Phoenix

Good Men and Bad Men

Charlie pulled me onto the dance floor. We fell into the basic waltz rhythm. I was staring to doubt my choice, when two beats early Charlie dipped me.
I laughed out loud in surprise.

Charlie was grinning when we rightfully ourselves and continued the dance. Then he spun me around when the music called for a dip.

There was something so natural about the way Charlie danced. He just did what he wanted to when the music made him want to do it. If he felt like spinning, we span. He didn't wait for the music to tell him too. He and the music spun me across the dance floor.

Or maybe it was that when he danced, he wasn't preforming for anyone. He wasn't trying to show off. He wasn't trying to get anything from anyone. He was just trying to have a good time.

Whatever it was about Charlie's dancing, by the end of it I was spinning and laughing, my hair flying around with me. He dipped me one final time, and the dance ended. We stayed in the position for a moment. I was grinning and a little flushed from laughing so much.

I stood up and Charlie returned my grin.

"That was dancing," he said.

"It certainly was," I breathed.

I looked up at him, then realized we were still standing very close and took a step back. At that moment Hermione came flying towards me and put a hand on my shoulder.

"I can't dance anymore," she said out of breath. "Come sit down."

I waved goodbye as Hermione pulled my down to the table where Harry was still sitting. Charlie stood smiled with his hands in his pockets watching me go.

"I simply can't dance anymore," she panted, slipping off one of her shoes and rubbing the sole of her foot. "Ron's gone looking to find more butterbeers. It's a bit odd, I've just seen Viktor storming away from Luna's father, it looked like they'd been arguing —" She dropped her voice, staring at him. "Harry, are you okay?"

At that moment, something large and silver came falling through the canopy over the dance floor. Graceful and gleaming, the lynx landed lightly in the middle of the astonished dancers. Heads turned, as those nearest it froze absurdly in mid-dance. Then the Patronus's mouth opened wide and it spoke in the loud, deep, slow voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

Harry, Hermione and I drew our wands, and threw ourselves into the panicked crowd.

"Ron!" Hermione cried. "Ron, where are you?"
As we pushed our way across the dance floor, I saw cloaked and masked figures appearing in the crowd; then I saw Lupin and Tonks, their wands raised, and heard both of them shout, "Protego!", a cry that was echoed on all sides —

"Ron! Ron!" Hermione called, half sobbing we were buffeted by terrified guests: Harry seized my hand and I grabbed Hermione's.

Spells were flying from every direction but we needed to make sure we weren't separated.

And then we saw Ron.

Hermione grabbed hold of his arm, and suddenly everything was quiet.

"Where are we?" said Ron's voice.

"Tottenham Court Road," panted Hermione. "Walk, just walk, we need to find somewhere for you to change."

We half walked, half ran up the wide dark street thronged with late-night revelers and lined with closed shops, stars twinkling above them. A double-decker bus rumbled by and a group of merry pub-goers ogled them as they passed; Harry and Ron were still wearing dress robes.

"Hermione, we haven't got anything to change into," Ron told her, as a young woman burst into raucous giggles at the sight of him.

"Why didn't I make sure I had the Invisibility Cloak with me?" said Harry, inwardly cursing his own stupidity. "All last year I kept it on me and —"

"It's okay, I've got the Cloak, I've got clothes for both of you," said Hermione. "Just try and act naturally until — this will do."

She led us down a side street, then into the shelter of a shadowy alleyway. Hermione pulled out jeans and sweaters for Ron and Harry. Both Hermione and I at least were wearing muggle dresses. Hermione must have put a charm on her bag because she pulled out Harry's invisible cloak and then began to look for a book.

"Did you pack any of my weapons?" I asked.

"Just some blades and a few guns," she said with a hint of disapproval. "but I assume you have some hidden in your dress anyhow."

I blushed a little. "I do, but it doesn't hurt to have more."

"You're amazing, you are," said Ron, handing her his bundled- up robes.

"Thank you," said Hermione, managing a small smile as she pushed the robes into the bag. "Please, Harry, get that Cloak on!" Harry threw the Invisibility Cloak around his shoulders and pulled it up over his head, vanishing from sight. He was only just beginning to appreciate what had happened.

"The others — everyone at the wedding —"

"There's nothing we can do about it now," I said. "Besides once they realize you aren't there they will leave."

"She's right," said Ron, who seemed to know that Harry was about to argue, even if he could not see his face. "Most of the Order was there, they'll look after everyone."

"Yeah."

"Come on, I think we ought to keep moving," said Hermione.

We moved back up the side street and onto the main road again, where a group of men on the opposite side was singing and weaving across the pavement.

"Just as a matter of interest, why Tottenham Court Road?" Ron asked Hermione.

"I've no idea, it just popped into my head, but I'm sure we're safer out in the Muggle world, it's not where they'll expect us to be."

"True," said Ron, looking around, "but don't you feel a bit — exposed?"

"Not when I have multiple knives on me," I said.

Ron rolled his eyes.

"Where else is there?" asked Hermione, cringing as the men on the other side of the road started wolf-whistling at us.

"Fuck off!" I shouted at the men.

"We can hardly book rooms at the Leaky Cauldron, can we? And Grimmauld Place is out if Snape can get in there. . . . I suppose we could try my parents' house, though I think there's a chance they might check there. . . . Oh, I wish they'd shut up!"

"All right, darling?" the drunkest of the men on the other pavement was yelling. "Fancy a drink? Ditch ginger and come and have a pint!"

I lifted my skirts.

One of the drunks whistled again. "You should come too sweetheart, the more the merrier."

I unstrapped a large knife from my thigh. The man's eyes grew wide.

"If you don't shit up I will cut out your windpipe," I yelled.

The man shut his mouth.

"That goes for you too!" I brandished the knife in his friends direction.

Satisfied, I strapped the knife to my thigh again, and we continued walking.

"Let's sit down somewhere," Hermione said hastily. "Look, this will do, in here!"

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Hey Everyone, that's the last chapter for now. I'll try to update once more before school starts.