Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 16 ⚡️

Vega, Harry, Ron and Hermione did not get to bed until late that night, after spending hours going over and over their plan until they could recite it, word perfect, to each other. It wasn't until they realised how late it had gotten did that they decide to turn into their beds. Hermione was staying in the bedroom she had shared with Vega and Ginny as well as Ron in the room that he shared with Harry. Harry himself had taken up Sirius's room while Vega was keener on staying in the room that the twins had shared, and this way, they covered all of the floors.

Nights had always been hard on Vega since she left the Burrow so quickly, without saying a proper goodbye. And more so ever since she found out what had happened to her uncle and aunt, and how Dora was pregnant. She could only wonder if Lupin had actually returned to them. In the end of her conscious, she wondered where and how Fred was doing now that they had been apart from each other under such circumstances, not knowing what was going on.

The ring still turned warmed continuously throughout the day, and Vega had long shifted the ring from around her finger and into a chain around her neck, now feeling the warmth against her chest whenever Fred kissed it. She reached for her ring quietly.

Seconds after Vega had pressed her lips against it, the ring turned warm in return and it persisted for a long time, almost longer than Vega had been conscious.

Dawn seemed to follow midnight with indecent haste.

By the time that Hermione arrived downstairs, Vega had finished her breakfast and was looking through her stuff. And by the time Harry and Ron arrived, Kreacher had served coffee and hot rolls. Vega had her ever-present calm expression but Hermione looked manic.

"Once again, Vega!" Hermione exclaimed as soon as Vega had tried to close her handbag after checking onto make sure that they had everything. "One more time!"

"Okay," Vega replied, sighing softly while Hermione acknowledged the boys with a nervous nod. "This time, you look at our stuff and I'll list off,"

"That's better," Hermione said, and Vega passed her the bag.

"Robes, Polyjuice Potion, Invisibility Cloak," Vega listed, watching Hermione nod. "Decoy Detonators, Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougat, Extendable Ears..."

They gulped down their breakfast, then set off upstairs, Kreacher bowing them out and promising to have a steak-and-kidney pie ready for them when they returned.

"Bless him," Ron commented fondly. "And when you think I used to fantasise about cutting off his head and sticking it on the wall,"

"The disturbing part is that he's conditioned to appreciate that," Vega muttered.

All four of them made their way onto the front step with immense caution. They could see a couple of puffy-eyed Death Eaters watching the house from across the misty square. Hermione took Ron's arm and Vega took Harry's – all four of them Disapparated swiftly.

Vega and Hermione had brought Harry and Ron in a tiny alleyway where the first phase of their plan was scheduled to take place. It was as yet deserted, except for a couple of large bins; the first Ministry workers did not usually appear here until at least eight o'clock.

"Alright now," Vega spoke as she looked at her watch. "She's going to be here soon," She held her wand to the padlocked and graffitied fire door beside them and it burst open with a crash.

The dark corridor behind it led, as they knew from their careful scouting trips, into an empty theatre. Vega pulled the door back toward her, to make it look as though it was still closed before motioning the three to get on with it, keeping a look-out for them.