"I HAVE TO FIND ANGELINA." Fred whispered, still shaken from his near death experience.
"What?" Percy asked, but Fred didn't answer. He kept walking and looking for Angelina. Percy turned to George, who shrugged, confused as what was going on as well.
Finally, Fred seen her across the rubble. He ran up to her, ignoring the war raging around him. Fred grabbed Angelina's face in his hands. "Marry me." He whispered.
"What?" Angelina chuckled, shocked.
"Marry me. Life is short." He repeated.
"Okay." She smiled.
"Okay? Really?" Fred beamed.
"Yeah, really."
Fred embraced Angelina in a passionate kiss, before running back to his brother, not having much time to stay and enjoy the moment. "I'll get you a ring, I promise."
"You better, Fred Weasley!"
•
"He's dead." Narcissa whispered, feeling Harry's neck. Everyone seemed to let out a sob at the same time. Ellie turned her head, not wanting to see her friend's body. As she did, her eyes met Narcissa's.
Something was different about her, too. Ellie didn't expect much of the woman, considering her husband and son both were death eaters and her sister was the most psychotic witch in history; but, in that split second, when their eyes met, Ellie saw something different - she saw the same humanity that was in Andromeda's eyes.
Ellie realized what she saw was true when Harry jumped up and ran. Ellie screamed with joy, squeezing George's arm tightly. Harry was alive. Narcissa had betrayed Voldemort; Ellie knew then she wasn't mistaking what she saw in Narcissa's eyes.
•
The battle was over. Hogwarts was destroyed. They were safe. Good won. With the happiness surrounding the victory, there was still grief. So many lives were lost, so many were injured. The home they all loved so much was in ruins. Isla was dead.
Ellie hugged Molly tightly, proud of her mother in law for killing Bellatrix. She squeezed her tightly. "It's over, Molly. We won." She whispered, tears in her eyes. She wanted to celebrate, but how? Isla, Tonks, Remus.. so many lives were lost; at the same time, so many were saved.
"Go get your baby. We're all safe now." Molly grabbed her daughter in law's face, kissing her forehead softly.
"Teddy-" Ellie cried, glancing over to his parents' dead bodies.
"I know, love." Molly cried. "I know. Andromeda will take good care of him." Ellie simply sobbed. Tonks had trusted her mother so much with Teddy and Evan; she had promised Ellie that they all would be home to their children before dawn; but George and Ellie were the only ones returning. Ellie knew Teddy was too young to understand; but the thought of that child waiting for his mother and father to come home absolutely broke Ellie. She thought of Evan; she thought of how easily it could've been George and Ellie in their position, Evan an orphan.
•
Andromeda got news of the deaths before Ellie and George returned to retrieve Evan. She stood at the door, cold. Her eyes were swollen. "Andromeda?" Ellie whispered as the couple, exhausted and filthy, approached the door.
"Yes, dear?" She said; an endearing term, but her voice was emotionless.
"Are you okay?" Ellie grabbed Andromeda's arm. Ellie didn't know what it was like to lose a child, and hoped she never did, but she did know what it was like to cry so hard and so long that you didn't have tears left. She knew what it was like to feel so much heartbreak that you couldn't feel any more emotions.
Andromeda broke out in a dry sob. No tears left to cry, but her heart was still broke. "I guess I'll have to be. I don't have a choice. That little boy needs me." She sniffled. Ellie took Andromeda's hands in hers.
"We will help you. Whatever you need. We will help you raise Teddy. Right, George?" Ellie cried. George sniffled and nodded.
"Absolutely." He said, trying to hold back his own tears.
Ellie and George went into the house to find Evan and Teddy sleeping soundly, side by side. Their hands were touching in the same manner that Remus and Tonks' were. These little boys looked so peaceful. They knew no evil. They didn't know what had just happened, Teddy didn't know what happened to his parents. All they knew was a warm crib and a full belly.
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Ellie stared at the boys for a moment. This is what this battle was about. These boys could grow up now to be wonderful wizards in a safe world. This battle was to ensure that they, the next generation, had a good life.
