Good Girl || George Weasley

51

"We weren't sure you'd be able to make it," my mother continues, her voice smooth and her tone completely casual as she holds her wand limply in her hand, as if I'm not a threat. "After all, Barty told us you were suspicious of him. And you're a very intelligent young woman. But when you didn't do anything about your suspicions, we knew. You were on our side."

She smiles at me, and I want to throw up. The air is pressing in on all sides of me, making it hard to breathe or think or do anything. I can feel Harry's eyes on me, but I can't bring myself to look at him. I can't bring myself to tear my eyes away from her.

What the fuck is this? What is she doing here? This is what she left us for?

I don't know why I'm so surprised. She was born and raised a Malfoy, after all. It's in her blood. Yet I still have to harden my gaze and blink back the tears that threaten to spill, whether they're from fear or humiliation at being lured into a trap, I'm not sure. My wand shakes in my outstretched hand, and I will myself to get myself under control, to calm down, to think straight.

Because I know it's up to me to get us out of here. I have to, for myself, and for Harry.

"He also told us you'd be helping out tonight," my mother continues.

What?

Before I can react, before Harry can react, my mother is waving her wand and I hear the word leave her lips just before the spell hits me:

"Imperio."

Everything in me seems to close up, every thought vanishing from my head. The only thing I'm able to do, able to focus on, is the words inside my head, the whispering voice of my mother.

Come join me, Kathryn.

There's a tiny part of me, in the back of my head, that screams not to leave Harry's side, but my feet take me forward, and I walk towards her, only stopping when I reach her side, leaving Harry open and vulnerable to whatever they have planned. My body is stiff and doesn't even feel like my own. All I know is to obey, and even when she holds out her hand for my wand, mentally telling me to give it to her, I do.

I stare straight ahead, my feet rooted to the ground, watching as Harry gets dragged away by Pettigrew — Wormtail, as my mother had called him, which I recognize from the map. It was a nickname given to him by friends who had truly loved him, and now—

My thought gets cut off mid sentence, the rising anger that I knew, deep down, was me, as if my mind is fighting with the control that my mother is trying — and succeeding — to hold over me. I watch helplessly as Wormtail ties Harry to a nearby headstone, wrapping long, thick cords around his body so that there's no possible way to escape.

"Good girl, Kathryn," Mother says from beside me, casually, as if we're watching the Hogwarts choir perform, instead of this. "You know, besides your meddling, Barty told us you're really quite the obedient little witch." She continues, as Wormtail starts to push a cauldron towards Harry, his breathing loud and heavy, even from across the graveyard. A small part of my mind is screaming to break free break free break free, and if I just focus hard enough, I think I can, but I don't kn—

"He chose you to demonstrate the Imperius in class for a reason," she says, twirling her wand absentmindedly, her fingers long and nimble, her nails perfectly filed. "It was a test, of course. He wanted to see if you'd work, and you did. You didn't break free of it. You obeyed perfectly, just as we wished. Of course, Barty assumed you'd be coming with Harry Potter tonight, seeing as how protective you've been over the boy, and he didn't discourage that. We figured you'll be a useful addition to our ranks, because we all know how intelligent and talented you are, but we need your help first. So you can prove yourself."