Story: Colin's Vow
Rating: T / P12
Words: 1.555
Genre: Drama, Romance
Disclaimer: All JKR's. Nothing is mine. I just want to play around a little and I promise to give all the dolls back unharmed. More or less.
Mistakes belong to me, but my beta reader Laura001 did her very best to snatch them away. Thank you!
Colin's Vow
Dennis Creevey watched his older brother staring at the wall. From time to time it amazed him how similar he and Colin looked. They were not particularly large, not particularly athletic, not particularly obvious. Everything about them was mediocre, if they had not had their magic. Enthusiastically they had both reached for the wonderful possibilities magic had offered them. At last they had found their place in a world they had not known it existed. They had been unknowingly longing for such a place until they got their letters from Hogwarts. But now a madman wanted them to throw out of just this world, and he was indeed successful. He was the reason that the two years age difference between them did not show on their haggard faces with sunken cheeks and dull mouse brown hair. He was the reason why Colin stared at the mold-stained wall in the back room of the Hog's Head and why Dennis did everything to distract himself and to ignore the restless feeling in his guts.
When Dumbledore's Army, the D.A., had been founded by Hermione, Ron and Harry, Dennis had joined them because Colin was thrilled and it sounded like fun. He would have never imagined that a time they really did need Patronuses, shielding charms and disarming charms would come so quickly. But a few weeks ago in September, just before the school would open after the great holidays, Snape, Headmaster Snape, had knocked on their door. He looked terrible, with yellowish skin and dark circles under the eyes and an almost palpable anger, and they had retreated a few frightened steps until they all stood in a narrow hallway. Then he had snarled "You are no longer welcome at Hogwarts," had pressed two rolls of parchment with the official injunction into their hands and, scowling, had disapparated just in front of them.
In hindsight, Dennis was grateful about two things. Firstly, that his parents had not been home on that day. And secondly, that Snape had given them the ban parchments. Of those who had received their notices from the Carrows, he had heard terrible things. Actually, he had heard nothing, and that was terrible.
The room Professor Dumbledore's brother Aberforth had given to them was beginning to fill up. Dennis saw a small group of Muggle-borns who had been excluded from school, like them, come in. Soon the members of the D.A. that still were tolerated at Hogwarts would arrive. Dennis decided he had to get his big brother out of his dark musings and nudged him with his elbow.
"Hey, Colin, to what are you looking forward the most today?"
"Mind your own," grumbled Colin, but Dennis had seen the smile that had brightened his face for a split second and grinned.
"Ooooh, a girl! You're in love!" That got him an elbow in the ribs, but he was too delighted to let the fraternal reprimand bother him. He could not blame Colin. Of all the things he missed at Hogwarts, he also missed a girl the most. Emma was her name and she sat beside him in Charms.
"Tell me!" he demanded. Day and night the brothers had spent together, but only a few words had been exchanged. Now Dennis realized that Colin was actually more like him than just in looks.
"She's beautiful," whispered the elder. Anywhere in the room, heads were put together now and occasionally he could hear faint laughter. Everyone was happy to see each other again, and news of the missing faces was shared with concerned expressions. Dennis was not at all interested. He was intrigued by Colin's eyes, which had begun to shine. His whole attitude expressed pride and security as he spoke of his girl.
"She has blonde hair that she always turns up, which she usually puts in her wand in so that it is not her way. We always met at the library. She is in Hufflepuff and a year younger than me, but that does not matter. When she laughs, I feel like laughing and no longer think of the war or You-Know-Who and the likes. "
Dennis nodded and thought of Emma Dobbs, whose hands never held still and who liked learning and researching in the silence of the library. Today he would see her again.
Neville Longbottom was leaning against the wall in front of them. He looked worse than most of the other students. His knuckles were cracked; he sported a black eye and seemed to limp. He was the informal leader of the D.A., since Harry had disappeared. Satisfied, Neville watched as the Hogwarts students caught up with the excluded and the mood in the room grew lighter. Voices rose and fell, until it sounded like the buzz that could be previously heard in the great hall. These days, the meals had to be taken in silence and not even the common rooms were safe from the minions of the Dark Lord, Dennis knew. He enjoyed the ease that spread and settled over him like waves on a beach. The laughter had prevailed since another group of students had arrived. He immediately recognized it and turned around.
"Emma!" he cried with relief and stumbled through the rows of chairs until he stood before her and her friends. "Emma," he said again and could not help but to fall around her neck.
"Hi Dennis," she said awkwardly. "How are you?"
"I'm okay." He did not want to tell her what it was like to be alone and with almost no contact to the world he called home. He wanted her to laugh and gesture with her hands and to sit down with him.
"Come," he said, "we've saved seats for you." He led the way through the rows to where Colin sat and waited.
Neville, who had become their unofficial leader, locked and sealed the room magically. Dennis got nothing from his little speech. His attention wandered from Emma, who sat behind him and whose presence he could literally feel against his back, to Colin. He sat upright like a soldier in his chair, holding his head high and had bright red ears. Dennis knew just then that Colin's girl was also in the room. Of course he could not look out for her from his first row seat, but he racked his brain for who she could be. Only a few girls came into question. She was fifteen years old, from what Colin had said, and therefore had to be in his year or in the year above. There were not many options. Maybe it was one of Emma's friends, Melissa or Flavia. With some difficulty Dennis stifled a giggle. It would be really nice if they had chosen girls who were close. Family meetings would be fun.
Finally Neville ended his speech with an annoyed rolling of his eyes. Hardly anyone had listened to him, they were too excited and happy to see each other again after the long separation. Most remained in their seats and started talking again. Colin and Dennis turned to the students behind them. Flavia, whose mother was muggle, just explained her father's reaction as she had suggested that she could feign to leave him so that he would be safe.
"It was kind of cute," she giggled. "But eeeew, these are my parents. I do not want to hear them swear their eternal love and then kiss! "
"No matter what happens," Emma agreed with a theatrical voice and clutched at her pearl necklace, "I would die for you!" The three friends were laughing and Dennis was happy to grin with them.
Colin interfered shyly. "You have to say it with more feeling. Otherwise, it does not mean anything. "
"How?" Emma asked curiously.
"Well," Colin took her hand and looked at her "for you, just for you - I would die. This I swear! "
That did not sound playful, Dennis had to admit. It seemed to be real. Emma was still holding Colin's hand and was really quiet. She did could not take her eyes from him, a soft smile appeared on her lips. Carefully his thumb stroked over the back of her hand and the smile reached her eyes. A soft red blush appeared on her cheeks. The two were completely isolated from the others who were laughing and joking again. Only Dennis realized what had happened, and suddenly he knew what girl his brother had spoken of. The girl who kept her wand in her hair so she could move her hands free, the beautiful girl Colin was in love with, was Emma. His Emma was Colin's Emma now.
Dennis forced a smile on his face and dashed into Melissa and Flavia's conversation. He was feeling cold and the happiness that had filled him before was gone. The waves of happiness that had touched him gently were subsiding.
What remained was the certainty that a battle was coming soon. But somehow he was sure he would survive. And he would not stand in his brother's way. Colin had found his happiness in the horrors of war. He did not begrudge him and would try to be happy for his brother with all of his aching heart.
And maybe there was waiting for him some day his someone – his Emma.
.
.