Falling (asleep) | Fred Weasley fanfic

The Battle of Hogwarts

One evening a few months later, Molly and I were sitting in the kitchen.
„I think I might be, Molly," I said with tears in my eyes. „This is just not the right time for a baby."
„Calm down, dear, you don't know for sure. „Have you told Fred?" Molly asked and I shook my head. „How late are you?" I was about to answer when suddenly George stormed into the kitchen.
„Lightning has struck!" he shouted. „Come on!"
„What?" I asked in surprise.
„It means Harry's at Hogwarts. Let's go," Molly grabbed my hand and guided me to the sitting room, where George, Fred and Arthur were talking.
„What do we do now?" Molly asked Arthur.
„How do you know it's true?" Fred asked.
„The DA's fake galleons," George answered and showed me the coin with that day's date on it. The date Harry had entered Hogwarts.
„We have to go. We'll Apparate inside the Hog's Head and we can enter through the secret passage", said Fred.
„We have to let the others know first," I added. „I'll send a Patronus to Dora and Remus." They had just had a little baby, his name was Ted, after my dad. Remus had been worried about passing his furry little problem onto Teddy, but he actually inherited mine and Dora's gift. „My godson is a Metamorphmagus as well," I thought proudly.
„Do that, I'll tell Bill and Kingsley to meet us there," said Arthur as he cast a Patronus and mumbled into his wand. I mimicked him and saw two silver weasels and one silver dog leave the house.
„Let's go," Fred said as he took my hand and we Disapparated.
I felt my feet hit the floor. We were inside that weird little pub in Hogsmeade called the Hog's Head, whose owner was Dumbledore's brother Aberforth. Not one second later Remus arrived. Then Bill together with Fleur, Charlie and a man I didn't know were standing behind us.
„Guys, this is Andrew, my boyfriend!" said Charlie.
„Andrew, nice to meet you, dear," said Molly and hugged him. „I'm Molly"
„Hello, Andrew! I'm Arthur," said Arthur and shook his hand.
„Nice to meet you both," Andrew answered. „You must be Fred and George," he said to the twins.
„Andrew, this is George," Charlie explained as Andrew shook George's hand. „These are Fred and his wife, Midget," said Charlie and I slapped his arm. Andrew shook Fred's hand and then mine.
„Nice to meet finally meet you. I'm Arcadia, but call me Kay," I said. „Dora's at my grandparents' with the baby then?" I asked Remus.
„Do you even need to ask?" he answered as he shook Andrew's hand and everyone laughed. Andrew seemed really confused.
„My wife here can read minds," Fred explained. „Sometimes she doesn't even realize she's doing it and believes people are talking to her." I chuckled and shrugged my shoulders.
„That's a rare talent!" said Andrew. „How cool!"
„Yes yes, it's all very cool, until it's your thoughts she's saying out loud," said George sounding a bit annoyed. Everyone else found it funny and laughed.
„Sorry, Georgie," I said and chuckled.
Finally, Kingsley had arrived and we were ready to go.
„It's time, people. Go!" Aberforth said and indicated the way to a portrait hole. Fred helped me climb up we started walking. With George, Charlie, Andrew, Molly and Arthur following. Behind them Bill, Fleur, Remus and Kingsley.
„Wands out," I heard Arthur say and I drew my wand. „Lumos."
„I see the exit!" I shouted. Finally, we came out on the other end of the passage. It was full of students, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione were among them
„Harry! We're here," I said as I climbed down the portrait hole.

„You're under-age!" Molly shouted at Ginny as Harry approached. „I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"
„I won't!" Ginny's hair flew as she pulled her arm out of her mother's grip. „I'm in Dumbledore's Army –"
„– a teenagers' gang!"
„A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" said Fred.
„She's sixteen!" shouted Molly. „She's not old enough!"
„Mum's right, Ginny," said Charlie.
„You can't do this. Everyone under-age will have to leave, it's only right," said Bill gently.
„I can't go home!" Ginny shouted, angry tears sparkling in her eyes. „My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and – Fine," she said, staring at the entrance to the tunnel back to the Hog's Head. „I'll say goodbye now, then, and –"
There was a scuffling and a great thump: someone else had clambered out of the tunnel, overbalanced slightly and fallen. He pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses and said, „Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I – I –" Percy spluttered into silence. Evidently, he had not expected to run into most of his family.

There was a long moment of astonishment, broken by Fleur turning to Remus and saying, in a wildly transparent attempt to break the tension, „So – 'ow eez leetle Teddy?"
Lupin blinked at her, startled. The silence between the Weasleys seemed to be solidifying, like ice.
„I – oh yes – he's fine!" Remus said loudly. „Yes, Tonks is with him!" he added looking at me.
Percy and the other Weasleys were still staring at one another, frozen.
„Here, I've got a picture!" Remus shouted, pulling a photograph from inside his jacket and showing it to Fleur and Harry.
„His hair is turquoise!" said Harry.
„Yes, he's a Metamorphmagus!" I replied proudly.
„I was a fool!" Percy roared, so loudly that Remus nearly dropped his photograph. „I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a – a –"
„Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," said Fred and grabbed my hand.
Percy swallowed. „Yes, I was!"
„Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his other hand to Percy.
„Oh, boys!" I muttered.
„By the way, may I introduce you to my wife, Arcadia Tonks-Weasley?" Fred added as he shook Percy's hand. Percy opened his mouth to speak, but Molly had burst into tears and she ran forward, pushed Fred and me aside and pulled Percy into a strangling hug.
„You got married? When?" asked Harry.
„Christmas Eve!" Fred and I answered.
„Congratulations!" said Harry and hugged me.
While Percy patted Molly on the back, his eyes on his father. „I'm sorry, Dad," Percy said.
Arthur blinked rather rapidly, and then he, too, hurried to hug his son.
„What made you see sense, Perce?" enquired George.
„It's been coming on for a while," said Percy, mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his travelling cloak. „But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."
„Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," said George, in a good imitation of Percy's most pompous manner. „Now let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters will be taken."
„So, you're my sister-in-law now?" I heard Percy say, shaking hands with Fleur as both hurried off towards the staircase with Bill, Charlie and Andrew.
„Ginny!" barked Molly. Ginny had been attempting, under cover of the reconciliation, to sneak upstairs too.
„Molly, how about this," said Remus. „Why doesn't Ginny stay here, then at least she'll be on the scene and know what's going on, but she won't be in the middle of the fighting?"
„I –"
„That's a good idea," said Arthur firmly. „Ginny, you stay in this Room, you hear me?"
Ginny did not seem to like the idea much, but under her father's unusually stern gaze, she nodded. Molly, Arthur and Remus headed off for the stairs as well.
„Where's Ron?" asked Harry. „Where's Hermione?"
„They must have gone up to the Great Hall already," Arthur called over his shoulder. „Come on, Fred, George, Arcadia." We followed him out of the room to the staircase.
„I didn't see them pass me," I heard Harry say as we left.
„They said something about a bathroom," said Ginny, „not long after you left."
„A bathroom?"