A/N: There are not enough words in the English language to use to apologize for not writing this last chapter sooner. The only thing I can say in my defense is that I started college and I have been so swamped since the last time I updated. For those of you that have stuck with me, and have not lost hope, I hope that this last chapter can, in some way, make up for the neglect. :P

The battle was over, and in its place stood a barren wasteland filled only with dead bodies from both sides. Voldemort was gone and Harry was alright, but there were so many loved ones gone, so many lives lost. And for what? A broken society that would now have to pick up the pieces of the lives they had thought safe for so long?

Fred stared out at the scene, watching as the smoke and haze began to clear, and the victorious wizards and witches began to emerge. His eyes strained to find his brother. Where was George? No animosity between them could keep them apart for long…but wait, where was Lunette?

He looked to his right. Nothing.

He looked to his left. Nothing.

He twisted around and scanned the length of the field behind him. Nothing but Hogwarts stared back at him.

Fear gripped Fred's heart, squeezing so hard that he thought for a moment that he would be sick. He hadn't thought about Lunette's curse since their wedding night, more focused on the gaping hole she had taken out of his heart; the same heart that was now pounding when he realized that this was possibly, and most likely, the fourth time the Lunette had been put in danger. "Harry!" he yelled, panicked.

A hooded figure to his left turned around and pushed the hood off his face, and then the Boy-Who-Lived was at Fred's side, having apparated the distance instead of running. "What's wrong?" he asked, pushing his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose unconsciously.

"I can't find George," Fred said anxiously. It wasn't like his twin not to come find him after something like this. Unless he had been hexed again and he was off bleeding to death somewhere…. "And Lunette's missing too," Fred added, not even allowing his mind to wander to what might have happened to his wife.

"We'll look for them," Harry promised. "They're probably around on the other side of the school." The reassuring tone that he was looking for was sufficiently lacking, though, and he tried to smile at Fred, but that didn't really help either.

At that moment, both young men heard Ginny's scream, a terrified, high-pitched cry of one in anguish. "No! George! Lunette! Please wake up!"

Fred's blood chilled and his body automatically twisted to the side, sprinting towards his sister and the place where she lay bent over two familiar figures that lay crumpled in the dirt. Lunette appeared to have collapsed on top of George, because he had one arm around her, probably trying to futilely brace them when they fell. Ginny turned her face towards him, and Fred could see the tears making wet tracks down the dirt on his sister's face.

He couldn't help it. He really couldn't.

He collapsed next to both bodies, pulling George into one shoulder and Lunette into the other. The tears came freely, easily, as he bent his head and buried it into both heads of auburn hair. "No, no, no, no!" he gasped.

Ginny joined in, and Harry, who had followed them closely, collapsed next to her to take her in his arms. She gasped, her chest heaving in deep, broken sobs, but as she reached up to wipe the tears from her eyes again, the tiniest movement caught Ginny's eye. Lunette's chest was moving, just barely. For a moment, Ginny just blinked, wondering if she had imagined the movement because she wanted it to be there that much, but then she saw another, tiny, labored movement, and she screamed.

"Gin-" Harry tried to sooth, but Ginny pushed him away.

Ginny stared at George for a moment before she saw the same movement, and then yelped again. "Fred, we've got to get them to St Mungo's now!"

Fred bit his lip and tried to keep himself together enough to explain things to his sister. "Gin, I'm sorry, but nothing's going to bring them back." His voice cracked, and Ginny saw his fingers tighten against both of the bodies in his arms.

"No!" she cried, and then pointed. "They're breathing!"

It took only a moment for Fred to lock his attention onto the labored rise and fall of his twin's chest, and the, without a word, all three of them were gone, apparating to St Mungo's while Ginny held Harry tightly and renewed her crying, this time out of relief.

The heap that Fred, George, and Lunette collapsed into was not graceful, nor was it comfortable on Fred, but he couldn't care less as he gained the attention of a mediwitch, who quickly levitated both bodies to beds and began calling for any available nurses to begin running diagnostic spells on the pair. "Please-" he choked out, not sure what exactly he was begging for, or if anyone actually heard him.

"We'll do all we can," a mediwitch assured him, just before she ushered him from the room.

He spent the next four hours pacing the lobby of St Mungo's, ignoring the rest of his tired family and half of the battered wizarding world as he moved up and back, up and back, up and-

"Sit down, or I'll sit on you," Ginny finally growled, emphasizing what everyone else in the company was thinking. "You're driving us insane."

Fred looked at her for the first time in hours, blinking as he processed her command. "Oh, sorry," he mumbled, mechanically sitting down in the empty chair next to his mother. Immediately after the loss of his legs, Fred began to worry his hands, cracking his knuckles and wrists.

She slapped him. Hard.

"Ow!" Fred cried, rubbing his arm and staring at his mother in surprise. "What?"

"Stop it," she commanded, and it was only after Fred heard the worry in her voice that he realized that everyone there in the room was just as worried as he was. Or at least they thought they were.

George was his twin, the one person that had been there through everything with him. George was the one person that he had always been able to trust, at least until Lunette had come along. And Lunette…his heart gave a jump as her name flashed through his thoughts. No matter what had happened, he knew that he still loved her. He loved her, and she was dying in that room, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Tears stung his eyes, pricking his tear ducts and welling up before they slid over his lids and tumbled down his cheeks as he silently grieved for the wife and brother he just might lose. Right now, he would do anything to save them. He would pay and suffer anything just to see them better.

He would even let them be together, if that's what they wanted. He just wanted them both to live.

His hands trembled as his thoughts flew from one extreme to the other, and it was only when a mediwitch called his name that he realized that her voice seemed low, and very far away. Brushing it off, Fred shot to his feet and crossed the room in three long strides, his family right behind him. "Yes?" he asked eagerly.

The mediwitch sighed tiredly. "They're both doing better, Mr. Weasley. We've run quite a few tests, and we can't figure out why they're not waking up, but we've given them replenishing potions and we'll be watching over them for as long as it takes. You're welcome to go in, but only one person at a time."

Fred had a difficult time staying calm as he hastened towards the room, but then a thought hit him and he whirled around abruptly. "Wait, were there any gashes over her back?"

The mediwtich frowned. "Mrs. Weasley's?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah. Like, over the markings on her back."

The mediwitch stared at him, uncomprehending. "What markings?"

Was she stupid? Fred frowned as well. "You know," he prodded, "they look like tattoos?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, but your wife's back has no markings on it."

He didn't understand. He wasn't sure how this was possible. Without waiting for the situation to become even more confusing, Fred pushed past the mediwitch and hurried toward the room where Lunette and George were being held. He skidded to a stop right before entering the room, not wanted to get thrown out before he even had a chance to see his family.

He saw Lunette first, her hair splayed out over the pillow, her pale skin even paler than he remembered, and various cuts over her face, which were being magically healed. He strode to her side, pressing one hand gently against her face as he felt the tears starting to come again. He bent down and pressed a desperate kiss to her lips, and whispered, "Oh Lu, please wake up."

The mediwitch across from Lunette graciously backed away to give Fred a moment alone with his wife, and his curiosity got the best of him as he gently rolled Lunette over, lifting her shirt enough to see the space between her shoulder blades where her script was.

Except it wasn't there.

Fred stared in dumbfounded awe as he gazed at his wife's clear, pale back. "No way," he whispered to himself.

He settled Lunette back into bed automatically, and crossed to his brother's bed in a daze. George was lying just as still and pale, and Fred took George's hand in his own. "Please Georgie, you've got to wake up for me. Wake up for me and Lunette."

"Fred?"

The voice was so small and so raspy that Fred almost missed it. As it was, he spun around, and his heart stopped when he saw Lunette lying there, her eyes half open as she struggled against the potions bestowed upon her. "Lunette!" he gasped, and flew to her side, taking her face in his hands, pressing dozens of soft kisses all over her face. "Oh Lu," he whispered against the soft skin on her face.

"Fred, Fred," she gasped, struggling against the aches in her body to lift her arms around his neck. She groaned as she did so, feeling a jolt of pain through her shoulder blades, and then nothing. "Oh Fred!" she whispered against his ear, pressing her lips sloppily against his cheek as she struggled to gain control over her body. "I'm so sorry, Fred. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. Please."

Fred pulled away from her and shook his head, cupping her chin in his hands. "Don't say that. Don't even think about that. I-I love you, and if you want to-to be with George, then-"

"No!" she screamed, startling him as she gripped his arms tightly and drew the attention of a nearby mediwitch, who gaped when she saw that the young Mrs. Weasley was awake, and already being upset by her husband.

"Mr. Weasley-" she began, but Lunette was the one that cut her off with a violent shake of her head.

"No! Please! I have to explain! I have to ex-" Lunette cried, thrashing around.

She's panicking! Fred grabbed his wife by her shoulders, trying to hold her down and stop her from hurting herself. "Lu! Lu! Stop it! Please!" She couldn't understand because she wasn't looking at him, but he pressed down on her shoulders, and tried anyways. "Look at me! I'll let you explain anything you want!"

She stilled, having caught the last part of her sentence. "Wh-what?" she gasped out.

"I'll let you explain whatever you want," Fred told her again. "But please, you must relax. We still don't know what's wrong with you."

"What's all the commotion about?" another voice asked groggily. "Can't a guy get some sleep around here?"

The mediwitch didn't know whether to help Fred hold down his wife, or rush to Mr. George Weasley's side. Fred didn't release his hold on Lunette, but his worry lines decreased dramatically and relief washed over his face. "Georgie!" he cried.

"Hey Freddie," George said softly, and Fred grimaced when he heard the same weak, raspy tone in George's voice that he had heard in Lunette's before she had started screaming.

Lunette, having calmed down enough that she could speak with only the slight shaking of her voice, turned her head toward the mediwitch and asked, "Could you please let our family know that we're alright, and give us a minute alone?"

Reluctantly, the mediwitch left them alone and closed the door to the room.

Fred allowed himself to be tugged onto Lunette's bed and flinched slightly when George groaned, attempting to pull himself up onto his side so that he could face them. "Alright," Fred said softly when the room was clear except for them. "Tell me everything."

Lunette glanced briefly at George, who weakly nodded, telling her that she had the strength to do this. "On our wedding night," she began, believing that it was best to start from the beginning, "do you remember what happened?"

How could he forget? The images of Lunette, writhing beneath him in pain would forever be etched on his memory. And then, when she had frozen and her eyes had glazed over, he had thought that the fourth part of the curse was taking over. He had thought that he had lost her for a moment, and that was something he would never forget.

Fred nodded, momentarily overwhelmed by the images from the past.

"Well, during that night, when I felt like I couldn't move, a lot of visions hit me all at once. I saw what the fourth accident at the Battle of Hogwarts, and I watched this wall collapse and fall on you." Lunette's breath caught for a moment. "Fred, you-it was so scary, seeing you covered in blood, and knowing before I could reach you that you would be dead." She choked, tears rushing to her eyes as she reached for Fred's hand.

"She also saw a way out," George said, picking up the story while Lunette collected herself. She saw that the curse had a flaw in it." He grinned. "Her Soulbinder has a twin, yours amazingly truly." He winked at his twin, which caused Fred to laugh. There was the George he knew and loved. "Lunette saw that she and I could momentarily bind together and share our life forces, and when the time came that you were injured, we could help you out."

"The bond worked like an exchange," Lunette explained. "Voldemort wanted me to die for the person I loved the most, but he never thought that I would love someone with a twin. George and I gave half of our life forces to each other with our kiss," here she blushed, "and so when that wall was going to collapse on you, it missed because the curse took both of our halves to make up for you. If Goerge hadn't have helped me, the curse would have taken my life completely."

"But not even wizarding folks can't stay conscious with only half of a life force, though, so we blacked out until our forces could build up enough again," George added, trying to be modest. He grimaced and said, "I'm really sorry that we caused you that much pain, Freddie, but Lunette was convinced it was the only way, and I believe her with all my heart. Neither one of us could bear to lose you."

Fred sat there for a moment, processing all of the information that had just been explained to him. However, one small piece of information kept standing out over and over again. Lunette and George don't love each other. They don't want to be together. She wants to be with me!

He leaned forward and gently captured Lunette's lips in a gentle kiss. "I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," she responded.

"What about me?" George growled playfully, not waiting for Fred to make his way around to his bed. "I did half the work!"

Fred launched himself onto George's bed, not being nearly as gentle as he pulled his brother into a fierce hug. "I love you too," he said, squeezing hard. He drew back, gazing at them both, and said, "Thank you, both of you. I'm sorry I was mad. You're the best brother and wife a guy could ask for."

A mediwitch breezed into the room, disregarding their previous request to leave them alone, and quelling any protests that George and Lunette might have voiced when she said, "Well, it seems that as soon as you can walk, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, you can leave. As for you," she added, looking pointedly at Fred, "we should check you out as well while you're here."

Not taking 'no' for an answer, the mediwitch accio'd another bed and proceeded to check Fred out as well. Lunette sank back into her covers, watching delightedly as her husband periodically would wink at her when the mediwitch's back was turned or she was occupied with another diagnostic spell. They were back to the way they used to be, and she couldn't be more grateful.

"You seem to have lost some hearing, Mr. Weasley," the mediwitch told him, peering into his ears again.

"It's probably from the explosion," Fred told her, remembering the wall that had collapsed, and shivering slightly at the thought that he had come so close to death.

The mediwitch shrugged, obviously in a hurry to get back to other people in the wing. "Other than that, you seem fine. You're all welcome to leave as soon as you feel up to it."

That was an obvious hint, and Fred assisted both Lunette and George in dressing and gaining their motor skills again before leading them out of the room another hour later, into the waiting arms of half of Harry's army. Everyone was crying, laughing, crying some more, and generally taking over each other. Fred looped his arms around Lunette's waist, resting his chin contentedly on the top of her head, grinning as everyone momentarily forgot the war that had just gone on.

It was Mrs. Weasley who finally broke up the gathering, chiding Fred and George that they had better get home and get some rest. "And you too, dear," she added, pointing to Lunette and giving her an affectionate squeeze. Lunette held her breath, waiting for the pain, waiting for some indication that her body still felt the effects of the curse, but nothing happened.

She grinned.

As they apparated back to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Lunette couldn't help but feel the tears beginning to form. The last time she had seen this dear old place this morning, it had been fraught with tension, but now, as George kissed her on her forehead and said goodnight to both her and Fred, there was only love and tenderness in this flat. She smiled with relief and let Fred lead her back to their bed, which they hadn't shared since the incident with George.

"I love you," Fred told her, holding her tightly in his arms once the door had been shut and they were ready for bed.

"I love you too," she whispered, seeing the love on his face so clearly that she could almost imagine that she could hear him.

Fred pulled her even closer, pressing his lips to hers and closing his eyes with a sigh. She was back, and she was his. And as her lips molded with his and she allowed him to deepen the kiss a little, Fred knew without a doubt that he was one of the luckiest men in the world. His hands caressed her silky hair as his lips pressed kisses to the side of her throat and her collar bone, but he pulled away when he felt her hands tugging at his belt.

"Not tonight, love," he whispered, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Lunette said, pouting slightly.

"You just got out of the hospital, and the war only ended today," he replied, tucking her hair behind her ears.

"And both of those are wonderful reasons why we should celebrate," Lunette argued teasingly. When she saw Fred hesitating, he pressed her hand gently against his cheek and whispered, "I'm not in any pain, Fred, and I want to spend the night with my husband." With a smile, she added, "Show me what it's like to love you without pain."

And with that, he picked her up in his arms and carried her to their bed.

He could lie there for the rest of his life and watch her, and he would die a happy man.

Fred grinned as he watched Lunette begin to stir, stretching in the most delicious way, since the covers slid down a little too far as she raised her arms above her head. He certainly wasn't complaining, though, and Lunette could only blush and laugh when she realized what had so eagerly captured his attention. She rolled over and gave him a long, deep 'good morning' kiss before throwing back the covers unabashedly, grabbing her robe, and striding towards the shower.

"Merlin, woman, I love you," Fred whispered to her back, and was surprised when Lunette froze mid-step.

She turned around slowly, her eyes wide with surprise as she asked, "What did you say?"

"Um, well…I said, 'Merlin, woman, I love you,'" Fred said, the tips of his ears blushing as he gazed at his wife. Even wrapped in a robe, she was beautiful.

However, she had the most peculiar look on her face, like she couldn't quite believe what he had just said. "I know," she finally managed, speaking so softly that Fred almost missed it. "I-I heard you."

Fred was floored. "What?"

Lunette, however, looked both floored and gleeful as she nearly jumped on him and threw her arms around him. "Fred! I can hear you!" She was shaking, and it took a moment for Fred to realize that she was crying, before he started to tear up himself.

"You can hear me?" he asked, holding her tightly to his chest. Without looking up from her position on his shoulder, Lunette nodded, and Fred let out a relieved sob of utter, joyful disbelief. "How on earth did this happen?" he asked gleefully, pushing her back to arm's length so that he could see her delighted face.

"I don't know!" she cried happily. "Is it possible that the curse worked both ways?"

"So, when I offered to let you be with George, I sacrificed myself just like you had done for me?" Fred said, thinking aloud.

"And because of the bond we shared, I gained some of your hearing," Lunette added thoughtfully.

"So it wasn't the explosion of the wall, it was for something even better!" Fred concluded, pulling her tightly to him. "But why didn't you say anything last night?"

Lunette shrugged. "I guess it can on gradually. I couldn't hear anything at the hospital, but I could almost swear that I heard you tell me last night that you loved me, and then everything hit me this morning."

Fred hugged her once more, tightly. "Oh, this is wonderful!" he shouted, and Lunette giggled, excited to finally hear his voice. "We've got to tell George! And the family! And the rest of the world!" he shouted, reaching out to grab his pants. "This is tremendous!"

With a laugh, Lunette followed him out of their room, feeling her heart swell as she heard the sound of her husband running down the stairs, yelling for his brother.

Fred. Her darling, dearest Fred.

Her one and only love.

Her Soulbinder.

And as she stepped into the equally excited and amazing embrace of George, Lunette could only conclude one thing about the man who had initially cast the curse on her, those long years ago:

Voldemort had not been a firm believer in the idea that love can conquer anything.

A/N: I've been steadily adding to this chapter, and I hope that it explained everything for you guys. Thank you for this adventure, I'm sorry this story has taken so long. You guys all mean the world to me, though, so thank you for sticking with me.

Much love until next time I get a chance to breathe,

Brooke