loup d'amour

To Die or Not to Die

  She heard it in her sleep, most nights she couldn't sleep because of it. That voice, that sickening voice, it came in a whisper and left in a scream. Most nights she would end up in the boys dorm in Sirius' bed. She was afraid, afraid that when her eyes opened he would be there. 

  The Order had gathered at the castle, Renée told them everything and Dumbledore asked them all to stay until they could sort everything out. They were waiting, although they weren't sure exactly what it was they were waiting for. It could be a dream, another vision like the one Renée had, or an actual attack from the dark lord. 

  Renée was outside practicing her magic when Matthew found her. "I figured you'd be out here." He said as he leaned against a tree. "And how did you figure that?" Renée asked as she turned towards him, arms folded. "Well, I looked every where else in the castle and you weren't in there so I figured you must be outside somewhere." His answer caused Renée to chuckle slightly but her face quickly turned to stone once again. "Why the stone face?" He asked. "I don't think I know what I'm doing. The Order and it's entirety are here at Hogwarts waiting for something...anything. And I don't know what to tell them. They want answers, answers I don't have. I saw him, I saw him and they all know it. They think I have the answers because I've seen him...but I don't." Renée was now in tears. Matthew didn't know what he was supposed to do, so he did the only thing he could think of. He hugged her, he hugged her tightly. "You don't have to have the answers. No one knows what he is capable of. Clearly he's strong and that scares us all, but it doesn't mean we can't take him. We're strong too, you're strong too. We wouldn't be able to do this without you, Renée." She pulled away from the hug, "Thank you Matthew." She smiled weakly, a few stray tears still running down her face. Matthew nodded with a smile before turning and heading back to the castle. Renée then sat down in the green grass, closing her eyes and trying to calm her mind. It seemed to be working for a moment and then he was there. "Renée Genevieve Moreau..." His whisper sent a chill down her spine and caused the hair on her body to stand on end. "Go away." She whispered, she tried to hide the fear in her voice but she failed as a tear slid down her cheek. "Come with me, Renée. I will give you power." Renée reached up and grabbed her necklace reciting the spell Dumbledore had taught her in her head. 

  Sirius, James and Remus were walking through the castle to lunch when they noticed the rings. The three of them looked at each other before they took off running. They weren't sure where they were going but they just let their feet carry them. Soon others joined them in their sprint to find Renée, Matthew being one of them, "I just left her, I can't believe he got to her. I only left her 10 minutes ago." He said to no one in particular as they all ran. Sirius and James looked at each other, not sure what to make of Matthew's words. They made it outside to see him bent down next to Renée, a few of his subjects formed a crescent shape around the two. Among those followers stood Narcissa, Bellatrix and Lucious. Dumbledore came towards the front of the group, McGonogall in tow and they stood next to the 4 Marauders taking in the sight before them. "What do we do sir?" Remus asked, his eyes still on his best friend. "We wait until he makes a move...and then, we give them hell. But whatever you do, make sure you keep Renée safe." Everyone readied their wands and watched as the death eaters did the same. That's when he turned his head, slowly, he turned and looked at The Order of the Phoenix. "Well, it looks like you will not be won without a fight." He whispered to Renée as he stood and turned towards her friends. "Get them." He spoke to his army, and with that they took off towards the order. 

  Renée was trapped in her own mind. Reliving all the memories that haunt her, from the howler her mother sent her to the incident in the lake. No matter how the tried to escape them she couldn't, she sat on the ground shaking and crying. Then suddenly she caught something in one of the memories, her friends, Remus, Lily, James, Sirius and Peter stood there. "We're here for you, Timbs." James said as he stepped forward. "We're always here for you." Sirius said as he stood next to James. "Always." Remus and Lily said as they stepped forward. The happy memory was enough to shake Renée from her trapped state, she looked around only to find that the reality was worse than the memories. Wizards against wizards, The Order versus the Death Eaters. It was an all out war, she saw James taking on Lucious, Sirius was going head to head with Bellatrix, Lily and Narcissa were at each others throats. That's when she saw Matthew, he was walking straight towards her...or so she thought, but he passed her and went straight for Voldemort. "Ahhh Matthew Halloway!" Voldemort boomed at the man walking toward him. "Tom Riddle." Voldemort's evil smile faltered, "That is not my name. My name is Voldemort." "Okay, Voldemort. Let the girl go." Voldemort's evil smile returned ten fold. "No." He muttered before throwing a curse in Matthew's direction. Matthew saw his very life flash before his eyes, he was prepared to meet his end so he closed his eyes and awaited his fate. But the curse never made it to him. Renée had jumped in between them, it was magic against magic, spell against spell, wizard against wizard. Each wizard strengthening their spell every now and then, the magic pushing and pulling before they both released their spells. Renée was out of breath and becoming weak but she sent another spell Voldemort's way so he did the same for her. Nothing could be heard but their screams. Again, the spells fell, but before Renée could release another James had disarmed Voldemort and Bellatrix had shot a spell at Renée. No one saw either attack coming. Renée's eyes connected with Bellatrix's and she saw something, she saw a glimmer of fear, but that was soon washed away by a wicked smile. That was the last thing Renée saw before her body hit the ground with a sickening thud. Voldemort and the Death Eaters fled the scene as The Order rushed to Renée's side. "Renée!!" James screeched as he skid to a halt on his knees by her side, Sirius and Remus on the other side of her. Sirius picked up her head and placed it in his lap. "Dumbledore, wh-what do we do? Tell, tell me what to do? There has to, to be something we can do." Remus struggled with each word as tears rippled down his face. Dumbledore collapsed to his knees beside the group. "I-I don't know. I don't kn-know." The group had given up hope, James, Remus and Sirius began to weep over the loss of Renée. When Matthew stepped up, "I know of a spell someone could preform. It might work, but it's a long shot."

  Renée awoke to a room of white, it looked like the Potter's house. "James?...Remus?....Sirius? Where are you?" She wondered around the house a bit before realizing she was the only one there. Well, she thought she was the only one there. "It's just us here, darling." A voice behind Renée sounded. Startled, she spun around and came face to face with someone she had only seen in pictures. "Hello Renée." "Father..." She whispered before taking off and running into his arms. "What happened?" Renée asked as she pulled away from her father's embrace. As soon as the words left her lips everything flew past her memory at once. Her saving Matthew, James disarming Voldemort, Bellatrix's evil grin, all of it. "Oh..." She mumbled as she rubbed the spot on her ribs that Bellatrix's curse hit. "Renée, no matter how much I've dreamt of this moment. No matter how much I want you to stay. You have to go back." Her father placed his hand on her shoulder. "What do you mean? Bellatrix cursed me, I'm dead. There's only one way I could come back and..." Sirius, her brain screamed at her. Sirius was doing the spell, it made sense, he told Renée he couldn't live without her. "No, he can't. I have to stop him." Renée began to cry and panic. "There's nothing you can do Renée. It's done." And just as quickly as she came into the white world she left it. She sat up gasping for air, she thought she would wake to see Sirius' lifeless body next to where her's once laid. But instead she saw someone else.