flames • bill weasley

{4} prisoner of my past

They got back to the Burrow around 5:00 in the morning and Mrs Weasley was there with breakfast ready, terrified that something had happened.

"Relax Mom everything's fine." said Bill calmly as Molly was sobbing into Arthur's shoulder. Hannah, who was still very shaken up, went to read the paper that Bill had brought in but as soon as she saw the cover she froze and began to shake. Charlie noticed, walked over and took the paper from her hands. "You don't need to see that." he told her. "You need to sleep." he helped her to the room she was sharing with Ginny, who was already in bed.

Hannah, who was lying in bed about an hour later wasn't sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes she saw the Dark Mark etched in the sky...at the world cup...and...above her old house. She let out a shout and sat up. Bill and Charlie ran in. "Hey. You're okay."' calmed Charlie who was at her side instantly. "It was just a dream." Hannah let out a sob "B-but it wasn't. It-it happened." Bill looked at his brother "Is she alright?" Charlie shook his head and then turned back to Hannah. "Wanna go downstairs, have a coffee and talk about it? It might help to get it out in the open." Hannah wiped her tears, nodded and stood up, "Yeah. Let's do that."

They got downstairs and everyone was sitting around the living room in different chairs and couches. Hannah sat down on the smaller couch and Charlie sat down next to her. Molly noticed her shaking, "Is everything alright dear?" Hannah shook her head no and looked around at the group "Is it alright if I talk about something? It might help me calm down." Everyone instantly agreed and Bill came in and handed her a cup of coffee. Hannah thanked him and took a sip, inhaled deeply and began to talk.

"When-when I saw that mark in the sky tonight, it opened up a memory I had repressed deep down from many years ago...a terrible memory, and it's all I can think about." Arthur and Molly exchanged glances, they knew what this was about. "What do you mean?" asked Ron, after a few seconds of silence. Hermione glared at him "Shut up Ronald! Please continue if you wish, Han." Hannah smiled softly and continued "I was around 3 I think..I had asked dad to go into Diagon Alley with me so we could look at cats to get for my birthday, I really wanted a cat when I was little.. anyways... we asked Mum if she wanted to come too, but-but she said no because she had work to do..so just dad and I went..and we were only out for about an hour. But when we got home-" Hannah stopped and looked at Charlie who squeezed her hand. "You can keep going. You got this." Hannah inhaled again and sniffled. "We apparated outside of the house- like you do- and-and the Dark Mark was in the sky above our house. I-I was only three so I don't remember a lot but I do remember dad running into the house, there was a lot of screaming, and lights everywhere. Then after a few minutes of nothing, he came out and looked me in the eyes and said 'Mum's gone." and- as a three year old, hearing that your Mum wasn't coming home, and being able to comprehend so little of it- it was awful. That's why it's so repressed in my mind...but now it's all I can think about."

They all sat in silence for about 10 minutes after Hannah had finished. Charlie hadn't let go of her hand and Mrs. Weasley was crying in the corner. Hannah looked around at them all and sighed "So sorry to unload that onto you all..you don't deserve to be on the receiving end of my pent up trauma." Bill chuckled lightly "Don't be daft. Thank you for opening up to us, Hannah. I know for a fact that no one here will ever use it against you, and that you will always have a safe space here." The others nodded in agreement. Ron spoke up "Please don't take this the wrong way, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to...but do you know who did it?" Hermione looked like she was about to tell him off again "No it's okay Mione. I'll answer that Ron. It was Bellatrix Lestrange." Charlie exhaled roughly "Damn that woman. She's in Azkaban now thank god."

A little later into the day after Hannah had opened up, she was sitting in Bill and
Charlie's room on Bill's bed, playing exploding snaps with Charlie. There was a knock at the door. "Come in!" called Charlie. The door opened and it was Bill. "Oi, get off my bed. There's someone here to see you." Hannah quirked an eyebrow "Who's here?" Bill laughed "Get off your arse and go find out for yourself." Hannah grinned "You stink. Finish the game for me?" she stood up and walked out as Bill sat down and finished the game with Charlie.

She got all the way down the stairs and went into the kitchen. "Oh Hannah there you are. I sent off a letter when I saw the paper earlier this morning and he responded right away and now he's here to make sure you're alright." Molly said smiling. "What- who?" asked Hannah. But her question was answered when her dad walked around the corner "Hey darling." he said smiling softly. "Dad?" She hadn't seen her father in a matter of months due to work in Greece and she came straight back to the Burrow when she got back to England. Remus nodded "Can your old man get a hug?" Hannah smiled and ran to give him a hug.

To Hannah, hugging her dad had always been like a big welcome home. It was so comforting and nice. But when she hugged him this time, her emotions got the best of her and she began to shake and started to cry. "Dad I-" she said into his shoulder before crying again. "I know love, I know." he whispered, squeezing her tight. "I know. I saw the paper and immediately thought of you." She sighed deeply and pulled away from the hug to see that he was also crying. "I-I was only three.. I wanted a fucking cat. If we hadn't gone to Diagon Alley that day, then maybe Mum would still he alive." she whispered so that he could only hear. "Hannah- look at me. No. You are not responsible for your mother's death." Remus stated flatly. Hannah nodded "I know...I do, I just need to hear it sometimes." Remus nodded "I know love." He hugged her once more before turning back to Molly "I have to go now. I have to do something for Dumbledore. But I'm always a message away." and he turned back to Hannah, "And you- you know where you find me." and he kissed the top of her head and disapparated out of the Burrow.

"You okay?" asked Bill once Hannah had gone back upstairs. She smiled and sat down next to him. "Yeah I'm alright. Did you win?" Charlie snorted "No of course not. He's awful at snaps." Bill scoffed "I am not!" Hannah laughed and looked at the cards in his hand, then back up at him, "You are pretty bad Weasley." Bill laughed and shoved her off the bed. "Oh screw off." but he grinned.

The rest of their day was filled with laughter and a lot of yelling by Mrs. Weasley, mostly at the twins.