WILD ➞ Fred Weasley

lxvi. elysium

"I know I'll be front seat at a match if we ever see the day," Rory sighed. A thought tugged at the back of her mind telling her what if they win, what if things never go back to how they were. However, she pushed it aside as quick as it came.

Just then, there was a knock on the door causing everyone to freeze. Arthur stood up, being the secret keeper for the home, he was the protector for all of them.

He went to the front door which wasn't visible to anyone in the sitting room. Rory held her breath as the muffled — yet distinct — voice of Remus Lupin filled the quiet house. Why would Lupin need to be there? Was he staying with them as well? He couldn't though, it wouldn't make sense. After a few brief moments of hearing Arthur and Remus' mumbling from the foyer, the two men walked into the sitting room. Everyone looked around, worried by their solemn faces.

Remus' gaze danced around the room then landed on Cordelia... Andrew... and Rory.

"I need a word, with the three of you. We can go into the dinning room if that's alright Muriel?" Remus said softly.

Molly stood up, "We'll all be fine in the dinning room, you lot can stay. I'll take Emily." Muriel shrugged in response and the Weasley family left them alone. Rory exchanged a worried glance with Fred as he left. A million possibilities rushed to her head. However only one she knew was plausible.

She had felt it, days prior she had felt something inside her change. She assumed it was just general war-induced-anxiety but with Remus in front of her, sitting in an arm chair across from her family, she knew what it was.

"I just got back from Shell Cottage, Bill sent me a message not too long ago, told me it was urgent. Ron and the lot are alright. They came to Bill and Fleur, along with a few others who'd been taken. Luna Lovegood, Ollivander, Dean Thomas —" Remus paused and looked up at them. Rory felt a strange, sinking feeling in her stomach.

Remus continued, "They were held at Malfoy Manor. The one's who'd been there for a bit, they said Aaron was there with them too."

Was.

"Remus just say it already," Rory spat, "Please just fucking say it."

Then man nodded, "About a week ago, they brought him up for another round of questioning. He'd been there for months, Ollivander said. They had all gotten their fair bit of pain, but none like Aaron. He fought as hard as he could until the very end —"

There it was. The small golden piece of string holding up all her hopes and optimism her entire life, had snapped. She didn't have time to register the screams escaping her lips, the shaky sobs. The tears blurred her vision, but she could still see as Andrew stood up abruptly and left the room, slamming shut the door to his bedroom.

Rory looked around, her vision becoming clearer as her tears fell. She stood up, her body now more in control than her mind, but Remus stopped her from following her father.

Cordelia shook her head, "Don't, Rory. He isn't... he likes to be left alone when he's upset."

"Left alone?" Rory furrowed her brows, "His son is dead!"

"I'll go speak to him," Remus said in almost a whisper, leading Rory's body back to the couch. She collapsed into Cordelia's arms, sobbing as Remus went to talk to Andrew. The woman held Rory close, crying harshly herself but putting Rory's comfort first. It was the closest thing she had ever felt to a mother's love. Because it was a mother's love.