Mrs. Weasley woke early that morning, never in her widest dreams expecting what was to happen in a few short minutes. Once she had got herself a cup of coffee she padded back upstairs planning on waking up everyone so that she could start making breakfast. But she never got past the twins room, where there were two empty, cold beds that hadn't been used most of the night. She knew they weren't anywhere downstairs and if they were in one of their brothers room she would be able to hear their low chuckling.
Panic set in and she can't think straight. So she does the only thing she could as thousands of horrid situations run through her head. She screams. Not the one her children have learnt to fear, the one that says she is beyond furious. This one is full of panic and fear, this one brings the rest of the household running before she even runs out of breath.
Charlie feels like he only just drifted into a fitful sleep before his mums scream wakes him up.
Fred, George and Hermione are still lost in their own thoughts when a faint scream rouses them, one Fred and George recognise as their mums.
Grace spots two of the three children spring up as a woman's scream she recognises from somewhere reaches them. But Hermione, the girl she feels she ought to know, only got halfway up before collapsing back onto the ground with a cry of pain.
Hermione had been feeling a dull ache come from her leg since she had regained consciousness but had pushed it to the back of her mind. She had been concentrating on how to make Fred realise that whatever happened to Grace wasn't his fault. But as soon as she tried to stand up when she heard a woman's scream the pain took priority.
Fred and George were about to start running towards their home, only just realising the sun had risen, when they heard Hermione's cry of pain. They spin around to see her clutching her leg in obvious pain and from the weird bend in her leg they can tell it's badly broken. How she was able to not show any pain before is beyond them. They know they can't leave her there on her own but they also know they have to get back home to find out what's wrong. So, with just a nod to each other, they each took an arm and help her up before half carrying, half dragging her along to their house despite her protests.
Hermione knows almost as soon as Fred and George nod at each other what they're planning but she's powerless to stop it. Her leg stops her from being able to get away from them so all she can do is protest as loudly as she can. Though none of them notice the girl trailing them, her footsteps drowned out by Hermione's voice.
At the Burrow everyone fans out to search the house, apart from Ron and Ginny who sit huddled at the kitchen table; worry etched onto their faces. Almost all at once everyone enters the kitchen, all with grim looks on their faces. No one speaks until Ginny lets out a gasp and sprints from the table to the back door. Everyone follows her, not noticing the three figures emerging from the woods until they're halfway across the garden. Ginny stops just in front of Bill, who nearly knocks her over after her abrupt stop. The Weasleys - bar Fred and George - form a sort of line, staring at the odd trio. Well at least until Fred yells for someone to help them.
Fred can feel Hermione's grip on him tighten in pain as he sees his family just create a line and stare. He wonders if his family is blind, can they not see Hermione's bruises? George's thoughts go along the same line but he isn't as angry as Fred. But he understands when Fred yells at them.
Mrs. Weasley darts forward, finally noticing Hermione's state. She starts to levitate her towards the house but Hermione starts to flail, her arms reaching for Fred and George, who immediately grab her hands and whisper soothing words in her ears. Bill rushes back inside to set up somewhere for his mother to heal the girl and Mr. Weasley ushers Percy, Ron and Ginny back into the house.
But Charlie stays where he is, staring at the girl half hidden by a tree. A girl with brown curls, apart from the bottom of them which are a dark red. She looks so much like Grace it scares him. Suddenly, the figure turns to look at him and he knows without a doubt it's Grace.
