Word count: 1028
warning: character death
"What the hell do you think you're doing here?" Cormac demands, and he can barely keep the panic out of his voice.
Romilda just gives him a smirk, adjusting the thin silver chain around her neck, a necklace Cormac gave her in December for their one-year anniversary. "I turned seventeen in February," she reminds him with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm allowed to be here, just like you."
Cormac swallows dryly. He knows he's a hypocrite because he's perfectly willing to risk his own life for this fight, but he doesn't want Romilda to be a part of this. The idea of her getting hurt is like a stab to the heart, and he doesn't think he could handle it. "It hasn't begun yet," he tells her. "I'm sure they'll still let you evacuate."
She fixes him with that look. Cormac knows it too well; it's a clear, unspoken confirmation that he is most certainly not getting his way in the matter. "Don't tell me you're actually scared?" she teases, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "Where's that Gryffindor courage, Cormac?"
"Bite me."
"Maybe later," she says, winking.
There's something about the light, teasing nature of their conversation that makes him relax, if only slightly. Cormac still thinks it's a terrible idea, but he also knows there's nothing he can say to convince her to stay behind. One of the things he loves most about Romilda is her stubbornness. Sometimes he thinks she's the only one who can keep up with him. How could he ask her to stay behind now when her mind is clearly made up, and she's already put her heart into it? He can't. He won't.
"Fine," he says with a huff. "But you'd better come back to me."
"Or what?" she challenges, raising a brow.
Cormac awkwardly clears his throat, blushing and stumbling over his words. Romilda watches on for several moments before standing on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to his lips. "We've got this," she says.
And he thinks that maybe, just maybe, she's right.
…
Cormac doesn't know exactly how he and Romilda ended up separated, but he thinks maybe it's for the best. His attention catches too easily when she's around. Besides, she's a strong witch. She can take care of herself.
Even as he tries to convince himself of that, his eyes still shift this way and that, searching for her among the chaos of the battle.
"Stop that," he mutters, shaking his head.
If he gets distracted, it could be the end of him. Cormac has made it this far, and he won't let a little mistake cost him his life. He has to see this through and make it back to Romilda. The two of them still have so many adventures to have, and he promises himself that he's going to see it through.
"Stupefy!" he cries, Stunning a masked Death Eater before they can get the jump on Padma Patil.
The Ravenclaw offers him a small smile and a quick, muttered word of thanks before disappearing into the sea of bodies with her wand raised. Cormac can't help but grin, the moment seeming to give him a new burst of energy. He's never felt so invincible before, like nothing can stop him. The Death Eaters don't scare him anymore, and he knows they can stop the bastards and fix this broken world again.
"Ha! Too slow!" a familiar voice calls, and Cormac jerks his head sharply to the left.
Romilda looks beautiful in battle, wand raised and eyes narrowed. It's a mask of fury, something he's never seen on her before, and he is awestruck. Each movement is surprisingly graceful, almost like she's dancing instead of fighting. He watches her masked opponent, their posture clearly indicating their frustration.
Cormac laughs. He doesn't know why he was so worried about her. Romilda is perfectly capable of holding her own.
He's about to turn his attention back to the fight when everything changes, and he freezes, petrified and unable to move. The Death Eater sends a hex Romilda's way, sending her flying and slamming against the wall. Cormac hears an audible snap, but he can't seem to make his legs work. Everything around him seems to spin, and there's a whirring in his ears and a pounding in his head.
He doesn't know how long he stands there, but it feels like an eternity before he's able to sprint forward. If the Death Eater is still around, he doesn't notice; all Cormac cares about is getting to his beloved Romilda.
"Hey," he whispers. "Hey. Come on. Ro, you…"
Romilda's lips weakly twitch into a smile. Cormac lets out a choked sob, desperately trying to ignore the crimson that pools around her body. "I… tried... I tried to… make it… back to… you," she manages.
"Shh," he murmurs. "Shh. Don't speak. I messed up, Ro. I should have tried harder to get you to stay, but no. I treated this like some silly game we didn't have to worry about. Merlin, I'm so... "
"It's okay. It's okay."
But it doesn't feel okay. How could anything about this be okay?
"I… love… you," she whispers.
And then he sees the light leave her eyes, and all he can do is cradle her lifeless body, tears spilling from his eyes. They had plans; they had a future. How could this happen?
"Crucio!"
The cries from the battle draw him back to reality, and he lets out a trembling breath. This is war. There's no time to mourn and weep. All around him, others are fighting and dying for the same thing Romilda died for. It would be an insult to sit idly by and let them continue without him.
He moves her body to the side, keeping it as safe as he possibly can in the uncertainty that unfolds all around him.
"I love you," he says, though his words fall on unhearing ears. "I'll see you again one day."
But not today. Cormac stands tall and lifts his wand, letting out a determined cry. He will make it through. He will honor Romilda's memory this way.
