This is the first time I've written a oneshot in a long time, but I'm very satisfied with how it turned out. Rated for torture, I guess.
Disclaimer: I'm not British. I'm not blonde. Connect the dots.
Any mother could agree that when their child is missing, so is a piece of their heart. Whether the mother has two, four, or even eight children doesn't matter. The effect is still the same.
Molly Weasley had been grieving for the past two days over the disappearance of George. The last she'd seen of him was when he came into the upstairs bedrooms after dark to wake everyone up after having spotted something suspicious.
Molly blinked sleepily as the light overhead burned her eyes, Arthur stirring next to her. The only thing she could comprehend was her son's voice coming from the doorway.
"Mum! Dad! There are Death Eaters outside. I saw 'em!" And a second later, he was gone.
Molly hurried after him, disregarding the fact that she was only wearing a nightgown as she ran outside with the rest of her family behind her. But... George wasn't there. And there were no Death Eaters either. Everyone was gone.
That night was spent sleepless, searching futilely, but in Molly's heart, she knew it was too late. Her son was gone. With the Death Eaters, likely for information on Harry. Information he didn't have.
After the search had concluded, Molly collapsed into tears for the rest of the day, sobbing until she looked like she'd been hit with the conjunctivitis curse. No one said a word to her. There were no words. No one could comfort her. She'd just lost her son. Any words would be meaningless.
Two days later, Molly had resigned herself to cooking, cleaning, and straightening out every corner of the Burrow in depression while Arthur was off trying to get help from the Ministry and her older children were searching fervently. But there was little she could do.
She glanced over at the grandfather clock with the Weasleys' names engraved on the hands, allowing herself to step away from the dishes. The moment she let go, the brush went back to scrubbing the pan on its own. Ron, Ginny, Fred, and herself all had their hands pointing to HOME, while Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and Percy had their hands pointed elsewhere. Yet, George's remained stubbornly at MORTAL PERIL. Molly shook her head, bringing her sleeve up to dab at her eyes. She felt so useless. She wished there was some way she could help.
Then, the alarm went off. Molly looked up suddenly, then waved her wand quickly to silence the alarm before it could echo throughout the whole house. A day earlier she'd placed an intruder charm on the house in case anyone unexpected stopped by. That was what it meant when it rang. It meant something was wrong. Untying her apron, Molly grabbed her wand and turned to the closest door to outside. Whoever was anywhere near her house at this instant had chosen a very bad time to show their face. They were going to feel the wrath of Molly Weasley.
It was around the back that she found them. A middle-aged man in all black, but not wearing any distinct Death Eater-like robes or mask. This didn't discourage her in the least. He was searching the back of the house, looking for an inconspicuous way to enter undetected. Or, at least, that was what it looked like. Molly was not a Legilimens. She'd never truly know what was going on inside his head, but theories seemed to knit themselves from stray strands of both hope and despair alike.
Molly brandished her wand, pointing it at the man, her fingers shaking with restrained fury. She had to try her best not to shout the spell, as that would blow her cover. Luckily, he was not very aware of his surroundings when Molly whispered, "Stupify!" Yet, he still dropped like a stone.
Molly practically marched over, looking down at the man for a second, prodding him lightly with her foot. She crossed her arms and huffed quietly. This was what You-Know-Who had sent to attack her family? How utterly pathetic. Well, no matter, Molly pointed her wand at the body and muttered, "Mobilicorpus." The body of the man hovered a few inches off the ground and followed her as she marched back towards the house, her mind a seething cauldron of rage.
This man knew where her son was. And he would tell her what he knew whether he liked it or not.
Ron couldn't help but gape when his mum walked right past his perch on the bottom step dragging a man behind her. He didn't recognize the person at all. But, from the look of anger on Mrs. Weasley's face, he could make a pretty good guess who they were. Nervously, he stood and turned before shouting up the stairs, "Fred! Ginny! Mum's found something weird outside the house!"
His shouts were followed by the quick pace of footsteps and the sight of Fred and Ginny practically racing each other down the stairs.
"What's going on?" Ginny asked.
"I don't know," Ron replied, looking towards the door Molly had just gone through. "I reckon she dragged him in there."
"'Him'?" Fred repeated.
But Ron didn't respond. He just walked up to the doorway to get a look at what was going on. Molly had dragged a chair into the center of the room and with a flick of her wand, the man's body was thrown quite roughly into it. Brandishing the wand tightly, she muttered, "Incarcerous." Ropes flew from the tip of her wand, entwining themselves around the man, binding him to the chair and gagging him. Finally, Molly pointed her wand at his face and said "Obscuro." A moment later, a blindfold materialized itself around the man's eyes, completely blinding him.
"Um, mum?" Fred spoke up from the doorway. "What are you doing?"
Molly whipped around, her eyes wide with a startled look, but she composed herself into an emotionless mask. "I found this man looking for a way into our house." She gestured to the man, her lip unconsciously curling in a sneer. "I'm going to talk to him. You three should go back upstairs."
Ginny frowned. "But, mum-"
"I said upstairs!"
The three frowned. "This is about George, isn't it?"
Molly scowled at the wall but did not respond to Fred's question. This only encouraged the three to come in. "Let us help," Ginny said firmly, surprising the others with her offer. "George is our brother. If this guy knows where he is, we're helping you."
Molly frowned. "I'd prefer if you didn't." She muttered. After all, this was dirty business, and she didn't want any of her children to see her take part in it, let alone take part in it themselves.
"Please, mum," Ron said, blinking his big blue eyes. The others joined in, giving her a chorus of puppy dog eyes.
Molly sighed finally. "Alright, but you are to stay back unless I ask you to come forward."
The three nodded their agreement. Molly nodded firmly back before turning to the man and ripping the gag out of his mouth before pointing her wand at his chest and saying, "Rennervate!"
The man jerked stiffly, but the restraints held fast as he slowly awoke. He turned his head from left to right, carefully wetting his lips as he searched for something to look at. It was only a moment later that he realized he couldn't move his hands. Molly watched emotionlessly as he fidgeted and twisted, trying to remove his arms from the ropes, but to no avail. "Where am I?" He called out, louder than he needed to. "What am I doing here?"
Molly crossed her arms with stiff, rigid posture. "You're in my house," She answered sternly. "Where you were trying to break into only a few minutes before I knocked you out."
The man stiffened. Anyone could see the wheels turning in his mind and the panic setting in his stomach. "I'm sorry, ma'am." He almost stuttered. "I think you're mistaken-"
"Don't lie to me!" Molly shrieked, making the children behind her jump. She stalked closer to the man, her wand firmly gripped in her hand. "Don't give me your excuses. I know what you were doing." She leaned over him intimidatingly. "Two days ago, a group of Death Eaters kidnapped my son, and now they've sent you back to take another, but I assure you that will not be happening while I am still breathing. Now," She shoved her wand under his neck. "Where is my son?"
The man tried to shake his head, but she pushed the wand in deeper. "I... I d-don't know what you're t-t-talking about, m-ma'am!"
"Take the blindfold off, mum!" Ron suggested. "It's easier to read people's eyes."
"I have a better idea," Molly responded. "But, I'll take this off just because I want to see your face." Molly's wand slid under the blindfold and pulled it up away from the man's face. He blinked, squinting at the new light, then looked up at her. His eyes were sky blue.
Molly glared sharply into his eyes as her hand went down to his arm, grabbing his sleeve from beneath the ropes. At once, it seemed the man knew what she was going to do. Molly mercilessly pulled up his sleeve, revealing the dull red mark on his inner left forearm. The man stared at it in shock, then pursed his lips as Molly's eyes narrowed. "Mistaken, am I?"
The Death Eater's face hardened from panicked to flat-out stubborn as he turned his head away, keeping his mouth shut. "Oh no," Molly said in a warning tone, her wand trained on him once again. "Don't you dare ignore me. I want to know where my son is, and I want to know now."
"Your son is as good as dead." The Death Eater spat defiantly.
"Liar!" Ginny cried out, drawing her wand as Ron and Fred tried to restrain her.
"Why don't we try this the easy way," Molly's voice was sickly sweet. "If you tell me where my son is, I won't hurt you."
The Death Eater snorted. "Fat chance of that happening, Blood Traitor."
Molly's eye twitched, her lip curled. Then, she was rolling up her sleeves and aiming her wand directly at his chest. "The hard way it is, then."
"Hit him hard, mum!" Fred shouted.
The Death Eater sneered at her. He didn't expect her to do it. But Molly was done playing games. "Why not begin with the supersensory charm?" She tilted her head as the wand began to glow with the charm channeling through it and into the Death Eater. His head twitched irritably as his ears likely began to prickle.
"So, what are you going to do?" He asked, mockingly. "Torture me? I didn't think you had the spine."
"Oh, I'm more than capable." She warned, her wand less than two inches from his chest. "But I thought maybe something lighter first will at least weaken that stubborn ego." Then, without warning, she shouted, "Rictusempra!"
The man gasped, suddenly wiggling in the restraints, but not in pain. Rather, his mouth was contorted into an unnatural smile, and he was wheezing for breath, trying to double over, but the ropes held fast. Rictusempra, the tickling charm. It rendered the stubborn Death Eater to a laughing mess. Tears of mirth leaked from his eyes as his face turned red from the lack of air.
Molly released the spell. After all, her goal wasn't to suffocate him. She allowed him a second to collect himself before she spoke again. "Would you like to speak to me now?"
The Death Eater didn't respond, though it was clear he had been given more than enough time to breathe properly again. He was simply stubborn. Molly scowled. He was stubborn indeed, but a mother was an expert in dealing with those who were stubborn. However, right now, her three children were standing behind her, and she didn't want to do anything while they were there.
"Could you three go upstairs?" She asked.
They frowned, and Ginny opened her mouth to protest, but Ron caught her shoulder and shook his head, nodding towards the door. With a sigh, all three left the room, but Ron hesitated behind the rest long enough to hear his mother shout, "Diffindo!" And a strangled cry cracked through before he heard another shout of, "Impervius!" And the closed door no longer allowed any sound through.
With a new shiver in his step, Ron followed his siblings the rest of the way upstairs.
An hour later, Molly Weasley was sweating heavily, and her dress had a few stains of blood on it. It was nothing compared to the Death Eater. Still silent to her questions, the Dark Wizard bled all over her carpet. The Diffindo spell had left numerous cuts all over his body, tearing through his clothing and straight into his flesh. A few burns were littered here and there from an Incendio charm, and a stinging hex had swollen his shoulder a quarter of its original size. Yet, the Death Eater remained silent.
"I'm not playing." She warned, bringing her wand up to his neck, which elicited a quiet whimper, but nothing more. This gave her somewhat of a strange satisfaction. But at the same time, she was horrified by what she was doing. She had known she would have to hurt him, to sink as low as the Death Eater himself, to torture, since she knew there was no other way she would get George's location. And she knew she'd never sink low enough to use the Cruciatus Curse, but that didn't make this any better.
"Tell me where my son is, now."
The Death Eater was twitching mildly, a sign that the supersensory charm was still in effect. It was truly a cruel division of her own. To enhance one's sense of touch before an interrogation such as this was harsh, to say the least, and Molly knew it, but she'd learned to stop caring. Every time she pictured George's face, it only drove her further.
The Death Eater was watching her carefully as those thoughts went through her head. He saw the flicker of remorse in her eyes and thought he could take advantage of it.
"You hate this." He said. "You don't want to do this."
He was sadly mistaken.
"I'll do whatever it takes to get my son back. Diffindo!"
The Death Eater yelped as the skin on his ankle tore open, blood dripping down his already-bloodied feet. He bit his lip hard, his forehead lined with defined creases. She wouldn't give up. But neither would he. Molly pressed her wand into his cheek, and he flinched. The tip was uncomfortably hot like she was about to cast an Incendio charm. The thought of receiving one to his face made him shrink.
"Where is my son?" The tip of the wand found the soft crook beneath his ear, and it was getting warmer. The Death Eater bit back every hiss he wished to let out as the wand burned mercilessly.
"He's..." He gasped, making Molly pause, watching him expectantly. "He's... just as weak as you..." He breathed a smile.
The ginger reared back. Crack! The punch hit his jaw with force enough to break his cheekbone. The Death Eater gasped but shut his mouth. Every movement of his cheek hurt. The bones had snapped, and the ends were rubbing together, making his face burn.
He squeezed his eyes shut, but they snapped wide when he heard footsteps walking away from him. Molly headed to a cabinet in the corner of the room, the one that usually only Arthur opened. It was kept under magic sealing charms to keep Fred and George out when they were younger. The Death Eater felt a chill run up his spine when she pulled out a bottle of firewhiskey.
"Arthur saves this for after hard days at work, but I don't think he'll mind." She uncapped the bottle and approached, deliberately being slow to draw the suspense as the Death Eater began struggling. He knew what was coming. Molly looked over the several still-bleeding cuts all over his body, licking her lips tentatively. And somehow, deep inside, she knew she was going to enjoy this.
"Last chance." She warned.
The Death Eater pursed his lips, watching her with guarded eyes. He swallowed, then he spoke.
"Go to hell."
Molly frowned, but uncapped the firewhiskey and tilted the bottle.
Molly walked briskly out of the room with plenty of answers. Walking into the dining room, she was greeted by three pairs of horrified brown eyes. They were staring down at her bloodstained dress, her pinprick pupils. Her body burned with adrenaline.
"Um, mum?" Ron began, stuttering his words. "A-are you o-"
"Quickly," She snapped, marching past them without so much as a glance in their direction. She headed straight for the fireplace. "We must tell the Order immediately."
The children nodded, following silently, but none could help a glance at the door Molly had left. The temptation to look inside pulled at all three of them, but they dared not. For they knew, if they did, they would never think of their mother the same way again.
And so, one by one, they each climbed into the fireplace, taking their own floo powder and shouting "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place" each in turn. Finally, it was Ron's turn. He took his powder and swallowed as he stepped into the ashen alcove, and, in a proud voice that didn't match the panic he felt inside, he shouted, "Number twelve, Grimmauld Place!" He dropped the powder, and in an instant, he was gone in a green flash of fire.
No, I didn't get it wrong. The books say when the Dark Mark is inactive, it's red. I can't tell how OOC this is exactly because I'm pretty sure this is what a mother becomes when someone has kidnapped her child. At least I gave hints that she showed remorse. At least I never let her use the Cruciatus Curse. Now, THAT would be OOC.
I'm pretty sure that Mrs. Weasley is fully capable of becoming this vicious. I mean, her boggart is the dead corpses of her family, and Hell hath no fury like a mother's rage, so...
I think this fic makes me even more afraid of Mrs. Weasley, even if it's not canon. The fact that she was able to break a Death Eater makes me shiver. And I f***ing wrote it!
I might have a part two about what happens at the Order, maybe the rescue of Fred and his recovery. That is IF I get enough reviews. Thank you all for reading!