If I'm Lucky {Fred Weasley}

The Battle Pt. 2

"Percy, help!" I called to him with tears prickling my eyes, "Please, help me!"

His confused features dropped into a look of shock as his gaze landed on Charlotte's limp body in my arms.

"Oh my God," he whispered before getting to his feet and frantically running over to us. His hand rested on my shoulder as he knelt down beside me.

My breath caught in my throat as I rocked back and forth, "She's gotta be okay, Perce. I-I can't lose her."

"Fred, look at me," Percy's voice was stern as he gripped both my shoulders, holding me in place as his eyes bore into mine, "We have to get her to The Great Hall. Her mum will be there tending to the wounded. She'll know what to do."

I couldn't find words, so I just nodded through my misty vision as Percy helped me stand while I struggled to lift and cradle Charlotte in my arms, her body much heavier than ever before. With every heavy step I took, her limbs dangled and swung from my own, and her head hung back lifelessly as we entered The Great Hall.

Percy's flitting eyes scanned the crowd until he found Mrs Hodges tending to a student's wound to the left of the room. I followed behind as he rushed to her, my body limping towards them both.

I couldn't hear what Percy was saying to her, but when Mrs Hodges' eyes landed on Charlotte, they widened as her face blanched at the sight of her daughter.

"Charlotte!" She shouted as she got to her feet and started running towards us.

"I'm sorry," I croaked, unable to stop my tears as my throat tightened with every word I forced out, "I'm so sorry. There was an explosion and-"

"Lay her over here, quickly!" She ordered before emptying a spot nearby and unrolling a stretch of fabric on the dusty floor, "But be gentle!"

I nodded as I stumbled towards the spot her mother cleared for her before laying Charlotte down on the blanket and kneeling down beside her.

More sobs escaped as I watched Mrs Hodges place a hand on Charlotte's chest and push her daughter's bangs out of her face with the other, "Oh my baby..."

She then lowered her ear to Charlotte's mouth.

With bated breath, I waited for her to tell me Charlotte's condition. My eyes never blinked as I watched everything Mrs Hodges was doing to her, my stare so studious that it startled me when another hand landed on my shoulder. I turned, following the arm it was attached to until it led to George leaning over me. He and Angie were silent, but the look on their faces spoke volumes. Both sets of their horror-filled eyes were slightly bulged and unyielding to watching Charlotte's care. George's grip on my shoulder tightened as Angie's hands pressed against her chest to steady the rise and fall of her heavy breaths.

Soon, my mum knelt on the other side of me and held onto my other shoulder and elbow to comfort me; then, the rest of the family stood behind us, but no words were spoken between us as we all waited for Mrs Hodge's prognosis.

Charlotte's mum sighed in relief as she lifted her head from her daughter with a hopeful glimmer in her eyes, "She's breathing."

A shaky chuckle slipped past my lips and my tear-stained cheeks as I looked towards the heavens, the reassurance washing over my family and me.

I looked back at her mother with watery eyes and asked, "So, she's going to be okay?"

"I still have to check over her and make sure there's no major damage to her organs, but I believe so," Mrs Hodges nodded optimistically as she went back to examining her daughter further.

"Thank God," I exhaled, feeling my posture relax and my head drop. My grip on Charlotte's arm tightened ever so slightly while my thumb caressed her soft skin, hoping the gentle touch would be enough to pull her from her deep slumber.