Soft sheets, a feather pillow, and warm sun shining on her face. She stretched her legs pulling the pillow closer to her face before her nose caught scent of something. Apple cinnamon muffins. Sitting up from the bed she looked around the room. It was her room, but her room from thirteen years ago. Her heart sped up as she rushed to the door and down the stairs before turning into the kitchen. A smile came across her face seeing chestnut hair and brown eyes smiling back at her, "Bridget, nice of you to finally wake up. Come now, I made your favorite."
Bridget smiled at the familiar Scottish accent and ran wrapping her arms around the womans neck, "Mum!"
Emmele smiled at her hugging her back, "What's with all this now?"
"It's just…it feels like ages." Bridget smiled looking at her mother.
"Do I smell apple cinnamon?" A mans voice came into the home.
Bridget turned from her mother and looked at him, sandy brown hair, blue eyes, a short beard on his face. She ran to him and hugged him as well, "Da!"
"Well good to see you too." He laughed setting the paper down on the counter, "What did I do to deserve this?"
"She's in a lovin' mood it would seem." Her mom laughed.
Patrick looked down at his daughter as she let go of him, "What caused this?"
"Both of you. You look exactly like you did-" She stopped and looked between them as they both looked at her, their expressions falling from large smiles to small ones. Her eyes widened, "Am I dead?"
All the Death Eaters were gone or dead. Everyone waited in the Great Hall and when Harry came through the entrance they all smiled. Neville looked at him, "Is it done?"
Harry gave him a small nod but not a happy nod, his face somber. Hermione stepped forward, her voice barely audible, "Bridget?"
He stopped walking and behind him came John, tears streaming down his face, Bridget limp in his arms. Minerva was the first to comprehend it. She put her hands to her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes, "No. No, no, my girl, no."
John still couldn't say anything as he continued walking towards the Weasleys, to George. Molly let out a sob and Arthur pulled her into his chest. Hermione couldn't get any words out as the tears streamed from her eyes. Fleur cried into Bills chest. Even Ron let the pure grief he felt show.
George took a step forward, she just looked asleep. Perhaps she was. John looked up at him and he reached to out her, "Bridg? Bridget?"
Molly and Hermiones cries intensified as Johns legs lost all will to stand with him saying her name. He fell to his knees and Charlie helped him set Bridget on the ground. Tevos came over her face wearing regret and remorse. George took her face into his hands, still trying to get a response from her.
"Bridget, come on. Please." He begged before looking up to Tevos, "She just needs to recover right? Needs energy right?"
Tevos couldn't answer him and he shook Bridget more as more people gathered around them in tears. He kept calling to her not getting any response and tears were streaming down his face as he pulled her into his arms, "Please, come back. I need you. Now more than ever…please…don't leave me too."
John fell back away from them as Georges cries became louder, his own sobbing getting worse, Minerva bending down to put an arm around his shoulder. Molly pulled away from her husband, moving to put her arms around her son. She held him as he cried with his dead fiancée in his arms. His grief turned to anger as he looked at John.
"You knew…you knew didn't you?!" He yelled through his tears before looking at Tevos, "And you too! You knew what was going to happen, you knew that this is how it would end, all this time! You tried to take her away from it before but now you just let her go!"
"George." Molly tried but he pushed her away, setting Bridget down before standing up.
"No!" He yelled, "You lot might as well have killed her! I…I can't…"
They all watched as he left the room, Molly crying while calling after him. John cried even harder as Minerva tried to comfort him. He stopped her, "Don't. I don't deserve it. He's right. I sent my sister to her death."
"Almost." Her father answered.
"What do you mean?" Bridget asked, "How can I be almost dead? There isn't such a thing?"
"For most people no." Emmele smiled at her pouring tea into six mugs, "But for you and your brother there is a choice."
"A choice?" Bridget asked following her mother as she put the tray of mugs into the table.
"You're a Pure-Blood with half of that a Phoenix." Her father sat down at the table with Emmele and Bridget sat across from them. Patrick handed her a muffin, "Now, you're a smart girl. What is the key trait of a Phoenix?"
She thought for a moment then realized, "They can be reborn. But they age all over again, a chick to a full grown bird?"
Her mother laughed, "Yes but you are human as well, which means you don't burst into flames and come back as an infant."
"So I can go back?" She asked taking a bite of her mother's food.
"If you want." Emmele nodded, "It's your choice to make, no one else's."
"Not that we would blame you if you did, that's one fine boy Molly and Arthur raised, he came and visited us when you couldn't this past year, did nothing but worry and brag about you." Patrick smiled at her over his tea.
"And you've been so wonderful Bridget, workin' hard to master what ya are, protectin' and helpin' your friends, comin' and seein' us every holiday, even waitin' for your brother to come back. Not even hesitatin' with what you were tasked to do." Emmele face wore a sad smile, "It'll be hard to watch without being able to talk to ya but ya deserve to be able to live your life now, free of everythin'."
Bridget was silent, not sure what to say. She didn't want to leave them, but she didn't want to leave her friends or George either. She looked down at the table, "Mum, why are there three extra cups of tea?"
"Guests, they should be here soon." Her mother smiled wider now, "Everyone helped ya so much, it's only fair that we help them now. Tell Molly, that I miss her and thank her for everythin' she's done for you and now Johnathon. Tell her that she looked after mine and I'll look after hers now."
George walked aimlessly through the hallways, past the stairwell where he first kissed Bridget, past where he and Fred left the portable swamp, past where the three of them together would hide from Filch after causing a ruckus.
It was just him now.
He walked until he had made it outside, past the tree where she would rest with Cedric, seeing the Quidditch pitch smoldering in the distance. Eventually he was standing on the dock at the Black Lake looking at his reflection in the water. It could have been Fred he was looking at, if Fred were missing an ear. He wished that in the reflection hers was there too, that she was standing next to him like she always had before. A tear slipped from his eye and as he wiped it away he saw his wrist, the bracelet on it a dull grey color, no light in it at all except for his.
There was a knock on the door and Patrick got up to answer it. Bridget sat there, hearing talking from the other room for a moment and a smile grew on her face as she saw her father walk back in with Fred. Her legs moved quicker than her brain could process and she wrapped her arms around his neck. He laughed softly at her, "Looks like we aren't still in one piece now are we?"
"Oh, Fred, I'm so sorry!" She held him tight.
"Don't be unless you were the one that blew that wall down on top of me." He pulled away from her, "Plus I had a good welcome party." She watched as he looked up at her parents with a nod, before looking back down at her, "How's Georgie?"
"Torn to pieces." Bridget looked up at him, her eyes watering just thinking about how George had been sobbing.
Fred nodded, his face sad, "I knew it would be rough on him. Tell him…tell him that I didn't want to go but I didn't have a choice. That I'm sorry to leave him with the shop but I know he'll handle it well and that I don't want him to feel bad or guilty. That I want him to keep living, for me, because I'll be there with him, he won't know it but I will. And that there's a surprise for him at Aunt Muriels under my bed. Don't you go looking at it though."
"Oh, Fred." A tear slipped down her cheek.
"Most people don't get to say their last words before they're gone, do they? Better take the chance while I can." Fred tried to smile at her before taking a deep breath, "Tell Mum, I wouldn't have chosen a different mother for the world, I had everything I could have ever wanted, and I want her to make my favorite for my funeral. Dad that I wish I had learned more from him while I had the chance and that I appreciate all the support he gave us. Bill to never let go of Fleur, that girls a real keeper, and to be careful with breaking those curses, I don't want to see him for a while. Tell Charlie to keep up with his passion despite how many time mum tells him to settle down with someone. Percy that as much as I picked on him I really was inspired by how driven he was to find his way in the world. Tell Ron that he can have our family discount now and that he was a great little brother. And Ginny…what to tell her, she is such a talented witch and one hell of a quidditch player, tell her to keep at that and I'll always be there rooting for her. And tell Angelina not to be too sad, tell her I love her but she should be happy. Will you do that for me?"
"Of course I will." She smiled at him.
Fred smiled at her, relieved now and took a tea from the table, "Now, I can say this to your face, sort of, you take care of my brother, but don't let him get away with things. You keep him on his toes like always. Don't treat him any differently, but take care of him."
"Always." She laughed.
They heard the front door open and a voice hit her ears, "Sorry we're late, I had to talk Harry through it too."
"And I wouldn't leave without him." Tonks said as she and Remus came into the room. Bridget ran to and hugged both of them as they both laughed. Tonks smiled down at her, "You're going back aren't you?"
"Yeah." Bridget nodded and looked at all of them.
"Bridget, I want you to know the time I spent with you was some of the best times of my life. I never thought after losing my friends that I'd ever have happy times like that again but you gave me that and you gave me the courage to have it with Dora." Remus put a hand on her arm, "Now I want you to have the same thing."
"I'll do my best." She smiled at him, "And I'll look after Teddy, Harry will too."
"We know." Tonks smiled at her, "I couldn't think of a better pair to do it."
"Give him our love for us." Remus smiled down at her, "Teach him well."
"I will." She nodded proudly, "I'll let him know that you're still there, just like my parents were."
Bridget looked back at her mom and dad and her father smiled, "I think it's about time."
"I believe so too. Give Johnathon our love and tell him he did a good job even though he doesn't think so." Her mom stood from her seat where she had been watching her amazing daughter from and walked over giving her a hug, "Stay strong my beautiful girl. We'll always be with you. All of us."
"I will mum." She hugged her back then moved to her dad, "Good-bye da." She turned to look at everyone in the room, "I love you all and I'll think of you all the time. But wait, what about MacRose?"
"She wanted to be here but she missed her husband quite a bit. She's very proud of you and how far you've come though." Her mother smiled at her before pointing at the back door, "Through that door, it'll take you where you want to go."
Bridget walked towards it and reached for the handle. She hesitated for a moment, looking back one last time at the five smiling faces and grabbed the handle, pushing the door open.
Hermione was sitting next to her dead friend, holding her hand, dried tears on her face. Her wings were stretched out on either side of her and she looked truly like an angel despite the fact her wings were red and not white. She hadn't quite gone cold yet and Hermione stroked her hand with her thumb. John was sitting back away from the body, still tormented by what had happened. The Weasleys all sat together without George, but Harry was with them. Minerva and Tevos were sitting next to each other, silent.
A faint glow came from under Bridgets armor. Hermione didn't notice it until the feathers on her wings joined in. She didn't take her eyes off of the girl but spoke up, "Somethings happening!"
Everyone looked over and John rushed to his sister, his hands going to her shoulders, "She's getting warm."
Tevos knelt down and looked at the girl, putting her hand to Bridgets forehead before her eyes went wide, "Everyone back away from her. Now!"
John looked at the woman confused as Hermione was pulled away by Ron. Minerva grabbed her nephew and everyone watched as Bridgets pale skin began to glow all over, before shining a magnificent white orange. They all had to cover their eyes and once the light was gone they all looked down at her, unsure of what happened. Slowly at first there was a flutter from her eyes. Then they opened as if she had woken up from a dream.
Her lungs burned and she took in deep breaths. Tevos knelt down to her, helping her sit up and Molly did too, "Easy Bridget, just breathe."
Bridget looked at Molly and smiled. She was back. She wrapped her arms around the woman and laughed before looking around and seeing all of her friends standing there. Harry looked at her with a grin and rushed to give her a hug, almost toppling her over, "You we're gone for so long, we thought…"
"Don't worry. So did I." She hugged him back.
"But how?" Hermione asked tears in her eyes.
"I'm a Phoenix." Bridget smiled standing up giving her a hug too. With her statement everyone understood. She looked around, "Where's George?"
"He…He left." John answered, his voice shaky and ashamed, "He left after realizing that I knew what was going to happen to you."
"Don't feel bad about it." Bridget walked up to him, "Mum and da are proud of you for what you did."
"They are?" He asked, his eyes growing wide, "How do you know?"
"I was with them." She smiled at him then looked to everyone else, "Remus and Tonks as well. Fred too. He gave me messages for everyone."
"Really?" Mollys eyes shook with tears.
Bridget nodded, "Yeah and my mum told me to tell you that you watched over us, so she's going to watch over him now."
"Emmele." Molly cried.
"I can't wait to tell you all everything…but I need to find George." Bridget looked around.
Molly shooed her, "Yes! Please! Let him know you're alive! Then you can tell us everything."
Bridget smiled at her and quickly left the Great Hall.
George sat, his feet hanging off the dock, staring at the sky which was a beautiful shade of blue, not one that matched his mood at all. Hearing foot steps behind him on the wood he said, "Go away."
"You made me promise to find you immediately afterwards though." She replied.
His head spun around and saw Bridget standing there behind him. He stood slowly, his eyes tearing up. Walking over to her he was cautious to get his hopes up, "Are…are you a ghost?"
"I must have really lost weight if you can see through me." She gave a small smile and closed the distance, her hand moving to his face, wiping away a tear, "Does that feel like a ghost?"
George swiftly pulled her into his arms, holding her tight, tears falling from his eyes as he felt her return the hug. She was warm and solid in his grip and he let out a sob. She was real. She was alive. He pulled away slightly, but didn't let her go, "But you were-"
"I'm not anymore." She ran her hand on his head, pushing the hair back away from his face so she could see it, "I'm here now and that's what matters."
He pressed his lips to hers pulling her body tight to his. Separating only their lips he whispered, "Please, don't ever leave me again."
"I already told you, once the war was over I would always be by your side." She looked up at him, "I love you George Weasley, and it'll take more than that for you to get rid of me."
He couldn't help but laugh and she did too. He kissed her again, this time smiling, "I never want to get rid of you."
"Good, because Fred told me to take care of you." She put her hand in his.
"What?" He asked.
"Come on. I'll tell you on the way back to the castle. Your mums waiting for us." Bridget smiled at him as she started leading him back to the castle.