We will meet again ~ Fred Weasley

95| heart ache

My heart was beating so fast I could hear it, the constant beat making me unaware of all that going on around me as I ran. I was waiting for anyone to be seen, just a glimpse that someone was okay would relieve me.

I had made it to the Great Hall once more, which I now realised was being used to treat the injured or to hold the dead. I sighed massively when I came to a holt before a group. Ones that looked as if they were in mourning. Someone knelt at their bedside blocking the victim from my view. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood at the top of the hall whispering to each other, unaware of my arrival.

"Fred?" I sighed, looking around the group for him. I saw so many people missing that it made me nervous. I didn't see him anywhere. Not his tall stance, or his fire-orange hair, nowhere. I then looked at the bed, full of dread. My head was pounding, questioning what if that's him?

Everyone looked so devastated, it must be someone close to us. My heart ached as I called out for him again, members of the order turning to face me as I inhaled and exhaled heavily.

"I'm here, love." He mumbled, pushing his way through the group to me, pulling me away from where everyone stood. He had a look of sympathy, looking back and forth between the group and me. "Its Tonks..." he spoke, delicately. "We can't stay long, we brought her here to help her but it was too late." I nodded biting at my lip, I didn't feel the need to cry, I had already cried enough. I had expected to lose someone but Tonks was a mother now, it made it harder.

"Remus? Teddy will be all alone!" I gasped starting to panic rather than mourn.

"Sirius saved him, he's grieving so we all need to go while he stays here with her. He's in no condition to participate." I just continued nodding as he spoke, taking in deep breaths as the group started to leave.

I looked at the ground, seeing that Fred had no gashes or cuts, not a single scratch. "Did it work?" I smiled softly, not looking at him. I placed my palms on his chest feeling completely safe.

"I haven't lost a duel, and I automatically know where to stay away from. So yeah, it works, " he grinned grabbing my hands to lead me away. I glanced back at Remus, burying his head into Tonks' arm, his hair untidy with some dried blood on his forehead. I thought for a second whether I should say something, but I had been visualizing losing Fred all day. I know for a fact I'd want to be alone.

We passed the main corridor, the portraits were empty or they were trembling behind their furniture, some had even been knocked off the walls. Fred kept his hand in mine, pushing me behind him, I took it upon myself to look behind us both every now and then, just to be safe.

"Potter, how convenient, just the girl I wanted to see." Bellatrix sneered, walking out from the end of the hall, showing off her charcoal teeth. She was poking her cheek with the tip of her wand whilst looking Fred up and down with utter disgust, "and a blood-traitor, today's my lucky day." She took small steps forward, Fred pushed me even further behind him.

"Stop it, Fred, she will take us both down with her eyes closed." I gripped his wrist, pulling myself into view. She made a face at my sudden boldness, mocking me in order to provoke me. "I bet you've been waiting for this, come on, let's get on with it." I spat, holding my arms out to be dramatic. I watched as her stance changed, she now stood with her legs wider apart, preparing herself. If I didn't know any better, I'd start to think she liked this rivalry we had.

"Immobulus!" I shot first knowing I wanted to get this started sooner rather than later, it was easily blocked but it riled her up enough to shoot one back. Fred was blocking the spells I wasn't quick enough with, Bellatrix even turned her attention to removing Fred from the equation, although she was unsuccessful.

"Little girl, hiding behind a blood-traitor!" She squealed, "there's no bigger shame!" Her voice crackled as she started getting angrier, infuriated even. She sniggered, twirling her wand between her fingers. "Little girl, get rid of him, this is me against you."

"Now why would I do that?" I gripped on to his arm as he tried to step forward, looking at him out the corner of my eye.

"Fine, stupefy!" She shot it at the two of us, hitting Fred in the chest, I felt his arm leaving my grip in an instant. I saw him hit the wall at the back, knocking him clean out.

"NO!" I screamed looking between the two of them, I could see his chest rising and falling ever so slightly. All I saw was red. I have given this woman the satisfaction of hurting and killing those who are close to me. "You psychotic bitch." I shot three wordless spells in a row, catching her off guard slightly, only just blocking them all with the protego charm.

"Avada-"

"Expelliarmus!" I watched as Bella's wand flew out of her hand, by a spell I did not cast. Bellatrix had her eyes wide at her wand across the room, spinning on her heel to see the perpetrator.

"YOU! I almost had her, the Dark Lord will show no mercy!" She screeched, making my ears ring as she continued to rant.

"Give him my regards, petrificus totalus." I recognised Ronnie's voice at this point, knowing she had just risked it all for me. She was shaking, she was completely mortified by what she had done. She gave me a weak forced smile before I ran to Fred, she quickly followed. "I can't be here after that," Ronnie admitted, biting her nails due to the nerves.

"I would yell at you for not leaving before but I would probably be dead, I can't die yet." I chuckled slightly placing Fred's head on my lap.

"Yet?"

"Oh V, you've missed so much."

- I had to scare you all a little bit ;)