There was an elderly magic couple off the side of Withertin. The couple had been married for over fifty years. Thensomething happened. The war. They knew they had to stay together just to remainsane; theyknew that their love could protect them.
Although this wasn't fully true, they were still together forever.
There are many tragic stories of the war and this one is theirs.
The boy - Billy- was born a few years before the girl into a pureblood family.
The girl - Martha - was born to a Muggle family.
The two were nothing alike during their early years and even when they went to Hogwarts the differences remained.
Billy was put into Slytherin and Martha, into Gryffindor.
Fate made them enemies.
But then that all changed when they met on a cold day in Hogsmeade.
Of course they knew of each other and they knew of the wedge that their Houses put between them. It was just common knowledge.
On that fateful day everyone was inside as buckets of snow was pouring down. Our two stars happened to take refuge in the same building.
The Hog's Head was almost always deserted, andthat day wasn't any different.
Billy and Martha both know - andwere quite friendly with- thebartender, Marty, andhis apprentice, Aberforth.
The argument started when Marty came out and they put their hands on the front counter at the same time.
Simultaneously,their heads turned to face each other. They each looked the other up and down, glaring.
"What are you doing, Gryffindork?" Billy asked while at the same time Martha spat, "I was first, Snake."
Marty held his hands up.
"Stop. There will be no house fighting. Martha, Billy, you will both sit at that table." he pointed in behind them."Together."
They groaned and protested, not noticing that Marty called them both by their names.
But Marty said that if they didn't sit there together they would be kicked out.
So they sat.
The first few minutes were mostly glaring until Billy, in attempt to make conversation, asked her favorite food.
"Aberforth's bread and butter." Martha said, not looking up.
"Ah, that is good. Favorite color?" he asked. This got Martha to look up. Why was he being so nice her? She was a Gryffindor. She looked into his eyes and saw kindness.
Pure kindness. Martha smiled. Maybe they could be friends.
It would be revolutionary.
"Green, weirdly enough. What's you favoriteanimal?" she asked him. Billy smiled too.
"Eagle." The conversation went on like that, and they talked about their families (both wanting to meet the other's), until Marty said that they ought to get back to school. They got up and walked back to the castle together.
After that they went many more times to the Hog's Head. Nearing the end of Billy's sixth year, Martha's fourth, he asked her if she would like to go do Hogsmeade with him.
She laughed.
"Of course," she said. "We always go together!"
"No, like on a date." he corrected. Martha froze. Billy's eyebrows were in a straight line, the way they always were when he got nervous. Then Martha's face broke into a smile. She hugged Billy.
"Yes!"
That date was the first of many. Snogging in broom closets; stolenhours by the lake- any excuse to spendtime together. Many people didn't approve of their relationship, but they didn't care.
They loved each other.
They were twenty and twenty-two when Billy finally asked her. He dragged her over to the Hog's Head where they were talking and having some food. Billy got down on his knee and Martha could feel what was happening. She almost screamed, 'Oh , yes!'before he even asked.
"Martha Kelly Wenton, would you do me-"
"Yes!" Martha shouted, not giving him a chance to finish.
The next year in June they got married. Martha was wearing a satin pink, sleeveless dress. Her blonde hair was pinned up in a bun and her brown eyes were glistening.
Billy's eyes were filled with tears.
They didn't pay attention to the man's words. They were looking into each other's eyes.
Once he addressed them, all they said was, "I do." without breaking eye contact.
Then their lips touch and it was done.
They were married.
They went to the house they hadbought earlier that year and they talked and laughed just like when they first met.
Everything was perfect. Nothing could tear them apart.
But then the war came.
They'd heard about it. Everyone did.
He was known as Voldemort.
He had killed three people so far, and was alreadyseen as a threat.
He had a small group of followers known as theDeath Eaters.
He was coming.
People were hiding and more people died, or were tortured, every single day. It wasn't safe.
Especially for people like Martha.
Muggle-borns were treated like scum.
Voldemort want to kill all of them.
Billy protected Martha. He kept her close from harm.
They had to go into hiding themselves.
The Death Eaters were killing Muggle-borns -orMudbloods, as they called them - wheneverthey found one.
People tried to fight back, butVoldemort was too strong.
He was gaining power.
You couldn't trust anyone.
But Billy and Martha were happy.
Billy had Martha and Martha had Billy.
If they had to die, they decided, they would die together.
Time passed,and they were getting old.
The war was starting to die down as a man was fighting back - and succeeding!
This man was Albus Dumbledore.
Billy and Martha still weren't safe.
And then it happened. A Death Eater came and blew their house up, revealing them.
Billy cast a shield charm so they weren't injured by the falling building.
The Death Eaters approached them.
Billy and Martha took each other's hand and squeezed.
Then there was green and nothing.
The Death Eater said something.
He said "Morsemorde."
A skull with a snake going throughout it appeared in the sky.
Billy was the skull and Martha was the snake, hugging Billy with all her might.
A/N written for round eight of QLFC. I had to use the spell Morsemorde. I did!