Means the World

Elise hobbled into the room. She was now heavily pregnant. It was strange; she had always been very small in her youth and still thin in her teenage years, but at twenty one, she was a blimp when pregnant. Elise was back living in the flat above the shop; it was best she live somewhat close to St. Mungo’s. Her birth being especially delicate considering her veela background and the stress she’d been under after Fred’s death demanded a well cared for birth, with magical assistance at the ready. One of the healers also worked as a midwife in a muggle hospital, giving Elise much more confidence in her choice of giving birth in a magical hospital. She didn’t know what she was having; she decided to be surprised.

“How are you feeling today?” George asked, quickly rushing to aid her to the couch. Oliver,
Angelina, Alicia, and Lee sat around her.

“God, you all treat me like a child.” She said, irked.

“We’re just worried about you.” Angelina said softly.

“You look so…breakable.” Oliver shuddered.

Elise shrugged and rolled her eyes. “I’m not that bad.”

Alicia’s eyes widened. “Have you looked in a mirror, Lise? You’re nine months pregnant and you look like a wreck. You’re pale and your skin is basically see-through. You’re exhausted from just walking to your room to the couch and you hardly eat.”

“Do you think Fred would be happy to see the condition we’re leaving you in?” George
barked.

Elise stood up, about to fire back at them, when she felt a sharp pain. She gasped and sat back down. All of them surrounded her as the pain got worse.

“What’s wrong?” Lee panicked.

“I think it’s time.” She huffed.

Within moments, Elise was taken to St. Mungo’s. The entire Weasley clan was there in seconds; Ginny and Hermione were home on holiday (the Grangers had been easier than she thought to find in Australia so she went back to school) from school, Ron apparated back from a trading deal for Wizard Wheezes in Japan in moments, and Harry took some time off of work for the ministry.

Elise had no idea what was going on; in seconds, she was in terrible pain, and the next moment she was in a haze from the confusion. George was at her side, holding her hand. Screaming, blinding pain came over her. It felt like death. Surely, this is what it felt like.

But after that anguish and pain, it all ended with a cry. She looked up, brushing away the sweat. “What, what?” she asked, worried.

George was tearing up as a healer passed him the bundle of towel. “It’s a girl…a baby girl.” He whispered.

Elise’s eyes widened as he passed her the bundle. A little baby girl, crying her eyes out, laid in it. She was perfect. And Elise already knew what to call her.

“Abigail…Abigail Molly.” She whispered.

George wiped his eyes. “Abigail Molly Weasley.”

It all happened so quickly. Before she knew it, their friends and family were all there. Even Teddy, Harry’s godson who was in his care for the weekend, was there. Harry held Teddy closer to Abigail. “They’ll be good friends.” Harry said, smiling.

“Perhaps even more.” Ginny said, resting her head on Harry’s shoulder.

“Fred would be so proud.” Molly blubbered. “Oh, the very first of Weasley grandchildren.”

“You beat me and Fleur to it.” Bill teased, as Fleur placed her hands on her stomach, smiling.

“A Christmas baby…it’s the perfect gift.” George motioned.

Elise just stared at the baby girl. She was perfect. But most of all, Elise saw Fred in her.
Tears overcame her. "Fred's not here to see her." she wept.

Molly put an arm around her. "He sees her, Elise. He's watching over us, you, and this baby girl."

"She'll never know him." Elise blubbered.

George smiled. "She'll know him through us."

*~*~*~*

It was spring, five years later. Elise had hardly had time to herself. Raising Abigail had been a handful. It was hard to believe she was only twenty six, had a five year old daughter, and was a widower.

Elise walked to the graveyard in Ottery St. Catchpole. She saw the grave of Cedric Diggory, one of her great friends at Hogwarts. She remembered those days; she’d leave classes in Fred’s arms and they’d sit together at meals. When Fred was in classes and she had study periods, she would be with Fleur or hanging in the courtyards with Cedric.

She walked straight to the large grave erected in her husband’s name. She sat down in front of it, laying down flowers for the first time in a long time. Touching the stone, she smiled.
“It’s been a while, Fred.” She whispered.

The wind rustled her hair; she felt that it was Fred’s way of responding. Part of it reminded her of the funeral.

Elise was tired of receiving people. They'd all found out about the marriage and were expressing their condolences to her. She couldn't listen to them anymore.

Her black dress blew in the wind. Ginny put her hand on Elise's shoulder.

"Come home with us." she pleaded.

Elise shook her head. "I need to be alone right now."

Everyone left, and as soon as it was clear, Elise sat on top of Fred's grave.

"I miss you." her voice cracked.

"I miss him too."

Elise turned around to see George. He walked up and sat next to her.

"I don't know if I can live without him, George." she warned, tears overcoming her.

George put an arm around her. "I don't know if I can either."

The wind rustled their hair.

"But we will, because he wants us to."

“I’ve been raising Abigail, but not alone. Half of the time, someone is there. We moved into an apartment close to the shop; we couldn’t live there anymore. It just didn’t seem right.” She said. The wind rustled her hair again.

“I miss you so much every day.” She croaked. “But what keeps me running is Abby. She needs me. I’m afraid that when she doesn’t need me anymore, I’ll fade away.” She echoed.
The wind stopped.

She sniffled and brushed her curly hair out of her face. “I’ve been working with your brother in the store. Ron worked there for a while but he went to go be an auror with Harry. Hermione’s doing wonderful. Hermione and Ron are together and Ginny and Harry are together as well. They’re getting married. Victoire, you’re niece from Fleur and Bill, and Abby are the flower girls.” She echoed. The wind picked up again.

“I miss you. I miss your smell. You always smell like smoke and apples, even though I don’t
know why.” She chuckled. “I miss the way you’d wrap your arms around me. I miss you protecting me. I miss being next to you.” She said, lying down on the grass. “I miss touching you, oh God what I wouldn’t give to touch you one last time.”

“Mummy?”

Elise sat up and wiped away her tears, holding her arms open. “Abby, what are you doing here?” she asked.

Abigail looked very much a blend of her mother and father. With her veela heritage, she was stunningly beautiful. The only exception to her veela heritage was the large brown eyes she had inherited from her father. Her hair was strawberry blonde, long and wavy. A light dusting of freckles smattered across her nose bridge.

Abigail ran to her mother and sat in her arms. “This is papa?” she asked.

Elise smiled and nodded sadly. “This is papa.”

The wind waved slowly.

“He’s watching over us, isn’t he?” Abigail asked.

Elise nodded. “Yes, he is. He always will be.”

With that, she and her daughter stood up, hand in hand, and walked away.