Chapter 14: Bill
Bill Weasley lay on the hard, cold floor at the four kids feet. Fred scooted the bench closer and Hermione grasped Ron's hand. Harry felt malice for Snape. He hated him more than any living creature he could think of. He had embarrassed Fred and Ron, beaten Tonks, and now Bill Weasley was lying on the floor in front of them, unconscious. Not to mention that six people were tied, wandless, and completely vulnerable to anything Snape wanted. "I'm giving you one last chance, Nymphadora. Tell them the truth before more people get hurt. Or killed," Snape said and gritted his teeth. Tonks walked forward back into the light. Malfoy shook his head furiously. "Tonks! He's lying! Tell everyone that he's lying!" Malfoy shook his whole body now. Tonks turned around to face him.
"Draco. He's not lying," Tonks had tears in her eyes. Malfoy stared at her. What is she talking about, he thought. "No! What? You know he's just trying to make a fool of you. He's in love with Lupin! You told me! You told me about what he was doing!" Malfoy was desperate now. "No. No, he's right," Tonks sighed and wiped her eyes. She turned to Snape. "You're right. I can't go on doing this." Snape straightened and raised his eyebrows, surprised. Tonks glanced at Lupin. He looked at her with confused, wide eyes.
"You're right. I can't go on doing this," Tonks said. What do I say now, she thought. What am I supposed to say to these kids? To the man I love? Tonks sighed. She glanced at Lupin. He was confused, she could tell. Don't worry I'm just as confused as you are, she thought. She looked back at Snape who gave a We're-Waiting look. She straightened and looked at the kids. "He's completely right. But Malfoy is right as well. Snape is in love with Lupin," she started and Snape coughed and looked down at the floor sheepishly. "In fact I was. jealous." "Lupin would never leave you!" Harry stated. Tonks looked down at the floor. "I hated Snape with every ounce of myself. When Lupin fell off to sleep at one time I walked quietly down the hallway to Bill Weasley's bedroom. I knocked him out and snuck out the backdoor with his unconscious body." Fred gave Tonks a skeptical look and stared at his brother. She cleared her throat. "So in the process of sneaking out I ran into Snape," Tonks' voice was shaking now. Malfoy listened dumbfound. "I ran into Snape and I uh. he." Tonks stuttered. "Tell them," Snape growled. "I WON'T! YOU! You accosted me! I never knocked out Weasley! YOU DID! You were so angry you didn't know what to do! You are a lying, oily bastard and I won't lie to these people for you anymore!" Tonks was screaming now. She rushed over to the crate and picked it up. "She's lying! She tried to kill him! I caught you! I caught you in the act!" Snape pulled his wand out and aimed it at the crate. She threw it at him and it knocked him off his feet.
Fred struggled at the binds. He jumped up and down and the bench gave way. It smashed into four pieces and the four of them stood up. They were still tied together but they rushed over to Snape lying on the floor. Snape sat up and waved his wand screaming a charm only Hermione would have known. Tonks was blown into the air and she landed on the concrete. She scrambled towards them. Snape waved his wand again but Fred kicked his hand and it flew across the room. Snape scrambled to his feet but the four kids, still tied together, pushed him back to the floor. Tonks was rushing as fast as she could towards the wand. Malfoy was jumping up and down in his chair trying to get loose. Tonks groped for the wand and stood up. She aimed the wand at Snape. She walked carefully over to the kids and untied them. They quickly ran over and untied Lupin and Malfoy. Tonks kept Snape's wand aimed. "You knew I wouldn't cover for you for long. It had come down to this," Tonks was glaring at him.
All seven people surrounded Snape, who was still sitting on the floor. He sat there staring off to the side. Harry and Ron tied a rope around his arms and legs. Hermione was dragging Bill over to the group. They lifted him off the floor with Snape's wand and retreated out the door, dragging the sullen Snape with them.
In the kitchen were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hagrid, Mr. Malfoy, and surprisingly, Dumbledore. They jumped to their feet at the sight of the nine people. Mrs. Weasley squealed when she caught sight of Bill and she rushed over to him and pulled him from the spell. Mr. Weasley carried him over to a couch. Dumbledore walked over to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder. Harry stared up at the old wizard and he swore he saw Dumbledore wink, unnoticeably to the rest of the group. Tonks hugged Lupin and kissed him softly. Lupin pushed her away. "Wait, who are you?" he asked. She looked at him confused.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Draco Malfoy all sat in Harry and Ron's room. Malfoy had his head in his hands. Fred stared at Hermione from the opposite bed where she had her hand in Ron's and her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry sat next to Malfoy in a chair, fiddling with his wand. It must have been near morning. George and Ginny entered and sat on the bed next to Ron and Hermione. They did not say anything but they had obviously heard what had happened. Ron coughed and Malfoy looked up. He had an angry look on his face. "Why did they lie to me?" Malfoy said quietly. Dumbledore entered the room. He stood in the open door way for a moment then walked in, shutting the door. He smiled faintly. In the hallway there was a loud stomping and the bedroom door flung open. Lucius Malfoy entered. "My evening has been ruined because of you!" he pointed to Dumbledore. "I have wasted over six hours on that stupid Weasley boys' case and for it to come to this! Because of that idiot man!" Dumbledore frowned. "Lucius, you know how serious the Ministry has been getting with even the slightest of cases. We had no idea that it was not Voldemort." Dumbledore spoke slowly and clearly. "I will not listen to this! Because you know what? I have a car, and when I get in it, it goes VROOM VROOM! Come Draco!" Lucius turned swiftly and stormed out of the room. Draco looked at Harry, patted his arm, and with a small smile, walked out after his dad.
Dumbledore looked at the clock on the wall. "Well. I suppose we will all be sleeping until evening!" Dumbledore exclaimed, turning to leave. "Wait! Professor! Why did Snape do all of that?" Harry asked. He stood up and put his wand into his robes. "Well Harry. I, for once, I have no words of advice for you. Snape did that because of his own unknown reasons. Good night. I will see you all in two weeks, I suppose?" Dumbledore smiled and left the room. Harry sighed and pulled off his robe jacket. He was still wearing his pajamas. With a loud CRACK, Fred and George were gone into their room and Hermione and Ginny stood up as well. When all were gone Harry and Ron got into their beds, without much more than a faint smile, they turned out the lights and went to sleep.
Bill Weasley lay on the hard, cold floor at the four kids feet. Fred scooted the bench closer and Hermione grasped Ron's hand. Harry felt malice for Snape. He hated him more than any living creature he could think of. He had embarrassed Fred and Ron, beaten Tonks, and now Bill Weasley was lying on the floor in front of them, unconscious. Not to mention that six people were tied, wandless, and completely vulnerable to anything Snape wanted. "I'm giving you one last chance, Nymphadora. Tell them the truth before more people get hurt. Or killed," Snape said and gritted his teeth. Tonks walked forward back into the light. Malfoy shook his head furiously. "Tonks! He's lying! Tell everyone that he's lying!" Malfoy shook his whole body now. Tonks turned around to face him.
"Draco. He's not lying," Tonks had tears in her eyes. Malfoy stared at her. What is she talking about, he thought. "No! What? You know he's just trying to make a fool of you. He's in love with Lupin! You told me! You told me about what he was doing!" Malfoy was desperate now. "No. No, he's right," Tonks sighed and wiped her eyes. She turned to Snape. "You're right. I can't go on doing this." Snape straightened and raised his eyebrows, surprised. Tonks glanced at Lupin. He looked at her with confused, wide eyes.
"You're right. I can't go on doing this," Tonks said. What do I say now, she thought. What am I supposed to say to these kids? To the man I love? Tonks sighed. She glanced at Lupin. He was confused, she could tell. Don't worry I'm just as confused as you are, she thought. She looked back at Snape who gave a We're-Waiting look. She straightened and looked at the kids. "He's completely right. But Malfoy is right as well. Snape is in love with Lupin," she started and Snape coughed and looked down at the floor sheepishly. "In fact I was. jealous." "Lupin would never leave you!" Harry stated. Tonks looked down at the floor. "I hated Snape with every ounce of myself. When Lupin fell off to sleep at one time I walked quietly down the hallway to Bill Weasley's bedroom. I knocked him out and snuck out the backdoor with his unconscious body." Fred gave Tonks a skeptical look and stared at his brother. She cleared her throat. "So in the process of sneaking out I ran into Snape," Tonks' voice was shaking now. Malfoy listened dumbfound. "I ran into Snape and I uh. he." Tonks stuttered. "Tell them," Snape growled. "I WON'T! YOU! You accosted me! I never knocked out Weasley! YOU DID! You were so angry you didn't know what to do! You are a lying, oily bastard and I won't lie to these people for you anymore!" Tonks was screaming now. She rushed over to the crate and picked it up. "She's lying! She tried to kill him! I caught you! I caught you in the act!" Snape pulled his wand out and aimed it at the crate. She threw it at him and it knocked him off his feet.
Fred struggled at the binds. He jumped up and down and the bench gave way. It smashed into four pieces and the four of them stood up. They were still tied together but they rushed over to Snape lying on the floor. Snape sat up and waved his wand screaming a charm only Hermione would have known. Tonks was blown into the air and she landed on the concrete. She scrambled towards them. Snape waved his wand again but Fred kicked his hand and it flew across the room. Snape scrambled to his feet but the four kids, still tied together, pushed him back to the floor. Tonks was rushing as fast as she could towards the wand. Malfoy was jumping up and down in his chair trying to get loose. Tonks groped for the wand and stood up. She aimed the wand at Snape. She walked carefully over to the kids and untied them. They quickly ran over and untied Lupin and Malfoy. Tonks kept Snape's wand aimed. "You knew I wouldn't cover for you for long. It had come down to this," Tonks was glaring at him.
All seven people surrounded Snape, who was still sitting on the floor. He sat there staring off to the side. Harry and Ron tied a rope around his arms and legs. Hermione was dragging Bill over to the group. They lifted him off the floor with Snape's wand and retreated out the door, dragging the sullen Snape with them.
In the kitchen were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hagrid, Mr. Malfoy, and surprisingly, Dumbledore. They jumped to their feet at the sight of the nine people. Mrs. Weasley squealed when she caught sight of Bill and she rushed over to him and pulled him from the spell. Mr. Weasley carried him over to a couch. Dumbledore walked over to Harry and put his hand on his shoulder. Harry stared up at the old wizard and he swore he saw Dumbledore wink, unnoticeably to the rest of the group. Tonks hugged Lupin and kissed him softly. Lupin pushed her away. "Wait, who are you?" he asked. She looked at him confused.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, and Draco Malfoy all sat in Harry and Ron's room. Malfoy had his head in his hands. Fred stared at Hermione from the opposite bed where she had her hand in Ron's and her head on Ron's shoulder. Harry sat next to Malfoy in a chair, fiddling with his wand. It must have been near morning. George and Ginny entered and sat on the bed next to Ron and Hermione. They did not say anything but they had obviously heard what had happened. Ron coughed and Malfoy looked up. He had an angry look on his face. "Why did they lie to me?" Malfoy said quietly. Dumbledore entered the room. He stood in the open door way for a moment then walked in, shutting the door. He smiled faintly. In the hallway there was a loud stomping and the bedroom door flung open. Lucius Malfoy entered. "My evening has been ruined because of you!" he pointed to Dumbledore. "I have wasted over six hours on that stupid Weasley boys' case and for it to come to this! Because of that idiot man!" Dumbledore frowned. "Lucius, you know how serious the Ministry has been getting with even the slightest of cases. We had no idea that it was not Voldemort." Dumbledore spoke slowly and clearly. "I will not listen to this! Because you know what? I have a car, and when I get in it, it goes VROOM VROOM! Come Draco!" Lucius turned swiftly and stormed out of the room. Draco looked at Harry, patted his arm, and with a small smile, walked out after his dad.
Dumbledore looked at the clock on the wall. "Well. I suppose we will all be sleeping until evening!" Dumbledore exclaimed, turning to leave. "Wait! Professor! Why did Snape do all of that?" Harry asked. He stood up and put his wand into his robes. "Well Harry. I, for once, I have no words of advice for you. Snape did that because of his own unknown reasons. Good night. I will see you all in two weeks, I suppose?" Dumbledore smiled and left the room. Harry sighed and pulled off his robe jacket. He was still wearing his pajamas. With a loud CRACK, Fred and George were gone into their room and Hermione and Ginny stood up as well. When all were gone Harry and Ron got into their beds, without much more than a faint smile, they turned out the lights and went to sleep.