The Big Dipper

The Rehearsal Dinner

"Going out?" asked George, leaning in the doorway as Fred fixed the collar of his suit in the mirror.

"I made a reservation for Ursula and I," said Fred. "She should be here any minute."

But Ursula never came. Fred waited, checking his watch eagerly every few minutes as he sat on the sofa, a bouquet of flowers in hand. Ten minutes ticked by, then twenty, then forty. Fred began to pace after an hour.

"She's still not here?" said George in surprise.

"She didn't forget," said Fred, more to convince himself. "She's not trying to break things off."

"I'm sure she has a good reason," said George comfortingly.

Fred wasn't so sure. He had a horrible feeling, one that twisted in his stomach and made his palms sweat, that the reason Ursula hadn't arrived was a very, very bad one. Ursula had never, not once in the entire time he had known her, forgotten to show up for an event. If she couldn't come, she always said why, so to hear no word from her, to have no sign of her, was a bad sign.

He didn't give up, however, sure that at any moment she would burst through the door of his flat exasperated and apologetic, with a perfectly good explanation as to her tardiness. In fact, when he heard feet pounding up the steps three hours after their date was set to begin, Fred was at the front door before anyone had even knocked.

But it wasn't Ursula. It was his father, panting and out of breath.

"Dad!" said Fred, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Fred," Arthur said. "The Death Eaters know we're lying about Ron. He, Harry, and Hermione just escaped from Malfoy Manor. You and George need to pack up and come to Aunt Muriel's at once."

"Do I hear someone at the door?" called George, coming out of his room. "Is it —"

"It's Dad," said Fred, stepping out of the way so his father could come into the flat. "He says we need to go to Muriel's."

George made a face.

"What does the old bat want?" he said.

"We had to evacuate the Burrow before any Death Eaters came," said Arthur. "They know we're lying about Ron being ill."

"Is everyone alright?" asked George. Arthur nodded.

"Your mother and Ginny are already there," he said. "Bill warned us in time."

"What about the shop?" said Fred.

"You'll have to close," said Arthur. "I'm sorry boys, but there is no other option. Bill and I have left our jobs, and we're all going to have to hide until the war is over."

"Even Percy?" said George acidly. His father didn't answer.

"I'll help you pack," he said. "We need to move quickly before the Death Eaters remember you're here."

They had the flat and the shop packed up within the hour, thanks to the incredible gift of magic. Fred hastily cleaned out his room, so that his father wouldn't spy the pictures of Ursula he kept on his bedside table. Everything fit into three neat trunks — Fred and George didn't want to abandon their inventory, and perhaps they could continue selling via owl — and they were out of the flat and off to Muriel's before midnight.

Aunt Muriel lived considerably more than comfortably, as a widow with a wealthy husband. Her house was twice the size of Grimmauld Place, at least, and Sirius's house wasn't small. Fred and George were greeted with pursed lips and scathing remarks before their mother pushed past their critical aunt to throw her arms around them. They were shown into separate rooms and told to get a few hours of sleep before breakfast, but Fred couldn't sleep, not when he was so worried about Ursula.