Fred's P.O.V.
It all happened so fast. One minute, I was battling alongside Percy. The next minute, I was lying on the ground, confused and disoriented. The wind had been knocked out of me as I desperately gasped for air amidst the cloud of dust.
My vision returned as I turned onto my stomach and called out with a shaky voice, "C-Charlotte?"
No answer...
Calling out to her again, I started to pull my body in the direction I had left her.
Still no answer...
That's when panic started to set in. I could feel my heart starting to pound against my chest. My breath started to rise with it, making it harder to breathe through all the dust and debris. I need to get it together, at least for a moment. At least until I find her.
I could feel my body practically screaming at me to stop as I pulled myself across the stone floor and shards of rock. To stay down and wait for help, but that wasn't an option. Not with Charlotte somewhere weak and wounded. My eyes narrowed in an attempt to focus my vision past the cloud of dust as I crawled on the ground, searching for her.
"Lettie, call out to me!" I pleaded through heavy coughs, using my hand to wave away the falling dirt as much as possible, "I can't find you!"
Then my eyes landed on her, and my stomach lurched and turned to lead.
"Charlotte!" I yelled despite my mouth turning dry, the sight of her seemingly lifeless body sending terror through my own. I felt the colour drain from my face like a cold wave washing over me as my heart started pounding painfully against my chest. Every worst possible scenario ran through my mind as I crawled towards her.
As my fingertips brushed against her cool skin, I forced my body to my knees and pulled her in gently to cradle her in my arms. The pressure was building behind my eyes, and I squeezed them shut in hopes of stopping my tears, but when I reopened them, they were met again with her closed lids as she laid there unresponsive.
The hot tears ran down my cheeks as I brushed her hair back from her face.
"C'mon, Baby-" I choked back a sob, "You're gonna be okay. Just stay with me...please"
My voice cracked, praying with everything I had and everything I ever believed in that she could hear me.
I desperately tried to listen and feel for any sign of life as I aligned my ear with her mouth, hoping to catch the sound of her breath, but then the sinister whispers of Voldemort crept in, and a groan slipped past my gritted teeth as my insides shrunk and coiled within themselves.
"You have fought valiantly...But in vain," The dark voice slithered between my ears as my face contorted.
I grimaced in pain and disgust as my throbbing head dropped to Charlotte's. Still, the voice continued, "I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilt is a terrible waste. I, therefore, command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity."
My grip on Charlotte's arm tightened, but Voldemort's echoing words didn't stop, "Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonour. Join me in the Forbidden Forrest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."
Suddenly, the eerie voice disappeared, and the torturous feeling followed it, leaving me in a repetitive gasp for air after releasing a breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. When I lifted my head, I noticed the cloud of dust had receded, and I could finally see Percy down the hall, removing his hands from his ears as he shook his head.
"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.
Mrs Hodges's free hand emitted delicate beams of light as it steadily hovered over various parts of Charlotte's body. When she reached Charlotte's lower abdomen, the light's glow intensified, causing her mum to utter a small and thoughtful sound, "Hm."
"What is it?" Panic flared in my eyes as they shot up from Charlotte to her mother and examined Mrs Hodge's face for answers, "What's wrong?"
By this point, The rest of my family had left The Great Hall to see what the commotion outside was, but I stayed behind to watch over Charlotte, not daring to abandon her again.
"S-she's fine, it's just..." Mrs Hodges stammered with hesitation. Her eyes narrowed with scrunched eyebrows as she looked back at me and asked, "You...You don't know, do you?"
I swallowed hard to fight the fear rising in my throat, "Know what?"
"Fred..." Her mother's lips parted slightly as she looked straight into my eyes, "She's pregnant."
My heart nearly jumped out of my chest, stilling my breath with it. I tried to blink back the confusion in my eyes, my voice faltering a bit, "She's what? A-are you sure?"
"I mean, she's not far along...6 weeks at the most, but she's definitely pregnant."
"Oh my God," A weak but affectionate smile cut into my cheeks as I wiped away my tears with the back of my hand before lowering it to gently cradle her head, my fingers lacing in her hair. I just stared at her face for a moment, wanting nothing more than to look into her eyes as happiness and love engulfed me. More love than I ever knew to be possible.
"Congratulations," Mrs Hodges smiled softly at me with her own glossy eyes, but then the corners of her lips twitched before they fell again, "but I'm we're not out of the woods yet. She still has to wake up, and that decision is up to her."
I felt dread spike within me, turning my bones into water, "What can I do to help?"
"Talk to her," She suggested in a hushed tone, taking Charlotte's other hand, "She can hear you. If she decides to stay here, she'll need your voice to find her way back."
With snivels, I nodded before my eyes returned to Charlotte, the love of my life and now the mother of our unborn child. My hand that cradled her head slid down to the other hand that held her own, wrapping her fingers between my palms.
"You definitely can't leave me now," I told her as I leaned in and kissed her forehead tenderly before resting my own against it. Through another almost inaudible sob, I pleaded, "Please, come back to me...Come back to us."
Time stood still in a little world of our own. I held my breath and waited for any sign of a response. When none came, my blood froze in my veins. I licked my lips and gripped her hand tighter before choking on my whimpers, "Please, Lettie... W-we're going to have a baby."
My shoulders caved when the image of losing her and the baby that I had just learned about flashed across my mind, leaving me right on the verge of breaking down entirely, when suddenly the breath was stolen from my lungs...Charlotte's fingers had wrapped around mine.
"F-Freddie..." Her voice strained as her dazed eyes fluttered open.
Charlotte's P.O.V.
Fred let out a blubber of relief before he lowered himself to hug me in a deep and gentle embrace.
"Oh, thank God," His voice wavered while tears soaked his cheeks, "I thought I lost you!"
"Hello, Sweetheart," My mother's tender voice rang in my ears as she smiled through her own tears when she realized I was okay.
Understanding what I needed to do, she let go of my hand so I could wrap my arms around Fred's trembling shoulders and hold him close, his chest quivering against mine
"Shh, It's okay...I would never leave you," I whispered as my fingers ran through his hair while his ear pressed against my chest. Then a memory flashed across my mind, giving me the idea to use the same soothing words he used to comfort me a year ago, "Hear my heartbeat?... Just focus on that."
Fred used his tears to release some of his built-up anxiety before he lifted his head to look at me with glossy eyes.
With his soul calmer, he sniffled and used his sleeve to wipe away the tears that finally ceased, "So, um...I have some news."
"What is it?" I could hear the worry in my own voice as I pushed against the ground to sit up, but the throbbing ache in my head sent a sharp, stabbing pain down my spine, causing me to wince and almost fall back to the floor.
"Easy," Fred insisted as he quickly placed a hand underneath my back to support it and help me sit up, "Just take it slow."
All of a sudden, George came running back through the door, pulling a sprinting Angelina behind him by the hand
"He's alive!" He exclaimed gleefully, a wild laugh hanging at the end of his words, "Harry's alive!"
George's shouts were followed by a swarm of people piling into The Great Hall behind him and Angelina. The crowd guarded themselves with their wands, fighting against the few remaining Death Eaters. I felt Fred tense up as he lifted his body from mine, sending my gaze to his clenching jaw as his eyes fixated on the sea of people moving in. His ankles shifted underneath his bent knees to use his body to shield mine in case any shots were fired our way.
He and my mum stood to their feet, aiming their wands at the attacking Death Eaters as George and Angie came to their sides. Jinxes and spells flew through the air in glowing red and green streams of light, only to be deflected by transparent shields with lustring waves of blue. My eyes darted around the room with confusion as each stray spell that slipped past seemingly bounced off every teacher, student, and parent who fought with Harry.
I shook my head, ignoring the pain and my double vision as I lifted myself to my feet. My mum, Fred, and I were backed into one side of the room with the rest of the Weasley family.
"Charlotte, stay back!" Fred ordered as he stepped in front of me to cast a shielding charm right before a Death Eater's spell could hit us.
"No, Fred!" I protested, and as my perception steadied, I lifted my wand at the opposing group of Death Eaters that he, George, and Angelina were fighting at our side, "I can fight!"
"No, you can't!" He argued, his eyes never leaving the sinister group as he shot spell after spell at them.
I threw a couple jinxes of my own at the Death Eaters before turning on my heel towards Fred and shouting, "And why not?!"
"Because!" He said with finality before turning to me. His serious eyes landed and bore into mine as he yelled over the commotion, "Because you're pregnant!"
My jaw dropped, and my chest rose with a gasp. Then my eyes narrowed as I questioned him with a voice full of burning bewilderment, "I'm WHAT?"
"SHE'S WHAT?!" George and Angie shouted in stunned unison, only looking at us briefly before returning to deflecting more spells.
As Fred parted his lips to repeat himself, a scream rippled through the air, causing us to turn our attention to Mrs Weasley, who swung her arm over her head before shoving it forward to deliver one final fervent curse to Bellatrix Lestrange. And as Bellatrix's body toppled over to the floor, a silence fell over The Great Hall.
The only remaining sounds were Harry and Voldemort's feet shuffling on the dusty stone floor and through the broken and splintered debris as they circled each other.
With both our wands held at the ready, Fred stepped in front of me again, pressing his back into my front protectively as the fingers of his free hand intertwined tightly with mine.
The crowd stood firm as we all watched and listened intently to Harry speaking to Voldemort with such furious passion that it reverberated off the still-standing walls of The Great Hall and sent shivers down our bodies.
He spoke about the ultimate form of love he had shown in the forest by sacrificing himself to save Hogwarts, how this was the same unyielding love that his mother showed him years ago that protected him with powerful ancient magic that would now shelter his allies.
In one last attempt at mercy, Harry then offered the chance for Voldemort to try and scrounge up any bit of remorse that he could and cease-fire, and when Voldemort refused, Harry went on to explain to him why the Elder wand wouldn't work for him.
But the warning fell on deaf ears, and with one final thrash of their wands, they both yelled into the air:
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
There was a loud bang as their wands connected and burst into flames of gold. The spells fought against each other, but when the green light recoiled back into Voldemort's hand and down his arm, the Elder Wand was sent flying through the air and into Harry's grasp.
And then...Voldemort's dead body fell to the floor with a thud, sending everyone into silence.
Once the shock finished registering and washed away from our minds, the crowd erupted into applause and cheers.
"He did it!" George shouted as he picked up Angelina, spinning her around as they rejoiced in each other's arms.
Fred and I looked at each other, flabbergasted with joy as our smiles grew, and he pulled me into the most intense and loving kiss he had ever given me. As I kissed him back, my fingers tangled in his hair while sunshine filled my soul.
-----
Hours later, once the exhilaration of the crowd died down and The Great Hall was covered in a warm glow and lively conversation, Fred and I drank our tea with our families on some nearby wooden benches. My dad had also shown up once he heard the battle was over.
My thumb ran along the brim of my mug as I watched its contents ripple inside it. The strong hand that shifted to my knee forced me from my thoughts. My gaze landed on Fred's big-hearted smile pulling into the apples of his cheeks.
I smiled back as we exchanged a silent conversation, just like he and George usually do. His nod towards the door suggested we go for a walk, and I agreed with a happy and easy nod of my own.
He stood and offered his hand to help me up. When I took it, he lifted me to my feet before wrapping his arm around my waist and turning towards George, "We'll be right back."
"Alright, We'll be here," George informed us before he looked up and waved at us with a broad smile, "Congratulations, by the way!—Ow!"
Fred and I laughed at George's hand lifting to rub his side after Angelina elbowed him in the ribcage, his comment having caused the rest of his family to look at us with confusion.
"Congratulations on what?" Mrs Wealsey questioned as a crinkle formed between her eyebrows.
Glancing at my parents, I noticed my dad looking just as perplexed as the Weasleys while mum hid her knowing grin behind a sip of tea.
Fred chuckled before he answered his mum, "We'll tell you later. Right now, we just want to take a moment to ourselves."
"Okay, but be careful!" Molly called to us as we started to walk away.
"Really, Mum?" Ginny's face pulled back into a wry expression, "We just survived a war! What on earth could possibly happen to them now?"
Mrs Weasley turned to bicker with her daughter, giving Fred and I the chance to make our escape as we fled The Great Hall with childlike giggles. Our pace only slowed down once we made it out the door.
Fred chuckled breathlessly, looking back to ensure no one else was following us before turning back to kiss my forehand when he determined the coast was clear.
Unsure of where we intended to go, we just silently walked through the rubble of the halls. Eventually, our feet led us to the tattered painting of The Fat Lady, but she wasn't in her frame. However, the portrait door stood open from the battle's aftermath, and the occupants of the surrounding portraits started to return to their original frames. Surely, The Fat Lady will be close behind.
As we stepped through the entrance, Fred led me down the dark hall to keep me from tripping over any debris lying on the ground. Maybe part of it was because of my near brush with death, but we both knew the main reason for his extra precautions and mindfulness.
As we kept walking, we found ourselves right outside the door to his old dorm room. Fred looked at me before turning back and pressing his palm against the door. Its wood and henges creaked as we peered inside. Though the room looked as if it had been ransacked, undoubtedly after the students who now lived inside it had rushed to gather their most valuable belongings before the battle began, it still enraptured us with tranquil nostalgia.
Fred inhaled deeply before silently leading me to his bed. We both climbed into it before he leaned against the headboard and held me close. I snuggled into him and closed my eyes as we breathed in this blissful moment together.
"So..." He finally broke the silence as his hand ran through my hair.
I smiled into his chest, knowing the conversation he was about to start, "Sooo?"
He tilted his head to smile lovingly at me, his hand in my hair moving to softly rest against my lower stomach, "So, we're going to have a baby."
My heart fluttered as it filled with giddiness, causing me to giggle lightly, "Good thing we picked out names a couple nights ago, huh?"
Fred chuckled, "It is a good thing."
He shifted his body to lower his mouth to my stomach before he lifted my shirt just enough to speak to my tummy with the sweetest voice I ever heard from him, "Hello, Little One."
His breath tickled my skin, causing me to laugh bashfully as I covered my blushing face.
"Not this already," I pulled my hands away and looked down at him, "It can't even hear you yet, Freddie!"
"Shhh," He held a finger to my lips as his ear pressed against my stomach, "Daddy's speaking."
This made me cackle before I quickly suppressed it with my hand and ran my fingers through his hair with the other one. My expression turned wry as I lowered my palm from my mouth and rhymed sarcastically, "My bad, Dad."
Fred shook his head with another titter before talking to my stomach again, "Your mummy thinks she's funny, but I promise she'll be the best mum in the world to you. We like to make a lot of jokes around here, so I hope you develop a sense of humour quickly."
I popped him lightly in the back of the head for already placing expectations on our fetus.
"Sorry," He chuckled, his messy bangs falling over his face, "Not only will you have the funniest parents, but you're also going to have a lot of aunts and uncles. You might even confuse one of them for me. And we can't forget the wonderful grandparents waiting for you. I bet Nana Weasley will knit all your baby clothes... once we tell her."
Fred and I both giggled before he said one final thing to my tummy, "Maybe you can't hear me yet, but that's not going to stop me from telling you every single day how much we love you. See you soon, Little One."
He placed a kiss on my bare stomach before lowering my shirt again. My gaze met his as he made his way back up to me. His eyes twinkled with serenity and love, and I swear I could see sparks flickering inside them as he smiled down at me and lowered his lips closer to mine.
"I love you both," He spoke tenderly.
My thumb brushed against his soot-stained cheek as I bit the corner of my lower lip, feeling both excited and nervous about this new chapter in life we were about to embark on. Knowing there was no longer a war to stop us from facing it together, I smiled back at him fondly as I whispered, "We love you too."
Then he leaned in and pressed his soft lips against mine while his hand still relaxed on my lower stomach. My body sank into the bed as our lips danced together, but we didn't take it past kissing this time. We were both too worn out, and my body needed to recover from the curses and hits it had taken last night. Plus...this wasn't his dorm room anymore, and we couldn't do that to the poor kid to whom the bed now belonged.
So instead, Fred pulled me close to spoon me when the kiss was done, contentment warming us from within. My back was pressed against his chest as we both fell into a peaceful sleep to the sounds of each other's steady breathing...his hand still cradling my lower stomach.