in which a witch named
cora holloway could be
described as many things
but most of all, she was
c h a r m i n g
( HARRY POTTER AND
THE GOBLET OF FIRE -> ??? )
( FRED WEASLEY )
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX/TEN CHRISTMAS BLUES (ALTERNATE TITLE: AN EVENTFUL HOLIDAY)
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river | JONI MITCHELL "i'm so hard to handle i'm selfish and i'm sad"
"WHAT?!"
"Please just listen."
It was December 24th, Christmas Eve. And it seemed like Christopher Holloway wanted to ruin his little sister's life.
"I just... I can't lose him."
Cora was freaking out. Her brother had broken the news to her that him and Ben would be moving to America in the new year.
"We're both in so much danger, more than you realise, and I know I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to him...This war is only going to get worse."
She was blind with rage. How could her brother abandon the cause like this? How could he abandon her?
"So you're running away?"
"No... Cora it's not like that."
She wrung her hands together, trying to hide the sparks that were beginning to fly out of them. Her anger resonated so deeply she could barely contain it.
"No. No, that's exactly what you're doing. You're a coward. I cannot believe you're doing this."
Chris was seated in an old dusty armchair in the attic. His head hung low in his hands. Cora was contrastingly pacing the room, unable to stand still to look at her brother. They had retreated to the top of the house to have a private conversation. But Cora wished she could turn back time to ten minutes ago and turn down her older brother's request. If only this was a dream.
"And Ben? He's on board with his?" Cora's mind flashed to her pseudo older brother. She couldn't believe that he would be leaving her too. But when Chris shook his head in response, she knew. "So this is all you? Merlin..."
"How could he? His life is here! But I need him to stay alive." Chris's voice was calm. Unwavering. The only sign of regret was his body language.
Cora was the opposite. "What about me? You're just... leaving me here." She felt tears begin to roll down her face. But she kept her hands in a ball, leaving them to fall to the floor. "What if you never come back? What if... if I'm not here when you do."
The faces of the siblings both softened. Chris finally stood from his perch, clutching his sister's hands in his own.
"You are the strongest person I know... You are, a much better person than me. You always have been. There is nothing in the world that could change that... if only one person stands at the end of this all. It'll be you." He raised his hand to wipe a tear from her face. "You're right, I am a coward. It's in my bones. But it's not in yours. I can't stay... but you have to."
