No Laughing Matter

Chapter Twenty-seven

"Not to be rude, or anything," Harry said as they all broke from their embrace. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve. This place was too... elegant for the Burrow, and too cheerful to be Grimmauld Place. "But where are we?"

"You're in my home," Nigel said, stepping forward, and drawing Suzette with him. He offered a hand to Harry, Ron and Ginny in turn, who all shook it dutifully.

"Harry, this is Nigel Winters, and this is his lovely wife, Suzette. Nigel, Suzette, this is Harry Potter. This is my younger brother Ron, and my sister, Ginny," George introduced. He laid a comforting hand on Ginny's back, as she leaned into him with tear-filled eyes, and then he said to Ron, Harry and Ginny. "The beautiful woman who patched you up here is Carly Winters, Nigel and Suzette's niece; she's an Apprentice Healer at St. Mungo's.

Once everyone was properly introduced, they all moved into the large living area beyond the entryway, and settled down onto the sofas and floor. Fred was granted leniency, and made comfortable on the couch so that he could join in the reunion with his siblings. Harry, Ron and Ginny were told most of the news that was known, and got to know a bit about their host and hostess, and about Fred's girlfriend. Fred sat back tiredly, annoyed with himself for feeling so weak and out of sorts. Ginny kept looking over at him half fearfully, and he finally patted the cushion on one side of him, gesturing her to come sit close to him. Instead of sitting on the couch with him and risk causing him pain, she sank to the floor right in front of him, and held onto his hand as she listened quietly to what everyone had to say. Her eyes met his and a message passed between them: 'We'll talk privately later.' He had no doubt that Ginny, Ron and Harry would be sneaking into his and George's room later for a late night not-in-front-of-the-parents talk.

*_*_*_*_*_*

It was after ten o'clock when Carly finally settled Fred back in bed, onto a pile of fluffy pillows. She helped him change into pajamas and checked his wound for any signs of infection. With a huge yawn, she kissed him goodnight and told him to get some sleep before she went to bed herself in the room she shared with Rowan. George came in shortly after, holding a plate of warm cookies that Toolah had pressed on him; Ginny followed with a pitcher of milk, and Ron with glasses. Harry came in as well, looking very solemn and uncertain.

George summoned up chairs around Fred's bed, and Ginny poured everyone a glass of milk to go with the cookies that had been placed on Fred's bed. After they were settled, Fred used his wand to cast a sound-muffling charm on the room, so that they could speak freely.

"Has everyone else gone to bed?" Fred asked.

"No," Ron said. "Mum and Suzette are in the parlor, and Bill is at the kitchen table - looks like he's writing a letter."

"So," Ginny said briskly. "What's the deal with the Winterses? Are they members of the Order?"

"Yeah," Ron asked. "Why aren't we staying at Grimmauld Place?"

"No," George said. "They don't know about the Order."

"Yet," Fred added. "They'll have to be told soon. Carly is suspicious already, and I'm sure she's probably talked to Rowan about it."

"No doubt," George agreed. "But I think that they'll understand and all. They're good people, and they've already saved our hides once. Dad's going to talk to Dumbledore about it, but until then, we have to be careful what we talk about in front of them."

"So what should we all do?" Ginny wanted to know.

"I don't know, Gin," Fred said. "Whatever we can, I guess. I think that tomorrow Charlie wants to go and sift through what's left of the house; see if anything can be salvaged."

"I want to go," Ron said.

"So do I," Ginny said.

Harry simply nodded thoughtfully.

"What's on your mind, Harry?" George said. "Spill it. You've been quiet ever since you found out about the Burrow."

"I guess," Harry said quietly. "I guess I'm just trying to realize it all. So much has happened in just one day. Getting called to Dumbledore's office and the news about Percy, the attacks and Azkaban. It's just so... much. And I keep thinking about what Malfoy said."

Ginny made a noise in her throat like and angry cat, and Ron's fists clenched.

"Let's hear it," Fred demanded. Even if there weren't anything they could do about it, it would help for them to be able to share their anger.

"Well we were all walking down the corridor to Dumbledore's office. It was about a half an hour before we were supposed to get the portkey to come here," Ron began. "We were just passing that staircase behind the tapestry of the Goblin Rebellion leaders, when Malfoy and his sidekicks stepped out in front of us."

Ginny picked up the tale and said, "And then she starts shooting off his mouth about Percy. He said that it was disgusting that the only Weasley to ever show a hint of Wizarding pride couldn't even do that properly, and that he'd gotten what was coming to him. He was banging on about how now that his dad is out of Azkaban, no place will be safe for Muggleborns or us. He said some other things, too, but I can't bring myself to repeat them." Her eyes were angry, and there was sheen of tears over them.

Fred and George looked livid at this bit of news, though they weren't surprised by it. Malfoy had always been a slimly little git who didn't know when to keep his damned mouth shut. They may have left Hogwarts, but that didn't mean they couldn't dole out a little retribution to the Malfoy heir. They would make sure of that. A howler full of some Perfectly Permanent Purple dye and Stupendous Stink Solution would be good - for starters.

"Have a nice time at home Weasel," Ron repeated Draco's words with an uncanny accuracy, "That is if you still have one. I knew my father wouldn't waste any time once he got out of there. He always said..."

"What he should have said was 'duck'," Harry interrupted. "Instead of spouting out all of that garbage."

"Yes," Ginny agreed with a sly smile. "He didn't look too happy with the live frogs that came out the next time he opened his big mouth."

The twins grinned in appreciation, and Ron sighed happily at the memory. "I've been working on the hex for months!" he said with satisfaction. "He really shouldn't have dropped his wand when that happened; the fight really took a downward turn for them after that."

"So you think that Lucius was responsible for demolishing the Burrow?" Fred asked.

Ginny shrugged and said, "I'd bet money on it? How else would Draco know about it? He probably knew about he attacks long before they actually happened."

"If only we could prove that," Ron said viciously, "It would be Draco sitting behind prison bars."

"As wonderful as that thought is," Harry said quietly, "it probably won't happen. He may not have a whole lot of common sense, but he's not stupid, either; especially with instructions from his father telling him how to keep from getting caught."

You just leave Draco Malfoy alone for now," George advised. "He'll get what's coming to him, sooner or later. Sooner, if Fred and I have anything to say about it."

They talked for a while longer about how Hogwarts had been locked down during the attack at Hogsmeade, and some of the students had already gone to bed after the Halloween feast. They didn't even know what had happened until the next morning. It hadn't escaped any of the other house's notice that no one in Slytherin house seemed to have suffered a loss in all of this. In total, about a dozen other students had been given leave to go home to their families because of lost lives in the attacks. The mood in the castle had been one of trepidation, and everyone had spoken in whispers, and everyone had held their breath whenever a professor called out anyone's name, in case it was bad news from home.

"Well, guys," Fred said when he saw that midnight was fast approaching. "The next couple of days are going to be hard on all of us; tomorrow we're going to see if anything can be salvaged from the Burrow, and then the day after is the funeral. Go and get some sleep. I know I'm worn out."

They all nodded and said good night, and went to the rooms that they had been given for their stay. Fred knew that even though they had left this room, they would probably still be gathering in Ron and Harry's room to talk even more. It was strange how he and George had graduated to a place somewhere between 'them' (the adults) and 'us' (trusted brothers and friends). He supposed it was a necessary transition, but it made him a little sad.