Chapter Nine
(Just Crash It)
Ember woke after a night of a dreamless sleep, and stared at the two boys next to her. Her head felt fuzzy, and her stomach felt as if someone was squeezing lemon juice onto it. She remembered bits and pieces of last night; George's face, her aching feet, the cold stone wall against her back as he kissed her, and curling into his stomach as she slept. She wondered when Fred had joined them, and realized it didn't much matter to her. She smiled at first - this had interesting ideas – and then the heat set in, and she groaned.
"Rise and shine boys," She muttered, pushing them away and off the bed.
Her head hurt and her mouth tasted like dung. She rushed to the bathroom, running a brush through her hair and pulling up all of the soft curls into a ponytail. She scrubbed at her teeth, feeling much better once the taste was out of her mouth. She then groaned, realizing that her clothes were out in the room. She sighed - she had slept between them; to Hell with modesty now. She walked out, stripped, ignoring their stares.
"Did I interrupt something?"
She had walked out of the bathroom to find the boys with their heads close, their voices hushed and excited. They had bolted upright when they heard the door open, and whatever they had been talking about had taken the back burning to seeing her half dressed.
"Nothing to concern yourself with, love."
Ember started as she realized the term of endearment had come from Fred. She realized she had been staring, and George waved a hand in front of her face, causing Fred to laugh. She blushed and pulled her fresh clothes on, turning her back on the look that the twins shared with each other. When they turned their eyes back to her, something tickled her stomach and she felt like giggling.
She smiled brightly at them and flounced downstairs to see Anna. She spotted her friend lying on the couch, her dress wrinkled, makeup smeared, and hair mussed. She was under a jacket that Ember recognized as her brother's.
Ember stopped short, her eyes narrowing. She was pissed. She could do pissed. Pissed was better than crying. She stood there for a few minutes, and then heard George come up behind her, gripping her shoulder.
"What do we do?" She whispered to him, her voice threatening to break.
Ember then proceeded to whisper angrily with George. She wanted to tell Dumbledore, but George pointed out that there wasn't anything the man didn't know. Then she wanted to tell Harry, but George argued that Harry would only jump into the middle of it and get himself killed. Ember was on the verge of tears as she looked down at her sleeping friend hatefully. George pulled her into his arms and murmured to her.
"She's your best friend, love," He crooned.
"She lied to my face," She argued.
"You don't know that. Maybe she sees some hope for him," He answered stiffly, as if he couldn't believe he was defending Draco. "Either way, you can't yell at her. People will start asking, and then you'll have to tell. Having the school know won't help anything."
"Fine," She resigned with an angry sigh. "I won't yell at her."
Instead, she nodded to George, who led her through the Common Room. They glanced at Anna on their way through, George with a look of questioning Anna's sanity, and Ember with a look of pure anger. George pulled her along, taking her down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
They sat down to see their friends holding their head. Hermione and Ginny looked at George and Ember and smirked, having made their own ideas up about the previous night. They all looked positively hung over, and the Great Hall was - thankfully - quiet. Ember stiffened when Draco walked in, and if it hadn't been for George's painful squeezing of her knee, she would have cursed him right there.
She caught her brother's gaze, and he attempted a scowl when he caught her watching him. Something was strange about his eyes, but Ember couldn't put her finger on it. She realized that his scowl was just an echo of his normal sneers, and the thought pulled the corners of her mouth down into a frown. Then his words echoed in her mind, and her eyes narrowed instantly as she glared at him, cold and unfeeling.
Anna walked into the Great Hall, and bumped into Draco's back. She startled both herself and the Slytherin, who turned to stare at Anna as though he had never seen her before. It seemed like time stopped as his face slid into a scowl that Ember could see from her seat. He turned on his heel and stalked to his table, leaving Anna looking thoroughly confused. She searched the Gryffindor table and met Ember's gaze, which had narrowed to glare at her, as well.
Ember watched as her friend's eyes widened with realization, and then filled with tears. She flicked her eyes to Dumbledore, who was watching over the Great Hall with a tired smile on his face. Then her eyes sought out George, who was doing his best to avoid meeting her gaze. Anna's arms tightened around herself, and she turned her back to the Great Hall, leaving the room.
Ember let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and felt George take her hand in his. She watched Anna walk away and shivered as a sudden "someone just walked over my grave" feeling passed through her. She forced her eyes to look at the Headmaster, and her heart jumped to her throat at how weary he looked. Something clenched in her stomach, and she felt like she was going to get sick.
Ember hoped this feeling was only her hangover.
"We can't keep pretending there's nothing between the three of us."
George's smooth voice was low enough not to carry, but Ember knew that Fred would have no problem hearing it from his spot to her left. The seventh year boys' dorm was empty save the three of them; most of the older students were spending the day in Hogsmeade, but Ember's post-season cold kept her snuggled under the blankets of George's bed.
The weather had warmed significantly in the past three months, and Hogwarts was cleansed with day after day of unrelenting rain. Today, however, the sound of water pattering on the roof of the school relaxed Ember into a state of semi-consciousness. She was aware of the twins laying on either side of her, but she felt oddly detached from her body. George's voice mixed wonderfully with the rain to create a perfect lullaby, and she was content to keep her eyes closed, letting the boys believe she was asleep.
"There is nothing between the three of us."
Fred's voice passed over her body, and if she hadn't been so relaxed, she would have frowned. She assumed that the boys felt nothing but a twin's love for the other, but that said nothing about the feelings that passed between George and his brother.
"How can you not notice the way she watched you?"
There was nothing dark in George's voice as he said this. In fact, Ember could almost hear the laughter in his words. Fred stiffened beside her, and she could feel a soft vibration as the latter twin growled softly.
"She has eyes only for you, George."
This time Ember did frown, but neither boy seemed to notice it. She couldn't name the exact moment she fell in love with both of the twins. It had been sometime between waking up between them after the Yule Ball, and the odd looks the trio received from their friends when they became inseparable. She didn't know when she fell in love with them, but she knew she had – she just hadn't known George had realized this, too.
"Don't be a hero," He scoffed at his brother. "You love her."
Fred didn't reply, but she felt his fingers as they worked soothingly through her hair. They worked with a rhythm that only familiarity could create, and she knew that his small action was confirmation enough.
"You loved her first."
George snorted his amusement and rolled on his side to look at his brother. His fingers worked absently over the skin on her cheek, and she knew that if the two of them kept this up, she really would fall asleep. The bed shook with George's soft laughter, and she let herself sink into the heat generated between to two boys.
"When has first ever made a difference?" He asked incredulously. "Don't look at me that way – you know I'm right."
"But she's a person," Fred insisted. "Not a toy, or a broom, or Mum's lectures. We can't share her."
"Why not?" George asked seriously. "Afraid she'll choose me in the end, after all?"
The bed jerked as Fred pulled his hand from her hair and reached over her. She heard the soft sound of his fist sinking playfully into George's arm, and the boys laughed softly. She felt the comfortable and familiar weight of their gazes as they both turned to look at her, their fingers working through her hair to sooth her into a deeper state of relaxation.
"She'd never agree," Fred sighed with resignation. "And how would we explain it?"
Ember wanted to open her mouth to protest, but she couldn't even get her tongue to move. She fumed mentally, forced to lie there and listen to them discuss her relationships – without her input. She wished that one of them could read her mind, but was content to lie and listen – there was nothing else she could do.
"Why should we have to explain it?" George pressed, and moved on when he got no answer. "You'd be surprised. Our Ember is much more open-minded than we give her credit for."
Our Ember echoed in her mind, and she subconsciously curled closer to George as he said it. Fred noticed, but compensated by moving more tightly against her side. Under normal circumstances, she would have yelled at them that she was dying of heat stroke. Today, the rainy weather and her cold made her revel in and welcome the heat.
The boys continued talking, but their voices were just noise now. Ember tried to make out their words, but the low, dulcet tones of the twins' conversation pulled her deeper into her relaxed state. Then, she couldn't even hear them; the world was silent and dark as Ember finally drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up, she noticed that George was the only one in bed with her. He was leaning intently over something, and she cleared her throat when she realized that he was working on an essay for one of his classes. He looked over at her, a sheepish grin on his face as he set his assignment aside and kissed her forehead.
"Don't tell the others," He teased. "I'd hate to have to live up to their new expectations."
She tried to reply, but her voice came out cracked and raspy. She winced as her throat tightened around her words, and smiled gratefully when George reached towards his nightstand, producing a glass of cool water. She drank it greedily, closing her eyes in relief as the cold liquid soothed her throat and watered her dry voice.
"Thank you," She sighed, handing the glass back to him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, cradling her head on his shoulder. "Did resting help?"
"If resting helped, I would have been healthy three days ago," She mumbled, reminding him that she hadn't done much other than sleep. "Where's Fred?"
"I sent him ahead to dinner," George smiled softly down at her. "I didn't know when you would be awake."
Ember's stomach rumbled in response to his words, and the red-head laughed softly as he slid off the bed. He held out his hand, and Ember took it, forcing her stiff joints to move as she, too, slid off of the bed. George wrapped and arm around her shoulders and led her through the castle, the two following the scent of food until they entered the Great Hall. Fred looked their way and smiled, and Ember couldn't help but remember the conversation she had overheard. She blushed, hoping her friends took it as the flushing of her fever.
"She walks," Ginny quipped, already digging into her food. "It's a miracle."
"The real miracle," Ron laughed after he swallowed his food. "Is that she spent the entire day locked away with them, and didn't kill them."
George and Fred rolled their eyes towards their brother, and forced a fake, cynical laugh. George helped Ember to her seat, to Fred's right, and sat on her other side. To their credit, Ember's friends had stopped glancing curiously at the three shortly after they started appearing everywhere together. Only Ron continued to gaze on in question, but Ember had the notion that no much made sense to Ron.
"Where's Anna?"
Everyone turned to look at Ember, who raised both of her eyebrows in confusion. Had her question really raised so much suspicion? While it was true that she and her friend hadn't been on the best of terms since the night of the ball, they didn't hate each other. Ember glanced around again, noticing that she didn't see Harry, either. Ember turned to Hermione when all of the others stayed silent.
"Anna hasn't left our dorm since you became sick," Hermione told her. "She must be coming down with it, too – she doesn't sleep, she rarely eats, and she looks as though she's been crying all of the time."
The group turned as their afore mentioned friend walked up to the table. She nodded her hello to everyone, and sat stiffly in the seat furthest from Ember. Frowning, Ember noticed Hermione had been telling her the truth; Anna's eyes were bloodshot, and stood out in stark contrast to the circles under her eyes. Her lips stretched in a thin, white line, and Ember noticed she was holding a new bottle of Dreamless Draught.
"Are you having nightmares again?"
Ember hadn't meant for the question to sound as taunting as it had come out. Anna turned her head to face her slowly, and Ember scowled when Anna's eyes flickered to Draco before nodding stiffly. Ember turned to catch George's eyes, and the boy shrugged with just as much confusion as Ember felt.
Ember watched as Anna picked at her food, and was dismayed to realize she had lost her appetite as well. George and Fred tried – quite literally – to force feed her, but had given up when she threatened to stab them with their forks. Anna had left the Great Hall before dinner had even ended, and Ember scowled as she followed her friend with her eyes. Sighing, she pushed herself away from the table, and stood as well.
"I'm not hungry," She officially stated, watching as George left the table as well. "You don't have to come with me. I'm quite capable of making it to the common room on my own."
George smiled softly, as if he was debating on arguing the point or not. Saying nothing, he silently slid an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the hall. They made their way slowly to the Gryffindor Tower, and Ember was chagrined to realize that the little time she had spent out of bed had worn her body out. George sensed her weariness, and led her to the couch, not bothering to make her climb the stairs to the dorm rooms.
She kicked off the shoes she had put on before dinner, and rested comfortably against George's chest as they stretched the length of the couch. His heart beat set the rhythm to which his fingers moved through her hair, and Ember's eyes closed of their own accord. The light of the fire played against her eyelids, but even that disappeared as she fell asleep.
She woke again when quick footsteps echoed through the common room. She noticed that the fire had died down to glowing embers, and that George was sleeping soundly behind her. The sky outside of the window was dark, and she knew by the eerie silence sinking into her bones that the castle had settled down for the night.
She looked around the common room for the source of the noise, and saw Anna slinking silently through the shadows. On a whim, she stood and left George sleeping, following as silently as she could as Anna made her way through the castle. They wounds through corridor after corridor until Anna made her way into the Astrology Tower. As she turned, Ember could see a knowing, sickened look on her friend's face. Now having a purpose, Ember slipped into the tower behind Anna.
The two girls slipped under the rafters, and Ember started when she noticed Harry. The boy looked sick, and Ember wondered what the two of them knew that she didn't. His eyes flickered towards Anna, and then upward, and then back at Ember. It was then that Anna turned and faced Ember, and anger flashed through her eyes as she opened her mouth to argue. Ember quickly shook her head with wide eyes, and held a finger to her lips as the floorboards above their head squealed with new weight.
"Ah, Mister Malfoy."
Dumbledore's wise voice carried down to the Gryffindors, who looked up through the cracks in the floor to see that Draco had indeed entered. Ember scowled for a moment, before her brother's words echoed through her mind. Her stomach dropped to her feet as she realized that, somehow, Anna had known tonight was the night. She let out a soft breath, and hoped her friend was right about her brother.
"Who else is here?" She heard Draco demand, nervously. "I heard you talking!"
"I often talk to myself, I find it extraordinarily useful." Dumbledore replied, as if that were a completely normal thing to say. There was a pause, and Dumbledore continued, unphased. "You are no assassin, Draco."
"How do you know what I am? I've done things that would shock you!"
Draco's outburst made Ember's heart stop beating for a moment, and it kick started itself when the clattering of a wand falling to the ground reached her ears. She felt her breath catch, and she almost sobbed as she saw that the wand was rolling away from Dumbledore. The old wizard, however, seemed as calm as ever as he continued talking to her brother.
"Oh, like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that they'd then return to bear a cursed necklace to me? Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison?" Ember swallowed hard; Dumbledore had always known. "Forgive me Draco," Dumbledore continued, "I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak, that your heart can't have really been in it."
"I was chosen." Draco was panting now.
"You're not alone," Dumbledore said simply. "There are others. How?"
"The vanishing cabinet," Draco replied. "I've been mending it."
"And I guess it has a sister. Which one?"
Ember's mind reeled as she attempted to keep up with the conversation. The vanishing cabinet from the Room of Requirements seemed irrelevant to everything before. Ember had stored it as useless information to keep for a more useful time. Her breath caught again as she realized exactly what her brother had been spending his time doing.
"Borgin and Burke's. They form a passage."
"Ingenious." Dumbledore applauded, but then turned somber. "Draco, years ago, I knew a boy, who made all the wrong choices. Please, let me help you."
"I don't need your help," Draco cried, and Ember noticed he sounded unsure. "Don't you understand? I have to do this!" He breathed deeply trying to calm himself. "I have to kill you...or He's going to kill me."
Draco was scared; Ember didn't have to be his twin to know that. She could hear it in the way his voice shook, and the way he shifted from one foot to the other. She willed him to lower his wand, to walk away from this. She was thinking thoughts so quickly that she barely had time to grasp on to one before another took its place. Her face was burning, and it itched, and she noticed there were tears streaming from her eyes.
"Well, what do we have here?"
The sadistically amused voice from Ember's childhood haunted her; she shivered as Bellatrix Lestrange walked up behind her brother. She snuck up behind Anna, placing a hand around her mouth and using her other hand to pull her friend's hand away - her nails were torn and ragged. She glanced over at Harry and held a finger to her lips, and he nodded. They all looked up. Bellatrix, along with another man were pacing, demanding that Draco get it over with already.
They all looked behind them as Snape came out of the shadows, also holding a finger to his lips. They watched him climb the stairs, standing behind Draco. Ember watched with wide eyes as Bellatrix prodded Draco, begging, screaming. Draco's face was red with exhaustion now - he was going to lower his wand. His heart wasn't in it. Ember almost smiled. She heard Dumbledore whisper.
"Severus... Please."
It was over. He was safe. She was about to drop her hand when she heard the two most disturbing words to ever enter her ears.
"Avada Kedavra."
Her body went numb. She stared up at Snape, who had seemed to forget they were there. Bellatrix squealed with laughter, running through the castle. Harry took off after them, and Ember ran up the stairs. She looked over the railing, sobbing when she saw the body. She flew through the castle, joining the students and teachers who were starting to gather. George and Fred bustled up to stand beside her. They each put their arms silently around her, and Hermione and Ron joined them, Hermione sobbing and hiding her face in Ron's shoulder. Ginny watched with wide eyes, and Ember pulled her friend into her arms as they sobbed.
She was vaguely aware of the bright wall of fire that erupted down the hill, and she also knew that it was Hagrid's house. She looked over Ginny's shoulder, noticing that both the giant and his dog were here with them, blubbering - the both of them. Her mind was reeling. This wasn't how this was supposed to happen. They were supposed to have gone to the Yule Ball. They were supposed to have had a blast. Make memories. Make babies, even, if that had been the case.
She looked around her, and she could feel her body convulsing. She didn't know if it was the sobs, or the vomit threatening to come up. She looked down at Dumbledore - how had it come to this? How had they ended up mourning the loss of Albus Dumbledore? Ember watched with empty eyes as Harry stumbled through the crowd - he was beaten and bruised, but didn't care. He fell onto Dumbledore's body, crying freely. Ginny left her arms, wrapping hers in turn around Harry.
Ember felt Fred and George press tighter to her, both of them kissing the top of her head. She looked up at the sight of a small light, and noticed it was coming from McGonagall's wand. The light shot up, and into the Dark Mark. Other students and teachers raised their wands, sending their light into the mouth of the serpent.
Ember dragged her eyes towards Anna, and watched her friend follow Remus Lupin through the crowd. She wanted to be angry. She wanted to be mad. Furious. Murderous. Anger she could handle. She didn't know how to deal with this feeling of... utter devastation. Her face burned, and her eyes hurt, and she was completely aware that she was full-on snot crying, but she didn't care. She lowered her wand, her legs shaking as she turned her head into George's shoulder. Finally, she looked at Anna, and held her arms out to her friend.
McGonagall let them all linger a few moments longer, but the minutes stretched into an eternity for Ember. The group of Gryffindors – sans Harry, who insisted on staying with Dumbledore's body – made their way up to the Gryffindor common room. The Fat Lady was sobbing loudly, and almost didn't hear them as they muttered the password. She swung open, and the portrait shook with the force of her sobs.
"Maybe we should stay with the Weasleys this summer."
Anna's voice was soft, and she almost didn't hear her. Ember nodded numbly, and made a comment about saying something to George. They all knew they'd be welcome at the Burrow - Mrs. Weasely would want them all in the same house, where she could keep a close eye on them. The motherly woman loved them all to death, sometimes to the point of suffocation, but Ember knew it was what they needed. She felt vaguely guilty at the thought of leaving her mother in the manor by herself, but calmed herself with her mother's voice telling her she understood her need to mourn with her friends.
She made Anna help her move the mattresses off of their beds, forming a huge bed on the floor. Hermione and Ginny grabbed pillows and blankets, and the four of them fell onto the bed, silently, holding each other as they sniffled the last of their tears. Somehow, at some time, they drifted off to sleep.
Ember dreamt.
She stood overlooking a field. The hand in front of her was unfamiliar. The world looked different through these eyes. Darker. Unfamiliar. She waved the strange hand, and the field burst into flames. She felt her lips pull into a smile as it began to rain. The drops fell on her arm. Fat, red drops that warmed her skin.