Carpe Noctvm (A Barty Crouch Jr Fanfiction)

SEVENTEEN - danger at the door

Keira arrived by apparation to the wedding. She knew vaguely where the burrow was because Fred and George had told her at one point. She joined the small queue of guests who were waiting to be shown to their seats underneath a huge white gazebo. She took in her surroundings for a while, the topsy turvy house sat on the hill with meadows and garden surrounding it, the chickens in the coop she could see beside the shed, and the very noticeable Weasleys ushering people to their seats.

Keira was now at the front of the queue and she came face to face with Fred and George who were holding clipboards and thinking themselves very important. Keira nervously smoothed down her dress as their attention turned to her.

"Look who it is, George." Fred elbowed his brother.

"Oh I see Fred," he said consulting his clipboard. "I don't think we want deatheaters at our dear brother's wedding do we, Fred?" George said, raising himself up. Keira's heart dropped, Was it all some mistake? Did they really not forgive me?

Suddenly both Fred and George cracked a smile. "Only joking, we forgive you." Said, George.

"Yeah we know what it can be like, being inducted to the dark side and all that, Rose," Fred said and they bought her in for a hug. Keira grinned at them as they gave her a pamphlet and showed her to her seat. Fred gave her another one-armed squeeze before returning to his post.

Keira saw that she was seated next to Remus and Tonks on her right and Hermione and Harry on her left. The name cards on the seat displayed as much, although Harry and Hermione weren't there yet. Keira smiled at Tonks and Remus. Remus stood from his seat and shook her hand. "Thank you, Keira, many more lives would have been lost if you hadn't warned the Order." He gave her a smile and resumed his seat, he made no mention of Dumbledore's death. They forgive me and now I can help them as I failed before.

After a few minutes of chatting to Tonks, Hermione took her seat next to Keira. Keira gave her a nervous smile and Hermione beamed at her. Keira's heart shrunk a little with guilt that she told her a small lie. Well, rather a big lie. "I'm glad you're here, Ros- I mean Keira, sorry it's the twins' influence." Hermione stuttered.

"I don't mind honestly. Thank you for reading my letter. I wasn't sure you would hear me out." Keira took a breath. "I'm always here for you, all of you, I want you to know that," Keira said, catching Hermione's eye with as much meaning as possible. She realized that Hermione must have fought hard to get her an invitation, to get her forgiven and believed by the Order.

"I know you are." She said and patted Keira's hand, her fingers brushed the ring that B had given her and she stared at it. "Rose, oh my--" She began before Harry collapsed into his seat next to Hermione.

Keira's attention was drawn to Harry, she analyzed him. He was deep in thought and hadn't noticed her yet. Hermione elbowed him and he started. He soon noticed Keira and nodded at her, he extended his hand in a shake, he was not as warm as Hermione or the twins but Keira suspected it was not really her he was angry at, rather that everything was weighing heavy on him. She shook his hand and it seemed to say, 'let's move on.'

Hermione was still staring at Keira's ring chewing her lip worriedly, Keira put a hand on her shoulder just as someone at the front called for attention. "It's fine, really, I'm protecting him too now." Keira whispered and turned to the front.

An hour later, an hour of wedding music, french people bursting into tears, and gigglewater being supplied all around, Keira sat at the edge of the wedding reception, which had almost turned into an after-party. Music played at the front by the small stage and some people were dancing while others, mainly older people, looked on. Keira noticed George approaching her and he slumped into a chair next to her, he was sweating from dancing and he had rolled his sleeves up, this reminded Keira that she was a little bit hot too and she decided to roll up her sleeves before remembering her dark mark, just as she went to pull her sleeves back down, Georges hand on her arm stopped her. "It only shows how strong you are. You don't need to hide it, not here." Keira gave George a grateful smile and left her sleeves up. She gave him a side hug and they discussed their takes on what everyone was wearing.