I've had this piece in my head since Deathly Hallows came out; I just never bothered to put it onto paper – er - ….a website. I've only ever imagined it being acted out, though, so the writing may not be nearly as good as I have it envisioned to be. I'm really no good at action or drama. I'm rambling. Shut up, Amy.
And come on, now, you know I don't own Harry Potter. You know that. Come on.
Chaos. It was the only word to describe the scene that played in front of Arianna. She had never imagined, not once, that an orphan like her could be caught up in so much violence, so much hate. Evil vs. Good, Dark vs. Light. What did it all mean? Why was her school under attack, why was she witnessing so many deaths? Why was she standing in the middle of a collapsing corridor, vulnerable and spacing out?
Arianna came to her senses and dodged a slab of stone falling from above her, but just barely. She fell to her knees in the process and managed to scurry over the wall, then leaned against it, panting. She had never been brave, not once. This battle was the ultimate test. Failing was simply not an option. The victory of the most evil and powerful wizard in the world would not happen. Not at the hands of her brother's death. And she knew it was either he, Harry Potter, or Lord Voldemort who would prevail. Neither could live while the other survived.
A stream of green light visible through the gaping hole in the wall caught her attention. The wall was still crumbling from the blast it had endured minutes before. Her ears were still ringing. Not that she could hear the noise over the sounds of everything around her, anyway. Arianna closed her eyes and attempted to take a few deep breaths. 'You can do this. It's not murder if you're saving the lives of so many more. Think of Harry, think of the fate of the world if he doesn't survive. Get up. Go.'
A particularly painful scream caused Arianna to open her eyes and see a crazed woman running at her, leaping over the body of a man she had just killed. There was a thirst for death, a craving to kill, in those eyes. Grey, but flashing. Arianna stood and stabbed her wand in the woman's direction, yelling a curse she never thought she would use. "Avada Kedavra!" The words exited her mouth at the same rate as the spell shot out of her wand. She had no time to think, it had just happened. In that very same instant, the woman lay dead at her feet.
She stood looking down at a head of tousled, straw-like hair, hands shaking so badly that it was difficult to pick up the woman's wand, but cracked it in two with one smooth movement, bringing the wand flat down on her own knee. She threw the pieces in opposite directions, a silvery hair trailing after one end.
A red spell shot up through the hole in the wall and deflected off the ceiling, connecting with a target in a shadowy hollow in the wall where a statue once stood. The target groaned and collapsed, its body flopped onto the floor, only its arm lay visible. The rest was in darkness. Arianna ran over to the person in question, crouched next to him, and lit her wand to see who it was, and whether or not he was dead. To her great surprise, Fred Weasley lay at her side, breathing, but just barely.
"Fred! Are you hurt? Let me fix it, come on, sit up…" Arianna lifted the top half of his body so that he was partially sitting up, though he leaned heavily against her body.
"I'm alright, I'm alright. Could go for a cup of tea, perhaps."
"That's not funny. Where did that spell hit you? I can try to heal you…" Arianna searched his body for a wound, a scorch mark, anything. Fred looked up at her and she met his eyes. He was smiling, though weakly. "What are you smiling about, Fred? Tell me where it hit you, what it's doing to you! I can help!"
"You can't. It's alright. I'm just glad you're here."
"What do you mean I can't? Of course I can! Remember that time I was in the infirmary for a week? I picked up a few things. Come on now – "
"No, Arianna. Shut up, you talk too much. Listen, I can already feel that spell working inside of me. Feels like…Well, it feels like bloody murder is what it feels like. I think I'm bleeding somewhere…"
"I can –"
"Shh. Internally, I mean. I'm already really – ah – I'm already kind of losing it. Listen to me, Ari, and listen good. I'm not going to make it."
"Fred – "
"And it looks like you're the one that's going to have to pass on whatever my last words are going to be…Wow, this is high pressure. What should I say, who do I have to thank?"
"Fred! Stop it, don't talk like that! You're going to be fine!"
"Alright, fine, I'll skip the thank yous." He smiled for a moment then grunted and squeezed his eyes shut, taking advantage of the convenient placing of Arianna's shoulder. His head rest in the crook of her neck perfectly. "Bloody hell…Listen, Arianna. Now that I'm in this little situation, I really regret not telling you any of this." He lifted his head to meet her eyes, though his brow was furrowed in what Arianna guessed was pain. "I know you're head over heels for Ron, and he's crazy for you, too, so I'm really happy for the both of you and all, but truth is, I've always been jealous of what you two have got. I'm mad for you, Ari, madder than usual, anyway. Crazy about you. I've always wanted to know what it would be like to hold you close to me at night, or to have everyone know that you were cheering me on at a Quidditch match, or especially what it would be like to…" He trailed off, lowering his gaze.
Tears blurred Ari's vision as she stared at him in disbelief. All this time…How could she not have known? She blinked to let the tears fall, not noticing the protests of her arms under Fred's weight. "To what?" She said, after a moment's silence.
"Kiss you." His words lingered and stung at Arianna's heart. "You know, it's crazy, I never imagined I'd ever tell you any of this. Never thought I'd be romantic enough, I guess. When would the chance ever come up?" He laughed a bit, then grunted again and shook his head, clearly fighting the spell. "I love you, Ari. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before now, and I'm sorry it had to be in the middle of all this." Tears began falling down his own cheeks as Arianna just stared and listened intently. There was nothing she could say, nothing ran through her mind. "I love my mum, and my dad, and all of my brothers and Ginny…Bloody hell, I even love Harry. Tell them. Each one. And…my mum and dad that I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. And George…" A sob. "I guess I'll always kind of be there, through him. But tell him…not to quit. To keep on with the shop, and keep creating. And to at least hang a bloody picture of me for customers to see and remember me by." He smiled as best he could through the tears.
"Fred…I didn't know…I'm so sorry…But please, stop saying all this! You're going to be okay!" Her voice was weak.
"Ari, don't. I'm not. I can feel it, I'm so close…" And he looked it. His eyes had lost most of the sparkle they always possessed, and his complexion was nearly the shade of Ari's blouse – a brilliant white. "Please, promise me you'll tell them."
"I do, I promise…"
"But don't tell Ron about my feelings for you. He'd feel too guilty…"
"Okay, but –"
"Ah, Ari…Bloody hell…Can a dying man have a last request?"
"Anything…"
"The only thing I need now is your lips on – " But he needn't finish. Arianna pressed her lips against his with as much passion as she could find for someone she did not love. The least she could do was make him feel like she did love him, though a kiss through the sobbing of two people is never the most romantic. She felt his hand – cold and clammy – rest on her neck lightly, and she entangled her fingers in his fiery red hair – the only part of him that seemed to keep its luster. She wasn't sure how long they were on the cold, stone floor, how long he pressed himself into her body, his lips onto hers. Seconds, minutes, it was all the same, though always painfully drawn out. She noticed his efforts becoming less and less, and rapidly. She wasn't sure whose salty tears she tasted. Finally, though Arianna dreaded it, his hand slipped off of her and his lips stopped pressing. Arianna broke the kiss and looked at him. He suddenly became much heavier and she could no longer hold him up, so she lowered him to the stone floor as gently as she could. Even through the ridiculous amounts of tears, and the overly blurry vision, she knew what had happened. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing. He was dead.
"No! Fred! No!" She screamed and shook his shoulders, but she knew it would do no good. The noise of the battle came back to her. Screams, spells, running, panting, yelling, crashing. They were distant. Outside, passed the newly formed archway of crumbling stone, the battle persisted. No one knew that this tender moment had just taken place, no one knew that Fred Weasley was no longer here. No one….
"Ari…" Came a female voice.
Arianna snapped her head upwards to see Nymphadora Tonks, a man she did not know, and – her heart sank – George Weasley, staring at her.
oOo
The final rays of sun weakly danced over the lake, saying a peaceful goodnight to the students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Arianna sat on the ledge of the bridge, watching the sun sink and praying she didn't fall the x-hundred number of feet to a premature death. Usually there were a number of students out after dinner, enjoying the night or keeping away from Umbridge, but tonight was almost completely silent.
"You'd better not fall from there; I don't think I can catch you fast enough with this old thing." Arianna jumped and grabbed a post to keep herself from doing just that, turning quickly to see a smiling, red-haired boy with a beaten up broomstick.
"Oh, Fred, you frightened me. Thanks to you I almost did. You trying to kill me, or something?" She smiled and swung one leg over the ledge so she could see both he and the sunset.
"Nah, wouldn't dream of it." He sighed and leaned his broomstick up against a post, then leaned himself against another. "Nice view. Why you out here all alone?"
Arianna shrugged. "Just thinking, is all. You just come from Quidditch practice?"
"Where else would I be coming from? Angelina's been working us to the bone."
"Mm…" She turned back to see the top of the sun disappear, and felt the warmth of a hand touch hers.
"Come on, get down. You're going to fall." Fred took her hand and put his other hand on her shoulder for support, helping her onto the part of the bridge that was intended for use.
"Thanks…" She smiled as their eyes met.
His hand lingered after she let go.
Arianna Potter was lucky to have Fred Weasley as a friend.
Loved it? Hated it? Let me know! You know you want to review.
Also, I'm probably wrong about Angelina being the team captain. I couldn't remember, so if it is wrong, feel free to correct me, and I shall change it.
Hope you enjoyed it!