Heads turned towards the silver lynx as it vanished. Silence dominated the scene for a moment, and then someone screamed. Fred pulled Madoline out of the way as a witch and wizard nearly ran into them. Guests were running everywhere and Disapparating. The protective enchantments securing the Burrow had been broken.
Maddie let out a gasp and took Fred's hand, pulling him to her left, as cloaked, masked figures appeared in the crowd. She gripped her wand in her right hand firmly, turning around in time to see Lupin and Tonks cast a shield. A streak of light poured over everyone's heads.
"Move. Move!" Fred bellowed, and Madoline silently followed him. His neck craned back and forth, eyes darting throughout the guests as he searched for George. Before long, all the guests had Disapparated, and only Madoline and the Weasleys, Tonks, Lupin, and Hagrid were left, with about thirty Death Eaters staring them down.
"Expelliarmus!" one of them yelled, and Maddie felt her wand flip out of her hand. She grimaced as a tall, muscular wizard with a thin black mustache took it. Walden Macnair. He eyed Maddie with a nasty grin on his face.
"Tut, tut, none of that. Now," he said, wielding her wand and pressing the tip of it into her neck, "where is Harry Potter?"
"Harry Potter? How would I know?" Maddie asked immediately. The wizard's eyes narrowed, and then he turned to interrogate the rest of the Weasleys and their friends. The rest of the Death Eaters guarded the troop of mostly redheads closely. Fleur clutched onto Bill's arm as Macnair observed her.
"And you, flower?" he asked, taking Fleur's hand.
"'Ow would I know where 'Arry is? I 'aven't seen him in ages," she answered. Macnair's face twisted as he let out a snarl. Fleur jumped back, and Bill held her safely against him; his own face look rather scary, his scars adding to the effect. Macnair looked at him warily before turning to Arthur.
"You will be and are being watched, Weasley, mark my words," he snarled, giving a signal to the Death Eaters. He threw Madoline's wand on the ground, and left with most of the Death Eaters, besides two who seemed content to help themselves to the wedding's leftovers. Madoline quickly ran over and snatched her wand up.
The Weasleys and their company left the Death Eaters in the canopy as they walked back to the Burrow. Maddie felt as though her heart was going to beat from her chest. She hoped beyond hope that Harry, Ron, and Hermione were well.
They didn't go to their bedrooms until late that night. Bill and Fleur left early, however. Mr. Weasley managed to get a Patronus sent to Harry, Ron, and Hermione without the Death Eaters noticing. The Death Eaters seemed more interested in the floating champagne they had gathered than their charges.
"What now?" Maddie had finally asked later into the night, looking around at all of them.
"Now we hope and pray," Lupin replied as he stood, bringing Tonks up with him. They said their farewells before Disapparating back to their home. Hagrid excused himself sometime later, saying that Fang would need tended to.
Ginny had fallen asleep on the carpet. Molly looked down at her daughter with tired eyes when they all began departing for their respective bedrooms. Fred had already smacked Charlie awake, claiming he was louder than a Hungarian Horntail on a diet. Charlie yawned as he stretched, then stomped his way up to the stairs. Fred leaned down and picked Ginny up, placing her on the couch.
"Is it alright if I sleep down here, Mrs. Weasley? I don't think I like the thought of a bedroom to myself at the moment," Maddie asked.
"Of course, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied with no trace of her usual motherly smile, "the loveseat will do?"
Maddie nodded, and Mrs. Weasley departed upstairs.
"Night Maddie," Fred and George spoke simultaneously, and Maddie waved them off as they trudged up the staircase. She settled down in the loveseat and pulled a throw over herself. It was going to be a long night.
Maddie woke up to an incessant poking on her side. Her eyes fluttered open to see Fred standing above her with his wand as weapon of choice. She wiped the sleepers out of her eyes groggily before glaring at him. The sun had only halfway risen.
"What do you want?" she hissed, glancing over at Ginny's still sleeping form. Fred held his hand out and Madoline looked at him as if he were mad.
"Trust me, Anderson," he whispered, grabbing her hand and hoisting her up off the loveseat. Maddie grimaced at the discomfort her scars gave her.
"What the hell, Fred?" she growled, and Fred turned back to her with a grin.
"Trust me, you'll love it," he ensured her as he dragged her out to the canopy where the Death Eaters were standing watch. Maddie looked at him warily before they entered the canopy. There were alarming retching sounds coming from the end of the canopy; the two Death Eaters were vomiting quite violently as George watched them.
"Oh Fred, you didn't," Madoline said, looking at the Puking Pastille wrappers laying on the ground.
"I didn't. George and I did," Fred grinned, but then his face turned serious.
"Now we reckon we should give them the other half-"
"-but they might try and hex us to yesterday-"
"and old Voldy might not be too happy if we took out two of his Death Eaters-"
"-so then we though, why a Memory Charm would be the perfect thing-"
"-except we aren't so good at them, so that's where your wonderful witching skills come into play," Fred finished with a wide smile.
"Seriously?" Madoline scowled at the two of them. They both gave her their most charming smiles.
"Think of what could happen to us Maddie-"
"-yeah, we could end up in Azkaban."
Taking her wand out with a huff, Maddie pointed it at the first Death Eater, while sending the twins a deadly glare.
"Obliviate," she incanted, and then repeated the process with the other. Fred and George quickly gave them the other halves of the pastilles, and before scurrying out with Fred and Maddie, George cleaned up the vomit on the ground with a quick flick of his wand.
By the time the three of them were back inside the Burrow, Mrs. Weasley was up cooking breakfast. She quickly recruited Fred and George into helping her, leaving a smirking Madoline free to escape to Ginny's room and go back to sleep.
