Sunflower. [F. W]

75. Not her fault

"Fred the letter is not Angie, it simply isn't her!" she said sternly. 

"You read it. It says she is okay, but she is going on a journey outside of England, what part sounds sus about that to you?" he shot back. 

"Have you met Angie? She hates travelling Fred. And apparating! And she is not going to fly to Belgium in a broomstick! Something's wrong I just know it."

"You are being paranoid, love. We won the war, life is okay. She probably just wants to go see the world, spend some time far away from the place she had to fight in."

"Okay then, if that was the case, why now? It's been months."

"As far as you know she could have been injured and not been able to do so until now."

"She would've told me!" 

"Blimey Bee! Okay, what if she is in trouble? Are you going to go willingly and walk into a trap?" 

"Yes! She has been one of my best friends since we were eleven!" 

"No! You have to stop walking into traps like this if it was. I have almost lost you what? Like four times now? I'm sorry but you are not doing this to yourself. Not again, not when you and I both know this could kill you or knock you out for several weeks. Or give you amnesia!" 

"If she dies it's on me Fred! Can't you see that?"

"And if you die? Have you stopped for a damn minute to think what that would me? To me, to Harry or Remus or Georgie or Lee? I'm not saying Angie is not important Bee, but why is she more important than you? Why do you feel the need to save everyone?  You are just as important as all of us, the war is over, you don't have to risk your life for anyone else anymore." 

"The war is over Freddie, but evil is not. There are a huge number of Death Eaters still out there! Godric, Harry and Ron have said this a million times, they see the veteran Aurors bring Death Eaters all the time, and my powers aren't gone. Easily, very easily they could be using Angie to get my attention, think about it for a second" she said calmly. "It makes sense. They can't take any of us in here because we would notice and know right away. So what is the best next thing? Angie! I feel it in my bones Fred." 

"I don't want to feel you slipping through my fingers again, love." 

"You won't, Freddie. I promise." 

"I just want things to go normal again. No more saving the world, just us. Maybe start trying for a baby now that we know you are safe. Have our own little family like we always talk about, no more Death Eaters, no more fighting." He said laying down, urging her to put her head in his chest and stroking her hair. "You know Angie. She probably got in a mood and decided to take some time for herself. Owl her, I'm sure she'll answer." 

That night, Bee couldn't sleep, not even in Fred's arms. The sinking feeling that something was very wrong was eating her inside. Angie would never do something like that. Never. She had lived with her for six years before moving into the individual dorms. She knew Angie didn't relax like that. Never. It had been two weeks with no notice of her and then the letter came. To Bee it was bullshit, this was not usual in Angie. 

But the worse was yet to come. Bee was in the back room of the café having her lunch, something simple and a coffee. She was far too tired to cook a proper meal after not sleeping and having served the fair amount of people that had come in. The Orion Café and the twin's shop were two hot spots at Diagon Alley, and it was awfully clear that it helped being just outside the other's door. The little door bell rang, pulling her out of her thoughts. 

"I'll be with you in a moment" She shouted, finishing her sandwich with little to no enthusiasm. 

The bell rang again, meaning either someone else had gone in or the person who just got in got out. Either way, she made her way out of the back room, grabbing the little note pad to take the order. Funnily enough, it was a Weasley Wizard Wheezes notepad Fred had given her the day before reopening. It didn't have any practical jokes to it, it was simply a token of Fred's presence in his absence.

When Bee saw the braids she almost let out a scream. It was her! She ran to hug her from behind, the cold from Angie's skin almost made her jump back. 

"Angie?" she whispered. 

As she let go, Angelina's limp body fell from the chair, finally revealing the state of the girl. She was very obviously dead, her body pale and lifeless, her lips now almost white and her torso had several wounds, with the blood already dried up. Bee suspected that they had tortured and killed the girl just like she thought. 

Her legs made her run to the shop, passing the people looking for Fred. He excused himself from the family he was helping as soon as she saw her come in, with a panic look painting her face. 

"What's wrong?" he said cupping her face. 

She opened her mouth trying to say something, but terror caught the sound before she could make it. She was in pure and absolute shock, the weight of the world suffocating her existence. This was not meant to happen, Angie was supposed to come with her kids on Saturday's and have lunch on the flat, and have play dates together. Not appear dead in her café. She deserved better than that. And deep down, Bee Weasley couldn't help but feel like this was all her fault. 

Fred pulled her outside the shop, and she then led him inside the café. Fred almost fainted at the sight of the corpse on the floor. He was just as lost as she was, both of them shocked. Fred even felt bad. Just last night he was telling her Angie was fine, and now she turned up dead in her wife's café. And what terrified him the most, while she was alone. 

"I couldn't revive her" She whispered. "She has probably been dead for days..." 

                                                        ***

"I'm sorry I have to be the one doing this, Bee, but it is part of Auror training." Said Ron placing the blanket over her and handing her a cup of hot tea from her own café. "Where were you when this happened? Tell me with as much detail as you can." 

"I just heard the bell ring twice, I was in the back room having lunch. Ms. Alderton had just left after her usual lunch, you can ask her. And then I saw her, Angie. And I went to hug her and she fell limp to the floor. I didn't do it Ron, you have to believe me." 

"I trust you had no motive to. Plus she had been missing for a little while, it just wasn't out to the public."

"What happened to her?" She asked unsure of wanting to know the answer. 

"She was put under sever torture, we think it was the Cruciatus curse, the Killing curse and then they just stabbed her for fun." 

"Was it my fault?" 

"Bee..."

"Be honest Ron, I beg you." 

"It wasn't your fault. However..." Ron took out a little note from his pocket, handing it to her. "This was found with her. Inside her pocket with her wand broken into two pieces." 

Warning number 1. Who was warning her? 

"There was also a break from Azkaban. Pettigrew is gone. And so is Lucius and several Death Eaters. We think it might be them with Bellatrix, but we can't be sure. Now that they don't have someone to follow, anyone could be doing this on their own." 

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RIP Angie. This is the start of something dark, imagine having a war and then this I could never. My god.

- Berts <3