Chapter 14 It's in the Blood
Teddy soaked in the warmth and nearly sighed. He was more content than he had been since he was a child. He relished lying on the warm sand by the edge of the brilliant blue sea, but the water rose higher and higher, splashing and running down his face. Teddy reached to wipe the droplets away, but the water continued to flow. There were no waves, only a slight murmuring. Voices.
He opened his eyes to find he was being held over a basin and warm water was being poured over his head. The water swirled with his blood and gentle fingers were probing the recently healed wound on the back of his head. The area was tender, but the fingers were gentle, sliding through his hair to rinse out the dried blood.
"I think he is coming around," Ron remarked. "Just a few more minutes, Teddy, and we will have all the blood rinsed out."
After a few moments, Hermione stopped the flow of water. "The water is running clear. I think we've gotten it all. Would you hand me that towel over there?"
She dried her hands and then used it to blot the water from Teddy's head. He grasped the towel. "I can do it. Thanks."
He sat up, and his head swam. Hands grasped his shoulders to steady him.
"Easy, easy. Give yourself some time to recover."
Teddy grimaced at Ron. "I feel like such a fool."
"Why? How would you know? You made a plan to give the stone to Harry. Left all the clues for him to come here. You wouldn't have any reason to suspect him."
Teddy gingerly rubbed the back of his neck. "Where's Mrs. Weasley and George?"
Ron and Hermione exchanged a look of wordless conversation as they decided what to share with him. Hermione finally answered, "Molly has struggled since we lost Fred. She is… fragile. We had George take her back to the Burrow until we can piece together what was going on."
"And Ginny?"
"She's in the kitchen helping Winky lay out lunch. Do you think you could manage some broth?"
Teddy nodded, then grimaced as the slight movement caused a shot of pain.
Hermione and Ron each took an arm and helped him to his feet. "We need you to recover your strength, and quickly. We need to know your every movement over the last couple of days. Did you know you were being followed?"
"Ron, give him some time to recover," Hermione admonished.
"No, I want to help. Why would Harry do this? I had already planned to give him the stone."
"Harry is missing. If he was here, then we think he was under an imperious curse. It's more likely it wasn't Harry, but we will need you to remember everything you can."
Teddy sank gratefully into the dining table chair. He began, "It all started when I learned about the stone from Gran."