just for me ⚘ a Fred Weasley Fanfiction

107. slipping through my fingers

cw~

Juniper felt her mark writhe beneath her skin, and tried to prepare herself for the screeching voice that followed.

'Harry Potter is dead, the battle is won. Come out of the castle, kneel before me and you shall be spared. You will join me in the new world we shall build together.'

Molly began to sob again, holding onto Ginny for dear life. Ginny looked just as, if not more, distraught, clinging to Ron's sleeve for support. Arthur tried to guide the two out of the Hall, following the crowd of defeated students, teachers, and families, to see the scene Voldemort had set for them. Fred stopped Juniper from wandering out to the front of the crowd, keeping her at the back with Matilda and George. From where they stood she could see Hagrid, holding Harry's very small, limp and dead body. The cry that erupted from Ginny sent a shiver down Juniper's back, Arthur having to hold his daughter back from attacking Voldemort then and there. One by one, the crowd joined in with screaming and yelling abuse at Voldemort and his followers,staring with Hermione, then Ron, and McGonagall, until it was just a loud commotion that Voldemort silenced with a scream.
Juniper looked out across the crowd of survivors as Voldemort began his long victory speech full of threats and insults. Theo and Blaise had reemerged from the Dungeons and were tiptoeing along the back of the crowd, working their way towards Matilda. Draco stood behind a column, hiding from his family on the other side.
A commotion erupted from the empty space between the two sides, telling Juniper to concentrate. Neville Longbottom had spoken up, taking on Voldemort by himself as the Deatheaters laughed.
Then everything happened so quickly, Juniper couldn't process what was happening.
The Sorting Hat had been placed upon Neville's head, before bursting into flames.
A Giant burst through the forest, screaming for Hagrid, before being attacked by Voldemort's own army of Giants. Neville had used the distraction to pull a sword out of the somehow now extinguished Sorting Hat, and sliced Voldemort's snake in two, making the man cry out in pain. The cry was ignored, as now the ground began to shake, Centaurs and Giants and Thestrals and Hippogriffs emerging from the forest, sending all the wizards, both Hogwarts defenders and Deatheater's, running to the castle for safety.
Fred had held onto Juniper's hand as tightly as he could and began sprinting, casting any jinx he could think of at any Deatheater he saw. Juniper tried to do the same, struggling to keep up with him and breathe at the same time. She had to look over her shoulder to disarm a Deatheater, not looking back in time to dodge Theo, who was running as fast as he could in her direction. The two collided painfully, both of them groaning in pain as they held their heads.

"What the fuck was that for?" Theo wheezed, getting to his knees. "Why are you going that way, they're coming from there."

"They're coming from the other direction too." Fred growled, helping Juniper to her feet, checking her head for any bumps or bruises.

"They're trying to trap us." Matilda caught up, hands resting on her knees as she caught her breath. Blaise and Draco had caught up to Theo as well, resulting in another awkward reunion. "Are you guys on our side?"

"Is that even a question?" Blaise's eyebrows pulled together, his wand raising quickly to attack a Deatheater that was approaching Matilda from behind.

"It was more so directed at Malfoy." Matilda thanked him with a smile, her glare turning to Draco, who looked out of place and uneasy.

"I, uh. I'll-." Draco hesitated, only having a second to make the decision. Stay with the Deatheater's and be attacked by the group before him. Or choose his friends, and face the wrath of Voldemort if he wins. He cast a side-eye to Juniper, who was still rubbing her head while Fred brushed her hair over her shoulder. Only one of those options would get him a love like theirs. "I'll help you guys."