Chapter 12 Here's to Being a Deatheater

"It's too dangerous!" Molly objects, "You could be walking right into a trap!"

"We have to help this girl," Arthur insists gently, rubbing her shoulder to try to calm her down. "She's someone's daughter, Molly. What if Ginny was in her place? You would want us to save her, wouldn't you? Merlin knows what Snape is putting this poor girl through."

"Yes, I know…but I don't want to lose you in the process!" Molly pleads.

"We're taking polyjuice potion. There isn't any way for them to detect us," Hermione joins in, rushing past them in her hurry to prepare for the mission.

"Hermione!" Molly exclaims in surprise, "You're not going, are you?"

"Of course I'm going, Mrs. Weasley. I'm a muggleborn and I've taken two years of muggle studies. They need me to help them talk to her and understand her." She explains.

"Didn't they just find out she isn't a muggle?" Molly argues, rushing after Hermione in an attempt to get her to stay.

"Even more of a reason for me to go," Hermione answers, "I can understand how she's feeling, going from muggle to witch overnight like that."

"How do you know she even wants to leave?" Molly continues.

"She was kidnapped, raped, and forced to be Severus Snape's wife. Who wouldn't want to escape that? I'd be surprised if she isn't already planning to kill him…and we can help her with that." Sirius answers coldly.

Hermione grabs her share of the potion and adds Bellatrix Lestrange's hair. She looked like she was going to be sick. "Here's to being a deatheater."

She holds her nose and swallows down the potion at the same time as the others who were going. Sirius turns into Rodolphus, Lupin into Lucius, Tonks into Narcissa, Arthur into Draco, and Hermione into Bellatrix.

"What is the real deatheaters get loose?" Molly asks.

"You and the boys erase their memories and let them go. Anything more will draw attention to us." Sirius/Lucius replies, "I think Lucius will help us keep it quiet. He hasn't said as much, but I get the feeling that he's tired of the Dark Lord taking him for granted."

"Relax, Molly." Arthur/Draco adds, "We will be back before you even start to miss us."

"We have to do this, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione/Bellatrix attempts to convince her. "And we are capable of pulling it off. We will be fine."

"Come on, Herm-Bella." Sirius/Lucius urges her. "We're going to be late for the party."

Hermione/Bella takes a deep breath, steadying herself, and nods before following the others out.

Molly sits on one of the pallets in the corner of the cavern, trying to hold back the tears and wondering what her life had come to. Charlie Weasley sits down beside her and wraps his arms around her, and Ginny sits on her other side.

"Don't worry, mum. The darkness won't last forever. Harry and Ron will be back with us soon." Ginny whispers, trying to comfort her mother.

Molly nods and leans back into her son's embrace, trying to be strong.