Chapter 66 - You Promised

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I cried as I fell down next to him, not hearing anything or anyone around me. His eyes were only halfway open, and I didn't dare to look lower that his beautiful head that was still without a scratch. I placed his hand against my stomach. ""You promised me we would do this together! You promised we would have a full life together! You promised!" I cried out as I fell on his chest, my tears wetting his shirt.

"I'll always be here with you. The both of you. I love you, Winnie. Always have, always will." He said with the last strength he had, before his eyes fluttered shut.

"I love you." My voice shook as I noticed his erratic breathing stopped. I cried uncontrollably and I felt hands on my shoulders trying to guide me away from him. The magic pulsed again, and a barrier, just like years before, protected us from everything. "Don't leave me." I cried. "Don't-" The magic was strong, but I felt myself weaken. A crack in the barrier, and I heard someone cry out.

"She's pregnant! She's pregnant! If she keeps up the force field much longer, she could lose the baby, we could lose them both!"

From my place on Cedric's still chest, I saw a redhead appear, but it wasn't Fred or Charlie but George. He had tears in his eyes and his lips moved without a sound. "NO!" I cried out. The magic pulsed one last time pushing everyone around the barrier to the ground, before everything turned black.

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George had just appeared when Gwen kneeled down next to Cedric. He stopped in his tracks as the girl with stark white hair cried into Cedric's chest. He couldn't hear what she said to him, but he did notice when Cedric breathed out his last breath. George stepped towards her without thinking, he grabbed her shoulders lightly trying to get her away from Cedric's body. Then a barrier pushed him back, his hands slipped from his shoulders as he called out for her. But she didn't react, she just laid crying on her husband's chest. He looked around frantically. Fred, Charlie and Bash all pounded on the barrier trying to break in, while Percy had a concentrated look as he pointed his wand at the barrier.

"We need to get her out!" Bash cried. "The barrier it's weakening her!"

Then George heard Voldemort's voice ringing in his ears. His eyes flew to Fred, who seemed to hear the same thing. Everyone around them frowned at the voice inside their heads. His head snapped back to Guinevere, but she didn't seem to hear him. But maybe that was for the best. When the voice stopped ringing in his head, Charlie shouted something that made his heart stop for second, his mouth dropped slightly open.

"She's pregnant! She's pregnant! If she keeps up the force field much longer, she could lose the baby, we could lose them both!"

"Wh-what?" George whispered, his eyes found Fred, and his stomach plummeted with the look he gave him. A look that said, he knew about the pregnancy. He looked away from his twin angry, and when he looked down, he saw the barrier crack. He fell to his knees next to her. "Guinevere! Please, let me in." He pleaded; he didn't even notice the tears that formed.

He didn't hear her response but the way her mouth moved; he knew what she shouted back. Then suddenly he fell backwards, he hit his head against the wall. He looked around and saw his brothers and Bash flat on their backs a few meters away, but all seemed unharmed. He looked back to Guinevere and Cedric. Her eyes were closed, and he feared the worst. But then he saw her chest move slightly. She had fell unconscious on Cedric's chest. He pushed himself off the wall and scrambled over to her. The others were clambering back up too, but he was the first one there. He paused to look at Cedric, the loss of one of his friends hit him like a bludger, but he didn't have time to grieve right now, he needed to get Guinevere and the baby help. He picked her up, carrying her in his arms. He looked over to Percy, he nodded when he stepped by. Percy let a blanket cover Cedric, before levitating him to the great hall. Fred, Charlie and Bash were next to him in an instant.

"Is she?"

"I think -" Hope, he thought to himself. "- she's just unconscious."

"Do you want me to carry her?" Charlie asked with a shaking voice.

"No." Was his only reply as he took large strides in search of Madam Pomfrey.

"George-" Fred said slowly, eyeing his brother.

"I said no!" He snapped in a way he never did before, but he was angry at his twin, and his mind was only at the girl in his arms and the body floating in front of him. When they entered the great hall, it was already filled with injured people, ranging from young to old. On the right, bodies lay on the ground, covered with blankets. George didn't want to know who was underneath, he already knew enough from the covered body that Percy placed next to the others. His eyes found the one he was searching for, but before he could call out Charlie and Bash yelled.

"Poppy! We need help!"

She rushed over as she saw the girl in George's arms, she guided them towards and empty bed in the corner. George lowered her to the bed slowly.

"I need room." She said and everyone took a step back. Bash started to shake, and Charlie wrapped him in his arms. Charlie looked over his husband shoulder, tears in his eyes as he watched Poppy work. Fred was pacing at the bed end, while George just stood frozen. George's eyes were fixed on her pale face, a strand of hair was covering her left eye. He took in a deep breath as Poppy started to use diagnostic spells.

"Poppy." His voice was low, but she heard him anyway. "She's pregnant."

Poppy's eyes widened. "How long?"

George didn't know how to answer that, so it was Charlie who spoke. "Almost four months."

Poppy changed the way she casts her spells after that, even her stance was different. The four of them were silent as the healer worked. Behind the healer, George could see Percy talking to their family as he explained what happened. He nudged his head towards them and then towards the covered body. Molly clasped her hand against her mouth, and Arthur wrapped his arm around her. George looked back to the healer who was frowning at the purple glowing light surrounding Guinevere.

"What happened?" She asked without looking away from her. Fred stopped pacing and looked from Guinevere to Poppy.

"Remember the force field after the tournament? It was something like that but..."

"Stronger, way stronger." George breathed out. "I could feel her magic pulse around her."

She glanced at her hand, before she casts another spell on her chest. "Where is her husband? He could help ground her."

"He -" George swallowed thickly. In the corner of his eye, he could see Charlie and Bash looking down. "Cedric didn't make it." That was when she finally looked up, her eyes wide and sad. "She saw it happen, that's when it happened."

She nodded and averted her eyes, but George saw the tears that formed there. Her wand was lowering to her stomach and just before she cast a spell, she started seizing.

"Gwen!" Bash stumbled to the bed, crying.

"Try and hold her still." Bash threw his torso over her chest, while Charlie moved quickly to hold down her legs. Fred came close too and helped Charlie with her legs. But George stood frozen, his face going even paler with a tinge of green. It felt like his heartbeat had stopped and started beating at an enormous pace at the same time. The way she was seizing seemed to go on for hours. He didn't see Odin and Lyra arrive in the great hall, he just heard Lyra scream seeing one of her best friends being held down on the bed. Odin had wrapped his arm around her, and she buried her head in his chest. Poppy was sweating heavily as she gave a last twirl over her body, and she stopped seizing. Poppy moved towards her head, putting charms over her, he didn't recognise.

"Is she?" Bash was barely able to speak.

"She's going to make it, but she can't use magic for a while or..." Everyone was silent, and George looked back to Guinevere's face, but she was still as white as a sheet.

"What about the baby?" Charlie asked, dragging two chairs to the bed. He eased Bash into one, Bash looked like he didn't know what he was doing, his eyes were fixed on his sister, and he gently grabbed her hand.

"I don't know." Poppy frowned. "Let's have a look, but keep in mind the chances that she lost the baby are high."

Charlie nodded, as Fred made his way of to his twin. George's legs were starting to buckle, and he was relieved when Fred took a hold of him. Poppy made a spiral move over her stomach and then they waited as her wand searched her stomach. One, two, three seconds passed, nothing. Four, five, six, still nothing. They were reaching a minute before a strong, fast heartbeat filled their ears. George let out a breath of relief, he didn't know he was keeping in. And his legs failed him, Fred caught him just in time and lowered them both to the ground.

"Someone should talk to Lyra and Odin; they need to know what happened." Fred said from the ground. Fred was staring at the foot of the bed, at her dust covered shoes.

"I'll go." Charlie stood up. He leaned closer to Guinevere and kissed the top of her white hair.

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Almost two weeks has passed since the battle, and Guinevere was still unconscious in the hospital wing. A few funerals have passed, Lavender, Colin, and a few other students. Most of them went to them, not perse because they knew them, but to show them respect for what they did. They held out the funerals for Cedric, Tonks and Remus. They all wanted Gwen to be awake for her to attend. Cedric's parents had come the morning after the battle and were inconsolable. Olive was a fixed point at Gwen's bed, tears streaming down her face as she caressed Gwen's wedding ring, smoothed her still white hair down, or rubbed small circles on her belly.

She had frequent visitors, Bill and Fleur stayed by her side when Olive went to take a nap or a shower. Molly had tried to convince the twins to come home, but they refused, even though George didn't come closer than a few meters. Fred, trying to control his own emotions, tried to be there for Charlie and Bash. The latter was a mess, obviously. He didn't want to leave her side; Charlie had to give him a sleeping potion just so he would rest. And he only agreed to a mild one and that he could stay in the bed right by her side.

After two weeks, George finally had the courage to come closer to her. Her bed was unmanned, the first time since... ever. He fell down in the chair where Bash normally sat and looked at her, just looked. He thought back a few months ago when Fred told him, he still loved her.

He didn't want to believe him, even though his stomach clenched together when he said it. He thought he just cared for her like a friend, but when he stormed out of the garage, he found her sitting next to the fireplace, her back against the wall. She was silently crying a picture in her hand. He slid down the wall next to her.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm." She hummed wiping the tears away with her sleeve.

"You can tell me." He gave her a slight nudge.

"I love that you're here, you and Fred. But I just miss him so much." Her thumb caressed Cedric's face on their wedding picture. Merlin, she looked beautiful. Once he had hoped he would be the one standing there, maybe even now, he realised. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.

"He'll be home soon."

"Maybe now... but the war is far from over, George." She laid the picture down in her lap and turned her head to look at him. "I can't lose him, I just can't. I won't be able to handle that." Tears started to roll down her cheeks. George pulled her into his chest and let her cry while he rubbed slow circles on her back. The way she felt about Cedric, was the way he felt about her. He wouldn't be able to handle it if he had lost her. His heart was beating fast at the realisation. That's when he knew he had to go, that he couldn't stay here. He couldn't see her day in and day out, with Cedric or without.

Did she know she was pregnant by then? Did she know with whatever would happen, there would be someone that will love her unconditionally, that she needed to take care of.

He took her hand in his, seeing her up close since the battle, he saw that the colour in her face had returned, that her hair wasn't as white as it was then, but not blond either. The hospital wing was quiet, everyone that was injured has been send home or to St. Mungo's. The sun shined brightly through the window, like nothing had happened, but they all knew better, he knew better. Harry went into hiding after the battle, only coming out to join the funerals in silence.

"I'm sorry I haven't been by." He spoke softly, looking down at her hands, so he didn't see her eyes move behind her eyelids. "I just don't know what to say. I'm devastated about Tonks and Remus and ... Cedric. He became a great friend of mine, all thanks to you. If I'm feeling like this, I can't image how it must feel for you." He took in a ragged breath as tears fell down. "But when you collapsed, I never been so scared in my life. I really thought I lost you."

He wiped the tears away and stood up. He leaned closer and placed the softest of kisses on her forehead. "You have a whole family that loves you, that wants to help you get through this. I'll try and help you through this." He tucked her hair behind her ear. "I love you." He squeezed her hand and stepped away. But before he could retract his hand, her grip on him tightened. He looked at her wide-eyed, his mouth dropped open, and his knees wobbled. Her eyes were dark grey, almost black and they stared up at him.

"Don't go. Can you stay, please?" Her voice sounded so broken, he nodded, and he let her pull him back. He sat down on the bed, and she buried her face in his chest as she cried.

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This is the penultimate chapter of book 3, after which I will start the last part of this story.