the loss they didn't yet know
A HariPo drabble
by mew-tsubaki
Note: The Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, not me. It doesn't often happen that I write something just family-centric… :O Read, review, and enjoy!
- ^-^3
There was a rustling in the room next door, but Dennis tried his best to tune it out.
The rustle came again, so Dennis rolled over on his side, trying to block out the sound by putting his pillow over his free ear.
But when he moved his pillow, his cheek began to hurt. Only when Dennis sat up with a swallowed yelp did he realize that he'd rolled onto his D.A. Galleon—which was growing hot with a message.
Neville and Ginny and the others were calling for all the members to come to Hogwarts at once.
Dennis' heart thudded in his chest. That's the only thing it could mean. The coins had been used recently only once before when, earlier in the school year, it had been established that D.A. members, supporters of Harry Potter, and defected students would be welcome back into the shelter of the Room of Requirement. His best mate, Nigel, had confirmed that for Dennis via secret messages that Nigel had owled him when the Death Eater faculty wasn't looking.
Suddenly, it hit Dennis, why he heard noise next door to his room—the noise was coming from Colin's room. Colin no doubt had seen his own coin right before his younger brother had.
Hopping out of bed, Dennis lunged for his door and turned left. At the same moment, his older brother was trying to close his bedroom door silently and without waking their parents.
"Colin!" Dennis hissed. "You can't go!"
Colin shushed him and sent Dennis a small glare. He must've been determined to leave anyway, because he rarely showed any type of annoyance, or anger, or really any negative feeling towards Dennis. "Dennis, shh. Go back to bed."
"No, I won't!" the younger Creevey said, raising his voice. "Both of us are too young to fight."
"Dennis, I'm going, and you can't stop me," Colin remarked. His tone was sharp, but he was still trying to keep his volume down.
Dennis frowned. "Colin, we're all Mum and Dad have. Don't do this to them! Isn't it bad enough that we had to try and put protective charms on the house, as well as hide our location?" They'd only managed to do so by asking Nigel to ask for help from some of the older students, as the Creevey brothers didn't have that kind of reference material lying around.
The blonde wizard jutted his chin out defiantly. "Then we've done something right, Dennis, because we've been protected and we've been hidden." He strode past Dennis and down the hallway, heading for the closet by the front door.
Dennis cursed and ran back to his own room to get changed quickly. He grabbed nothing beside his own wand and then ran out and to the main closet. But Colin was no longer alone. Their parents were now up and groggy but frightened.
"Colin, what's the meaning of this?" Mr. Creevey asked.
"I'm going to go fight," Colin answered.
Their mother gave a squeal of terror. "Wha—no, Colin!" She looked between her two boys. "I thought you both said it was too dangerous for you to return to Hogwarts!"
"It is," Dennis confirmed.
"Then why do you look as ready to leave as your brother does?" their dad asked. For the first time, Dennis noted, their father, a usually carefree yet forthright man, sounded weak and lost. He truly was horrified at the idea of losing them.
Colin tore his attention from his parents to see that Dennis, indeed, looked ready to join him. His eyes widened. "No, Den, no!"
"Why not?" Dennis asked. "If you're really going to fight, then I will, too!"
"It—it's different for me," the older boy tried to reply. "I'm almost of age. You're only fourteen."
"Almost fifteen, thank you very much."
Colin's jaw tensed, but he paled. "Dennis, we can't both go. If something should happen—" He stopped, for his voice caught. "Mum and Dad can't lose both of us."
At that, their mother loosed a great wail, and their father had to lead her to the nearby armchair before her legs gave way from under her.
"Then don't be cruel to them and make them lose even one of us," Dennis gently pleaded.
At last, Colin's smile returned, and he chuckled at his brother's insistence. "Do you have that little faith in me, Den? I never said I wasn't coming home."
Dennis took two steps forward so that he stood very closely to Colin. They locked eyes and Dennis tried not to blink in spite of the tears he could feel coming. "The Death Eaters will decide that for you, Col."
Colin sighed and nodded. "Say what you will…but I'm going." His eyes darkened sadly. "You know that our friends could die."
"I know."
"I want to help them."
"Then, if I can't stop you…" Dennis grabbed his own broom and then hugged his brother tightly. "I won't fight alongside you. But I'll see if I can help protect the younger students, and protect you."
Colin nodded his thanks, and Dennis knew that, when the battle was over, he was definitely going to remind Colin that he owed him one. No, no, Colin would owe him three or five. And those favors couldn't have an expiration date.
Set in their way, the boys apologized to their parents and hugged and kissed them, for good luck and perhaps for the last time. Then they went outside and mounted their brooms, Colin leading the way.
"I hope we get there in time!" Colin shouted over his shoulder as they sped along.
Dennis said nothing. A part of him hoped that they'd never get there at all and that they'd just go home, safe and sound.
- ^-^3
A lot of the Maydayverse (see my profile for further explanation) involves having to write character death, so I decided against that this time since JKR already told us about Colin. I just wanted to toy with how he came to be at Hogwarts that night despite being an underage Muggle-born. I do get the feeling that Dennis would've tagged along, in the hopes of protecting his brother in lieu of fighting… Poor Dennis, though… ;_; …poor Mr. and Mrs. Creevey! *sobs*
Well, thanks for reading, and please review!
-mew-tsubaki :'S