Daughter of Black

8.13

Smoke drifts from the battered castle. All of us were in the Great Hall. Fred and Percy were not having it with me. I argued that I was fine. But they had me lying down, waiting for Madam Pomfrey. I laid there, tired of arguing with them; tired with fighting in general. Soon, I saw more of the Weasleys rush into the Great Hall. I moved to get up, so that I could greet them but Percy glared at me and I sighed, throwing my body back on the floor. Mrs and Mr Weasley rushed in, hugging their sons. Percy apologized over and over again. Fred told them about the joke that he had said and Mrs. Weasley cried tears of joy as she kissed Percy all over. Ginny ran in next with Bill and Fleur rushing behind them. Once they found us, the family reunited with hugs and many kisses from their mum. Ginny kneeled down to the ground, holding my hand. "Fred and Percy are just freaking out. It's just a broken arm." I told her with a nod. I glared at Fred, who was smiling at me. But I could see the worry on his face. George and Ron weren't back yet. Ginny petted my hair, Bill kneeling down to check on me as well.

"Fred?!" George yelled as he entered the Great Hall. I perked up at his voice as I watched as the twins embraced, hugging so tightly that I thought their bones might break. They looked over each other, making sure they were ok. "Where is Mira?" I heard George ask, looking at his family standing over me. "Mira!" He rushed over to me, his face full of concern. I smiled up at him, Percy and Bill still looking over me. Ginny refused to leave my side until the doors opened again and Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked in. Fred rushed over to his youngest brother, hugging him tightly. George kissed my lips softly. "I leave you for 1 minute and you get yourself hurt." I smiled up at George as Fred walked back over to us.

"Mate, she saved my life." Fred looks me in the eyes. "I would be dead if she wasn't there." George looked between me and his twin, his face was grave, terrified of the idea of losing his twin. George looked me in the eye, a completely serious look.

"Thank you." George looked back at his brother before looking at me again. "I don't know how I could live without Fred." George leaned in close. "Even though he is rather very annoying." I smiled at both of them, laying my head back down on the ground. George lightly kissed my lips as Madam Pomfrey walked up to me.

"Hello dear." She said softly. I could see the exhaustion in her eyes as she looked down at me. "Brackium Emendo." She pointed her wand at my arm and I groaned as the moved moved back into its correct place." She handed me a piece of chocolate and with a smile, she took off the splint the boys had put on, checking my arm for any other injuries. "There's some bruising, discoloration, and a few cuts, but there's not much that I can do about that, especially right now." She told me with a sigh. I saw Madam Pomfrey look around the room, seeing all of the injured and dead.

"Go. I'm all good. I reckon I'll be jolly in no time." I smiled up at her. "That chocolate you have really works." Madam Pomfrey sent me a small smile before patting Percy and Fred on the shoulder.

"You boys did a good job." I look up, seeing the trio run over to me with their eyes wide as George helps me stand up. All 6 arms wrap tightly around me, and I squeeze the daylights out of Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"Oh, you three." I didn't want to let go. "I was so worried. I couldn't find any of you." They pull away.

"We destroyed two more horcruxes." I smile, putting my hand over my heart.

"So, there's only 1 left?" I ask them and they nod. I see Hermione glance over at Harry, with a worried look, but she says nothing. What was she worried about? What did I not know?

"Just the snake." Ron mentions. He kept looking back at Hermione with a small smile on his face. I noticed a splotch of lipgloss on his lips that matched the very one Hermione was wearing right now. I smiled at both of them, but said nothing. Before Harry could say anything else, Molly Weasley gasped. I looked at her and my face dropped at the sight of the two people lying in the triage area... dead. George held onto me as I walked closer, starting to hyperventilate as I stared at their bodies.

"Uncle Remus..." I felt Harry disappear behind me, moving further away from their bodies. "No." Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling. I fell to the floor near their bodies, staring down at the man who had basically been my uncle over the years. He protected me, he taught me, he showed me how to be an amazing person. He reconnected me with my father; he told me about my mother. He was everything I had ever wanted in an uncle, in my family. Their hands, bloodstained and pale, were clumsily intertwined. They had died together. I touched Remus' face, hoping that by luck he would shoot up and tell me to stop fussing over him. But he didn't. His skin was cold. So was hers. It felt like my entire body was trembling as I cried. I stood back up, not being able to continue looking at them. The Great Hall seemed to fly away, become smaller, shrink, as I reeled backward from their bodies into George's arms. Despite hyperventilating, I felt as though I could not draw a breath. "Remus." I cried out into George's shirt as he held me tightly, neither of us moving.

"I know..." George said softly, kissing the top of my head. "I am so sorry."

"Poor Teddy." I heard Molly say to her husband and I wheeled around to see her face. She saw me and her eyes looked over mine. "They wanted to tell you when this was all over. They had a son, Edward Remus Lupin. His mum called him Teddy." My eyes were sad and the tears wouldn't stop flowing down my cheeks. Another child orphaned because of Voldemort. He had done this before. Really; history was just repeating itself. I looked around the room and saw everyone. Filch had blood gushing from his arm. Flitwick's face was laced with gashes. Voldemort had given us an hour to collect our dead and wounded. He wanted Harry to surrender himself. But I wasn't about to let that happen. Our people didn't die for us to just give up. Remus didn't die for us to give up. Tonks did not die for her son's safety to let us just give up. I turned around softly, the tears still falling speedily from my eyes, but it was too late.

Harry was gone.