Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 3 ⚡️

When Vega walked outside of the Burrow and ended up yet again in the dark yard, she found Kingsley striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned just as she had been doing before her friends started to arrive. Harry, Hagrid, Hermione, Ginny and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence.

None of them looked around when Vega walked over to them but she stopped behind them, her grey eyes set upon the sky, waiting with bated breath for Dora, Ron, Bill and Fleur to arrive as well as Moody and Mundungus – the stress was too much for her.

The minutes stretched into what might as well have been years. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves – and then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground –

"It's them!" screamed Hermione.

Dora landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere, and she cried out "Remus!" as she staggered off the broom into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white: He seemed unable to speak. Ron tripped dazedly toward Vega, Harry and Hermione.

"You're okay," Ron mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly.

"I thought –" Hermione stammered. "I thought –"

"'M all right," Ron assured, patting her on the back. "'M fine,"

"Ron was great," Dora said warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin and throwing her arms tightly around Vega. "Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom –"

"You did?" Hermione asked, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck.

"Always the tone of surprise," Ron replied a little grumpily, breaking free. "Are we the last back?"

"No," Ginny answered. "We're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus. I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron –" She ran back inside.

"So, what kept you?" Lupin asked, sounding almost upset with Dora. "What happened?"

"Bellatrix," Dora replied and Vega's fingers clutched into fists. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Vega, Remus, she tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I'd got her; I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus... then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we'd missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us –"

A muscle was jumping in Lupin's jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else. Vega held onto Dora's hand, trying not to dwell on the thought that her cousin could've been killed by her aunt. She didn't want Dora to be hurt over something like this.

Her mother was clearly trying to get to her.

"So, what happened to you lot?" Dora asked, turning to Harry, Hermione, and Kingsley, still holding onto Vega's hand in return and Vega was grateful for that.

Everyone recounted the stories of their own journeys and Vega felt much worse as they did, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus seemed to lie upon them like a frost, its icy bite harder and harder to ignore.

"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street, I should have been there an hour ago," Kingsley said finally, after a last sweeping gaze at the sky. "Let me know when they're back,"

Lupin nodded. With a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate. Vega was sure that she heard the faintest pop as Kingsley Disapparated just beyond the Burrow's boundaries. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Dora and Lupin.