Diving Into You | Fred Weasley

58 | Woe to the Lovers

By the time the rest of the Order found Fred and Naia, the Deatheaters had gone and their worst fears had been realized.

They had been missing for only half an hour. Thirty minutes for Sirius' entire world to go to shit. He and Lupin went off on a search to find them just after the Deatheaters had fled, following the unmistakable screams of Naia and Fred, the stench of blood leading them closer and closer to where they were being held.

But it was the bloodcurdling cry of Fred that halted them in their tracks. A sound that chilled them to the bone and struck complete and utter despair within their hearts. It was a cry of deep, unimaginable anguish. And Sirius knew what it meant to hear Fred scream his daughters name in such a way.

As soon as he and Lupin rounded the corner, they saw the crumpled and beaten form of Fred clutching the body of Naia Vance tight to his chest. The wails of deep despair echoed around the entrance hall of the castle. Portraits were in shock, whispering sadly among themselves and wailing at the sight. For they were all there to witness the act of sacrificial love the girl had performed to save Fred Weasley.

Tears clouded Sirius' eyes as he leaned on the wall for support, knees buckling at the sight. Fred's cries indicated just what had happened to his daughter. Fred clutched onto her like a lifeline, rocking back and forth with her lifeless body buried in his warm embrace. Almost like if he could get her close enough to him, he could transfer some of his life force and magical energy to her. To bring her back.

This wasn't happening. Sirius ran and dropped to his knees in a heap of tears.

"No, no, please, bunny, please..." Fred cried, his nose buried in her hair. "WHY DID YOU DO IT! IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ME!" he said helplessly. "Never you. It was supposed to be me..." he cried, body shaking into sobs. Sirius approached and put a shaking hand on his daughter's head. "What- what happened Weasley?" he said, choking the words out. He was in a shock.

"Bellatrix she-" he choked, finding it extremely difficult to say her name without gritting his teeth so hard in anger, "She sent the killing curse at me and Naia, she-"

Please don't make me say it.

He didn't want to say it. How could he look into the eyes of the father of the girl he swore to care for, protect, and cherish all his life after this? How could he possibly tell him that he had failed to do his promise. That he had failed to protect her?

He could be tortured to insanity, hit by the cruciatus curse a thousand times over, and still, that would never be enough to match the pain he felt at this very moment. She was his. They were supposed to live their lives together, finish this war together. And when it came down to it, leave this world together.

"WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED, WEASLEY?!" Sirius repeated, making Fred flinch and clutch onto Naia's form tighter. He cried harder, muttering apologies he knew meant nothing to the father. Would mean nothing to himself. Fat lot it would do to apologize for the gravity of his sin. His inability to protect her.

"Sirius, please..." Remus soothed, "We need to get her to the hospital wing." Lupin said, a firm hand on Sirius' shoulder that shook up and down violently in sobs.

"She's gone, she's-"

Fred shook his head violently, refusing to accept his words. She couldn't. Fred felt hands ushering him upwards, but he only clung onto Naia's lifeless body tighter, refusing to let her go.

"Fred, we need to get her to the hospital wing, please-"

He didn't care who it was that said it. He didn't want her out of his arms. He yelled at god-knows who, screaming god-knows what. No one can separate him from her. Not even in death. Not even-