Callidora ☆ Fred Weasley

[chapter 108]

Consciousness came back slowly.

Calli groaned, her head pounding as she shifted. She felt something soft beneath her, sheets, a pillow.

For a fleeting second, she thought it had all been a dream. That gave her hope.

Then she turned her head.

And froze.

To her right, couple beds away was Moody.

Lying completely still.

That made her jolt upright.

Her hand shot instantly to the nightstand, fingers wrapping tightly around her wand.

"Miss Nott." Came a calm voice. "I assure you, you don't need to arm yourself."

Calli looked up.

Dumbledore.

Relief didn't come.

Not fully.

"But Professor, he-" she started, voice rough.

Dumbledore raised a hand gently, stopping her.

"That," He said quietly, "was not Alastor Moody."

Calli blinked.

Her grip on her wand loosened.

"Barty Crouch Junior." He continued. "Disguised as him."

The words didn't land properly.

Didn't make sense.

"They will explain." He added softly.

Calli sat there, still trying to piece it together.

"Calli!"

She barely had time to react before Fred and George were there.

Right at her bedside.

Both of them looked wrecked.

Eyes red.

Faces tight.

Fred reached her first.

Grabbing her hand hard.

So tight it hurt.

But Calli didn't pull away.

Didn't say anything.

"You-" He started, voice shaking, then stopped, dragging a hand through his hair. "You are the most infuriating-"

He cut himself off, jaw clenched.

"There's chaos." He went on, words coming out uneven now. "He's back- and you just what, decide to run after a death eater?!"

His shoulders shook slightly as he cried.

"Brave." He muttered under his breath. "Bloody brave but stupid! So stupid."

Calli swallowed.

Fred's grip didn't loosen.

If anything, it tightened.

George stepped in beside him, quieter but just as shaken.

"We were looking everywhere for you." He said, shaking his head. "Then we hear you're in here, unconscious after everything that's already happened..."

He exhaled sharply.

"We were really worried about you."

That hit harder than anything.

Calli's throat tightened.

Her eyes flickered between them.

Fred.