Chapter 17
Working For Bill
The conversation with my parents was awkward, at best. I wanted to talk about the Weasleys and the war, but my parents were only too keen to avoid those subjects.
"So you don't think Voldemort is back?" I challenged.
"He died. He can't come back," answered Tom.
"You're so naïve, Father. He didn't die. I've seen evidence of his life since my third year. To deny his return is to die," I retorted.
"You think he will kill us?" scorned Maria.
"No. You aren't important enough for Voldemort to kill himself. I bet Uncle Lucius or Aunt Narcissa will kill you, and you won't be prepared. You don't have a chance of surviving unless you come to realize his existence." With that comment, I Apparated to the Burrow.
"Can I stay here this summer?" I asked a very flustered Mrs. Weasley.
"What went wrong?" she asked, seeing the upset look on my face.
"My parents are going to die soon because they ignore the fact that Voldemort is back. Even after Fudge admitted it, they still refuse to believe. It makes me furious!" I yelled, slamming my fist on the table.
Mrs. Weasley just simply replied, "Yes, dear. You may stay here with Fleur."
"What did Percy do?" I asked, seeing the distant look on her face.
She went completely red then replied, "Let's not talk about P-him right now."
My NEWT results came after I'd been at the Burrow for only a few days.
Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test Results
Pass Grades
Fail Grades
Outstanding (O)
Poor (P)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Dreadful (D)
Acceptable (A)
Troll (T)
Paige Summer Malfoy has achieved:
Arithmancy
E
Charms
E
Defense Against the Dark Arts
O
Potions
E
Transfiguration
E
Attached to the NEWT results was another piece of paper. It read:
Paige Summer Malfoy,
It has been brought to our attention that you would like to work as a Gringotts' Curse Breaker. If you wish to take on this career, you will be an apprentice under Bill Weasley for your first year as a Gringotts' employee. We will be delighted to see you tomorrow at 8:00 am sharp, if you wish to be a Curse Breaker.
Thank you,
GRINGOTTS WIZARDING BANK
"Give you a long time to decide, don't they?" I asked Mrs. Weasley.
"It's better than Bill's. They gave him about 10 minutes to decide," she answered.
"Will I be able to be in the Order now, do you think?" I asked, changing the subject.
"Probably, dear. We need all the help we can get. As long as Dumbledore is okay with it."
"Are Fred and George in the Order, Mrs. Weasley?" I asked tentatively.
"Please, call me Molly. I know this isn't an answer, but do you have a 'thing' for Fred?"
My face got really red, and I hurriedly answered, "No, of course not…is it that obvious?"
"Yeah, Paige, it kind of is," spoke up Ginny, who had just entered the kitchen.
"Great. Do you think he's noticed yet?"
"Paige? Haven't you learned anything about Fred? Even I know that he won't notice."
"But the question is…will you be able to notice that he's in love with you?"
"Fred's not in love with me. I mean, his boggart turned into me in third year. It's kind of hard for me to go from his biggest fear to his love interest in just three and a half years."
"Ask Bill about the boggart. He's the only one that knows the full story behind it."
"I will. At 8:00 sharp tomorrow," I finished.
When I got to Gringotts the next morning, they immediately got Bill to 'take care of me', as the goblins so nicely put it. But Bill was cool. No…Bill was AWESOME.
So pretty soon, I felt comfortable telling him, "Mrs. Weasley told me that you know why Fred's boggart turned into me. Can you tell me?"
"Umm…"
"You might want to answer, because I can brew Veritaserum. If you don't answer, you might find yourself slipping things out of your mouth that you don't want people to hear."
Bill just laughed and said, "Fred's right! You do threaten people. But Molly lied to you. They all know why Fred's boggart turned into you. I'm just the only one whom Fred gave permission to tell."
"So…are you going to tell me?"
"Sure. I've just got to get it cleared with George first."
"Why George?"
"It's all part of Fred's plan. He doesn't want to know when you're told about the boggart. George also has to tell me whether or not Fred would be able to take you knowing."
"So, when can you get it 'cleared'?"
"Right now…but no offense, but you need to leave."
"Sure, just come get me when you're ready."
So I went outside of Bill's office and waited impatiently to find out the answer to the question I'd had for nearly five years.
It seemed like months, even years, before Bill came out and asked me back into his office. "Well, it's cleared through George."
"So, are you gonna tell me?"
"Fred wasn't afraid of you, he was afraid of what you made him feel. He was it love with you. He's still in love with you."
"For how long?"
"Since first year."
"It's been right in front of my face. Dumbledore, George, even McGonagall knew it. That's why George asked me to the Yule Ball. He didn't want Fred to have to see me with Cedric," I mused, finally finding answers to the questions that had confused me for so long. Bill just nodded and smiled regretfully. "What's wrong?" But then it dawned on me. "I'm going to be traveling all around the country, doing things for Gringotts and for the Order," I laughed bitterly. "I finally realize I love him, and I won't see him for a year."
That year was indeed a rush of working for the Order, working for Gringotts, Bill helping Fleur to 'eemprove 'er Eenglesh', and people dying. Oh, yeah. There was a lot of missing Fred, too. All the battles we fought seemed the same; it all seemed like an extremely long day. That is, until the battle at Hogwarts.
When Bill and I were called to Hogwarts, we got there as soon as possible. I wasn't really able to look around at what others were doing, but I felt that I was doing well. (I mean, I hadn't died, yet.) That is, until Fenrir Greyback started advancing towards me. I stood paralyzed in fear, doing nothing except relieving childhood memories.
I was five, swinging at a park in London. A shadow emerged from the distance, looking similar to a wolf. It was coming towards me, and I started crying. Right as it was about to bite me, a Stunning Spell hit it from a distance. I stopped crying as Minerva McGonagall led me to my parents, who had been standing there, doing nothing.
Greyback was inches away from me when Bill hexed him. Fenrir turned and started fighting Bill. It lasted a long time before the werewolf was able to bite Bill. He was coming towards me again, when he suddenly ran up to the roof. I didn't know what was going on, until Tonks started yelling spells at the blocked doorway that led to the roof.
But all too soon, the Death Eaters rushed down again. We tried to fight, but they were making a run for it. I was hit really hard with a Stunning Spell, and blacked out.
When I was un-stunned, the Order told me about how Snape killed Dumbledore, and that Draco was a Death Eater. I didn't want it to be true, but I knew it was. "Always knew Draco would turn out bad," I muttered. Dumbledore's funeral came, and it marked the first time in nearly a year that I'd seen Fred and George.
"Wish we could have met at a happier time," I remarked awkwardly.
"Sad times like this were gonna come, we knew it."
"But nobody thought it would be Dumbledore."
"Where was he that night?"
"I've heard…okay, eavesdropped, a bit, and I've heard the word Horcrux being tossed around fearfully."
"Yeah…I think Lucius might have mentioned something like that once or twice."
"What is a Horcrux anyway?"
"We'll just have to find out."
"And whatever we do, we will find out."
A/N: How'd you like her point of view about the battle at Hogwarts? I really liked the part where Bill got the bite from protecting her. After this, I'm going into a plot without J.K.'s books to use as a plot guide, so I hope this next chapter is going to be great!