Just Friends

stupid bird

brace yourselves

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The three of us passed through the opening where the large wooden doors once stood and into the Great Hall. It was shadowy inside and light flooded in through the holes in the ceiling. Over the ground were stretchers, lifeless bodies laid atop of them. Some had companions kneeling beside them, sobbing their eyes out, but most were alone.

Harry had run ahead of us to look around and comfort others. He was, after all, the chosen one. Draco and I walked down the aisle, holding hands and dragging our feet. Although so many people were dead, it was lively in parts of the Great Hall. I think everyone was just happy the war was over and didn't mull over the cost of it.

Three stretchers I recognized. Lavender, who I had seen die, was being covered up by the time I made it over to her. And a few people down laid Professor Lupin and Tonks; their hands stretched out for each other but not touching. I knelt down to fix it, shifting Tonks's stretcher over towards Lupin and placing her hand over his.

When I stood up, still looking down at my professor and his wife, I felt Draco grab my hand very tightly. I turned to him, figuring something was wrong, but he didn't face me. His gaze was fixed on something in the distance, something further down the aisle. I followed his glance, trying to see what had caught his attention, but it wasn't it, rather who. A ground of people, all gingers, standing around one stretcher and crying.

"No." I dropped Draco's hand and ran straight for the Weasleys. Perhaps they were mourning over a classmate? My mind wandered. "So Fred, Remus, Tonks...all of them. They didn't die in vain!" No. No, no, no, no. Neville had to have been wrong, but he so clearly wasn't. I had just seen Lupin and Tonks, stretched out on the ground without a breath in their body. I also hadn't seen Fred in the cluster of people before, standing out in the courtyard. He was right, wasn't he?

I ran through a clearing and dropped to my knees beside the stretcher that held Fred. "Freddie? Freddie, can you hear me? You're going to be okay, just stay with me," I told him through short breaths. I felt someone's hand on my shoulder but I didn't look up; I couldn't take my eyes off of Fred. My hands wrapped tightly around Fred's arm, not daring to let go for a second.

I took my wand out and tried to cast charms. "Episkey," I sobbed, holding him firmly with my left hand. My eyes were filled with tears and my sight soon became too blurry to see through. "Vulnera Sanetur," I tried, but nothing happened. "Come on, wake up Fred, come on," I whispered. "Ferula," I tried, but it didn't work. Nothing worked.

"Please, please Freddie, don't go," I sobbed.

"Y/n," I heard a soft voice say from behind me, "there's nothing you can do."

I shook my head. "No. No there has to be." I saw a shadow cover me as George kneeled down on the other side of the stretcher. He put his hand on mine and I looked up into his brown eyes. His face had dried tears and I watched as fresh ones fell down his cheeks. His eyes and nose were both red and I knew he was hurting so badly inside. I couldn't help but cry more. My head dropped to Fred's chest and my tears fell onto his shirt. "Please, Fred," I whispered, keeping my head on his chest, wishing, hoping, praying that there was something I could do.

I placed my hands on his chest and took a deep breath in, focusing my energy and clearing my mind. "Vivus rursus," I cast, keeping my hands on him. I kept all my concentration on Fred. I knew people were talking and crying behind me but I couldn't hear any of it. I just wanted Fred back.

I kept my charm going, repeating the incantation slowly and clearly, letting every word drip off my tongue. I kept my concentration very strong as I felt the energy from my hands flow into Fred. I felt a hand on my upper back that startled me at first, rubbing back and forth, comforting me.