Raven (Fred x oc)

103. Frozen

I tied my hair up in a messy bun, covering it with the hood of my jacket. I knew my light purple hair and purple eyes were my defining features so with my hair covered and my eyes changed, it was unlikely I would be recognized by anyone who had not seen me before, and frequently. I had stuffed clothes, books, and everything else I could need in the bag on my back. 

The only trouble at the moment was finding the trio. I was currently walking aimlessly through the woods. It was dark now, but I had a most peculiar feeling. Suddenly, I was blinded by a silvery-blue light. I winced, raising my hand to the level of my eyes. As they adjusted, I saw that it was a patronus. A doe, as a matter of fact. 

It was a good distance away. I was frozen as I watched it move farther and farther away. After a moment, I began to creep towards it, attempting to keep the crinkling of the leaves below my feet to nothing more than a whisper. A figure was following behind it. The moment I spotted it, I flinched, ducking down and more out of sight. After a moment of waiting in silence, I straightened, knocking my hood off my head on accident.

Suddenly the light disappeared. Not a minute afterwards, there was a loud crack like a gunshot. I had to cover my mouth in order to stop myself from crying out in surprise. When there was not another sound following it, I crept forward again. There was a much fainter light now, from a wand as I saw when I drew nearer. Then a splash. 

I drew nearer to the frozen lake, seeing the spot where someone had broken a hole in the ice. I waited anxiously for the person to reemerge. When they did not, I tried to turn before cursing myself and turning back around. I dashed forward, onto the ice, dropping my bag onto the ground as another figure rushed forward as well. 

I broke the ice further, ignoring the figure until he jumped in. "Help me!" he shouted, pulling the first one out of the water. I moved forward and got them both out. 

"My word," I muttered. "Ron?" 

"Bloody h-hell," he panted, recognizing me. Turning to the other one, he snapped, "Are - you - mental?" Harry was lying panting on the ground with nothing on. My cheeks flushed as I averted my gaze. Thankfully, it landed on his clothes. I grabbed his pants and threw them at him. He got up weakly and put them on, staring at Ron who was drenched and holding a large locket on a broken chain and a sword. 

With the flick of my wand, I dried him off. "Why the hell didn't you take this thing off before you dived?" Ron demanded, holding up the locket. Harry stared at him for a second before beginning to pull on the large number of sweaters in the pile of clothes.

"It was y-you?" Harry said, his teeth chattering. 

"Well, yeah, me and Valerie," he replied, slightly perplexed. 

"Y-You cast that doe?" Harry chattered. 

"What?" I replied, suddenly reminding Harry I was even there. 

"No, of course not. I thought that was you," Ron admitted. 

"His Patronus is a stag," I countered, crossing my arms over my chest and smirking at my brother-in-law. 

"Oh yeah," he replied. "I thought it looked different. No antlers." 

Looking at me, Harry asked, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Fred?" 

"Long story," I replied, rubbing my eye tiredly. "Look, the point is, I'm here now and I'm not leaving until the same thing that told me to be here tells me to leave." Ron and Harry shared uncertain looks. "Look, you don't have to tell me what you're doing. Just...there's a reason I need to be here, I know it." They glanced at each other again before Harry shrugged. 

Finally, he said, "Okay, well we need to handle this right now. Just go back that way about a hundred yards and you should find where Hermione and I made camp. I nodded, grabbing my bag from the ground and heading in the direction he indicated. After I had been trekking along for at least ten minutes, I felt myself pass through something. 

The moment I spotted a tent, I rushed inside, crying, "Hermione!" 

"Valerie?" she said in shock, getting up and rushing over to me. She seemed almost in tears when she lunged towards me, hugging me tightly. After she got over her surprise, she pulled away, staring at me hard before demanding, "How did you get here? How-" 

"I will explain everything, I promise," I interrupted. "But we need to talk before the boys get back." 

"The boys-" she began, confused. 

"Hush, we haven't much time," I cut her off, glancing nervously at the doorway. Lowering my voice, I continued, "You must tell me what it is you lot are doing here. Harry can't know that I know. I don't need specifics, just basics." 

"We're looking for parts of You-Know-Who's soul," she explained. 

"Horcruxes?" I whispered, my eyes wide. "So that's how he survived all those years ago." She nodded. Before we could say anymore, the sound of footsteps behind us caused us to turn. "Must be Harry and Ron," I said. 

"Ron?" she repeated, her eyes wide. The tent flap was pushed back and the two entered. Her eyes never left him as he and Harry came inside. Ron looked almost scared. I frowned as he slowly lowered his bag and the sword to the floor as if he was facing a tiger and sudden movements resulted in sudden death. 

Hermione moved towards him, her lips slightly parted until she was standing right in front of him. Before I had a chance to ask what on earth was going on, she lunged towards him, punching him wherever she could reach. "Hermione!" I cried, my eyes wide. 

"Ouch!" Ron cried, attempting to shield himself from her blows. "OW - GERROFF! What the-? Hermione - OW!" 

"You-" punch "-complete-" punch "-arse-" punch "-Ronald-" punch "-Weasley!" He began backing away as she came closer, growling, "You crawl back here after weeks and weeks - oh, WHERE IS MY WAND?!" 

"Protego!" I shouted in a voice at least an octave higher than normal in my surprise, sending them apart and keeping Harry on the side of Ron so Hermione didn't try to wrestle her wand from his hands. 

"Hermione! Calm-" Harry began. 

"I will not calm down!" she thundered, angrier than I had ever heard her before. "Give me back my wand! Give it back to me!" 

"Hermione, will you please-" Harry tried again. 

"Don't you tell me what to do, Harry Potter!" Hermione screamed. "DON'T YOU DARE! Give it back now! And you!" Here she rounded on Ron. "I came running after you! I called you! I begged you to come back!" 

"I know," Ron said. He sounded miserable. "Hermione, I'm sorry, I'm really-" 

"Oh, you're SORRY!" she bellowed. Then she let out a laugh. It was the most maniacal laugh I had ever heard, aside maybe from Voldemort. I admit it, I was scared. "You came back after weeks! Weeks! and you think it's all going to be all right if you just say sorry?!" 

"Well, what else can I say?!" Ron shouted back. 

"Okay, ENOUGH!" I screamed, glaring at each of them, my wand still held out. "Both of you!" Looking between the two, I said in a calmer tone, "Let me get this straight, Ron ran out on you, has now come back, and Hermione, you're mad because he left. Right?" 

"Yes," she snapped. 

"Okay, I can't believe I'm saying this again after four years, but Hermione, you can't hit people," I said. 

"But he-" she began. 

"I don't care!" I shouted. "You yell, you don't hit!" Lowering my voice, I said, "Look, you two need to set aside your issues and learn to work together again. Otherwise, you won't be able to do this. Can you do that?" Hermione glared at Ron before scoffing and dropping dramatically into a chair, her limbs crossed over her body.