Chapter 65 - The Battle
OoO
Cedric and I were curled up in bed together, sleeping soundly. Cedric's hand protectively over my stomach, like he did subconsciously every night. If you would really look, you could see the smallest of a bump. The first time Cedric noticed he peppered my stomach with kisses and talked to the baby for hours. Then we were jolted awake when a brisk knock came from the door downstairs.
"Cedric." I grabbed his shirt.
"Stay here." He whispered, he grabbed his wand from the nightstand and hurried out the room.
"Like hell I am." I muttered and grabbed my wand, before following my husband downstairs. I heard Cedric's voice call out before I saw him.
"Who is it?"
"It's Remus."
"Remember the promise you made me, the night your son was born?" I heard Cedric ask as I crept closer, my wand still raised.
"You made me promise to take care of her in case..." Remus let the sentence hang, but I knew what he meant, and my stomach lurched. "What was Teddy's first change?"
"Purple hair." Cedric answered, another moment before Cedric opened the door.
"Is Tonks okay? Teddy?" I asked and Cedric frowned at me as he saw me approach.
"They're both fine, they're with Andy." He took in a deep breath, and my nerves grew. "It's time. Harry is at Hogwarts."
"The battle?" Cedric asked. It seemed like the had talked about this before, and knew it was coming. That's when a light glow came from the bowl in the kitchen, redirected me to it. I tucked my wand behind my ear and walked over. It was the coin from the DA.
"Cedric." I read the coin and tossed it his way. He caught it and examined it closely. "Where do we go?"
Cedric looked up from the coin and shared a look with Remus, they were having a silent conversation as I started to get frustrated.
"You can go stay with Andy and Tonks, I already cleared it with Andy." Remus said carefully, and he was right to do so.
"If either of you think I'm sitting this out, you are sorely mistaken. I'm not letting my husband go into battle without me!" My voice was rising, and I slapped Cedric's hand away when he tried to reach for me. "I'm getting dressed. And if you two disappear without me, believe me, I will find a way!" And I stormed upstairs.
A few minutes later, I came back down and saw the two men quietly conversing. Cedric had transformed his pyjamas into jeans and a hoodie. "Ready to finish this stupid ass war?"
"You better watch your language when your own baby arrives." Remus's lips curled up.
"I still have time." I chuckled dryly and rubbed my stomach. "I better let it all out now."
Cedric came over and put his hands on my waist. "Are you wearing the necklace?"
"I am." I showed him the necklace before tugging it back in my shirt.
"Are you sure -"
"I'm coming. I'm not leaving you." I said determent and kissed him. "So, where to Remus?"
"The Hogs Head Inn." Remus said and smiled a little at our surprised faces.
OoO
"He's not happy that people are coming in and out his tavern, is he?" I asked as we walked the new secret tunnel.
"No, he isn't. He likes his peace and quiet." Remus said. We were walking through the tunnel for almost ten minutes, when finally, a door appeared in the distance. "We're here."
"Where is here exactly?" Cedric asked, his hand firmly clasped around mine.
"You'll see." Remus answered. Cedric and I looked at each other with a raised eyebrow, then we reached the door. Remus pushed it open, and I stopped in my tracks as I saw the full room. The room of requirement. It was bigger than when we used it for the DA, beds were lined against the walls, tables were spread around the room. I recognised a lot of the people in there. Harry, Hermione and Ron were whispering in the corner, gods they looked thin. My eyes wandered around the room and saw the familiar bunch of red heads. The twins looked up simultaneously as if they felt my gaze. Cedric squeezed my hand before letting it go and we walked towards each other. The twins wrapped their arms around me.
"What are you doing here?" Fred asked once they pulled back.
I frowned as I looked between Fred and George. George looked confused at his twin. "I'm fighting, just like you guys."
"You're fighting?" Then he leaned closer. "But - but you're -"
"I'm what?" I challenged, but I knew he knew, how I didn't know. Maybe he found out when they stayed at the house for a couple of weeks, but with seeing George's confused look, I knew he didn't know. I took a step back. "Be safe." I kissed their cheeks and walked back to Remus and Cedric. But just as I arrived, Remus stiffened. I looked to the portrait hole and saw Tonks walk in, searching the crowd for her husband. When she found him, she flung herself at Remus.
"What are you doing here? What about Teddy?" Remus asked.
"He's asleep and won't wake till morning." Tonks said and her eyes opened. She spotted me and her eyes turned large. She unwrapped herself from her husband and stepped over to me. "What are you doing here?"
"What are you doing here?" I countered. We held each other gaze for a while, Cedric and Remus stood awkwardly next to us. I felt the twins' eyes on us too, but I held my gaze to the new mother. "I'm not leaving my husband." I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Nor am I." Tonks copied my movement.
"But you have a baby."
"And you -" She stopped herself. "- you might have one too one day." She said in a hushed voice.
"Fine."
"Fine."
Then we fell into each other's arms, both tearing up. I wiped the tears away before they could fall down, and the others would notice. I muttered in Tonks shoulder. "Damn hormones." Tonks laughed before she pulled back, wiping her own tears away.
OoO
The room of requirement was starting to empty as the people filtered out of the room. Cedric pulled me in an alcove in the RoR. He cupped my cheeks and his eyes raved over me, it looked like he tried to remember the way my nose was shaped, every stray freckle, everything. So, I did the same. I memorised his gorgeous head of brown hair, the light stubble, the freckle on his neck, the way his eyes gleamed as he looked at me.
"I need you to know, I love you." He shook his head as I opened my mouth. "Please, let me say this. I love you, you're the best thing that ever happened to me, the both of you." He rubbed his hand on my tiny bump. "I want to watch you grow." He said with a small smile. "I want to watch our son grow, and I'm planning on doing everything I can to see that."
"I love you." Tears filled my eyes. Part of the hormones, part of the fear of this night. "I want to grow old with you, I love you." I repeated, and Cedric crashed his lips against mine, pushing me softly against the wall. "Together?"
"Together, always." He whispered, then he closed his eyes when he said. "I'm sorry."
"Wha-" I didn't get to finish as I felt the body bind on me. Cedric lowered me to the stone floor, he swiped the hair out of my eyes as I glowered at him.
"I'm sorry. I need to know that you're safe, the both of you." He gave me a chaste kiss. "Forgive me, Winnie." Then he walked, leaving me alone in the alcove.
OoO
I heard the younger kids in the room of requirement but could call for help and Cedric had hidden me deep enough in the alcove nobody saw me. I heard the screams and fighting coming through the walls, the kids hushed voices as they shifted as far away from the door they could. I saw glimpses of people walking around the room, but I couldn't make out who it was. Time ticket by and I tried to use wandless and wordless magic to undo Cedric's spell. I was furious, but I couldn't be mad at him because I had the same thought a few minutes before he bound me.
I don't know how much time had passed, but I felt the spell weaken. I focussed all of my magic and energy on the bounding spell before I let it burst out of me. Then the spell broke, I fell forwards with a ragged breath. After I collected myself, I stood up and rushed out of the alcove. The young kids all looked surprised as I burst through the room, but they didn't say anything. I put a permanent protego over my belly before I glanced out the door. When I saw the coast was clear, I bounded out the room.
OoO
My heart stopped when I saw the underaged Colin dead on the floor, one of the Patil twins was dragging his little body behind a statue. I deflected a hex that was shot at her back and then send the death eater flying backwards. I climbed over the rubble on the sixth floor as I reached the other side of the collapsed ceiling, I cried out at the sight in front of me.
"No, no." I shook my head as the tears fell down, my hair had turned white because of the sight.
Tonks and Remus were lying motionless on the cold stone floor, their hands only an inch away from each other. I kneeled beside them, crying. "No! Tonks, please." I shook her, but she didn't move, her eyes stared distantly at the open ceiling. I felt my magic soar, it felt like it had its own heartbeat. I conjured two blankets and covered them up. Wiping away the tears I rose to my feet, the magic pulsed around me. With a growl and a hard grip of my wand, I started running. I didn't care about just using defence spells or disarming ones, they all deserved to die. When a large death eater charged towards me, I just let him fly out of the window without looking back. When another tried to use the killing curse on Arthur Weasley on the third floor, I let him fall over the railings of the steps. Then I saw Draco, his pale face as white as I remembered.
"Careful, Malfoy!" I snapped as he looked lost on the second floor. "Think about what the right thing to do is." He looked at me with large eyes, but I didn't wait for a reaction and darted down the stairs. There I saw Fred and Percy fighting two death eaters. Fred's eyes flickered to me for a second, sending me a glare to shoo me away. But since the death eaters had their backs towards me, I had an advantage. I send a Bombarda at the wand of the man of the left, and his wand exploded, wood chips flew into his eyes as he cried out. The two Weasley brothers saw the opportunity, and both shot a spell to the remaining one. The death eater fell to the floor twitching before falling completely still. I rushed over to the two red heads.
"Are you guys ok-" Then an explosion happened, and the wall came crumbling down. Without thinking, I pushed Fred out of the way, and pushed my magic forward. The bricks came falling down, but they all shattered in tiny pieces as they came closer to me. Fred and Percy looked at me shocked, not knowing what to think or what was going on. But I didn't know either. Was it because of the necklace or from the magic that radiated of me since seeing Tonks and Remus's... bodies. Maybe it was a combination of the two, who knew...
"What are you doing here!" Cedric's voice filled the air as the last stones fell down. I whirled around and he wrapped me up in his arms. "Winnie." He nuzzled his face in my neck.
"I just saved Fred's live, that's what I'm doing here." I cupped his cheek. "I'm fine, but it's not over yet." I heard shouting coming closer. The four of us took a fighting stance, but the people who rounded the corner were not death eaters but Bash, Charlie and a few guys from the reserve. The two of them looked at me stunned. They probably thought I would stay back too. "BEHIND YOU!" I called out as a troll came waltzing in. They turned in a second and we charged forwards, sending every spell we could think of at the ugly giant. Then the giant made a fist and went to slam it down, at the spot I was standing. But to my greatest horror, Cedric pushed me aside, taking my place. The giant's fist hit him, and I heard a sicking sound.
"NOOO!" I cried out and the magic pulsed stronger than ever. I let it gather before sending a powerful and wandless hex at the giant's head. At first it didn't look like it did anything, but then the giant's eyes rolled in its sockets, and he fell back, hanging halfway out the castle.