A/n: Okay, I seriously think that I got a lot more done for this fanfic when I was at school compared to now, when I'm on break. All my information is saved on my laptop, but when I'm home I usually use the computer downstairs, so I don't get on my laptop much, not to mention the fact I have yet to unpack my battery, and it's been three weeks!
I decided, though, that during these next few days I'm not going to want to walk around. I went to the beach yesterday and got fried, resulting in a sunburn that won't let me sleep at night because my shoulders and thighs are screaming in protest. So basically I'm stuck to limited mobility, meaning (hopefully; I won't be making any promises) I can get on to the computer more.
Note: Harry/Ginny fans should be happy with this chapter, especially the second half. Bill/Fleur fans will probably not be happy with this chapter, especially the first half. But what can I say? I don't do stuff to please people, I do it because I feel it necessary. So please read all the same.
Okay, my nose may be peeling, but we're heading right into this chapter anyway! Enjoy!
CHAPTER 5: The Wraths of a Veela and a Weirdo
Another flash of red lying on the ground- A man lay stone cold alongside his wife. Their hands were clasped together.A small sob escaped Hermione's throat and Harry closed his eyes, willing the scene away. Bill and Fleur were both dead. Harry led Hermione away, because they both had to know.
Charlie fired off a few hexes as Ginny watched his back, setting up shields and blocking unfriendly spells. They had a good system going; he would attack and she would defend. Together, brother and sister were an unstoppable force, as they took out enemy after enemy daring enough to get in their way.
Ginny felt Charlie stiffen next to him and turned to look at her older brother. He was staring at a rather large crowd of Death Eaters, who seemed to be slowly advancing on two fiercely dueling red heads.
Two very familiar fiercely dueling red heads.
Even from her spot, Ginny could see the faces of her twin older brothers fighting off the massive hoard nearly as well as Ginny and Charlie were holding off theirs.
Charlie turned to look at his baby sister, then to Bill, who was only a few feet away.
"Bill!" he shouted at him, now blocking spells rather than attacking. "Someone's got to go help Fred and George!"
Bill chanced a look where his two brothers were dueling before glancing at Charlie. "Go on," he replied, then sent a hex over at an enemy. "I'll keep watch over Gin."
Charlie nodded and sent off another curse, removing yet another foe from the fight. "Ginny," he muttered while continuing to fight. She nodded to show she was listening as she fought. "I'll help them out, then come back for you. Keep an eye on Bill; he's crazy."
Ginny nodded again, wondering vaguely if this would be the last time she would see her older brother.
He smiled and went off after the twins, leaving her and Bill to deal with the Death Eaters. Bill took over Charlie's spot, as he fired off curses while Ginny was left to defend.
They did fairly well together, but both were happy when help came in the unexpected form of a very beautifully angry French woman with long blonde hair.
"Bill!" she shouted furiously, knocking out two Death Eaters inadvertently as she reached her husband. "Never again! You theenk you can just abandon me at ze Burrow, to let you fight alone? I shall not stand for zis!"
She took out another three Death Eaters in her rage and stood face to face with a slightly cowering Bill.
"Y-you were supposed to watch after Mum," Bill started, but it seemed as though his wife had other plans.
"Your mother is more zan capable of taking care of 'erself! I am a fighter, not a nurse!"
Bill didn't say anything, but continued to fight with the other Death Eaters.
"I- I know," he muttered. He then surprisingly turned to look at Ginny. "You don't mind?'
Ginny thought this a very odd question. "We can use all the help we can get."
Bill smiled and turned to look at his wife, nothing but passion in his eyes. "Okay," he replied. "Till death do us part."
Fleur Delacour smiled smugly and fought next to her husband and sister-in-law.
All three fought furiously, taking out anyone who stood in their way. After all, with three people as passionate as these, it would be very hard to break their spirits.
However, a problem presented itself in the form ofan enormous blond Death Eater,who was throwing hexes left and right. Fleur was hit with a Stinging Hex on her left hand but ignored it as she tried to counter and attack the hooded man.
Bill saw the problem and immediately went over to help his wife. Being left-handed, he was able to hold her injured hand in his right and rub his thumb over it to try to relieve some of the pain she was obviously holding in. She smiled at him, and together they raised their wands.
They fought fiercely together, trying to take down the huge Death Eater as Ginny continued to fight other, less vicious, enemies.
It only took a few minutes before the blonde Death Eater began to be worn down by the married couple. One well-placed Stupefy from Bill and the man fell to the ground, unconscious.
But, as Ginny continued to fight against the dark wizards, something caught her attention in the corner of her eye. Two unmasked figures where pointing their wands at Fleur and Bill's unprotected backs. Ginny felt herself freeze up, and in that amount of time she was struck with a Silencing Charm.
She tried to scream, to get Bill and Fleur's attention, but to no avail. While they were busy dueling more enemies hand in hand, they were unable to see the two green spells headed right for him.
Ginny felt tears fall down her cheeks as both husband and wife were hit at the same time. They fell together, hands still clenched. Her heart stopped when theirs did, as they hit the ground unmoving.
Ginny turned furiously to stare at her brother and sister's murderers. She would have been able to identify their haughty smirks anywhere.
Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy looked condescendingly at Ginny.
"Ah, young Weasley," Lucius said, twirling his wand in his hand. "Narcissa, dear, this is the young lady I gave our Lord's diary to."
The woman grinned, showing perfectly straight white teeth. "Oh, so this is the girl he possessed."
Ginny could feel the effects of the Silencing Charm wear off as her anger bubbled to the surface. That incident had haunted her, and they talked about it as though they were proud of her?
"How dare you," she said, although it sounded like a whisper as the charm was still in place.
"I'm sorry, dear, you'll have to speak up," Narcissa replied cruelly.
She didn't need to speak to send off a curse, so she sent off a few hexes that they deflected easily.
"It's not going to be as simple as that," Lucius replied calmly.
"You can't get away with hurting my family," she muttered darkly.
"Why, I believe I just had," he answered airily.
She flung another hex at him, but he rebounded and sent it back to her. She dodged and was missed by inches. She pulled herself back up and tried to regroup. She was alone, with loads of Death Eaters under the control of the Malfoys. If she could get rid of the couple, she was pretty sure she could handle the rest.
She thought quickly of what Harry would do, given the situation. Harry was resourceful and used whatever he was given. Unfortunately for her, there was nothing and no one around but dark witches and wizards.
She remembered last year, the night Dumbledore died. She recalled the enormous blonde Death Eater that Bill and Fleur had just taken down, how he was able to cause such mayhem by throwing as many curses and hexes as possible. She decided it was worth a shot.
She fired off as many spells as she could remember, between all her years at Hogwarts and all she learned from her brothers and Harry from the D.A.
Most spells missed by a mile. Granted, she wasn't truly aiming for anything, but all the same many flew off into the air and away from everyone. Her plan, though, seemed to be working. The Death Eaters seemed confused as they blocked the hexes, which in turn ricocheted and aimed at another enemy, who blocked those to aim at other enemies. It was a continuous cycle that eventually brought down many of the Death Eaters.
The repetitive casts, although a good strategy, was definitely wearing Ginny down. She finally stopped after a few minutes for a breath and surveyed the damage.
Many hooded figures were on the ground, unconscious. Only half a dozen or so remained standing, including the Malfoys, both of whom appeared to be the only ones uninjured.
"What's wrong, little Weasley? Tired?" questioned Lucius confidently.
"You wish," answered Ginny breathlessly.
A sudden bright light appeared from behind the two, and Narcissa hissed in pain as a deep welt appeared on her shoulder. Another flash and Lucius fell to one knee, clutching his leg. With Lucius down, Ginny could see the culprit behind the two injuries and couldn't help but smile.
Luna Lovegood stood behind them both, clutching her wand and looking, as always, as if she had arrived there by accident.
"Hello, Ginny," she said calmly. "Are you all right?"
"Yeah, Luna, thanks," Ginny answered, grinning like an idiot. She couldn't help it; seeing Luna there reinstated her hope that everything would be okay.
Luna walked around the Malfoys to stand beside Ginny. "I thought you could use some help; you seemed tired."
Ginny glanced at her brother and sister-in-law. "I'm okay," she replied. "Let's finish this."
The two girls turned back to face the Malfoys and drew their wands.
And they ran into Ginny. She had been completely burned. Her hair was singed and large welts were on her face and hands. She was staring at her brother's and sister's-in-law lifeless bodies, tears filling her eyes. But then she looked up into Harry's eyes, and all the fear and sadness escaped her and was replaced with a great happiness and unimaginable relief. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny shared a hug together, as fierce and strong as their friendship. Harry and Ginny shared a kiss, as passionate and affectionate as their love. Hermione and Ginny shared a cry, as happy and caring as their sisterhood. Hermione and Harry shared a laugh, as free and warm as their relationship. And all three continued on. Because there was a missing piece. And they all had to know.
"Ginny."
Harry could barely breathe; it was as if all the air had escaped from his lungs. There she was, standing, perfectly fine. Well, she was hurt, but she was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment.
Ginny turned her tearstained face to him. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief, and then she smiled to reveal that hard blazing look he had fallen in love with.
"Harry! Hermione!"
She ran over to them and flung her burned arms around both of them, unaware of the injuries they had sustained. Neither cared, however, as they returned the hug.
"He's gone then, Harry?" she barely more than whispered, almost afraid of the answer.
"Yes, I killed him."
She smiled. "Oh, Harry…."
Neither could help it as their lips met in a fierce, hungry kiss. This was what both had been fighting for, to be able to have this future together. All of the pain was worth this.
"Thank you," Ginny muttered into his ear, before capturing his lips once again.
"Anytime," he whispered onto her lips a while later.
She smiled and they shared one more tender kiss.
They finally separated and Harry could feel Hermione shaking again.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" Harry asked. Why would she start crying now?
"It's- it's…." She sniffled. "I'm just so happy!" she finally exclaimed, letting Harry go to hug Ginny tightly.
The red head couldn't help it either as the tears poured from her eyes.
"I missed you Ginny," Hermione wailed as she held tight the youngest Weasley.
"Me too," Ginny sobbed into her shoulder.
They parted and Hermione turned to look at Harry. He couldn't help but let out a laugh. Girls were very strange sometimes.
Hermione joined in and the two laughed for a while, not being able to stop, while Ginny swiped at her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath.
"Are you okay, Ginny?" Hermione asked as she tried to stem the flow of her tears.
"Yeah," Ginny replied, rubbing a welt subconsciously. "Luna was here earlier. She's gone off to go help the Healers." She looked at Harry. "And I went off to look for you."
Harry smiled halfheartedly as he threw his arms around the two girls.
"We've still got one more to find."
Both girls looked on worriedly as they walked off together.
A/n: I think this chapter was slightly shorter than normal, but that's only because we are nearing the end! That's right, people, only three chapters left! And I can tell you now, Ron fans will be very happy with the last two chapters. He is my favorite character after all.
I would like to thank my very good friend Shari, a.k.a. Solstice Muse, for her lovely review. If any of you readers are not familiar with her work, she's a goddess with a keyboard, and she's a huge Ron fan. So go check her out!
My goal for this story is to get more reviews than chapters, so please, PLEASE review! I would greatly appreciate it!
So next chapter will feature Percy (yeah, that guy no one particularly likes) and Mr. Weasley (yeah, that guy many people like, including me!). Also we'll find out why everyone's fighting in Godric's Hollow in the first place, and you'll witness the destruction of the last Horcrux! Won't that be fun?
Okay, well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you review, and thanks for reading!
-dieselwriter
P.S.- About the title...no, I do not think Luna a weirdo necessarily... I just think of her as eccentric. However, that would not be nearly as catchy, so I stuck with weirdo. Sorry if I offended any Luna fans.