Harry Potter and the Legend of Alana Chapter 17: The Ties That Bind, a harry potter fanfic

Author's Note: I won't say much here, read after the chapter, sorry for the delay everyone. And now, here it is!

Chapter 17: The Ties that Bind

After that night, the group of Gryffindors felt a closeness among them like they had never felt before. They thought before that they had been comfortable with each other, but now they flowed. None of them questioned any of their actions with the rest of the group any longer, suddenly they just all fit.

"My Celia, it's so nice to see that you've made so many new friends already." Celia's mother was saying at Christmas dinner. Her father looked at her and gave her a smile that was just for her. Celia smiled back at him knowingly. Mr. Weasley seemed only too happy to see the heads of the Alanus family. He had a rather lengthy conversation with Celia's father and mother about all sorts of things, seemingly nearly everything that he had asked Celia, only with further detail. Celia's mother on the other hand, was thrilled at the idea of a clock that kept track of the Weasley family.

"…it's quite a help when you've got 7 children to worry over I can tell you that much, and with Charlie off in Romania working with the dragons…well it's nice to know for sure that he's alright…" Mrs. Weasley was saying. Celia's mother nodding empathetically and hanging on every word. Celia took a look at Fred, who was on her right and the two shared a laugh about it, a laugh which slowly spread down the line of Gryffindors as each of them caught on.

"What are you lot laughing at?" Mrs. Weasley asked, eying the twins suspiciously. This sent them all snickering even louder and more than one of them caught that familiar twinkle in Dumbledore's eye. The situation made Celia smile and when they had all calmed down enough Celia made her happiness known.

"You know, it's nice, having everyone together like this on Christmas. It's really nice." This comment was responded to with smiles and grunts of agreement around the table as the group of them continued munching on their ham and sweet potatoes, and drinking their cider. The House Elves had prepared for them a lovely feast and afterward, the table cleared itself and was soon filled with all sorts of delicious desserts securing the fact that everyone present would be going to sleep full that night.

Mr. Mrs. Weasley, along with Celia's parents, stayed at Hogwarts for a couple of more days before starting on their journey home. Having all finished their holiday work, the group of Gryffindors were free for the remainder of their break to do as they pleased, and no longer having a need to do any research on the legend of Alana, they found that they had more free time than they knew what to do with. During this time, Celia, along with the others, enjoyed this new feeling of closeness among her and her friends, but none so much as Fred. She had begun to develop some what of a soft spot for him, though she didn't entirely know why. On one night in particular she decided that she would take a walk alone on the grounds. It had been some time since she had done this. Celia thought back over everything that had happened to her since she came here. The pain she felt at the end of last year had dissipated long ago, and now she was left with a mended, but empty heart. Celia sighed and thought instead about what was to come. What was in store for her. As the savior, it would be her job to defeat Voldemort, but how would she do that? She had heard all the stories that the Weasley children knew about Voldemort and he frightened her. How was she supposed to fight him? Surely he would kill her easily. How could she protect her friends from harm if she was dead? These thoughts swirled through Celia's mind as she sat outside under a tree. She felt colder suddenly, she was filled with dread. All she could think of and all she could see in her mind were her friends dying. All of them were dying in front of her eyes and she could do nothing to stop it. There was a strangled breathing coming from the trees and Celia whipped her head around to see what it was.

Nothing.

She stared at the trees, straining to see what it was that was watching her. All of her senses were alerted to everything around her. Still nothing. It was so quiet, too quiet in fact, why was it so quiet? Then, finally, someone grabbed her shoulder.

Celia whipped around ready to strike and she trained her wand on…Fred. Suddenly, she was aware that her heart started beating again. She exhaled and continued to take deep breaths as her senses calmed down.

"Been looking all over for you." Fred told her, looking as though he was also trying to recover from her shock.

"You scared the daylights out of me." She managed, holding her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but you've got to come in side, you'll freeze." He said, still looking as though she had scared him as well. "Your lips are turning purple you know," He told her casually as he tucked her under his arm inside his coat and lead her toward the castle.

When they got back to the Gryffindor Common room it was quiet. It looked as though everyone had gone to sleep. She must have been out there for a while. Shivering, Celia headed over to the fireplace and sat in front of it. Fred went to the stairs and came back down with a very thick blanket. As she sat by the fire she began to warm up. Her entire body felt solid. Fred came over to join her and finally feeling warmer she sighed, her muscles relaxing, and rested on her elbows.

"You warm enough now?" Fred asked sitting next to her. Celia smiled and nodded up at him. Just then she shivered again. Fred laughed and looked at her skeptically.

"You know how when you are really cold, and then you are warm you get that weird chill?" Fred nodded and grabbing the blanket, he moved towards her and wrapped it around her shivering body rubbing her arms trying to warm her. For a while they just sat there in silence. Finally, Fred spoke up.

"Celia, what were you doing out there by yourself?"

"I was just thinking."

"Just…I was just, thinking, about the Legend, about who we are, and I got to thinking, 'what am I going to do?' I mean, the savior, Alana, is me, I'm supposed to defeat the dark wizard once and for all, how am I supposed to do that? I'm only 17. He'll kill me easily! And if that happens…I mean, what will happen to all of you? I'm going to die and then so many will follow after me. And it'll be all my fault!" Celia paused, and Fred searched desperately for something to say.

"And what about all the people whose lives have already been hurt? I feel like so much could have been avoided if only I'd shown up earlier, I mean, Garret's death, and Harry's parents, all the people that have been hurt by dark wizards, none of it would have happened if it wasn't for me!" At some point, Celia had started crying. Fred held her to him trying to think of some way to calm her.

"I just, I am so afraid that something will happen to someone that I care about, and I won't be able to help them." Celia looked up at Fred and started tearing again remembering what she had seen out on the grounds. "I don't care if something happens to me, but I couldn't bear to watch any of you suffer. I just can't!" Celia began to tear again; a sight that Fred was quickly learning he hated to see.

"C'mon Cel, don't cry," He began, pulling her into a hug. Celia wrapped her arms around his neck and cried against his chest. Fred tried to comfort her again, resting his chin on the top of her head. "C'mon, it'll be okay. Nothing is going to happen to us, alright? You'll see. No one is suffering."

"Hey, come on, look at me, look." He said, pulling her back enough so that he could see her face. He took one hand and wiped the tears away from under her eye with his thumb. "Nothing is going to happen to any of us, not you, not me, not Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, or George. We're all going to be fine." Celia found a kind of strength in his eyes that she needed to hold on to.

"You promise?" She asked, feeling that she sounded very much like a frightened child. Fred's hand had moved from her face to her shoulder, right where her shoulder ended and her neck began.

"I promise." He told her, his eyes not wavering for a second. This kiss that followed brought out a feeling in Celia that she wasn't sure she had ever felt before. Suddenly, she wasn't afraid anymore. She felt part of herself leave and get filled up by something else, and it calmed her from the inside out. All the pain from her past life left without a trace. It was as though she was breathing him in. When she finally opened her eyes, Fred was looking at her with bemused look on his face. She imagined that she must have had the same one on hers.

"Wow…" she managed to get out. Fred nodded slowly.

"Wow," He answered. For a minute the two sat silently with each other. "Feeling better?" Fred finally asked. Celia smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"Anytime." he answered, his bemused grin turning into a smirk. Celia grabbed a pillow and hit him with it playfully, and the two declared war. After realizing that any escalation in noise level would probably summon Professor McGonagall to the common room. The two said their goodnights and headed off to bed. That night, Celia went to sleep with a smile on her face.

Fred, George, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, and Harry were all in the common room. Fred and George were talking quietly among themselves and Ginny was watching Ron and Harry try to teach Hermione how to play wizards' chess. After all their parents had left, Celia had gone to speak with Dumbledore for a while and the rest of them came back up to the common room. When everyone headed off to bed. Fred told them that he was going to see what was taking Celia so long. For some reason he had a weird feeling. After Dumbledore told him that Celia had left his office some time ago, the weird feeling got weirder. He tried to think of where she would go. After checking the library, the kitchens, and the transfiguration department, he ran to get his coat and left the castle. It was freezing and very windy out, if she was out here, she would be frozen by now. As he neared the Lake, he got a chill up his spine. He really wanted to find her. As he got nearer, he could hear it. The rasping, and there she was, standing in the cold, no jacket, she looked tense, staring into the forest. Hoping to break her from whatever she might have been seeing or feeling, Fred grabbed her arm and she wheeled around, wand drawn. He wasn't expecting her to react so quickly and he realized that the intake of breath he had heard was his own. When she saw him, she exhaled and her body relaxed.

"Been looking all over for you." Fred told her, still recovering from the shock of her turning so quickly.

"You scared the daylights out of me." She managed, holding her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, but you've got to come inside, you'll freeze." He told her, choosing to omit the part about the dementors, she wouldn't know what they were and he didn't want to mention it at the moment. "Your lips are turning purple you know," He said, pulling her into his coat and leading her back towards the castle.

When they got back to the Gryffindor Common room Celia headed over to the fireplace and sat in front of it. Fred ran up to his room to put his coat away and he grabbed the blanket from his bed.

"You find her?" George asked, raising his head from his pillow. Fred nodded, and George was back asleep in an instant. When he got back down, Celia was by the fire, looking like she was warming up. He went over to join her and she sighed, and rested on her elbows.

"You warm enough now?" Fred asked sitting next to her. Celia smiled and nodded up at him. Just then she shivered again. Fred laughed and looked at her skeptically.

"Celia, what were you doing out there by yourself?"

"I was just thinking." Something didn't sound right. Something in her voice.

"About?" He didn't want her to keep this inside, whatever it was.

"Just…I was just, thinking, about the Legend, about who we are, and I got to thinking, 'what am I going to do?' I mean, the savior, Alana, is me, I'm supposed to defeat the dark wizard once and for all, how am I supposed to do that? I'm only 17..." Fred listened as Celia told him all her concerns and fears. He had to admit it was all a little overwhelming. But, She didn't have to worry about this. It shouldn't be all on her, that's what the rest of them were for. "… And it'll be all my fault!" Celia paused, and Fred searched desperately for something to say that would comfort her.

"And what about all the people whose lives have already been hurt? I feel like so much could have been avoided if only I'd shown up earlier, I mean, Garret's death, and Harry's parents, all the people that have been hurt by dark wizards, none of it would have happened if it wasn't for me!" Celia started to cry and Fred pulled her to him. He wished he could think of some way to calm her.

"Shhhhh, it's alright Celia, it's alright, it's not your fault." He coaxed, hugging her and rubbing her back. "It's not your fault, you had no control over it. It's ok." It was a minute before she calmed down again and was able to talk and in that minute, Fred was realizing something else about her, something about they way he felt about her.

"I just, I am so afraid that something will happen to someone that I care about, and I won't be able to help them." Celia looked up at him and he could see tears forming in her eyes. It killed him to see her like this. He couldn't understand it, but he wanted to stop her tears more than anything right then. "I don't care if something happens to me, but I couldn't bear to watch any of you suffer. I just can't!" Celia began to cry again and Fred tried to calm her again.

"C'mon Cel, don't cry," He began, pulling her into a hug. Celia wrapped her arms around his neck and cried against his chest Fred rested his chin on her head, breathing her in. "C'mon, it'll be okay. Nothing is going to happen to us, alright? You'll see. No one is suffering."

"Hey, come on, look at me, look." He said, pulling her back enough so that he could see her face. It was stained with tears. He took one hand and wiped the tears away from under her eyes. "Nothing is going to happen to any of us, not you, not me, not Ron, Harry, Ginny, Hermione, or George. We're all going to be fine."

"You promise?" Celia was staring into his eyes with such an intensity that he thought he was going to lose it. He could see right down into her soul through her eyes. Fred moved his hand down to the place where her neck met her shoulder.

"I promise." He said, not having full control of his body anymore, and not sure if he would have changed anything if he did, he felt himself move closer to her and then kiss her. He was a little taken back by how natural it felt, but there was something else there too, something deep inside him that felt as though it was being woken up. It was then that he realized how long he had wanted to do that. He wrapped his arms around her taking her in, her scent, her taste, the way she felt against him. When the kiss ended, all he could do was stare at her for a while. It was a minute before he knew how to use words again, and then she spoke first. "Wow…" She said, sounding as though she had just regained speech as well.

"Wow," He answered, nodding slowly. For a minute the two sat silently with each other. "Feeling better?" Fred finally asked. Celia smiled.

"Yeah, thanks for that."

"Anytime." he answered, starting to smirk at the thought of kissing again. He was caught a little off guard by the pillow that Celia hit him with, but he recovered quickly and the two of them declared war, one of the best games to play following a kiss like that. The two of them continued their war until they decided that it was best to end themselves rather than get scolded by McGonagall, so they said goodnight and headed off to sleep.

Sunday morning everyone slept in. When Celia finally did wake up, she wasn't sure if what had happened last night was a dream or real. Furthermore, she wasn't exactly sure how they were supposed to act around everyone else. She wasn't sure if Fred had told anyone about the kiss, and when she had returned to the dorm everyone had been asleep. Celia got ready and headed down to the common room to see the boys already down and sitting around the fire. Hermione was there too. She made eye contact with Fred who smiled at her. 'Ok, so at least I know that it wasn't a dream.' She thought to herself, smiling. She went over to where they were all sitting and took a seat on the floor, leaning against Fred's knees. He responded as he always did by playing with her shoulders. She let out a breath that she wasn't sure she was holding. Her worst fear, that things would become weird between them, had not come true. For most of the day, the group of them lounged around. Later that night, when they had gone back to their rooms Hermione and Ginny approached Celia.

"Hey guys…what?" Celia said, seeing the smiles on both their faces.

"Don't give us that rubbish, you and Fred have been at it all day!" Hermione told her. Celia felt her face flush.

"We've…what? At what?"

"You think we didn't notice the way you two were acting?" Celia blushed. "Go on, out with it then," Ginny started, "something is going on between you and my brother, let's have it." Celia looked at Ginny, and then Hermione, and then smiled and moved up on her bed to make room for the girls.

"I'm not sure exactly how it happened, one minute we were just down in the common room and the next minute we were…er- well, we were kissing." The looks on the girls faces was priceless. Ginny had this look as though she had never thought a brother of hers had the kissing capacity, and Hermione's was one of pure surprise. Their reactions made Celia beam. She liked having it out in the open like this, talking about it made it more real. "What do you think?" Celia said wondering what their reactions would be.

"I never thought of Fred as the relationship type, it's kind of hard to picture." Hermione said. Celia chuckled.

"I know what you mean, but, I dunno it just kind of happened that way. It was weird though, while we were kissing - oh, sorry Ginny, don't worry I won't give you guys details - but while we were kissing I felt, it was like, like something was flowing out of me, and then it got filled up by something else…does that make any sense?" The girls were looking at her kind of dreamily, and Celia could tell they were trying to imagine that same thing happening to them. Celia herself kept replaying the event in her mind, and every time she replayed it, she remembered exactly what it felt like. She had a strong urge to go find him and kiss him again, but reason overruled it, telling her to go to sleep and that she would see him in the morning. Finally, the girls went off to bed, each of them dreaming about feeling what Celia felt.

A/N: Well, this chapter took a long time, to be honest, I wasn't sure about it, and I am still unsure of what I think. I would really appreciate if all the reviewers let me know what they think about the new development between Fred and Celia. Thank you to everyone who is still reading. I hope that the next chapters come out a lot faster than this one did.

I would like to let everyone know, I think I did in one of the earlier chapters, but just as a reminder, I started writing this story before the 5th book came out and when it did, obviously some things changed, so I decided to keep it as though Book 5 did not happen. That being said, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I love the reviews! Thank you to you all!

Moonz