Still Not For Sale (Book 2 of I'm Not For Sale) COMPLETE

Chapter 29

    The castle shakes repeatedly as Death Eaters try to get through the defenses set up surrounding the area. Lucy's hand finds Fred's and squeezes it tightly as the full realization of what is about to happen sets in.
"Fred, I have to tell you something-." Lucy starts, but isn't able to finish as another rumble shakes the floor. They rush out of the Great Hall and into the corridors just as the defenses fall and actual explosions reverberate off the walls, crumbling pieces in their wake. Chaos ensues, leading to their separation as they all fight to stay alive. Lucy ends up on the grounds, firing spells at any Death Eater she sees. A curse narrowly misses her side and she looks up into the eyes of her fake parents. She fires spells at them while countering the ones set her way, insults shouted back and forth between the trio. Suddenly a bright light comes from above and behind her, striking her fake parents, sending them skittering across the grounds. She looks up to find her real parents behind her, rage etched onto their features.
"Hello Honey. The boys told us that something was going to likely happen soon so we came out here and when this happened, we decided to help out. Go find Fred and get somewhere safe, we saw him going toward an upper floor. We love you." Marianne says, kissing her daughter's head before they start dueling her fake parents. She ducks around them and rushes back toward the castle in search of her fiancé and friends.
Lucy rounds a corner heading up toward the Room of Requirement, the last area anyone had seen Fred heading to, and runs into someone's chest. She looks up, raising her wand to the person until she realizes that it's Malfoy. She moves around him but his hand wraps around her torso, drawing her back. She shoots him a glare, expecting him to let go as she tells him she's looking for Fred but he doesn't release her.
"Let me go Malfoy! You told me you'd leave me be, now do it!" She shouts.
"Lucy, you can't go up there." He replies calmly.
"Go to Hell Malfoy, let me go!" She fights against him frantically, wanting to get to Fred.
"Lucy! Look at me. You can't go up there..."
Her eyes widen as she looks into his, shock coursing through her veins. She shakes her head rapidly, her breath coming out in short gasps.
"No. No, no, no! You're lying! Let me go! No!" She shouts, pushing away from him again.
He loses his grip on her and she rushes past him despite his protests. Lucy rounds the corner leading to the Room of Requirement to find part of the wall reduced to rubble. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were all outside the Room near the rubble, tormented looks on their faces. She rushes over to them asking where Fred was, but they avoid her gaze and her question. She repeats it and they remain silent.
"Tell me where he is!" She shouts suddenly, tears pouring down her face.
"Lucy- he, the wall... It fell. He's dead... I'm so sorry Lucy." Hermione manages to stutter out, her heart breaking as the brunette's face crumples and the girl sinks to the floor.
"Where is he? You're lying to me! Why would you lie to me!?"
Hermione starts to cry as well, but points a shaky hand over to an alcove nearby. Lucy scrambles to her feet and rushes over to where the girl had pointed. Fred is slumped against the wall, his eyes closed almost as if he's sleeping, though the blood seeping from his head tells otherwise. Lee skids around the corner as Harry and the others are leaving, but a piercing, heart wrenching scream of anguish reaches their ears, making them all freeze. A choked sob follows after as the girl who remained strong in the face of countless tortures, finally broke. Lee broke out of the trance first, rushing to the brunette's side as her shoulders quaked while she rocked the man slumped in her arms. He started to quietly cry as his eyes fell on Fred's body, but he did his best to comfort Lucy as her sobs and screams filled the air around them.