Stumble - A Fred Weasley Fanfiction

Chapter 17: 279 Days Before

Mrs. Weasley was inconsolable. "Something's happened," she said, pacing the kitchen nervously. It had taken all of Addie and Ginny's power to coerce her to return inside so she didn't freeze out in the cold. She had stared out the window for a long while after coming into the kitchen, but now she had resorted to pacing, freezing every time the house creaked before craning her head to look out the window, resuming her pacing once more when she realized no one had arrived yet.

"It might be nothing," Ginny said, but even she looked nervous. "Maybe they didn't get to leave Harry's house at the time they planned. Maybe the winds were bad. Just because they're late doesn't mean that they were attacked."

Mrs. Weasley wordlessly pointed to the clock on the wall, where the hands for Bill, Arthur, George, Fred, and Ron were constantly switching between 'traveling' and 'mortal peril.' Addie had been watching the clock, specifically Fred's hand of the clock. It had been stuck on 'mortal peril' for almost half an hour now, and Addie was fixated on it, almost scared that it would move. Another section of the clock was titled 'dead,' and Addie was thankful that 'mortal peril' at least meant he was alive.

Arthur's name moved from 'mortal peril' to 'traveling' once more, and Mrs. Weasley let out a sigh of relief. "I really should have gotten Harry's name added," she said. "I hope he's alright."

A sudden crashing in the yard disrupted their worrying. Molly's eyes flew wide open and she rushed outside, Addie and Ginny right on her heels. Something had disturbed the pond at the end of the Weasley's lawn. As Addie's eyes adjusted to the night, she could make out the shiny black coloring of a motorbike. A looming shape was standing over it, helping a smaller figure up out of the mud.

"Harry! Hagrid!" Molly yelled as she ran over to the duo. "What happened? Where are the others?"

"Is no one else back?" Harry asked, his eyes casting around the yard as if expecting to see the others. His expression fell as Molly silently shook her head.

"They were on us right from the start, Molly," Hagrid said. "We didn't stand a chance."

"Well, thank goodness you two are all right," she said breathlessly.

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us. It was an ambush," Hagrid continued, taking off the goggles he had been wearing. Molly and Hagrid walked inside, and Addie was tempted to follow so she could hear what happened, but she stayed outside.

Fred was supposed to be back before Harry and Hagrid. Fred was supposed to be one of the very first one's back, and he wasn't there. Addie panicked. Ginny ran over to Harry, pulling him into a hug, completely forgetting that the two of them were broken up. They talked quickly and quietly to each other as Addie scanned the yard, her heart beating faster and faster by the second.

A cracking sound announced the presence of another group, and Addie jumped at the noise. Remus appeared, carrying a boy that looked like Harry, but he was changing by the second. Addie's heart jumped into her throat when the boy's hair returned to its natural red color. She started to smile, but it quickly fell away when she noticed the blood covering half of the boy's face. She ran to help, but Harry beat her to it, ducking under the other arm. The red-haired boy looked up as they walked past Addie, and she felt a momentary feeling of relief when she realized it was George and not Fred.

And then horrible guilt assaulted her for thinking that. She followed Remus, Harry, and George into the house, standing nervously on the outskirts as they laid George down on the couch. Molly ran a hand through her sons hair. "My poor boy," she muttered. "My poor, poor boy." Another crack resounded outside, and everyone hurried to the doorway to see who had arrived next. Addie took the moment to kneel down beside the couch, clutching George's hand.