The Lost Twin (Fred Weasley)

Chapter 31: Bruises

Third Person POV
Molly Weasley sat in the kitchen, reading a magazine of knitting patterns when she heard a knock on the door.

"My goodness... it's nearly one in the morning. Who could that be?" She wondered out loud.

Mrs. Weasley drew her wand and carefully opened the door. A frightened girl stood on the front step. She was soaking wet, her long red hair was matted from the rain. Her lip was swollen and bleeding, and she was holding her side as if she'd just been hurt.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late Mrs. Weasley... but do you mind if I stay here for a while?" She asked timidly.

"Oh dear! Cassie! What happened to you? Of course you can stay! Come in dear" Mrs. Weasley rambled as her motherly instincts kicked in.

She pulled Cassie into the warm house. As Mrs. Weasley turned to look back at her, she realized her eyes were red and puffy from crying. The poor girl was trembling from head to foot.

"Oh dear... what happened to you?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"They... they w-wanted me to... to b-be one of t-t-them. And, and I-I- I said no and h-he... he hi-hit me.. and I r-ran a-away" Cassie stuttered.

"Who hit you dear?"

"R-Ro-Rodolphus."

Mrs. Weasley tried to conceal her anger at this. How dare that horrid man lay a finger on the girl who was as good as her daughter.

"Oh Cassie... you go get some dry clothes on and I'll make you a cup of tea" Mrs. Weasley told her. Cassie nodded, grabbed some clothes from her trunk and walked upstairs to one of the bathrooms.

Mrs. Weasley started the tea, and then went upstairs to wake her husband.

"Arthur, Arthur wake up!" She hissed.

"Yes dear?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"Cassie's here. Rodolphus hit her, the poor thing is absolutely terrified."

The two headed back downstairs, where Mrs. Weasley finished up the tea. When Cassie came back down she found both Mr. and Mrs. Weasley waiting for her.

"Here drink this dear, it'll make you feel better. And sit down, you aren't  in a state for standing." Cassie gratefully took the tea, and curled up in a spot on the couch, wincing as she did so.

There was a creak on the stairs, and Mrs. Weasley looked up to see three of her children standing there.

"What's going on?" Asked George.

"We heard voices" said Ginny.

"Cas? What happened?" Fred asked, as all three children rushed to Cassie's side.

"I've given her tea with a potion to help calm her down. She's a complete wreck right now, be careful, all of you." The twins sat down on either side of Cassie, and Ginny sat down on the floor next to her.

Cassie had finally stopped trembling, she seemed to have calmed down enough to explain.

"Cassie- I'm sorry do you mind explaining what happened again? It was a bit hard to understand the first time" Mrs. Weasley asked the girl, who still seemed a bit shaken.

"I was sitting in my room when Bellatrix called me downstairs. When I got there Voldemort- sorry" she whispered as everyone flinched.

"But he was there, and they said that tomorrow, since it's my fifteenth birthday... that they wanted me to.. to be one of... one of them. I.. Well.. I said no, that I didn't want to... and he- Rodolphus... hit me," her voice came out shaky, but better then before.