Malignant ••• George Weasley

Chapter 73 - Future

The Dark Witches and Wizards that still remained stunned on the ground from the previous battle had their wands snapped, were handcuffed and then revived to be transported to a holding cell where they would await what Juna was certain would be a very short trial, before being tossed into Azkaban.

Audrey and Ara were both part of the fray. Audrey called out Juna's name, begging to be spared. But she didn't even claim to be under the Imperius curse. She didn't even try to deny anything. So Juna let her cries for help go un-acknowledged. If she never saw Audrey again, it would still be too soon.

She tried to help the efforts of arresting the others but Bane shooed her away, ordering her to sit. Of course, she couldn't just sit, so she busied herself tending to George's leg that was still bleeding heavily, making his face look grey.

"Hold still." She was telling him, holding his leg firmly to the ground as she waved her wand, stemming the blood and tentatively stitching the skin back together to the best of her ability.
"You'll need Dittany to properly heal it, but this'll do for now."

Juna could feel him looking at her, but she had been avoiding his eyes since he had awakened from the blood magic Perseus had cast over everyone. She didn't realise until her head cleared that when she stepped on his wand and snapped it, it also broke whatever spell he had them all under. This meant that everybody had watched her strangle Perseus to death. It made her feel sick, knowing George had seen that side of her, but she wasn't sorry, she didn't regret it.

"Juna-" George began.

"So, try not to put much weight on it. Healing isn't my strong suit-"

"Juna-" He tried again.

"You'll be fine though, it shouldn't leave a scar if you get Dittany on it quickly-"

"Juna!" He said firmly, grasping her hand as it fussed over his leg. "Look at me."

She didn't obey right away. She looked at her hand in his, then over her shoulder, then to the left of his body and finally, painfully, she dragged her eyes to meet his. He waited patiently.

Once her eyes were locked on his, the buzzing in her blood that made her feel like she had to keep moving lest she explode, seemed to dim. The tight and drawn feel of her face relaxed, the dried blood that splattered her skin felt stiff and it's the first time in a hot minute that she realised she was still covered in someone else's blood. From where she had beaten them bloody and hadn't batted an eyelid.

Juna looked down at her hand that George held gently and saw it as if for the first time. Her knuckles where completely split, blood had run across every inch of her hands - her blood and Perseus's mixed together to create a sickening, swirling image. The still intact parts were beginning to bruise and redden. Scratch marks were just visible under the dark blood from where he had clawed at her hand with desperation for air.

She tore her hand from George, not wanting him to see. Though she knew he had already. She pulled the neckline of her also stained shirt up to her face and scrubbed, desperately trying to rub off the dried blood that littered her forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. She had no mirror, she wasn't even sure if it was working. But she rubbed feverishly and began to turn from George.

He stopped her. With both his big hands he pulled her hands from her face and away from her shirt and held them surely in his own.
"Stop. You're ok, it's ok." He hushed her.

"George... I'm sorry. I never meant for you to see-"

"I'm not upset." He gave her a smile.

Juna looked at him, searching his face. He was right, at least he didn't look upset. But she thought back to when he tried to get her off Perseus, he had been crying.
"You were upset though. You had tears."