When Minerva stepped in her office first, she transfigured one of the chairs into a large dark brown leather couch. The last two previous headmasters looked on with interest as they stepped into the office. Minerva gestured for them to take a seat and they quietly did so, the nerves of everyone getting the best of them. Leah was nervously tapping her leg when she felt a hand covering her left one and another on her right. The twins had simultaneously put their hands on hers giving it a squeeze. Was it to calm her or to calm themselves, it didn't matter; her leg immediately stopped tapping.
"Let's go over everything, alright?" Minerva started as she took the seat across from them. "So, you'll need to cut your scar until it bleeds, then you two touch each other's mark. The next thing is trickier, because we don't have a lot of information from the previous cases. With Fred being... gone for a year, we don't know what it will do, how it would work."
"IF it works." George whispered.
Leah gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and locked their eyes. "George, I told you I would do anything to get him back to you. I don't go back on my promises." George's eyes were sad as he gave a small nod, not trusting himself to speak.
"In the case of the twins, the other passed out, but we don't know for how long. Leah is of course a very powerful witch and with the sight, it gives her more of an advantage, so to speak."
"But it's a possible that I could fall comatose."
"I'm afraid so."
"No, I won't do it!" Fred suddenly called out.
Leah's head snapped to him. "Fred, we knew there were risks."
"No, no. I won't put you in any danger!" His grip on her hand grew tighter.
Leah looked at the others, who had a faint idea what the one-sided conversation was about. "Can we have a minute?"
"Sure." George said standing up. "But I have a feeling what you two are talking about and, Leah if there is any chance of you getting hurt..."
"Have you met me? I'll be fine." She offered him a grin, but George looked worried down at her.
"Come, Mr. Weasley. Let's give them a moment." Minerva touched his shoulder and he reluctantly walked out of the room with her. Leah turned back to Fred when the door closed behind them.
"I'm sorry." Fred whispered as he scooted closer to her. Leah cocked her head to the side in surprise. "I - I'm sorry I didn't tell you how I felt; I'm sorry you thought I had played you..." He closed her eyes and shook his head. "I didn't want you to wait for me, to give up your life for me. And I pushed you away."
"Fred." She whispered as she cupped his cheek. Fred opened his eyes, finding hers without missing a beat. Before Leah could say anything more, Fred lips where on hers. A soft moan escaped her when he pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed their chest together. The kiss only stopped because they both became breathless. Fred leaned his head against hers, eyes closed as they caught there breaths.
"You're amazing." He whispered, she smiled in response, her eyes still closed. "There is something in your pocket."
"What?" She asked surprised and looking at Fred, who was sporting his usual grin. He nudged his head to her left pocket, she slowly reached her hand in and pulled out a small box.
"I asked George to slip it in." The grin still firmly in its place. "Open it."
She opened the little box with a click, silver crescent moon necklace laid inside. She took it out of the box and placed it in her hand. "Fred, it's beautiful."
"Happy birthday. I – I wanted to give it to you on your birthday..." He said with a sad smile. She cupped his cheek and traced a finger over his bottom lip before she pulled him close again, crashing their lips together.
"I'm sorry, I overreacted." She whispered against his lips, but Fred just shook his head.
"Leah, I-" Fred started but he was cut off when George's head popped back in.
"Safe to come in?"
"Only if you don't start nagging again." She teased as she put the necklace on.
"We're just worried about you – oh, Fred finally gave you the necklace." He said sitting next to her as Minerva walked in.
"Yes, it's beautiful." She said as she twirled it between her fingers. "But let's get things started for what we came for." She turned to Fred. "Are you ready?"
"As ready as you are."
"Once he's back." She said turning back to George and Minerva. "Call your family, if Poppy gives him a clean bill of health, send for them alright."
"They are all at the burrow today, I could send a Patronus."
She gave a nod and pulled out her wand. "Here goes nothing." And with the tip of her wand, she cut her crescent scar, blood trickling down her hand.
"Look who's a natural." Fred grinned. She offered him a smile as she asked for his hand. He held his hand open, palm facing up. With a graze of her wand his palm, his scar started to bleed.
"On the count of three?" She asked Fred, who nodded. Minerva and George were sitting behind her watching them intently, nervously. They intertwined their fingers, their palms only an inch from each other.
"One. Two." They closed the gap between each other and when their palms touched, Fred whispered. "I love you."
Leah's eyes went wide as he looked at her, only finding sincerity and love in his eyes. "Fred, I-" She started before their hands started to sting and a bright white light filled the room, blinding everyone. She couldn't see, couldn't hear anyone anymore. She only felt the pressure of Fred's hand getting tighter before everything went dark.
"LEAH! LEAH!" George called out as the light filled the room. He started feeling around trying to find her but couldn't grab a hold of her. He couldn't see Minnie either, he couldn't hear anyone. He groaned as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again the light was gone, but so was Leah. She wasn't sitting on the couch anymore as eyes scanned the room quickly. His breathing stopped for a moment when he saw a mop of red hair lying on the ground a few feet away next to Leah, her strawberry blond hair covered her face. He was stunned as he looked at the two unconscious bodies in the room, still grounded to the couch. In the corner of his eyes, he saw a swift movement and the next moment Minnie kneeled down next to Fred and Leah. He shook his shock away and rushed over next to her, torn between the two. But he could see them breathing. He let out a trembling breath of relief as Minnie whispered incantations over them. George took Leah's hand and healed the cut, the scar now looked more like a tattoo as the lines where black. He reached over to Fred, his heart stammering in his chest, afraid as he would go straight through him. His hand was shaking hard when he slowly reached over, when his hand touched Fred's, he started to cry. Between sobs he turned his twin's hand and healed the cut, his scar too, has changed.
"Minnie?" He said with a soft broken voice.
"They're okay." She said, lowering her wand. "I'll call for Poppy to set up two private beds, but I think they are just drained." She stood up and send her cat Patronus on its way. "We should get them to the hospital wing."
"What about the students?"
"We'll put a disillusionment charm on them, most of the students will be in the great hall."
George reluctantly pulled his hand away from his newly resurrected twin and stood up. With a quick wave of his wand the two unconscious bodies levitated in the air as Minerva put the disillusionment charm on them. They walked in a steady pace to the hospital wing, not to fast or to slow to rise suspicion as Leah and Fred floated in front of them. The door of the hospital wing opened just as they arrived, Poppy already waiting for them.
"To the back, Minerva." She ushered them in and quickly closed the door. The moment the door locked behind them Minerva lifted her charm, and they became visible again. "Minerva!" The healer gasped. "Is that – Fred Weasley?"
"Yes, Poppy. Can you check on both of them?"
Poppy began muttering charms over their bodies, Minerva pulled a chair out and leaded George to it as his legs started to shake.
"What happened?" Poppy asked as she went from Fred to Leah.
"I'll explain everything later, Poppy. How are they? We need to inform his family."
"Fred is in perfect health, I don't know how but except from the scars, he's completely healed. He should wake up any moment."
"And Leah?" George asked worried.
"Physically, she's healthy but her magic... It's completely drained. She's weak, I don't know how long it will take for her to wake up."
"But she will wake up, won't she?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley, I don't know. Physically there is nothing wrong with her, there is nothing for me to do. I guess it all depends on her." She said as she looked at the young woman. "We'll have to wait and see."
"Poppy, can you close them off? I don't want anyone to see them like this." Poppy nodded and Minerva turned to George. "Do you want to send a Patronus to your family?"
"Uhm, yeah." He turned his head away from the sleeping duo. He pulled his wand out of his pocket and thought of his happiest memory, sending his magpie on its way.
The whole burrow was in complete silence when George's Magpie appeared in the middle of the room. All the Weasleys, including Harry and Hermione were shocked to see it land in front of them.
"Mum, I need you to gather everyone and come to Hogwarts, it's important. Minnie's floo is open." The magpie disappeared with a pop. Everyone in the room gaped at the spot the magpie disappeared from.
"What the hell is that about?" Ron blabbed out.
"Ronald! Watch your mouth!" Molly turned to her husband. "We better get going. We'll go first, the rest can follow after." Molly waved her wand to put her food on static and stood op already walking to the floo. The rest still sat there on shock and only came out of their stupor as their father stood up.
"Come on, get ready." He said before he stepped in the fireplace next to his wife.
While the Weasleys were floo-ing in one-by-one, George made himself comfortable between the two, holding a hand of each one. He watched the breathing of his twin, his following the same rate. Fred's head started to shift from left to right before he uttered one name.
"Leah."
"Fred?" George jumped up, letting go of Leah's hand as he went to sit next to his twin. "Freddie?"
"George?" His brows gathered for a moment before his eyes opened. "Georgie!" He leaped up and hugged him tight. "I can't believe I can feel you."
"I can't believe I can see you." George whispered as the tears rolled down his cheek. He pulled back and cupped his face with both hands. "I can't believe you're really back."
"I missed you." Fred pulled him back in another hug. George muttered the same words back to him. His eyes went wide and his breath got stuck in his throat as he saw her lying there.
"Leah." He whispered. George pulled back with sad eyes and let Fred go over to her. He sat down on her bed and took her hand in his. "Why isn't she awake?" He asked when George rounded the bed and sat down on the other side.
"Pomfrey doesn't know if she will wake up. It's her magic, bringing you back, it took a lot from her."
"Can't Pomfrey heal her?" Fred nearly yelled, his chest started rise and fall rapidly.
"No, it's not physical. She says it's up to her if she'll wake or not."
"Then she'll wake. I know she will wake." He said as his eyes found her again.
"Did you tell her? Did you two made up before..."
"We did. I told her I was an idiot, that I was sorry." He said not taking his eyes of her. "And right before, I told her I loved her."
"What did she say?"
"Nothing. I mean she was about to reply when the white light came."
"You'll have your answer soon." George said determent. "And Fred? The family is on their way, so get ready." He grinned at him.