Diving Into You | Fred Weasley

44 | Holly Jolly Christmas

The familiar smell of her father's ancestral home filled her senses as she looked around the gloomy basement kitchen."Back again, the blood traitor brats. Is it true their father is dying?"

"OUT!" A familiar voice boomed. Fred reached down to pull Naia up along with him as they looked around the dark, candlelit room. Sirius made his way towards them anxiously. "What's going on? Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured-"

"Ask Harry," said Fred.

"I'd like to hear this myself, said George." Harry began to recount his dream, and Naia didn't miss the look Ron shot him.

"Is mum here?" Fred asked, his large hand clutching Naia's in a silent plea to not go anywhere. She could feel his stress and squeezed his hand back in reassurance. "She probably doesn't even know yet. The important thing was to get you out of Umbridge's nose. I supposed Dumbledore is letting Molly know now."

"We've got to go to St. Mungo's," Ginny said desperately. "Sirius, could you lend us cloaks or something?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St. Mungo's!" Sirius said in alarm.

"Course we can go to St. Mungo's if we want. He's our dad!" Fred said loudly.

"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"

"What does that matter?" George said angrily. Naia watched worried as the Weasleys glared at her father who was obviously just trying to help. They were worried, of course they would act this way.

"Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" Fred shouted.

"It's our dad dying we're talking about! We have to get to him- Naia," George said looking at her pleadingly, "Naia can help- she, she can heal him better than those healers-"

"What on earth are you talking about? Look, your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order! This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order- you don't understand- there are things worth dying for!"

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" Fred bellowed, "I don't see you risking your neck!

"Fred! You know it's not like that," Naia said sternly, rubbing his shoulder, shooting her dad a nervous and apologetic look.

"Dad," she mumbled as she saw his angry face. Sirius looked at Naia for a moment and immediately calmed his voice. "I know it's hard... but we all got to act as if we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, alright?"

Fred and George still seethed, glaring at Sirius. "You don't understand, if he's dying, Naia can save his life!"

"What on earth do you mean?"

"She can heal! Quickly! She can help," George said.

"-and I will, George, when I can." She soothed, trying to keep her voice soft and calm for what she was about to say next, "but it would make no sense to show up, and then heal him in front of everyone... we can't risk being found out-"

"This is more than some little secret don't you think?!" Fred said, letting go of her hand. He was angry at her now. She took a deep breath. They were just scared. They didn't mean it. "Of course I know that! And I will gladly do what I can for your dad in a heartbeat! As soon as your mother writes. If she wanted us there she'd tell us..." she soothed, reaching for his hand which he shrugged off, walking away. The twins huffed, begrudgingly taking their seats next to Ginny. She sighed as Harry looked at her in sympathy.