Hello everyone. I'm so sorry for not updating this story sooner, however, I had a lot of personal things come up in my life which is why I wasn't able to get to writing. I hope you enjoy chapter 37 of Always and Forever.
Chapter 37
George POV
Chaos reigned at the battle. The charging centaurs coming from the Forbidden Forest were confusing the Death Eaters and scattering them across the courtyard and into the Great Hall. George reached out and grabbed Hermione's non-casting arm, dragging her away from the chaos and into the castle walls with the rest of the Order.
The two of them were casting Shield Charms to help their friends get up the front steps. George swiftly cast one over Charlie as he was trying to help Professor Slughorn get to safety. The older professor looked rather out of breath from all of the fighting.
Hermione let out a gasp and his eyes turned, seeing what would cause her to be so shocked. The house-elves of Hogwarts swarmed into the entrance hall, screaming and waving carving knives and cleavers. Leading the pack of small elves was Kreacher. He opened his mouth and screamed, "Fight! Fight! Fight for my Master, defender of house-elves! Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus Black! Fight!"
"Hermione!" Ginny called out for back up the same time that George spotted Lee struggling to remain in control of a battle with Yaxley.
Hermione and George looked into each other's eyes. "I'll see you at the end of this."
"That's a promise, you know." George gave her a small, tight smile.
The two separated to help their fellow Gryffindors. Yaxley was looking grim and tired from the battle, no longer, having the sinister confidence that the Death Eaters had moments ago when they thought they were winning. He was throwing nasty and illegal hexes and jinxes towards the two.
George and Lee were not letting this Death Eater take another soul in the battle. The two worked in tandem to cast spells at the older dark wizard. He lost his wand and George punched him square in the face before Lee slammed him to the ground. "That felt a lot better than a Stupefy." Lee cracked a joke as they scanned the room to see what other Order and Dumbledore's Army members needed assistance in battle.
George was swept with emotion as he saw Dolohov fall at Professor Flitwick's skilled wand movements, Macnair thrown across the room by sheer force of Hagrid, Greyback being struck down by his younger brother and Neville, and Thicknesse being struck down by his dad and Percy. It was like the turning of a page of a new book. They were winning the battle.
Voldemort was in the middle of the Great Hall. He was not giving up without a mean fight. He was battling with McGonagall, Slughorn, and Kingsley, all at once, and there was cold hatred in his face as they wove and ducked around him, unable to finish him off. George went to move towards them but haulted by the sound of Hermione letting out a small yelp.
Bellatrix with her wild, curly, black hair, moving around her as if it had dark magic coursing through the strands was still battling as well. She was cackling and taunting her duelers. George wanted to throw up and collapse at the same time when he saw who was brave enough to battle her.
The bright blonde hair of Luna Lovegood was dancing around the evil witch. Her face was covered in dirt and blood and he had never seen such an intense look of hatred and determination on the strange girl's face. Next to her, the bright red hair of his baby sister caught his attention. Ginny. She was casting every hex and jinx that she knew and was using her athletic skills to keep her from standing in one place for too long, not to catch the wrath of the crazy Death Eater. That should've been the worst, seeing Ginny battling Bellatrix.
But the person who really made his stomach flip at the thought of the danger they were in was his beautiful and brave Hermione. Her curly hair was bouncing around her face as she dove and jumped out of the way of the illegal hexes that Bellatrix was throwing her way. She was casting both verbal and non-verbal spells towards the witch and didn't look scared, only determined and tired.
George moved in tandem with Lee over to the group. The crowded Great Hall made it hard to get to them, but he tried his hardest to keep his eyes on the bouncing head of bushy brown hair. When they made it to the group, he saw red with pure anger and fury as Bellatrix cast a bright green Killing Curse that only missed Ginny by an inch.
He went to move forward but the bellowing sound of his mother's voice caught him off guard. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" She caught the dark witch's attention and motioned for the girls to get out of the way.
Hermione ran into George's arms as Ginny was comforted by Charlie and Percy, the near-death experience shaking her to the core. His father and Luna went to aid her in the duel with Bellatrix but his mother shook her head while casting jets of light towards the cackling witch. "No! Get back! She is mine!"
More people were turning to watch the duel now that more and more Death Eaters were immobilized. George held his breath, praying to Godric that his mother would be okay, and the sheer stubbornness of the matriarch wouldn't be the end of her.
Bellatrix began to cackle and taunt Mrs. Weasley. "What will happen to your children, when I've killed you? When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"
George began to shake with rage at the want to cast a Killing Curse towards Bellatrix. No one. No one talked about Fred liked that. He died an honorable death fighting and he wouldn't be mocked. Hermione's small hand grasping him, kept him there instead of charging towards the Lestrange.
"You will never touch our children again!" His mother shot a curse that soared and hit her squarely in the chest.
Bellatrix's face froze and her eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. She toppled over dead and the crowd began to roar with victory. Mrs. Weasley ignored them all and pulled Ginny and George together into a fierce hug. After she was done hugging them, she began to hug every one of the Weasley's.
Hermione POV
The victorious scene of the Weasley's was interrupted by Voldemort screaming and sending Professor McGonagall, Professor Slughorn, and Kingsley soaring back by some forceful hex. He raised his wand towards Mrs. Weasley and Hermione jumped in front of the family, knowing that George would be furious at her for risking her life but all she could think of was, not another Weasley, not after Fred.
"Protego!" a Shield Charm expanded in the middle of the hall from an unknown source, before Harry emerged from thin air. The invisibility cloak.
He glanced at Mrs. Weasley and Hermione before turning his attention towards Voldemort. Hermione was struck at the amazing and impossibility of him being alive! His brilliant green eyes and looked directly at her before turning away.
Her best friend.
Harry…
He was alive!
People began to shout and exclaim how shocked and relieved they were to see the Boy Who Lived, standing in front of them, saving the day yet again. George's hands wrapped around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her firmly against his chest. "He's alive!" She smiled. "Harry!"
"Don't do that again, Hermione." George caught her attention and he saw the sure sadness in his own, not living with the others about the joy from seeing Harry. "I could've lost you."
"George—"
"You promised. Keep it."
"I'm sorry, love." She kissed his cheek before the two sighed collectively agreeing that they were both forgiven for anything going on in the battle while the attention of the room went to Voldemort and Harry.
"I don't want anyone else to try to help!" Harry called out loudly and gave a piercing look to Ron and Hermione, the two who were willing to die the most for Harry. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good—"
"One of us?" Hissed Voldemort as he stalked around him like prey. "You think it will be you? The boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"
"You won't be killing anyone else tonight. You won't be able to kill any of them ever again. Don't you get it? I was ready to die to stop you from hurting these people. I've done what my mother did. They're protected from you. Haven't you noticed how none of the spells you put on them are binding? You can't torture them. You can't touch them. You don't learn from your mistakes, Riddle, do you?"
Hermione's heart swelled and so did the tears in her eyes as she thought of the compassion and love that Harry had for everyone in the Great Hall. He had sacrificed himself so that they would be safe.
Voldemort was furious and cast a green Killing Curse the same time that Harry cast a red Expelliarmus. The bang was like a cannon blast when the spells met in the middle of the duel. Sparks erupted between the two wizards. Once the red charm hit Voldemort, the Elder Wand flew out of his grip into Harry's.
The Killing Curse rebound and hit Voldemort. His scarlet eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to the ground with a dull thud. There was a moment of silence of shock before absolute chaos of cheers erupted in the Great Hall.
Hermione and Ron ran as fast as their feet would carry them towards Harry and they wrapped their arms around their best friend. "You're alive! You did it!" Hermione began to cry on his dirty flannel shirt.
"You git. You'll have to warn me next time you have a plan like that. I thought you were dead." Ron was tearing up as well and wasn't letting Harry go from his fierce grip.
Ginny, Neville, Luna, the Weasley's, Hagrid, and other Order members were joining in, shouting and pulling Harry into Hugs. Ron and Hermione eventually let go of their friend to let him make his rounds with all the victorious fighters.
She felt long arms wrap around her and twirl her around into a hug that brought her feet off of the stone ground of the Great Hall. "George Fabian Weasley! Put me down!" Hermione let out a cheerful giggle as he pulled her down so that their lips could meet.
"Never." He smiled before kissing her again.
The two were so happy with the end of the battle that they couldn't stop kissing, hugging, and crying into each other about how they were both alive. They had survived the battle. "Can I steal Hermione?" The Boy Who Lived blushed as he broke apart an embrace between George and Hermione. "I just need a moment with her and Ron alone."
"I'll go check on Gin and mum. Find me, later." He winked at Hermione.
"Always." She smiled at his retreating form.