The Tale of Guinevere

Hit

Cedric had just caught her in time, Gwen was lying unconscious in his arms. "Winnie?" His voice shook. He lowered them both to the ground, his back towards the others in the room. He didn't hear anyone move towards them, but then his old professor was next to him. Remus had pulled out his wand and waved it over Gwen calmly. But if he would have turned, he would have seen the concerned look on his face. It only took a few seconds to check her over, but it felt like hours. On his other side, Fred kneeled down. He grabbed his shoulder as they looked at Gwen.

"Molly." Remus looked over his shoulder to Mrs Weasley. "Where can we put her? I need your help to heal it. She's..."

"What?" Cedric and George's voice croaked. But Remus ignored them and looked to Bill.

"Did you see her get hit?"

"No." Bill frowned, and Cedric saw his hands shaking, Fleur had noticed too, and wrapped her hand around his. "We were surrounded immediately. There were curses coming from every direction, but I thought nothing hit us, I-I thought we were good." His voice wavered.

Cedric took in a deep breath to control his own ragged breathing. "It's not your fault, Bill."

"It is!" He almost yelled. "I promised to keep her safe, and now..."

"It's not your fault." Cedric repeated, looking him straight in the eye. "She wanted to go, we were ambushed, it wasn't your fault." Bill just looked down to his feet.

"Can you lay her down?" Remus asked him. Cedric looked at him for a long moment, before he lowered her to the ground. Remus gestured them to stand up before he levitated his wife from the ground. "Don't want to make it worse."

"What's wrong with her?" Someone asked, but Cedric couldn't make out who it was, he was in some sort of trance.

"Dark spell, something familiar like George's but not quite." Remus glanced around the room. "Molly?"

"Yes." She nodded, she glanced over to George for a second, who waved her off from the couch and she hurried over. They started walking to the room next to the staircase, Cedric followed.

"Cedric." Remus stopped him.

"I'm not leaving her."

"Ced." Fred placed his hand again on his shoulder. "Let them do their work."

Cedric closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, and his shoulders slummed. He watched the three of them disappear in the room and the door closed behind them. Fred's hand disappeared and he walked away, presumably back to his injured twin. Cedric just stood there, looking at the closed door before he leaned against the wall and let himself fall to the floor, his head buried in his knees.

He felt someone slide down next to him and he lifted his head up to see who it was. Fred had helped George from the couch and had placed him next him. George's head was bandaged, covering the hole on the side of his head. He glanced around the room. Harry, Hermione and Ron had disappeared, Fleur was talking to Bill quietly in the corner. Through the window, he could see Kingsley talking to Hagrid. Tonks had taken Ginny to the kitchen to make some tea for everyone.

"She's going to be okay, Cedric." George said, but he didn't sound convinced himself. "She survived a lightning strike; I think she can survive a curse from a sodding death eater."

Cedric stared at the closed door in front of him. "I can't lose her." His voice trembled.

"You won't. She's one of the strongest people I know." George said and they fell silent again.