THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH | RON WEASLEY [BOOK FIVE]

13. YOU CAN SMILE NOW

Gene stepped back, blinking as a small smile formed across her lips. She glanced about, raising her wand as light seeped into the woods, ensuring she was still alone before returning to the lake.

She heard a sound, causing her head to snap up, only to realise it was much closer than she first thought. Gene slowly looked down to her chest, finding the Horcrux began to twitch, as though it was aware of its fate. She was so close.

Clearing her throat, she aimed her wand at the lake.

"Accio Sword." she said.

It trembled beneath the surface, but stayed in its place.

"Diffindo." she tried again, watching the ice crack, echoing in the vastness of the forest, but nothing came of it.

Gene inhaled sharply before exhaling, giving herself a quick nod as she stood back on steady ground, preparing herself for her next completely idiotic move.

She unravelled Hermione's scarf from her neck and hung it over the large tree trunk, while she took each shoe off, before pulling her sweatshirt over her head, followed by her inner layer, leaving her in her bra.

Gene tugged at her jeans by the waist, shrugging them off as she kicked her ankles free, standing in just her undergarments. She had gotten so used to the cold at this point, that she was almost numb to it, feeling nothing as she stepped to the lake's edge, taking a deep breath before plunging into the icy water.

It was as though she had been shocked awake, electricity jolting through her body as she kicked down to the glimmering sword. Her hair shifted in the water like black ink, blocking her vision for a moment before she sunk to the bottom, grabbing the hilt of the sword successfully and she began to to kick to the surface.

Suddenly, the chain of the locket around her neck began to almost coil, tightening like a snake around her neck. Gene gasped, her eyes widened as she released the sword, thrashing about as she struggled to pry her fingers under the chain.

Her eyes pricked with tears as she realised there was no use, before reaching for the edge of the ice, her fingers desperately trying to grip on, but she was slowly losing consciousness, and she was beginning to feel her body go limp.

Gene was ready to give in, her hands slipping from the ice as she sunk deeper into the water, her body drifting slowly down. A slow trail of bubbles escaped her mouth, her lips turning blue as her eyes began to flutter shut. The surface of the water grew calmer, peaceful as she stopped fighting it, until she caught sight of shadows, passing over the ice.

Her eyes had almost fully shut until a pair of hands shattered the glassy surface of the water, and Gene was brought back with a shock, face-down on the ground, choking and retching, water passing her lips as she gasped for breath.

Then, she turned onto her back, eyes still shut with her elbows pressed into the frigid ground, feeling a hand tear the locket from her neck and she finally felt as though she could breathe again.

"Harry–" her lips moved to say, her voice hoarse in her throat.

"Are you mental?"

Though it wasn't Harry's voice, as her eyes shot open, feeling a sudden warmth over her front.

Standing a few steps before her, fully dressed and fully drenched, clutching the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and the locket in the other– was Ron. Her mouth went dry as she scrambled to her feet, glancing at Harry beside him, also soaked, and they watched her with wide-eyes.

And then, she pulled the jacket from over her body and threw it at Ron, just missing his face to her annoyance. He jumped back, flinching though he didn't dare say a word as Gene stood before him, brows pulled together, in one of her frowns that stopped her from crying. He knew better.