Chapter 54: Nothing Will Be The Same Again

GN

Married life. It wasn't that much different than how we were the months before, except the honeymoon phase hasn't stopped yet and we were married for over three months now. We were just packing up our things at the cottage in Australia to head to Azia, ready for the next part of our adventure. We had a goodbye party with our muggle friends the night before, and Cedric was showering to get refreshed after the long night.

Suddenly I felt arms circling around my waist from behind and a nose nuzzled my neck. "I'm going to miss this smell." He said breathing in.

"Smell?" I frowned.

"The smell of the sea." He reassured me. "When does our portkey leave?"

"In an hour." I placed my hands on his, and leaned back. "I'm going to miss it here."

"Me too." He kissed my neck. "Think we have time to say farewell." He kissed the sensitive spot behind my ear. I turned in his arms and wrapped my arms around his neck. Just as I went to lean in, Charlie's Patronus appeared, the mystical dragon opened its mouth.

"Gwen, Cedric." Charlie's voice came, it was shaking a bit, which made me worry. "Dumbledore is death. I'll explain later, can you two come to the sanctuary. We need to talk."

"Dumbledore's death." We whispered in astonishment as the dragon vanished.

"What does that mean?" I asked, fear in my eyes. "What's going to happen?"

"I don't know." He caressed my cheek. "Nothing good, I presume. With you-know-who back and Dumbledore gone..." He shook his head lightly. "But we have each other that is all that matters."

I leaned my head against his chest. "So, change of plans."

"Yeah. I'll change the Portkey. You go get our things and we'll leave in ten."

"Right." I nodded and went to step away from him, but he pulled me back and kissed me passionately. He took a few steps until my back ended up against the wall, his hand was still on my cheek, and he guided my head to the side. The kiss was not just filled with passion, but with worry. With knowing that things would never be the same again. Their peaceful life, full of travel, just the two of them was going to end in ten minutes and their life would never be the same again.

GN

With one last look at the cottage, and the beach behind it where we got married, we disappeared with a pull behind the navel. Another familiar cottage came into view a few seconds later, but this one was surrounded by mountains and trees. Bash was pacing in the kitchen nervously, biting his fingernails while Charlie was writing at the kitchen table, his head bent low and crease between his brows. We placed our things on the floor, the little thump made them look up. Bash stopped his pacing and came over quickly and engulfed me in a hug.

"Can't breathe." I gasped as his grip was tight.

"Sorry." He muttered. When he pulled back, he looked pale and worried. I cupped his cheek. "I'm okay." He took in a deep breath. "Just worried."

I pulled him back in a hug. As I looked over his shoulder, I saw Charlie greet Cedric and whisper something to him.

"So, what happened?" I asked once we all sat down at the kitchen table, Cedric held my hand firmly, giving it an extra squeeze when the married men in front of us shared a look.

"Snape... Snape killed Dumbledore." Bash finally said.

"What?!" Cedric and I nearly shouted in shock. And so, Charlie and Bash told us what happened the night in the castle. How the order came to the castle after death eaters broke in. How Harry had seen it all. How... how Bill was attacked. After the story it was silent for a long time. The tea in front of us, untouched, already turned cold.

With a shaking voice I asked. "Bill. Is he going to..." I couldn't finish the sentence. Bash intertwined his fingers with Charlie's.

"We don't know." His voice almost inaudible.

"Have you been to visit him?" Cedric asked.

"Not yet, wanted to wait for you." Bash answered. "We have a portkey in an hour, if you want to come."

I looked from Bash to Charlie. "Do you want us to come?" I asked my favourite redhead; I reached out my free hand and put it on their intertwined fingers. Charlie looked up from the table, his eyes sad.

"Yes." He gave a feeble smile. I gave him a small smile back and stood up. I walked over to him and pulled him up in a hug.

"I'll put our things away." Cedric's voice came from behind me.

"Thanks, Ced." Bash nodded with a grateful smile as he looked back to me and Charlie, still in a hug.

Once Cedric's footsteps fell silent, I felt Charlie shake in my arms. My eyesight started to get clouded from my own tears as Charlie cried in my arms. I pulled him tighter against me, my hand stroking his hair softly. I didn't know what to say, what to do. But from Bash's look, I knew this was enough. So, I held him. I rested my head against his chest. Charlie's grip on me was tight, but I didn't mind. It was like he needed something to ground him, something familiar, someone he trusts. I closed my eyes, and felt the tears turn down my cheeks onto his shirt. I took in a few shaking breaths. I've never seen him so devastated, so broken, so afraid. Not even when Bash was injured. But that was different of course, he knew how he was doing. He didn't know anything about his brother, how he was doing, what was going to happen to him, what was going to happen to the world... So, we stood there for a long time, holding each other up.

GN

The four of us were standing in front of the closed doors of the hospital wing of Hogwarts, holding each other's hands. Cedric, me, Charlie and Bash. I felt Charlie's hand tremble in mine and squeezed it hard. Neither of us had looked around the castle, reminiscing about before, not with what had happened. The hallways were dead quiet, and not because there were no students about. Every student was just silent, due to mourning, shock or loss, it didn't matter.

"Ready?" Bash and I asked simultaneously after we stood there for at least five minutes.

"Yes." He said while he shook his head. Cedric looked uncertain at Charlie before he reached for the door and pushed it open.

You could easily see where Bill's bed was as it was surrounded by red heads. A few of them turned when the door closed behind us. Molly's eyes were wet with tears and ran over to Charlie engulfing him in a hug, separating him from us. My eyes glanced over the others that were still near the bed. Fleur was stroking Bill's head softly, his face hidden behind Arthur who stood protectively on the other side. Hermione was comforting Ginny, while Ron just glanced down to the ground. The ever so joyful twins were sitting downcast on the chairs next to the bed. Their eyes were sad and red as they looked at a spot on the wall. Then Fred turned and his eyes found mine.

"Guinevere." Fred whispered, but it was audible in the whole room. George's head snapped up and locked his eyes with me. Cedric squeezed my hand, and I looked over to him. He gave me a little smile and gestured his head to the twins. I squeezed back before I let go. I walked over to the twins quickly and they stood up. Once I reached them, they both wrapped their arms around me as I did with them. The room was silent, the only thing I could hear was everyone's breathing.

"Don't forget about me." A voice croaked. I whipped my head to the hospital bed; I was still holding the twins as I saw he scarred face. My hands turned into fist, clenching the fabric of the twins' shirt.

"Bill." I turned further and saw Charlie stumble to his brother. I let go of the twins' shirt as I watched the brothers hug, Charlie started to cry silently again. If you didn't know him, you wouldn't even notice it, but from the slight shake of his shoulders it was evident. When I saw Bash's face, I walked back to him and wrapped my arm around his waist. Bash looked, I don't know, lost, frightened, shocked. Not just from Bill's face but from Charlie's emotional state. He didn't know what to do, what to say to comfort him, he felt completely useless. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and tugged me close.

"I'm okay." Bill murmured in Charlie's shoulder. "Greyback wasn't transformed, the chance that I will turn into a werewolf is slight to nothing."

"Are you sure?" Charlie's voice came from his chest.

"Quite positive." Bill padded his back. Charlie pulled back with red stained eyes, but the tears were gone.

"What about other things?"

"Talked with Remus about it, we'll have to wait and see." He looked over Charlie's shoulder to Cedric, Bash and me. "You've brought guests." He smiled; the scars twitched with it.

"Yeah." Charlie chuckled hoarsely. "Thought you might like the company."

"It's nice to see something else than red hair." He winked. "How's my favourite none Weasley girl." Fleur pursed her lips teasingly at Bill and slapped his arm. "What? You're going to be a Weasley soon."

"You're getting married?" I asked, surprise evident on my face as I stepped forward.

Bill nodded and Fleur beamed as she showed her ring. "This summer."

"Congratulations." I sat down on the bed as Charlie stepped aside to let me through. I clasped my hands around his. "I'm so happy for the both of you." I glanced between Fleur and Bill, with the first real smile since Charlie's Patronus.

"Merci. It's nice to see you again." Fleur said with a French accent.

"Yeah, it's been a while." I smiled. Fleur eyes flickered behind me, and her eyes widened when she saw Cedric.

"Cedric." I heard feet move and Fleur hugged him tight. "How are you? I haven't heard from you in ages."

"Been travelling." He smiled.

"Uhm." Bill said as he glanced from my hand to Cedric's. "Did you get married?"

"Oh." I said as I looked at the ring on my hand. Bill held in up slightly higher to inspect the ring. I heard several feet shift behind me, but I didn't turn. I didn't want to see the look on George's face. "Yes." I smiled. "A few months ago."

"With Cedric, right?"

"No, with Bobo the clown." I rolled my eyes and slapped his arm softly

"Who?" Bill looked surprised.

"Never mind. Yes, with Cedric." I glanced at Cedric on the other side of the bed. He smiled down at me and held out his hand. I reached up and gave it a squeeze, a little smile on my lips.

"You got married before me."

"What he means to say is... congratulations." Fleur shook her head with a smile, happy that her fiancé can joke and laugh after the whole ordeal.

"Thank you." I looked back to Bill. "When can you go home?"

It wasn't Bill that answered, but Molly. "He can go home tonight. He just needs to put the salve on the scars, but they'll never go away." Molly's voice shook and a moment later, she was crying. Arthur brought her in his chest and caressed her back softly. Bill gave me a look that told me she had been crying none stop since the attack.

"Well, I think the scars make you look ruggedly handsome." I grinned.

"That's what I thought." Fleur smiled as she traced a finger over the scars.