Friendless » Fred Weasley

clxiii. new assignment

"Miss Bell is sleeping, you might want to come back later..."

"She was sleeping last time we were here too." Alicia Spinnet sighed, frowning up at the receptionist at St. Mungo's. "We're very sorry, but unless you've been approved by the patient lot the patient's parents we can't let you in right now."

"How can we be approved by the patient if she's always asleep when we try and see her?" Tori asked, her arm up against the desk.

"Can we at least give her something? Send it through?" Angelina was holding a pot of flowers the three girls had planned to give to their friend Katie Bell.

In October, Tori had heard about some sort of necklace that Katie Bell had been instructed by someone to give to Dumbledore under the Imperius Curse. Part of the package ripped and Katie ended up touching the necklace which caused her to end up in St. Mungo's.

It was the week after New Years, and Tori had taken the day off from work to try and visit Katie, who seemed to always be sleeping.

The receptionist nodded, taking the pot of flowers from Angelina's hands and setting it in a bin, which went flying away.

The three girls sighed, admitting defeat as they all left the hospital together. "I swear, it's like the receptionist has it out for us," Alicia grumbled, running her hand through the end of her hair.

Tori sighed herself, not sure if she should go into work if she already told Tonks she wasn't coming. Instead, Angelina offered that they all should go to the Three Broomsticks for lunch.

"Is it weird? To be here again?" Alicia asked as the three of them walked in and requested a small booth. "A bit. I mean, last time we were here we were in school," Tori sighed, taking a seat.

They all ordered soon after that, seeming that the restaurant was nearly empty. Tori found to odd since it always seemed to be full during their Hogsmeade trips.

"How's are the twins?" Alicia asked, taking her plate of beef pasties. Tori took her own plate, shrugging. "Business is good, they're thinking about buying outwards for more branches. They've got orders coming in nearly every day. They wanted to come today, but they have a meeting with a few Ministry representatives."

"I haven't had the chance to see the shop yet, everything has been so busy lately..." Alicia sighed, looking over at Angelina. "What about you, Angie?"

"I've been there a few times..." Angelina said duly, causing Tori to hold back a laugh. Angelina noticed, and continued. "I'm just a reserve for the Appleby Arrows right now, but the second games coming up and one of the chasers might have to miss it."

"Let me know when that is, I don't want to miss it!" Tori grinned. "What about you?" Angelina asked Tori, sipping her butterbeer.

"Tiring."

"Really?"

"Yeah. New things are coming in every day, and we're getting hints, but it just leads us to more confusion. The whole thing is honestly confusing."

"Are you on any trails so far?" Alicia asked. Tori nodded slightly, "We've got a few ideas of some people are, we just have to narrow it down."

Angelina lowered her voice, looking around at the people inside the restaurant before asking, "Any clues about You-Know-Who?"

Tori shook her head. "None so far. It's not my task either..." She sighed, stirring a spoon into her drink as Alicia began to talk about her new flat.

✧ ✦ ✧

"Did they let you in to see Katie?" Fred asked as Tori sat down at the kitchen table, which was covered in her own notes from the night before. George, who was closing up shop below, has asked her the same thing. Tori shook her head, taking a seat. She leaned her head against her hand, exhausted.

"Why don't you take a break? You've been working non-stop this past week." Fred said, handing her a mug of tea. Tori shook her head, forcing her eyelids to stay open. "Can't," She yawned. "I need to look over these new letters Tonks sent me."

"Look, I get your jobs important..." Fred began, laughing at the look Tori gave him. "But you can't be overworking yourself constantly. It's just draining for me to watch." He took a seat across from her, plucking a single not piece up and reading it himself.

The smile upon his face wavered as he read it, "They're sending you after Bellatrix Lestrange?" Tori got up, taking the note, and reading it. She paused, reading it several times before nodding weakly. "I guess so..."

"You can't possibly go after her," Fred said, rereading it over her shoulder. "Why not?" Tori asked, picking up another one from Tonks.

"I dunno, because she's dangerous? Because she used the Cruciatus Curse on you and Neville a year ago? Because she threatened to kill you two? She killed Sirius and laughed about it?" Fred began, "And that's... that's just off the top of my head."

"I can't turn this down, Fred," Tori told him, grabbing her wand out of her pocket. She sent the notes into a neat pile. "They've assigned it to me."

"Because no one else wants it!"

"This is a big chance, if I can track her down, find out where she's been hiding, that may be where You-Know-Who's hiding too." She walked through the flat, picking up her jacket and putting it on.

"So what then? You're just going to go running into wherever she is?" Fred demanded. "I dunno, Fred. I have to find her first. She could be anywhere."

"And if you find her? What happens then?"

Tori paused. "I don't know. This is a big deal, alright? I can't turn this down, I've been working for this for months!"

"You've been working for a higher rank, not to go after someone who could kill you!" Fred said. "Don't say they're the same thing." He added once Tori opened her mouth.

"Where are you going?" Tori asked, crossing her arms as Fred walked towards the door. "I'm helping Georgie close up shop."

Tori sighed, taking a seat back down at the kitchen table rereading her new assignment.

make your comments funny

i want to laugh