4 days ago-Night Before the Rescue.
"You nervous Fred?" asked George as the twins gathered supplies together in their room.
"Only for them," said Fred with a false bravado, knowing his brother was nervous and not wanting him to worry. That's how they always were. Fred looked out for George and George looked out for Fred.
"Yeah," said George. "I'm nervous too."
Tomorrow was the day. The manor was supposed to have fewer Deatheaters around and Voldemort was to be out of the country.
They were finally going to go with Harry and Ron and the rest of the order to rescue Hermione.
While the mission had been deemed 'optional' for everyone, It didn't feel optional for Fred. Hermione was family, leaving her there to rot was NOT an option. He knew he wasn't the only one who felt that way.
"It will be alright though won't it?" asked George after a moment of silence had passed between them.
"Sure," said Fred with a sad smile. He patted his twin on the back. "It'll all be fine. It always is."
-
Three Day's ago-The Rescue
The chaos of the battle erupted once everyone was in the mansion.
It had been easy to get to the mansion...
Too easy.
The trap was lying in wait.
Despite all the precautions taken for getting past the wards, someone had tripped a silent alarm crossing over the barrier and into the Malfoy estate.
In the time that it took for them to cross from the woods on the outskirts of the property into the manor, there were dozens of Death eaters waiting for them.
In the chaos and the screams Fred and George were separated.
-
"Where is she?" Harry demanded of a death eater at wand point.
Harry's voice was distinct though it was coming from Ron's body. The order had told Harry he couldn't go and so Harry had taken a polyjuice potion to look like Ron and come along with them anyways.
Both twins knew of the little deceit, not that either of them had been surprised. There was no way that Harry wasn't tagging along on a rescue mission for his best friend. Harry and Ron hadn't bothered to tell them expressly what they were doing, but then Fred and George always did have an 'ear' for things.
Some part of Fred's mind wondered just who his mother was babysitting back at order headquarters.
Neither Fred nor George would have given Harry up even if they had found out early enough to prevent Harry from coming along simply because they agreed and understood: Family was on the line. You didn't stand in the way of that.
"Where is she?" demanded the real Ron shaking another death eater before punching him out.
Hearing that question, while trying to look for his brother distracted Fred for a mere moment.
That moment was enough.
A hex hit Fred sending him backwards.
In the chaos Ron and Harry, though so near to Fred, did not see him fall to the ground.
-
"She's not here," said Harry. "She's not here Ron."
"Then where the hell is she?" asked Ron.
"I don't know."
"We have to go," said Remus. "Everyone fall back".
-
Spells and hexes flew through the air as the order began to retreat one by one.
Fred tried to recover from the first Hex that had hit him, fighting with the coiling barbs around his arms. As he struggled a second hex caught Fred on the back sending him flying. He crashed up against the wall and looked up just in time to see a magical axe come down at his face.
Then there was nothing.
-
"Where is Fred?" asked Mrs. Weasely. "Has anyone seen Fred?"
"We were separated in the battle," answered George. "But he was doing fine last I saw."
"Maybe he went somewhere else?" offered Ginny hopefully.
Then Mad-eye came into the room and his face, scarred and mangled said it all.
"Where is my boy?" asked Mrs. Weasely her voice raising an octave. "Where is he? Where is Fred?!"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Weasely." Said Remus
"NO!" she yelled. "No, it's not possible!"
"No," George shook his head. "He's fine. He has to be fine. He's my other half. I would know." George's voice cracked "I would know if he was dead."
"Fred!" Mrs. Weasely wailed. "My boy!" There was no consoling her.
There was no consoling any of them.
-
2 Days ago
-
Somewhere in the dark Fred heard a voice.
-
The funeral was held without a body, because Fred's body-like several others that had been lost that night- was nowhere to be found.
They had the funeral for all the members at once.
-
Ron's face was a pale like Harry had never seen before.
"I'm sorry for your loss Ron," said Luna softly and she handed him a cup of water. "You too Harry," she said.
"Thanks Luna," said Harry.
Ron said nothing only glared at Luna. Luna, seemed saddened by his response and turned away walking out of the room.
"She was only trying to be nice," said Harry to Ron.
"Nice doesn't make anything better," said Ron and he tossed the glass of water away and walked back to the house they were staying in. Harry followed.
"Is there anything I can do?" Harry asked.
"No," snapped Ron.
"Alright," Harry said. "Should I go then?"
"Yes..No." said Ron. "No, stay."
Harry sat across the table from his friend.
"I can't help but feel like it's my fault," said Ron. "I'm the one who pushed everyone to go rescue her and now my brother is dead and it didn't solve anything."
"You couldn't know that she wasn't there," said Harry, trying to assuage his friends guilt and then for his own sake added "None of us could."
"Harry, they need you outside," came Ginny's voice from the door. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying.
"I'll be right there," answered Harry and he turned back to Ron. "You gunna be okay mate?"
"Yeah," said Ron. "Sure."
Harry left not knowing that his words sparked a change of thought in Ron's mind.
"You couldn't have known that she wasn't going to be there."
She wasn't there, Ron thought.
Fred died for nothing...
And then one more thought darker than all the ones before:
If it weren't for Hermione Fred would still be alive.
In that moment, with that thought, what feelings Ron had for Hermione were twisted into something less than the light he had spoken of in the woods before their capture.
It wasn't logical and a part of him knew it was wrong.
"Its not her fault," he muttered out loud." but his words didn't change that a piece of Ron blamed Hermione for his bother's death.
-
Yesterday
"Keep Fighting," the voice said through the dark.
Fred tried to place the unfamiliar, yet familiar timber.
"She needs you."
Hermione, Fred thought.
Hermione needed him.
-
Ron needed someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn't judge him for being mad at Hermione for the fact that Fred was dead. He knew no one else would understand.
So he turned to the only person he knew adored him without restriction.
He sent an owl to Lavender Brown.
She sent one back.
Then they talked through the fire place even though you weren't 'supposed' to be able to do it. Ron knew from Harry that the one in Gryffindor tower was secretly accessible. That was how Harry and Serious had talked after all.
Ron talked with her about his loss and his pain
And Lavender listened, because her feeling for him hadn't ever really died.
She agreed with him that it wasn't his fault and while she never once spoke badly of Hermione she still let him lay the blame where he liked and didn't argue or judge.
When Ginny asked what he was doing and how he could betray Hermione like that when they were supposed to be together Ron told his sister to mind her own business and a rift grew between the siblings, which created some distance between Harry and Ron too.
That only made Ron turn to Lavender all the more.
Because she understood.
She was the only one who understood.
Ron still wanted to rescue Hermione because she was his friend, because it was the right thing to do. Because a piece of him was still in love with her, but as Lavender and he talked, that piece grew smaller. How could he love someone who, whenever he looked at or thought of her, all he could see was the fact that his brother was gone?
-
12 hours ago
The Darkness faded and through one closed lid a little light glowed.
Fred blinked away with a groan and reached for his aching eye. He felt the patch of disfigured skin and blinked his one good eye as he realized that was all he had left.
Memories came rushing back: The battle, Hermione, the Axe...
Am I dead? Fred wondered and looked around.
The room he was in was sparse to say the least. There were no bars on the door, however Fred had the distinct impression that were he to try the knob he would find it locked.
He tried to push himself up off the covers. His back cracked immediately at the movement in several places and he groaned.
Blood rushed to his head, and all of a sudden what little strength had been in his arms left him and he collapsed passing back out on the bed.
-
7 Hours ago
Fred woke again.
This time he sat up slowly and gave his body time to adjust. Everything was just a little sore-like he had been sleeping too long in one position.
He drank the water by the bedside table.
After a few minutes, when he was sure that he was not going to pass out again he swung his legs down over the side of the bed and placed them on the cool floor.
He looked down and examined himself. His clothes were torn, but clean. Someone had used scourgify to tidy him up without bothering to fix the fabric, which made sense since he was also covered in bandages.
Someone had been taking care of him. But who?
Fred remembered the voice, the one telling him to fight.
Who's voice had it been?
Not a friend, not someone he knew well...but someone he knew. It was a flicker on the edge of his memory and it made his head ache to think too much on it now.
There were no windows in the room and Fred got the distinct impression that he was not a 'guest'
Shuffling slowly along Fred went to the only door and tried to open it. It didn't so much as budge.
"Shit," said Fred and ran a hand through his red hair.
Prisoner, the thought went through him. I'm a prisoner.
"Hello?" he called out. There was no answer. "Is anyone there?"
No response.
He banged on the door.
He yelled till he was horse and then his legs began to feel wobbly again at which point he went back over to the bed and realized that the glass of water had re-filled itself.
He drank down the contents a second time and lay down waiting as hours passed by.
Surely someone would come to check on him?
It seemed like a day passed, maybe more and the silence was beginning to get to Fred who was very used to constant chaos and noise.
-
2 Minutes ago.
Finally he heard someone coming.
Relief flooded through Fred.
Silence was a hellish form of torture for him.
At least now he would know who had tended his wounds and why.
He wasn't about to break easily under torture, but there was only so much you could do against a relentless onslaught of magic and potions.
You have to escape, surprise them, just rush them as soon as they come in and get the hell out of here, he told himself.
With that in mind he tucked the light under the covers letting his eyes adjust.
If he was a captive of the Dark Lord he wouldn't go down without a fight. He would rather die than let them torture him for information and make him give up his friends.
The door opened.
Fred blinked in surprise.
There stood Draco Malfoy-the boy who had hurt Hermione.
Fred didn't think he just let his arm fly catching Draco across the face. This was the man who had tortured Hermione. He was the one in the photograph.
The blond boy took the punch shaking his head on contact.
Suddenly thoughts of escape came in second place to the desire to make Draco pay for having hurt Hermione.
Fred went to punch again but this time Draco responded his arm snapping back out. He caught Fred across the Jaw.
Fred was out before he hit the floor.
-
And there you have it, hope you enjoyed this chapter. We are now all caught up. Please leave some love if you can and I'll see you on Friday