It's Better If You Do

"Last summer, when you were..." she paused, giving Bellamy a significant look. "out, a lot, Lucius Malfoy came and visited us. He's been to our house before, Bellamy, when we were little. He's been good friends to our parents, apparently, which is why they welcomed him in with such open arms. He was all smiles and compliments to our house, and me, saying how pretty I've grown, etc," she waved it off, before staring at her hands. "And then he casually mentioned that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was back."

She paused to let Bellamy take this all in, and began again, faster and with more feeling than before, "Papa took this calmly, of course. Mama... well, she was slightly hysterical. You know how upset she gets. I tried to calm her down, but Lucius stopped me, and said:

"'Dearest Emmaline, it should not upset you so. The Dark Lord has taken favor with you, at my request, and wishes for your husband to join us in being a Death Eater. He has amazing skill, and we could use him for our side. We are superior beings, us purebloods. We must stay that way. The Dark Lord would take the Wizarding World out of hiding, and put the muggle filth in their proper place. Don't you want your children to be around equals? To carry on their pure blood heritage? My son, Draco, has even expressed an interest in your sweet little Rose, here. Maybe we could arrange a marriage between them. Think of all the posibilities. What do you say?'"

Shaking her head, she looked at all three of them, her eyes full of hatred. She growled, "He treated me like I wasn't even there! Like I was to be bred off like some animal! I am a human being, and I will date and marry whom I please!" Rose's voice had risen tremendously, and she stopped, her hands shaking from the outrageousness of Lucius' treatment.

Bellamy took her hands, and squeezed them gently. She gave her sister an encouraging smile, before biting her lip. Fred and George's faces were growing darker by the second. Fred's arms were crossed across his chest, his hands balled into tight fists at the thought of Rose and Draco Malfoy together.

Rose continued, her voice full of darkness, "Father stood up, and said, 'We will not join in with evil, Lucius. Be it as an insult to refuse him, I do not care. Get out of my sight before I do something I regret.' Then Malfoy got really out of line. He began to threaten Father, and I- I wouldn't stand for it! I hexed him and he left in a hurry after that. Mama was beside herself, and Papa left the room to get a drink. I comforted her, while thinking of what the world was coming to for us."

"They're such good hearted people, and Papa was so worried... And... and now I've gone and insulted him... and he says... he threatened our parents, Bellamy! All over my big mouth! What if he hurts Mama or Papa?! He could kill them, Bellamy!"

Her voice had begun to rise into hysterics and now she began to sob openly, distraught over what she had done. Bellamy tenderly took her sister into a tight hug, while staring off wide eyed into space. She couldn't think straight, though she did try to comfort Rose, saying, "Hush, dear. No one is going to hurt them. Papa and Mama know how to take care of themselves."

But as she said the words, she felt the lie in them. Their mother was from whom Rose had gotten her shyness, and was so quiet. Papa could, perhaps, take care of them, but against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his followers? Who had causes so much fear, death, and panic during the First War? She let out a long breath through her nose, trying to control her panic.

Fred and George were looking anywhere but at the two sisters, afraid that their eyes would betray how much danger their parents were in. Lucius was not to be fooled with, and if their father had refused them... Then it was only a matter of time. They, of all people, knew how dangerous it was...

Pulling away from her sister, the blonde shook her head, her face pink and her eyes an unnatural shade of bright blue from crying. Rose bit her lip, and said quietly, "I'll write Papa, and tell him everything. I'll warn him. He needs to know..."

She got up quickly and walked up the stairs, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. Bellamy stared at her sister walking away, and asked the brothers in a low voice, "How bad is it?"

Fred didn't even notice her question, as he was staring at top of the stairs intensely. George looked at him, and sighed, saying, "It's... dangerous. Lucius was the top follower of He-Must-Not-Be-Named before, and our friend Harry Potter saw him in the graveyard when he returned..."

Bellamy let out a shaky breath, her hand pressing against her chest, disregarding the Harry Potter comment for now; it was a bit shocking, but she had more pressing things to worry about. "Poor Rose... I don't know how she kept that secret for so long. I noticed she was down sometimes but... I was a little distracted at the time."

"Do you think I should go talk to her?" Fred asked, his eyes unwavering from the top of the stairs.

Bellamy hesistated, then nodded. Fred nodded back, and moved up the stairs with a solemn face. She looked up at George, and said quietly, "Thank you for defending my sister earlier. You didn't have to do that."

George shook his head, "I did. That was uncalled for, and even if it hadn't been Lucius Malfoy, I would have gone after him anyway."

Bellamy opened her mouth about to apologize, then closed it again, biting her lip hard. George sat down beside her, and said, "It'll be okay."

"I hope so." she said fervently, staring at her hands.

Fred watched at the doorway as Rose dug through her trunk, her hands moving faster and faster through her things as she couldn't find what she was looking for. She let out an aggravated sigh, and leaned her head against the trunk and cried.

He quietly walked over, and sat down beside her, resting a hand on her back. She turned to him and buried her face in his chest, crying softly. Fred stroked her hair, wishing he could take it away, because he did not want her to suffer the worry and anxiousness he had gone through. He wouldn't wish it on anyone.

After a few minutes, she began to calm down and realized she was in his arms. Pulling back shyly, blushing brightly, she mumured, "I'm sorry."

Fred smiled reassuringly. "There's nothing to be sorry for. You've got a right to be upset."

"I- I meant about you.. holding me." she whispered, letting her fringe fall into her eyes.

Fighting the impulse to tilt her chin up and kiss her, he said lightly, shrugging, "It's no big deal. Can't friends comfort each other?"

Rose looked up, a little hurt that he didn't like her, after all, but said, smiling, "Of course."