Just Breathe || Ron Weasley

f o r t y - f i v e

Chapter: Forty-five

Into Pieces

"Do you think your lunatic brother will allow you to go to Hogwarts just like that?" Ron asked as Hailey laughed shaking her head. They were sitting in his room talking while the rest fo the family was downstairs.

"Of course he won't." She answered. "But he's not the only stubborn Potter. It runs in our blood. Sirius used to say that all the time." She said pulling her legs closer to her chest. Ron gave her a small smile pulling her in a hug. She rested her head at the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply. How could just one person give him such comfort? "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always being there for me."

"I'm always gonna be there for you."

"That's a big commitment," Hailey said. It was. Her parents left her. So did Sirius. She was scared sometimes she would lose everyone she loved. It was probably her biggest fear. Losing everyone. Being left all alone. Her head perked up when she heard yelling from downstairs. "Did ya hear that?"

"Let me go and check," Ron said quickly jumping up from the bed. Hailey looked outside the window and saw the yard was on...

"Fire." She breathed out. That meant death eaters were here. The two of them rushed downstairs to find Mrs Weasley standing outside the house with a worried look on her face. "Where are the rest of the lots?"

"Harry, he went in and Ginny went after-" The elder woman couldn't even finish her sentence when both of them ran in the fire. "Ron! Hailey! Why does no one listen to me?" Hailey had heard her calling, but at that moment she couldn't think straight. Harry and Ginny were in there. She had her wand out as Ron walked by her side.

It was almost pin drop silence as they walked in the bushes that were almost as tall as them.

"Well well well. Look who it is." Chills ran down her spine as Hailey felt her body freeze. She slowly moved her eyes up to meet with the grey ones, which looked almost black in the darkness, and soon the memories started flooding in just like it all happened yesterday.

"What did the prophecy say?!" Aurora Phoenix, the death eater who was assigned to get the words out of her mouth said through gritted teeth. "I'm getting bored of this same old thing every fucking day."

"I've said it thousand times," Hailey said looking her in the eye. "I don't know. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."

"Crucio." The word rolled out of her tongue effortlessly as the girl in front of her squirmed yelling at the top of her lungs. "Why the hell don't you get it? If you tell me what it says you can go."

"I'd rather die." She spat out.

"Fiesty eh?" Aurora asked with a laugh. "It won't get you anywhere. As for your brother, he'll die anyway. It's just a matter of time before the dark lord kills him. Just like he killed your bloody parents."

"You can't do anything to hi-"

"Why? Beacause of love? Is that what Dumbledore taught you?" She asked sneering. "You Hailey Potter, you're the weakest person I know." She crouched down beside her. "I swear, I've seen smaller kids than you, stronger than you."

"I-I'm not weak." Hailey managed to choke out as blood spluttered out of her mouth.

"Oh Potter, do you know who the strongest person on earth is?" The woman asked standing up as she twirled her wand. "Someone who has nothing to lose." She walked around her in circles like a vulture. "And you, you've lost so much... Yet, you've got so much to lose. Love makes one weak... Crucio."

"Hailey Potter. I thought I'd never see you again. Is bad to say I missed you." Ron didn't exactly know who the woman was, but he knew something was off the way Hailey turned pale. "Oh, so this is Ron Weasley I'm guessing."

"Who are you?"The boy asked harshly standing in front of Hailey protectively.

"Awh Hailey, you didn't tell you little boyfriend about our little interaction? I'm offended-"

"Stupefy!" Remus yelled blowing the blonde off. "Ron, Hailey why are you two here too?" Another blasting sound came making the three of them flinch. "Ron take Hailey out. Now. Go go."

Ron turned towards Hailey but saw her frozen in place. "Love?"

"T-That, was A-Aurora." She managed to choke out. She felt her chest tighten as it got harder for her to breathe. "R-Ron I-I can't breathe."

"Hey hey. It's okay. Deep breathes." He said slowly approaching her but she fell on her knees gasping for air. "Bloody hell." He looked up to see the fire growing. He put his hands under her knees and picked her up bridal style. "Hold on Hails." He somehow managed to get out of the bushes towards the burrow. "Mum! Dad! Harry!" He yelled as he put her down on the ground.

"What happened?" Harry asked running towards them. By the time the entire yard and the burrow were on fire. Only the space between the two places was safe.

"I-I don't know," Ron said as he held Hailey's hand tightly who was on the ground full on sobbing. He had never been in a situation like this before and was freaking out. So he did the only thing he could think of. He pulled her in a tight hug. "I don't know who she was love, but I'm here." He just held her until she slowly calmed down and passed out.

"I knew something like this would happen." He heard Remus mutter as he paced back and forth.

"But who was that?" Ron asked.

"Aurora Phoenix." He said. "We don't know much about her... But one thing we can say for granted is that she was there, wherever Hailey was kept. Her name was the first thing she had said. She's scared of her."

Ron sighed moving the hair out of her face. The scars on her body were still there. Most of them had healed properly and the rest Hailey hid from everyone using some spells. He kissed the top of her head. "What did they do to you love?"

The death eaters had broken the strongest girl he knew into pieces.

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