𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 | f. weasley

forty-four

CASSANDRA BLACK'S ANKLE HAD BEEN rather badly damaged. No one in the room had been able to fix it up last night so the only option left was to wait till they got home and Mrs Weasley mended her bones back. 

Ron suggested calling one of the Healers from the Quidditch match but both Cassie and Arthur believed it was not worth the trouble. In addition to that, Mr Weasley told them that the press had apparated here to get live news and inviting the Healers here would make quite the first-page news about Cassie and Project 3107 getting a jumpstart. 

Cassie's foot began swelling a lot when she got up the next morning so she resorted to hopping on one foot or limping her way to the Portkey. But after the group landed on  Stoatshead Hill, Cassie's good foot had gotten so exhausted that George had to carry Fred's rucksack as well so that the latter could carry Cassie on his back. 

The group walked back through Ottery St. Catchpole and up the damp lane toward the Burrow in the dawn light, talking very little because they were so exhausted, and thinking longingly of their breakfast. As they rounded the corner and the Burrow came into view, a cry echoed along the lane.

"Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!"

Mrs Weasley, who had evidently been waiting for them in the front yard, came running toward them, still wearing her bedroom slippers, her face pale and strained, a rolled-up copy of the DailyProphet clutched in her hand. 

"Arthur — I've been so worried — so worried —"

She flung her arms around Mr Weasley's neck, and the DailyProphet fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. Looking down, Cassie saw the headline: SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP, complete with a twinkling black-and-white photograph of the Dark Mark over the treetops.

"So glad that isn't me on the cover," Cassie sighed, "I should have this superhero vigilante costume next time I rush to fight,"

"I don't want you rushing in the middle of any war or battle," Fred chided, looking sideways at Cassie who had rested her chin on her arm which was wrapped around his shoulder. 

"Sorry father," Cassie rolled her eyes, smirking. 

"At least not without me," Fred added, earning a scoff from the girl on his back. 

"You're all right," Mrs Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, "you're alive. . . . Oh boys . . ." 

And to everybody's surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug that their heads banged together.

Thankfully, Cassie had slid off Fred's back before Mrs Weasley squeezed them to death, slipping into Harry and Ron's arms.

 "Ouch! Mum — you're strangling us —"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs Weasley said, starting to sob. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred . . . George . . ."

"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay," said Mr Weasley soothingly, prising her off the twins and leading her back toward the house, "Apart from Cassie that is,"

Mrs Weasley spun around faster than lightning to look at the girl. Her eyes scanned the girl quickly before sighting her swollen bare foot. 

"Merlin! That looks terrible! Let's get you in at once," she said horridly, ushering Ron and Harry in with Cassie. 

While she mended Cassie's foot with various ointments and potions, Granger made everyone a cup of tea and Mr Weasley scanned the front page while Percy looked over his shoulder.