Hidden Secrets {Bill Weasley}

145

A/n- thank you so much for 400k!

Arriving in Egypt was like a breath of fresh air. To be back in the place that Harley once called home felt like a weight being lifted from her shoulders. She met Roger at his house and upon seeing the man she collapsed in tears.

Immediately he encased Harley in his arms and soothed her as she let all of her emotions flow free. Everything she had done in the week that went by was followed by tears. She couldn't even brush her hair without crying. It may seem dramatic but Bill literally was part of her and that part is now gone and she felt useless without him.

Roger didn't say anything for a while. He thought it was best to let Harley face the emotions rather than bottle them up inside of her. The girl had hidden so much for years that he wasn't fully informed of but knew of the brief information that Bill had let on when he used to work in Egypt. He couldn't comprehend and fathom the idea of Bill and Harley separating especially so close to their wedding. It just didn't make sense but he knew it had to be quite big because Harley had returned to Egypt.

"Oh darling, that's it, get it all out. Asa and Dylan are excited to see you, I told them that you're coming back. But they think Bill is coming too, I didn't quite know what to say if they asked why he wasn't so I let them believe that he was. I'm sorry."

Harley sniffed and shook her head, "it's okay. Thank you, they'll find out anyway." She wiped her eyes, "I apologise for being such a wet weekend."

"Nonsense, Harley, you're like my daughter and you can cry however much in front of me. It's better out than in, much a like a little toot of the bum trumpet."

Harley laughed, like fully laughed, for the first time in a week as she reunited with her former boss. It truly amazed her how, even though she didn't think it would happen, Egypt was always there to welcome her home.

"It's so odd being back. It's sort of like seeing someone after not doing so for a while. They may have changed a little but there is still that rich sense of familiarity that warms you like a gigantic hug." Said Harley as the pair walked to her old house, well old but now also new. "Roger, I really must thank you once again. Without you I don't quite know what I would be doing right now. Coming back is something I never thought I'd ever do but I'm glad I have. I loved being back in England but it's safe to say that it isn't my home. Not anymore. I don't think it has been for years now but it took going back permanently for me to realise it. If it wasn't for you, I'd not have a home to come back to. So thank you, thank you so very much."

Roger smiled and patted her shoulder, "my dear, you don't need to thank me. I never wanted you to leave but I never wanted to stop you from gaining more experience. You've experience so much in these few months that cursebreaking didn't allow you to do. It's made you realise what your true passion is and despite the unfortunate circumstances, perhaps this is a good thing. After all, you said so yourself the only thing keeping you in England was people. If it wasn't for them, would you have gone back at all?"

"Doubt it."

"Exactly. Now, you're not cutting everyone off in England, but you're finally putting yourself first. You're forever putting other people before yourself and now it's time to self care."

"You're right. You're so bloody right! Enough selflessness bullshit. It's time to be selfish. Put myself first. I'm going to have a nice long bath. Eat all the chocolate I can stomach and relax with a good old book. After I've unpacked and seen the troublesome pair, of course."

"You go girl!"

* * *

"Oh I wonder what is keeping Bill and Harley?" Mrs Weasley questioned everyone as she glanced at her watch. The younger generation had returned home from school that day and all were there except for Harry who was sent back to Privet Drive for his safety. It was a week after Bill found the letter, he had missed the dinner at his parents house that day for the sake of crying and wallowing in self pity. At The Burrow everyone was waiting for Bill and Harley to arrive before they could start eating and they were growing impatient, especially Ron who was not afraid to voice it.

"Mum, I'm starving!" He whined like a petulant child.

"You're hardly wasting away, Ronald, wait for your brother and Harley!" Mrs Weasley retorted and just as she placed her hands on her hips Bill entered the house looking, well, as you can expect, not very good. "Good heavens! What time do you call this?"

Bill waved his mother off and took a seat as far away from Remus, Sirius and Belle as he could.

"Where is Harley?" Asked Belle.

"I don't know."

"Again? Seriously Bill! How many times are you going to let her go off without any idea as to where she is?" Tonks joked, "you should know by now that you need to keep her on a leash! Well, according to Remus and Sirius, I say she's a free woman and can do as she pleases!"

Bill grew angry, he could feel the judgemental states from his family and all those joining them at the dinner table and a fire ignited within him. "You want to know why I don't know where the hell she is?" He roared, taking everybody by surprise. None of his siblings had ever witnessed their older brother in this way and truth be told, neither had any of the adults. "Because I told her to leave! I told her to get out after I overreacted to a stupid mess. She got mixed up explaining her point when I was pissed off about a certain other wedding. And before she could explain that her words didn't come out in the way she had them in her head I broke up with her and told her to get out by the time I returned! I was stupid, I know! I don't need no poxy lecture on my stupidity. I'm a screw up and I am not going to sit here and have you guys remind me about it!"

"That's why she was crying!" Sirius shouted, he stood up abruptly and his chair fell over. "I went to your flat and found her crying into him. She wasn't having a heart to heart about her childhood with him. She was crying over you!"

Remus stared at Sirius in confusion, "who is this other man? Who was comforting my baby cousin because of his screw up?" He demanded.

Sirius chewed his cheek as Bill had the audacity to look curiously at him expecting an answer. "She and he said they were siblings. But I think you'd have told me if she had a brother."

"He found her again!" Lyall screamed, "that son of a gun!"

"Who? Who is he? She doesn't have a brother!" Bill said.

"Like you care!" Belle snapped at the man and Fred rose his eyebrows at his girlfriend. He was far from expecting her to get vexed at Bill, after all, she was rather understanding.

"This man she met when she used to live in Egypt, he  claimed he was her brother and fed her some bullshit about him being put up for adoption before she was born. We convinced her it wasn't true. We'd know if my stupid brother had a child before Harley. But clearly he found her again." Lyall explained trying to calm himself down.

"I have to say, Lyall, they did look very alike and he even had the Lupin temper. I didn't believe it at first but his mannerisms, they're so Remus!" Said Sirius choosing to ignore everything Bill had done and focus on the so-called intruder.

"I don't care how he looked or acted, Padfoot, he is not her brother! And because of you, Bill, she's probably with that fraud right now! You're a right old codswallop, you know that? An absolute rotten cabbage!"

"Just swear, dad."

"A right old dickwad!"

"I know! I know! Why do you think-"

Molly slammed her ladle on the table making everyone jump, she breathed heavily and turned to her eldest son. "William," she said, her eyes burning with anger, "please accompany me into the garden. Everyone else, just start eating dinner. Now!"

The group immediately dived into the food despite the thick, heavy layer of anger wavering over them. Bill followed his mother out into the garden like a child about to be chastised. His head was hanging low and her hands were locked together. Molly shut the door behind her and turned to him furiously.

"WILLIAM ARTHUR WEASLEY!"