(MAN! I can't believe it's been over a year since I've written a fanfiction, I have no clue what was happening to my muse that whole time. I hope you guys enjoy it! Make sure to review please, that's the only way I'll know if I'm cash, or if I'm trash. Slyth out, and now here is the disclaimer brought to you by Ren!
Ren: WE DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER BUT THAT'S OKAY BECAUSE WE WILL ONE DAY RULE THE WORLD AND CONQUE-
Slyth: Okay she was getting a little too hype. Bye guys, enjoy!)
You're standing there, cold bitter wind rushing through your auburn tresses sending them flying back in a frenzy, your dominant left hand reaching out as if embracing someone but then you come rushing back to reality and realize that you are there alone, and that no one will ever be there with you.
Xanthe Potter stood on top of the Astronomy tower, approximately 6 hours and 23 minutes after she and her brother, Harry James Potter, had defeated Voldemort.
Approximately 6 hours and 53 minutes after she found out that the love of her life was dead, and her best friend had broke his promise to her and went to their side anyway.
Approximately 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 25 seconds after she found out that her second half was gone, that her twins smile would never grace the world again.
She blinked and found herself at the edge of the astronomy tower, the wind blowing harder and howling as if it were Hogwarts herself mourning the loss of all of her children, no matter how bad or good they turned out to be, mourning the blood that had been spilled on her precious stones. Xanthe's pale and trembling hands wrapped themselves around the railing that separated the Astronomy tower from the open air, the wards that had been placed on it to prevent students from flinging themselves off the tower or falling off were long down. They had came down along with the actual Hogwarts wards. Sure they had won the war, but at what cost?
Her glowing killing curse green eyes misted over but she would not allow the tears to fall, she would be strong one last time. She would be strong for her dead red headed fiancee, she would be strong for the man she thought of as an adoptive father, even if he did basically neglect her and Harry after Sirius's death. She would be strong for her twin and the true hero of the wizarding world-and she would be strong for the one who became everything that he told her he wouldn't be.
Climbing up onto the ice cold rusted over railing, she swung her legs over the edge, letting them dangle freely. She closed her eyes, her grip tightening for a second and for an instant she was back in the clearing where they had fought Voldemort, where Harry had his health critically damaged but did not tell anyone until hours later when he was finally coughing up blood because of course Voldemort wouldn't give up the chance to torture his two fated enemies, the thorns in his side ever since they had been born. Xanthe idly wondered why she could no longer feel the tremors, but she put it off due to the fact that she was so numb.
She was back in the clearing again, and all around her she was surrounded by her loved ones-her father, her mother, Sirius, Remus.
"You'll st-stay with me?" Her voice cracked as she repeated her brother's words, leaning forward a bit more.
"Always" Her mother answered. Taking a deep breath as she swallowed thickly, she slowly eased up her grip on the railing. She was almost to the point where she was going to let go when she smelt him, rather than heard him. She froze in place, unable to process anything, unable to move-
"Oi, Potter, what are you doing mate? Gone mad have you?" She turned her head a fractional degree to the left, her whole soul wailing with agony. An angular face with Weasley red hair, blue eyes, and freckles everywhere watched her. The elfish eyebrow was raised in a distinct impression of Snape, his arms folded over his chest. The scent of potions, explosions, and wind assaulted her, as well as the smell of cinders and cinnamon shampoo.
"This is some type of sick joke isn't it? You're dead."
"And you're Captain Obvious. Yes I'm dead, but I'm also here to prevent you from doing something incredibly stupid. There's someone down there that needs you, and if you do this now, he'll follow you, and I'd rather not see my twin or my fiancee dead now." She stared at him quietly, not speaking for a moment as everything processed in her mind.
"But Freddie-I don't want to be here anymore. I lost you, I lost Harry, I lost Draco-I can't do this anymore!" Frustrated tears began to fall down her face, and a ghostly hand paused under her chin as if it wanted to tilt her head up.
"Hey, hey-it's going to be alright Zanny. I promise-it may hurt now but it will get better." A roll of thunder echoed through the cloudless night, and Fred looked up as if cursing. "I have to go now, but he's coming. You'll both save each other." He pressed his ghostly lips to her forehead and moved as if caressing her cheek. "I'll see you a far far while from now. Don't mourn me forever."
Before she could say anything else he disappeared, taking the smell with him as long as the rest of her fragile sanity.
"Fred! Fred come back!" She whispered silently into the night, her grip suddenly letting go and she closed her eyes, prepared to plunge through the silent nighttime air. Instead of feeling the air rushing through her, she felt two strong arms wrap around her and haul her back.
"Xanthe-what the bloody hell-" Without realizing it she turned around and buried her face into emerald green Weasley sweater with the letter F stitched onto it
"Fred." And with that word she let everything flow free, tears drenching the sweater as she clutched at it, and eventually she felt the soft pitter patter of water soaking through her abundant auburn hair. Both twins without their other halves stood there, both of them eventually collapsing to the ground, but neither of them letting go.
That was how Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger found them in the morning, Xanthe curled up into a ball in George's lap with her head buried in his sweater, his arms around her and his chin in her hair as if he was protecting her from the harsh realities of the world.