A/N Birthday present to the ever lovely Kalina. I hope you like it, I've never written Harry Potter fanfic before so I hope this is okay. And that you like it of course. Have a delightful birthday.
In a room filled with people talking it's hard to find the one person who isn't. You can trace a sound, but how do you trace a silence? Alicia had seen someone die before that night, her grandmother had died when she was seven but she'd passed away in her sleep quietly without a flicker of pain on her face. Those who'd died on this night were bruised and bloody their faces frozen with looks of pain and terror. There was none of the peace that had settled over her grandmother.
In the battle she'd fought as Harry had once taught her, casting to defend herself and those around her rather than harm. She'd stunned and immobilized plenty of death eaters never stopping to see their hoods fall back and see the faces underneath terrified that they would be ones she recognized. Alicia would be lying if she said she hadn't at some point thought that she was going to die that night. But she hadn't they'd won. But all victories come at a cost and now looking around the hall at the broken families who lined it she wondered if this price had been worth it.
There were many bodies in the hall. More than Alicia wanted to count but there were also families. On her first day at Hogwarts Professor McGonagall had told Alicia that their houses would become family. She was wrong. Hogwarts became family. In the Great Hall under the light of a thousand candles there was no difference between the houses.
Alicia looked around the hall for familiar faces. Angelina and Katie were kneeling on the floor of the hall beside the body of little Colin Creevey. Angelina was cleaning the dirt off his face while Katie repaired the tears in his robes with little flicks of her wand. Alicia thought about joining them, but she thought that if she were to halt them in their mission they might cry. There were already tear tracts on both their faces and as Alicia watched another leaked from Angelina's eye.
One family caught her attention. The easily most recognizable family in Hogwarts, the flame haired Weasleys were gathered together in one corner of the hall. And even from the distance between them Alicia could see what they were surrounding and shuddered. Molly was crying now, the woman who had killed Bellatrix Lestrange was sobbing into her husband's shoulder while he pulled their only daughter close to him. Bill Weasley had an arm wrapped around Fleur Delacour and Charlie on his other side, Percy who had always seemed slightly stuck up to Alicia had tears running down his face as he leant against Oliver Wood. The fellow Gryffindor sat close to Percy as if they were close friends and Alicia remembered there hadn't been another Gryffindor boy in their year, maybe they had been friends and she'd never noticed. Oliver was saying something to Percy obviously trying to encourage him to do something, Alicia recognized the face as the one Oliver wore before every Quidditch game. Alicia watched as Oliver reached his conclusion and Percy glanced between his siblings. Sliding his eyes over Ginny first scanning his sister for injuries and finding none, then looking for Ron and noting the lack of the Golden Trio in the room, Percy turned to Bill and Charlie next this time making eye-contact with his eldest brother. Bill gave him a small nod and removed his arm from around Fleur. Charlie stood first brushing dust off himself, he was followed by Bill and Percy. The three eldest Weasleys knelt beside Fred's body and lifted it up before carrying it to lay with the rest of the fallen.
The action seemed to break the spell over the group. Ginny detached herself from her parents and walked over to Luna Lovegood who stood and embraced her at once. Charlie joined a group of fifth-years who were attempting to clear some of the debris from the entranceway. Bill and Fleur moved off into the wounded, looks of determination on their faces. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley didn't move but Alicia noticed that no more tears fell and the couple continued to whisper to each other.
The only Weasley who didn't move at all was George. He sat on the bench abandoned by his brothers still staring at the spot where Fred had lain. After having watched him for several minutes now Alicia was confident that he was breathing. She took in the multitude of scrapes and bruises on his hands and a shallow cut that ran across his face and made her mind up. With no hesitation she crossed the hall and sat next to George on the bench. When he didn't acknowledge her arrival, she felt her confidence waver, should she say something? But what does one say to someone who just lost the person who's been with them their whole lives? Never one to let anything stop her, Alicia conjured a cloth and silently dampened it. "This might sting" She warned.
George didn't reply just kept staring at the cold stone in front of him. Gently as she could Alicia took one of his hands in hers. Only when she touched him did she get a reaction. His eyes flicked up to hers confusion and loss pooling in them. Pity flared within her and she spoke softly to him "it's alright George, it's just me, it's just Alicia. Let's get you cleaned up alright?" He was still staring at her as if he didn't quite understand what she was saying. Still holding his hand she raised her other to his face and began slowly cleaning away the dirt, dried tears and blood on his cheek.
George looked now younger than she'd ever seen him, eyes wide and oh so lost. Alicia dropped the cloth and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her, offering the only comfort that she could. George nearly collapsed into her as if all the tension in him was slipping away. Alicia held him close and rubbed his back as he slipped one arm around her back and pulled her as close as possible. "It's okay George, I'm here" She repeated whispering the phrase over and over again into his bright hair as her friend cried into her shoulder.
Eventually Alicia felt as if someone was watching her. She pulled her head up from where it had rested on George's and met the red eyes of Molly Weasley. George's mother was staring at her as if trying to say something that wasn't coming out. Molly looked at George and Alicia could see fresh tears in her eyes as George's mother reached for her son. Alicia lowered her arms from around George as he turned to his mother. Mrs. Weasley was out of her husband's arms and holding her son in seconds. Alicia sat there awkwardly trying to figure out if she should go somewhere and leave the family alone. She moved to stand up when a hand caught her wrist.
"Don't leave" George was staring at her eyes wide as if he was panicking. Alicia felt the same concern as before wash over her.
"Of course" She said softly holding his hand with both of hers, sitting down next to him again. She didn't move from there for the rest of that long night. Rubbing her thumb over George's hand as their friends approached and whispered how sorry they were. George would flinch every single time some said his twin's name. Then Alicia would tighten her grip on his hand. She'd never be able to tell anyone how they made it through that night, the night when George broke and it looked like nothing in the world could fix him. Lee Jordan had given her a confused look when he noticed her next to George but had said nothing about it.
Eventually day came and light streamed into the hall. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood at the front of the hall and informed everyone that he had arranged for the Hogwarts Express to ferry students and their families back to London and that there would be a service held at the school in the coming weeks for those who had died in the battle. The golden trio had returned a little before this speech and now sat with the Weasleys planning who would go where. In the end all of them elected to return to the Burrow and the family, because that was they were, stood and headed towards the doors of the school planning on apparating home.
When George stood he pulled Alicia with him, clearly having forgotten that he was still clutching her hand in his. "George wait," She said quickly, he turned to her at once. "I'm not coming with you" the pain that had ever so slightly lessened returned to his eyes as he clutched her hand tighter. "I have to go home. My parents don't know what happened, they don't even know if I'm alive. I have to see them, tell them it's over. Then," she took a breath. "I'll be with you as soon as I can. Okay?" She gave him a small smile.
"Alicia," He said her name so gently as if it was the most precious thing in the whole world. He reached out and pulled her close again. Hugging her tightly as he whispered in her ear, "thank you, for everything"
She shook her head softly pulling away from him and looking him in the eye "you'd have done the same for me" on an impulse she stood on the tips of her feet and placed a tiny kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you soon" With that she walked away mentally calculating the minimum amount of time before she'd see him again.