Soft clouds formed around Odile as she panted heavily. She was determined not to look back, she'd seen enough horror films to know where that would get her. She ran as fast as her body would allow her, pushing away the pain of bare feet on inches of fresh snowfall. Odile heard her teeth chattering as she moved, the icy wind biting at every inch of exposed skin. The sounds of whizzing spells and cries of anger and anguish alike from behind her served as a motivator. She heard deafening cracks of apparition and she sped up as much as she possibly could. She'd just made it to the edges of the property when-

"Agh!" Odile heard herself yelp as she fell over the side of the embankment, dousing herself in freezing water. She groaned, pulling herself out of the shallow river with shaking arms. She shivered furiously, before remembering the wand that laid by her side. With trembling fingers she cast a hot air charm, drying her dress instantaneously, and providing her some much needed warmth. She began to stand only to collapse back down with a pained moan. She'd glanced to see her ankle beginning to swell, obviously having been rolled in the tumble. Odile couldn't help but let fresh tears fall down her face, wondering what on Earth she'd done to deserve this. The call of sleep came over her once more as all the blood rushed to her head. She cast a warming spell around her form as quickly as possible, vision already blurring. She huddled behind one of the river's boulders, effectively hiding her from view. She knew she had about one more spell left in her before she was completely magically and physically exhausted. Odile took a deep breath, closing her eyes and willing happy thoughts to come to the surface. So many were tinged with sadness, but there was one that managed to stay as strong as could be. The memory that summoned her patronus the first time in that classroom all those months ago.

"Expecto Patronum!" The girl whispered, frightened to gather attention to herself. She opened her eyes hesitantly, terrified that there would be nothing there. Then she exhaled in a soft cry of relief, the effervescent black swan watching her with a cocked head.

"Fi- find Fred, bring him to me. Hurry." She murmured, head falling back to the forest floor as the creature took flight. She smiled dreamily as the creature flew far above her, the girl's eyes closing once more.

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Fred Weasley could officially announce himself done. Done with the store, done with his brother, done with life. All he could resign himself to was stocking, avoiding everyone, and staring out the window. That between his self-loathing left his schedule pretty full. He pushed the bay window open and hung his feet out of the open space. It would be so easy, just to sl- no. That wasn't an option. He made his mistakes and he had to live with it. No taking the easy way out. Still, he allowed his feet to dangle, the winter's chill nipping at his toes. He sat there for a good 15 minutes, finally sighing and pulling himself in. He left the window open, enjoying the cool air as he trudged over to the fridge. He popped open a new container of pumpkin juice, pouring it into a glass. Unlike his brother, he didn't have the habit of swigging everything out of the bottle. He took a sip before sighing, dragging his hand over his face. Night had fallen quite quickly, and the parties raged on as the twilight hours passed. It looked to be about 1 nearly, and George had yet to emerge from his girlfriend's room. He'd just about decided to head to bed when a shimmering object flew in through the window, scaring the Dickens out of him. He pulled his wand quickly, aiming it at the shining form.

"Bloody hell, what-" He stopped dead, recognising the Patronus almost immediately. The black swan floated around him elegantly before stretching its wings and opening its beak.

"Fred! I need help. I don't have much time. The Patronus will lead you to me. Please, hurry." His heart dropped to his stomach, staring for a moment before springing into action. He yanked his broom from its spot on the wall and hurriedly indicated the swan to lead the way. The creature flew out the window, Fred hot on its heels, heartbeat thumping in his ears. He'd never been more glad for his spot on the Quidditch team than he was in that moment. The abrasive wind around him knocked him side to side, but he held his own. He was pretty sure he'd hit at least two birds from the sky accidentally, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was finding her, saving her, holding her once more. He nearly sobbed in relief as the swan began to dive, gripping his broom tightly as he followed suit.

As he touched down in the frigid river he caught sight of the flashes of light in the nearby distance. He bent, ensuring he would be out of sight of whoever was in the forest. He looked around wildly, but Odile was nowhere to be found.

"Odile? Odile!" He cried, trying to keep his voice as low as possible. There was silence, and his heart began to race. What if he was too late?

"Mmm, Fred? I- is that you?" He rounded on her quickly, and tears pricked at his eyes. She was slumped against a boulder, her beautiful dress ripped and blood running down her nose. He rushed forward, and gently cupped her face, scanning her form.

"Love, what have they done to you?" He murmured, thumbs brushing over the discoloured skin of her face. She winced at his explorative touches and he quickly stilled his hands.

"We've got to g- get out of here. They're com- coming." She stuttered, eyes fluttering open and shut. He nodded, and grasped her form in a bridal hold, so different from the earlier parallel. She leant into the embrace, the feel of his arms so familiar it was almost heartbreaking. It took a bit of adjustment, but he managed to get them both on the broom. She leant against his back, arms wrapped around his torso tightly. He glanced back at her as best as he could, and could see the clear pain in her eyes.

"We've got to push off together love, ok? Just like old times." She nodded weakly, pressing her forehead against his shoulder. He grit his teeth, anger flowing through him as he saw the state of her.

"Ok, ready? In 3,2-"

"Look! She's over here!" A voice cried out, footsteps racing towards them.

"Now!" He cried as they both pushed off the ground as hard as possible. They were quickly airborne, and Fred steered his course.

"She's escaping! Get them!" The voice rang out once more and multicoloured spell flashes lit up the air around them. Fred bent his head forward, carefully zigzagging around the spells.

"Hold on tight there Black Swan, it's going to be a bumpy ride!" Odile couldn't deny the skip in her heart at the familiar nickname, a smile overtaking her face. She clutched him tighter, folding her body against his. He weaved in and out of the clouds, the stormy night providing some cover. Odile's exhaustion soon got the better of her, and she felt her arms loosening around his waist. Apparently Fred did as well, his arm quickly leaving the broom to grasp hers. Flying a broom one handed wasn't the easiest task in the world, but Fred didn't give a damn. He wasn't losing her, never again.

A/N: Alright, I know I only posted a few hours ago but this is one of my favourite chapters and I couldn't leave you all on that cliffhanger so surprise!