A/N: This was originally planned to be a oneshot for Glory of Love but it sort of turned into it's own thing. So this stands all on it's own!

Please don't forget to review.

I have no chill when it comes to this pairing.

Love in a Fortnight

or

You Sit There in Your Heartache

Day One:

Harriet Potter was woken by a harsh rapping at her bedroom door. She cracked one eye open and was disappointed to find she was still at her aunt and uncle's house in Surrey and not back at Hogwarts like she had been dreaming about.

"Up girl!" came her aunt's grating voice from the otherside of the door.

Harriet groaned and stood up reluctantly. She had hardly been able to sleep at all after the events that led to her godfather's death, and her head throbbed as she stood.

"Coming, coming."

She opened the door and was met with her Aunt Petunia's snobbish glare. Her lips were pierced together and her hands were placed on her hips.

"Yes?" asked Harry crossing her arms and leaning into the doorway, knowing her casual stance would further piss her aunt off. "How can I help you this morning?"

"Are you planning on sleeping the whole summer away?"

"It's only 8:30 in the morning," cried Harriet looking back at the clock that hung in her room.

"The Welborns are going on holiday," her aunt said ignoring her. "I told them you would check in on their house once a day-"

"Why can't Dudley do it?"

"-and clean their pool out for them while you are there."

"Really?"

"They said they would leave money for you on the kitchen counter," her aunt said looking her in the eye. "They're going to be gone for two weeks. If you steal anything they will know and I will not hesitate to tell them to call the police if that happens."

"What on earth do you think I'm going to take from them?"

Aunt Petunia didn't answer. Instead she turned on her heel and marched down the stairs. Harry slumped against the doorway, her head slightly thumping against the wood. She glanced over at Hedwig who had her head underneath her wing and appeared dead to the world.

"Well," she said to the bird though she was certain Hedwig couldn't hear her, "I suppose it's not all bad. It will get me out of the house once a day at least. Who knows, maybe I'll actually learn how to swim now."

She was met with only silence and heaved a sigh. Harry felt terribly alone and she had for quite some time now.

Harry had been having a hard time dealing with the passing of Sirius. In the days that followed his death, she felt horribly secluded from the world and that did nothing to help her slump. Remus had not been corresponding with her and Harry wondered if he slightly blamed her for the death of his old friend which made her feel infinitely worse. She couldn't fault him if he did happen to think that. She certainly blamed herself for her godfather's death. She was bothered by the fact that he didn't have a proper burial, bothered too by the knowledge she would never have another letter from him, and even more so that she would never see his face again.

Sirius, for all purposes, had been a father figure towards her and in many ways her first love because of that. And so she was having a particularly difficult time moving on from his death. He had held many promises for her of a home, of family and she couldn't help but feel like all of that was gone now. Nights were hard because if she slept she dreamt of him slipping beyond the veil. The daytime was worse because she couldn't figure out how to function some days.

What were you supposed to do when half of your heart had also disappeared beyond the veil?

Harry wasn't sure just yet but hoped the summer would somehow help her.

The Welborn's lived down the street from the Dursleys. They had always been a kind, elderly couple who often paid Harriet compliments on how pretty they thought she was when they saw her. Occasionally they would also sneak her some sort of sweet treat and Harry had to wonder how much they suspected about her living arrangement with her aunt and uncle.

The structure of their house looked like everyone else's in the subdivision but Harry thought the way they decorated it made it more friendly looking to the outside eye. They had dozens of garden gnomes and pink flamingos that surround the front garden. Petunia had thought they were gaudy but Harry had always wanted to play with the little gnomes as a child and thought the arrangement of their front yard was marvelous.

They were the only house in the neighborhood that had a pool, however, which put them on Aunt Petunia's radar. Petunia was one who selected her acquaintances based on what they had to offer her and a pool was something her aunt could not refuse especially during hot summer days.

It was during one of these hot summer days that Harriet walked to the Welborn's pool, her summer dress sashaying around her knees with each step. Their white picket fence greeted her as she stepped through it to search for the net. The pool didn't have much to clean out truthfully aside from a few stray leaves and bugs and Harry found herself staring into the waters clutching onto the net tightly. She suddenly felt the inexplicable desire to see what it felt like to sink to the bottom of the water. She knew it was foolish since she wasn't a great swimmer and she didn't have any actual swimming attire with her but she still found herself crouching down and sitting at the edge. She dipped one foot in first, the water chilly against her hot skin. Feeling brave she dropped the other foot in and splashed.

"All I would have to do is push myself back up," she said trying to convince herself of her stupidity. "No big deal, right?"

She didn't receive an answer from herself and before she could overthink things she plunged herself in, allowing herself to be immersed in the cold water. She sunk slowly towards the bottom and watched as the bubbles that had escaped her mouth floated upwards. She could see the sun shining down, her dress flowed around her, and then she hit the bottom. For the first time since she had come back to Privet Drive, Harry felt weightless and it was a feeling she wanted to hold onto. It was silent but she found she didn't mind this particular silence underneath the water. Not thinking straight, she released a mad sort of chuckle and more bubbles slipped out making their way upwards and popping. She had readied her legs from underneath her to push up to the surface when she suddenly felt a pair of strong arms grab her from behind. She was being pulled upward by someone and didn't have enough leverage in the water to lash out at whoever had a hold on her. Thoughts of Death Eaters or even Dudley and his gang of idiots flashed through her head and when she finally broke to the surface she was sputtering from taking in water in attempts to free herself from whomever still had a hold on her. She was dragged and thrown onto the concrete and it took a moment for her eyes to adjust from the burning of the chlorine before she could make out who the hell had grabbed her.

"George?"

"What the bloody hell were you doing?" he said angrily. "I know you just lost Sirius, but I didn't think you'd try to off yourself because of it!"

"I wasn't trying to off myself," she spat back. "I just wanted to see what it felt like to sink to the bottom."

Harry realized how stupid she sounded as soon as the words left her mouth and judging by the way George was looking at her his opinion wasn't much higher of her idea.

"What in the hell-"

"What are you doing here anyway," she said shortly turning from him and squeezing some water out of hair as she did so. "Joined the Order have you?"

"Yes," he said and Harry missed the way his eyes darted over her soaked body. "But I'm not here to keep tabs on you."

"No?"

"No, I just wanted -to see how you were...holding up. I guess."

Harry turned to look at him over her shoulder. He was rubbing his neck with his hand and looking bashful. Harry had never seen George look shy in all the years she had known him.

"You came to see me?"

"You sound surprised."

"You've never just stopped by to see me. Forgive me if I'm a bit suspicious."

"We're friends aren't we?"

"Yes," said Harry flipping her hair over her head and shaking it out. "I suppose we are. Now in the name of friendship do you mind casting a drying spell on me? This dress is much too heavy now."

"Oh," he said and Harry could tell by his tone that he was embarrassed to not have thought of it first. "Sure, come here."

Harry stepped closer to him and thought it peculiar the way he swallowed before he drew his wand out. But in an instant the nervousness was gone from his eyes and replaced with the same mischievous air that Harry was accustomed to. He grabbed her by the waist, smirking and running his wand over her. Harry felt the dampness leave her and her skin heat up but she was certain it wasn't from the summer sun.

"Better?" he asked with his hand still grasping her hip.

"Much."

Harriet had flat out refused him when George insisted on accompanying her back to the Dursley's, but George was persistent if not frustratingly so. He wanted to see Dudley, still not over his obsession of messing with the boy even after he had gotten in a great deal of trouble along with Fred over pranking him with sweets two summers ago. Even though the whole thing had been a laugh at the time, Harry didn't like the thought of not having Mr. Weasley around should things get too out of control to sort them out. More than anything though she also afraid that the Dursley's would make an humiliating comment towards her in front of him. And, well, she had already successfully mortified herself with the whole "pool sinking" incident.

"Come on, Potter. Ten minutes. That's all I'm asking for here," he had asked as they walked back towards the Dursley's. Harry slowly, him skipping around her.

"No."

"Harry-"

"Absolutely not."

"Darling-"

"Oh my god," said Harry laughing uncomfortably and giving him a shove. "Don't start with that."

"Harriet Potter," he said grabbing her hand and kneeling in front of her causing her to stop. "Please do me the honor of inviting me into your house. Just for one evening."

Harry blushed and covered her face. A car driving by honked and Harry knew they were under the wrong impression which set her cheeks on fire even more.

"You're impossible!"

"I came to spend the day with you!"

"Ugh," she groaned throwing her head back. "Fine! But I'm warning you now, they're going to be right pissy over the whole thing."

"Nothing I can't handle," he said standing and bent down to kiss her on the tip of the nose. "You're hair looks absolutely amazing by the way. The pool water seems to have made it curlier."

"What has gotten into you?"

"Just a bit of mischief."

Harry rolled her eyes and marched forward. They arrived back at No. 4 much too soon for Harry's liking. The walk over to the Welborn's had seemed to take much longer but she didn't have a pest following her over that way. She paused with her hand on the doorknob and could feel George bouncing behind her.

"Will you stop," she said elbowing him hard in the gut causing him to grunt out in pain. "You're going to have to act at least a bit civilized if you truly want to keep me company."

"Fucking hell," he said rubbing his stomach. "Alright. You're quite violent, you know that?"

Harry merely smirked at him before opening the door and leading him in.

This ought to be interesting, she thought feeling her pulse race.

"Aunt Petunia," she called out unsure of where the woman was hiding. "I've brought a guest."

There was a crash and what sounded like some plates smashing onto the floor.

"Ah, she's in the kitchen then," said George from behind her and hooking an arm around her waist. "Let's go see her then."

"Get off of me."

"I'm using you as a human shield."

Harry was just about to resort to more violence when Petunia came storming in their line of vision. Her eyes darted between the two of them wildly and Harry saw the way they lingered on her waist which still had George's arm around it.

"What do you mean you brought a guest?"she asked through clenched teeth.

"I-um- that is to say-"

"Petunia!"

There was a loud stomping as though a herd of elephants were descending from down the stairs and Harry and George turned to see that Vernon and Dudley had came down to see what all the noise was about.

"What's going on down here," said Vernon his face turning an ugly purple color. "Girl what have you done?"

"Harry apparently has brought her boyfriend over to visit without so much as asking us first," said Petunia haughty.

Harry turned scarlett. They had clearly gotten the wrong impression and how could they not? With George's arm still around her waist and what not.

"Harry's got a boyfriend?" Dudley asked coming down the stairs to get a better look.

"No, absolutely not!" Vernon roared. "We will not have more of your kind living off our hospitality."

"Much good their hospitality has done you, eh?" teased George right in her ear as he ran a hand up her ribs, tickling her in the process. "You're all bone."

"Stop it," she hissed squirming against him. "You're giving them the wrong idea."

"How about we play a prank love," he said and Harry could see the mischief sparkling in his eyes.

"No, no funny business!"

"What are you whispering to him about, girl!"

"Harry's got a boyfriend?" Dudley asked again standing in front of the two of them now. His eyes widened as he took in George's appearance and Harry could only guess he was having horrible flashbacks of his tongue expanding.

"George Weasley," said George pulling Harry closer towards him and extending his hand towards Dudley. "Harry's boyfriend and personal guard for the rest of the summer. I've been placed with the orders of keeping her safe while she's here so we should all be spending a lot of time together."