, she knew that in her heart, but she couldn't deny that George's dreams of freedom for her and the rest of the family were ones that she shared.

"I'm sure she'll forgive you once you're both back for the summer," she said cheerfully, deliberately avoiding that elephant in the room. "I'm sure we'll all be quite busy this season, what with all the election events we'll probably have to attend!"

[Elliot Carmichael]

Elliot was worried about George's feelings on their father. Though he himself had recently been conflicted where the vow was concerned - it was the sort of secret that wore, and though he knew that he would never tell anyone he was always nervous and away from Wales that was building - he also could not feel that he would have done anything differently. Virginia's condition could get her killed by a mob, and it had been intelligent to 'circle the wagons,' so to speak.

Without realizing it, he had begun to tie his strand of grass into knots. He very much appreciated Ginny's attempt to change the subject.

"Election events," Elliot echoed with a grin, "I have been tempted to try and make my students divine the election's results - but there are only so many options, and if any of them are right they'll be insufferable for the entirety of next year."

Elliot had had no inclinations from his own Sight, except for a dull sense of dread that was just caused by his not knowing who he was going to vote for.

  

[George Carmichael I]

The tense level rose a few notches or two when George brought up the situation concerning their father, and it was clear that neither one of his siblings wanted to talk about it. At times George felt as if he was fighting a war by himself, a lone soldier on the battlefield, fighting against odds that were very much against him. But George knew of Elliot's feelings over the situation, even thought he was never any good at speaking them aloud. Both brothers knew that the situation with their sister couldn't go on forever, and George had come to understand in recent years that forcing them to take the unbreakable vow was a mistake on their father’s part.

If only there was some way to break the damn curse, maybe then George could get some real help for Ginny, and perhaps even cure her of her illness. As a prefect, George had been granted access to the restricted section of the library, and there were a few things about werewolves that weren't found in normal books. But George didn't have a great understanding of the context, and it took him longer than normal to try and work it all out. That was one of the reasons why George wanted to break the vow, because he needed someone to help him understand the condition better, and how to handle its onset every cycle.

Even though George wanted to talk about the elephant in the room. He wasn't going to force either of his siblings into a conversation neither one of them didn't want to have. So he just finished off his chocolate frog, and listened as Ginny brought up the election events. Of course George had been showing his family loyalty in school, and had proudly worn a Carmichael campaign badge just under his prefect one. He knew that his uncle had been a bit too liberal with his opinions just recently, so much so, people had perhaps got the wrong idea of what he was about. So George tried to tell them otherwise, and hoped that he had done enough to convince them that his uncle wasn't some weirdo freak that was going to be open and liberal about sex and the like.

"I look forward to the events. It'll give me a real chance to tell people what Uncle James is really about. That article in the prophet was taken in the wrong context I think." George wanted to also mention that he was having second thoughts about going home for the summer. But then that would draw attention back to the elephant in the room. So decided not to mention anything, and started on a new chocolate frog.