✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

EPILOGUE

 
  AMONGST THE BROKEN, walls in all the dust and debris, still a cloud of raven black hair was covering the ground like a veil, messy like it always have been. The blood still staining her pale face, lips still pink, her body calm and motionless.

   On the first glance you would have thought, Ember Potter was asleep, just asleep, resting from the battle that finally was won. But Harry knew better. It didn't need her bright hazel eyes, that stared at the magical ceiling of what was left of the Great Hall, that reflected the warm colours the first rays of the dawn's light drew at the sky, for him to know that she would never see those stunning view again.

   With slow steps he neared her, and the cheers of the crowd slowly faded, being replaced by a silence so thick, Harry felt like he could grab it. And he wanted to. He wanted to grab the silence and break it in the mere hope behind it he would find her joyful laughter or may it just be a small chuckle.

   But the silence didn't turn in what he begged for. Instead it turned into mourning, sobs, whispers, gasps.

   In all the chaos, in all the euphoria of Harry's resurrection, nobody seemed have to noticed the heart shattering detail that he was the only one returning from death. Ember had just hit the floor, and where she had, she still lay, and once cheerful glimming eyes would never shine again.

   "What — what — no! No!" Susan shoved her way through the crowd, her hand around Hannah's, who seemed to have accepted what her read haired friend was fighting against. The blonde's cheeks were covered in tears, trying to hold Susan back, but she couldn't. And Susan Bones, the fiercest of all Hufflepuffs, fell onto her knees next to her best friend, her body being shaken by heart breaking sobs, while Hannah slowly joined her, crying silently.

   Hermione's hand reached out for Ron's, finding it trembling underneath her touch. His head felt empty, incapable to realise what had happened to small, innocent Ember. He waited for her to move, for her eyes to blink against the sunlight covering her face. But she didn't.

   George stumbled against his mother's shoulder, a dizziness like he'd never felt before overcame him. It was him, who had let her go, him, who didn't try to hold her back. Mrs. Weasley lay an arm around his son. Her crying as soundless as Hannah's.

   Harry couldn't move. Though he saw her entering the train, until now this last spark of hope had been glimming inside him. Now it was gone, just like Ember was. He wanted to get closer, but his feet didn't obey him. Her small body was shook by Susan's heavy sobs, having Ember look like she was shivering. But her eyes remained staring dead into the morning sky.

   And someone was stepping out of the crowd, the silent, frozen crowd, and his paces were slow, but determined, his face still covered in ashes, what made his skin appear even more pale. Almost graceful it seemed, as he knelt down next to Ember, hesitating for a second. He stroke strains of those messy black hair out of her face, as if they still could tickle her skin and disturb her rest, when they would remain there. Then Draco Malfoy with trembling fingers closed Ember's eyes for a last time.

   For forever.

   "Oh my goodness, can you actually believe it is him doing that? I mean, about an hour ago I was wondering who would close my bloody eyes, but of all the people I imagined, none of them was a bleach blonde ferret."

   Fred chuckled, as he watched Ember roll her eyes at the scene. "Seems like there's no getting over you", he said, fingers intertwined with hers. She threw him a death glare. "Hey, you wanted to see it, did you?"

   "Well, I expected it to be a bit more dramatic", she sarcastically replied, then she looked back at Harry. "Do you think he'll get along?", she then whispered, and Fred pulled her closer, his own eyes on George.

   "He will", he replied. "They all will. It just takes some time." Fred placed a kiss upon Ember's hair. "Anything left you want to do before we leave?"

   Ember's lips formed into a smile. "Oh, indeed", she said, drawing her wand. "There's something I always wanted to try, but never actually got a chance to. Did never work, thanks to that sick ass darkness inside me."

   Fred smirked knowingly. "Here you go then", he said, taking a step aside, but never letting go of her hand.

   And Ember's smile turned even wider, as the memory appeared in her mind, crystal clear, like it had been just yesterday. Two identical looking redheads with mischievous grins, both carrying hers and Harry's trunk; a small compartment, a ginger haired boy with dirt on his freckled nose, and a bushy haired girl pointing her wand at Harry's glasses; even a bleach blonde ferret with his nose so high, he could have been the minister of magic himself.

   "Expecto Patronum", she breathed, and almost squealed in excitement, as something large and silver broke from the tip of her wand — but it was the crowd surrounding her corpse, that gasped in shock.

   "They can see it?", Ember said, not even a bit less shocked than her friends.

   "Obviously", Fred muttered, his lips parted in awe.

   Harry watched it nearing him, his eyes widened. Floating through the air, silverish glimming in the mornings light, it aimed straight at him, finally stopping right in front of him. And the silver doe blinked at him with round hazel eyes, having his heart skip a painful beat.

   "Emmie?", he whispered, reaching out his hand for the petite animal. Inches before his fingers could touch it, it turned to fog, rising up into the sky, melting with the sun.

   And as a single tear rolled down Harry's cheek, a smile enlightened his face.

   Ember turned to Fred. "I'm ready now", she said, also with tears in her eyes, but smiling gratefully. "Let's go."