A/N - HELLO, guys!! Hope everyone had Happy Holidays, and Jenni and I would
like to apologize for the VERY long wait that you've all had for this
chapter! We've really worked hard on it... but the season has been QUITE
distracting all the same. Sorry about the delay, and enjoy!!
Zoe - Vampire? Bat? *innocent look* That was ALL Jenni... honest... as for the guesses... keep em coming, they're very helpful. :-p
Louisa - WAHOO! We got an "evil cliffy" review! That's like, an official milestone! :)
Carrie - heeeeeere you gooooooo! Weeeeee wroooooote mooooooore! ;)
Fuzzyfeelings - actually, this whole long delay was just because we wanted to make sure you could fully catch up! Really... *innocent smile* ;)
Anaxandra - YAY! We got a realistic vote!! :) And who among us HASN'T had to have one of those talks... (JENNI, LILY, put your hands down...)
DeadSEXY - Eeek, well, sorry to be so slow about it all. Real life Nancy needs to get her act together and then the chapters will start flowing fast and furious. ;)
Lily - you DO realize that we stated NO such intentions there, right?? It's ALL your imagination, and we cannot be held responsible... (but you're right, you know... those boys ARE so bad... ;) )
Joyce - nice to see you're still reading!! :)
Karen - I'm glad you're enjoying it. We're making sure to keep to the rating we decided on when we started this story - PG13. Both Jenni and I wanted this story to deal with adults and adult situations... and language is sometimes part of the world we want to write about.
Ronspawn - BILL to the rescue?? What about... what about... oh who are we kidding, of COURSE we want Bill to come to the rescue. *sigh* (hope he does... read on)
Heather - ooooh, you liked our details! *happy grin* Always love to hear what we're doing right or wrong... And twists are one of my favorite things. :-p
Melissa - YOU REVIEWED! :o) How cool. And yes, Jenni decided that the fact that she's older and cooler (hey, who's writing this... ) than Nancy meant that she should get some drama time. I say the MEN stay home and worry. But I don't know if I can convince Bill or Charlie to do that.
SAngel - HI! A new reader, how exciting!! Welcome, welcome, enjoy the show. :)
Jessica - That does NOT count as an email. And you know that. *glares* But what's this? *gets whacked in the face by a rose* OW. Awwwww, for ME? I mean... for US? Oh, just read. And review more than once every 15 chapters, would you?
Fracindy - yes, I hope you wrote that down in your insinuations notebook - under LILY's heading. *carefully pulls our villain out of her reach* We need him for later. Hope you like all the sweetness in THIS one. I expect a review extolling our sweetness. :)
KV - Another new reader!! Hi! And good question - well, in terms of Voldemort, this is mostly from Jenni and Nancy's point of view, and THEY don't know all about Harry's adventures of the recent years. And the rest of the time it's from Bill and Charlie's perspectives - they know more, but they aren't as close to it as Ron or their parents. Let me just clarify, Voldemort has not been defeated, and the time period is fifth year for Harry, Ron and Hermione... we've mentioned their ages. Glad you're enjoying!
HermioneFan - well, when you get to this chapter, I just want to say THANKS for reading! And keep writing yours, I'm enjoying it!
El - Yo yo yo. ;) Sorry this one took so long. Stop sending threatening emails. And I WILL read yours... really, honest, promise and all that.
Imp - Beg and ye shall receive!! Another new reader - welcome, welcome to our little world!!
AND without further Ado... (We considered just leaving Jenni there... but...)
CHAPTER 15: Chaos Control - Agents Red and Redder
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Nancy carefully shut the door to the main office behind her and tried to wipe the really big grin off her face. PROMOTED! She'd been promoted! She couldn't wait to tell Jenni...
She was halfway down the hall before it occurred to her that Jenni probably had had to approve the change in her partner's status.
"Why that lying SCUMBAG!"
Nancy threw open the door to their shared office, fuming loudly over the way her friend had laughed at her earlier nervousness. One of the editing wizards stuck his head in, a quizzical look making his long white mustache twitch.
"Miss Gwin! Congratulations, I've just heard. Is everything all right?"
Swallowing her annoyance, Nancy grinned. "Peachy! I've been promoted, Norman! NOTHING could ruin my day!"
The mustache twitched again, this time curling up to mirror the smile underneath it. "Wonderful! Well then, I've got to work on the Quidditch scores, but... oh, you two WILL have that interview to us by Friday, won't you? It's got to go out next week."
"And she says that I lie..." Nancy caught herself muttering softly and quickly turned a beatific expression towards him. "We always make our deadlines, Norman! You know that... now I'm off! Get to go home early today and..." Hmmm, what WAS she going to do? Send a nasty owl to Jenni? Maybe she'd just better wait until tomorrow to find out why her best friend and partner hadn't bothered to tell her.
"Yes, well, I'll spread the good news. Cheerio, then."
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Jenni's eyes flickered open and shut immediately. Her whole body was in immense pain and the bright light wasn't helping her aching eyes any. With a moan, she tried to sit up but quickly realized that she couldn't. Every one of her muscles was contracting in pain; she was dimly aware that she was shaking. Forcing her eyes open with a huge effort, she took stock of where she was at the moment. She was on the floor near the couch and... was that blood? Where was it coming from? She'd have to check that as soon as she felt up to moving.
Jenni tried to remain motionless and let her eyes drift shut. Any little movement caused her whole body to hurt. She fought to replay the images of her recent memory through her mind, needing to remember what had happened. Nancy's apartment. There had been someone there already. Long, black robes. A Death Eater...
Shuddering, she slowly opened her eyes again, trying to adjust to the lighting in the room. Furniture was turned over... a large chair was smashed to smithereens in one corner of the room. Jenni heard herself screaming "Wingardium Leviosa" and groaned. A Death Eater, and she had LEVITATED a chair? She twisted slightly, trying to see the rest of the room without having to really move. The kitchen table that had caused the ache in her head was knocked over. There was broken glass all over the floor. Nancy's apartment was a mess.
NANCY. I have to find Nancy, Jenni thought. Whoever that Death Eater was, he was after her and who knew when he would come back...
Taking a deep breath, Jenni sat up slowly, her head throbbing and every part of her body screaming out in protest as she moved. Raising a hand to her forehead, Jenni felt a large bump and something sticky. She had obviously hit her head a lot harder than she had thought. Wiping the blood off of her hands, Jenni sluggishly ran through her options. She couldn't try to reach Nancy at the office like this - she'd probably splinch herself and be of no use to anyone.
Jenni sighed as she came up with no answers. This was going to take a while, she thought. Well, at least she had a place to start. There was no way she was going to do ANYTHING without her wand.
Getting painfully to her feet, she finally managed to find her wand on the floor near the door. She shuddered, some vestiges of the pain she had felt as the Death Eater had hit her with the Cruciatus Curse causing her body to clench, and she leaned back against the wall, gasping for air. After the worst had passed, Jenni pushed the thought out of her head and instead concentrated on cleaning a path to the couch, and blocking her mind from the pain that she felt. She began to shoot feeble spells at the broken glass and furniture, moving it just enough that she had space to walk.
A noise at the door caused Jenni to freeze. She watched as the doorknob rattled. All of her insides turned to ice as she forced herself to remain calm. She lifted her wand and waited as the door slowly creaked open. Just as she was about to shout the first hex that came to her mind, Nancy's voice echoed in the room. "Jenni?"
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By the time that Nancy apparated outside of her apartment building, she was in a much better mood. It was hard to stay mad at anyone, really, when your boss had just spent an hour telling you how wonderful your work was (usually) and that your pay raise was nearly double the salary you'd been living off of.
Besides, Jenni probably had just wanted to make sure that she got the full euphoric effect of this surprise promotion, Nancy thought charitably. Maybe she should invite her over... they could have dinner or something. Look at magazines with the top 50 eligible Wizards. That sort of thing.
She climbed the stairs slowly, excitement filling her. What a fun night it would be! And maybe... maybe she'd just owl Charlie and mention something about it all. You know... see if he would be in London any time soon to celebrate somehow.
A smile fixed itself on her face as she bounded up the last few steps and pulled out her key. Nancy flung the door open and was headed for her desk before it registered that the lights were on. She swung around and found herself looking at...
"Jenni? JENNI! What happened?" She ran over to her friend, whose wand was shaking in her hand, and eased her down onto the couch. "You... you look like you just lost a fight!" Was that BLOOD on her head? Nancy tried to swallow down panic as she surveyed the damage, and ran to get a warm washcloth to clean the wound.
Watching her go Jenni gave a tiny little laugh and answered softly, "I did."
"Did what?" Jenni felt her entire body tense as a man's voice echoed throughout the room. What if the death eater had come back? She hadn't even told Nancy about the attack yet... "I can't help thinking that even Nancy is not usually THIS messy..." As the voice continued, Jenni's fear suddenly drained out of her. She carefully turned her head to check, and saw that a familiar stocky redhead was standing in the doorway surveying the wreckage nervously.
"Charlie!" she whispered, feeling greatly relieved. He'd watch over Nancy, at least until she could explain clearly what the problem was. She was trying to dredge up some words to reassure the look of surprised concern on his face as he stared at her speechlessly when a new voice sounded.
"I don't know about Nancy, but this is NOT Jenni's idea of a surprise..." This other worried voice cut through her thoughts and made her hair stand on end and her gut unclench. Jenni was just turning her head to look at him when she heard Nancy's footsteps approaching from the bathroom. She felt her whole body go limp with relief as she saw Bill. Behind her, Nancy gave a surprised yelp. She closed her eyes letting the relief of their presence wash over her as she listened to Charlie hurry over to Nancy.
"We... it was supposed to be a surprise dinner for you." His voice was soft, and Nancy reached out for his hand as she watched Bill kneel down by the couch.
"Jenni?" Bill's voice was soft and laced with worry. He had taken the washcloth from Nancy and had started cleaning the blood from Jenni's face. She winced as he reached the tender area on her forehead that had been cut open and slowly opened her eyes to look at him. He was kneeling in front of her, his face full of concern. "Jenni, what happened?"
Without bothering to answer, Jenni threw herself forward into Bill's arms. The fear she had been harboring finally broke free in the form of hot tears and she could do nothing but sob as she clutched Bill. His voice was gentle as he held her small, shaking body. "Shh, I've got you now, Jenni, it's ok."
Charlie pulled Nancy a bit closer to him and asked, "What the hell happened?"
His voice was barely above a whisper and Nancy wasn't entirely sure that she had heard him until she noticed Bill watching her expectantly. When she finally digested the question, she shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I walked in just a minute or two before you did."
Bill sighed and returned his attention to Jenni. After several minutes, he finally managed to calm her cries. She stopped shaking and sat there soaking in the safety of his arms around her and the worried whispers between Charlie and Nancy. Slowly Bill pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Jenni, tell me what happened."
Before she could turn away, Bill gently lifted her face to his. "Please talk to me. Jenni, I promise, nothing will happen to you while I'm here."
Jenni nodded and whispered a hushed "ok." The room became quiet and Jenni saw Nancy and Charlie turn to face her as well. Taking a deep breath, Jenni began telling them, starting with opening the door to the apartment. Nancy's face paled when Jenni reached the moment that she knew it was a Death Eater. She told them how he had known who Nancy was and that he knew Jenni's name as well. Her voice faltered as she tried to briefly describe the duel. She shuddered involuntarily as she recounted the events and stumbled over the words as she relived the moment when the white-hot pain of the 'CRUCIO' had first coursed through her bones.
Bill jumped up suddenly as Jenni told how the Death Eater had grabbed at her neck and taunted her. His face had turned red and even Charlie backed away as his older brother growled his protests.
"That bloody bastard! When I find the Death Eater that did this to you I'm going to kill him!" Jenni flinched at the anger in Bill's voice and watched as he paced the small room. "I swear, when I get my hands on him."
Nancy sighed, his anger was entirely justifiable, but not what Jenni needed just now. She crossed over quickly to sit beside Jenni on the couch and pulled her into a hug. Shooting a single pleading glance at Charlie, she then focused all of her attention on her shaken friend.
"Jenni, let's get you cleaned up," she murmured underneath the loud exclamations that were coming from Bill on the other side of the room.
Jenni shot a last look at Bill. He was SO angry. She shuddered, feeling more in need of a quiet bath than she had in years. "Ok."
Nancy jumped up to help her to the bathroom. As they made their way over, she heard Charlie softly interrupt the tirade.
"Bill. That's enough." His dark blue eyes were almost violet as they exuded quiet sympathy and anger.
"ENOUGH? I'm telling you..." Bill's face was still red, and there was a rather feverish look in his eyes.
"No." Charlie's interruption was quick and forceful. "That's ENOUGH. You're scaring Jenni."
Nancy was astonished to see the tall redhead crumble at his brother's soft words. Not wanting Jenni to worry anymore than she already was, she quickly maneuvered her into the bathroom and set up a simple music charm, just loud enough to keep the conversation from filtering in through the door. Jenni was silent as she slipped into the bath and handed her torn and bloodied clothes to Nancy.
Failing to catch her friend's eye, and worried by her continued silence, Nancy turned as she reached the door. "Jenni?" Blue eyes met brown. "Don't stay in too long, thinking, ok? I... we..." she paused, searching for the words. "Please don't hold all of this inside."
Touched and reassured, Jenni smiled slightly. "I won't be able to," she whispered. "Not with you around to talk to."
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Nancy slipped out of the bathroom, shutting the door quietly and looked at the two determined faces in front of her. She looked back and forth from one to the other. "What's going on?"
Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Bill as if confirming what he was about to say. "We're staying here tonight."
Nancy's mouth opened and closed several times before she finally managed to speak. "You are not staying here. I still have to clean up. And Jenni needs to rest. The last thing I need... the last thing Jenni needs is the two of you causing more of a disturbance."
"No, the last thing you need is a crazed Death Eater coming after the both of you again." Bill's voice was sharp with annoyance.
Nancy pointed at him. "Ok, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Jenni is frightened enough. She doesn't need you going off about killing Death Eaters. We'll be fine."
"Nancy... Bill's right. I don't want to think about what could happen if that guy comes back and finds the two of you here alone." Charlie's voice was hushed. "We'll clean up in here. You just make sure that Jenni's ok."
Nancy stood there a moment, indecisive. She had to admit, having the two Weasleys there WOULD make her feel that much safer. But although Bill had controlled himself and was now going about cleaning and fixing the damage, she couldn't let him make this any harder than it had to be for Jenni.
"Nancy..." Charlie had come up close to her as she watched Bill. His eyes were very tender, and he reached a hand out to brush her hair off of her face. "He's terrified. And trust me, he hates that feeling. I don't think even Dumbledore could make him leave tonight."
He paused, not wanting to add to her worries by reminding her of the very real danger she herself was in. He was staying so that she wouldn't HAVE to worry, at least for tonight. Charlie watched her face as she struggled with the decision. "It'll be all right. The last thing he wants is to hurt Jenni." A wry smile lit his face and he tilted her head so that she was looking at him. "Personally, I think he's just coming to the realization of how much he cares about her. Bill's always been a bit slow that way."
"All right." Nancy sighed, defeated. He was right, there would be no sending Bill away. She imagined it would hurt him about as much as it would her to be ordered to leave Jenni at this point, knowing how weak and vulnerable she was.
Nancy left to check on Jenni as Charlie and Bill took over cleaning. "Jenni?" Nancy called out softly as she knocked on the door. Not hearing an answer, Nancy opened the door slowly. "Everything ok in here?" Jenni was standing at the sink brushing her teeth as Nancy stepped in the room.
Nancy watched as Jenni pulled back her hair to rinse her mouth and stifled a horrified gasp at the bruises that were starting to appear around Jenni's neck. Resisting the urge to follow Bill's lead and go off on an angry tirade, Nancy calmly asked, "You feeling better?"
Jenni nodded slowly. "Yes I am."
"Good." Nancy waited as Jenni finished then gently grabbed her arm and led her to the bedroom for some much needed rest. She watched as Jenni sat on the edge of the bed before she began picking up a few things.
"Nancy..." Jenni looked up at her friend, who was bustling around the room. "He wanted you. And he could have killed me. Do you have any idea how frightening that is?"
Nancy stopped and turned to Jenni. The fear in her best friend's eyes startled her. She walked over to where Jenni was and sat next to her. "Jenni."
Jenni held up a shaky hand to stop Nancy. "He could have killed me and I couldn't stop him. I stood there and did nothing. I could barely manage a simple levitating spell."
Nancy listened as Jenni spoke. It worried her to see the one person that had always remained calm in a stressful situation looking so horribly frightened.
"He said that he wanted to leave a surprise for you. He thought I was you at first and said he would leave it in person. I can only imagine what he meant." Jenni stopped momentarily to regain her composure. "He said once his master had me that I would owe him. He's going to come back."
Nancy stared as the full impact of Jenni's words hit her. It wasn't just everything that had happened that was causing Jenni to act so strange. She was terrified. Terrified that whoever attacked her was coming back and she wouldn't be able to stop them. Nancy leaned forward and pulled Jenni into a hug. "Well, if he shows up tonight he'll have one hell of a surprise waiting for him."
Jenni pulled back. "What are you talking about?"
"Well," Nancy sighed. "Charlie and Bill have decided that they're staying. I tried to tell them that we would be all right but they weren't going for it."
Jenni's shoulders sagged with relief briefly. "Nancy, I'm sorry I'm putting you through all of this. I mean, this was supposed to be a quiet night to celebrate your promotion. And now you're stuck worrying about me and two extra people in your house."
"Honestly Jenni. I would let Professor Snape stay in my house if I thought it would make you feel safer."
Jenni gaped at Nancy's last comment before managing a stifled laugh. Several minutes passed before either of them spoke. Jenni's eyelids felt leaden, and she was just drifting off when Nancy's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Jenni?"
"What is it Nancy?"
"You really don't expect me to let Snape stay here. Do you?" The last two words were barely audible as Nancy spoke them in a whisper.
Jenni smiled. It was the first time she had really smiled since... "Well, I don't know. You did say."
Nancy stared. "Jennifer Ferguson! That's just plain WRONG."
The small giggle that Jenni couldn't hold back made Nancy's heart a hundred times lighter. Once she was calmer, less afraid, surely they could figure this out.
"Come on, promise that you're not going to develop a sudden need for Professor Snape," she teased. "His fiancée would object, for one..."
Jenni shifted on the bed, wincing as one of her bruises protested the movement, but still smiling. "Fine, fine. Deprive me of my knight errant. I suppose we'll have to make due with Red and Redder out there."
Nancy stared at her. "Red and... did you really just... Red and REDDER?" She put both hands over her mouth to keep in a shout of laughter and came over to sit carefully on the bed. "But Jenni - which one is Redder?"
They looked at each other for a moment before Jenni said slowly, "Well, think about it. Who blushes brighter?"
"Bill," Nancy said with a grin. "Dragon Man's too tan, it hides his better."
"Well, there you have it, then." Jenni tried to keep smiling, but her worries were crowding in on her - that death eater could come back anytime, and...
"Bill, Charlie and I would be ready for him." Nancy's firm answer startled Jenni; had she spoken aloud or was her face that easy to read?
"But don't you see? That makes it worse! Now I know that you three are putting yourselves in harms way - if anything happens to you or... or Bill..." she faltered, amazed at the way her heart tightened painfully at the mere thought. "Isn't there something I can do? I hate that..."
"That they're trying to fight this for us?" Nancy finished. "I know... I mean, do they think I can't protect you?" Her voice was soft and hurt, and even through the pain and fear, Jenni knew which direction her friend's thoughts were headed.
"Nancy. I doubt they've thought of it that way at all." She reached out a shaky hand and pulled lightly on Nancy's ponytail. "No one's questioning your ability here."
Nancy sighed and shot her a wry grin. "Not outright. But they're sure not asking for my help, either."
In an attempt to draw her friend's attention away from her self-defeating thoughts, Jenni tried to joke, "Well, if Bill gets what he wants, it'll be a slaughter, and I for one wouldn't want you to help with that."
It worked. Nancy blinked and looked up, and Jenni shifted uncomfortably under her very pensive eyes.
"He didn't mean it, you know," she murmured, trying to end the silence. "He was just overreacting."
Nancy shook her head. "He lost his control, but he meant it all right." She looked at her friend's white face and continued more gently. "And I probably would help him. But why does it bother you so much that he cares?"
Exhaustion was setting in, and Jenni didn't have the energy to protest or pretend. "Because one of us is going to wind up hurt... and I doubt it will be him. I don't want to be left again, Nancy," she whispered brokenly.
Blinking back tears at the memory of how stunned and shattered Jenni had been when her last relationship had ended so abruptly, Nancy pulled her into a hug. "Give Mr. William Weasley a little more credit, you nincompoop. I don't think he could even imagine himself acting half as asinine as..."
"Of course not," Jenni interrupted. "He'd be all smooth and classy about it. At least last time I could laugh at the whole ridiculous situation."
"And you know full well that I'd do something just as stupid as last time, if he tried to just leave you!" Nancy's voice rose as she remembered how hard it had been to lift Jenni's spirits then. "Trust me, I'd give you something to laugh at."
Jenni grinned, remembering a last minute transfiguration of a very expensive white wedding dress into a hot pink dollar store number. It had been sneaky of Nancy, but it HAD made her laugh.
"But you're looking for trouble where there is none. He's here, and he's staying, and I don't think you're going to find it easy to get rid of him." Noticing the drooping eyes and half-concealed yawns of her battered friend, Nancy unobtrusively tucked the covers in around her and kept talking, hoping to lull her to sleep.
"What we have to start working on is a Charlie Weasley fix. Oh, he's wonderful when I'm there... all five days I've known him... but he's Charlie Weasley. He probably runs around saving girls every week. His mother probably keeps a list of the girls he's saved so that she can identify the Christmas cards when they come each year. And besides, a guy must get tired of saving girls all the time. It won't be long before he'll realize that I'm NOT worth the trouble." Nancy paused to take a breath and noticed that Jenni's eyes had drifted shut. She was just slipping off the bed when she heard a faint whisper.
"Don't be stupid... he's mad about you."
Nancy froze and stood silently in the middle of the room, her mind racing, until she heard deep, even breathing from the bed. Only then did she walk to the door.
"Sleep well, Jenni."
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The moment she stepped out into the living room, Bill was beside her. "How is she?"
Attempting to shut the door quietly behind her, Nancy glared at him when he put his hand on it to hold it in place. "She's asleep. But only just, and she needs QUIET."
Bill didn't protest her testy tone, but looked at her with very solemn eyes. "I'd like to go in and sit with her. Do you mind?" he asked gently, knowing that most of her animosity was born of fear and worry.
Nancy balked, but couldn't find a reason to deny him entrance. "Just... please don't wake her up."
"I promise," he answered softly, sliding through the open door and quietly closing it behind him.
Worn out, she sagged back against the closed door, shutting her eyes and just breathing for a moment. When she opened them again, she was looking into two very concerned midnight blue ones.
Charlie was sitting on the couch, watching her carefully. A quick survey of the room showed that they had been as good as their word - the destruction was gone, nearly everything had been repaired or at least cleaned up. She couldn't help feeling as thought something foul still hung in the air, however. Feeling his gaze one her face, Nancy looked back at the silent redhead.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I don't know if I could have... I mean, with taking care of Jenni, it would have been really hard to... to put all of this back together."
He stood up then, his eyes still serious and troubled. "No one would expect you to handle something like this alone, Nancy." She stiffened, waiting for him to make some offhand remark about her inability to cope with situations. He walked toward her, and reached out a hand to brush a wisp of hair off of her face. "Not that you couldn't. If anyone could hold it all together right now, it would be you."
Touched beyond belief, Nancy felt herself crumbling. Why did he have to be so nice? How was she supposed to stay strong and focused when no one was telling her that she couldn't possibly do this?
He must have sensed her failing strength, because he was at her side in a flash, leading her over to the couch and pulling her down onto his lap.
"Now tell me," he murmured soothingly as he ran one hand up and down her back. "How is Jenni?"
Giving in to the warmth of his strong shoulder, Nancy laid her head there and told him - about all the bruises, about Jenni's fears for their safety, and about her emotional scars that were haunting her in her exhausted state.
Through it all he let her talk; only nodding or squeezing her hand in encouragement when she seemed to falter. When she'd talked herself out, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"And now I want to know..." he began after a few moments of silence, "how is Nancy?"
Her eyes widened and she tried to sit up, tried to pull her strength back around her. But his arms held her where she was, and he was so generous with his own strength that she found herself instead bursting into tears and confessing through the sobs, "Nancy... Nancy is furious, and... sca- scared out of her mind."
As she cried, Charlie fought to keep his arms from trembling. The effort he was expending to maintain control of his emotions was exhausting, but he knew that he could not succumb to the fear and anger that had erupted inside of him as Jenni had explained that Nancy was the target for which the Death Eater had lain in wait. Not yet. He had to hold it together - for Bill, who had lost his temper for the first time in Charlie's memory, and especially for Nancy, who so desperately needed someone who didn't need her to be strong.
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Bill walked in quietly, careful not to make any noise. He looked over at the bed where Jenni was sleeping and sat down next to her. Without thinking, he reached forward and gently tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. He flinched at the sight of bruises that were beginning to appear on Jenni's face - from hitting the table? - and the purpling ones on her neck.
"Jenni... I'm so sorry this happened to you," he whispered softly, lightly running his fingers across her face. He closed his eyes, seeing in his mind Jenni's face when he had first walked through the door, and the terrified expression in her eyes as she relived every moment of her attack in order to inform them. That terror had hit him hard, leaving him feeling as though he'd taken a knife straight into his heart.
As he watched her sleeping, Charlie's words repeated themselves over and over in his mind. "That's ENOUGH... You're scaring Jenni." Damn it. He hadn't meant to scare her...
Guilt washed over him as he remembered the look on her battered face as she had watched him lose his temper. He just hadn't been able to control himself; picturing that Death Eater, his fingers on her neck... just the thought of Jenni being hurt in such a way made him physically sick.
But still... "Nancy was right. You don't need me to get angry for you... not yet," he whispered quietly as she slept. Taking a deep breath, Bill brushed the stubborn lock of hair away from Jenni's face again and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
As he sat there, he realized that he was racked by an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time - fear. He shook his head, silently protesting his own acknowledgment. Bill Weasley didn't get scared. But tonight, he had been... hell, he still WAS terrified. On top of the sick, cold fear that had settled in his gut, a million 'what ifs' plagued him - What if he had somehow gotten here sooner? What if Nancy hadn't shown up when she did? What if that Death Eater had finished what he started? What if the first woman who had ever caught and held his attention for more than a week had disappeared from his life before he could tell her how he felt?
Clenching his fists, Bill pulled himself back from that line of thought. She was here, bruised and frightened, but ok. He just had to make sure he was there for her when... IF this creep came back.
Zoe - Vampire? Bat? *innocent look* That was ALL Jenni... honest... as for the guesses... keep em coming, they're very helpful. :-p
Louisa - WAHOO! We got an "evil cliffy" review! That's like, an official milestone! :)
Carrie - heeeeeere you gooooooo! Weeeeee wroooooote mooooooore! ;)
Fuzzyfeelings - actually, this whole long delay was just because we wanted to make sure you could fully catch up! Really... *innocent smile* ;)
Anaxandra - YAY! We got a realistic vote!! :) And who among us HASN'T had to have one of those talks... (JENNI, LILY, put your hands down...)
DeadSEXY - Eeek, well, sorry to be so slow about it all. Real life Nancy needs to get her act together and then the chapters will start flowing fast and furious. ;)
Lily - you DO realize that we stated NO such intentions there, right?? It's ALL your imagination, and we cannot be held responsible... (but you're right, you know... those boys ARE so bad... ;) )
Joyce - nice to see you're still reading!! :)
Karen - I'm glad you're enjoying it. We're making sure to keep to the rating we decided on when we started this story - PG13. Both Jenni and I wanted this story to deal with adults and adult situations... and language is sometimes part of the world we want to write about.
Ronspawn - BILL to the rescue?? What about... what about... oh who are we kidding, of COURSE we want Bill to come to the rescue. *sigh* (hope he does... read on)
Heather - ooooh, you liked our details! *happy grin* Always love to hear what we're doing right or wrong... And twists are one of my favorite things. :-p
Melissa - YOU REVIEWED! :o) How cool. And yes, Jenni decided that the fact that she's older and cooler (hey, who's writing this... ) than Nancy meant that she should get some drama time. I say the MEN stay home and worry. But I don't know if I can convince Bill or Charlie to do that.
SAngel - HI! A new reader, how exciting!! Welcome, welcome, enjoy the show. :)
Jessica - That does NOT count as an email. And you know that. *glares* But what's this? *gets whacked in the face by a rose* OW. Awwwww, for ME? I mean... for US? Oh, just read. And review more than once every 15 chapters, would you?
Fracindy - yes, I hope you wrote that down in your insinuations notebook - under LILY's heading. *carefully pulls our villain out of her reach* We need him for later. Hope you like all the sweetness in THIS one. I expect a review extolling our sweetness. :)
KV - Another new reader!! Hi! And good question - well, in terms of Voldemort, this is mostly from Jenni and Nancy's point of view, and THEY don't know all about Harry's adventures of the recent years. And the rest of the time it's from Bill and Charlie's perspectives - they know more, but they aren't as close to it as Ron or their parents. Let me just clarify, Voldemort has not been defeated, and the time period is fifth year for Harry, Ron and Hermione... we've mentioned their ages. Glad you're enjoying!
HermioneFan - well, when you get to this chapter, I just want to say THANKS for reading! And keep writing yours, I'm enjoying it!
El - Yo yo yo. ;) Sorry this one took so long. Stop sending threatening emails. And I WILL read yours... really, honest, promise and all that.
Imp - Beg and ye shall receive!! Another new reader - welcome, welcome to our little world!!
AND without further Ado... (We considered just leaving Jenni there... but...)
CHAPTER 15: Chaos Control - Agents Red and Redder
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Nancy carefully shut the door to the main office behind her and tried to wipe the really big grin off her face. PROMOTED! She'd been promoted! She couldn't wait to tell Jenni...
She was halfway down the hall before it occurred to her that Jenni probably had had to approve the change in her partner's status.
"Why that lying SCUMBAG!"
Nancy threw open the door to their shared office, fuming loudly over the way her friend had laughed at her earlier nervousness. One of the editing wizards stuck his head in, a quizzical look making his long white mustache twitch.
"Miss Gwin! Congratulations, I've just heard. Is everything all right?"
Swallowing her annoyance, Nancy grinned. "Peachy! I've been promoted, Norman! NOTHING could ruin my day!"
The mustache twitched again, this time curling up to mirror the smile underneath it. "Wonderful! Well then, I've got to work on the Quidditch scores, but... oh, you two WILL have that interview to us by Friday, won't you? It's got to go out next week."
"And she says that I lie..." Nancy caught herself muttering softly and quickly turned a beatific expression towards him. "We always make our deadlines, Norman! You know that... now I'm off! Get to go home early today and..." Hmmm, what WAS she going to do? Send a nasty owl to Jenni? Maybe she'd just better wait until tomorrow to find out why her best friend and partner hadn't bothered to tell her.
"Yes, well, I'll spread the good news. Cheerio, then."
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Jenni's eyes flickered open and shut immediately. Her whole body was in immense pain and the bright light wasn't helping her aching eyes any. With a moan, she tried to sit up but quickly realized that she couldn't. Every one of her muscles was contracting in pain; she was dimly aware that she was shaking. Forcing her eyes open with a huge effort, she took stock of where she was at the moment. She was on the floor near the couch and... was that blood? Where was it coming from? She'd have to check that as soon as she felt up to moving.
Jenni tried to remain motionless and let her eyes drift shut. Any little movement caused her whole body to hurt. She fought to replay the images of her recent memory through her mind, needing to remember what had happened. Nancy's apartment. There had been someone there already. Long, black robes. A Death Eater...
Shuddering, she slowly opened her eyes again, trying to adjust to the lighting in the room. Furniture was turned over... a large chair was smashed to smithereens in one corner of the room. Jenni heard herself screaming "Wingardium Leviosa" and groaned. A Death Eater, and she had LEVITATED a chair? She twisted slightly, trying to see the rest of the room without having to really move. The kitchen table that had caused the ache in her head was knocked over. There was broken glass all over the floor. Nancy's apartment was a mess.
NANCY. I have to find Nancy, Jenni thought. Whoever that Death Eater was, he was after her and who knew when he would come back...
Taking a deep breath, Jenni sat up slowly, her head throbbing and every part of her body screaming out in protest as she moved. Raising a hand to her forehead, Jenni felt a large bump and something sticky. She had obviously hit her head a lot harder than she had thought. Wiping the blood off of her hands, Jenni sluggishly ran through her options. She couldn't try to reach Nancy at the office like this - she'd probably splinch herself and be of no use to anyone.
Jenni sighed as she came up with no answers. This was going to take a while, she thought. Well, at least she had a place to start. There was no way she was going to do ANYTHING without her wand.
Getting painfully to her feet, she finally managed to find her wand on the floor near the door. She shuddered, some vestiges of the pain she had felt as the Death Eater had hit her with the Cruciatus Curse causing her body to clench, and she leaned back against the wall, gasping for air. After the worst had passed, Jenni pushed the thought out of her head and instead concentrated on cleaning a path to the couch, and blocking her mind from the pain that she felt. She began to shoot feeble spells at the broken glass and furniture, moving it just enough that she had space to walk.
A noise at the door caused Jenni to freeze. She watched as the doorknob rattled. All of her insides turned to ice as she forced herself to remain calm. She lifted her wand and waited as the door slowly creaked open. Just as she was about to shout the first hex that came to her mind, Nancy's voice echoed in the room. "Jenni?"
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By the time that Nancy apparated outside of her apartment building, she was in a much better mood. It was hard to stay mad at anyone, really, when your boss had just spent an hour telling you how wonderful your work was (usually) and that your pay raise was nearly double the salary you'd been living off of.
Besides, Jenni probably had just wanted to make sure that she got the full euphoric effect of this surprise promotion, Nancy thought charitably. Maybe she should invite her over... they could have dinner or something. Look at magazines with the top 50 eligible Wizards. That sort of thing.
She climbed the stairs slowly, excitement filling her. What a fun night it would be! And maybe... maybe she'd just owl Charlie and mention something about it all. You know... see if he would be in London any time soon to celebrate somehow.
A smile fixed itself on her face as she bounded up the last few steps and pulled out her key. Nancy flung the door open and was headed for her desk before it registered that the lights were on. She swung around and found herself looking at...
"Jenni? JENNI! What happened?" She ran over to her friend, whose wand was shaking in her hand, and eased her down onto the couch. "You... you look like you just lost a fight!" Was that BLOOD on her head? Nancy tried to swallow down panic as she surveyed the damage, and ran to get a warm washcloth to clean the wound.
Watching her go Jenni gave a tiny little laugh and answered softly, "I did."
"Did what?" Jenni felt her entire body tense as a man's voice echoed throughout the room. What if the death eater had come back? She hadn't even told Nancy about the attack yet... "I can't help thinking that even Nancy is not usually THIS messy..." As the voice continued, Jenni's fear suddenly drained out of her. She carefully turned her head to check, and saw that a familiar stocky redhead was standing in the doorway surveying the wreckage nervously.
"Charlie!" she whispered, feeling greatly relieved. He'd watch over Nancy, at least until she could explain clearly what the problem was. She was trying to dredge up some words to reassure the look of surprised concern on his face as he stared at her speechlessly when a new voice sounded.
"I don't know about Nancy, but this is NOT Jenni's idea of a surprise..." This other worried voice cut through her thoughts and made her hair stand on end and her gut unclench. Jenni was just turning her head to look at him when she heard Nancy's footsteps approaching from the bathroom. She felt her whole body go limp with relief as she saw Bill. Behind her, Nancy gave a surprised yelp. She closed her eyes letting the relief of their presence wash over her as she listened to Charlie hurry over to Nancy.
"We... it was supposed to be a surprise dinner for you." His voice was soft, and Nancy reached out for his hand as she watched Bill kneel down by the couch.
"Jenni?" Bill's voice was soft and laced with worry. He had taken the washcloth from Nancy and had started cleaning the blood from Jenni's face. She winced as he reached the tender area on her forehead that had been cut open and slowly opened her eyes to look at him. He was kneeling in front of her, his face full of concern. "Jenni, what happened?"
Without bothering to answer, Jenni threw herself forward into Bill's arms. The fear she had been harboring finally broke free in the form of hot tears and she could do nothing but sob as she clutched Bill. His voice was gentle as he held her small, shaking body. "Shh, I've got you now, Jenni, it's ok."
Charlie pulled Nancy a bit closer to him and asked, "What the hell happened?"
His voice was barely above a whisper and Nancy wasn't entirely sure that she had heard him until she noticed Bill watching her expectantly. When she finally digested the question, she shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. I walked in just a minute or two before you did."
Bill sighed and returned his attention to Jenni. After several minutes, he finally managed to calm her cries. She stopped shaking and sat there soaking in the safety of his arms around her and the worried whispers between Charlie and Nancy. Slowly Bill pulled away and looked into her eyes. "Jenni, tell me what happened."
Before she could turn away, Bill gently lifted her face to his. "Please talk to me. Jenni, I promise, nothing will happen to you while I'm here."
Jenni nodded and whispered a hushed "ok." The room became quiet and Jenni saw Nancy and Charlie turn to face her as well. Taking a deep breath, Jenni began telling them, starting with opening the door to the apartment. Nancy's face paled when Jenni reached the moment that she knew it was a Death Eater. She told them how he had known who Nancy was and that he knew Jenni's name as well. Her voice faltered as she tried to briefly describe the duel. She shuddered involuntarily as she recounted the events and stumbled over the words as she relived the moment when the white-hot pain of the 'CRUCIO' had first coursed through her bones.
Bill jumped up suddenly as Jenni told how the Death Eater had grabbed at her neck and taunted her. His face had turned red and even Charlie backed away as his older brother growled his protests.
"That bloody bastard! When I find the Death Eater that did this to you I'm going to kill him!" Jenni flinched at the anger in Bill's voice and watched as he paced the small room. "I swear, when I get my hands on him."
Nancy sighed, his anger was entirely justifiable, but not what Jenni needed just now. She crossed over quickly to sit beside Jenni on the couch and pulled her into a hug. Shooting a single pleading glance at Charlie, she then focused all of her attention on her shaken friend.
"Jenni, let's get you cleaned up," she murmured underneath the loud exclamations that were coming from Bill on the other side of the room.
Jenni shot a last look at Bill. He was SO angry. She shuddered, feeling more in need of a quiet bath than she had in years. "Ok."
Nancy jumped up to help her to the bathroom. As they made their way over, she heard Charlie softly interrupt the tirade.
"Bill. That's enough." His dark blue eyes were almost violet as they exuded quiet sympathy and anger.
"ENOUGH? I'm telling you..." Bill's face was still red, and there was a rather feverish look in his eyes.
"No." Charlie's interruption was quick and forceful. "That's ENOUGH. You're scaring Jenni."
Nancy was astonished to see the tall redhead crumble at his brother's soft words. Not wanting Jenni to worry anymore than she already was, she quickly maneuvered her into the bathroom and set up a simple music charm, just loud enough to keep the conversation from filtering in through the door. Jenni was silent as she slipped into the bath and handed her torn and bloodied clothes to Nancy.
Failing to catch her friend's eye, and worried by her continued silence, Nancy turned as she reached the door. "Jenni?" Blue eyes met brown. "Don't stay in too long, thinking, ok? I... we..." she paused, searching for the words. "Please don't hold all of this inside."
Touched and reassured, Jenni smiled slightly. "I won't be able to," she whispered. "Not with you around to talk to."
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Nancy slipped out of the bathroom, shutting the door quietly and looked at the two determined faces in front of her. She looked back and forth from one to the other. "What's going on?"
Charlie crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Bill as if confirming what he was about to say. "We're staying here tonight."
Nancy's mouth opened and closed several times before she finally managed to speak. "You are not staying here. I still have to clean up. And Jenni needs to rest. The last thing I need... the last thing Jenni needs is the two of you causing more of a disturbance."
"No, the last thing you need is a crazed Death Eater coming after the both of you again." Bill's voice was sharp with annoyance.
Nancy pointed at him. "Ok, that's exactly what I'm talking about. Jenni is frightened enough. She doesn't need you going off about killing Death Eaters. We'll be fine."
"Nancy... Bill's right. I don't want to think about what could happen if that guy comes back and finds the two of you here alone." Charlie's voice was hushed. "We'll clean up in here. You just make sure that Jenni's ok."
Nancy stood there a moment, indecisive. She had to admit, having the two Weasleys there WOULD make her feel that much safer. But although Bill had controlled himself and was now going about cleaning and fixing the damage, she couldn't let him make this any harder than it had to be for Jenni.
"Nancy..." Charlie had come up close to her as she watched Bill. His eyes were very tender, and he reached a hand out to brush her hair off of her face. "He's terrified. And trust me, he hates that feeling. I don't think even Dumbledore could make him leave tonight."
He paused, not wanting to add to her worries by reminding her of the very real danger she herself was in. He was staying so that she wouldn't HAVE to worry, at least for tonight. Charlie watched her face as she struggled with the decision. "It'll be all right. The last thing he wants is to hurt Jenni." A wry smile lit his face and he tilted her head so that she was looking at him. "Personally, I think he's just coming to the realization of how much he cares about her. Bill's always been a bit slow that way."
"All right." Nancy sighed, defeated. He was right, there would be no sending Bill away. She imagined it would hurt him about as much as it would her to be ordered to leave Jenni at this point, knowing how weak and vulnerable she was.
Nancy left to check on Jenni as Charlie and Bill took over cleaning. "Jenni?" Nancy called out softly as she knocked on the door. Not hearing an answer, Nancy opened the door slowly. "Everything ok in here?" Jenni was standing at the sink brushing her teeth as Nancy stepped in the room.
Nancy watched as Jenni pulled back her hair to rinse her mouth and stifled a horrified gasp at the bruises that were starting to appear around Jenni's neck. Resisting the urge to follow Bill's lead and go off on an angry tirade, Nancy calmly asked, "You feeling better?"
Jenni nodded slowly. "Yes I am."
"Good." Nancy waited as Jenni finished then gently grabbed her arm and led her to the bedroom for some much needed rest. She watched as Jenni sat on the edge of the bed before she began picking up a few things.
"Nancy..." Jenni looked up at her friend, who was bustling around the room. "He wanted you. And he could have killed me. Do you have any idea how frightening that is?"
Nancy stopped and turned to Jenni. The fear in her best friend's eyes startled her. She walked over to where Jenni was and sat next to her. "Jenni."
Jenni held up a shaky hand to stop Nancy. "He could have killed me and I couldn't stop him. I stood there and did nothing. I could barely manage a simple levitating spell."
Nancy listened as Jenni spoke. It worried her to see the one person that had always remained calm in a stressful situation looking so horribly frightened.
"He said that he wanted to leave a surprise for you. He thought I was you at first and said he would leave it in person. I can only imagine what he meant." Jenni stopped momentarily to regain her composure. "He said once his master had me that I would owe him. He's going to come back."
Nancy stared as the full impact of Jenni's words hit her. It wasn't just everything that had happened that was causing Jenni to act so strange. She was terrified. Terrified that whoever attacked her was coming back and she wouldn't be able to stop them. Nancy leaned forward and pulled Jenni into a hug. "Well, if he shows up tonight he'll have one hell of a surprise waiting for him."
Jenni pulled back. "What are you talking about?"
"Well," Nancy sighed. "Charlie and Bill have decided that they're staying. I tried to tell them that we would be all right but they weren't going for it."
Jenni's shoulders sagged with relief briefly. "Nancy, I'm sorry I'm putting you through all of this. I mean, this was supposed to be a quiet night to celebrate your promotion. And now you're stuck worrying about me and two extra people in your house."
"Honestly Jenni. I would let Professor Snape stay in my house if I thought it would make you feel safer."
Jenni gaped at Nancy's last comment before managing a stifled laugh. Several minutes passed before either of them spoke. Jenni's eyelids felt leaden, and she was just drifting off when Nancy's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Jenni?"
"What is it Nancy?"
"You really don't expect me to let Snape stay here. Do you?" The last two words were barely audible as Nancy spoke them in a whisper.
Jenni smiled. It was the first time she had really smiled since... "Well, I don't know. You did say."
Nancy stared. "Jennifer Ferguson! That's just plain WRONG."
The small giggle that Jenni couldn't hold back made Nancy's heart a hundred times lighter. Once she was calmer, less afraid, surely they could figure this out.
"Come on, promise that you're not going to develop a sudden need for Professor Snape," she teased. "His fiancée would object, for one..."
Jenni shifted on the bed, wincing as one of her bruises protested the movement, but still smiling. "Fine, fine. Deprive me of my knight errant. I suppose we'll have to make due with Red and Redder out there."
Nancy stared at her. "Red and... did you really just... Red and REDDER?" She put both hands over her mouth to keep in a shout of laughter and came over to sit carefully on the bed. "But Jenni - which one is Redder?"
They looked at each other for a moment before Jenni said slowly, "Well, think about it. Who blushes brighter?"
"Bill," Nancy said with a grin. "Dragon Man's too tan, it hides his better."
"Well, there you have it, then." Jenni tried to keep smiling, but her worries were crowding in on her - that death eater could come back anytime, and...
"Bill, Charlie and I would be ready for him." Nancy's firm answer startled Jenni; had she spoken aloud or was her face that easy to read?
"But don't you see? That makes it worse! Now I know that you three are putting yourselves in harms way - if anything happens to you or... or Bill..." she faltered, amazed at the way her heart tightened painfully at the mere thought. "Isn't there something I can do? I hate that..."
"That they're trying to fight this for us?" Nancy finished. "I know... I mean, do they think I can't protect you?" Her voice was soft and hurt, and even through the pain and fear, Jenni knew which direction her friend's thoughts were headed.
"Nancy. I doubt they've thought of it that way at all." She reached out a shaky hand and pulled lightly on Nancy's ponytail. "No one's questioning your ability here."
Nancy sighed and shot her a wry grin. "Not outright. But they're sure not asking for my help, either."
In an attempt to draw her friend's attention away from her self-defeating thoughts, Jenni tried to joke, "Well, if Bill gets what he wants, it'll be a slaughter, and I for one wouldn't want you to help with that."
It worked. Nancy blinked and looked up, and Jenni shifted uncomfortably under her very pensive eyes.
"He didn't mean it, you know," she murmured, trying to end the silence. "He was just overreacting."
Nancy shook her head. "He lost his control, but he meant it all right." She looked at her friend's white face and continued more gently. "And I probably would help him. But why does it bother you so much that he cares?"
Exhaustion was setting in, and Jenni didn't have the energy to protest or pretend. "Because one of us is going to wind up hurt... and I doubt it will be him. I don't want to be left again, Nancy," she whispered brokenly.
Blinking back tears at the memory of how stunned and shattered Jenni had been when her last relationship had ended so abruptly, Nancy pulled her into a hug. "Give Mr. William Weasley a little more credit, you nincompoop. I don't think he could even imagine himself acting half as asinine as..."
"Of course not," Jenni interrupted. "He'd be all smooth and classy about it. At least last time I could laugh at the whole ridiculous situation."
"And you know full well that I'd do something just as stupid as last time, if he tried to just leave you!" Nancy's voice rose as she remembered how hard it had been to lift Jenni's spirits then. "Trust me, I'd give you something to laugh at."
Jenni grinned, remembering a last minute transfiguration of a very expensive white wedding dress into a hot pink dollar store number. It had been sneaky of Nancy, but it HAD made her laugh.
"But you're looking for trouble where there is none. He's here, and he's staying, and I don't think you're going to find it easy to get rid of him." Noticing the drooping eyes and half-concealed yawns of her battered friend, Nancy unobtrusively tucked the covers in around her and kept talking, hoping to lull her to sleep.
"What we have to start working on is a Charlie Weasley fix. Oh, he's wonderful when I'm there... all five days I've known him... but he's Charlie Weasley. He probably runs around saving girls every week. His mother probably keeps a list of the girls he's saved so that she can identify the Christmas cards when they come each year. And besides, a guy must get tired of saving girls all the time. It won't be long before he'll realize that I'm NOT worth the trouble." Nancy paused to take a breath and noticed that Jenni's eyes had drifted shut. She was just slipping off the bed when she heard a faint whisper.
"Don't be stupid... he's mad about you."
Nancy froze and stood silently in the middle of the room, her mind racing, until she heard deep, even breathing from the bed. Only then did she walk to the door.
"Sleep well, Jenni."
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The moment she stepped out into the living room, Bill was beside her. "How is she?"
Attempting to shut the door quietly behind her, Nancy glared at him when he put his hand on it to hold it in place. "She's asleep. But only just, and she needs QUIET."
Bill didn't protest her testy tone, but looked at her with very solemn eyes. "I'd like to go in and sit with her. Do you mind?" he asked gently, knowing that most of her animosity was born of fear and worry.
Nancy balked, but couldn't find a reason to deny him entrance. "Just... please don't wake her up."
"I promise," he answered softly, sliding through the open door and quietly closing it behind him.
Worn out, she sagged back against the closed door, shutting her eyes and just breathing for a moment. When she opened them again, she was looking into two very concerned midnight blue ones.
Charlie was sitting on the couch, watching her carefully. A quick survey of the room showed that they had been as good as their word - the destruction was gone, nearly everything had been repaired or at least cleaned up. She couldn't help feeling as thought something foul still hung in the air, however. Feeling his gaze one her face, Nancy looked back at the silent redhead.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I don't know if I could have... I mean, with taking care of Jenni, it would have been really hard to... to put all of this back together."
He stood up then, his eyes still serious and troubled. "No one would expect you to handle something like this alone, Nancy." She stiffened, waiting for him to make some offhand remark about her inability to cope with situations. He walked toward her, and reached out a hand to brush a wisp of hair off of her face. "Not that you couldn't. If anyone could hold it all together right now, it would be you."
Touched beyond belief, Nancy felt herself crumbling. Why did he have to be so nice? How was she supposed to stay strong and focused when no one was telling her that she couldn't possibly do this?
He must have sensed her failing strength, because he was at her side in a flash, leading her over to the couch and pulling her down onto his lap.
"Now tell me," he murmured soothingly as he ran one hand up and down her back. "How is Jenni?"
Giving in to the warmth of his strong shoulder, Nancy laid her head there and told him - about all the bruises, about Jenni's fears for their safety, and about her emotional scars that were haunting her in her exhausted state.
Through it all he let her talk; only nodding or squeezing her hand in encouragement when she seemed to falter. When she'd talked herself out, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
"And now I want to know..." he began after a few moments of silence, "how is Nancy?"
Her eyes widened and she tried to sit up, tried to pull her strength back around her. But his arms held her where she was, and he was so generous with his own strength that she found herself instead bursting into tears and confessing through the sobs, "Nancy... Nancy is furious, and... sca- scared out of her mind."
As she cried, Charlie fought to keep his arms from trembling. The effort he was expending to maintain control of his emotions was exhausting, but he knew that he could not succumb to the fear and anger that had erupted inside of him as Jenni had explained that Nancy was the target for which the Death Eater had lain in wait. Not yet. He had to hold it together - for Bill, who had lost his temper for the first time in Charlie's memory, and especially for Nancy, who so desperately needed someone who didn't need her to be strong.
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Bill walked in quietly, careful not to make any noise. He looked over at the bed where Jenni was sleeping and sat down next to her. Without thinking, he reached forward and gently tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear. He flinched at the sight of bruises that were beginning to appear on Jenni's face - from hitting the table? - and the purpling ones on her neck.
"Jenni... I'm so sorry this happened to you," he whispered softly, lightly running his fingers across her face. He closed his eyes, seeing in his mind Jenni's face when he had first walked through the door, and the terrified expression in her eyes as she relived every moment of her attack in order to inform them. That terror had hit him hard, leaving him feeling as though he'd taken a knife straight into his heart.
As he watched her sleeping, Charlie's words repeated themselves over and over in his mind. "That's ENOUGH... You're scaring Jenni." Damn it. He hadn't meant to scare her...
Guilt washed over him as he remembered the look on her battered face as she had watched him lose his temper. He just hadn't been able to control himself; picturing that Death Eater, his fingers on her neck... just the thought of Jenni being hurt in such a way made him physically sick.
But still... "Nancy was right. You don't need me to get angry for you... not yet," he whispered quietly as she slept. Taking a deep breath, Bill brushed the stubborn lock of hair away from Jenni's face again and leaned forward to kiss her forehead.
As he sat there, he realized that he was racked by an emotion that he hadn't felt in a long time - fear. He shook his head, silently protesting his own acknowledgment. Bill Weasley didn't get scared. But tonight, he had been... hell, he still WAS terrified. On top of the sick, cold fear that had settled in his gut, a million 'what ifs' plagued him - What if he had somehow gotten here sooner? What if Nancy hadn't shown up when she did? What if that Death Eater had finished what he started? What if the first woman who had ever caught and held his attention for more than a week had disappeared from his life before he could tell her how he felt?
Clenching his fists, Bill pulled himself back from that line of thought. She was here, bruised and frightened, but ok. He just had to make sure he was there for her when... IF this creep came back.