Protecting Them.
Chapter 1.
Waking up to spit grit out of his mouth, Bill reflected that this was probably one of the worse ways to wake up on the morning after your wedding.
It happened so quickly. Kingsley's patronus vanished after its haunting message, 'The Ministry has fallen...They are coming,' and guests who had been dancing, eating, drinking, laughing just moments before began to hurriedly apparate away. Some called goodbyes and apologies, others left without a backwards glance, their fear too great to pause. Bill paid none of them any attention, they were gone, they were safe; his thoughts shot to family and friends who would stay and fight. Screams and panicked calls began to pierce the air as wizards and witches frantically darted around under the marquee, searching for loved ones.
He held Fleur's wrist tightly with his left hand, drawing his wand with the other. He barely had a chance to whisper, 'Get out of here, now,' staring into her worried blue eyes, before the Death Eaters descended.
All of a sudden everything was a mess. Furniture which had taken hours to arrange was tossed aside as a raging battle began. He felt Fleur slip out of his grip and let her go, he had no choice, a Death Eater was fast approaching him.
He dodged a vivid red spell of unknown origins before sending a stunner straight at the Death Eater in front of him. The spell was blocked easily and rebounded to the right. But Bill was fast, sending a quick succession of stunners and disarming spells. The Death Eater sent a torrent of spells his way, an alarming amount of which were an all too familiar green, which he managed to block and dodge. The Death Eater was hit by one of his stunners and crumpled to the ground.
Bill heard Fleur send a stunning spell at someone behind him and his heart clenched with fear. They'd been married less than an hour; if anything happened to her...she had to get away from here. The new cottage was safe, they hadn't registered a new address with the ministry yet, and didn't plan to until all this was over, (it was when it was over not if, that was the only was he could keep going), if they apparated there they could regroup, find another place to hide. It was with a jolt that Bill realised that it was unlikely that any of them would be able to return to the Burrow soon.
Hestia Jones appeared just in front of him and joined the fray, followed closely by the rest of the Order who had been unable to attend the wedding. Bill duelled desperately for a few moments with a tall witch, finally knocking her out and casting his eyes around quickly. There weren't many left now. It seemed the attack had weakened. May be, Bill noted, because they'd realised, as he just had, that Harry was gone, along with Ron and Hermione it seemed. There was barely a second to breathe a sigh of relief before he plunged forward to send another stunner at a wizard who was advancing quickly on Ginny. His spell and her own, 'Confundo,' sent the Death Eater flying backwards and he slumped against the edge of the marquee, blinking stupidly.
Ginny sent her brother a grateful smile before he spoke, 'Get out of here Ginny,' Bill almost pleaded, 'Take Fleur.'
Ginny looked slightly irritated for a moment, hesitating, but finally she nodded, running off to his left.
Bill swept his eyes over the scene once more. It seemed everybody was in a one on one duel with nobody losing any ground. He saw his mother send a witch to the ground with a flash of red light and gave her a meaningful look. She paused for the slightest second and then nodded, she understood, it meant 'Get out of here.' Bill wouldn't leave himself until he was sure all of the others were safe.
He spotted Charlie out of the corner of his eye, but before he could rush forward to help; his brother seemed to be limping and therefore struggling to duel, a sudden cloud of darkness descended upon them. It ripped the marquee down into shreds of white fabric which floated down around them in a hideous parody of snowflakes, and the cloud materialised into a solid crowd of Death Eaters apparating in simultaneously. He had no time to react, a spell hit him in the back of the head and he fell forwards, unconscious before he hit the floor.
Now he woke lying on a cold stone floor, arms secured painfully behind his back and it took him a few moments to get his bearings. Cold ate into his cheek which was pressed down against the stone. He struggled to push his torso up for a moment, unable to aid himself with his arms, then finally brought his head up. The rush of blood made his head pound and his vision blur and cloud with darkness for a few seconds. His shoulders protested against the forced position but there was nothing he could do to ease the discomfort. As he turned his head his field of vision blackened at the edges once more, but he ignored it, deep breaths helped him to focus. It was with an inward groan that he saw the three wizards tied as he was to his right.
Charlie, next to him, was watching him with unconcealed concern, his face a terrifying shade of green. He knelt heavily on his left knee, the other leg sprawling at an angle that it shouldn't have been able to. To the right of him, George, the place where his ear should be bleeding again, and then Fred, leaning heavily against his twin. They were all watching Bill intently, and for a second Bill thought irritably about how he wished they'd cut it out. Then he saw their fear, and he realised that in a situation like this, when escape seemed impossible, they were turning to him for guidance, as the older brother. Well, he didn't know it was impossible, he hadn't scoped out the area yet.
They were in what looked like a main hall, with many torches adorning the walls, placed right in the centre of a cold flagstone floor. There were no Death Eater's bearing down on them yet, but there were three at both sets of oak doors and two at each mullioned window, each wearing identical masks and robes. They seemed out of earshot, but Bill was sure that they would be using a spell which would allow them to hear everything being said.
He tried pulling against the ropes around his wrists, only succeeding in deepening the welts caused by the friction. He looked back at his younger brothers and saw any hope in their eyes gone. He wanted to kick himself, they'd had faith in him and he'd failed, he couldn't get them out.
"Are you ok?" Charlie whispered urgently. His voice seemed to echo, though quiet, around the large room. Bill's eyes darted to the Death Eaters at the exits, but they did not visibly react.
"No, I'm not ok," Bill hissed, suddenly very angry, "We're fucking stuck here. What happened?" He realised suddenly that he didn't know what had happened to everyone left at the Burrow. Were these three the only members of his family left alive?
"They attacked so quickly, I'm sure there were near to a hundred of them. We all tried apparating away immediately, there was no way we could win a fight like that...but then we saw you and..."
Great, Bill thought bitterly, It was his fault that they were all here.
"You should have gone without me!" Bill hissed, still angry and Charlie looked incredulous.
"I'll remember to do that next time," He spat back sarcastically.
Bill deflated immediately, "So what exactly happened?" He asked. Fred and George remained silent, listening. But George seemed more interested in Fred whose eyelids kept drooping shut.
"We saw Diggle and Remus force Mum and Dad into side-along, so they got away. We saw Ginny leave too; with Fleur, although she was fighting against it. I couldn't see anyone else except Death Eaters, but I'm sure everyone just apparated when they arrived...I don't know where they'll go though..." Charlie was still studying Bill anxiously.
Bill let out a sigh of relief, for now the others seemed to be safe, or as safe as they could be at a time like this. Now he just had to focus on getting them out of there.
"We wanted to get to you. You got hit by that spell and were unconscious. We couldn't get to you before they apparated side-along with you, and then we were trapped...I woke up ages ago, then George and he managed to wake Fred..." Charlie bit his lip, "But we couldn't wake you."
Bill nodded in understanding, his expression softening, "Well, I'm fine," He said in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, although the back of his head throbbed in protest, "Your leg?"
Charlie grimaced, "It's broken," He said shortly, looking over at Fred and George. Bill turned his attention to them too.
George was muttering in Fred's ear, unable to shake him because his hands were secured behind him, but he moved the shoulder Fred was leaning on up and down in an attempt to keep him awake. It was clear that Fred was finding it difficult to stay with them. Then George turned to them, a desperate look in his eye.
"Fred?" Bill asked, he gained a mumble from the furthest of the twins, but Fred didn't look at him, alternating between staring at the floor and the back of his eyelids, "Are you ok, George?"
The other twin nodded, and then turned back to Fred.
Bill scanned the room again, wondering when someone would come over to them, "We need to get Fred..."
Before he could finish the double oak doors straight ahead of him swung open, revealing a witch with a mass of frizzy black hair perched precariously on her head, she held her wand read at her side and twirled four others in her other hand. She pocketed these wands and walked forward, smiling, for want of a better, less optimistic word, widely in delight, her eyes alight. They recognised her immediately, whether from the Prophet or encounters on missions for the Order; Bellatrix Lestrange. She moved her wand and casually flicked it at what looked like nothing and the torches lining the walls lit with flickering green flames.
But Bill's eyes didn't linger on her for long, his eyes were drawn one of the men flanking her. Large, with matted grey hair. Greyback. The werewolf saw Bill immediately and his mouth stretched wide in a horrifying grin, displaying pointed yellow teeth. Beside him, Charlie's eyes flickered between his brother and the werewolf, another layer of worry setting in.
Five other Death Eaters followed them in, recognisable from Order missions, but at that moment no names registered in the oldest Weasley brother's mind. Horrifying, repressed, images of the night Greyback attacked him forcing themselves into his consciousness.
"Shame you didn't get the whole set Mulciber," Bellatrix Lestrange trilled in her childishly high voice, not looking at any of the Wizards following her but instead straight at her three captives, she got no reply,"Twins," She eyed Fred and George hungrily, and let out a delighted laugh which made Bill feel sick, "So," She continued with a sickly sweet smile, popping the 'o', "Who's who?"
"It was his wedding," Greyback rasped, pointing as though with an accusation at Bill, and his smile widened even more, stretching colourless skin over his cheekbones creating shadowed hollows in his wolfish face.
Bellatrix let out a long, high, manic laugh which didn't quite fit what had been said, "How are you enjoying the morning after your wedding?"
He couldn't help himself, he felt his mouth moving and his vocal chords forming words, "Not quite what I'd expected," He replied dryly.
A fraction of a second Bellatrix considered him, then...A loud crack. A quick flash of burning pain across his cheek. He hadn't been slapped, but Bellatrix had flicked her wand almost lazily and it had the same effect, as though she didn't want to dirty herself with Muggle ways. Although desire was burning in the back of her eyes, the desire to go much further. A voice at the back of Bill's head told him to stay quiet, for all their sakes. In his peripheral vision he could see Charlie's face contorted with anger, but the younger had the sense to say nothing.
It seemed Bellatrix was past playing, so quickly her temper had swung, "Where is Harry Potter?" She snapped the question without preamble. It was loud, echoing as if there were more than one of her; Bill inwardly shivered at the thought. Silence followed the echoes, and then all anyone could hear was Fred's harsh breathing.
"I'll get them to talk," Greyback rasped, taking a step forward, yellow eyes gleaming at the prospect. Bill instinctively leaned towards his brothers, as if he could shield them from the sadistic werewolf, it was all he could do at the moment and he felt so powerless. But Bellatrix's arm shot up, blocking the much larger wizard.
"Oh no," She told him in an amused tone as he backed down, glaring daggers at her back, "Later perhaps," She appeared to muse for a moment, "But we can have so much fun with them first..." Her voice tailed to a whisper as she leaned in close to Charlie's face, licking her lips. Bill watched carefully, ready to pitch himself forward in her general direction if the need arose, he could do little else. She backed off, but not without noticing Bill's actions, and she smiled horrifically again.
"Yes, this is going to be fun."
Her head snapped to Fred now, and all Bill could think was No...no, no, no, no...please leave him alone, please leave them all alone.
To his surprise her head snapped round again, to one of the Death Eater's standing at the door, "He needs to stay awake!" She shouted, making the entire room jump, she gestured wildly to Fred, "Do something to make him stay awake!"
Two hurried forward, one from each door so as not to leave one point especially weakened. One drew his wand and cast a nonverbal spell and Fred was levitated into the air. George's eyes looked desperate and he struggled once again against his restraints, but he couldn't free himself. Fred floated out of the room with the Death Eaters and the door closed softly behind them.
That was going to thoroughly complicate any escape attempt.
George's eyes were burning now, with unconcealed hatred. He was going to say something to get himself hurt. Bill tried, and failed, to signal with his eyes that he should stay quiet whatever happened. Ignoring Bill's previous example, of course.
Suddenly Bellatrix looked down to her left arm, staring almost in wonder, "I have business, take them downstairs, and the other one," She fixed Greyback with a hard look, "Do not touch them until I get back. We need them alive...for now."
An ice cold shiver snaked down Bill's spine.
XXXX
They were dumped in a small stone room with an iron barred door downstairs, restraints thankfully removed. It was eerie, lit by only a few flickering candles on the walls which cast a ghostly glow and created more shadows than light. The only object in the room was a large metal bucket, sitting in the corner. As Charlie was shoved roughly in he landed on his broken leg and couldn't help letting out a hiss of pain as he abruptly collapsed to the flagstone floor.
Bill knelt beside him quickly, as did George, but they didn't get a chance to speak as two Death Eaters appeared at the door. One, short and rat-like, twitched as he moved forward; Wormtail. The fact that he had hidden in their house for twelve years made the four Weasley's even more disgusted by the traitor. He carried a clear glass jug of water and a metal plate bearing torn bread. He placed them both gingerly on the floor of the cell with another twitch of his head, before moving back to let another Death Eater through.
He had Fred, who had been struggling valiantly until he saw the others, and then a little of the fight went out of him, although he continued to squirm. He was dumped beside them, and for a moment Bill wished they could use that opportunity to run, but then the bars were pulled shut with a clang. Two Death Eaters stood at their door, with another two at the foot of the stairs which they could still see down at the end of a long corridor.
George was at Fred's side in an instant.
"What did they do?" He asked quickly, scanning his twin with his eyes.
"Nothing much," Fred replied quietly, but some of the colour had returned to his face and he was able to keep his eyelids up, "Just gave me a potion and I feel better now," He lifted his shirt half to show the others and half to see himself, his chest was littered with dirty yellow bruises, "It's much better than before," He told them upon seeing their expressions, and then continued casually, despite the meaning of his words, "I suppose they want me to be awake as long as possible for interrogation."
The word interrogation sounded foreign in their ears, something that would happen to someone else. They knew the risks of the Order but it had not felt truly real until this moment. However, with Bellatrix Lestrange currently in charge around here, having a hold on Fenrir Greyback even when she was absent, meant that it would most likely be more...torture for torture's sake.
"She's gone for now," George told him in an attempt at reassurance, it was the only one they had.
"Charlie?" Bill asked, seeing again the alarming shade of green his brother had gone.
"M'alright," Muttered Charlie dismissively.
Bill didn't think he looked alright at all, his leg must have been severely painful, but he didn't press it; there was nothing he could do. Instead his thoughts roamed to getting out, their best chance could be now, with Bellatrix gone. His eyes rested on Charlie's leg, which was bent at places it shouldn't be, and on his brother's pallid complexion. No, they couldn't get out of here like that, not without magic, and she had their wands. Bill's grasp of wandless magic was minimal, as he assumed was Charlie's, just learnt at school and for defensive spells in the Order, just in case. He doubted Fred or George could do much either, it was an extremely difficult way to perform magic that only the most skilled of Sorcerers mastered. It wouldn't be enough to get them out of this cell, let alone the building, Bill thought miserably, despair quickly setting in. Internally he shook himself, he could handle it, he was a member of the Order, and they did train for these kinds of things when possible. Moody had...a lump rose in his throat, effectively cutting off that thought.
"Here," Bill said, reaching over to grab the plate and jug. He passed the water and bread around, waiting until last to take some himself.
Then Charlie voiced what everyone was thinking, and Bill desperately wished he hadn't, "They must want to keep our strength up...for the interrogation," His face was grimly set, determined, but his voice wavered as he finally said, "Who knows what Bellatrix has got in store...what she wants us to be aware of."
Thanks for that Charlie, Bill thought a little savagely, his mind beginning to create horrible scenario's of its own accord. The worst thing was that he was sure that whatever Bellatrix did to them, it was likely to be ten times worse than his most horrific nightmares.
XXXX
It was a few quiet hours, Bill guessed as he really had nothing to go by, before Fred and George dropped into sleep. George leaning against the grimy wall and Fred leaning against him. Fred had slipped off first, and George had watched him for a while with concern before managing his own escape from reality.
Charlie lay against another wall, eyes closed, but Bill could see he wasn't asleep. Every so often he would shift his broken leg ever so slightly and his face would contort and twist in agony. Then he would take a few deep, calming breaths and then fall still again for the next few minutes, before repeating himself.
Bill didn't even attempt to sleep, propped up against the opposite wall. He was exhausted, like the others, but his mind wouldn't settle. How could it? He had to get them all out. Ideas whipped in and out of his mind, each as unfeasible as the last. The place was set up like a fortress, minimum exits, maximum guards. Without magic they didn't stand a chance.
When he brought himself back from his despairing thoughts, he found Charlie watching him, his pale face a stark contrast to the dark wall behind him.
"Merlin," Bill breathed, and was unable to say anything else as his words caught in his throat. Charlie's face was deadly serious.
"Bill, I need..." Charlie paused, staring straight at his brother, "I need you to promise me something."
"What?" Bill asked, a little surprised and very suspicious, studying Charlie wearily.
"Promise me," Was Charlie's stern, if slightly childish, reply.
"I'm not promising anything until I know what it is," Bill snapped, his nerves were already frayed and this wasn't helping.
Charlie gave him an odd, cryptic look before continuing to say quietly, "I know I'm going to be more of a hindrance than a help here," Bill frowned, he didn't like where this was going, "Promise me that if there's any opening, any chance, to get out of here, you will leave and make the twins go with you...if I can't..."
There was an extremely tense pause, and then, "You bloody hypocrite!" Bill hissed furiously.
"You never asked me to leave you," Charlie insisted defensively, knowing this argument was foolish.
"You knew I would've wanted you safe," Bill replied harshly.
"Look, I'm sorry, but with my leg...you've got to..."
"I haven't got to do anything," Bill snarled.
"If you go you could bring help back!"
They'd kill you before we had the chance, Bill thought bitterly, but only said, "We don't even know where we are."
"You can track your last apparition," Charlie said airily, glad his brother seemed to have calmed down slightly.
The two brothers sat still for a moment, staring into each other's eyes.
"Please?" Charlie asked, his voice breaking slightly with desperation.
Bill paused, and then, finally, nodded, saying brusquely, "Alright," Charlie let out a sigh of relief as Bill crossed his fingers by his side, feeling slightly foolish as he did so, but otherwise unable to lie to his brother. He continued in a softer tone, "I promise."
