Mudblood • Fred Weasley

22. writing lines

REELING FROM THE LOSS OF TWO OF HIS BEST FRIENDS and the uncertainty of the third's safety, Charlie didn't know where to turn too. So, he went home. He didn't want to tell Fred that his girlfriend was missing, but he had too. Charlie had done a thorough sweep of the whole camp, making sure Willa wasn't hiding in a neighboring cabin. No one had seen her. He squared away Millie and Scout with the cabin next to them and went off to the Burrow.

It was almost midnight when reached the front door. He sleepily opened the door without knocking, this was his childhood home after all. Charlie felt as if he was in a daze, as if none of this was real. Charlie had only cried once thus far in his adult life and that was when his first dragon, Jinx, died.

He sat at the kitchen table and placed his head in his hands. He sobbed, not knowing what to do. He felt as if he let Fred, his parents and everyone who cared about Willa down.

"Charlie?" Ginny whispered, poking her head down the steps. "What're you doing here? Are you crying? What's wrong?" Ginny asked a million questions, which Charlie, not meaning to be rude, didn't answer. Ginny fumbled back up the steps and to her mother's room.

Soon, everyone was downstairs, including the twins. As Fred rounded the corner, he seen Charlie sitting with a tear filled face at the table and his heart sank. Charlie spoke to no one, only Fred. He looked his brother dead in the eye and cried, begging for forgiveness. "I tried so hard, Fred. The boys... they tried so hard. We all done our best to protect her."

Fred's eyes got hot with tears, he tried to blink them away, still in shock. "Is she..." he gasped a little bit and let out a small sob. "Is she dead?"

Charlie shook his head, "I don't think so. He killed Thatcher and Lukas." Charlie sniffled, "but Willa's body wasn't found. I think he has her, but I think she's alive."

Fred was relieved, but still terrified. He wondered what Lucius was doing to her, where he had taken her. He let out a loud sob and George pulled his brother into a hug; the unknown surrounding Willa was far more terrifying.

•

"Let me go!" Willa growled, she had been bound by her hands and feet. Lucius stood over her and stared at her. He watched as she struggled to break loose.

"Silencio." He muttered. Willa screamed to the top of her lungs but nothing came out. "That's better." He walked around Willa, his cane clanking against the ground. Willa was on a cold stone floor and it was dark, the only thing she could see was Lucius.

"There are far too many people that know and believe you." Lucius sighed, "so I'm afraid that it won't be as easy as it was with Calliope."

Willa jerked, fighting with every ounce of being to break loose and attack Lucius. He simply chuckled. Tears began flowing down Willa's face, how dare he say her mother's name. He leaned down and stroked her cheek; Willa spat in his face.

Disgusted, Lucius wiped his face. "You know. It's a shame." He whispered, "your mother was a beautiful girl. Shame she was a muggle." Lucius chuckled, "she sure was a good time, though."

Willa flipped and flopped, if she could've broke loose from the bind Lucius had her tied in she would've killed him on the spot. Willa wondered if there ever was any good in Lucius; Willa realized then why Draco was so cruel.

"You'll stay here for the night until I figure out what to do with you." Lucius whispered, "if you so much as make a peep after this charm wears off... your precious Weasley will be the first to go." Willa instantly cried, all she wanted was for Fred to be safe and happy and if that meant sitting here on this cold, hard, floor the rest of her life... she'd do it.

•

Fred had cried, he screamed, he'd punched a hole in the wall in his and George's room. Then, he got determined. He set up the kitchen table as the command center, recruiting everyone he could to figure out where Lucius could've taken Willa.

"Malfoy Manor?" George suggested.

"Too risky." Charlie sighed, "he's not alone. There's no way one man got past two dragons, killed two people, and kidnapped Willa."

"He has to be alone." Ron said, "there's no way he went to his death eater friends and said 'hey, I have a daughter and we need to kill her'."

Harry sighed, "He has a point. There has to be a cover story."

The group sat in silence for a minute before Charlie's eyes widened. "You, Harry."

"What?" Harry asked, confused.

"They're using Willa as bait." Charlie continued, "it's a win win for Lucius."

•

Willa shivered. Lucius had untied her but had she had nothing but the clothes she had wore that night to go check on Millie. Willa sobbed, laying against the cold floor. She wished she was home, in Fred's arms. Willa had exhausted herself trying to find a way out of the little room she was in, wondering where she was.

Suddenly, a bright light burst into the room. A fowl giggle echoed across the stone walls and floor. "What do you know about Potter?" The shrill voice hissed, her breath reeking off liquor and cigarettes.

"Nothing. I don't know the boy." Willa huffed, turning her back to the woman and hugging her knees.

"Hmm." The woman said, knocking Willa to her stomach and straddling her back. She jerked Willa's shirt up and pointed her wand at her back.

Willa screamed as a white light emitted from the crooked wand. She could feel the skin on her back burning. The woman was writing something, but Willa was in too much pain to make out the letters. "'Now, I'll be back tomorrow. You best be ready to talk then, or we'll do another line." The woman stood back and admired her work:

Mudblood written across Willa's back.

The woman giggled, exiting the cell and slamming the door behind her.

Willa laid in the dark once more, this time crying in pain. She could feel blood dripping down her back. Willa had one guess as to what the word was. She cried in pain until finally, she passed out.