Written for Hogwarts Online II Challenge for February
The song: go to youtube. com, and then search Safe And Sound by Taylor Swift.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. The song just inspired the story, that's all.
Author's note: Warning. Character death.
Chills ran up my spine as I overheard Ginny's father telling her she couldn't fight because she was too young. All around us the students were saying goodbye to younger students, and younger friends.
People were crying, begging each other not to fight while others stood firm and explained why they had to. Once all the adults left the Room of Requirement, Ginny turned around and faced me with a solemn expression on her face.
"Colin, listen, you're my best friend. I have to fight. I can't stand being the only person in my family not fighting. I don't care what dad says." Ginny's eyes looked at me determined.
"At least your father is telling you to stay. My father doesn't even know there's a war going on," I hear myself telling her. I must have pouted because Ginny walks over to me and embraces me in a hug.
"Oh, Colin, I'm sure he knows something is going on. You didn't tell him?" Her eyes looked at me both worried and confused.
"No, I didn't. I didn't want him to worry about my brother and I." My voice was weak, but my thoughts were the same as hers. I wanted to fight.
"This might be the last time we see each other. Are you fighting?" Ginny embraced me in another quick hug.
"I don't know yet. I have to talk to Dennis first." I placed my hands in my pocket so she wouldn't see them sweating with fear.
She embraced me in a third hug, this time, lingering a bit longer. I could have sworn I saw tears in her big, grey eyes as she let go. She then did something she's never done before. She kissed my cheek lightly. Her soft lips brushed up against my cheek. When she pulled apart, automatically my left hand went towards the cheek she kissed. She formed a half smile at my reaction.
"Don't be so surprised. You're my best friend and I wanted you to know that I care(,)." Ginny said sweetly. She was always kind to me. I felt throat choking and growing tight. No, I wasn't going to let her see me cry.
She quickly hugged me one last time.
"What's with all the hugging?" I ask as she lets go. She smiled her beautiful smile that I've always liked.
"Colin, come find me after the war," she said looking like she wanted to give me a final hug. I knew she was serious about fighting when she kept wanting to give me hugs. She wasn't one to show me love, because we were just best friends. But when death was on the line, she wanted to show that she cared. Ginny kept glancing at me as if she was itching to give one last hug, so I hugged her tight catching her by surprise.
"I'll be alright," I whispered in her ear as I let go. I watched her leave the room, not looking back.
I turned around and faced my brother.
"You two hugged a lot. How come you didn't tell her you loved her?" he asked as he put his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
"It didn't seem right. To me, I love her. To her, I'm just her best friend. That's something I will always be and I'll have to get use to it," I say sadly coping my brother and placing my hands in my pockets once more.
"You should have told her," Dennis replied as I nodded in agreement.
The castle shook after he said that.
"War is raging on outside the door," Dennis said as we both looked in that direction. It was then when I noticed we were the last siblings in the room. Everyone must have left after Ginny left.
"You should go fight." Dennis couldn't even look me in the eye. He shuffled his foot on the ground, trying to find something to look at other than himself.
"What about you and Pa?" I asked feeling nervous.
"We'll be alright. I can go home to him. Fighting isn't my thing anyways. I'm more of a poet." My brother looked up at me. I could tell he wanted to cry.
"Dennis, if I don't make it back," I started to say feeling very dry in my throat.
"Don't," he said half angry, half upset. We felt the castle shake again.
"Go. I need to get out there," I instructed him as I pulled my wand from my pocket.
"Do you even know how to fight?" He was scared, and to be honest so was I.
"Yes, I do. Thanks to Harry and the Dumbledore's Army group he started, I know how. Hopefully, I won't have to kill anyone," I said frowning. I gripped my wand tighter.
"I'll come looking for you after the war is over, he says sadly.
"No. You are to go home straight to Pa. Don't come. I don't want you killed." I felt the big brother voice in me come out as I spoke down to him. I was the oldest son. It was my duty to fight in our family's name.
"Pa's already lost mum, what if we lose you too?" Dennis' eyes filled with tears now. I felt mine come, but held them back. If I was to be a soldier, I was to be strong and not weak.
"I said go." I couldn't look at him now. The tears filled my vision as I felt him hug me. I couldn't hug him back.
"Colin, I love you," My brother said before he left.
I wiped my tears away with my sleeve as I heard him go through the secret passage way. When I opened my eyes, I was alone in the room while war was going on outside.
"It's now or never," I whispered to myself. I gripped my wand, and braced myself. I stepped outside of the Room of Requirement.
The castle shook once more. I found everyone in the Great Hall. I went straight up to Ginny.
"What's going on?" I ask.
"Evacuation again," she replies.
"Again? I thought they just did that when Harry came back."
"That was for the younger students. This one's for students who don't want to fight all."
"I heard He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's voice as I left the Room of Requirement."
"Did Dennis leave?" Ginny asked me.
"Yes, fighting's not his-" I was interrupted.
"Absolutely NOT Creevy, go!" A shudder made me turn around as I heard Professor McGonagall's voice.
"But I want to fight," I protested stomping my foot. Which made me think it was too childish.
"No," she said firmly.
"But she gets to." I pointed at Ginny. Again, it might have been childish, but I wanted to do my duty to the school.
"It's up to her parents, and they both are here somewhere. Yours however, you only have a dad, no mum. Remember?"
"Fine." I glance at Ginny, she gives me a weird look and a shrug and walks off not saying goodbye or anything. Since she was my only hope, I turn around and walk out the Great Hall.
I made sure I was clear out of eyesight from Professor McGonagall when I turned the opposite way straight onto the lawn of Hogwarts. I came outside, I wanted, no needed to see the courtyard, and the Quidditch pitch.
I ran frantically past people as they tried coming back to the castle to escape the war. I tripped over a rock and stared up at the night sky. I hated the night, and gripped my wand tighter. Night time was when my mother died years ago. I shuddered. Why was I thinking about my mother all of a sudden? Now of all places.
I closed my eyes and put my hands over my head as I saw the barrier protecting the castle being broken by a curse. It shattered into pieces all around me. I expected to feel pain of some sort, and half expected it to be like glass, but instead it was just a bubble. As it touched the ground, it exploded into some kind of fiery substance and disappeared.
After the barrier broke, I ran as far away from the Castle as I could. I found myself turning a corner and saw the Quidditch Pitch. I dropped my wand and stared in shock. Flames covered every part of the pitch. I don't know who put it on fire, but I heard laughter coming from the start of the pitch. I hid behind a tree not too far from the Quidditch Pitch, I did not want to get caught by the Death Eaters.
All around me were battles of good and evil. Tiny spats between wizard children and teens, and grown ups. The Death Eaters didn't care who they killed as long as they were dead. I froze. It didn't occur to me how serious war really was.
My hands clenched tight around an invisible wand. I panicked, looked at the ground and started searching for my wand. I could have sworn I heard my name being called and turned around facing a giant spider. He attacked me before I could get my wand. I stumbled back and hit my head hard on the tree. The spider bit me once more. I knew I hated spiders for a reason. Filthy creatures.
My name was called once more as a stunning spell directly hit the spider causing it to fall over. I don't know who was calling my name, but the person came close.
"NO, NO! Colin, wake up! Please, wake up!" The voice panicked and shook my shoulders. I opened my eyes, or tried to. I squinted. My brother. Bloody hell, what was he doing back?
"Dennis, what in the bloody hell are you doing here?" I coughed. I didn't curse normally, but I was scared out of my wits for his safety.
"You're hurt," Dennis said tearing off a sleeve of his shirt and wrapping it around my left arm.
"No use. The poison's in me now." I cough again. I tried sitting up but couldn't find the strength. I was very weak.
"Damn it. You should have come back with me." Tears formed in his eyes as they spilled over. I couldn't look at him.
"I know. I didn't realize how bad war was till it was too late." I coughed again.
I could feel the poison working in me spreading through my veins. No potion could save me now. I thought of Mum's lullaby that Pa sang to her. I heard it play in my head as I stared at my brother.
""Hold onto this lullaby
Even when the music's gone."
Mum's lullaby. Pa sang it for her when she was sick and dying. I was seven, Dennis was five when she died, much too young to know what was going on. I knew what was going on with her. I remembered everything Pa did for her. Including sing her favorite song as she was dying. I coughed, closed my eyes, and opened them. My brother's face was staring into my eyes.
"Dennis, I don't want you to see me like this, but I don't want you to leave either." My throat was very dry. I was starting to lose feelings in my body.
"I'm not leaving you."
"You could get killed too."
"No, Colin."
"Dennis, I feel cold." I felt my brother put his robe around my small body, but that didn't help.
"Damn it, Colin, I'll never forgive you." Dennis stood up.
"Don't leave me." I beg. He sits back down and grips my hand tight.
"Dennis, tell Pa I'm sorry I was so stupid." If I could cry, I would, but I felt nothing left in me.
"Don't." Dennis shook his head and squeezed my hand tight. "Don't die," he pleaded.
"I'm sorry. Remember me, Dennis," I say in a small voice. The poison from the spider has taken its toll on my body. I bilked once, saw Dennis cry, blinked twice.
A tunnel of light is catching my attention now. I walked towards it.
Dennis felt my hands slip from his as I left. I don't know how, but I could see myself above my body and see him crying from pain over me. He will be okay.