February of 1996

63

Everyone got up; people were looking for an empty seat at the tables where they could sit.

Irena couldn't find Fred. She looked around for a few minutes. Fred saw Irena walking up to him and an unreadable expression.

"What's wrong," he said, holding her shoulder.

"I just met your aunt Muriel. She's lovely, by the way," she said with a fake smile.

"I'm sorry about her. She's not very fond of me since; George and I set off a Dungbomb under her chair at dinner."

She smiled at him "well, that explains it; she doesn't like you that much."

They walked together to a table where George was sitting with Alek sitting on top of the table.

The band had begun to play. Bill and Fleur took to the dance floor first, to great applause. A few moments later, Irena looked around, and everyone was happy and dancing; she saw how Ginny was carrying Alek holding his hand and moving around. Alek had a big smile on his face laughing every time Ginny would spin.

"Let's dance," said Fred to Irena, extending his arm toward her. She took it, and they both got up from their chairs.

On the dance floor, a few people were dancing; she saw Luna doing a weird dance, Ron and Hermione were dancing together.

She looked back at Fred and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Fred was nervous for the first time in his life, he was sweating, and he didn't know what to say. "Are you feeling ill," said Irena. "No, no, I'm good; I just wanted to ask you something."

Irena looked at him, waiting for what Fred wanted to say.

"Irena, I love you a lot," he chuckled nervously.

"I never thought that I would want or have a family or even get married. That never seemed important to me. I always thought that it was only going to be me and George, but that changed," he said, taking a deep breath.

"Having you and Alek in my life has been the best thing that could have ever happened to me," he said, smiling.

He was looking for a small black box that he had in his pocket.

But before he could take the small box out, something large and silver came falling through the cover the dance floor.

Delicate and gleaming, the lynx landed softly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, as those nearest, it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then the Patronuss mouth opened wide, and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Fred and Irena looked at each other panicking.

"Where's Alek," said Irena, looking around for her son.

Many people were only just realizing that something odd had happened; heads were still turning toward the silver cat as it disappeared.

Guests were running in all directions; many were Disapparating; the protective enchantments around the Burrow had broken.

As Irena pushed her way across the dance floor, leaving Fred behind to go look for her son. A cloaked and masked figure appeared in the crowd. "Irena!" Fred screamed for her; he had lost her in the crowd.

Guests were getting their wands out while others had apparated. She heard screaming and cries. Irena frantically looked for her son. Lupin and Tonks had their wands raised, and both of them shouted, "Protego!"

She stopped and looked around; she saw chaos.

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were gone, people were on the floor injured, several Death Eaters appeared, raising their wands at anyone they saw moving; she needed to find her son before it's too late.

She heard a cry that was too familiar for her; walking a bit more, the sound of the cries were getting louder.

Alek was scared, hiding under the table. She hugged him tightly, "Sh, I know; let's get out of here," she said, kissing him on the top of his head.

Alek was still crying; Irena got her wand out. She didn't know where to go; she only wanted to get out of there; she saw Fred pointing his wand at a Death Eater.

"Hello Dear, I haven't seen you in a while," a voice said that Irena has not heard in a long time.