A/N: Thanks for the great reaction to part one! I really do love this series...anyway, in this part we learn more about the Douglass's (heh, that looks funny!) and a bit of what will happen to Molly. Enjoy!
****
"Run...run...just a bit further...breath, one two three, breath, one two three..." Quickly, Molly Weasley fled her home, running full speed down the smooth warm asphalt of the lane. Her shoes, not made for running, announced her presence to the world. Clackety clack, breath, one two three.
As her eyes had glimpsed the fateful news piece, Molly didn't lose her wits. Oh, no. She'd done this before; only a moment of panic, and then she was calm and collected. She was an expert. 'But then again,' she thought, as she gasped her way along, she wasn't a teenager any more -- forbidden sundaes had been eaten, running had been pushed aside. Suddenly annoyed with the way it restricted her heaving chest, Molly tore off her checkered, black and white apron, and left it fluttering serenely to the ground behind her. She wouldn't need it anymore...
Molly hurriedly searched for a good place to apparate away. Apparation, you see, takes large amounts of magic; Molly knew this. She also knew it could be traced, and she wanted to leave no tracks. 'Just run a bit,' she told herself, 'run a bit, and soon, soon, you'll be free.'
***
"Did she get the money? What?! Why not?!" Her father's strong, angry voice floated over to Molly from the sitting room as his voice rose several decibels and the fire seemed to flicker nervously. Disturbed by the noise from her peaceful reading, Molly arose and tiptoed to the room, keeping silent as a grave, her socks on the hard linoleum the only sound.
"...I don't need to hear that now! Bugger to him!" Molly cautiously stuck her wren brown head around the hall corner, and glanced, curious, into the room.
The face in the fire, Molly realized, was her parents' good friend, referred to as Johnston by all. He'd often come over for tea and chat, usually to the point where Molly began to fidget with boredom. He'd always talk about business, she recalled with a shudder, and the seemingly never-ending numbers made her head go numb. There were also times, though, that her parents had tactfully removed her from the room; by suggesting homework, telling her to play with her friends, and yes, even the dreadfully obvious "Go take a bath." Yet now in the fireplace, Johnston's usually tomato coloured beefy face had blanched into a sickly white. Molly idly wondered if someone had poured a bucket of glue on his head, it was that noticable.
"I'll get it, er... somehow, Mr. Douglass, sir. G'day to you." Johnston's ashy face hurriedly departed from the fireplace.
Glimpsing Molly anxiously peering around the corner, Mr. Douglass's tight face relaxed and he spoke. "So, Moll, how are you?"
***
Everyone in the Weasley house was looked pained, like they'd bittten massive lemons. Even Fred and George finally quit their half-hearted teasing and resembled morgue attendents.
"Ron, what HAPPENED?"
"I told you all I know...she sent me outside to degnome the garden, and when I came back, she was...gone."
Ron sighed, and stared dejectedly at the wall at the Weasley Clock, where Molly's pointer had spun around to "traveling".
"Dad, reckon it'd say travelling if she was in danger?" Ron's voice, weak with anguish, squeaked.
Arthur Weasley set his face and he gently caressed the checkered apron they'd found down the lane during their search. "I don't know, Ron, I don't know..." Arthur closed his eyes, and ran his shaking hand through his hair, suddenly seeming aged by ten years.
"Do you think it's time to alert the ministry?" Percry, always ready for action, proposed.
At Mr. Weasley's assent, all attention was turned over to reconstructing the situation for the authorities. In the heat of their worry, the newspaper was overlooked, still wide open on the wooden tabletop.
****
A/N: Ah, the tension mounts even more! :) Now you guys are REALLY confused, no doubt. But please, include your theories in the review! I'd love to see them, and who knows, maybe you'll be right! At any rate, PLEASE review, as I'd LOVE to get some feedback on this. Love it or hate it, just review!!! (I wonder if I've said review it enough times??) :) Viva la METMA! As I leave you, I just HAVE to include my fave BNL quote "Absense makes the heart grow fungus!" ^^
****
"Run...run...just a bit further...breath, one two three, breath, one two three..." Quickly, Molly Weasley fled her home, running full speed down the smooth warm asphalt of the lane. Her shoes, not made for running, announced her presence to the world. Clackety clack, breath, one two three.
As her eyes had glimpsed the fateful news piece, Molly didn't lose her wits. Oh, no. She'd done this before; only a moment of panic, and then she was calm and collected. She was an expert. 'But then again,' she thought, as she gasped her way along, she wasn't a teenager any more -- forbidden sundaes had been eaten, running had been pushed aside. Suddenly annoyed with the way it restricted her heaving chest, Molly tore off her checkered, black and white apron, and left it fluttering serenely to the ground behind her. She wouldn't need it anymore...
Molly hurriedly searched for a good place to apparate away. Apparation, you see, takes large amounts of magic; Molly knew this. She also knew it could be traced, and she wanted to leave no tracks. 'Just run a bit,' she told herself, 'run a bit, and soon, soon, you'll be free.'
***
"Did she get the money? What?! Why not?!" Her father's strong, angry voice floated over to Molly from the sitting room as his voice rose several decibels and the fire seemed to flicker nervously. Disturbed by the noise from her peaceful reading, Molly arose and tiptoed to the room, keeping silent as a grave, her socks on the hard linoleum the only sound.
"...I don't need to hear that now! Bugger to him!" Molly cautiously stuck her wren brown head around the hall corner, and glanced, curious, into the room.
The face in the fire, Molly realized, was her parents' good friend, referred to as Johnston by all. He'd often come over for tea and chat, usually to the point where Molly began to fidget with boredom. He'd always talk about business, she recalled with a shudder, and the seemingly never-ending numbers made her head go numb. There were also times, though, that her parents had tactfully removed her from the room; by suggesting homework, telling her to play with her friends, and yes, even the dreadfully obvious "Go take a bath." Yet now in the fireplace, Johnston's usually tomato coloured beefy face had blanched into a sickly white. Molly idly wondered if someone had poured a bucket of glue on his head, it was that noticable.
"I'll get it, er... somehow, Mr. Douglass, sir. G'day to you." Johnston's ashy face hurriedly departed from the fireplace.
Glimpsing Molly anxiously peering around the corner, Mr. Douglass's tight face relaxed and he spoke. "So, Moll, how are you?"
***
Everyone in the Weasley house was looked pained, like they'd bittten massive lemons. Even Fred and George finally quit their half-hearted teasing and resembled morgue attendents.
"Ron, what HAPPENED?"
"I told you all I know...she sent me outside to degnome the garden, and when I came back, she was...gone."
Ron sighed, and stared dejectedly at the wall at the Weasley Clock, where Molly's pointer had spun around to "traveling".
"Dad, reckon it'd say travelling if she was in danger?" Ron's voice, weak with anguish, squeaked.
Arthur Weasley set his face and he gently caressed the checkered apron they'd found down the lane during their search. "I don't know, Ron, I don't know..." Arthur closed his eyes, and ran his shaking hand through his hair, suddenly seeming aged by ten years.
"Do you think it's time to alert the ministry?" Percry, always ready for action, proposed.
At Mr. Weasley's assent, all attention was turned over to reconstructing the situation for the authorities. In the heat of their worry, the newspaper was overlooked, still wide open on the wooden tabletop.
****
A/N: Ah, the tension mounts even more! :) Now you guys are REALLY confused, no doubt. But please, include your theories in the review! I'd love to see them, and who knows, maybe you'll be right! At any rate, PLEASE review, as I'd LOVE to get some feedback on this. Love it or hate it, just review!!! (I wonder if I've said review it enough times??) :) Viva la METMA! As I leave you, I just HAVE to include my fave BNL quote "Absense makes the heart grow fungus!" ^^
