Disclaimer: I wish I was a Boss like JK Rowling ;)
Previously on When Fred Met Lilia: Lilia has reached the Burrow, where Mrs. Weasley didn't know she was coming. Lilia sensed some tension, but it seemed to have disappeared when she got on broom. Fred was slightly shocked that she knew where the family Quidditch pitch was. But now they are having fun. Now back to the story!
"How come the Boy-That-Never-Dies and my less good looking twin get my girlfriend on their team," Fred whined as Lilia scored another point. He felt slightly winded, not being able to catch up with her, "Where did you learn to fly so fast Lil? And on such a slow broom?"
Lilia stopped flying and floated next to her boyfriend, "It's all a state of mind. The broom is only slow because you think it's slow. I can sense that barrier where it reaches its ultimate speed and push past it." Fred stared at her with wide eyes as she explained her methods. He had never heard of such a thing before.
"Where did you learn to do that," Fred asked her, Lilia smiled and then gave him a peck on the cheek.
"That's for me to know and for to never find out," she whispered in his ear with a Malfoy smirk on her face then flew off. Fred zoomed after her, but couldn't seem to catch up. They continued to play for a couple of more hours before it was time for dinner.
"Kids, it's time for dinner," Mrs. Weasley called from the back door, using a spell to carry her voice. Lilia was one of the first people to hear and lowered her broom to the ground, but instead of landing fully on the ground she floated till about 6 feet in the air and then jumped off. Harry was the next person on the ground.
"We could use someone like you on our team Lil. We would slaughter those Slytherins," Harry said to her with a huge smile on his face.
"Hey, I'm one of those Slytherins, remember," Lilia said, Harry gave her a sheepish look when he remembered.
"Oh yeah, sorry," Lilia gave him a smile then started laughing.
"I'm just messing with you Harry. Don't trip chocolate chip," Lilia said when Fred came running up behind them.
"Hey, I should be the only chocolate chip you're speaking to," Fred said as he put his arms around her shoulders. Lilia rolled her eyes.
"Nope. I like Harry better than you also," Lilia said, and couldn't help but laugh as Fred clutched his chest in mock hurt.
"Ouch Lil, that hurt. First my twin, and then the Boy-Who-Just-Won't-Die. Don't tell me you like Snape better than me also," Fred asked, that happiness in his eyes. He loved having some fun banter with Lilia, it made things feel normal.
"Indeed I do. Sorry babe, you're just going to have to deal with it," Lilia shrugged then grabbed his head and pulled him down for a kiss. Then they heard a cough behind them and turned around to see George's happy face looking at them.
"As much as I enjoy seeing my twin and my friend who I see very much like a sister at this point snog, you guys need to hurry up! You're holding the whole group up," George ran away laughing as Fred tried to punch him. Lilia couldn't help but laugh as Fred chased after his twin back to the house. She enjoyed being around so much family, even if it wasn't hers. It made her feel like she wasn't the only one in the world.
Soon everyone reached the house and they were seated at the table, ready to eat dinner. Lilia sat between Fred and George, to Fred's left was Ron, Hermione, and Harry, while Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the heads of the table. They all began to eat when Mrs. Weasley asked a very surprising question.
"So Lilia. What are your intentions toward my son," Mrs. Weasley asked, her voice sounding cheerful. Lilia was patting Fred's back as he choked on some soup. When she was sure Fred was ok Lilia smiled and answered Mrs. Weasley.
"With all due respect Mrs. Weasley. That is between me and Fred," she continued on even though everyone was staring at her with wide eyes, "But if we ever decide to get married I'll make sure that you're part of every step of the way." Mrs. Weasley smiled at the answer then turned to Fred.
"I like her Fred. Better treat her right, or you'll never hear the end of it from me," Mrs. Weasley said to him, giving him the famous Mrs. Weasley stare down. Fred nodded nervously then continued to eat slowly. Thoughts were reeling through his mind at the mention of marriage. Did he want to marry Lilia? He loved her, but loving her and marrying her are two different things. He stayed silent throughout the whole dinner. Lilia watched him from the corner of her eye, but let it go. Soon dinner was over and everyone was cleaning up the table and was in the living room.
Lilia and Hermione were discussing the uses of wolfs bane when the floo network was activated. Everyone was watching the fireplace light up, wands in hand. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were the closest to the fireplace when a very beat up and bloody Draco popped out.
Everyone else had lowered their wands except for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were watching him closely. Lilia ran to her friend, seeing the blood on his hands.
"Draco," Lilia called as she set his head in her lap, Hermione was by her side in a second. Lilia looked at her with panicked eyes before turning back to Draco, "What the hell happened to you?"
"I told my father that I wouldn't be like him. And that I was best friends with a muggle born," Draco coughed up some blood then smiled, "Best moment in my entire bloody life." Lilia chuckled at this.
"Come on, we need to clean you up. Can you stand," when he shook his head as more coughs racked his body Lilia sighed then asked for all of the guys to help her, "We need to get him to a tub or something. I know some basics in healing, and I need to see what damage was done." All of the men nodded and lifted Draco up. Lilia shut her eyes tight at his scream of pain, after a few deep breaths she followed them up to the bathroom. They had gently laid him in a tub and Lilia began to undress his upper half. Draco had a smirk on his face.
"If you wanted to get me naked all you had to do was ask," he told her, his voice raspy from the stress on his body.
Lilia lifted an eyebrow, "You're lucky you're already injured Malfoy. Now try to sit up so I can take this off and run some water." Draco complied and Lilia fully removed his dress coat and shirt. She couldn't help but gasp by what she saw marked into his back.
"Is it that bad," Draco asked, sounding scared. Lilia tried to stop the tears at the words 'Blood Traitor' were marked in into his back, red and bloody. Lilia started the water, getting a towel that was near the tub and began to wipe away the blood.
"We'll just say that your back is going to be sore for a while. I'll try my best to make sure there aren't any scars," Lilia said, her voice sounding slightly watery as she tried to hold back the tears. Draco hissed as the warm cloth hit his wounds then relaxed as he got used to the stinging sensation.
"There are going to be scars no matter what Lil. He made sure of that," Draco told her, strength coming back to his voice.
"No matter. I will still try my best Draco," Lilia told him. Soon a companionable silence fell between the two of them as Lilia continued to clean his wounds. The Weasley family, plus Harry, were downstairs, having a family meeting.
"And how do you know you can trust him? He is Lucius Malfoy's son," Mr. Weasley said, his voice sounding angry but hesitant.
"And look where that landed him dad. Lilia trusts him, so I trust him. All he has ever done is be her friend, he was there when she got hurt. I have even a found a friend in him," Fred said, his hands clenched in fists.
"Your father is right Fred. We don't know if we can trust him. This could be a trick to get close to the Order," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to reason with her son.
"Will you listen to yourselves? A kid is up there, seriously injured and we are down here figuring out if we can trust him! I think his safety should come first at the moment, and whether or not he's trustworthy later. I'm seriously disappointed in you two right now," Fred said to his parents, anger in his eyes. His mother was going to say something else when Mr. Weasley stopped her.
"Fred is right dear. His safety should be top priority right now. We'll call Dumbledore in the morning and have an Order meeting tomorrow. We should visit Sirius anyway," he said in soothing tones. Mrs. Weasley agreed, but still looked reluctant. That's when Harry spoke up.
"In all honesty Mrs. Weasley, he seems very changed. I even get along with him, and Ron and Hermione. I think you should give him a chance," Harry said. Mrs. Weasley seemed to have calmed down considerably and just nodded as she went to go check on Lilia and Draco. When she reached the bathroom she saw the words etched in his back she couldn't help but feel for the boy.
How could someone do that to their own child, she thought to herself as she imagined that being on her own children's backs. She was broken out of her reverie when she heard laughing.
"That's not funny Draco. That's just mean, they are good people," Lilia said, then felt sadness emanate of off him.
"They don't seem to want to be good to me," he replied sadly.
"Well what did you expect Draco? They aren't going to trust you immediately. You tormented their son and two people who were practically like family to them for years. Don't worry, they'll come around, you just need to give them some time," Lilia told him, knowing that he would want the truth.
"I want the truth, but do you have to be so harsh about it," Draco asked teasingly.
"I suppose not, you are injured, Come on, let's get you to a room," Lilia said as she stepped out of the tub. Her pants were soaked, but she didn't seem to care as she helped Draco out of the tub, grabbing by the waist and having him use her as support. When they had gotten to the door way they saw Mrs. Weasley standing there.
"What room can he have," Lilia asked, seeing the tears that begun to well up in Mrs. Weasley's eyes.
"He can have Bill's old room; it's just the next door down. Would you like me to get anything," Mrs. Weasley asked, determined to at least be kind to the boy.
"Yes, do you have any healing salves? And some fire whiskey," Lilia asked, smiling at the shocked look on the older woman's face.
"Yes, what would you need fire whiskey for though," Mrs. Weasley asked, curious.
"His father decided to use a rusty blade, so the alcohol will be an extra precaution against infection. And I'm sure Draco will appreciate having someone hold him down as he screams out in pain," Lilia said, then looked at Draco who snorted.
"This is rubbish, I'm sure I'll be fine with just the healing salves," he said, his nose haughtily pointed up in the air.
"He cut you deep Draco. I just want to make sure that you don't die from an infection," Lilia said pleadingly. One look in her green eyes and Draco couldn't say no, even though he was still hesitant about it.
"Fine," he mumbled and Lilia trudged him over to the room that Mrs. Weasley had indicated. Soon Draco was lying on his belly, Fred, George, Ron, and Harry prepared to hold him down. Lilia was straddling his waist, the fire whiskey bottle in her hand. Hermione was holding Draco's hand.
"Ready Draco," Lilia asked her voice confident, everyone nodded to here because it was really directed to all of them.
"Just get it over with," the minute he said those words he felt an intense burning sensation all over his back as the liquid ran over his back. He couldn't help but thrash as the pain intensified. He felt hands on him, trying to hold him down, and the small hand in his large one. He tried to focus on the soft hand but the pain was just too much.
"One more time, ok," Lilia said, tears falling down her face at the sight of his pain. She poured the liquid over him one more time, holding him down with her body as he thrashed again. She sniffled a little bit when he finally calmed down, his breathing heavy.
"We're done Draco, we're done. No more. I'm going to just apply the salve and then we're done, ok," she asked her voice barely above a whisper. When Draco nodded she grabbed the salve and poured it on his back. Draco sighed at the cool feeling of the salve on his back. He knew that he could finally relax, let the fatigue take over his body. The only problem was his wet pants.
"Can I have some dry pants please," he said in his arrogant tone, suddenly he heard laughing and he glared at everyone, "What? Did I say something funny?"
"It's the fact that you can still sound like an arrogant arse after all of this," Fred said through his laughter. Draco would have laughed if he wasn't so tired.
"I'll let the guys handle the whole pants situation. Come on Hermione," Lilia said, Draco almost whimpered as the small, soft hand left his large calloused one. He then rolled onto his sore back, knowing that the cuts were now just angry scars. He sighed as he felt some soft pajama pants hit his chest.
"We'll let you get some privacy. Lilia will be back in a couple of minutes," Fred told him as the guys walked out. As soon as Fred closed the door he had a crying Lilia in his arms. He kissed the top of her head as he held onto her, like she was going to slip away.
"He's going to be ok. You did the right thing. You know that magic can't prevent everything. You did the right thing love," Fred whispered into her hair. He just held her until she stopped crying.
A/N: There, a nice long chapter! Hope you liked it! Don't forget to drop a review! The reasoning for the fire whiskey will be there next chapter!