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The room was tinted lilac. Stronger than a simple lavender. Floating candles wrapped the perimeter of the room in a soft glow.
The old, small piano in the back of the room was enchanted to play a song. Enchanted bubbles floated around, sparkling in the candlelight like a dream. There were 5 rows of wooden chairs on either side of the room. On the backs of them were plush, white, satin bows. Gwen had tied them on that morning. In the chairs were each and every Weasley but Percy, Fleur, Hermione Granger, Kingsley, Dedalus Diggle, Hestia Jones, Minerva, Tonks's mother, and both of Lupin's parents. In the back stood Mad-Eye and Hagrid- the latter still barely fit in the Burrow's sitting room, even though it had been magically enlarged slightly for the ceremony.
Tonks and her father walked down the aisle. She wore her hair in long, bubblegum pink curls. The brightest they'd been in a year.
Gwen glanced from where she stood at the front to where Remus Lupin was standing. His suit was new and his face was beaming.
She watched her two friends join hands at the altar and stare into each other's eyes. She watched the couple exchange rings and lifelong vows. She glanced into the small crowd from the corner of her eye and saw Bill and Fleur. She couldn't wrap her head around Bill making lifelong vows to the girl he had left her for. The girl he cheated on with her. It felt so wrong. She remembered when she had dreamed of Bill leaving Fleur and returning to her. Now she had thought, and maybe hoped, one day Fleur would find out what he had done, leave him, and become her friend. Like in the books and movies.
But only one person, at least to her knowledge, knew what she and Bill had done on New Year's Eve. And he didn't tell anyone, despite what Gwen thought he might've done with that information out of anger.
She averted her eyes and mind back to her friends before her. She watched them become man and wife. She watched Tonks throw the bouquet that landed on Fleur's lap perfectly, like a petal landing onto a quiet lake. She watched her glowing, happy friends wave to everyone in the room, wave to her, holding their spare hands tightly together.
XXXXTW: mention of rapeXXXX
"You know that reporter? Gwendolyn O'Shea? She broke the story about you killing Dumbledore?"
His nail dug into the exterior wall of Malfoy Manor that he and Yaxley were leaning against. Her name sounded foreign. Yaxley handed him the cigarette and he took a deep pull. It was a nasty, undignified habit, but one he had picked up nonetheless. Even spies had their vices. Not that he was really a spy anymore. But as he pulled, he wondered why he was being asked and felt an empty pit in his stomach.
He exhaled. Yaxley watched the smoke as it flew into the night air. "Yes, she was my student," Snape answered. And a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Yaxley probably knew that already but if he didn't, Snape didn't want to inform him. Or remind him- Yaxley was known to be forgetful. Snape handed the cigarette back to Yaxley.
"She's a real bitch, you know?" Yaxley said with a slight growl. "A fucking twat." He took a slow pull as Snape twiddled with his fingers behind his back. Yaxley exhaled, then finally continued. "The kind you just want to punch every time they open their mouths."
"When have you ever interacted with her?" Snape asked, his voice quiet and calm and disinterested, as always.
"Prophet and Ministry business." Yaxley took another pull. After an agonizing, unrushed exhale, he spoke. "My idiotic intern burst into my office while she was waiting there for me shouting that there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban! The stupid bitch insisted on reporting it." He paused and stared angrily out into the courtyard, as if she was standing right before him. "But she backed down- threatened me-" He chuckled. "But, eventually, backed down." He handed Snape the cigarette. Snape wanted to ask what she had said, but knew he would never care about something like that if it had been any other old student of his. He took another drag, and Yaxley said, "What a pretty little thing, though." Snape nearly coughed, but contained himself and quickly exhaled. "I'd like to shag the threats out of her, if you know what I mean." Snape did. And he knew the Dark Lord often indulged rape requests. To keep these foul men satisfied with their horrifying lives. He had once asked the Dark Lord to spare Lily Potter's life and that was why the Dark Lord said he would try. Snape didn't know how he would've snuck Lily out if she had been brought back to him.
"You never seem to indulge in the finer pleasures life has to offer, Severus." Yaxley's voice interrupted Snape's thoughts. "Not even now, as they lay at your feet for the taking."
"I partake in pleasures, I assure you."
"Not pleasures," Yaxley said with an odd smile, nodding at the cigarette between his companion's lips. "Just vices." Snape smirked. "The Dark Lord is most pleased with you. You could ask him for anything. Why do you not?"
"If the Dark Lord desires to give me anything, he will." Snape thought of his plan with Dumbledore- to become the new Headmaster. He smiled, as though he was pleased instead of disgusted "And I am quite sure he will." He gave Yaxley the cigarette.
"Have you ever requested anything of him?"
Snape paused, but then answered. "Once. Have you?"
Yaxley exhaled, almost into Snape's face. "No. But I've been thinking about it."
"What would you ask for?" Snape pried.
"You tell me yours." Yaxley offered Snape the cigarette. Snape smirked, then pushed himself off the wall of Malfoy Manor.
"Good night, Yaxley."
XXXXXXX
"Gwen?" She looked up from the article she was proofreading in her cubicle to see Betty standing shyly at the entrance. "Hi. Listen, would you like to grab lunch? I needed to ask you something about this Dumbledore murder thing. For…. article accuracy."
Gwen blinked. She couldn't remember the last time she had "grabbed lunch" with Betty. "Sure. The Three Broomsticks?" She paused. That was all that was open these days. Even The Hog's Head shuttered up recently.
But Betty simply nodded, squeaked a thank you, and said she'd meet her there at noon, then hurried off.
"Listen," Betty said later as they sat for lunch, Gwen eating her sandwich. "Let me be plain. I know- or at least highly suspect- that you're a member of the Order of the Phoenix." Gwen stopped chewing and looked up at her companion. She swallowed.
"Ah," was all she could muster. She supposed everyone knew now. It was only a matter of time…
"Were you at Hogwarts, the night… you know?"
She looked at the woman she had once called her best friend, long before she had cared about the Order or truly gotten to know many in it. And for some reason, nothing more than nostalgia and perhaps naivety, she felt she could trust her. "Yea, I was." Betty's eyes widened slightly, but she didn't look surprised. Why else would she have asked. "Dumbledore asked a few of us to come in case something happened while he left the school. So we, uh, fought the Death Eaters."
Now Betty looked surprised. "You can duel, Gwen?"
Gwen shrugged. "A bit. It took a lot of practice."
"Gosh, but shouldn't we all?" Betty exclaimed, sounding exasperated. She took a tired sip of her water. "Who knows when we can be attacked. It's terrifying!"
"It is…" Gwen tapered off. She suddenly felt a little sad and uncomfortable. "Betty, I don't mean to be rude, but why did you ask me to lunch? Just to confirm what you already suspected?"
Betty blinked, looking taken aback. "No… I interviewed Rita. She's writing a book about Dumbledore's life" Gwen nodded. Who hadn't heard of it? "And Rita… well she started saying she isn't sure Professor Snape actually murdered Dumbledore! She says the only person who saw that wasn't a Death Eater was Harry Potter. And you know she doesn't trust him… but I wanted to know…" Gwen's mind began to race. Wanted to know if she knew Snape? If she had known Snape? God, everyone knew everything, didn't they?!
"...did you see it? Did you see it happen?" Betty finished. Gwen felt her entire body relax in relief. But then she realized Betty's question and she frowned.
"No… I didn't. I was fighting other Death Eaters." Betty nodded and went to take a note, when Gwen suddenly felt herself say. "But it was Snape."
Betty raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"
Gwen nodded. "100%. He was seen running up to the tower where Dumbledore fell from when he was killed, then leaving with the Death Eaters. He hasn't come back."
"Come back? Do you stay at Hogwarts often then?"
"No," Gwen said a bit too quickly.
"Ah." Betty said. Maybe not convinced? Maybe Gwen was being paranoid. But then her companion said: "Gwen, I'm sorry. I didn't know what to believe. The Ministry brainwashed us… and when you started hanging out with your new friends, I started to suspect. I never realized… how brave of a thing you were doing." She sighed. "I understand if you don't want to, but I'd like to be friends again. I've missed you all this while."
Gwen pondered the feelings of hurt and betrayal she had felt when Betty and her had distanced. But part of the distance had been due to Gwen spending so much time with the Order and not being able to tell Betty so much about her life. But then, Gwen realized, nobody knew about her life. Not really. Nobody knew the true betrayal and pain she was experiencing now. She hid the truth from everyone. And that idea saddened her heart, but it made friendship with Betty feel more attainable, more like her other friendships.
"Of course, Betty. We'll always be friends."
XXXXXXXXXX
"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody. Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Gwen lined up in front of the sink in the Dursleys' house. She hadn't really wanted to be a fake Potter- she wanted to be a guard, especially now that she had the skills for it. But they needed another Potter and since Moody distrusted her and she was young and not an Auror, she was first on the list.
"We're one short," said Lupin.
"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Gwen, who grimaced at his repulsive smell.
"I'm a soldier, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.
"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."
Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one. Gwen glanced at the golden potion. She had never taken Polyjuice Potion before.
"Altogether, then … " Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Gwen, and Mundungus drank. She gasped at the sensation. She felt herself shrink slightly and her hair was sucked into her scalp. Her jeans suddenly felt rather tight near her crotch and the world blurred in front of her. Her glasses weren't strong enough for Harry's eyes, she assumed. She hurried over to the toaster and glanced at her reflection and started laughing. She was Harry! She grinned at Tonks who was howling with laughter
"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack." Gwen hurried over to get new jeans and started to change along with the other Harrys. She glanced over at the real Harry, who seemed rather uncomfortable that everyone was exposing his body in such a way. She blushed embarrassedly, but said nothing. She put her glasses in her pocket and put on one of Harry's.
Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack. "Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom –"
"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.
"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody. "Arthur and Fred –"
"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"
"Sorry, George –"
"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really –"
"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one – George or Fred or whoever you are – you're with Remus. Miss Granger with Bill, by thestral." Hermione looked reassured- Gwen guessed she wasn't comfortable on a broom, like herself. "O'Shea with Kingsley, again by thestral." Gwen grinned at Kingsley who smiled warmly back.
"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him. Ron did not look quite assured, which made Gwen laugh.
"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."
"That's great," said Harry.
"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who looks at home on a broomstick.
"All right then," Moody went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on …"
Kingsley helped Gwen carry the cage and rucksack outside and they hooked them onto the thestral. He got on, then offered her his hand and pulled her up. She sat behind him, arms around his waist and wand in her hand. The thestral was certainly steadier that any broom, but the thought of flying in the sky wasn't very comforting.
"You alright back there?" Kingsley said, turning slightly to look at her.
"Yep!" She said, trying (and probably failing) to sound confident.
"Whatever you do, keep one arm around me at all times," he said seriously. He didn't have to tell her twice.
"All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost." Everybody motioned their heads. Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar that held the real Harry began to vibrate against the pavement. Gwen felt her heart beating rapidly.
"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One … two ... THREE." Kingsley kicked the thestral and it ran and lifted into the air. Gwen gasped slightly as they rose and glided away from Privet Drive. The fourteen of them created a circle in the sky and flew through the clouds. Don't look down…
And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious-
Screams, a blaze of green light on every side: at least ten Death Eaters on their tail. Gwen sent a Stunner towards the one closest to them, but the Death Eater dodged it rather easily and sent one back; Kingsley swerved to miss it. Half of them suddenly vanished and a green light zoomed past them. Kingsley ducked down, through a cloud, trying to get them off their tail. "Someone must've told them!" he shouted to her as they zoomed away from them as quickly as possible. Gwen felt nauseous as she glanced down, nearly losing grip on Kingsley. "Don't let go!"
"I won't!" she yelled back and then the Death Eaters were back. Kingsley slashed his wand through the air and a Death Eater started screaming in agony and flew backwards, his hood flying off, revealing himself to be Travers. Gwen sent a Stinging Hex at one and he stopped chasing them too. Three jets of green light neared them and Kingsley reared them up and away.
Then, they saw him, flying without a broom, in a whirlwind of black cloaks, his red eyes piercing her with such hate. Oh, right. She was Harry Potter. The pale, snakelike man raised his wand towards her and she was petrified by the sight of him flying beside him that she did absolutely nothing. Suddenly, his eyes changed as he heard a shout behind him, and he disappeared.
A Death Eater tried to block their path and Kingsley Stunned him and he fell down, down, down. Gwen gasped and watched him fall. Shaking violently, she tried gripping onto Kingsley tighter.
There was silence and the sky was empty around them. "Why did he just vanish like that?" Gwen asked, looking around anxiously.
"They probably realized you weren't the real Potter" Kingsley said, sounding furious. "But they weren't supposed to know we were flying tonight. Someone betrayed us!"
She felt sick to her stomach. "Nobody would betray us, Kingsley."
He laughed rather coldly. "We said the same thing about Snape, didn't we?" She felt cold and empty at his words. He was right. Still…
"That was different," she said softly as Kingsley started lowering their thestral. They were approaching Moody's house. "He's a Death Eater."
"And you don't know who else is one, Gwen."
They landed and he hopped off the thestral and then helped her off. They entered the house and there was their Portkey- a bent hanger.
"I don't like thinking that someone would betray us again," she whispered and he sighed.
"Nobody does. Maybe someone is an imposter. We'll have to check when we get back." The Polyjuice Potion had fully worn off, she noticed, as she could no longer see. She exchanged Harry's glasses for her own. "Come. The portkey's about to leave." He picked up the hanger and she grabbed part of it and they were whisked away.
They landed in the Weasley's backyard in a rather large, murky puddle. Gwen splashed through the water and ran towards Harry, who dashed out of the house with Lupin. She flung herself into Harry's arms. Letting go, they watched the furious looking Kingsley raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest. "The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us!"
"'Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him,'" said Lupin calmly. Kingsley turned his wand on Harry, but Lupin said, "It's him, I've checked!"
"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak, "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!" Gwen stumbled backwards slightly, surprised at the anger Kingsley was displaying.
"But apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys," Gwen pointed out.
"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley. "Who else is back?"
"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and me. What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.
"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off. "And we saw You-Know-Who as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly."
"He left out of nowhere!" Gwen exclaimed, remembering how odd it had been. "Remus, he can –"
"Fly," supplied Harry. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."
"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley.
"We couldn't understand why he'd vanished." Gwen explained. "But what made him change targets?"
"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.
"Stan?" repeated Harry, confused. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"
"There's been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up." she said, remembering her interaction with Yaxley at the Ministry. "Travers's hood fell off when Kingsley cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"
"He lost an ear," said Lupin. "Snape's work."
She felt her blood boil, more so than it had in a while at the mention of his name. Snape. Again. She tightly clenched her fist and breathed in deeply.
"Snape?" shouted Harry. "You didn't say –"
"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's. I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood." Who would he attack next?
Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. So many people were missing…
What if they were right? What if someone in the Order had betrayed them again? She couldn't bear to believe it! These people were her family, her safety circle. Snape's betrayal had wounded her greatly and if someone else was doing the same...
Fred and Mr. Weasley fell from the sky, clutching their portkey. "Where's George and Ron?" Arthur asked immediately, sounding absolutely frantic.
"Ron isn't back yet," Remus said, the worry reflected in his eyes. Tonks wasn't back yet either. "And George is... Inside." The hesitation in his voice set off a panic in Mr. Weasley and he started to bolt for the house. Kingsley chased after him, demanding he prove himself, but Mr. Weasley refused and ran inside to see his son, Fred behind him. Remus was looking out into the sky, his eyes searching for the girl with pink hair.
"She'll come back safe, Remus," Gwen whispered softly. "She's strong."
"I know," he replied wistfully. "But you can't blame me for worrying, can you?"
"No." The two of them looked out into the sky. Harry, Ginny, and Hagrid joined them as they stood silently and waited. The sound of Kingsley's pacing footsteps was the only sound to be heard.
The minutes drawled on and on for what seemed like an eternity.
And then, out of the darkness, a broom materialized out of nothing and headed straight towards them. "It's them!" Gwen shouted, a deep joy filling her heart. Tonks landed skiddly onto the ground, sending dirt and pebbles flying everywhere.
"Remus!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white: He seemed unable to speak.
"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin and looking over at where Ron had gone to stand with Harry. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying-"
"Are we the last back? Where's Hermione?" Ron asked suddenly and a silence fell over the group. Bill, Hermione, Dung, and Mad-Eye were missing.
She hadn't spoken to Bill since the battle. She didn't know how. He had recovered from his incident with Greyback well. But he had saved her life and she didn't know how to thank him. Or if she should. He had still been awful to her... But she would be dead if not for him.
"No," said Ginny finally. "We're still waiting for Bill and Hermione and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron –" She ran back inside.
"So what kept you? What happened?" Lupin sounded almost angry, angry that she had been gone so long, that he had thought her dead.
"Bellatrix," said Tonks. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus. She tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus . . . . Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us –"
A muscle was jumping in Lupin's jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.
"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks asked, turning to Harry, Gwen, and Kingsley.
They recounted the stories of their own journeys, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Hermione, Mad-Eye, and Dung lingered over them.
"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street, I should have been there an hour ago," said Kingsley finally, after a last sweeping gaze at the sky. "Let me know when they're back." Lupin nodded. Kingsley turned to Gwen "You'll be alright, won't you?"
"Of course," she said with a smile, touched at his concern. "Thank you for everything." He nodded solemnly, and with a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate.
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny and Fleur behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Lupin and Tonks.
"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley, "for our sons."
"Don't be silly, Molly," said Tonks at once.
"How's George?" asked Lupin.
"What's wrong with him?" piped up Ron.
"He's lost-"
But the end of Mrs. Weasley's sentence was drowned in a general outcry. A thestral had just soared into sight and landed a few feet from them. Bill and Hermione slid from its back, windswept but unhurt.
"Bill! Hermione! Thank God, thank God-"
Mrs. Weasley and Fleur ran forward, but the hugs Bill bestowed upon them both were perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said, "Mad-Eye's dead."
Fuck. The strongest, cleverest, and most experienced of them all could not be spared.
"We saw it," said Bill; Hermione nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the kitchen window. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort- he can fly- went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated. Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face, he fell backward off his broom and- there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail -" Bill's voice broke.
"Of course you couldn't have done anything," said Remus. The casualties of war...
They all stood looking at each other. At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though nobody said it, that there was no point of waiting in the yard anymore, and in silence they followed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley back into the Burrow, and into the living room.
They informed the twins of the news and toasted Moody with firewhiskey. Gwen liked how it burned the back of her throat.
"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Remus and the atmosphere became tense at once.
"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us. They didn't know there would be seven Harrys, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skullduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."
"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks, teary eyed.. "Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Harry to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away, he switched to Kingsley..." Gwen's heart broke for Tonks. She had been very close to Moody.
"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey know we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan." She glared around at them all, tear tracks etched on her face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Gwen wanted to smirk. Why the fuck was Fleur crying? Bill wasn't dead.
"No," Harry said. "I mean . . . if somebody made a mistake," Harry went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," he repeated, again a little loudly. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you. I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort." Gwen glanced sideways at Fleur, who was perhaps the only person in the room whom she did not fully trust. And again, she was reminded of Snape and where trusting him had left her.
"Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.
"Year, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.
Remus and Bill left to go look for the body. "I've got to go too," said Harry after they left.
"Don't be silly, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, "What are you talking about?"
"I can't stay here." He rubbed his forehead.
"You're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want –"
"But don't be so silly!" said Mrs. Weasley. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France, we've arranged everything so that we can all stay together and look after you –"
"If Voldemort finds out I'm here –"
"But why should he?" asked Mrs. Weasley.
"There are a dozen places you might be now, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."
"It's not me I'm worried for!" said Harry.
"We know that," said Gwen quietly and Harry's angry green eyes fell on her. "But it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."
"Yer not goin' anywhere," growled Hagrid. "Blimey, Harry, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"
"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" said George, hoisting himself up on his cushions.
"I know that –"
"Mad-Eye wouldn't want –"
"I KNOW!" Harry bellowed. There was a silence and Gwen walked over to him calmly and gently took the firewhiskey out of his shaking hand and went to the kitchen to put it away. When she returned, Harry was gone and everyone seemed distraught.
She would've asked or chased after him. But instead she grabbed the bottle of firewhiskey and went upstairs. Sadness was bad and the nightmares had to go, so she made sure the bottle was bone dry.