Mudblood • Fred Weasley

o7. secrets

MOLLY WENT BACK TO THE FLAT WITH WILLA TO GET THEIR THINGS. They buried her mother last week and Willa hadn't been back to the flat since. Willa was not doing well with the death of her mother; yes, she had the Weasley's - but, as of now, she had no known biological family.

Willa was determined to find the identity of the death eater and the reason he killed her mother. Still grieving, Willa made it her sole mission to figure out who he was and why he did what he did; to figure out what he was talking about when he killed her mother. Willa assumed it was about her.

Her mother had secrets: she figured that out after her death. Fred had confessed to her what her mother told him right before the attack: "there's a lot about Willa and I you don't know."

Molly and Arthur were divided on the topic of telling Willa. Honestly, she wasn't in the mental state to handle that type of news right away. Arthur wanted to tell her; he wanted her to know who her father is, why her mother was keeping the secrets. Molly did too, but she wanted to tell Willa when she was ready. She was so fragile right now and Molly feared that the revelation that she was a Malfoy might send her over the edge.

"I just want some of her clothes and her books." Willa sniffled, looking around the flat. "You can have her dishes if you like." Willa smiled warmly, she knew how close her mother and Molly had always been. "Anything you want, Molly, take it. You were her best friend."

Molly sniffled and nodded. As the two cleaned the apartment up and took what they want, Willa boxed up all of her mother's bookshelf, putting everything neatly in a cardboard box.

Arthur and Molly set up Charlie's old bedroom for Willa. As Willa carried the box of stuff up to her room, Molly pulled Callie's journal she had entrusted with her after Willa's birth. She sighed and ran her fingers over the cover. When should she give this to Willa?

Upstairs, Willa went through her mother's clothes that she had decided to keep. All of this happened so fast; Willa's head was in a whirlwind. She held her mother's favorite t shirt up to her nose and smelled it; it smelled just like she did. Willa winced at the thought of her being in the ground. She sobbed silently as she folded the clothes.

"Hey." A voice whispered from the door, knocking slightly. Willa turned around to see Fred standing against the door frame.  "You okay?"

"Not really." Willa broke out into a hysterical sob, clutching her mother's ratty old shirt. Fred hugged his friend tightly.

"I'm sorry Will. I don't know what to say." He whispered. Willa turned her face into his chest and continued to sob; the closeness making Fred's heart thump. Fred didn't have feelings for her in that way; he assumed it was a combination of all the emotions flaring that made him feel that way. He rubbed her back softly as she cried. "I don't know if you want some help but, I may have a lead on who the death eater was." Fred suggested after a few moments.

Willa jerked back and looked up at Fred. "Really?" She said quickly, drying her eyes. "Who?"

Fred sat down on Willa's bed. "When Callie jumped in front of us.. she said 'just go, Lucius'. I didn't know if you'd heard her or not."

"No, actually I hadn't." Willa's eyes widened, this was the biggest lead yet. "Malfoy?"

"The only Lucius I know." Fred shrugged. Molly stood at the door, unbeknownst to Fred and Willa. She had came to check on Willa and overheard the conversation; the two were going to get themselves killed snooping around the Malfoy's. Molly had to tell her.

Molly scurried back down the stairs and got into the top shelf of her tea cabinet. Behind some cups no one ever used, she pulled out Callie's journal. "I hope this is how you wanted me to use this." Molly whispered, remembering the night when the twins and Willa were just tots that Callie gave it to her.

Molly returned upstairs, the two teenagers continued to discuss the identity of Callie's killer. "Ahem." Molly coughed. The two whipped their heads around as Molly entered the room; she closed the door behind her.

"What's going on?" Fred asked, confused as to why his mother closed the door.

"I have something to show you, Willa." She pulled the journal out of her duster pocket. "Fred is involved now too, I assume."

She handed the worn diary to Willa. Willa opened it up and immediately recognized it as her mother's hand writing. "Oh." She gasped, her tears returning. "What is this?"

"I suggest you read it thoroughly." Molly sniffled, "it explains everything. She knew this would happen, soon enough."

"She knew that she would be killed, but how?" Willa furiously skimmed through the pages, needing answers.

Dear baby,

I feel quite silly calling you that, but I don't know what you'll be yet, but I just know that you're a girl. I have your name chosen. Willa. Willa Calliope, after your old mum of course. I love you very much already.

Love, mum.

The pages were short; not much was written on them. It was as if she wrote every day of her pregnancy, even if it was just a few short lines. Willa sniffled as she continued to read, Fred peering over her shoulder. Molly needn't read it; she had lived it with Callie.

Dear Willa,

I've decided to start addressing you by your rightful name. I am very sorry if you're reading this one day and you're a boy. This is the letter to you I was dreading most. As I near the end of my pregnancy, unsure of the future, I have some confessions.

If you're reading this and I have passed, just know I loved you so fiercely. I love you with every inch of my being, Willa. I always will. I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant with you. I'm not going to lie, you were conceived out of lust. That doesn't make you any less important to me; that didn't make want you any less.

With that being said, Molly has only given you this book because you need to know: your father is Lucius Malfoy.

I told her to only give you this if I was gone; so I have either died of old age or he has caught up to me. If he is gone, good. That's the way I intended for you to find out: once he was long gone. If he isn't, please be safe, Willa. You don't know what he's capable of.

I love you with every ounce of my being.

Mum