Hidden Secrets {Bill Weasley}

67

TW:

Harley left the bedroom without saying anything. She made her down the living room and sat on the sofa staring at the ash and embers of the unlit fire.

The feeling of his fingers tracing her body and touching her, ripping off her clothes made her skin crawl. He was rough and quick unlike Bill who was slow, gentle and loving. The sight of Xavier on top of her was prominently playing over and over again in her mind and Harley wanted to scream out like she had wanted to do when it was happening, but like then, her voice was confined to the walls of her throat.

Bill was still upstairs, well until now when he was trudging down the stairs. From his bloodshot eyes you could tell he had been crying himself, he hated himself. He blamed himself. It was his fault.

He couldn't bring himself to look at the woman; afraid he would crack and burst into tears once more. When he saw her cars and bruising from her parents he hated seeing her in such a state, sad and broken. It was begging to look as if she was finally okay, until today. She was back in the broken state and Bill didn't know what to do.

A knock broke the pair out of their thoughts and Harley didn't move. She didn't look up either. Bill knew she wouldn't like having to talk to the aurors about what had happened and he also knew there was a possibility he could be arrested for assault. Bill got up and opened the door revealing Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody and Nymphadora Tonks, who happened to be one of Charlie's best friend, who was still training to be an auror.

"Bill Weasley?" Moody questioned in shock, "what the bloody hell are you doing here?" Bill stepped to the side letting the pair in and they stood behind him. "You aren't the boyfriend to the woman we are here to see are you?" Bill nodded and led them towards Harley.

"Merlin's beard! Harliana Lupin?" Asked Tonks in surprise. "You two are together?" She smiled at Bill.

"Not the time." Said Mad-Eye who sat himself down opposite the woman who was still staring out the unlit fire. "Miss Lupin, I need you to tell us all that happened involving Xavier Hughes." The auror stated without any emotion in his voice. Harley flinched, coming out of her thoughts as Tonks sat beside her, Bill standing and leaning on the counter in the kitchen.

Harley looked at Bill, her lip quivering slightly which pained the man to see her in such state. "Would it help if Bill sat with you?" Tonks asked her, placing a hand on her knee causing Harley to jump back. "Sorry." Harley looked back at Bill and he understood what she was trying to say just from the look in her eyes. He took a seat beside her his hands in his lap and his knee jumping up and down nervously.

"Take your time." Moody said, "We need to know everything so however long it takes, so be it."

Harley nodded, drawing a deep breath. "Um..."She described in detail everything that had happened right from the moment Xavier first opened the door to the couple. Tears fell as she retold everything. Bill wanted to hold her hand and hug her telling her that's she's safe now but he wasn't sure if she would hug him anymore. She did earlier but from her reaction to Tonks touching her knee he wasn't so sure. "He scooted closer a-and the next minute I know he's kissing me...he pushed m-me d-dow-down and started to t-touch me...I..."

In the end, Harley was full on balling into her hands and Tonks had tears in her eyes at the sight of the woman. Bill had to look away and blink away his tears so that they didn't fall. Moody nodded," thank you Miss Lupin, now Mr Weasley, you won't have any consequences for the state that Hughes is in now because you had done it in defence of Miss Lupin. If you excuse me a moment, Tonks stay here, I will be back." The auror stood up and hobbled our of the house leaving the three young adults alone.

"Listen, Harley," Said Tonks quietly, "you did nothing wrong, you weren't even flirting with him. You thanked him for complimenting you and said his eyes were very blue. That's not flirting. You weren't leading him on either."

Harley didn't do anything so Bill decided to speak up. "What's going to happen? Now that is?"

Tonks shrugged, "I'm not sure, Moody'll know and I'm sure he'll tell you when he comes back. But, all I'm saying is, you need to tell your family, Harley, don't keep it cooped up and let it eat you alive."

Moody returned and put his wand back into his coat pocket. "Once a healer had seen to Hughes' wounds, he's being taken straight to Azkaban. Other aurors have searched his house and found bodies of the girls in that book Roger showed us, that you found, Bill, they had all been sexually abused and then killed."

Harley winced at the thought of what cod have happened if Bill hadn't had stopped the disgusting being.

"Miss Lupin, I will assure you that your name will not be released in any of the Daily Prophets stories if one goes out. The only mention that would, if anything, be in there would be how he has tried to sexually assault another woman. But, that will hopefully be avoided anyway. Unfortunately, with such a serious case as this the prophet will report on it. They always do.

However, you uncle and cousin, as I have been told are the only relatives of yours now alive-"

"And Belle." Harley mumbled.

"Who?" Asked Tonks.

"Remus' daughter, Belle."

Moody nodded, "yes well, Lyall and Remus will have to be notified. You need all of the support you can right now." Harley shook her head. "Miss Lupin, it's up to you but I would suggest you do. Also, Mr Weasley, do not blame yourself, after all no flirting actually happened on Miss Lupin's behalf, you had no control over the situation."

Moody and Tonks stood up and bade the pair farewell, leaving the house and leaving Bill and Harley to themselves.

"I really am sorry, Harley."

"Please stop apologising." She muttered. "It's not your fault."

"I know but-"

"Bill, please." Her voice cracked as she climbed into a kneeling position. She crawled towards Bill who had moved to the other end of the sofa, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding onto him.

Harley had stopped crying, her eyes now dry and tearless, instead, she clung to Bill, his top balled into her fists and her legs laid over his with her head in his shoulder.

Bill rocked her slightly in hope that it would calm her and soothe her, it was working as her breathing deepened and slowed showing that she had fallen asleep. He knew she wouldn't be sleeping well for a while and he held her whilst she managed to sleep for a little while, before the nightmares started. Before the haunting of Xavier Hughes took over her.