International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 77

I spend the days following the rescue from Warrington Manor at the Burrow. After a day of sitting around, I offered to help Molly with tasks around the house, but the woman had declined at first. She insisted I should rest, but when she had seen me pacing, she reluctantly gave me a basket of laundry.

Fred has taken his work home in order to spend time with me. We talked about what happened and Fred told me to let him know what he can do to help. George has moved back to the twins' flat in Diagon Alley and has opened their shop again, but still joins dinner at the Burrow.

A few days later, on Saturday after breakfast, there is a knock on the back door. I offered to do the dishes while Fred is seated at the table with George, going over some of their latest inventions. Occasionally, one of them asks for my input and I'm leaning over their latest plan when the knock sounds.

The first thought I have is that it might be someone of the Order, but Fred made it clear to Kingsley and Mad-Eye that I'll write them when I'm ready to talk about it. He had been quite angry that first day and I'm sure the older wizards know better than to try to go against Fred.

It turns out it's an Order member but not the person I expected. My uncle smiles at me as he enters and nods at Fred and George who have narrowed their eyes at the man. I dry my hands and accept a hug from my uncle.

"Good to have you back, Elena," I hear him say and when I let go of him again, he smiles down at me, "I came to see how you are doing. I was really worried about you."

Fred scoffs at those words and I frown, looking between him and my uncle. Fred and George both have crossed their arms, the plans in front of them forgotten, as they regard my uncle with narrowed eyes.

My uncle ignores the two men and turns to me, "Shall we go outside to talk?"

I look over at Fred before nodding at my uncle. I grab my wand from the counter – ever since I returned from Warrington Manor, my wand hasn't been far from me – before following my uncle outside.

My uncle offers me his arm and I accept it. In silence, we walk off the property. As we walk through the fields around the Burrow, my uncle speaks up: "How are you doing, Elena?"

"Good," I answer, "Or, as good as one can be after almost being forced to marry someone they hate and being kept a prisoner by a crazy pure-blood family."

I stop walking and remove my hand from my uncle's arm. Gripping my wand for security, I look up to my uncle and ask: "Why didn't you put a stop to it?"

It has been bugging me for the past few days. Fred slipped something about how my uncle was acting when I was at Warrington Manor but had shut his mouth just as quickly. When I asked what he was talking about, Fred refused to answer and told me I should talk with my uncle. He didn't want to cause a fight.

"Elena..." my uncle starts in his 'I-know-you-are-hurt-but' voice.

"No," I shake my head, "No. The Warringtons said it themselves. They contacted you, but you didn't respond or... and then Fred said something yesterday and..."

"Your boyfriend has never liked me, Elena," my uncle interrupts, "You need to know-"

"What?" I ask, "Because it doesn't add up. Back at Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, you were terrified something would happen to me and now something happened and you- you- you didn't even bother to try to contact known Death Eaters in an attempt to get me out!"

"It's more complicated than you think."

"More complicated than the promise you made to Mom?"

The tone of my voice is sharp, and my uncle's face falls the moment the words register. I clench my fists and tilt my head, "You were the one who brought it up last year with Umbridge at Hogwarts."