Hey, I know I haven't done anything in a while, but I'm back. Hopefully this story is better than my last couple.
I wanted to write a story about how Victoire got her name and also to show the pain felt by a character in the series in the aftermath of the war.
I hope you enjoy it. Please Read & Review.
2 May 2000
It was a day of mourning, a day of remembrance. There had been no battle as epic or as horrifying in the Wizarding World as the Battle of Hogwarts. The memories of those who had died were still fresh wounds in the minds of those who had been left behind. Lives had been taken, destroyed, changed, warped; yet they still tried to move on. Friends built up trust with one another again, families treasured their time with each other more, and life was seen as more precious than ever.
"We should have done more" was the most common phrase that had gone around in the two years since that day. But how could we have? They may have died, but there was a reason they had been fighting, for love and trust and truth and innocence. They didn't die in vain, at least, in my mind they didn't. My baby brother didn't die for no reason, he died saving my life, Fleur's life, my mum's life, and dad's too, and he died saving the lives of the world. And for that I was eternally grateful.
At first, I was angry, I was so angry. How dare they take my brother? How dare they kill an innocent young man and think that it was acceptable? How could they have taken that fun, energetic life from him and left only a lifeless body. I had wished it was me. For hours, days, months, I had wished that I'd died and not Fred. He had more to live for, more to die for, than this. I drank and I swore, I cussed and I fought, I attacked and I killed. But none of it brought him back, and none of it made me feel better. Fleur saved me really. She held me in her arms night after long, hard night, she held me close and told me she loved me. She made me remember that I had things worth living for as well. She made me remember my love for Fred, and that he would want me to be okay, be happy, be who I was and not what this war had made me. And then one night, I started believing what she said. I started to remember my brother, and my friends, and all those who had died, and I remembered that they all died protecting me and my wife and my family. And my eternal gratitude couldn't be expressed enough.
I walked with the procession along the transfiguration courtyard, and took my place in the seats that had been brought in for the ceremony. I helped my heavily pregnant wife Fleur into her seat and held her hand tightly, as she smiled reassuringly at me. My family surrounded me; my mum and dad in front of me; George next to me; Ron, Ginny, Harry, Hermione, Percy and Charlie all seated close by. With Harry was Teddy Lupin, the two year old who had lost his mother and father in the war, not unlike his godfather. Surrounded by those who had helped to fight and win the war, I felt suffocated, like I had to remember them. I just wanted to breathe.
The ceremony began when Kingsley Shacklebolt making a speech on bravery; the bravery of all those here today and all those who were not. If I was honest, I didn't believe that it was bravery; it was sheer dumb luck. After numerous speeches about those who had died, and numerous howls of sadness from those around me, it was time for the minute silence. I held Fleur in my arms as she cried during the silence. However, it was broken by a gasp of pain from Fleur. She looked into my eyes and I knew it was time. It was time to meet my daughter. I helped her up and apologised to all those sitting by us. I took her to the Hospital Wing in what used to be my favourite place in the universe. We were joined shortly after by our family and Madam Pomfrey, who began to help Fleur through the process. I couldn't handle the pressure in the room, everyone there, hoping for new life. It didn't seem right, not today. So I ran, to the only place I remembered that made me happy.
I was sat in the Gryffindor common room, huddled into an armchair when George found me. He hadn't spoken very much since the day that Fred had died, he was silent. If Fred had not died, then George would still be George. George would be happy again, whole again, he would feel like his life had a purpose to it again. I watched him approach me with caution. He sat down across from me and just stared. He did that a lot. Sometimes it seemed as if George had forgotten how to speak to another person.
"Why are you up here?" He asked quietly. I looked at him closely; I had forgotten how his voice sounded. And how much he sounded like Fred. "Fleur's having your baby, and you left her."
"You don't understand, it's wrong, not today, any day but today." My voice croaked, and I felt tears rolling down my cheeks.
"Tomorrow won't make a difference. People die every day, Bill. It doesn't matter if she's born today or next Tuesday. Someone will have died on that date." He spoke softly, being careful not to aggravate me. "That's not the problem, is it?"
"Not really. I just can't think of bringing my daughter into a world where innocent people die."
"But she's not being brought into that world. That world doesn't exist anymore, well, not to the same extent. She will be part of a world that those innocent people died fighting for. A world with no war and no Voldemort. She's going to be the reason why we fought, and why we died." George said, his eyes staring intently at me. I thought about what he was saying, and I thought perhaps he was right.
"Why don't you talk anymore?"
"You really want to know?" He asked. "I thought that you would have guessed by now. I look too much like him and I sound far too much like him as well. I'm a constant reminder and it hurts me. And I know it hurts everyone else."
"Don't ever think that. You don't hurt us, we're just so glad that you're still here, George." I said, shocked. He actually thought that. He believed he shouldn't speak because of something that happened. Something that that was not his fault and never would be. "It's a good thing that you're like Fred, you can make sure we remember him. But don't think like that. We need to make this family strong again, it needs to be filled with love. And if you start speaking again, you'll make mum so happy."
"Okay." He said, his stare softening. "And you need to go and meet your daughter."
Amidst my selfish thoughts, I had forgotten about the love of my life giving birth to my little girl. I ran faster than I ever thought that I could. My heart was pounding so fast when I skidded into the hospital wing...
And then nothing mattered, because there they were: my beautiful girls. Fleur was holding her, cradling the small bundle gently, staring at her as if she was the only thing in the world. She looked up and saw me. I ran to her and kissed her.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I missed it." I sobbed.
"It's okay, my love." Fleur hushed me. "You're here now. And so is she. And that's all that matters."
She held out our baby to me and I carefully manoeuvred her into my arms. She was beautiful.
"What are you going to name her?" I heard George ask. My mother started sobbing then and threw her arms around George. I looked around at the rest of my family and saw them all silently crying. Crying for joy, crying for sadness, but crying nonetheless.
But the crying didn't matter. And the reason behind the crying didn't matter either.
Because as I held my tiny baby I thought of all those who had died, not just in the battle, but in both of the Wizarding Wars. My mind drifted over their names and I realised something so true and pure about their deaths. It was for her. I remembered them; Lily and James, Regulus and Sirius, Gideon and Fabian, Benjy and Marlene, Remus and Tonks, Ted and Moody, Dumbledore and Severus, and all others who had died; but especially, I remembered Fred, my younger brother, because now I realised why they had died, why he had died, and why they had fought, and why he had fought, for in my arms I held the smallest victory.
"Victoire…"
I hope you enjoyed it! Please Read & Review.
ForestRose27