JANUARY
"Are you sure you want to move back to the flat, Molly? Are you sure you're ready?" Her father asked her across the breakfast table.
"Yes, I want to get back to normal." She replied, she was desperate for her own space again, she was never alone here, not even for a minute.
"But… what if you relapse? Start drinking again?" Her mother asked tentatively.
"You can get rid of all the alcohol in my flat but if I really wanted to start drinking I'd find a way, you have to trust me." She said, looking at her mother.
The papers had latched onto her alcoholism worse than her mental illness and the opposition was loving the ammo they had, Molly suspected her father would not be re-elected.
It was now the second week of January and Molly just wanted to be back in her flat.
"Why don't I stay with you for a few days? At the flat?" Her mother asked.
"Then what's the point of me moving out, look you have to let me sink or swim on my own…" Molly broke off and rubbed her head. Stress made the headache worse.
"Okay, Molly, don't get worked up. You can move back." Her father said, hugging her briefly before downing the rest of his coffee. "I've got to get to work, Audrey will you…?"
"We'll be fine, we'll go out for lunch and then move everything." Molly nodded and smiled at her mother, it wasn't a full smile but the potions made a full smile nearly impossible.
Ron was sat on the sofa in his house staring at the label that Lucy had attached to Molly's Christmas present, something about it was bothering him, he just couldn't figure out what it was.
It was six in the evening and he was waiting for Hermione to come back from work. He started to make the dinner and within minutes his wife walked in and put down her briefcase before coming over to him and kissing him.
"Good day?" He asked, stirring the stew as she kissed his neck.
"Yeah, you?"
"Fine, just paperwork." He replied.
"I've got some good news."
"Oh yes?" He asked, turning around and putting his hands on her hips.
"Yes, Molly's moving back to her flat today, Percy told me."
"Really? Are they sure she's ready?" He asked, worried.
"Well, they can't be sure but she wants to go back and they're trying to show that they trust her. She's still down and apathetic, they want to try and… cheer her up."
"Are they sure it's safe though?" Ron asked.
"What? To leave her on her own?"
"Yeah." Ron replied, feeling uneasy about the arrangement.
"I'm sure she'll be fine." Ron was not convinced but let it drop.
In thirty minutes Ron and Hermione were sat at the table eating the stew, Hermione was talking about work but Ron was still thinking about Molly, and the note.
"…told him we couldn't…Ron, are you listening to me? Ron?" Hermione waved her hand in front of her husband's face and he jumped.
"What?"
"Are you alright? You were miles away."
"Yeah, sorry. Just thinking about Molly."
"I know it's hard but I'm sure she'll be fine." Hermione said, holding his hand.
"Hermione, have you seen this?" He asked, pulling the label out of his pocket.
"What? Oh, the label from Lucy. Why have you got it?" She asked, glancing at it and then back at her husband's face.
"It's bothering me, Hermione."
"I'm sure Lucy just didn't think. She didn't even remember putting it on there."
"Exactly!" Ron cried, pointing at the note.
"Exactly, what?"
"She didn't remember putting it on and… look Hermione, look at the 'Xxx'!" Hermione took the label from his hand and examined it closely.
"What about it?" She said, handing it back to him.
"It's different, Hermione. The handwriting looks different, the style and the slant, it's different!" Hermione looked at it again and then back up at her husband.
"Maybe."
"Not maybe, Hermione. I'm sure of it!"
"Ron, how long have you been worrying about this?"
"Since Christmas, it doesn't feel right."
"Ron, I know it's hard to think that Molly is ill, but…"
"Hermione, I'm not in denial."
"If you're that worried then go and check on her, I'm sure she won't mind."
"Yeah, I might."
"Wait till after dinner though."
"Okay." Ron ate another few mouthfuls of stew and then Hermione sighed.
"You're not going to let this go are you? Go now, check on her. I'm going to the Burrow after dinner anyway, your Mom's giving me another baking lesson."
"Thanks Hermione, I love you." He said, standing up and putting the note back in his pocket.
"I love you too, tell Molly I said hi." Ron left the room and Hermione sighed again, it had been a hard few months for the Weasley family.
Molly looked around at her flat and felt glad to finally be alone. Her mother had just left her and Molly made a cup of tea and then sat on the sofa. It was nearly six but she didn't feel like making dinner.
She spent ten minutes just staring at the fireplace and then there was a knock at the door and she jumped and moved over to it, picking up her wand. It was probably a member of her family checking up on her.
When she opened the door she was surprised to see Brian standing on the other side.
"Hi, Molly, sorry I'm late." He said, kissing her on the cheek and then stepping past her to get into the flat, Molly turned to him, confused.
"Brian, what are you doing here?" She asked.
"Dinner, I picked some up." He said, showing her a bag which looked like it contained Chinese food.
"I've already eaten, and we hadn't arranged anything." She said, lying about the not having eaten but telling the truth about having arranged anything.
"No you haven't, do you want wine?" He asked, moving into the kitchen area and opening the cupboard with the glasses.
"Brian, what are you doing here? And you know I can't drink!" She said, annoyed and a little bit scared.
"A bit of wine never hurt anyone sweetheart, and it goes with the food, I picked it out specially." He poured two glasses and Molly felt even more scared, why had he called her sweetheart?
"Brian, I'm not hungry." She said, firmly.
"Want to skip straight to dessert, you're a naughty girl, Molls." He said, moving over to her and passing her the wine, she put it on the table and took a step away from him.
"Brian, I want you to leave, now."
"No, we haven't been alone together for ages, I've missed you." He stroked her face and Molly slapped his hand away.
"We've never been alone together." She replied, taking another step away from him, she was now in her bedroom which was a stupid idea because there was no escape.
"Course we have, every time you closed your eyes." He said, smiling.
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Come on, sweetheart…"
"Don't call me that!" She snapped.
"I always call you that, you don't like it when other people do, do you?" He reached out to her again and as she swiped his hand away he grabbed her wrist tightly.
"Get off me. I want you to leave. Lucy will be waiting for you."
"Lucy's not like you, Molls, she was the means to an end."
"What?"
"Just a way to get to you, I love you Molly, not Lucy." He said, leaning into her and forcing his mouth onto hers.
"No, Brian, get out…" Molly reached for her wand but he found it first and threw it away.
"Come on Molly, we're finally alone and I haven't even had to drug you." Molly's eyes widened.
"What?"
"I'm Xxx Molly, I always was." He said, smiling.
"No, you're lying. Xxx isn't real, I made him up, I'm just hallucinating, I'll just close my eyes and then I'll wake up." Molly closed her eyes and she was thrown against the wardrobe, banging her head.
"How can you say I'm not real, Molly? I sent all the flowers and notes and took all the pictures!" This could not be happening, she thought, she must be going mad again!
"The notes didn't exist, I sent the flowers…"
"No you didn't, I just took the money from your account, Lucy has a key, you know?"
"No, this isn't real. I was ill, I was drunk!"
"No, I made them think that, you were trying to stay awake, you were making it harder for me to see you. I had to do something. It's alright now, sweetheart, I'm here now." Brian knelt down in front of her and started putting his hands on her waist.
"Get off me, go away! You're not real!"
"Don't play hard to get now, not when I've worked so hard to get you." He pulled down her jeans and she struggled with him, he hit her hard across the face and she saw stars.
"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HER!" Said Uncle Ron from the doorway, his face dark in anger.
He could not believe what he had heard, it was Brian all along! He had apparated outside of her building and walked up to her flat, when he found the door open he heard raised voices. At first he thought Molly had gone mad again and was talking to herself but then he heard Brian answer her, he heard the whole sick plan.
"Uncle Ron, I don't understand…" Molly said in a dazed voice from the wardrobe, the last blow had unsteadied her.
"It's alright now, Molly. Brian, get away from her!" He said, pointing his wand at Brian. They started duelling and Ron had to admit that for a journalist Brian was a pretty good dueller. They both fought and narrowly missed curses whilst Molly rocked back and forth on the floor holding her head and struggling with the line between reality and her imagination.
After ten minutes of fighting Molly's room looked like a bombsite and both Ron and Brian, and Molly, had all been hit with spells and were starting to falter. Molly's wand was next to her and she reached out to it.
"…and make sure you mix the egg whites until they are so stiff you could hold the bowl upside down on top of your head and it wouldn't… Hermione, dear, are you listening?" Molly asked, looking at her daughter-in-law carefully.
Arthur and Harry were playing chess on the table whilst Ginny checked through an article she was waiting to submit. Ted was also there, trying to look for a cure for a particularly tricky case.
"Oh, sorry, Molly. I'm a bit distracted." Hermione said, looking at the bowl and then at Molly.
"Are you alright, dear?" Molly asked.
"I'm fine, I'm just a bit worried about Ron, this whole thing with Molly has really got to him."
"I think it's got to all of us." Said Arthur from the table, Hermione looked at him.
"I know, I know it has but Ron… he's been carrying around the label that Lucy put on Molly's Christmas present…"
"Why?"
"It's been bothering him, he thinks the writing is different, between the 'xxx' and the rest of it. He's gone to check on her now." Hermione said, sitting down.
"Who, Molly?"
"Yeah," Said Hermione, glancing up at the clock, "Oh my God!" She said, jumping up and running over to the clock.
"Hermione?" Said Harry, standing up.
"Look, Ron's hand is on… and Molly's too! Harry, get over there!" Molly looked at the clock and saw that both hands were on 'Mortal Peril'.
"Shit, Ted come with me, she must have relapsed and… come on. Arthur, get Percy and Audrey!"
Harry arrived at Molly's flat with Ted and saw that the door was open and all was silent.
"Stay behind me." He said, and his Godson nodded.
The living room and kitchen looked fine but Ted pointed to a bottle of wine and Harry nodded indicating that he had noticed it too.
Harry could hear the sound of crying from the bedroom so he held out his wand and entered it slowly.
It looked like a tornado had swept through the room. The wardrobe was destroyed and Molly's clothes were everywhere, the duvet had been torn covering the room in fine feathers that made it look like it had snowed. The window was broken and there was blood on some of the pieces still in the frame, as if someone had been slammed into it.
Ron was lying in a pool of blood near the collapsed bed and Molly was crying over him and shaking him, her wand held loosely in her hand. Brian was unconscious near the remains of the wardrobe.
"Molly, put your wand down and move away." Said Harry loudly, Molly jumped and looked up at him. She had a large cut on her cheek and the blood was pouring down her neck, she looked relieved to see Harry.
"Uncle Harry! You have to help, Uncle Ron!" She said, not moving. Ted walked into the room behind Harry.
"Molly, move away from him." He said, firmly.
"He's hurt Ted, you have to help him. He saved me!"
"Molly put your wand down, otherwise I'll disarm you." Molly looked confused but threw her wand to the side lightly, Ted and Harry moved over to them.
"It was Brian, Uncle Harry! It was Brian!" She cried, pointing to where her sister's fiancé lay, Harry noticed that he appeared to be breathing normally and looked relatively unscathed. Ted worked on stabilising Ron and Harry looked at his niece.
"What was Brian?"
"He was 'Xxx'! It was him!" She said, tears pouring down her face and mixing with the blood from her wounds.
"Molly, you've been drinking again."
"No! I didn't drink any, I didn't!" Ted looked up from Ron and moved over to Molly.
"Molly, I'm going to inject you with a potion, we'll treat you when you're asleep, it's safer."
"No! Ted, I'm not crazy, it was Brian, it was him, Ted please!" Molly tried to move away but Harry pinned her to the wall, just as her parents walked in with Hermione and Arthur.
"Oh my… Ron!" Hermione cried, running over to her husband.
"NO! DON'T SEND ME BACK! IT WAS BRIAN! UNCLE RON, HE HEARD, HE SAVED ME, PLEASE! DADDY STOP THEM!" Molly screamed as Ted injected the potion into her thigh.
"Molly, you've been drinking." Her father said sternly and with obvious disappointment.
"No, Brian… he's Xxx… please Uncle Ron…" Molly collapsed against Harry and he and Ted lowered her to the floor.
"We need to get Ron and Molly to the hospital. Ron's lost a lot of blood and Molly needs a potions detox again, and we need to treat her injuries." Said Ted, he then stood up and walked over to Brian.
"Is he alright?" Asked Audrey, looking down at her future son-in-law with concern.
"Ennerverte!" Ted said, pointing his wand at Brian's chest, the journalist opened his eyes and looked confused.
"It's alright Brian, we've sedated Molly again, we'll get her back to the hospital. Ron should be alright too." Said Ted, helping Brian to sit up.
"What are you doing here, Brian?" Arthur asked.
"Lucy asked me to come and check on her but… she was drunk and she just went mad."
"We'll get you checked out at the hospital too, just to be sure." Harry said, holding out his hand to pull Brian up.
"Yeah, I'll go and get Luce first, she'll be worried." He said, picking up his wand.
"Are you sure you're alright to Apparate?" Ted asked, looking at him carefully.
"Yeah I'll be fine, we'll meet you at the hospital. Give Molly my love if she wakes up before I get there, tell her I'll talk to her soon."
"It probably won't be for a week again, we'll have to detox her again." Brian nodded and left the room, they heard the crack of Disapparation.
Molly opened her eyes and the extreme pain in her head was back, she screamed and rolled over, trying to bang her head, she would rather die than have this pain.
"…calm down, Miss Weasley."
Molly screamed and banged her head against the side of the hospital bed, against anything she could find.
"…sedate her…danger…"
She felt a potion work up her arm again and within minutes she was asleep again.
Ron opened his eyes and groaned, his chest felt like someone had burnt it with a poker.
"Ron?"
"'Mione?" He croaked, turning his head and finding his wife's pale face.
"Oh Ron, I've been so worried. You've been unconscious for three days!" She cried, standing up and throwing herself on his chest. He cried out in pain and she gasped and stood up again.
"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll find Ted, get you some pain relief." Hermione left the room and Ron looked around, he was in St Mungo's, in a private room.
The door opened and Ted came in with Hermione, Harry close behind them.
"Hey Uncle Ron, in pain?" Ted asked.
"Yeah, where's Molly?" He asked, worried about his niece.
"Here, this will help." Said Ted, injecting a potion into a drip that led to Ron's arm. The relief was instant.
"Thanks, much better. Where's Molly?" He asked again, looking at Harry.
"It's alright, we got her back here, and they've started the detox." Said Harry, Ron's eyes widened.
"What?"
"We sedated her when we found you and…"
"NO!" Ron yelled, sitting up quickly.
"It's okay, Ron, she can't hurt you…" Hermione started but Ron cut across him.
"She didn't hurt me!"
"What?" Harry asked.
"It was Brian, he was Xxx this whole time!"
"Ron, you've lost a lot of blood…" Ted began.
"No, listen to me…" Ron told them what had happened when he arrived at Molly's flat, what he had heard Brian admit to and how he had tried to rape Molly before Ron had intervened. How Molly had stunned Brian when Ron couldn't subdue him, how Molly had tried to save his life.
They all looked blind-sided.
"Are you sure, Uncle Ron?"
"Yes, I'm fucking sure! She's not crazy, it was that sick bastard the whole time! Where is he?"
"Business trip, Lucy said he doesn't know how long…"
"He's running! For fuck sake go and get those damn potions out of Molly!"
"Merlin… if she's not ill she must be in…" Ted looked terrified.
"What?" Hermione asked.
"If Molly isn't sick then the potions will be causing her agony, she's not screaming in rage she's…fuck!" Ted ran out of the room and Harry ran with him.
They reached Molly's room just as Healer Crowley was about to enter.
"Oh, hi Ted. She's angry again, I'm…"
"No, Kathryn, she's in pain. The whole Xxx thing, it was real, she isn't ill!" Ted said, pushing the door open to Molly's room.
The young witch was screaming and trying to bang her head against the soft pillows, her hands were spelled to the bed so she couldn't use them. Kathryn ran in behind them.
"Ted, are you sure about this?" Kathryn asked, over the sound of Molly's screams.
"Yes, her Uncle heard her sister's fiancé confess everything, he's only just woken up and told us. Get the pain potion now, the strongest!" Kathryn ran out of the room again and Ted disconnected the drip that was giving Molly the other potions.
Harry moved over to the bed and released Molly's arms from the spell and pulled her into his chest, she was still screaming, her eyes closed. Ted held her arms and worked on removing all the drip sites.
Within a minute Kathryn returned with an injection of pain potion and she moved over to the bed.
"Are you sure about this, Ted?" She asked, pausing as Ted held out Molly's arm for Kathryn to inject.
"Yes, do it now!" He said and the healer inserted the needle and pushed the plunger.
It took about half a minute for the screaming to stop and another ten seconds for Molly to relax in Harry's arms.
"It's alright Molly, it's over now, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Harry whispered, he could feel the tears sliding down his face but he didn't care, he felt awful.
"Uncle… Harry?" Molly whispered her eyes opening slightly.
"Yes, it's okay now. We know you were telling the truth, I'll find him."
"Uncle Ron?" Molly asked, trying to remember everything that had happened.
"He'll be okay Molls, we'll move you so you can be in his room, would you like that?" Ted asked, rubbing her arm to help the potion absorb into her bloodstream.
"Yes… please… stay with me…" She whispered.
"I will, Molly, I promise." Said Ted, squeezing her hand. Harry rested her back against the pillows and watched her slip into a peaceful sleep, at last.
When Molly opened her eyes again she could hear Ted talking to someone.
"…probably taken a few more days to get it completely out of her system. The side effects might take a bit longer to clear."
"I…" It was her father and he sounded upset.
"Dad?" She croaked, opening her eyes slightly to see him. He was sat at the end of her bed with her mother, Ted was also there. On the other side of the room Ron was sleeping and Hermione was sat with him, holding his hand.
"Molly? Oh Molly, I'm so sorry!" Her father said, jumping up and moving over to her, Ted and her mother also came closer.
"Feel sick." She muttered, Ted conjured a bowl and then adjusted the bed so she could sit up.
"I'll get you a sickness potion, how's your head?"
"Not as bad…" Molly threw up into the bowl and her mother stroked her back.
"Drink this and then I'll see if you need a pain potion." Molly took the potion but didn't drink it, she looked up at her best friend.
"Is it really…?" She burst into tears and Ted sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand.
"Molly, I'm so sorry. It's really an anti-sickness potion, we believe you now." Molly threw up again and then she heard her Uncle wake up and she looked over at him.
"Molly, you're awake. Thank Merlin, it's alright now. They know what happened, I told them about Brian, I heard everything."
"You don't think I'm crazy?" She asked, so relieved that the nightmare was finally ending.
"You never were, Molly. It was all him, Harry found the notes in his flat, he found a whole hidden room full of photo's of you, we realised that he switched the blood sample when he hugged Ted before he left for the hospital. It was all him." Hermione finished and Molly sobbed again and her father kissed the top of her head.
"It's over, Molly." He whispered.
"You don't have to take the potion, if you don't want Molls. It's just an anti-sickness. The potion we gave you before will take a few days to get out of your system, so we had to give you a strong pain relief potion to control the headache. That potion can make you sick." Ted explained and Molly nodded.
"It hurt so… so much, Ted. I thought my head was exploding."
"I know, we thought you were angry… we got it all so wrong, Molls."
"Is this really for the sickness?" She asked, now she was paranoid. Ted nodded and she drank it. The effect was instantaneous and she nodded and Ted vanished the bowl.
Molly leaned back on the bed and her mother kissed her on the head.
"We're so sorry, Molly, we're all so sorry." She said and Molly looked at her face, she had never seen her mother look so worried.
"Where is he?" Molly asked, looking at her father.
"Harry's looking, they'll find him." Molly shook her head.
"He's too smart… I had no idea it was him… what about Lucy?"
"She's upset, she's helping Harry find him, looking for places that they went to." Molly sniffed and then rubbed her head.
"Pain?" Ted asked, she nodded.
"Do you want some potion? It will help."
"I… I don't know… everything's been so muddled… I just want to… feel normal again." Molly sobbed and Ted held her hand.
They talked for a few more minutes and then Molly asked for the potion because the pain was building, the relief was wonderful, not just the relief of the pain fading but the relief of her family believing her, of them being there with her, of finally being safe with them.
Molly waited in the relatives' room with her husband and the rest of the family, except the Hogwarts kids, they had been waiting for Molly to wake up for hours. All of them struggling with the role they played in Molly's situation, whether active or passive.
The door opened and Hermione walked in.
"Any news?" Arthur asked, jumping up and walking over to her.
"She's been awake, and talking. She's sleeping again now." All the family made noises of relief.
"What did she say?" Charlie asked.
"She's in pain and she's been sick but… she didn't want to take the sickness potion… didn't…"
"Trust us." Bill finished and Hermione nodded, Ginny moved over to hug her.
"Can't blame her, Merlin I don't think I'd take another potion ever again!" Said George, rubbing the uncharacteristically quiet Victoire on the back in support.
"She took it, in the end but… she's in a bad way, he really messed up her head."
"No he didn't, we messed her head up!" Spat Victoire from the corner.
"Did you tell her what Harry found?" Asked Fleur, Hermione nodded.
"She was so relieved, she doesn't think we'll catch him though, she thinks he's too smart."
"We'll catch him." Said Molly firmly.
"How's Ron?" Asked Charlie.
"He'll be fine, they said he can go home tomorrow but he wants to stay with Molly, she trusts him more I think."
"Thank Merlin he went to check on her, can you imagine what could have happened?" Said Angelina.
"He was about to rape her, if Ron hadn't…" Hermione tailed off and sat down next to Dom who was also very quiet.
The door opened and Harry walked in with a very pale Lucy.
"Is she okay?" Asked Lucy. Hermione explained how Molly was and Lucy burst into tears, Bill went to hug her and guided her to a seat.
"Any progress with the search?" Asked George, looking at Harry who had sat next to Hermione.
"Kingsley's got everyone looking in likely locations and we're trying to track his wand, we've got his father in interrogation, he's not being very helpful though. We're going to keep an Auror with her at all times."
"We found the fake news story after your match Dom, that's why she sent that card." Muttered Lucy and Dom nodded as Lucy continued. "There were loads of fake stories, stuff about her and also random stuff, like weather reports that were wrong and different stock ratings and election polling's."
"He was tilting her reality, making her confused and more vulnerable." Said Hermione.
"Can I see her?" Lucy asked, to no one in particular, Hermione answered.
"She's sleeping at the moment Lucy, maybe tomorrow."
"She's going to hate me."
"I think she'll hate all of us for a while to be honest Luce, I know I would." Said George.
"I don't get why he let her get hospitalised though?" Asked Victoire.
"I thought that, you'd think he'd want her in the flat." Said Hermione.
"Nah, he knew exactly what he was doing. Look at what happened, we sent her to hospital, they put her on potions and completely messed up her head, made her think she was crazy, made us think she was crazy!"
"Yeah, so?" Bill asked, confused.
"So she didn't trust us, if the flowers and crap had started again she wouldn't come to us, she wouldn't risk it."
"He isolated her even more." Said Harry and Charlie nodded.
"He even made Mom and Dad think she'd been ill for ages, explain away all the differences between us and blame the so-called illness, made her think she'd never been good enough and never would be." Said Lucy quietly.
"You better find him, Uncle Harry. If I do I'll kill him." Lucy said, looking up at her Uncle with a serious look on her face.
"I'll find him, Luce, I'll find him."
When Molly next opened her eyes it was early morning, the clock said it was just gone seven. Her parents were both asleep in armchairs, as was Ted. Granddad was sleeping next to Uncle Ron's bed.
Uncle Ron was also sleeping and Molly was pleased to see that the colour was coming back to his face. The door opened and a Medi-witch came in, she smiled at Molly and walked over to her.
"I've got a lovely bunch of flowers that someone sent in for you, had to shrink them to get them in here." She brought a tiny bouquet of flowers out of her pocket and enlarged them. They were roses, completely black roses.
Molly gasped and reached for her father's hand, he woke up instantly.
"What? Molly… what the hell are they doing here?" He roared, standing up and pointing at the flowers, everyone else woke up with a start and Uncle Ron and Granddad pulled out their wands.
"I'm… sorry Minister, someone sent them for…" The Medi-witch stuttered. An Auror ran in from the corridor with his wand out and her father turned to him.
"What they hell were you doing letting those in here?" Her father yelled, pointing at the flowers.
Molly was still staring at them, the blue parchment was sticking out of the middle of the bouquet and she could clearly see the 'Xxx' on it, she couldn't breathe properly, he could get to her anywhere! It would never be over!
"Molly, look at me, try to focus on my face." Said Ted, moving around the bed to block the flowers from Molly's view.
"I don't want to inject you with a potion, Molly, just try and slow down your breathing." He said, trying to soothe her.
Molly tried to focus on his face, she didn't want a potion, the flowers were all black, she needed to stay in control, he had sent them to her…
"Molly…focus…potion…" Her vision had black spots, like the flowers, black flower spots.
"Safe…pumpkin…Ted…" Her father voice sounded strange, as if he was down a tunnel.
She felt the potion being injected and it joined up the black flower spots and her vision faded.
Ted watched Molly slip into a potion induced sleep and felt sick with himself, he had never wanted to force her to have a potion again but she was having a panic attack and with the sedation potion in her system she could have hallucinations that would have only have made it worse.
He put an oxygen mask on her and attached her to some monitoring equipment and then turned to the conversation behind him.
"…know she had flowers, Minister!" The Auror was saying, looking scared for his job.
"I had to shrink them, I had them in my pocket!" Said the Medi-witch looking terrified, and pale with fright.
"My daughter has been through hell, who did you think would send her black roses?" Yelled Audrey, pointing to the flowers.
"I…I'm sorry…I didn't realise…"
"That is obvious! I will be speaking to your superior!" Percy said and the Medi-witch left the room and Percy turned to the Auror.
"Kingsley will hear about this. Get back to your duty!" The Auror nodded and left the room.
Ted looked at the flowers and noticed the blue parchment, he was feeling quite light-headed.
"I feel a bit weird." Said Ron, looking pale.
"Yeah… me too…fuck!" Ted grabbed the flowers and ran out of the room with them, he thrust them at the Auror.
"They're poisoned, destroy them and… keep… sample…" He went back into the room, clutching the door for support.
He slammed his hand on an emergency alarm just as Audrey dropped to the floor, the monitoring equipment around Molly started blaring and Healers starting filling in.
Ted grabbed the front of one of their robes.
"Poison… flowers… Molly's sedat…" And then he collapsed to the floor at the same time as the Minister for Magic.
Molly could hear a beeping noise and it was annoying. She tried to ignore it but I was very irritating. She tried to remember why she felt so sick, the flowers, Ted had sedated her, again.
Molly opened her eyes and she was in a different room, Uncle Ron was gone, everyone was gone. She thought she was alone but then she heard a familiar voice.
"Molly?" It was Uncle Charlie.
"Uncle Charlie? What… where am I?" Molly had the horrible feeling that she was back in the mind ward and she sat up quickly. "I'm not crazy, Uncle Charlie! I promise, please don't give me the…"
"Molly, calm down. You're not in the mind ward, I promise." He said, calmly.
"Where's Uncle Ron? And Dad? They… they said they wouldn't…"
"Molly, listen to me, let me explain, okay?" Molly nodded and Charlie held her hand. "Do you remember the flowers coming?"
"Yes, they were all black."
"They were poisoned."
"What?" Molly gasped.
"You've been very ill, Molly. Very ill."
"Where's Dad and…"
"They're all getting better. Dad's home now and Uncle Ron should be out today and Percy and Audrey."
"What about Ted? He was there!"
"He's awake, woke up last night but he's still weak. He realised the flowers were poisoned and ran with them."
"What aren't you telling me?" She asked, she could tell he was holding something back.
"The Medi-witch that delivered the flowers, she's dead."
"I'm… sick..." Charlie conjured a bowl and Molly threw up, he pressed the call button and an unfamiliar Healer walked in.
"Miss Weasley, lovely to see you awake, we were getting rather worried. Are you feeling sick?"
"Obviously." Snapped Charlie, holding back his niece's hair.
"Well, this should help. We know what the poison was now so it should be out of your system by tomorrow, and the mind potion we used is almost gone now too. Your immune system must be rather confused, Miss Weasley." This Healer was ridiculously cheerful and it appeared that her Uncle couldn't take it.
"Could you tell my family she's awake?" He snapped.
"Of course, we'll come and take some blood and we might be able to move you out of critical care tomorrow." The Healer left the room and Molly turned to Charlie.
"I want to go home, please!" Molly started crying.
"It's not safe for you to go home…"
"It's not safe here!" Molly cried.
"You've got four Auror's outside the door, everyone's looking for him now, he nearly killed Perce, Molls. The Ministry have got everyone searching." Uncle Charlie pulled his niece into a hug and let her cry out the tears. Within a few minutes Harry walked in with Ginny.
"How are you feeling, Molly?" Harry asked as Charlie released her and she lay back on the pillows.
"How is everyone?" Molly asked, wiping away her tears.
"They'll all be fine, it's you we were worried about. You're safe now."
"Why do you keep saying that to me!?" She yelled.
"Molls, he won't get anything through the defences now, we practically had to give up our rights to Lily to get to see you." Said Ginny, stroking Molly's hair.
Harry looked at his wife with a strange expression on his face and then smiled and kissed her fully on the mouth.
"Genius, Gin, complete genius!" And then he ran out of the room.
"What was that about?" Charlie asked.
"No idea, Harry has a weird thought process." She shrugged.
"Is Ted really okay? Uncle Charlie said he was weak." To Molly's great surprise her aunt actually smiled as she answered.
"He's more than alright, Molls."
"What?" Asked Charlie, looking at his sister.
"Victoire finally realised what she nearly lost, they're getting married!"
"Really?" Molly asked, it was nice to get some good news.
"Yep, he's over the moon. They're practically shagging in his room."
"Ginny!" Laughed Uncle Charlie, Molly smiled.
They talked quietly for a few minutes and Molly drifted in and out of sleep. Harry ran back in with Bill looking excited.
"New plan, Molly!"
"What?" She asked, sleepily.
"We're going to get you out of here." Said Uncle Bill looking excited.
"What? She's still critical Bill!" Said Ginny, standing up and facing her oldest brother.
"Harry said it was your idea."
"What was?"
"The plan."
Molly had reached the end of her, admittedly very short, tether and she opened her eyes and growled at her family.
"I've had enough of this! Either you tell me what the fuck is going on or I'll get out of this bed and… and go on the run because I can't take it anymore! I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!" Molly finished, breathing heavily. She doubted she could actually get out of the bed but her family all look suitably impressed by her sudden outburst.
"I knew there was a hot-headed Weasley in there somewhere." Said Uncle Charlie smiling, Molly sat up and made to push the blankets off her.
Harry and Ginny sprang forward and Ginny pushed her back into the bed.
"Alright, Molls. Sorry, we're going to take you to Hogwarts." Harry said quickly.
"What?" Molly asked, completely blind-sided.
"Hogwarts, safest place in the world. Ted's going with you as well. Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall are waiting for you. Relax, you won't have to move a single muscle."
Molly almost smiled and looked up at her Uncle.
"Breathing moves muscles." She said, closing her eyes for a moment.
"Okay, fine, you won't have to move any more muscles than are strictly necessary in order to maintain normal bodily functions." Uncle Harry said, kissing her on the forehead.
"Thanks Uncle Harry." She said, quietly, sleepy again.
"Get some sleep, when you wake up you'll be at Hogwarts."
"I'll be safe?" She asked, almost asleep.
"You'll be safe." Her Uncle replied with complete confidence.
A/N Happy New Year! So Molly is vindicated, yay! Now we just need to find evil Brian. Please review and let me know what you think.
Any readers of the Words series, I'm currently editing and replacing Journey to Words, some of the writing was too shocking. It won't change major parts of the story but there will be some more depth, a little less crying and maybe one or two less visits to Madam Pomfrey.
GTH- Thanks.
xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- I know December was a short chapter, sorry. I hope January made up for it?
Luna- It might stretch to March but I can't see there being a sequel at this point, sorry.
