International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 72

I'm starting to miss more and more time I have noticed. One moment, I'm sitting in one of the armchairs in the room I'm being held in, and the next moment, I'm being led back to the room by a maid or Mrs Warrington. When I try to remember what happened, my head hurts but more and more memories resurface and I'm getting better at resisting whatever puts in in that dream-like state.

The engagement ring on my finger is a large diamond ring and I have tried to get it off ever since I noticed it was there. Whatever I try, it won't come off.

With the missing chunks of time and hazy memories, I don't know how long it's been since I got captured. I wonder if something indeed happened to Fleur and if the Order thinks we're just continuing our mission without knowing what truly happened. Those thoughts scare me. If nobody knows I'm here, nobody will come and get me and that means I'll be forced to marry Warrington.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by two house elves entering the room. I'm seated in the plush armchair, reading one of the books Bibly brought me. It took me a while to convince the house-elf I was bored out of my mind before the creature agreed to bring me a few books.

The house-elves don't dare to look me in the eye as they are hauling a large package onto the bed. More boxes are placed beside it and once everything is placed on the bed, the two house-elf vanish without saying a word.

My eyes shift from the spot the two house-elves disappeared to the packages on the bed. I slowly close the book I was reading about the Great Goblin Wars and place it on the table beside the chair. I walk to the bed and want to reach for one of the boxes when a voice says: "Imperio."

I'm really getting fed up with this dream-like state. Like an outsider, I watch as Mrs Warrington enters the room and the warm voice in the distance starts ordering me around.

"...Ministry today. Cassius will show you where he is working and..."

I focus on that as I watch my body move as I'm getting dressed by Mrs Warrington. The Ministry. We're going to the Ministry. If I manage to resist this more than twitching my fingers, I may get to the Aurors Office where I can find Kingsley. I need to find someone of the Order.

"...you behave, we'll visit some friends for lunch."

Mrs Warrington leads me out of the room and we're heading down the stairs. I manage to make out the two figures and spot Mr Warrington and Cassius. They look up when we descend the stairs and I feel someone dig their nails in my arm.

Smile.

"Isn't she beautiful, dear? You're sweet wife..."

I'm not someone's sweet wife, I want to argue, but my mouth isn't cooperating. I'm handed over to Cassius who smirks at me before apparating us away. I'm not prepared for the sudden apparation and feel myself getting sick. My head is spinning but clears a little when I feel the ground under my feet again. Focussing on my left hand – the one not hooked through Cassius's elbow – I try to get my fingers to move. Come on, come on!

I'm led through an enormous hall but I don't focus on my surroundings as I finally get my hand to clench into a fist.

Suddenly, something bumps into my side. Due to the unexpected movement, I stumble and my grip on Cassius's arm disappears.

Stand up. Stand up. STAND UP.

The voice is and I feel myself scrambling back onto my feet. Someone grabs my arm and I hear someone apologising profusely. A female voice is shrieking about 'watching where you are going, don't you know who we are?'.

As I'm being led away, I notice the crowd of people around us. I don't manage to make out the individual faces. I see people pointing at us before I'm entering a small room. Focussing my attention on my surroundings, I notice we're in an elevator. Someone entwines their fingers with mine and squeezes it. I compare it to the way Fred always softly squeezes my hand and the thought of Fred has my determination only getting stronger.