In Too Deep (Blairon)

The Man Who Saw Too Much

I slowly ascended the creaking steps of my childhood home, The Burrow. Every step I took seemed to weigh down on me and with the further I got to the top floor, the more I wanted to go back down.

The eldest Weasley child, Bill, had an extremely dangerous job and this wasn't the first time he'd come home hurt. He's in the army and I rarely see him. But when I do, he's either hurt or grieving. I love Bill, we all do, but being used to something like coming home to a hurt family member isn't something we all enjoy. Though we always celebrate his return either way.

I finally reached the landing and stared at Bill and Charlie's shared room door. I was about to knock, but hesitated. My fist laying against the door. I nearly jumped out of my skin when an arm snaked its way around my waist. I turned to see Hermione smiling reassuringly at me. I smiled back, grateful that she was here, healing with me and not stuck in that hospital anymore. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I knocked.

"It's open."

I opened the door a crack and peaked inside.

"Bill?"

What I saw definitely  wasn't what I was expecting...

Bill was standing up straight, wearing a simple sweats and tank top. As much as I loved my brother, he often looked extremely intimidating with the years he'd spent in the army. Large scars scattered his extremely toned body, smaller ones on his face. He was muscular and the tallest Weasley, standing at 6,4. However, as much as Bill was intimidating, he's just a large marshmallow in disguise. His long hair was tied up in a high ponytail and his piercings had all been taken out. The only thing that looked somewhat recognizable about him was his shark tooth necklace. I had never seen him so relaxed looking with his signiture long hair since I was a kid.

Bill was grinning so widely at me he looked almost physcotic. He jogged forwads and hugged me, causing me to nearly stumble back into Hermione who moved out the way just in time. He let me go and grabbed onto my shoulders, looking me up and down with his hazel eyes, similar to George's. His teeth blinded me with the smile he shown.

Why was he so happy?

I mean, I was extremely relieved he didn't seem in any sort of pain but I'd never seen him this excited in ages.

"I left." Was all he said.

It took me a while to register what he meant until the meaning of his words crashed into me like a wave. I gasped and grappled onto his arms, my eyes wide.

"You're joking?" I asked and he shook his head, his hair bouncing. I couldn't hold myself back and I launched at my brother. The both of us tumbled onto the ground and I sat up, straddling him.

"I'm so proud of you!" I screamed, punching his shoulder. He blushed and grinned up at me, giggling.

Bill can giggle?

I stood up and held out my hand for him. He took it and with a little difficulty, stood up in front of me. Only then, had I realized Hermione had disappeared behind the threshold of the room.
I brushed it off and focused my attention back to my ecstatic brother.

"Wait what about Fluer? And Victoire?" I asked Bill and his grin widened, his eyes shining. "I'm going to surprise them next week!" He said happily. My heart warmed at the sight of Bill so happy. He hasn't seen his wife, Fluer and his daughter Victoire in months. I wish I'd be there for the surprise, and to see little Vicky but I had my own job to attend to unfortunately. And Harry and I weren't going to get away with missing it again...

"Why'd you do it?" I asked and the look in Bill's eyes changed. Though I couldn't place what it had changed to. Bill sighed, shrugging his shoulders up and down to relieve tension. "It's a long story." He said simply and I frowned. "Bill?" Bill looked at me with what he must've thought was the most innocent look on his face. But I didn't buy it. "Everyone down there is worried about you. Why would they be if you left?" I asked and he coughed, clearing his throat. Suddenly, his face became extremely red and he furrowed his eyebrows. My frown deepened. He was hiding something.

Suddenly, a thought popped into my head and I nearly gasped.

"You didn't leave, did you? You were let go." I whispered and Bill's upbeat and happy attitude slowly disintegrated.

"More like 'fired' me." He joked. But I wasn't laughing. He finally seemed to realize there was no avoiding the situation and sat me down on his bed. Squaring his large shoulders. "Alright, maybe they did fire me. But it's not because of what you'd think." He started and I nodded, narrowing my eyes on him. He took a deep breath.

"They fired me because..."

I sat still with bated breath, my mind suddenly yearning for this information I didn't know I wanted.

"They fired me because I saw it ."

I rose an eyebrow and Bill stared at me with troubled eyes. "What do you mean?" I asked. He groaned and stood up, immediately sitting down again when he stumbled. "Damn this leg," he mumbled irritably. "Bill." I pushed and he sighed, licking his lips thoughtfully. But his hazel eyes were still churning with uncomfort and concern.

"There's this new program that the Navy have been working on. Underwater weaponry, you know. At first, I- like everybody thought it might've been a new, more powerful and stronger model of submarine. Or a different, more efficient type of underwater missile. But as we were passing through the base off the coast...... I saw it..."

Bill looked slightly terrified. Looking around as if the Navy were listening to every thing he said. A sniper waiting to pull the trigger if he said the wrong thing. I was so confused and the curiousity and concern in myself suddenly found it extremely prevelent that I know.

"If it wasn't a submarine or a bomb, what was it?" I asked quietly, my heart beat beginning to rise with every waiting moment he kept silent. Bill stared at me for a long time, his eyes boring into my own. He looked at his hands and gulped. "You won't believe me." He stated dryly and I glared at him.

"Try me."

Bill closed his eyes and sighed.

"It was..... a mermaid."

A cold chill ran up my spine and I suddenly remembered why I had even come to the Burrow in the first place...

To escape the drowning feeling I felt every time I thought of Blaise...

Suddenly, the room became very cold and massive waves of guilt that I'd been suppressing washed over me and my heart ached. I had just left him there. Thrown him to the dogs. He must be so scared and confused and lonely and I just left him there for them to experiment on him!

But I had to, right? I couldn't let him leave. He hurt my friends. My family. He hurt them and that's unforgivable...

And he murdered three deputies!
I didn't know what to feel. I've been trying to convince myself that leaving the mer at Finch Labs was a good idea. That I'd be protecting Hermione and Draco from getting hurt again. But every time I think about what happened before they took him away I feel like I'm drowning...

"Ron?"

I let out a shaky gasp and turned my head to face Bill. I looked at my hands, letting the tears slip down my cheeks.

"Ron, what's the matter?" Bill asked, the weight of his hand on my shoulder. I gulped down the lump in my throat, sniffing.

"Bill, we need to talk." I started, my voice coming out shaky, wiping my tears away as discreetly as I could.

He rose a dark ginger eyebrow, scooting closer to me. "Why, what happened?"

My throat constricted as I thought about the events that had happened the past month and a half. I didn't feel ready to say everything that happened out loud, but if I wanted to break Blaise out of the lab, I'd need backup.

"It started on our first day on Mage Island-"