4Disclaimer: The characters and situations of Harry Potter depicted in this fanfic are the legal property of J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic and AOL Time Warner, and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement is intended. No profit is being made off of this fanfic, and it is for entertainment purposes only.
An Unlikely Duet
By Elliekat
Dear Mrs. Weasley,
We regret to inform you that your husband has been killed doing his duty as a Wizard and for the Ministry while visiting the prison Azkaban. He died a hero fighting to keep the others safe during the recent riots, Mrs. Weasley, and I can't even start describing to you the sorrow that I feel at the loss of Arthur. He was a friend to me in many ways and I will miss his presence greatly.
The Minister of Magic sends his deepest regrets and has asked me to inform you that because Arthur was so influential in the war, Arthur's insurance money will be forwarded directly to your account at Gringotts with an extra bonus added.
If you ever need anything Mrs. Weasley please know that I can be easily contacted.
Yours faithfully,
Robert Evans
Molly's shoulders heaved as she sobbed, dryly, into her folded arms. She was alone at her kitchen table in the wee hours of the morning as her children slept upstairs; the sun had yet to rise and the room was completely dark except for the lone candle she had used to read the letter by. She had read the letter many times and every night since she had received she had reread it down here, away from the pity glances.
Tomorrow she would do something that not even her children knew about, she would go down to Azkaban and see the man who had struck down her husband. Robert Evans had lived up to his promise and had pulled some strings and had arranged a trip for her to Azkaban. She didn't know what she planned to do once she saw him, but she planned to make him suffer as she had.
Later that morning, Molly rose from her bed and dressed as she normally did and prepared breakfast that morning. The Burrow was packed due to Ron and Hermione's coming union and Molly whipped up a big batch of breakfast foods, buffet style.
"Is that cheese I smell?" Fred asked as he meandered down the stairs toward the kitchen as Molly added cheese and something special to the eggs.
"Yes, it is Fred. Are any of your brothers up yet?"
He answered with a no but soon all of the Weasleys were digging into their breakfast while Molly merely picked at hers. She was lost in thought and jumped when one of her children playfully shouted "ha, now you owe me a cookie!"
Hermione noticed and asked her if she was feeling alright. Molly said that she was feeling a little under the weather and with one more concerned look her way Hermione went back to her meal. Molly wasn't feeling under the weather but was instead planning, and she felt nervous and paranoid about the events that would befall her later that day.
After the breakfast dishes were washed and put away, Molly told her now adult children that she was going out to do a bit of shopping and would be back in a couple of hours. She left the burrow wrapped in traveling cloak, protection against the abnormally harsh wind and apparated once she was outside of the wards.
Azkaban Island was even colder and it seemed to match her cold and resolute mood as she climbed the steep steps up toward the dock. She stood for a moment on the top of that hill and looked out toward Azkaban prison; the island and the prison were separated by about 32 meters of open, ice-cold sea. At the bottom of the hill was a guard station and the dock; there were a few lonely, decrepit looking boats that were tethered to steel posts on the dock.
Molly made her way down the rocky hill and at the bottom was quickly met by an auror with his wand drawn.
"Lady, what do you think you're doing here?" he shouted to her over the roaring wind.
She fumed for a second over the young man's tone before she shoved a piece of paper into his hand. He glanced at it and made a rude remark before stomping back towards the station; taking this as a sign to follow she hurried after him. The auror held the door open for her roughly and she was allowed to slip into the much warmer area. It was sparsely furnished with just two desks and a very small kitchenette with a door that she could see led of to a loo.
The guard gave a great huff and sat down heavily into his chair; the guard looked up from his copy of the Daily Prophet with a raised eyebrow.
"Please tell me we don't have to take anyone across," the second guard said, his eyes flickering between his mate and Molly.
"As a matter of fact we do; she has clearance from Evans," the first guard answered looking annoyed and cross.
The second guard frowned so that his thin pale face looked even longer and he stood. Molly was now able to see the name on his tag that was pinned to his chest pocket: J. Picket.
"Mr. Picket, while I am aware the seas are stormy it is very important that I get into Azkaban," Molly stressed, her freckled hands clutched in front of her.
Mr. Picket's frown deepened even further and he gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine I'll take you across."
"You're crazy! It'll be more likely that the boat will be crushed by the waves. It's not worth it. Why just a few days ago I was reading in the paper that trips from the station to the prison cause five deaths every year," the other guard exclaimed.
Mr. Picket sighed again. "That's four, not five."
"Fine do whatever you want, but I'm staying here."
"I didn't even ask you to come," Mr. Picket grumbled as he took his large cloak from the nearby hall closet and pulled it around himself.
He led her through a secure looking back door and then down a long ramp towards the docks. There were just three small rowboats and then one long one that was near the end. Mr. Picket clambered into one of the smaller boats and then helped Molly in to take her seat. With the aid of magic Mr. Picket rowed them over to the prison which stood tall and gloomy over the gray sky.
"You're here Mrs. Weasley; normally I would take you to the gates but with only Rauld at the station I have to get back. This is what you are going to do: walk up to the gates," Mr. Picket began, pointing towards the black gates that were led to by a graveled path, "then you are going to say your name clearly, then your purpose, and then you are going tell 'them' the code that is at the bottom of your permission slip to be let into the prison."
Molly told him thank you and bade him a good day before she walked up the path towards the gates. She was standing before them before she knew it and with her heart beating wildly she opened her mouth.
"Molly Karen Weasley here to see Lucius Malfoy, my code is Merlin-42-59-57784," Molly recited, speaking clearly.
The gates gave a grown of protest and began to creak open.
"Mrs. Weasley, please go to visitor's office and please wait for your escort, thank you and have a nice day," a false sing-song voice said.
Once the gates were open completely and she stepped through them. Even though the dementors were now gone completely from the prison their presence was, somehow, still there. Molly shivered as her blood ran cold as she followed the sign that pointed towards the visitor's office. It was a short walk to the office (which was an entirely different building then the prison) and before she knew it she was opening the door.
"Mrs. Weasley?" a tall, older guard asked her with a tip of his gray hat after she had closed the door behind her.
"Yes, I was told that I was to come here," she answered.
"That would be correct. I'm going to be your escort today; may I see your slip please?"
Molly handed him the slip that she had received and waited for the man's acceptance.
"Everything seems to be in order. Follow me please."
Molly followed him out a back door and through a warded pathway before he opened a side door to the prison. In the prison is was possibly even colder as she glanced with another shiver at the moister running down the stone walls and then pooling on the floor before running off down hill.
"We will have to go down to the secure level of the prison, down to the basement, but before we take the stairs down you must register your wand and yourself as a visitor," the old guard said, almost in a whisper as they walked down a long, large hall.
They stopped at a desk at the end of the hall where Molly registered her wand. Molly and the guard then took a door to the right and Molly was met by a stench unmatched by all others. They had reached the first cells and odor of unwashed bodies, sewage, and mold was enough to make Molly sick to her stomach. She held down the bile and with her eyes watering they reached the end of the block of cells and then down a steep flight of stairs. There, they reached the basement.
With cold, emotionless gray eyes Lucius Malfoy looked up to see Molly Weasley standing in front of his cell. She was different then he remembered her to be, old and haggard, like she had seen and been through too much. She was strangely alone, all of the guards were ordered to be with the visitors at all times and his curiosity was sparked. Why was she there?
"Hello Molly."
"Lucius."
Malfoy watched as her trembling hand disappeared into the depths of her pocket and pulled out something long and metallic; it was a kitchen knife, a plain and ordinary kitchen knife. It was ordinary but lethal. With a wave of her wand his cell door opened with a clank and screech.
"How has your time in prison been Lucius?"
Malfoy didn't answer but watched as she came closer, carrying the knife all the while. There was a flash and he saw the knife coming towards him in an arc; with movements he didn't know he still had he stopped her hand and the knife fell to the floor. Then, there was silence.
"That's not like you, Molly; revenge is not as sweet as some might hope," Lucius hissed, his long blonde hair tangled in a mass around his head.
"Let go of me," Molly gritted out, fighting against his grip.
"I forgot how easily corrupted you were Molly, how easily you would fall to your knees and beg me to give you what you wanted. Are you still that way, Molly? Still so responsive to me."
With a cruel jerk he crushed his body against hers and brought his lips to hers in a crushing kiss. There was a whimper and Lucius kissed her harder: anger, pain, and loathing passed between them, and Molly pushed away from him, panting heavily. There was pain in her eyes as she stumbled away from him.
What was she doing?
Why was she in Azkaban?
Why was she planning to kill?
Shaking and feeling as if she was going to be sick, she ran from his cell, slamming the door behind her. She roused her escort (who she had stupefied previously and preformed a memory charm so that he would not remember her indiscretion) and nearly ran from the prison in her haste to leave.
Revenge is what Molly had been planning, revenge, she thought, would be sweet. A woman scorned is a woman lethal.
A/N: I doubt that I have to mention that as a writer reviews rock but just incase you do come from Mars, reviews would be great! Thanks for reading ;).