Carly was not happy, the months had gone by slowly, and the end of the school year was approaching, and yet it seemed to take forever.
"Stop worrying dear." Molly had said on several occasions. "They'll be back soon enough."
But soon enough was far from soon enough.
She was pacing down the hall way, thinking that really, she should go to school, and knowing it would totally bore her, she'd done school already, she wondered about getting a job, but Sirius would never allow it, not until she was of age at least. Sighing she gave up and started another muggle puzzle.
Two weeks, it was only two weeks until Ginny would return, and Carly was starting to feel the excitement.
Molly laughed, and even Moody chuckled, Remus smiled down at her happily, and Sirius nothing short of beamed.
"And so I was think that we could have a little welcome back gathering?" Carly asked as she sat with Molly in the kitchen, practically bouncing off of her chair. "Y'know, just to… Welcome them back."
"That sounds lovely dear, would you like to help me bake some cakes?" Molly asked Carly fondly.
"That would be great!" Carly said smiling brightly, she jumped top her feet and walked towards the cupboard when the door was barged open.
"Carly, you need to stay here with Molly, alright kiddo." Sirius said firmly. Carly blinked at him. "There's been an attack on Hogwarts; we're going over there to help."
"OH!" Molly gasped, her face draining of all colour instantly.
"NO!" Carly shouted. "I'm able to fight, I should be there to help, Sirius!"
"No, I want you to stay here." Sirius said firmly, placing his hands on Carly's shoulders and kneeling down to her level, the fear in his eye at the thought of Carly being there evident.
"I'm going dad. Sorry." Carly said, and there was no more time to argue, they had to go. "I'll bring her back Molly!" Carly called to a terrified looking Molly.
When they reached the school, it was to a mass panic. Kids were hiding in the great hall, teachers were battling along the corridors, but she couldn't find Ginny. She ran through the corridors, George by her side, as he had lost Fred along the way, and they struggled through the debris, and utter chaos.
"Ginny!" Carly screamed. She searched along the corridors, they had seen other students from the school fighting, and Carly knew better then to believe that Ginny would have stayed behind, even if Harry begged her.
Eventually they reached what was once the charms corridor, so George informed her. The suits of armour were scattered across the floor, and there was a large hole looking out over the school grounds, it appeared to have once been a class room that had been exploded right through.
"Carly!" George yelled to her over the crashing noises all around them, they were still searching, as it had been the only job Sirius had been at all satisfied with Carly doing, finding Ginny. "CARLY!" Carly turned to the boy and looked at the expression on his face, it seemed pained. "We've got to get out of here! We've got to get you out of here!"
"WHAT? WHY?" Carly screamed at him, George's blue eyes looked terrified, something was truly bothering him, he knew well enough that Ginny could hold her own, he knew Fred was resourceful enough to keep himself and others reasonably safe… but Carly, she may be trained but Voldemort himself was after her, and he doubted she could really bring herself to fight against him….
"If they get you… I can't fight them off, Carly they are going to be looking for you… I think this was a trap!" His words echoed in her head, no He wouldn't have gone through all this trouble to simply get her… Would he?
But in all this, she knew he could harm those that she loved… He was a twisted man and would do anything to get what he wanted, and with that dawning realisation Carly grabbed Georges hand and ran in the direction from which they had just come.
"Where are we going?" George demanded, only just managing to keep up with Carly's furious pace.
"Great Hall, fireplace!" Carly yelled back to him, only as they rounded the corner, a large slab of brick from the ceiling fell, it would have landed directly on Carly, as she froze with terror, if it were not for the fact that George had grabbed her, pulling her out of the way, so it missed by mere inches.
"When we get back, remind me to thank you for that."
They set off again, careful not to trip of run into any Deatheater, and just as Carly thought they were safe, a loud bang just behind them sent her flying, as a large piece of rock crashed against their backs.
"ARGH!" Carly screamed, as she landed on the floor, she could barely move, and when she did the most excruciating pain she had ever experienced shot down her back and her legs, fearfully she lay completely still, not daring to move again.
She had felt pain before but this was nothing short of tortuous, the Crucio curse seemed like a faint tickle compared to this, and from her position on the floor she could see George lying on the floor, his eyes close, with blood dripping form his head to the floor at a horrifying speed.
"George!" She whispered, as the hall way had fallen silent, and she dare not speak too loud. "George open your eyes." He did not. "Please George, please, open your eyes, open them George. Please."
Tears welled in her eyes and fell down her face, landing on the floor, at much the same pace as the blood dripping from Georges head. She wanted to move, she wanted to reach out to the b-man who had just helped her, she wanted to do something, but she could not, she doubted her ability to even walk in that moment.
There was running, and suddenly, to her total relief she saw a face she knew, but did not fear.
"Stay still." He voice was sharp, and fearful, but not harsh. "Don't move Charis, stay completely still."
"It's- it's Carly now." She told him. He nodded his head.
"Yeah, well, if I'm caught calling you Carly, they'll have my head." He said gruffly.
"What if they find you've helped me?" Carly asked, fearfully, but not for herself.
"Well, I might as well call you Carly then." He said sighing; he grabbed his cloak and lay it over Carly, keeping her warm, fearful she would go into shock.
"Can you help him?" Carly asked, her vice quiet, he looked to George and nodded his head, pressing a handkerchief against George's wound, stopping the excessive bleeding. "I won't forget this."
He looked at her, his grey eyes stormy.
"Thank you Draco."