George was a little jealous. The Pure Blood kids, well, they were excited, finally going to Hogwarts. The act was like a coming of age, a right of passage. Yet to all the muggleborns, the whole thing was something from their wildest dreams. 
"Yeah, both my parents came here." His voice trailed off slightly, uncomfortable and a little unsure. Perhaps he should have been thankful that Sadie wasn't like him. All the Death Eater arrests had front pages of the Daily Prophet, for years. Sometimes there would be months or years without another arrest. George shuffled the cards quietly, replaying that evening in his head.

***

"Mum! Theodore has my gobstones! He won't give them back!"

"For Merlin's same, stop arguing." His mother had called from the living room. "Just give them back and stop fighting." It took a few moments before Theodore gave them back. Outside, it was thundering, stormy and cold. The eldest Nott son moved over to the window and innocently looked outside. At the age of eight, he was old enough to realise somethings. Such as the two ministry officials that stood outside their house. He watched for a moment longer, counting men from the far side of their curtain.

It was another thundering noise that disturbed both Theodore and George from whatever they were doing. They were the unmistakable sound of their father's feet on the stairs. 
"Kiera." He shouted, hurrying down the hall at a sprint. "They're here." That's all George and Theodore heard. During fights and private conversation, their parents always surrounded themselves with a protective wall of sound, preventing any sound from escaping that bubble. He next noise they heard wasnt something any of the Nott family would forget any time soon. 

Bang! 

The whole front door flew off the handles and sped at full speed down the entrance hall. Foot steps hurried down their corridor and the most visor moment he could remember from that evening occurred. His brother hurried over and pulled George up and behind the sofa, whilst the vision of his parents running in, holding hands occurred before them. There was another moment, one that defied his entire childhood. His father's hand rose up, as if the murder any of the Auror's that had come into their home. Instead, a small, pale white hand arose to deter George Sr. from making any more mistakes. Then his father pulled their mother into a loving embrace and kissed her, longer than he ever had, until he was thrown from her side. 

***

George had never been able to remember just why that image stuck in his head for so long. Theodore had often explained it to be due to 'Dad's other women over the years. That Mum wasn't even sure he loved her.' It was obvious from that kiss, surely. 

Coming back to reality, George handed the cards out quietly and offered Sadie another sweet. 
"What was it like for you growing up?" At least it would create conversation, he wouldn't hear the same boring stories again and again, he'd finally hear something different and something new.