The Order members sat at the kitchen table while still in the silence they had been in when the memory had begun. Tonks was twisted in her chair to watch the three men with their faces plunged into the Pensieve, biting her lip nervously as they didn't move or even change postures throughout the whole process. The light that reflected from the Pensieve's surface lit up the ceiling of the kitchen right from when the memory had started, but Tonks watched as it suddenly started to fade and leave the kitchen in it's natural lighting. She stood from her chair when she saw Albus, Fred and Remus slowly pull their faces up from the basin. Kingsley, George, Mad-Eye, Arthur and Molly looked up at Tonks' movement and watched for any form of reaction from the three men.
Tonks was glad she had stood up from her chair because Remus stumbled backwards and would have fallen to the floor in a heap if she hadn't caught him. His face was pale and slick with sweat, hands shaking as he held them out in front of him to steady himself. Tonks grabbed his elbows to guide him into the chair she was occupying before placing a comforting hand on his back with a concerned expression.
"What is it Remus? What did you see?" she couldn't hide her panic but wanted to sound calm and comforting. She didn't want to overwhelm him but he didn't seem to be listening. He only stared down at the floor between his dress shoes. Tonks looked up to Dumbledore and Fred who stood around the Pensieve for some sort of explanation.
"Freddie, what is it?" Molly called and stepped forward while wiping her hands on her apron.
Fred had nearly fallen to the floor too but had been able to keep his posture before he had crumbled like Remus had. He gripped the doorknob behind him that led into the hallway and clenched on to it like it was his life source. The tears that had fallen down his face while in the memory had been real, meaning they were on fall display for his family and the Order to see. He made the move to wipe them away with his sleeve but the damage had already been done with Molly rushing over, worried to death at the state of her son who usually never cried.
"I-I'm fine..." his voice cracked almost childishly as his mother approached him with her handkerchief. George decided to stand also and came up behind Molly, looking at his twin with a confused yet just as concerned expression to his mother's.
"It is as we suspected," Albus spoke up with a grave tone. The Order focused their attention on the man who wasn't smiling or displaying any kind nature that was notorious for Albus Dumbledore.
"They wanted the map?" Mad-Eye confirmed and Dumbledore nodded in answer.
"But Sophia didn't falter," Dumbledore with a small sense of admiration in his voice. "She stayed true until the very end. Remus, if you can find it, you should be proud of-"
"H-How can I be..." Remus glanced up at Dumbledore but couldn't finish, resulting in him burying his face into his hands. His hair hung limply over his fingertips and Tonks pushed it back with her fingers, rubbing her hand in circles against his back.
"What was the mental torture they used?" Mad-Eye demanded again but no one had the strength to scold him for his abrupt tone. Not even Molly who was standing in front of Fred while fiddling with her handkerchief nervously, wanting badly to rub away the tear stains that still covered her son's face.
"I'm not sure..." Dumbledore shook his head as he stared back into the basin of the Pensieve. "It was something I'd never seen before. Miss. Lestrange mentioned that Voldemort taught them this technique. But whatever it was, Mr. Malfoy was the one to perform it on Sophia. And I'm afraid it is... too painful to describe."
Fred stayed silent during Dumbledore's brief explanation and found his knees were starting to weaken once more. He could feel George's hopeful gaze that Fred would maybe pull him aside and tell him what he saw, but he would never be able to bring himself to. In fact, all three of the men who watched felt as if they couldn't explain what they had witnessed. Dumbledore was the only one who had the slightest bit of will power to look over the memory in order to assess the situation, but Fred and Remus doubted they'd ever to be able to talk about it. They had personal attachments to Sophia making it considerably more painful and heart-wrenching. Dumbledore had experience with these sorts of things but even he couldn't fully explain the memory. It was a good decision to have Dumbledore be the third person to watch. They doubted any of the others would be different from Fred and Remus.
The Order decided that today's meeting had been exhausting enough already. Tonks insisted that she take Remus to her parents' house to rest, seeing as he was barely able to sit up straight in his chair. Tonks guided him out of The Burrow and the two apparated beyond the barrier, followed by the rest of the Order members. Dumbledore bowed his head modestly and said the Pensieve would transport itself once he reached the barrier and apparated, to which it did with a soft pop after his departure. Fred was glad to see it disappear from the kitchen as it carried nothing but the painful memory. He then suddenly remembered that the real Sophia was in the next room, the past hour being attention-grabbing enough to make him forget that she was here.
He wordlessly stumbled into the hallway and entered into the living room with a sudden desperation to see her. Watching the memory had partially convinced him that it wasn't a memory but a current happening, creating the idea that Sophia was still hidden away in the Death Eaters' clutches. He knew she would be in the next room, safe and sound on the sofa but there was now that small sliver of doubt in his mind.
Fred felt his entire being slouch in relief when he did see Sophia sitting on the sofa, unharmed and safe. She sat in the same position he had left her in while she fiddled with her finger nails, scratching lightly under them to clean out the dirt. It was surreal to see the contrast between how he had seen her in the memory to how he saw her now, clad in a large jumper of his and loose sweatpants. No blood was present and the scars and cuts weren't visible from under her over-sized clothing, settling him significantly from his unnecessary worry.
"You're okay..." he found himself saying and Sophia turned her head to first notice his arrival. Her lips parted slightly at the sight of his intense stare that held relief and adoration. She knew he had finished watching her memory but wasn't sure what to say. What did he think of it? Was he horrified at the state she was once in?
She stood from the sofa and suddenly felt the urge to be engaged in one of Fred's warm bear hugs. And from the looks of it, Fred was itching to do the same only to never let go and keep her shielded from the world. Here she stood; looking so innocent and small yet he knew she has endured such pain and suffering. He would never be able to understand what she went through but he wanted to help. He wanted to somehow soothe her and make her forget any bad thing that has ever happened to her.
Sophia was the first one to step forward and wrap her thin arms around Fred's middle, almost feeling embarrassed to embrace him at such a time. But she was delighted to feel Fred's strong arms engulf her in the hug she was urging for and shut her eyes to snuggle her head against his chest. He squeezed her tightly against him and felt his hands clench around the material of her (his) jumper. He unintentionally was clutching her as if she was going to slip away, shutting his eyes in an attempt to picture himself anywhere except the inside of the Death Eater's home he had seen. The reality of being safe in The Burrow wasn't enough to convince him but holding Sophia so close and for so long created a sort of fantasy, reassuring him that she was here and she was okay.
"You're safe..." Fred mumbled against Sophia's hair and she bit her lip. It reminded her of the words she had once said when she first arrived here, timid and afraid of anyone that wasn't Fred.
"I'm sorry that I wasn't there," Sophia heard him whisper into her ear. "I should have been there. I would of..."
"Just be here now... please," was all she could say and Fred took it immediately. He squeezed her even harder, if that was even possible, and Sophia had never thought someone could be so desperate to hold another.
"I'll stay here for tonight," Fred announced.
"You don't have to do that."
"But I want to".
Fred slept in his old bed that night with Sophia on top of him. She had been able to fall asleep as soon as she lay down but Fred laid awake, not allowing his eyelids to fall shut. The single bed wasn't really meant for two people but he insisted that she lay on top of him like he was a second mattress. He was glad to feel Sophia against him. It reassured him that she was still there and peacefully asleep, dreaming hopefully of Chocolate Frog cards and cats. Her face buried itself into his shoulder and he kept his arms clutched around her waist, staring up at the ceiling with no intention to sleep.
A soft squeaking came from the left of him, making him turn his head and look down to see a familiar pink ball of fluff in the light the moon allowed through the window. George the Pygmy Puff was sitting on the floor next to bed chirping for attention, finding the small bed that was given to him by the Human George boring and uncomfortable tonight.
"What do you want huh?" Fred asked quietly and the puff chirped again, his big eyes eyeing the small bed that was already occupied. "I suppose you want to join?"
The puff somehow let out an agreeing squeak and Fred rolled his eyes playfully, letting the ball scurry its tiny legs up his arm and make its way towards his shoulder. Fred had only put his hand back to rest on Sophia's waist when George the puff sat himself down on the side of Sophia's head, getting ready to snuggle down into her hair and take a nap.
"Hey, you can't sleep there," Fred tried to keep his voice low but was starting to get slightly louder. "You'll wake her up."
He picked the puff back up and placed it next to Sophia's face on his chest, the puff sending a irritated chirp from his move. Fred found himself glaring back at George (oddly feeling familiar) as the puff affectionate nuzzled against Sophia's cheek instead.
"I like her too, but I don't sit on her head to show it," Fred fought back and suddenly realised that he was scolding a Pygmy Puff. He pushed his head back to rest on the pillow with a sigh, the puff now settling in the space between Sophia's chin and shoulder. The animal even fell asleep before Fred did, leaving him to his thoughts once again.
Now that they had seen what had really happened to Sophia, they weren't sure what to do to help her. There was a mention of St. Mungos but it was immediately discarded when one; the Ministry would find out that she had been found, two; she would probably be treated as an insane patient and three; she had been making progress. But there was no potion or spell that could possibly stabalise Sophia completely. If anything was going to work, she would need support from the people she was most comfortable with. And Fred was willing to do this unconditionally.