Leave Out all the Rest

Chapter 25: Death Wishes in Muggle London

POV: Lily

Tapping her foot impatiently, a scowl on her freckly face, Lucy snapped a, "honestly, you two aggravate me to no end."

It was a busy day in the streets of Muggle London. The sun was barely shining through the clear skies, throwing warmth and rays of light towards the ground where we walked; gracing us with a bit of heat. It wasn't enough to leave our gloves and scarves at home, but it felt like a kiss of warmth you could enjoy in the breeze.

There was a multitude of people at the Shopping Center—where Mum and Aunt Hermione had dragged us to— because of the sales that sprouted after the holidays. People walked with one another or hurriedly passed each other. There was a commotion among them like it was used to be seen from these hectic muggles.

Looking away from them as I felt Liam's hand slip away from mine, watching him walk over to Al, Malfoy and Zabini, I turned to the girl who'd I was trying to ignore. "You're a foul witch, Lucy Weasley. Don't you get tired of ruining my moments?"

Lucy kept her expression the way it always was, annoyed and all-knowing. "You ruin your own moments when you meddle in things you shouldn't."

"Oh, loosen up," I snapped at her, frowning still. "That bloke was obviously looking at you like you were the most dazzling thing he'd ever seen. It's not my fault you couldn't see that. You just needed a little push, and Liam and I were just trying to assist."

"I don't need your help!" She was now more annoyed and irritated than all-knowing. "Unlike you, Lily, my head's not in the clouds daydreaming about boys. Just because you've snagged your first boyfriend doesn't mean the rest of the world wants one too."

I leaned against a light-post indifferently. "Luce, at your rate, you'll be the only one in the world without a boyfriend." She was about to protest again but I raised a hand to stop her, I wasn't done talking yet. "Look, I'm sorry for pushing you and embarrassing you. That wasn't my intention. I just want you to be happy."

Heaving for a few silent seconds, her brown eyes narrowed into slits, I saw my cousin trying to compose that anger and low patience she had inherited from Uncle Percy. "I am happy," her tone was tensed. "I'm just thirteen, Lily. I'm not really focused on looking for a boyfriend."

"Yeah, you're just focused on your education and hopes to become Minister of Magic," I told her with annoyance, rolling my eyes. "But fine," I huffed before we could fight again, "I'm sorry. I won't meddle."

And as we both tried to push the irritation that we had towards one another, I tore my back from the light-post; my arms wide open as I headed for her. With a roll of her eyes and her prissy attitude under control, she mimicked my actions and we both hugged tightly.

Lucy and I had a complicated friendship though we were cousins. She was a lot like her father and I was too much of a loud and troublemaking Weasley. And it was because of that that our friendship was constantly on the fritz; that it was strained and we had to watch what we said to one another. Of course that never helped, we snapped at one another like it was a need.

"Forgiven?" We both asked in unison as we pulled away.

We smiled at one another — the reason of our coexisting as friends evident in that. Yes, we annoyed each other to no end, but Lucy was one of the closest people in my life. She was many things that aggravated me — just like I am to her — but in the end she kept me together; she kept Roxy, Hugo and I rooted.

"Hey!" Marching towards us with a frown, Roxy's dark eyes looked disapprovingly at us. "What's going on here? Are you two having a cousins-moment without me? I am blood related, you know."

Lucy and I rolled our eyes at our cousin and missing piece. "We were just discussing something," I told her. "Nothing to get your wand in a knot for."

"About?" Roxy questioned, knowing perfectly well that Lucy and I only hugged one another after we've fought.

"Nothing you need to know," Lucy told her as she crossed her arms over her white coat. "I'm serious, Roxanne. Leave it alone. If we tell you everyone will know why in the next five minutes and I will get upset all over again," she added as our cousin was about to protest.

Roxy frowned. "Are you insinuating I'm a blabber-mouth?"

Lucy and I nodded together.

"Oh, don't look so upset, Rox," I told her, approaching her with a smile. "You told Grandmum I was letting the gnomes back into the gardens last summer—"

"You told Victoire I burned her favorite silk dress when I was seven because my Potions Making Set exploded inside her room when she told me not to play with it there,"

"—You told Teddy I fancied his friend Ollie Wood when I was five,"

"—You told Aunt Ginny I was stealing her flowers for research."

"—You told Uncle Ron that I thought visiting Uncle George was by far more entertaining."

"You told my dad that—"

"Okay, okay!" Roxy laughed, raising her palms up and halting the amusing remarks Lucy and I were throwing at her. "I understand, I can't keep a secret."

And before Lucy and I could hug Roxy with all the affection we had for her, like some puppy we just couldn't help but to adore, I was gripped by my forearm and steered away from my two best friends. "If you three are done now," James spoke through his teeth, "Mum and Aunt Hermione came back with our muggle-money and we're going inside now. And personally I rather not stand out here and freeze my wand off!"

Frowning at my older brother, Mum hissed, "I told you to collect them, James, not to be rude!"

With that funk that he's been in all of our holiday, James threw my arm roughly and scowled like he was about to transform into a werewolf. "Oh, of course I'm the problem!" He'd snarled at our mother before stalking away, grumbling under his breath as he did so.

"It's the hormones, Ginny," Aunt Hermione patted my mum on the shoulder, trying to ease her before she snapped. "He'll be back to normal soon."

Mum snorted like she highly doubted James had ever been normal or that he would be any time soon. "I brought him into the world," she replied to my aunt, "and I'll take him out if he keeps it up."

"You'd think Mum's joking," I muttered to the boy who marched up next to me, taking his fingers and intertwining them with mine, "but she's not. James is heading towards a dangerous line if he doesn't snap out of his mood."

Liam nodded slowly. "It's getting a lot worse, his anger."

"It's Emily," I told him quietly as we walked behind some of my relatives and his friends. "It doesn't take a genius to see that he completely fancies her. He's just upset that she has a boyfriend now."

"He should just be supportive," Liam said, "just like Scorpius is doing. Sure, he doesn't approve, but he's not acting out either and he loves her just as much."

I frowned a little at his comment. "Liam, Malfoy and Emily are—"

"Oh, I'm sorry," I stopped what I was going to say as my eyes caught sight of Scorpius holding on to Rose by the waist, stabilizing her as he'd accidentally bumped into her.

Rose smiled gently at him, pulling away slowly. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked at him.

Oh, Merlin, another cousin of mine that was falling for a Slytherin. What was it with them? First Dominique, who I still couldn't forget that I walked into her and her Slytherin getting it on in my bed. (One would think that after that she'd fess up about her relationship with Derrick Rowle, but her lips were shut.) Then there was Roxanne and the flushing she did when Lucas Zabini stared at her.

Interrupting the small moment that surely was making Rose's heart beat ecstatically inside her chest, a beautiful and poised blonde girl marched her way towards her, calling for her. I cringed a little, anger in my blood as I watched her. (She just had to be so damn beautiful, right? That damn wench.)

"Emily and I spotted a muggle sports store ahead," Nia Harper spoke, "want to go in with us?"

Adding to my annoyance, Liam spotted his best friend and hurriedly dragged me towards her direction. "Sports store?" He questioned her, raising a brow. "What do you need from a sports store, Nia?"

Spotting me in the group of her friends and attached to Liam's hand, Nia narrowed her eyes at me for a moment before answering. "Lorcan Scamander's a big fan of a muggle sport called Soccer," she said, an edge in her voice. "He lent me a book to read up on. His step-father is a fanatic of it, apparently. But anyway, he said I might like it. I just wanted to see if that store has a soccer ball. Lorcan's going to teach me how to play."

Al knitted his brows together. "Scamander's going to teach you how to play a sport?"

"I didn't know you talked to Lorcan Scamander," Liam added after Al snorted and looked displeased.

Harper's eyes frowned at both my brother and my boyfriend. "I don't need to tell you everything," she snapped at Liam.

I frowned at her, but Liam squeezed my hand; halting me from saying something to her. "I was just curious," Liam told her quickly, trying to ease her too. "I didn't know you were friends, that's all."

"He doesn't want to be friends with her," I spoke up, finding something to say as her presence filled me with anger and jealousy. Everyone's attention was on me now, I smirked lightly. "Lorcan and I've been friends for a long time now, you know. He trusts me with a lot of things."

Harper's blue eyes turned navy. "Meaning?"

"Are you really that slow?" I retorted back with a question, still holding the others attention. "Lorcan likes you. Lorcan has liked you since your First Year, but you've never really paid him much attention since you loved to be around Liam so bloody much."

Al glared, Rose rolled her eyes, Scorpius looked amused, and Liam squeezed my hand to stop aggravating his best friend. I ignored him.

"Don't worry, though. I've got Liam now so you can pay attention to Lorcan if you wish."

Harper was livid now, her beautiful face red. "Look, you insufferable little girl—"

The blonde's would-be insult was interrupted by a loud crackle from above. Dark bolts of lightning roared loudly from the sky dangerously. Cold and swift wind blew from every direction now.

"Look," I mumbled, squinting my eyes as airstreams blew harder and smacked against our clothes. I pointed a finger towards the sky, at the clouds that were advancing and gaining a dark hue.

And from my spot, from the angle I was standing in, I could see all of us — Liam, Nia, Zabini, Emily, Rose, Al, Scorpius and I — freeze in our spots as we looked ahead. We could feel the wind sweep by us, paralyzing us as something like a pressure pushed down on our shoulders; tingling the magic in our blood with warning.

I heard the others mumble, Liam gave my hand a good grip, and my eyes turned from them and the sky and towards my family. My mother was peering inside a shop window with Aunt Hermione by her side; Roxy and Hugo slapping each others' arms playfully, Lucy behind them with an irritated expression; Louis, Freddie, and James were staring at the sudden change of weather.

A few muggles had stopped to peer at the approaching black clouds too. Their eyes were curious.

From her place that she'd quietly taken by Harper's side, Emily let out a gasp; her emerald eyes widening with surprise. I quickly turned back to the sky. There were four trails of thick black smoke being ejected from the sky. They traveled at their own speed, all in different rows, but all of them heading towards us.

"Look outside your window, Alice. The sky's being—" The muggle man who'd stopped beside me, cellular phone at his ear, was interrupted by the sound of a loud BANG and windows shattering. Sparks of fire ignited soon after.

"—Lily!" I heard Mum's shout break out from the sudden screams of Muggles and the chaos that'd happened.

Before I could turn and try to scout for her, a man with a black cloak that covered him head to toe appeared from one of the rows of black smoke; pointing his wand at us. Liam squeezed my fingers tighter than ever, slowly pulling me behind him.

"Evening young wizards," the man said to us. "Pity you find yourself at the wrong place…at the wrong time." The wand raised higher, its tip glowing with a spell that was a second away from hitting us.

"—Expelliarmus!" In one rapid movement Liam ripped out his wand from his pocket and waved it at the cloaked man. "Let's go!" He shouted as the man flew backwards in the next second.

There were a thousand more screams piercing the air that came from the muggles, who were running frantically, and a few wizards that were camouflaged in Muggle London; their wands out.

And as we ran past them, trying to take cover, I was not oblivious to the people scattered on the floor, lying stiff and with huge wounds on their skins. There was a smell of iron in the air, of blood that lingered and dug into your nostrils.

Five more cloaked figures arose from the air, pointing their wands at a few people and then cursing at them; inflicting more pain.

"Cru—"

"Expelliarmus!" I snapped my head and watched Scorpius cast the spell to one of the cloaked figures, pushing Rose behind him as the previous curse was meant for her.

"Rose!" Aunt Hermione screamed, probably having seen that her daughter had been in the pathway of an Unforgivable. She came charging towards us, curses flying everywhere, but she dodged them all. And as she did so, as she ran to us, I could see the warrior she must've been when she was younger and there was war. She definitely was Hermione Granger, one-third of the Golden Trio.

"Petrificus Totalus!" She shot the body-binding curse at the wizard that had attempted to harm Rose. She bent next to him, kicking his wand towards Albus, clearly wanting him to pocket it.

"Avada—"

"Protego!" James came running full blast, his wand out and protecting our aunt from the killing curse that almost got her. And as my aunt rose to her feet my brother turned to us with a commanding gaze on his face. "Run! All of you!"

Nodding at him once without contradicting, the rest of our lot took off once more.

And as we were running, dodging spells, my eyes zeroed towards a spot several yards ahead of me. There was a shop exploding into flames, a cloaked figure charging towards a girl caught amongst the fire, her wand a few feet away from her. It was Lucy.

"Stupefy!" And emerging on the outskirts of the flames, Zabini was there instantly; sending the figure flying away from my cousin's direction. "Come on!" He shouted at her, aiming another spell and subduing the fire.

"I can't!" Lucy cried. "My leg, its hurt!"

Without wasting a moment, Zabini gripped Lucy hard by the shoulders and started dragging her away; his eyes scanning for a safe place to place her in.

"Liam," I cried as we ran. "Liam, Lucy's hurt! I have to go to her!"

My boyfriend ignored me for a second, his hand still tugging me next to him as he kept with the speed. "Keep running!" He commanded me, his beautiful brown eyes serious and completely submerged with determination.

Roxy and Hugo appeared in my peripheral vision. Hugo had an arm wrapped around our cousin's waist, keeping her close to protect her. But catching a glimpse of the group, Roxy had removed from his side and charged towards us.

"—Crucio!"

"UGH!" Roxanne's scream daggered into the air, louder than any of the other shrieks that had erupted into the sky. Instantly, I felt myself tense; a hectic cry escaping my mouth at the sight of her falling and withering.

Ahead of me, just a couple of feet, Freddie turned around from the loud scream and his eyes filled with rage and agony as he caught a glimpse of his little sister on the floor.

"Crucio!" The cloaked man shouted once more. Roxanne's scream sounded again.

And with a scream of his own, Freddie shot his way towards the unknown wizard and pointed his wand at him. "Crucio!" There was a hatred that dripped from his eyes, a murderous glint that took over his entire face.

And before something terrible could happen, Malfoy was there and shouted a spell that made the wizard fly several yards away from us. "She's okay," he told Freddie as he tried to grip Lucy, trying to pull her way from Roxy's unconscious body. "She's alive."

"Roxy," I cried, fighting against a pair of arms just like Lucy and Hugo were doing. We just wanted to get to her, to hold her. "Liam, let me go!"

Shushing me, holding on to me tighter despite my efforts to shake him off, Liam didn't let go. And as he did so, I caught Emily running towards us; catching up from wherever she'd been.

Her eyes were looking crazed, clouded with an unexplainable emotion as her cheeks were stained with tears. Her bottom lip was shaking, alike her body. She was heaving for air, trying to collect herself, her wand slipping from her fingers.

"Obliviate!" Aunt Hermione was visible again, rushing towards us once more and avoiding spells that were aimed at her. Her own wand was pointed towards people, towards muggles and their wide eyes before she knocked them out. "Obliviate!"

"Where's my mum?"

But before my aunt could answer me as she took a second from wiping the muggles' mind, a huge relief washed over my body as I spotted my mum's fire-red hair blowing in the breeze as she ran towards us. "Hermione! I've seen them! They're—"

"Avada Kedavra—"

"—Expelliarmus!" Albus ran, pointing his wand towards the figure that apparated behind our mother and shot a spell at her.

I screamed with much wrath, with every puff of air my lungs had left. Her body landed on the floor, her eyes shut tight and her wand slipping from her fingers. "MUM!"

Al's eyes replaced the immediate shock he'd felt with a murderous expression. He took off running towards the wizard that'd attacked our mother.

"—No, you won't!" Releasing me from his arms, Liam launched himself forward and tackled Nia Harper towards the grounds as Aunt Hermione had sprinted after my brother. "You're not going after him, Nia!"

Harper shrieked, her hands slapping Liam as she fought to push him off of her. "Liam, stop! I've got to go find him! Stop!"

For a moment, for a slight moment that wasn't filled with jealousy as my boyfriend hugged his best friend tightly, as Nia shed tears, I had forgotten what had just happened. I turned away from them, my heart pounding in my chest as I remembered.

Before I could take off running towards my mother's still body I was halted again by another pair of arms. This time I was stopped by James.

He was as frozen as I had been, his heart banging in his chest with an undesired adrenaline. His brown eyes were glistening, tears pooling into them as we watched our mother rigid and unmoving on the floor feet from us. Her face was covered by her red hair.

If my tears hadn't fallen in that exact moment, I wouldn't have seen Emily pick up her wand again, her own tears drenching her face, and take off. No one had noticed, no one had seen her head towards a cloaked figure torturing a muggle.

"Hey!" She shouted, launching a rock from the ground towards him; blood trickling down her fingers.

"…Emily," James breathed, reacting as everyone seemed to notice her ahead now.

The unknown wizard turned to her after dropping the muggle on the floor ruthlessly, like he'd been trash that was unimportant. Most of his face was covered from the cloak, but I could see the shadow of his mouth. It quickly turned into a bearded grin.

"It's you," he told my friend.

James gripped my shoulders tighter, nervousness and rage radiating out of him.

Doing what James was clearly too frozen to do, Scorpius bolted from somewhere behind us and headed for the American girl. "Emily!" He shouted. "Move!"

Ignoring the blonde boy that was shouting for her, Emily kept her feet firmly on the ground. Her entire pose was stiff, but determined.

Noticing the same thing, the cloaked figure smirked and pointed his wand at her forehead. "You've a death wish, sweetheart, because I'm happy to oblige. You owe me."

"You owe me too," Emily said. And in a swift motion, her wand was out and it glowed red. "Stupefy!"

As the wizard who'd been about to kill her landed yards away, directly through the window of a clothing shop, Scorpius gripped Emily by the waist. He pulled her close to him, holding her tight against his body. "Are you insane?" His voice was filled with conflicting emotions.

"—Obliviate!" My head turned to the sound of fresh voices.

"—Protego!"

"Aurors," James murmured, his muscles relaxing as they loosened around me. "It's over."

My eyes met Uncle Ron's as he descended from an apparition point dozens of feet away. A group of Aurors followed behind him, their wands out, ready to attack and defend. A few Oblivators began their work on the Muggles and Aurors directed themselves into the battle zone to handle the situation that'd been created.

At the sight of the Aurors, Scorpius relaxed his tensed back, but his pale face and silver eyes were still drenched in worry as he continued to embrace the American girl. "You could've been killed."

Turning from Scorpius and Emily, Rose glanced with crying eyes at her father. "Dad…"

Uncle Ron ignored his daughter as his eyes caught the limp figure of his sister on the floor.

My heart ached and my eyes noticed a new body running with the wind, emerald eyes hard behind spectacles. His untidy black hair tousled with the air as he ran, his wand out and his famous scar glittering through the thunder.

"Ginny!" Harry Potter cried.