Red Roses {James Potter x OC} | Discontinued |

12

Zoe and James didn't even spare a second to get used to their surroundings before wobbling over towards where the party had been going on.

Although a more experienced oclumens could safely and seamlessly access someone's mind without any further consequences, James was not experienced enough. Which left him and Zoe with a slight pounding in each of their heads and a slight wobble to their steps.

"We need to warn our parents." Zoe only nodded in agreement before they burst into a sprint that only made them want to vomit even further in hopes of warning all the aurors in the building about the imminent danger outside before it was too late.

Sadly, it had been.

By the time they had made it to the bottom of the stairs, the entire ground floor was already a full blown battle. Sparks of different colours flying left and right, crashing against shields, furniture, walls, and anything that stood in their way.

There were so many screams of different spells being casted all across that it was hard to tell whose voice was whose. So trying to pin point where a certain person was would have been borderline impossible.

"Stupefy!" One of Cedric's hooded goons had materialized before Zoe and James, their wand pointed directly at them, more specifically Zoe.

"Protego!" As soon as he could James casted the spell and pushed an already hyperventilating Zoe behind him, a shimmering shield forming before them in which the sparks only harmlessly bounced off.

"Bombarda!" With another swish of his wand, James sent Cedric's goon flying back into a wall, successfully knocking over an antique vase they had on display.

Luckily Ginny had already been planning on replacing it.

Seeing as the coast was as clear as it could get, James turned to face Zoe, her eyes once again unfocused and whole body trembling.

Gently he yet again took her face in his hands and held her so they made eye contact.

"Z... I need you with me. Can you do this?" Zoe's bottom lip immediately began trembling as she furiously shook her head.

"I... I want to... But.." James only wiped one of her tears away before letting go of her face and grabbing on to her hands.

"It's okay. I get it... Just stick close to me, okay? And at least keep your wand in your hand, just in case." Zoe nodded, taking her wand out from a hidden pocket in her dress and gripping it tightly before holding onto James' hand with the other.

With one final nod to reassure each other, James pulled her along towards the exit.

Sure he needed to find his parents, and Albus, and Lily, and a bunch of other people. But it would have been incredibly stupid to drag Zoe into a battle when she both could barely stand upright with her trembling legs and would also not be totally focused in on the fight.

So even James with all his stupidity, he deemed it a better idea to first get Zoe to a secure location before going in himself to drag whoever he could out of the wreck of a household.

Maneuvering around spells was no easy task, much less when he didn't have to focus on only his safety, but also on Zoe's. And frankly, he was more worried about her but had to constant keep reminding himself that there was more at stake.

Only a few steps away from an already broken window did James and Zoe encounter another one of Cedric's goons. It was the same person they had seen in Cedric's vision outside the house.

Their arm was still covered in dried up blood that looked more like a very failed attempt at a dry cake icing.

"He was right.... It's the eyes." James pushed Zoe further behind him, planting his feet readying for what would most likely turn into a duel.

"Petrificus totallus!" Before either party even got to mutter another word, Cedric's goon froze like a statue and fell face first onto the floor, their wand clattering out of their grip.

On their left, stood James and Zoe's saviour. A very wide-eyed and pale skinned Theo.

"Merlin's beard, I really just petrified a lunatic." James gave Theo a relieved smile, simultaneously giving Zoe behind him a reassuring squeeze.

Aside from the fact that Theo was covered head to toe in soot, along with a couple of scratches across his arms and face. He seemed to be doing alright.

"You have no bloody idea how happy I am to see you. Do you have any idea where everyone else is?" Theo gagged while still staring wide-eyed at the petrified person before turning and nodding, his eyes now closed tightly in hopes of not having to see what he had done any longer.

"They're all rendezvousing at your grandparents'. Most of the adults are still in the dinning room though, trying to fend them off and what not... And your grandma's kicking ass." James gave a weak chuckle, ducking beneath a stray blue spark that only bounced off a wall before following it's made course.

"Yeah, that's grandma Molly for you. Listen, Theo, do you have your apparating license?" Theo nodded, his fist pressed against his mouth trying to hold back the vile that still kept rising.

"Great. You and Zoe get out of here, go to the Burrow. Z's been there enough times to guide you."

"What about you?" The first words Zoe had spoken since they had found Theo.

James felt how Zoe tightened her grip on his hand and could only give her a meek smile in return which he hoped could act as a reassuring smile.

But again it was hard to reassure someone in the middle of a battle.

"I'll see all of you there. I gotta find Al and Lily, who knows what Cedric could be after here, and I can't risk it." Zoe nodded in reply, it was obvious she still wasn't convinced with his plan. But she wasn't exactly in a good position to argue.

"James... can you look for Neo too?" He nodded, already letting his fingers fall slack so they released Zoe's as she grabbed on to Theo's shoulders.

"Of course. Now, go. Before this gets any worse." Theo gulped yet again and held on tightly to Zoe's hand. Both of them squeezing with enough force to break their bones.

"Wait! But I'm not seventeen yet!"

"I'm sure the Ministry will cut you some slack, go!" Theo didn't need further words of encouragement before he and Zoe disappeared with a loud crack.

That certainly lessened some of James' worries, now all that had been left was to play the hero.