Petals & Thorns | Fred Weasley

ninteen

"By not trusting her, you aren't trusting Dumbledore!" She argued. "If he didn't want her here, she wouldn't be. Sit down, and shut up about it. You're a Black, for Merlin's sake! You should know yourself a last name doesn't matter." She tufted. That seemed to be the end of the conversation. They both returned to the table, taking a seat. "We have to wait until Albus gets here," she announced, residing beside Arthur. "Then we can start. For now, why don't you tell us about yourself, dear. I'm sure you don't know many people in the room." Molly smiled at the young girl. She was taken back at her kindness, expecting rejection from everyone. "This is my husband, Arthur, and my son, Bill." She referenced the two red heads. They gave her a smile and a nod.

"Um, well, I'm Adalinda Malfoy." She was devoid of any other words. She was used to feeling powerful, but she felt small in the room. She had no idea about what they knew or didn't know, and she knew they were much better wizards than she. She felt insignificant.

"Well, I'm sure there's more to you than that." Mrs. Weasley prodded. She was unsure of how to talk to her. Of course, it was her boyfriends mother, but she had no idea her son was dating her. She had no idea who she was, let alone her relationship with Fred.

"I'm seventeen," she explained. "Dumbledore allowed me to join The Order. I don't wish to be a part of my family's tradition. I want to help stop The Dark Lord." She explained. She didn't want to tell them her whole story, believing it might make them think even less of her. "I'll be finishing school this year, then I can really help. For now, I'm just here to do what I can."

"So you go to school with my boys!" She beamed. "The twins, of course, in their year." She added. "They can be pests at times, but they're wonderful."

"Yeah, I am." She smiled. "Never really spoke to them much. Different houses and all." She lied. The conversation stopped there, cut short by Dumbledore's arrival. He entered the room with grace, greeting them all.

"Right, now we might as well get this over with. We don't have much time to spare." He sighed, not bothering to sit. "There's been an attack." He explained. They all leaned forward, as if it would make them hear clearer. "On Harry Potter." A collective gasp was heard from the kitchen. "He is alright. It is, to my belief, that Voldemort set two dementors on him earlier this evening. He is pending expulsion from the Ministry. I've managed to convince them to have a formal hearing." Sirius looked pained at the knowledge. Molly looked afraid. "So, this means he is getting stronger. He's not only trying to regain his following of witches and wizards, but dark creatures as well. We can only assume that when he has that, he'll try to receive the prophecy. We have to find a way to make Cornelius see the situation clearly. The danger is growing the longer he is in denial." Addy knew that the ministry was denying Voldemort's resurrection. She thought it was baffling, the fact they would brush such urgent news under the rug.

"So, what now?" Sirius asked. "Do we bring him here?" He asked.

"Precisely. I'll have a few of you go to retrieve the boy tonight. He is to stay here until the hearing. He mustn't talk to anyone outside of this household. He is at a great risk." He told the group. "We need a plan, and fast. It is critical that we get ahead of the situation. Those of you following the Death Eaters, keep a closer eye. Those of you recruiting, get as many as you can. Guard duty will be postponed, obviously, now that Harry will be here. Still, the house must remain well hidden. Do not let our location slip. If Cornelius catches wind that we are back together, he will have us shut down, and most likely, imprisoned." The man looked stressed, Addy noticed. He was more disheveled than he was when she visited him last. "Those of you doing other jobs for me, do them to the best of your ability." He gave a side eye to the young girl, and Severus. "That will be it for today. Next week, we'll be here at the same time. Moody, Tonks, and Lupin—you three will be going to get Harry. Make sure he gets here safely. I assume you will continue the meeting after Harry has arrived." With that, he left.