21 - the battle

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Fred's POV

IT'S as if Harry's movement triggers something because as soon as he takes a step forward, the room erupts in chaos. Swirls of black smoke fill the room as Death Eaters apparate, swarming us. Then the battle breaks out, but I know this is all part of the plan. 

Harry knew that there was something off with the dream he had, a disconnect, like it was a fragment of imagination instead of something actually happening. But we knew this is where they wanted to lure us and we figured Valeria wouldn't be working alone. Death Eaters work and travel in packs, they were just waiting for the right moment to attack. And we were prepared, our wands drawn. More importantly, I have Harry's invisibility cloak tucked into my pocket. 

Everyone is engaged in a duel, paired up with a Death Eater each, so I take their distraction as the opportunity to put the invisibility cloak. Once it's on, I make my way over to where Rowan is, still sitting perfectly on that chair of hers but no longer protected by Valeria who's now duelling Harry. 

Her face remains impassive as she watches the scene unfold before her. I pull off the cloak when I get to her, and she takes notice. But when she pulls her wand and points it towards me, it's like a shot to the heart. She sees me as the enemy, not someone who's madly in love with her and wants to help her. I remind myself to keep my emotions in check and focus on the task at hand. 

"Expelliarmus!" I command and her wand flies from her hand and into mine. She starts to back away from me, but I'm too quick for her. Just as she's about to yell for Valeria for help, I silence her with a kiss.

I kiss her passionately hoping it works. Hermione read the cure for the seductress kiss is true love's kiss. I hope to Merlin it works because if it doesn't, that means that deep down beneath the stupor, she doesn't love me back and there will be no way to save her. 

She's stiff at first, her lips unmoving but then a moment passes and she kisses me back, clutching my face like I'm a life preserver. Maybe I am. My kiss tethering her to sanity and consciousness. 

Too soon she pulls away, seeming to realize where we are and what's going on around us. "You saved me." She whispers against my lips and I see tears welling in her eyes. 

"And you saved me." I whisper back, knowing that if she hadn't hunted for a way to help me, the spell wouldn't have been lifted from me. 

*****

Rowan's POV

THERE'S a full blown battle raging around us, snapping me out of my thoughts. All my overwhelming thoughts about all my overwhelming emotions for the amazing man standing in front of me. 

"We should probably..." I trail off, gesturing to the fight going on around us. 

"Right." Fred nods, passing my wand as we jump into the duels. 

More Death Eaters arrive, overpowering us. I try to fight back, sending spell after spell towards them but then I'm swarmed by black smoke, surrounded like a cloud. After a minute it clears, but I feel myself being clutched against someone, something sharp digging into my throat. 

A quick glance around the room tells me that everyone else is being held against their will except for Harry. And unlike everyone else who have a wand pointed against their necks, I recognize the sharp sting of a blade digging into me. A knife.

"Hand yourself over Potter or I'll kill the girl." the witch holding me says. I recognize the voice. Bellatrix Lestrange.

"No! Don't do it Harry!" I shout after him, fighting against her arms that are restraining me. If Harry hands himself over now, the Wizarding World has no hope. We'll all be doomed and at that point, it won't matter if my life was spared.

"Shut up, girl!" Bellatrix hisses, digging the blade further against my skin. By the feeling of something warm trickling down my skin, I know she's drawn blood. The pained expression on both Fred and Harry's face confirm my suspicions. 

One swipe and I'll be dead. No magic required, making it even more painful than the simple killing curse. Of course, from what I know of her past, Bellatrix enjoys inflicting pain on others, like the Longbottoms for example. Torturing them into insanity, not even recognizing their own son. 

"No! Take me! Kill me instead of her!" I hear Fred shout. His expression is that of anguish, tears streaming down his face as he fights against the three Death Eaters holding him back but they're too strong. 

"Well, it seems someone has gained the affection of not just the boy who lived but also a Weasley. Not very impressive though considering one is a half-blood and the other a blood traitor. With your pureblood you could have been so much more." Bellatrix comments. 

But her need to comment causes her to be distracted briefly, not noticing the Order members arriving in the room, ready to fight the Death Eaters. She doesn't notice that Tonks comes up behind her, stunning her with a non-verbal spell before she falls to the ground. 

"Are you okay?" Tonks asks me, coming over to me. 

I nod, not trusting my voice to speak. 

"Okay, we've got it from here. Run and wait in the lobby."

So, I do. I run out of the room and to the lobby, followed by Fred, George, Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny. 

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