Chapter 14 (Fred)
I walked into the kitchen, slamming the door behind me and wincing as the wound on my arm opened up.
"Fred!"
Mum rushed over with a worried expression. She hated any of us going on missions for the Order, and if we came back with any cuts or bruises, she was immediately there to heal them.
"I'm fine, Mum." I dismissed quickly, glancing up at Remus and Kingsley, who were both sitting at the table.
"The mission wasn't successful." I muttered, "The bloody Death Eaters outnumbered us again. We all had to Apparate away to different locations."
Remus sighed, burying his face in his hands, "This is the second unsuccessful mission this week. Any casualties?"
I shook my head, "Nothing much. A few cuts and bruises on everyone, but we knew when to retreat."
George walked in, the expression on his face relaxing when he realised that I was safe.
"No success?" He guessed. I shook my head, sitting down at the table with a sigh.
I couldn't focus on the failure of my missions when we still didn't know where Ava was. Remus had tried to stop me from going on missions- he knew how distracted I was- but I had refused.
"How are we ever going to get any information on Ava's whereabouts if we keep failing these missions?" I whispered. My heart ached- I didn't want any harm to come to Ava. I just longed to know that she was okay.
"Freddie," George muttered, sitting down beside me, "She's okay. She's a fighter, just like I told you. Whatever they're doing to her, she won't just take it."
I nodded at my brother, managing a small smile even though I knew I couldn't fool him.
"Fred, I'm not sure if we should allow you to continue going on these missions. You're going to end up doing something dangerous," Remus shook his head, "Ava wouldn't want you risking your life for her."
"How will I ever see her again if I don't do just that? Remus, I can't just sit here and do nothing. I-" I stopped myself, shaking my head as I stood up and kicked my chair back.
"I'm going out," I muttered.
Remus shook his head, "Where on earth are you going?"
"I left something I need at the shop." I opened the door, but Remus grabbed onto my arm.
"Don't go, Fred. You're not in the right place at the moment- I can tell you're not thinking straight. What if you bump into some Death Eaters?"
I stopped, lowering my head. My shoulders slumped, and Remus sighed.
"Fred. I know how you feel about her. She means the world to you. I understand that. But you can't allow yourself to make stupid decisions like this."
I knew that Remus was right. If Ava were there, she'd be stubborn as always, and would refuse to let me leave the house.
But she wasn't there.
"I'm sorry, Remus." I whispered, "But I can't just sit around. I need to keep my brain active so I don't have to think about her." My voice cracked, and I felt Remus' hand fall away from my shoulder. He knew that he'd lost.
"Be careful out there." He muttered simply.
I heard a chair scrape across the floor, and George walked up to me slowly.
"Fred, I can come with you-" He started to say, but I shook my head.
"I just want some time alone, Georgie."
The nickname made a smile flicker across his lips for a fleeting moment, but his eyes still betrayed the worry. He was concerned about me, I could tell. I hadn't been the same since Ava had been kidnapped.
Suddenly, George seemed to give in to something as he leaned forwards and wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. It was something we rarely did, and the gesture caught me by surprise.
"Be safe. You know what to do if you get into trouble," He spoke quietly in my ear, and I nodded.
"Just for you."
* * *
A loud crack sounded as I Apparated into Diagon Alley, causing me to wince. I hardly wanted to draw attention to myself.
It was already dark outside, and Diagon alley was eerily empty. I had seen it like this many times before. The weeks before George and I had decided to close the shop up had been weeks of barely any customers, and when attacks had begun on some of the shops by Death Eaters, we had decided it would be safest to close the shop. This had been a decision that neither of us had wanted to make, but we had known it was important.
I walked towards the shop, recognising the bright colours that stood out against the dimly lit alley.
A few nights ago, I had remembered a photograph of Ava and I that I had left in the office at the shop. I hadn't been able to stop thinking about that bloody picture afterwards- I wanted to see her face again. It would be enough to remind me of her stubbornness, her strength and her perseverance. George was right- Ava would not go down without a fight.
That was what I loved about her. That and so much else.
I heard voices nearby, and picked up the pace slightly. They had been quiet, but they had still been there. Ahead of me, I caught sight of two figures. I gripped my wand in my pocket, tensing my shoulders slightly.
As I got closer, I realised that it appeared to be an older couple, holding hands and whispering to each other quietly. I offered them a smile, and the older woman gave me an odd look as she and her husband both picked up the pace.
I heard voices again, and stopped, glancing around quickly. I couldn't see anyone, but the voices were there. I continued walking, knowing I was about two minutes away from the shop. I just needed to keep going.
My footsteps seemed to echo around the alley. I considered casting a silencio on my feet, but decided that it wasn't worth the bother.
I caught sight of the door of the shop, and reached into my pocket to pull the key out.
"That Potter girl is causing us more grief every day."
I froze with my hand in my pocket.
"I suggest we get rid of her, but the Dark Lord won't have it. He insists that she has information."
I turned around slowly, trying to catch sight of who I could hear. I couldn't see their faces, just a few figures in the shadows. I pulled my wand out, wondering what to do.
These Death Eaters knew where Ava was. But could I fight them alone?
My key had caught on the end of my wand, and before I could stop it, it slipped out of my fingers and fell to the cobbled street with a clatter.
"Oi!"
I turned to run, but one of the Death Eaters stunned me, knocking me to the ground.
"Looks like we've got a Weasley boy here. What a treat," One of the Death Eaters smirked, kicking my leg with his foot.
I spat on one of their boots, and the Death Eater hissed at me.
"Dirty little thing, aren't you?"
He and the other two began to laugh, and I took my opportunity to leap up towards them.
I elbowed one of them in the face, knocking him to the floor and turning to face another.
"Petrificus Totalus!" I shouted, sending another Death Eater flying before I turned to the final one. I punched him in the face and kicked his wand out of his hand, before shoving him up against the brick wall and pressing my wand against his neck.
"Tell me what you've done to Ava," I hissed, "Tell me where she is."
The Death Eater only smiled, "Got a fondness for the Potter girl, have you?"
I didn't have the chance to reply as I heard voices behind me and looked over my shoulder to catch sight of five Death Eaters sprinting towards me.
One of them stunned me, and the others caught onto my arms, dragging me across the floor.
I heard a voice in my ear, the breath of the speaker tickling my skin and causing me to shiver.
"Don't try anything now, Weasel. You're surrounded."
The others all laughed, their faces menacing in the moonlight. The voice in my ear continued,
"You are going to be extremely useful."