May 29, 2015
Lavender dropped Seamus off at the school and watched him run inside to join Melissa and their friends, smiling at the way the two grabbed hands as they ran together. She tried not to make wedding plans in her head, since the children were only seven, after all, but she couldn't help but think it would be a perfect match. Melissa already knew about and accepted magic as a matter of course. She didn't even seem to envy her sister or cousins. It probably helped that most of her cousins and neither of her siblings weren't nearly as talented athletically, so there was at least one way she could stand out among them.
She chuckled as she started to walk away. Her head was so full of silly thoughts about future grandchildren that she didn't notice the man step in front of her until she was almost on him. "Oh, sorry, sir. I wasn't-" Lavender did a double-take at the sight of Mundungus Fletcher staring at the school.
"Mundungus? What are you doing here?" She hadn't seen him in three months, since she started getting her doses of Wolfsbane from St. Mungo's. She still hadn't taken any other steps into the Wizarding world, but this ensured her son a good supply without her worrying about ruining a batch of expensive potion. There was even a subsidy for those who had a hard time affording it.
Mundungus didn't even turn toward her; he just kept staring at the schoolyard. She snapped her fingers in his face. She put her hands on his shoulder and shook it gently. "Mundungus! What's wrong?" There was still no reaction. Lavender turned to see what he was staring at. It was just the schoolyard the children played in at recess.
She stepped in front of him and looked at his eyes. They were blank, as if the real Mundungus Fletcher had taken leave of his body. He stepped over to the side, maintaining eye contact with the schoolyard. Lavender stayed to the side and shook him harder. "Dung! It's me, Lav." She started to feel a chill run up her spine at the blank stare that never left the playground. "Alright, that's it. It's St. Mungo's for you, my old friend."
She grabbed his hand and looked around to see if anyone was nearby that could see them. Not seeing anyone, she Apparated them quickly to the St. Mungo's intake area. As soon as they touched down, Mundungus let out a scream of sheer agony and crumpled to the floor.
The orderly that had been resting on the bench, waiting for a patient, ran forward quickly as Lavender knelt down to put her hand on Mundungus' back. "Ma'am, what happened?"
She looked up at the moon-faced man whose light brown hair flopped in his eyes a little. "I don't know. He wasn't responding to anything I said. Not even to me shaking him. He just kept staring as if he wasn't even there anymore. So I brought him here." The orderly had levitated Mundungus by the time she explained and was starting to float him into one of the examination rooms. Lavender followed, dimly thinking about the fact that she had to call work and let them know she was going to be late, but more worried about Dung than anything. The tiny, scraggly wizard had been one of the best friends she had ever had, keeping her secret and making sure she had what she needed to keep her son healthy and out of pain.
A Healer came into the room and Lavender repeated what she had told the orderly. "And where was he?"
"Well, he was standing outside the school my son attends. I-I-I don't know why he'd even be there. He hasn't children or grandchildren that attend it." Lavender held her arms up, boggled as to what Dung had been doing outside of Seamus' school. The Healer continued to examine the man who had slipped back into his semi-catatonic state, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling instead of following the lit tip of the healer's wand.
"And how do you know him, ma'am?"
"Oh, well, he's a friend of mine." Lavender shrugged. "But he lives in London, I don't understand why he was in Guildford."
"And he was this unresponsive when you saw him first?"
"Yes. He just kept staring at the playground. When I got in front of him, he moved around me, but his eyes never left the playground."
"Hmm." The healer's mouth twisted. "I have a suspicion, but I, well, it's something I've never actually run into. I'm going to call a colleague in to consult. Do you mind staying here with him? My colleague may have some questions."
"Yes, of course." Lavender settled back into the chair as the healer left. She pulled out the mobile phone to try to call work, but scowled at it when she remembered that St. Mungo's was one of the places they wouldn't work. Thinking quickly, she stood and called the nurse at the desk, "If I give you a letter, are there any owls that can deliver it for me? I have to let them know at work that I'll be late."
The nurse nodded, "Of course, dearie."
Lavender smiled and rummaged through her purse for the pen and pad of paper she always had on hand for Seamus to amuse himself with on the bus. She wrote a quick note to Annie, asking her to call Grunnings for her and let them know she was running late because she had to bring a friend to the hospital, hoping that would be sufficient. The nurse sent an orderly in to the room to get the note before Lavender was even done writing it. She smiled at Lavender and nodded when she was told where it had to go. Lavender put her head back on the chair and blew out a breath. She really hoped that Annie calling in for her would be good enough for her boss. There was no way she could explain that she couldn't call herself because of magical interference of technology, after all. Besides, she thought her foreman would have a heart attack if an owl dropped a note in front of him, then demanded a treat.
She looked over at Mundungus, still staring off into space as if it held the great mysteries of life. "Dung, there'd better be a good explanation for this. I really can't afford to miss work, you know." She talked to him and chuckled at the idea that he was actually listening to her when it was obvious he was in his own little world. She chattered at him for a few minutes before a nurse came in with a pile of paperwork for her to fill out. Lavender filled out the forms to the best of her knowledge, trying to remember every conversation she and Mundungus had in the last five years or so. When she couldn't fill out anything else, she handed them back to the nurse apologetically. "I'm sorry, but there's so much about him that I didn't realize I just don't know."
The nurse smiled, "That's alright, Missus Murray. We'll start with what we have here and hopefully he'll be able to fill in the blanks when he comes around." She left after taking his pulse and blood pressure and noting them on the chart that had been started for him.
"Seriously, Dung. What the hell were you doing in my neck of the woods? The only other Wizarding family I know of in the area is the Dursleys and I just can't see why you would be visiting them." Lavender spoke conversationally, trying to keep up her own spirits and trying to reach her friend at the same time. "You'd like the Dursleys, I think. They're pretty nice. Although, maybe not. They're awfully law-abiding." She grinned. "I think Seamus and their younger daughter fancy each other. Maybe it's just a mother's hopes but Melissa's cute and smart and mischievous. You'd definitely like her. She gets my son into more scrapes than she should. She's a lot like the Weasley twins were. Which is appropriate, I guess, since they're cousins."
Lavender was telling a too-silent Dung about one of the pranks the two best friends had pulled in school that had landed them both in detention with her father when the healer came back. "Ah, Missus Murray, you're still here. I'd like to present my colleague, Arthur Weasley." The healer stepped back and revealed the older man with grey hair, liberally shot with the remaining red strands.
"Mr. Weasley. It's good to see you again. You may not remember me." Lavender held her hand out to the man with the gentle smile.
"Of course I do, Lavender. It's good to see you again. Molly's been in absolute heaven having one more child to spoil when Melissa brings Seamus with her." Arthur's smile grew bittersweet as he took in the changes life had wrought in Lavender. "We'd love it if you and your husband came with him one of these days."
Lavender shook her head. "No, Mr. Weasley, but I thank you for the invitation. I've chosen to be as Muggle as possible. It's the right life for me. And for Tommy. We'll let Seamus choose for himself."
Arthur nodded. "I understand." He smiled again at her, "So, I hear you're friends with Mundungus Fletcher somehow. Must be an interesting story."
Lavender chuckled. "Not really, but he's been a good friend. I don't understand what's happened to him."
"Let's take a look, shall we?" Arthur moved over to the man on the bed and did the same tests the healer had, lighting his wand tip and pinching Dung's arm, eliciting no reaction. He looked up at Lavender, "Where did you say you found him?"
"At my son's school. He was just staring at the playground."
"Hmm." Arthur looked up at the healer. "It could be. There's one way to find out." The healer nodded grimly.
"I'm sorry, it could be what?" Lavender held the bedrail tightly. "What are you talking about?"
"The Imperius Curse, Missus Murray," the healer replied. "This looks like what I've read about someone who is being compelled by the Imperius not being able to finish his or her task. They just shut down."
"But who would Imperius Dung? And to do what? Especially at my son's school." Lavender didn't understand why anyone would make Mundungus do anything. She snorted. "Honestly, for most things you just have to give Dung enough money and he'll do it with no questions asked. You don't have to compel him."
Arthur nodded at the frank assessment of the man's character. "Like I said, there's a way to tell for certain. We just bring him back to the school and see what he does."
Lavender drew in a breath. "Alright. I can Apparate us to an alley nearby. We shouldn't be seen there."
"Very good. How many can you safely Apparate, Missus Murray?" the healer asked.
"I know I can do two. I've never done more than that." Lavender's mouth twisted. "And frankly, my Apparating skills are a bit rusty. Today was the first time I've used them in over a year and before that it was two years. I'm probably lucky I didn't splinch the two of us."
Arthur and the healer looked at each other and nodded. "Alright, then, here's what we'll do," Arthur spoke up. "Lavender, you and I Apparate to the alley so I'll know where to go. I'll come back here and bring back Healer Donovan and Dung."
"Sounds good. Will this really work?"
"I hope so." Arthur sighed. "And if he is Imperiused, I'll be calling in the Aurors. You might need to give a statement."
Lavender's mouth crooked up and she nodded, "Understood. I'll be fine."
I have the back story of Lavender's friendship with Mundungus in her story. Basically, she turned to him to get the Wolfsbane potion for herself and Seamus and then the ingredients to make it when the Ministry started cracking down on the production of it.