Hey guys. So. I got 2 reviews on the last chapter, so you all get an update! Keep in mind that everyone lives feedback, including me, so... review! If you review with questions, then I will answer them. So, y' know, review. It means the world to me.
HUGE, huge thanks to Son Of Whitebeard ( for reviewing. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that.
I don't (surprise, surprise) own Harry Potter. No matter how much fan fiction I might right, it just isn't gonna happen.
Blinking back into consciousness was painful for Fred, his arm still hurt, though not as much as it had before, and he felt prying eyes on him even before he opened his eyes. When he did open his eyes and slowly sit up, he was surprised to see Bill sitting in a chair to the side of the bed Fred was in.
Fred sighed, looking at the wand gripped in Bill's hand, and the book face down on his lap. It was clear that Bill had been in the chair for hours, waiting, or perhaps guarding, Fred until he woke up. "Hi, Bill."
"Hi, Fred." Bill's face was expressionless as he spoke, annoyingly giving nothing away.
"Before you say anything, you should call Remus."
Bill's eyebrows knitted together in bewilderment, "Remus Lupin? Why?"
Fred waved his hand carelessly, leaning back down into a lying position, "He'll explain everything. Come back when you have."
It was silent for a moment, as Fred heard Bill get up and leave, closing the door firmly behind him. It was quiet, as if no one was in the house, before Fred heard a small rustling sound and a whoosh. A few seconds of silence later, and Fred heard the sound of the floo sounding. The vague voices he heard were sharp, surprised, so the guest was clearly welcome (no one was screaming), if not expected. Next Fred heard feet bounding up the stairs, coming closer and closer to the room they were in.
Bill came in, holding his wand in his hand, and resumed his seat, having missed the floo. He had only been out for a minute.
The door opened to show Remus Lupin, holding his wand and looking shocked and worried.
"Bill, I got your Patronus."
"Thanks for coming so quickly."
There was an awkward silence as no one knew what to say, and Fred felt both of their pairs of eyes on him.
"Bill would you mind leaving while I talk to Fred-" Remus asked carefully, trying not to give away his concern for Fred in his voice.
"Don't bother. My cover will soon be blown, if it's not already, as soon as the Dark Lord looks at Lucius Malfoy's memories. I doubt the memory wipe will hold."
Remus looked at him. Bill looked at him. There was a small second that Fred didn't think either would say anything. They both talked at once.
"What do you mean cover?!" Bill said loudly, looking at Fred before turning to Lupin when he stopped talking.
"Memory wipe? On Malfoy? Why?" Remus said looking intent on finding out.
Fred looked to Remus, ignoring Bill for the moment, "When Harry, Ron and Hermione were brought in, Malfoy, who was sort of heading the thing at his house, called me, since Rons my brother.
"Obviously, I didn't want to tell Malfoy who they were, but I told Bella. Bella, from Rodolphus knew what I was, and knew that I was hardly going to just let the Dark Lord get called."
Fred took a deep breath, knowing that this is where their arguments would cut in, he could see the questions on their faces and was thankful that Remus had the sense to shut up and get Bill to too. "So Bella stunned Malfoy, and me and Rodolphus took out the Snatchers."
"Wait, like Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange?! The mass murderer Death Eaters?" Remus asked looking sceptical and suspicious.
"And that's why you brought them here?" Bill asked, looking pissed.
Remus turned his head suddenly to look at him, "They're here-!"
Fred cut them off, "Yes, yes, yes. Bella and Rodolphus turned traitor too, saving the lives of Potter, Granger and my brother, thank you very much. Might I remind you that Potter is instrumental in the war effort and hopefully its ending?"
Bill and Remus nodded, looking, at the very least, bewildered. Bill looked confused still, but Remus's expression cleared and he motioned for Fred to continue with his story.
"Anyway, so Bella, Rodolphus and I took out Malfoy and the Snatchers, who were the only others in the room. We untied the Golden Trio, Ron punched me. Hermione, Harry and Ron then sulked, leaving everything useful to me and the Lestranges.
"Then we felt our Marks burn. I think it was just the Dark Lord calling a meeting and summoning the Inner Circle, but when we didn't show up, he upped the intensity, which is why I passed out. Then we obliviated the Snatchers and Malfoy, but the Dark Lord will still find the memories, leaving my cover to be blown. Fabulous." he threw his arms up slightly in the air in mock despair and grinned, showing the jokester he still was. Hopefully would always be.
He let his arms drop, and sighed before continuing his story, "Then we summoned Missy," they looked confused, so he elaborated on Missy, "The house elf, to take the Golden Trio out, to here at Ron's suggestion, and then to get Daphne, as she would be a target to the Death Eaters for being friends with me and trained by the Lestranges, who will be seen as traitors. And apparate all four of us left, the Lestranges, Daphne and me, finally out of Malfoy Manor."
As Fred finished, there was a silence in the room. Neither Remus or Bill seemed to know what to say, and Fred figured that in a moment they'd collect themselves enough to ask questions. A second later when Bill spoke, Fred knew he was right.
"Wait, hang on a minute, so Fred was… is… was a spy."
Remus nodded and both ignored Fred, something he was vaguely indignant about.
"For the Order."
Remus nodded, looking grim. He probably expected the next question from Bill, Fred sure did.
"Then, why couldn't I, the rest of his family, be in on it? Do you know how hurt my mother is? Not to mention George." Bill's voce, so hesitant had grown angrier and brasher as he caught onto the whole thing. That Remus had clearly known, and that Fred had purposefully hurt his family, when he wasn't even really a Death Eater.
"Now Bill, you have to understand. Fred was putting himself at risk in a way few of us can understand, the less that you knew of it, the safer he would be in the long ru-"
Fred ignored Remus's well reasoned explanation, and looked at Bill himself, square in the eyes, challenging him. "Voldemort was looking at you guys. My main 'reason' for joining them was you guys, and I had to pretend that I hated you, wanted you dead, or worse. To hurt you. So he watched, and made sure I had that chance.
"It was instrumental in gaining his trust, and rising to the Inner Circle, which in turn gave the Order a lot more information."
Bill looked at him, anger and sorrow in his eyes.
"I'm sorry." Fred said quietly, knowing that more than an apology was necessary.
Bill didn't say anything, and stood up. He looked back at Fred before he left the room, taking into account the true pain in Fred's eyes and body language. His eyes softened slightly. "I'm calling Mum. You can explain to her yourself."
Remus sighed, hating to see the conflict that he felt he had had a hand in. It was him, after all, that had helped keep the secret from the rest of the family, watching as they suffered quietly.
Bill left, and neither Fred or Remus filled in the silence that followed. Fred, who was sitting up in bed, legs folded and loosely covered with a blanket, put his head in his hands, elbows on his knees. His hands were sweaty, the hairs on his arms standing up. He sighed again. Swallowing a few times, before sitting up straight and pulling a blank expression as if from nowhere, and holding it up to his face. He heard the floo sound, Bill probably leaving, and sat up straighter, striving to seem collected. He was, unfortunately not.
He felt his breathing increase. He noticed suddenly that his nose was healed.
He wished Daphne was here. The floo still hadn't sounded again, he hoped it would be awhile before they arrived, and knowing Bill, he wouldn't straight out tell them, so it could take a while.
He looked at Remus, who had taken the seat Bill left, and was politely, or shamefully, looking at the ground.
"Where's Daphne?"
Remus looked up, startled, and blinked a few times. "W-who?"
"Daphne Greengrass, my girlfriend? She came here too."
"No idea."
Fred felt his heartbeat pick up, and stood up quickly. Of course Remus wouldn't know, he had just got here. But one thing was for sure, and that was that Fred did certainly not trust Bill.
He stood up, sweat breaking out on his forehead, growing panicked and worried for his girlfriend. Who knew what could happen to her under the care of a hostile Order of the Phoenix.
Nothing he wanted to find out.
He walked from the bed, mind focused now on only one thing: finding Daphne.
He stood out in the hall for a second, listening and looking around, vaguely recognising the house as one he had played in as a child. It was, or had been, his Auntie Myrtle's cottage. Shaking his head to hopefully clear it of annoyingly intrusive and irrelevant thoughts, he moved to the nearby guest rooms.
The first one was empty. He grew more worried.
The second one was locked. He searched his pockets, for the first time realizing that his wand was not in his hand, as he was certain that it had been when he had passed out. It wasn't there. He looked up, at the door, and cursed, knowing that there was no way he could get into it. He considered going back for Remus, who had a wand, but he doubted that remus would open the door that doubtlessly had a, perhaps ex, Death Eater behind it. Possibly even two.
He growled slightly out of frustration, he still hadn't heard the floo, but he was doubtlessly on a time limit. Raising his hand he knocked loudly on the door. Wondering if there were charms on it that would prevent the person inside from hearing.
There was no answer from the door, but he did hear footsteps behind him. he turned around, muscles tensing.
Tonks was down the hall from him, and he could see her as she got closer. Finally stopping mere feet from him. Wand out and a grim expression on her face. Her hair, that had been a bright pink, turned a dark red with black roots. She was furious.
With a snap Fred realised that she still thought he was a traitor.
"Wait, Tonks, hi, let me explain. I'm, well I guess I am, but not really, I'm more like a-"
She interrupted what Fred was sure was going to be a long, confusing rant. "Fred, shut up, I know exactly what you are, and why we haven't shipped you off to Azkaban is beyond me!"
Fred stepped back, his back hitting the wall, both surprised and unsurprised at the contempt in her voice. He sighed shortly and frustratedly, "No, Tonks, I'm afraid you don't understand. However, I'm in no mood to explain it to you, so if you could just tell me where-"
Again she interrupted him, "In no mood to explain it to me?!" she sounded outraged, and Fred looked confused, she looked insulted, and he couldn't figure out why.
"I'm not an idiot Fred. I don't need you to explain anything to me. You are a Death Eater, there is no way you can talk me out of believing that, because it is the truth." Her voice, that had started loudly, screeching at him, had grown softer, and revealed hurt. Fred was reminded of how close George and Tonks were before his betrayal. Undoubtedly the hurt and hatred George must have been feeling had rubbed off onto her. Which was simply great for Fred. Really swell.
Anything Fred could have, or would have, said was interrupted by Remus walking quickly towards them. Tonks, even as she turned her head and saw him behind her walking to her, ignored him and pointed her want more firmly at Fred.
Remus, after seeing the situation for what it was: ridiculous but expected, stepped between Tonks and Fred, looking at Tonks.
"Tonks, you need to calm down. You don't understand. Fred isn't how it seems he-" Remus continued to talk, calmly attempting to explain it to Tonks, not an easy feat with her current mood. Fred, however, tuned both of them out, possible situations involving Daphne, few of which were good. After the last time Daphne had been caught and held by the Order, Fred had lost any faith he had in the Order. Not to say he didn't prefer them to the Dark, but he didn't think that they were as good as they claimed and had a low opinion of them for condemning Death Eaters for the very things Fred could see them doing. There was nothing that Fred hated more than a hypocrite.
Fred, hearing but not caring about the bickering of Remus and Tonks, about him and his, apparently debatable, loyalties, he interrupted, "Where's Daphne?" his voice was soft, and perhaps that was why both looked at him startledly.
Neither of them answered, Remus because he didn't know the answer, and Tonks because she still thought he was a traitor.
After a few moments of silence, Fred stared pleadingly at Remus, knowing that he already felt guilty. Remus sighed, then inhaled grievously, and in perhaps the same breath, turned Tonks and looked pleadingly at her.
Although, whether or not Tonks would have given into her boyfriend, and by extension, Fred, would forever remain unknown, as, interrupting Remus and Tonks looks, the floo sounded.
All three looked down the nearby hallway, Tonks simply turning around while Fred and Remus looked only at the opening of it. Already, from down the hallway, Fred could hear hurried footsteps, doubtlessly his mother's, and behind it, several others.
Fred closed his eyes, muscles unconsciously tensing.
Preparing for the onslaught of yelling, and particularly tears, that he anticipated and associated with his mother, or any of his (now overly and sure to be ridiculously emotional) family.
He swallowed thickly and both Remus and Tonks looked at him. Remus in worry, Tonks in a weird mix between satisfaction and worry (doubtlessly for his family, sure that they would be hurt). Remus had failed in explaining it to her, she just didn't want to listen, and probably wouldn't for a while.
Fred avoided their stares after glancing at them once, and looked at the ground instead. Even as the steps got faster and closer, now approaching the hallway.
Minutes later, Tonks got out of the way of the admittedly formidable crowd of angry -or perhaps heartbroken- red haired Weasleys.
Fred looked up, aware that the footsteps, so loud in his mind only moments ago, had gone silent, and the cause of the resulting noise was standing just FEET away from him. Looking at him. All of them were, he could feel their, probably accusing, stares on his tilted away face.
He, as the silence and time wore on, straightened his shoulders and looked up, right into the tear streaked face of his mother. Looking at her face, so familiar and yet not, with her hastily and badly brushed, tied back hair, lines more apparent than ever, he was reminded strongly of all the other times she had carefully studied him, so sure that he had done something to be ashamed of.
Pranking then, betrayal of the cause his entire family could potentially die for now.
"Hi, mum." his voice was soft, and tired, and full of indifference, making Fred both grimace and want to smirk, but yet vulnerable. It made Fred want to grit his teeth and leave. But he didn't.
His mum, or any of the other members of his family, behind her, for that matter, did not answer. Only looked at him.
Fred sighed.
So, I've said it once, I've said it twice, and I will say it again: Please review. Have a great day, you lovely human beings! :)