Skinny Love - Ron Weasley

Chapter 12

"Ninety-four....Ninety-five. He should be here."

"Harry," Neville calls, Alex turns shining her wand towards the boy, "It's got your name on it."

"Harry."

The group form a circle as someone appears further down the hallway, "Where's Sirius?"

"You know, you really should learn to tell the difference between dreams... and reality," The Death Eater waves his wand in front of his face revealing himself as Lucius Malfoy, "You saw only what the Dark Lord wanted you to see. Now, hand me the prophecy."

"You know, I've got a nice little gift for you," Alex says attempting to step forward, "My foot up your ar-" Ron grabs her arms and pulls her back into the group as a cackle comes from behind Lucius.

"Aww, just like my stupid cousin, too confident for your own good. Tell me, how's your mummy?"

"If you do anything to us, I'll break it." Harry shouts holding the prophecy into the air.

"He knows how to play. Itty, bitty, baby...Potter."

Neville clenches his jaw, "Bellatrix Lestrange."

Bellatrix smile evilly, "Neville Longbottom, is it? How's Mum and Dad?"

"Better, now they're about to be avenged."

Lucius holds back the older witch while Harry and Ron hold back Alex and Neville, "Now, let's everybody just calm down... shall we? All we want is that prophecy."

"Why did Voldemort need me to come and get this?"

"You dare speak his name? You filthy half-blood!"

"It's all right. He's just a curious lad, aren't you? Prophecies can only be retrieved by those about whom they are made. Which is lucky for you, really. Haven't you always wondered... what was the reason for the connection between you and the Dark Lord?"

Slowly, Lucius stalks forward, "Why he was unable to kill you... when you were just an infant? Don't you want to know the secret of your scar? All the answers are there, Potter, in your hand. All you have to do... is give it to me. Then I can show you everything."

"I've waited 14 years."

"I know."

Harry shrugs, "I guess I can wait a little longer. Now. Stupefy."

"Stupefy."

They all take off running in different directions, Alex grabs Luna's hand and turns a sharp corner making the Death Eater chasing them crash into a wall full of prophecies.

Another two Death Eaters corner them, one hits Luna in the face knocking her down, "Levicorpus."

The other shoots a spell at Alex making her fly back, she rolls away dodging another spell, "Petrificus Totalus."

Luna helps her up and they quickly run bumping into Neville on the way and them meeting the others, "Reducto." Ginny yells.

"Get back to the door." Ron pushes Alex in front of him as they run towards the door.

They all scream as they fall only to stop before fully landing on the ground, "Department of Mysteries. They got that bit right, didn't they?"

"The voices," Harry says suddenly, Alex furrows her brows and stands beside him listening to the wispy voices coming from the arch, "Can you tell what they're saying?"

"There aren't any voices, Harry."

"Let's get out of here."

Alex walks closer to the arch muttering under her breath, "I hear them too."

"Harry, it's just an empty archway. Please, Harry."

"He's right, they're telling us something."

Harry's head snaps upwards suddenly as he grabs Alex's hand dragging her to beside him, "Get behind me."

He dives onto the floor taking Alex with him as the pair try to protect the prophecy, looking up they see all their friends being held back by Death Eaters, "Did you actually believe... or were you truly naive enough to think... that children stood a chance against us? I'll make this simple for you, Potter. Give me the prophecy now... or watch your friends die."

"Don't give it to him, Harry."

Alex looks over meeting Ron's eye as she pushes Harry behind herself, the boy still holding onto the prophecy with his hand outstretched, he drops it into Lucius palm and Alex looks at him wide eyed.

"Get away from my daughter."

Sirius punches Lucius making the blonde man fall back, "Yes! Good one, dad!"

"Now, listen to me. Take the others and get out of here." Sirius says holding the pair by the shoulders.

"What? No, I'm staying with you."

"I'm not leaving you here, dad, neither of us are."

"You've done beautifully. Now, let me take it from here."

"Black." Lucius growls.

Alex looks around as the order begins to apparate into the room helping free their friends, "Expelliarmus!"

"Nice one, James."

Lucius fires a spell at Alex and she shots it right back at him making him fly backwards into the wall, "Good one, Jellybean!"

The large smile on Alex's face vanishes as she's pushed to the floor her elbows scraping against the rock causing her to hiss in pain slightly.

She looks up meeting the eyes of her father as he flashes one last smile while stumbling backwards, the green curse having knocked him unbalanced.

"D-Dad?"

She jumps to her feet attempting to run forward only for Remus to grab her and pull her back as Arthur grabs Harry, "Alex, Alex, no, listen to me-"

"Dad! Dad, no! Dad!"

The girl lets out a piercing scream making everyone in the room look over as she fights against Remus' hold, "Dad! No!"

"Alex, please, just..."

Harry breaks away from Arthur chasing after Bellatrix as Alex sobs uncontrollably falling to her hands and knees in the middle of the battle going on.

"Lex, Lexi, we have to move, come on."

Ron wraps his arms around her lifting her from the floor but she continues to sob, salty tears falling down her face as her breathing because uneven and rapid, she repeats over and over, 'Dad, no.'

Ron closes his eyes and takes shaky breath as he drags her away and towards the others who look at her with sympathy.

Clamping his eyes shut Ron pulls Alex into his chest kissing her hairline as he wipes away her tears with the pad of his thumb, she sniffles every so often, her sobs still clashing with the sound of spells and curses being thrown in the background.

"You'll be okay," Ron mutters into her hair, "It'll get better eventually, I promise."