Last Stand
Missing Moment: Book 5: 4.
The fate of any of the members of the original Order of the Phoenix
By: Blond Pickled Mule: Bridget: Hufflepuff
Back to back, mind to mind, heart to heart- just like they always were, though this time was undoubtedly different from anything the Prewett twins had ever faced before. The little village square was deserted, snow just beginning to fall. A few lamps were alight with flames in cottage windows, a few shadows dancing over the cobbles. Both men's breath rose in clouds before them, swirling up into the cloudless sky. It would have been a beautiful scene if not for the dozen or so black hooded figures that surrounded them, wands outstretched.
Gideon could feel his heart beating heavily in his chest, the stitch in his side throbbing as he shifted, trying to get some feeling back into his toes. They'd been running for hours, miles, but still they were being hunted. He could feel Fabian at his back, his laboured breathing almost the only thing he could hear in the darkness. It had only been a matter of time before something like this happened, they both knew that, but it was a shame it had to be so soon. Thoughts raced through his head; spells, faces and places all blurring together in his head until he couldn't tell where one memory started and the other began. The hand clutching his wand shook.
When they were almost elbow to elbow, the Death Eaters stopped, eyes glinting in the dim luminescence of the moon from underneath their cloaks. Gideon stared right back, rolling his shoulders. Fabian cracked his knuckles, legs tensing. No one moved; they barely breathed. For a moment time seemed to stand still, and Gideon sighed inaudibly, resigning himself to the fight. Both of them were going to go down fighting of course, but not even they could get out of such dire straights.
The one thing Fabian regretted was not having more time to spend with Molly. Their little sister meant everything to the twins, and her family was the centre of their lives. He felt guilty, almost unbearably so, for the pain he knew they were about to put them all through. Fabian wished this could be like the other missions they'd been on- they'd fight five Death Eaters or so, nearly get killed, they'd come home; Molly would shout herself hoarse before bursting into tears and hugging them, and they'd have some brilliant new stories to tell their nephews. It was a life they'd been living for the past three years, but of course it couldn't go on forever.
This time they were well and truly finished. Fabian got the feeling some people in the circle had been looking forward to this far more than was necessary- someone to his immediate left was brandishing his wand with vindictive glee. The Prewett twin glared at him where he stood, his twin's unkempt hair tickling the back of his neck. Something was about to happen, he could feel it.
Fabian adjusted his grip on his wand quickly, swallowing heavily. So this was it then. He wasn't going to cheer about it, but he wasn't going to hide either- he was going to go with honour, it would be his final defiance against Voldemort and all that he stood for. Gideon squeezed his wrist and Fabian squeezed desperately back- they were both horribly scared, but they had each other at the end, and that was more than they could ask for, really.
Gideon swallowed uneasily, the sound echoing through his head. For a second there was complete silence, complete stillness. Then suddenly, a flash of movement on his right- a spark of purple light -and he sprang, wand whipping through the air. Chaos was unleashed. On all sides arms blurred, streaks of multicoloured light bearing down on the two twins. Gideon let his instincts take over, raw yet fluid movements replacing standard duelling poses. Beside him Fabian moved in coordination to him wherever they went, slipping back into a familiar rhythm.
Red light, Green light, Orange light...They all began to merge together, and it was all Gideon could do to stop them striking. On minute, one hour? It was impossible to tell. A stitch began to knit itself into Gideon's side, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Air was short into his lungs, thick smoke stripping his throat, choking him.
As he ducked forwards Gideon could see the village for a moment, as undisturbed as when they'd arrived. The muggles here didn't seem to even notice the commotion going on outside, happily getting on with their Christmas. Then he leapt back to his feet and the sight was gone- he was back in hell.
Fabian inhaled sharply, rolling to the left and feeling his twin adjust to move with him. The flare of green light flashed past, taking a Death Eater down on the other side of the circle with a yell. More purple sparks, more red, Fabian was finding it hard to keep up. Duelling had always been something the twins excelled at, but this was on an entirely different level. The Death Eaters were standing still, almost casually firing, while Fabian was practically doing acrobatics on the spot!
Both of them were slowing down now, covered in a thin sheen of sweat and blood where they hadn't quite gotten out of the way fast enough. Fabian tried to adjust his wand while blocking and almost lost his grip, Gideon tripped on a loose stone and lurched backwards.
There was a single second where everything went still, and as one the Death Eaters raised their wands, eyes jubilant behind their grotesque masks. Fabian found his brother's wrist once more, stooping down to his level; this was it, the end-
Quite suddenly the Death Eaters jerked, left arms reflexively coming upwards. The Dark Mark was burning. The twins froze with bated breath. "The Order must be interfering." A rough voice came somewhere from Fabian's left, and instantly the Death Eaters broke off into two separate groups. Five black shapes melted into the darkness; five remained. Shakily the twins scrambled to their feet and the dance resumed.
Over, under, roll to the side, duck. Repeat, twist. Gideon growled, his muscles protesting as he fell to the floor again. Blood dripped from a gash on his forehead into his eyes, making it hard to see. Somewhere along the line Fabian had picked up a limp. It was almost over.
Where the twins tired the Death Eaters only seemed to pick up speed, almost seeming to enjoy their depleted numbers. Roll again, dive out of the way, try not to collapse...any hope new of the Order had brought to the twins had long faded. Deflect, fire back, block-
Finally, Fabian's bad ankle gave out, sending him tumbling onto the cobbles. All momentum gone, Gideon crashed down after him, all the air leaving him with a gasp. Blindly he reached out for something, anything. For the last time, the Prewett twins clutched each other's wrists.
There was a bang, an intense flash of the deepest green, and then...
Nothing.