An Enemy

Chapter Three- It's What Friends are for

I joined Hermione in quietly going about making Mrs Weasley a cup of tea, into which Mr Weasley poured a generous amount of Firewhiskey.

“Could I have the-” He pointed to the paper in my hands and I passed it to him. “Thank you.” He smiled and read the article. “As I thought, Ministry in disgrace… security shamble… mass terror…Death Eaters running unchecked… Who wrote this? Ah, Rita Skeeter, well that explains everything.” He looked up from his monologue and it seemed I wasn’t the only one intently paying attention, I looked around and everyone seemed quiet.

“She’s always got it in for the Ministry that Skeeter woman; I remember when she did a piece on the Gringotts Curse-Breakers. She called me a long-haired pillock.” One of Ron’s older brothers said, I guessed that by his profession this must be Bill, and he did have long hair, I thought it rather suited him though; Mrs Weasley however, obviously disagreed. 

“Well it is a bit long dear, perhaps if you’ just let me-”

“No mum.” Bill said with a great deal of finality.

“I’m going to have to go into the office Molly, I’ll just change into my robes and be off.” Mr Weasley stood, feeling the tension and intervening.

“It isn’t even your department though Arthur, surely this is someone else’s problem.”

“No I’m afraid dear that they’re going to need all hands on deck, now if you’ll excuse me.”

“I’ll be going as well Mother,” Percy said snootily, as per usual. “I daresay that Mr Crouch will need me and I can hand him my Cauldron Thickness report in person.”

“I might go put my stuff in your room,” I heard Harry say to Ron as Percy followed his father out of the kitchen and I got the idea from Hermione to follow the boys out.

“Yeah we’ll come with you.” She added as we pursued them in their ascent of the staircase. We waited until I’d shut the door behind us before talking.

Hermione leapt on me and hugged me tight.

“Everyone thought you'd gone for good.” Hermione told me upon finally releasing me, sitting on the edge of one of the beds.

“Yeah,” I replied lamely, not sure what to say.

“Snape was furious when they found out you’d ran for it.” Ron said and I nodded.

“I saw him and the Minister for Magic just after I’d gotten out of the Hospital Wing. Snape looked like he was having a bad day.” I couldn’t help but smirk a little at that thought.

“Well he’d definitely had a bad night.” Ron grinned mischievously; no-one joined him though, my smile falling into a frown.

“I do vaguely recall that he wasn’t the only one.”

They expected me to elaborate but I was too tired and consequentially we sat in silence until Ron spoke.

“So how did you end up here?” Ron asked me and I smirked ruefully.

“Your mum found me just after I’d changed back into a human; she thought that I was a Dea-” I froze, the three of them were staring at me like I’d just turned into a purple spotted Dragon- I might as well have.

“A what?!” Hermione was the loudest, I sighed inwardly before replying.

“A Death Eater. Apparently it’s a fair mistake to make, though looking at the Dark Mark in the paper, I’d have to disagree.”

“You have a Dark Mark?” Harry asked and I shook my head rapidly.

“God no! But… well I do have what is sort of a birthmark down my spine that is in the shape of a snake.” They all looked blankly at me. I sighed and stood, lifting the back of my jumper as I went.