Promised [F.W.]

Chapter 47

The War That Already Started 

◇◇◇

Was a long and dark December

From the rooftops, I remember

There was snow

White snow

"Do you have everything, Ginny?" Aster asked as she and the family dropped her off at the station. Molly and Arthur stood back aways looking around as if they were looking for one person to step out of place.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Why do I have to go back, what about you guys?"

"Ginny, going to Hogwarts needs someone to lead them and protect them," Aster persuaded her. "Don't worry about us." Ginny nodded and stuck her pinkie out for Aster, they intertwined their fingers for a second before the man called that everyone should be boarding soon. "Round up the DA again, lead them," Aster said into the hug so Molly wouldn't overhear, she felt Ginny nod.

◇◇◇

Clearly, I remember

From the windows, they were watching

While we froze down below

When the future's architecture

By a carnival of idiots on show

You'd better lie low

If you love me

Won't you let me know?

Aster sat on her bed and held the black dog in her hands. She looked around her room, books seemed strewn about. Some were open to new spells and charms, most being healing spells. Footsteps walked up the stairs towards her. Lupin leaned against the doorframe with a look on his face.

"How's Tonks?" Aster asked once she saw Lupin standing there.

"Wonderful, Teddy doesn't appear to have signs of lycanthropy," he gave a relieved smile. "But he seemed to take after his mother," he said as Tonks walked in with the child. Aster stood up and smiled down at the kid who had a puff of hair, first it was brown, then in a blink of an eye, it was a lake blue.

"Lovely," she smiled at the child.

◇◇◇

Was a long and dark December

When the banks became cathedrals

And the fog

Became God

Priests clutched onto bibles

Hollowed out to fit their rifles

And the cross was held aloft

Bury me in armour

When I'm dead and hit the ground

My nerves are poles that unfroze

If you love me

Won't you let me know?

"Aster," Fred hugged her from behind as she checked her now-healed wound. "How you feeling?"

"Nervous," she looked at him through the mirror. "Something's going to happen, it's coming," she felt like she was holding her breath. "Promise you'll be safe," she took a deep, shaky breath, "with everything going on, I can't lose you."

"I'm not leaving you," he promised.

I don't want to be a soldier

Who the captain of some sinking ship

Would stow

Far below

So if you love me

Why'd you let me go?

"Aster, you know I won't let you join the fight, even if it meant that I had to fight you to stay," Fred argued, "I can't risk you getting hurt."

"Fred," Aster growled, walking up to his face, becoming nose to nose. "I'm joining you, and that's final," she said raising her voice, as if to test Fred to see if he'd argue back, "you seem to forget that I also care about you, and if what happened to George has a chance to happen to you, or something worse, I can't sit here and pretend there's not a fight happening," she said, taking a deep shaky breath, but before Fred could say anything, she hurried to him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry, but I'm going with you."

I took my love down to violet hill

There we sat in the snow

All the time he was silent and still

Fred looked at her sadly and hugged her back, not saying a word, knowing that it would make her more upset. He had never seen her angry like this before, not even when they accidentally dyed her hair a bright green, a colour she absolutely hated.

The rest of the Weasley family sat in the living room, listening to their argument and none of them stood up in fear they would be pulled into the crossfire. The house became quiet. Everyone knew what was coming at that moment. The war was already affecting everyone.

So if you love me

Won't you let me know?

If you love me

Won't you let me know?

Aster walked away from the microphone after she finished the song. It was an empty room except for the older man at the bar. She walked back to the bar and took a final drink from him. "Beautiful day ain't it?" He looked outside at the snow that was falling gently. But she only sighed and nodded. He looked at her and furrowed his eyebrows, "everything alright kid?"

"Yeah," she droned as she downed the drink and took the envelope that was sat on the bar. "I won't be back for a while," she told him as she walked out of the bar. "Going on a trip with the family."

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