my best friends brother - fred weasley

lxiii. malfoy manor

The air inside Malfoy Manor was a lot thicker than I had imagined, it was hard to take a deep breath. Well, Fenrir Greyback's grip squeezing my throat was making it a bit harder to breathe as well. His nails were digging into my skin while the other's were pinned to the ground by the other snatchers, Fred's leg still bleeding everywhere as he was trying to supress his groans. 

"What's wrong with his face?" Draco said, looking at Harry. Whatever spell Hermione had fired at him made his face swell up, making it almost impossible to recognise him. 

"Yes. What is wrong with his face?" Bellatrix turned her head, eyeing each of us up and down. 

"Came to us like that, something he picked up in the forest, I reckon." The snatcher that held Hermione's hair in his fist replied. 

"Or ran into a stinging jinx." She grinned at Hermione, exploding into a cackle. "Ha ha, got you!" She taunted, snatching Hermione's wand out of her pocket, before letting out a gasp. The sword of Gryffindor caught her eye. "Where'd you get that from?" She asked the scrawny snatcher than kept it in his hands. 

"It was in her bag when we searched her." He gestured to Hermione. "Thought I might keep it for myself." He replied. Not even a second later, he was on the ground. Bellatrix had attacked each of the snatchers and screeched for them to get out. 

"Put the boys in the cellar. We're going to have a girls talk." She inhaled, her eyes flickering between Hermione and I. Narcissa Malfoy Grabbed Harry, Ron and Fred by their collars and took them downstairs, closing the door of the cellar with a clang. I stood in silence against the wall, not wanting Bellatrix to notice me, when she made her way to Hermione, shoving her to the ground. 

"That sword is meant to be in my vault at Gringotts." She whispered through gritted teeth, "How did you get it." She took a small knife to Hermione's arm. 

"I didn't take anything. Please. I didn't take anything." Hermione replied through sobs, while Bellatrix started screeching, pinning Hermione down to the ground. A hand wrapped around my arm and dragged me away. I watched as Hermione started screaming, a scream that I could feel in my stomach. Whatever Bellatrix was doing, none of us would be able to forget Hermione's screams. I was being dragged up the stairs, away from the scene by Draco Malfoy. Both of our footsteps were silent as he took me into the closest room and closed the door quietly. Even with the door closed I still felt Hermione's screams under my skin. 

"You need to get out of here." Draco said in a hushed tone, looking down at me. 

"No way. I thought we could stay here for a weekend. Relax a bit." I whispered back sarcastically. "How are we meant to leave?"

"I don't care how you leave, just do it before one of them calls for 'You Know Who'." He moved his gaze to the door. "Dobby took Fred somewhere safe, you don't need to worry, just get out of here." Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed my arm again and quietly brought me back down. At the base of the stairs, Bellatrix was now standing over Hermione, staring down at a Goblin that they had managed to capture as well. 

"Consider yourself lucky, Goblin." She spat at him, before looking down at Hermione. "The same can't be said for this one. From the corner, Ron bolted up from the cellar, disarming Bellatrix and inadvertently duelling with Draco's parents. Draco took the distraction to shove me in, s though I was there the entire time. 

"Drop your wands. All of you!" Bellatrix screamed at everyone, bringing the attention back to her. She help Hermione up, knife at her throat. Draco took Harry and Ron and I's wands, holding onto them loosely and keeping his eyes trained on me. "Well look what we have here. Harry Potter. Somebody call him." Bellatrix look straight at Draco, suggesting for him to be the one to summon Voldemort. After Draco's hesitation, Lucius Malfoy grabbed his sleeve, only to be interrupted by a squeak. Each of us looked up to see what the noise watch, seeing Dobby gently unscrewing the chandelier that Bellatrix was standing under, letting it fall to almost land on the Witch. Hermione freed herself and ran to where we were standing, while Harry took the wands from Draco's hand without a fight.

"You stupid elf! You could've killed me!" Bellatrix shrieked at him.

"Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to maim... or seriously injure." He clicked and Narcissa's wand came flying into his hand. 

"How dare you defy your masters!" Bellatrix swings her arm up to throw her knife. 

"Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf." He puffs his chest out and holds his hand out for each of us to take, apparating us away as Bellatrix's knife come flying toward us.

With a crash I land flat on my stomach on wet sand. Letting out winded cough, I try to sit up and centre myself. Looking around, I see that we're at a quiet, secluded beach. Between seagull cries and waves gently crashing, I hear Harry convincing himself over and over again that we're all safe. I slowly get to my feet and dust the sand off my jeans and notice the cottage a fair few metres away. Three figures are running our way. Well two are running and one is limping. Even in the distance I can recognise him, and hurry my way over, as though he'd collapse if I don't make it in time. 

"Fred!" I call, almost tackling him with a hug, holding onto him as tightly as I could without hurting him. He holds me up off the ground, stumbling the tiniest bit with the weight on his leg, and buries his head into my neck. We both hold onto each other for dear life, as though something terrible would happen if we let go. 

"What did Bellatrix do to you?"  Pulled away, bringing himself back to earth. He put me down on the sand and started inspecting my skin. 

"She didn't touch me." I said, turning back to look at Hermione, who was being held in Ron's arms. The two of them were watching Harry cradle Dobby in his arms. Silently, Fred and I walked hand in hand to be with them, helping Harry try to mourn the loss of his friend. 

⊱✿⊰

Bill and Fleur hosted us all at their cottage for a few weeks, knowing that it would be a safe spot to rest, before the Horcrux hunting had to resume. During the days we had, Fred and I got into arguments about whether or not we were going to continue on with the trio.

"Clover, Fred." Fleur knocked lightly on the door during one of our fights. "There is someone here to see you." I gave Fred a sneer before heading down the stairs, wondering who could've possibly found us here.

"Hello." Remus said from the kitchen bench, holding his hat in his hands. 

"Hi." I smiled back, taking a seat next to Fred at the dining table. 

"This will only take a minute." Remus smiled at the two of us, pulling out a chair to lean on, rather than sit. He gave Fred a look that I couldn't decode, but Fred grabbed my shoulder, seemingly knowing something that I didn't. 

"Um... what is it?" I glanced between the two suspiciously, Harry, Ron and Hermione had also come down the stairs to hear the news. 

"Nymphadora had the baby." He announced to everyone with beaming smile. "It's a healthy baby boy, his name is Edward-"

"Teddy Tonks?!" Fred exclaimed with an excited smile.

"No, Teddy Lupin." Remus smiled back at Fred, "Although the alliteration would be nice."

"Congratulations." Hermione smiled from the staircase, leading everyone else to follow. 

"Thankyou all." He pit his hat back on, ready to leave. "I really must be getting back, Fred and Clover can you come with me?" We followed him out onto the beach as he waved goodbye to everyone, closing the door gently behind him. 

"Now, Clover and Fred. There was a question I asked each of you separately at the wedding, but then there was somewhat of an... interruption." Fred and I nodded along, huddling close to each other from the cold breeze from the ocean. "Dora and I were wondering- hoping, rather. That you two would be Teddy's godparents. Fred, I know what your answer was but Clover..."

"Of course! Is that even a question?" I interrupt. "A hundred-percent yes." I look up at Fred, asking sure that his answer was also yes, and see him grinning widely at me. 

"Amazing." Remus looks at us proudly. "Well I hope to see you two soon." He gives a small wink to Fred before apparating. 

"Don't think this changes how I feel about Horcrux hunting." I glare jokingly up at Fred. 

"Of course not." He pecks me on the lips.