WILLA BIT HER NAIL AND PACED BACK AND FORTH. She was in charge of the children - her babies and a few of the first years who'd been evacuated at shell cottage. She watched out the window as smoke billowed in the distance, knowing it was coming from Hogwarts. Her husband was in there, her whole family was in there.
A loud cry jolted her out of her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. Thatcher was hungry. She'd already fed Georgia who was sleeping soundly on a pillow on the couch. "Uh, Mrs. Weasley I think he's hungry." A young Gryffindor first year who'd taken shelter at Shell Cottage suggested.
"Yes dear, thank you." Willa picked her son up, throwing a baby blanket over the both of them as he nursed. She rocked her baby back and forth, her mind still racing. Half of her wished she was there, fighting the battle with her family. But, the other half understood she was doing just as much a service protecting these children.
Her brother was heavy on her mind. How do you go from a follower of Voldemort to fighting to the side of good? How would the rest of the death eaters react? Would his life be spared once they'd realized he'd betrayed them? Willa shook the thought off her brain and rocked his namesake gently. Thatcher would be so proud to have a baby named after him; slightly annoyed he shared the name with a Malfoy. Willa smiled, remembering Thatcher and Lukas and how they'd be right up there fighting as well. Actually, Lukas may have been in shell cottage tending to the children with Willa.
The door to the cottage burst open after what seemed like an eternity. It was George and Draco. George was crying. "George? George what's wrong?" Willa jumped up, running over to her brother in law.
"You need to come with me, Will. Come on, give the baby to Draco." He cried, trying to stay calm for Willa but he was hysterical. Willa immediately mimicked his emotions, if Fred wasn't with the two then there was something horribly wrong.
"Come on, Drake." Draco whispered, fighting tears hisself. He took the baby in his arms, terrified because he'd never watched a baby, let alone two, on his own, but understanding that Willa had to get to her husband.
George and Willa ran out of the cottage and towards the castle. "Georgie, please tell me what's going on." Willa whispered, crying. George stopped dead in his tracks, not looking Willa in the eye.
"Fred's been hurt."
"Hurt?" Willa asked, not believing him. "If he was hurt, you wouldn't have came bursting through that door. You wouldn't be crying. What's going on, George?"
"He's not going to make it, Willa." George sobbed, not believing the words that came from his own mouth.
"What?" Willa whispered, "you're lying."
"You need to say your goodbyes, Will." George sobbed, "I'm so sorry."
•
When they got to the castle, they entered the great hall and Willa immediately began searching for her husband. She seen a group of red standing over a body in the floor: there he was. She froze in her tracks for a moment, noticing how he looked as if he was sleeping so peacefully. He wasn't mangled. "Freddie!" She sobbed. She ran towards his body, only to be held back by Charlie.
"He's gone, Will." Charlie sobbed, holding Willa as tight as he could as she screamed a blood curdling scream. "He's gone, love." He whispered into her hair, trying to comfort her but there was no comfort to be found.
"Charlie! Let me through!" She growled, breaking through from Charlie's arms and dropping to her knees next to her husband. She lifted his limp head up and placed it in her lap, rubbing his cold face gently.
"Please come back, baby. I can't do this without you. Georgia and Drake need you." She sobbed. Charlie looked away, seeing not only his brother dead but also his best friend in indescribable pain was too much to handle. Molly dropped down next to Willa and held her tightly, the two sobbing together. "Molly, what am I going to do?" She sobbed into Molly's shoulder as Molly rocked her back and forth like a baby, stroking her blonde hair.
"I can't live without him." Willa sobbed, Fred's head still resting in her lap as if he was sleeping. "Please baby, come back." Willa sobbed, kissing his cold lips.
•
"Willa, wake up!" Willa was jostled out of a very real dream to see George standing before her.
She immediately broke out into a hysterical sob. "Georgie, how am I going to live without him?" She cried. George looked at her, very confused.
Charlie and Percy entered shell cottage, supporting Fred as the three walked. "He's not dead?" She gasped. It was all a bad dream. A horrible dream.
"Pretty banged up, but aliv-" George began but was cut off by Willa handing Drake to him. She jumped up from the rocking chair she'd dozed off in feeding Drake and ran full force to her husband. His arms dropped from Charlie and Percy's shoulders as he seen Willa.
"Will." He sobbed, blood covering his face from a gash on his forehead.
"Freddie." She whispered, crashing into Fred. He grabbed onto Charlie to keep from falling down and, after steadying hisself, wrapped his wife in a tight hug.
"We won, my love. We're all safe." He cried, grabbing her face in his hands. He kissed her as if his life depended on it, as if he'd never kiss her again. What he didn't know, is Willa thought she'd already kissed him for the last time. She kissed him back as if no one was watching, as if they were all alone.
"Don't you ever die on me, Fred Weasley." She sobbed into his chest after the kiss was over.
"I'll try my best, love." He whispered into her hair.
"Draco?" She gasped, realizing she didn't see her brother. Fred turned around to gesture to the next group coming to the cottage; the trio, Molly, Narcissa, and Draco. Willa gasped when she seen Narcissa and Draco walking hand and hand, Narcissa and Molly talking civilly. Willa squeezed her husband's hand before taking off and crashing into Draco. Draco picked up his sister and spun her around, happy to be safe. Happy for all this to be over with.
"Willa?" Narcissa said timidly.
"Yeah?" Willa replied, Draco putting her down.
"I don't have any family left. 'Sides Dromeda." She whispered, eyeing Molly.
"Sorry." Molly whispered quietly, guilt crossing her face. Narcissa reached down and squeezed Molly's hand.
"I'd done the same if it was Draco." She smiled, relief crashing over Molly's face. "But, what I was wondering.. I know I'll never replace your mum, but could I have the honor of standing in as Drake and Georgia's grandmother?"
Willa's mouth dropped open and she looked back at Fred, who nodded, showing his approval. "Of course, Narcissa." Willa smiled, hugging the nervous woman.
Years ago, after her mother's death, if someone had asked Willa if she'd be happily walking towards shell cottage to introduce her babies with Fred Weasley to their new stand-in grandma, Narcissa Malfoy, she'd called them a liar. As Willa stood back and watched Narcissa cradle each baby, Fred switching them out for her, a tear came to her eye. A happy tear.