THE TWO WITNESSES | RON WEASLEY [BOOK TWO]

13. A WARRIOR

Gene felt the pull behind her navel, the whirl of wind and bursts of vivid colour taking over her vision as they felt themselves travelling in mid-air. They were going back. They were saved.

She landed on her stomach, her face pressed against flesh and she could smell the familiar scent of sage, ever so slight, but it was there. It brought her to reality as she lifted her head, her hand still tightly wrapped around Harry's, and it seemed he wasn't letting go just yet.

She could feel Cedric's cold skin against hers and her vision blurred as she doubled over him, her hand shakily going to his cheek, though it was just as cold.

She went to shake him gently, hoping to rouse him awake by some miracle. Gene knew she had watched him die, right before her eyes, but it didn't seem real. She could hear the clamouring of students in the stands, the cheers and applause and music as though they had won.

"Cedric?" Gene whispered, a tear passing her cheek and falling against his clothes.

She went to shake him again, gently, until a warm hand had grasped her own, and she was forced to look up to find Dumbledore's very real eyes, full of life, watching her. Full of awareness and sympathy, as though he knew what she was feeling. There was a caution about them, yet a softness as he squeezed her hand tight, but she couldn't let go of Cedric. Not yet.

"He's back." Harry murmured, "He's back. Voldemort's back." he said.

"Let go of him, Genevieve." she heard Dumbledore said, but she shook her head, until voices began to cry out, screams of horror making her flinch away as Dumbledore drew her and Harry away from Cedric's body.

"That's my son! My boy!" Gene heard Amos Diggory cry out, running through the crowd before stopping at Cedric's body. He broke down, collapsing to his knees as the crowd watched on, his cry sending chills down Gene's spine and everything began to fall into place, making itself Gene's reality. One she had been avoiding until now.

She began to retch, feeling bile rise in the back of her throat and burning as she stumbled backwards, turning away as she doubled over, hands pressed to her knees. Her throat had been so hoarse from screaming, that it hurt to even attempt it. Her hands went to her neck, flinching at the heat compared her cold hands, attempting to soothe the pain. Gene collapsed to her hands and knees, feeling something brush her wrist with purpose.

Gene glanced up, tears falling from her eyes as she she watched Aurelia's fingers attempt to curl around her wrist weakly, though it was enough for Gene. She crawled closer to her, collapsing in a heap as she sobbed into the crook of her aunts shoulder, her body shaking, still weak from the effects of the curse. Gene cried so hard that she couldn't breathe, and before she knew it, her limbs slowly began to grow limp, her vision spotted with black before passing out.

She woke up, what felt like moments later but was in fact hours, a jolt of urgency about her as she sat upright with a gasp, her eyes wide with madness, it seemed, and she began to murmur under her breath.

"Cedric... I have to- I have to take Cedric's body... back..." her voice was rough like sandpaper, slowly dying in the back of her throat when she saw Sirius stood before her.

She thought she was dreaming until he clutched her shoulders tightly, drawing her into a hug and she grabbed onto him tightly, sobs beginning to wrack her body once more. She clawed at his back in an attempt to bring him closer, clinging to him for comfort, and it worked. He gently shushed her, his hand running over her head as he murmured comforts against her hair, holding her close to his chest.

"You're alright, my love. You're alright." he said repeatedly, and soon, Gene could feel the pain that marred her heart and soul slowly, but surely, leaving her each time he spoke.