Stumble - A Fred Weasley Fanfiction

Chapter 30: 176 Days Before

They didn't find the runaways.

The runaways found them.

A week of searching had revealed nothing, and Addie, Fred, and George were slowly losing hope. Morale was low as they ended their search for the night, quietly setting up their tent. They had just begun to cast the usual array of protective charms when the man stepped forward.

The three stopped instantly, wands lowering from their positions around the camp to the hooded figure that stood calmly before him. The man silently slipped his own wand out of his robes, holding it loosely in his hand. Although he appeared casual, Addie could tell he was well prepared for whatever fight they might bring. His large build was turned slightly sideways, as to be less of a target, his long legs slightly bent, ready to spring into action.

Addie noticed all of this, but she also noticed the way his cloak was dirty and ragged, the hem ripped to shreds. His boots were just as worn, and Addie could see just enough beneath his hood to make out a thick layer of black stubble. She almost smiled as she took in these tiny details, any apprehension about the man slowly disappearing. Yes, he was a danger. But he was also the hope they had been searching for.

When the man finally spoke, his voice was low and guttural. "What are you looking for?"

"I think we're looking for you," Addie said calmly, lowering her wand to show she wasn't a threat.

The man lifted his head in surprise, and his hood fell back far enough that Addie could see the dark eyes staring her down, examining her as she had examined him. Surprise flickered through his features the longer he looked, but he quickly drew his expression back into one of flat disinterest. "And why would you be looking for me?"

"We think you know a friend of ours," George said, stepping up beside Addie. "She ran off to find you a couple months ago."

"And why would she want to find me?" the man asked. Addie noticed that his wand had slightly lowered so it was no longer pointing at them.

George cast a sidelong look at Addie, as if needing reassurance that they were actually going to tell this man why they were there.

Addie knew it was a risk. She knew there was a chance he wasn't part of the group, that he might in fact work for the Ministry. But the more she looked at him, the more sure she was. She took a breath, and took a chance. "She ran away because of the Muggle Born Registration Commission," Addie said. "She was looking for a place to hide."

The man nodded. Without another word, he turned around and began walking away. When they didn't immediately come along, he motioned with his hand for them to follow. Addie looked up at Fred, silently asking him whether she had done the right thing, and whether they should follow. He nodded, taking her hand and squeezing it reassuringly.

Side by side, hand in hand, they followed the strange man along the side of the mountain.

*

The camp wasn't hidden by the large quantity of protective charms theirs had been. Instead, the man pushed aside a bush, revealing a small cave entrance. With a wave of his wand, he destroyed whatever meagre charms had been in place, and strode into the cave with confidence.

"The more charms you use," he explained as Addie hesitantly followed behind him into the dark. "The more magic there is for the Aurors to sniff out." He walked without wand-light, knowing the path through the cave from memory. Addie didn't have that advantage, forcing her to stumble along behind him, tripping on rocks and roots and slamming into sharp edges in the rock. She felt battered and bruised by the time the flickering firelight caught her eye, and she stepped out into a small, smoky room filled with people.