𝙱𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙻𝚒𝚏𝚎

𝟶𝟷𝟼-𝙳𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚐

┌────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──────┐

Marilyn returned to Dumbledore's office and informed him that Charlie was doing well before apparating to an area of St. Mungo's meant for arrival via apparition. She found the ward Arthur had been transferred to easily enough and walked inside to find the Weasleys able to be there, Marvolo, and Harry inside crowded around his bed.

"Oh, Marilyn! Good to see you again." Arthur said, looking immensely relieved to see her. 

She suspected the other children had been questioning him about where he had been when he was attacked. 

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked, joining the group around his bed.

"Oh yes, much better. Should be out of here in no time." He said brightly and she nodded.

"That's good. Oh, Charlie says hello and he wishes you a speedy recovery." She informed him, earning pleased smiles from Arthur and Molly while the kids gave her bewildered looks.

"You went to Romania?" George questioned incredulously.

Marilyn nodded, "Yeah, Dumbledore sent me to tell Charlie. It was nice seeing him again." She said, smiling slightly.

"You know Charlie?" This time it was Fred who asked the question.

Again, she nodded, "Yeah, I met him in my first year of Hogwarts." She said and left it at that while the other kids (other than Marvolo who knew that already) looked at her, impressed with just how many people she knew.

"Merlin, does she ever sleep?" Ron muttered to Harry, sounding very impressed indeed.

"I don't think so," he muttered back, "When I had detention, she brought me murtlap essence every night when it ended, which was usually well after midnight."

Marvolo crossed the room to his sister and looked her over for burns. He knew her well enough to know she would have definitely walked right in front of the dragon. Finding no burns, he sighed in relief and locked his hand with his twin's.

George turned back to his father, seemingly wanting to get back to what they were talking about before. 

"You were guarding it, weren't you?" he said quietly. "The weapon? The thing You-Know-Who's after?" 

"George, be quiet!" snapped Molly. 

 "Anyway," said Mr Weasley in a raised voice, "this time Willy'sbeen caught selling biting doorknobs to Muggles, and I don't think he'll be able to worm his way out of it because according to this article, two Muggles have lost fingers and are now in St. Mungo's for emergency bone regrowth and memory modification. Just think of it, Muggles in St. Mungo's! I wonder which ward they're in?" 

And he looked eagerly around as though hoping to see a signpost. 

"Didn't you say You-Know-Who's got a snake, Harry?" asked Fred, looking at his father for a reaction. "A massive one? You saw it the night he returned, didn't you?" 

"That's enough," said Molly crossly. "Mad-Eye and Tonksare outside, Arthur, they want to come and see you. And you lot can wait outside," she added to her children, the Gaunt twins, and Harry. "You can come and say good-bye afterwards. Go on. . . ." 

They trooped back into the corridor. Mad-Eye and Tonks went in and closed the door of the ward behind them. Fred raised his eyebrows. 

"Fine," he said coolly, rummaging in his pockets, "be like that. Don't tell us anything." 

"Looking for these?" said George, holding out what looked like a tangle of flesh-coloured string.

"You read my mind," said Fred, grinning. "Let's see if St. Mungo'sputs Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"