Love In The Shadows | Fred Weasley x OC

Chapter 102

Chapter 102: Smoke and Shadows

The storm had rolled in fast. 

Heavy rain pounded against the windows, drowning out the usual quiet hum of the countryside. Thunder rumbled in the distance, but inside the house, everything was warm, safe. 

Fred sat on the couch, absentmindedly twirling his wand between his fingers while Adhara curled up beside him, her head resting against his shoulder. They had spent the day wrapped in each other, speaking in hushed tones, making promises that felt impossible but real all the same. 

For the first time in years, Adhara felt like she could breathe. 

Then, it happened. 

A loud crack outside. 

Fred stiffened immediately, wand raised. Adhara sat up, her heartbeat quickening. "Did you hear—" 

The front door exploded inward. 

Wood splintered, the impact shaking the house. Smoke curled through the open doorway as figures in dark robes stormed inside, wands raised. 

Lucius Malfoy stood at the threshold, rain dripping from his cloak, his pale face twisted in fury. Behind him, several Malfoy enforcers moved like shadows, their wands sparking with magic. At the edge of the group, half-hidden in the storm, Maximilien Laurent stood motionless, his jaw set, his eyes meeting Adhara's with something unreadable. 

Fred reacted instantly, shoving Adhara behind him. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?" 

Lucius stepped forward, his tone as sharp as a blade. "You've embarrassed this family enough, Adhara. You had your fun, but it's over now." 

Adhara's hands clenched into fists. "You can't control me anymore. I made my choice." 

Lucius' gaze darkened. "And now you will suffer for it." 

Before Fred could react, spells flew. 

Fred threw up a shield charm, deflecting Lucius' hex, but two more wizards advanced, forcing him backward. The room erupted into chaos—furniture overturned, glass shattered, sparks from misfired curses scorched the walls. 

Adhara barely had time to reach for her wand before someone grabbed her wrist. 

She turned, ready to fight—then stopped. 

It was Max.

His grip was firm but not forceful, his expression conflicted. He leaned in, his voice low, urgent. "Come with me. I can get you out of here." 

Adhara's breath caught. "Max—" 

"I don't want to see you hurt." His grip tightened just slightly. "Please." 

Fred saw them and panicked. "Get your hands off her!" He tried to move toward them, but two enforcers fired at him, and ropes wrapped around his arms, yanking him to the ground. 

Adhara struggled against Max, but his grip never turned rough. "I won't let them kill him," Max murmured, voice barely above the storm. "But if you don't leave now, they will." 

Her heart pounded. 

Her choices weren't choices at all. 

She turned to Fred, who was still fighting, still struggling against the bindings. Their eyes met, and in that instant, she saw everything—the love, the fear, the silent plea. 

Then Lucius raised his wand toward Fred. 

"NO!" Adhara screamed, instinct taking over. She lunged forward, but Max yanked her back just in time as a jet of red light barely missed her. 

Lucius' patience had run out. "Burn it," he ordered coldly. 

The enforcers obeyed. 

Fire erupted at the edges of the room, licking up the walls, consuming the curtains, the bookshelves. The warmth of the home turned to searing heat, smoke curling in thick tendrils toward the ceiling. 

Fred's eyes widened in horror. "No—" 

Max swore under his breath, grabbing Adhara tighter. "We have to go—now!" 

"FRED!" Adhara screamed, still reaching for him. 

Fred fought against the spells holding him back, his expression one of pure devastation. "ADDY!" 

But the flames surged higher. 

Max pulled her back, his voice urgent. "Adhara, you can't save him like this! Trust me!" 

She didn't want to trust him. She wanted to fight. But through the growing smoke, she saw Lucius pointing his wand at Fred again, and she knew—if she didn't leave, Fred wouldn't make it out alive.

Tears blurred her vision. 

Then, the fire swallowed the house whole. 

They Apparated. 

Adhara felt the familiar tug behind her navel before the world twisted, and suddenly, the suffocating heat of the fire was gone. The rain hit her skin like ice, drenching her instantly. She stumbled forward, her knees hitting wet stone as she gasped for breath. 

She was in a courtyard. 

Cold, gray stone walls surrounded her, towering and unyielding. The dim glow of torches flickered against the rain, casting eerie shadows. 

The Malfoy Manor. 

Panic surged through her. "No—NO!" 

She scrambled to her feet, but before she could move, two enforcers seized her arms, gripping her so tightly it hurt. 

"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing against them. 

Lucius appeared, stepping out from the shadows. He was calm, composed, untouched by the storm raging around them. "You made a mistake, Adhara." 

Her chest heaved with panic. "You burned it down. You—" Her voice broke. "Fred—" 

"He got out." 

Adhara's head snapped toward Max. 

He was still standing where they had landed, his soaked robes clinging to him. His face was unreadable, but his voice was steady. "Fred escaped before the house collapsed. I made sure of it." 

Adhara's breath shuddered out of her. Fred was alive. He was alive. 

But she wasn't safe. 

Lucius waved a hand, dismissing the enforcers. "Take her inside. Make sure she doesn't try anything foolish." 

"Lucius, please," she tried, but he didn't even look at her. 

The guards began dragging her toward the grand doors. 

Max didn't move. 

Adhara turned to him, her voice breaking. "Max—" 

His jaw was tight. "I tried to protect you," he murmured. "This was the only way." 

Adhara shook her head violently. "No—it wasn't." 

But before he could say another word, the heavy doors slammed shut between them.