Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 2 ⚡️

Vega was utterly distressed as she paced the length of the Burrow's yard, her heart and mind racing with all sorts of things that could've happened to her friends Harry, Ron and Hermione, to her family Dora and Lupin, to the Fred, the person she loved a bit too much. It was hard to even stand still, no matter how many times she had been suggested to sit down by Ginny and Mrs. Weasley – every single one of them, however, was expelling their stress differently.

Tonight, it was the 27 of July, and Vega had been informed at the very last moment that there was a plan to get Harry out of his home. She had been tossed around in safehouses and when she had heard that she was heading to the Burrow, she had been happy that she would get to see her friends, including Harry himself. But what awaited her was entirely else.

Mrs. Weasley explained to the girl how Moody had made this plan, and how they were going to pair Dora, Mr. Weasley, Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill and Hagrid with Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur and Mundugus Fletcher, all of whom disguised as Harry.

It was the most insane plan that Vega could've imagined the more she heard about it – and she demanded that she was allowed to go, too, but was denied.

Things had not been very good for Vega as the last few weeks went – articles about her were being written in the Daily Prophet more and more often, and most of them had been pointing at least some blame on her for what had happened with Dumbledore.

Ever since that it had been revealed that Draco Malfoy 'might' have something to do with what happened that night, the entire issue flew off of him and stuck to Vega instead. It was not surprising but still mind-boggling for Vega that she was being held up over everyone and everything else as the most suspicious individual present at the Tower.

However, that was nothing compared to what else that Vega had gone through. Ever since Vega had been sent around into safe houses, given that she was of age now, she was moved fairly quickly every time because another safe house had been attacked.

Death Eaters seemed to be keen on looking for Vega, and she felt horrible that she was being brought here at the Burrow but most of the people told her hiding in plain sight would be better for her for now, and that the Burrow was increasing security.

A hoot interrupted Vega's thought and she whistled to comfort Hedwig, who seemed to be quite as agitated, sitting on the windowsill of the kitchen in wait.

Things were not going according to the plan that Moody had crafted: Vega was told that Dora and Ron would be back first, but their Portkey, a rusty oil can, had dropped out of the air with no human to accompany it. Vega could hardly keep still since then.

"It'll be okay, Vega," Ginny had told Vega, trying to assure the older female. "Tonks' a good Auror, you know that – nothing will happen to them, you know that,"

"I just wish I could've seen them one time before they left," Vega had replied, clutching and unclutching her fingers on her wand. "I just want them home now,"

"Wait until Fred comes back," Ginny said, trying to cheer the girl up. "He'll scold me for getting you so worried sick while they were gone,"

But Fred didn't come by either – Mr. Weasley and Fred were to come together but their sneaker Portkey arrived without them. That had set the worst fear in Vega's heart, and she just could not find the voice to reply, pacing out in the yard alone.

"It's almost time for Harry and Hagrid," Mrs. Weasley said as she appeared in the doorway, looking quite as worried sick if not more. "In just a moment –"

There was a loud sound, followed by heavy thuds that shook the ground slightly – Mrs. Weasley let out a startled scream but Vega and Ginny were rushing ahead of her to the location where two large figures had fallen – it was Harry and Hagrid, only.

"Harry?" cried out Mrs. Weasley as Hagrid clambered laboriously to his feet. "You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?"

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked, panting as he got to his feet, and Hedwig hooted loudly, coming forward to Vega's shoulder to see him clearly. "Isn't anyone else back?"

The answer was clearly etched on the faces of the three females.

"What's happening out there?" Vega demanded once she had seen that he was alright aside from some injuries – being alive was what mattered. "What happened to you, Harry?"

"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her. "We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else. Four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us –"

"Thank goodness you two are all right," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling him into a hug.

But Vega had sunk down closer to the ground, her face stuffed into her hands and her curly hair collapsed over her head with streaks of vivid white of fear. Harry hadn't heard that Vega was going to be here, and he wondered if they had kept the entire plan from her because she was the kind of person who would've forced them to let her through, too.

"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" Hagrid asked a little shakily. "Fer medicinal purposes?"

Mrs. Weasley could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Vega knew that she wanted to hide her face. Vega pushed herself up to her feet, avoiding meeting eyes with anyone but still looking at their injuries.

"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them," Ginny said, pointing at a rusty oil can lying on the ground nearby. "And that one," She pointed at an ancient sneaker. "Should have been Dad and Fred's, they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and," She checked her watch. "If they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute,"

Ginny reached over to squeeze Vega's shoulder, and Vega nodded quietly in response despite the fact that she felt upset over being so blindsided by everything.

"We stopped by your Aunt and Uncle," Harry told Vega, trying to assure her that some of her family was alright. "They said they believed in Tonks... and you know it, too... she's a great Auror,"

Mrs Weasley reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.

"Mum!" shouted Ginny, pointing to a spot several feet away.

A blue light had appeared in the darkness: it grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling. Vega knew immediately that there was something wrong: Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood. Vega and Harry ran forwards and seized George's legs.

Together, Vega, Harry and Lupin carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the sitting room, where they laid him on the sofa. As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped and Vega momentarily froze: one of George's ears was missing.

The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.

No sooner had Mrs Weasley bent over her son than Lupin grabbed Harry by the upper arm and dragged him, none too gently, back into the kitchen, where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.

"Oi!" Hagrid shouted indignantly. "Le' go of him! Le' go of Harry!"

Lupin ignored him, and gave Harry a small shake, demanding, "What creature sat in the corner, the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts? Answer me!"