I walked around the burrow preparing. Harry had been cited and we were headed to Hogwarts where we would meet a partner of Harry. I ran to Fred and George as we prepared to leave. I made sure my wand was secure in my pocket.
I had on loose jeans and a black compression, I thought about changing but there wasn't time. I threw on my trainers and stood by Fred. George and Taurus walked over both looking a little sick. I glanced at the mantle one more time.
The picture of Fred proposing was there. It replayed me open-mouthed at the camera and Fred winking as he slipped the ring on my finger. I watched Fred swing me around in a hug before it started over with me staring at the camera.
I shook my head and gripped Fred's hand. We appereated the Hogsmeade and the bartender at the Hogheads let us in through a portrait. Fred led me through the tunnel, and then as I was the last he helped me down.
I put my hands on his shoulders and he placed his on my hips lowering me to the ground. We stood for a moment just staring at each other. In my heart I was terrified. This was war but Fred's smile had rarely dropped. He grinned at me and I smiled back.
Standing on my toes I kissed his chapped lips--always chapped. He sported a goofy grin as George and Taurus pulled us along. We followed behind Bill and Charlie.
Charlie came straight here when we caught wind of the end battle coming. I liked Charlie. He was funny but you could tell he had a soft side. Fred held my hand the entire time. We exited the tunnel and reached the doors.
"Square up," a voice said. It sounded like me and when I looked at Fred, he looked a little guilty. I stood in the back one hand holding Fred's hand and the other fidgeting with my wand.
"You still have a bit of a security problem Professor," the person in the front waved her black wand and the doors busted open.
We stepped through and if we weren't in the middle of a war, I'd say we looked really cool. Harry yelled at the professor and I was impressed. Snape drew his wand and I raised mine, off instinct.
McGonagall stepped in front of Harry, and I didn't hold back my grin. I squeezed Fred's hand tighter. I smiled as McGonagall dueled him. Snape fled and McGonagall took the role she was designed for, headmistress.
A raspy voice banged on my head. I let go of Fred's hand to clutch my head. 'Bring me, Harry Potter,' was the only thing I caught.
"What are you waiting for someone grab him," said Parkinson. I rolled my eyes. Ginny stepped in front of Harry, then Estella, then Ron and Hermione, and then we all did. I jumped as Filtch ran into the hall.
"Students out of bed, Students out of bed!" He yelled. McGonagall looked on her last nerve and I didn't blame her.
"They are supposed to be out of bed you blithering idiot," she said. The girl next to me and I smirked. I looked over and saw almost a carbon copy of myself. I looked her up and down.
"Kaitlyn?" I asked, my eyes wide. She nodded.
"Lyra," she recalled. I nodded and jumped at her, I hugged my big sister. Tears burned at the back of my eyes. My face hurt from the smile I sported. She hugged me tightly.
"I've missed you, oh, I'm engaged," I said in a spur decision. I lifted my hand to show her the small plastic orange and purple ring Fred gave me. She looked at it and then she smiled at me. Her lips smiled but her eyes were sad.
"Oh, that's lovely. To whom?" She asked. I felt heat rise in my cheeks.
"Fred Weasley, I-I love him," I said, still getting the hang of saying it.
"That's perfect, I loved a Weasley once," I smiled at her, who hasn't.
"It's possible to stop?" I asked. She looked around and her eyes settled on Charlie. I smirked subtly, remembering what Fred had said about Charlie and Kaitlyn having a relationship of sorts.
"No, I suppose it's not. If I was lucky I might be engaged to a Weasley too," I smiled at her.
"They don't give up so easily, you just have to show you love them. Have you met Estella?" She looked at me shocked.
"Is she?" She asked, mouth open.
"The one and the same," I said laughing. I looked around. "Taurus," I called, he looked up and walked away from the twins. "Estella," walked away from Harry, Hermione, and Ron. "This is our eldest sister, Kaitlyn," I said tears spilling from my eyes.
Estella jumped her and Kaitlyn embraced her without a second thought. I hugged the two of them and tugged Taurus with me. The siblings finally reunited and hugged tightly as tears seeped through our closed eyes.
"I've missed you all," Kaitlyn said. I smiled I barely had any recollection of her or Estella but I loved them. "I promise, I'll stick around when this is over," she muttered.
We pulled away and smiled at each other. Kaitlyn and I were probably identical to our mom. Taurus looked like our dad based on the pictures Remus showed me. Estella looked like a mix of the two. Ginny, Bill, and the twins all came to us.
"Come on," Ginny said.
"He's coming," Bill muttered.
"We stationed on the far side," Fred said.
"You two are with us," George finished. Taurus and I hugged them one more time before we turned and followed the twins. I held Fred's hand tightly as we walked out. We climbed in silence.
There could be no jokes so nothing was said. The comfort of Fred's hand was all I needed. We stood at the top, we agreed to have twins with twins on each side of the tower. I stood with Taurus watching the spells hit the barrier.
"That won't hold long," I muttered, playing with my engagement ring. He nodded.
"No, but it gives us time. And that's what Harry needs," I nodded at the truth. I dropped my head and looked out. My home would be in pieces once they got through.
I could see Estella with Ginny as they talked with Bill and Charlie. I looked the other way and saw Neville, Dean, and Seamus by the bridge. Seamus and an architectural build of wood. What could go wrong?
"Taurus?" I asked. He looked at me. "What if everything doesn't end up okay? What if we lose? Or one of us dies? I just barely met Estella and Kaitlyn, could we bear to lose them?" Taurus watched me with sad eyes.
"We keep going because that's the only option we have," he said. I rested my head on his shoulder and he put his arm around me. I closed my eyes as tears escaped my eyes. "We'll make it. What's the saying?" He asked, smiling. I shook my head.
"There's a plan," I said. "Someone older, someone wiser, someone has control and someone has a plan," I said. He squeezed me. It was always easier for us to believe in a plan and a purpose and a person out there who cared than thinking there was no one and nothing.
"There you go," he said as the shields dropped. I stood straight and sighed. "Okay," he said.
"Okay," I said. A flash shot at my head and I moved and shot back at the Death Eater by me. This was war.
——
I was running through the halls when I heard Percy's voice.
"Resigning?" I smirked when I saw the minister fly back.
"You're joking, Perce," Fred said. My heart swelled. "You're actually joking. Perce," I ran around the corner to see him and Percy fighting back to back--my Fred.
"I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-," My heart stopped as the wall blew up. I covered my face and when I looked up Fred was under the fallen wall. I ran and landed next to Percy.
Percy looked at me with wide eyes but I was only looking at Fred. Ron ran from somewhere and knelt by me. Tears flooded my vision and I wanted to yell, I wanted to blame Percy, I wanted to blame anyone but the truth was this was war. I rested my head on his chest.
"Fred please," I muttered, tears flowing down my face. My face was ugly as I sobbed. "I love you, Fred Weasley," I said softly. "I loved you!" I yelled in agony. I grabbed him as if holding him I could pull myself together.
"Please, I love you, Fred Weasley. I can't do this alone," Ron helped me up and Percy lifted Fred's body. They hid Fred's body in a hole in some rubble by the entrance to the great hall and I fell by it.
I cried the whole time. With the tears in my eyes, I could barely see the ghost of a smile on his face--a smile he always wore. I needed him, I didn't have him.
Fred was gone. I walked out of my hole and killed the man closest to me in a Death Eaters robe. I continued to kill and kill and kill. I held no mercy, I shot a spell at a man and he fell.
And then Bellatrix appeared and in my rage, I fired every spell I knew and then the killing curse over and over and over. She laughed and ran into the great hall. I followed with tears trailing down my face smearing the mud and the blood.
I didn't have Fred any more, and the world would burn for it until I joined him. My spell work was accurate and deadly. I killed many Death Eaters as I followed Bellatrix. She jumped on a table and shouted.
She fired at Ginny Weasley, and I thought she was done so I sent another spell. But it missed and she stepped back. Out of nowhere, she shot a green spell at me and I closed my eyes smiling. I'm coming, Fred.
——
They moved their bodies together. Fred and Lyra lay next to each other both with smiles on their faces. One at life, and one at death. Kaitlyn fell to her knees in front of Lyra and put her face to the ground sobbing apologies for not being around.
Molly sobbed at not being fast enough. For the moment after Lyra fell Bellatrix did too. Bellatrix fell at the hand of a loving mother, something she never was for Lyra. Estella sobbed for nothing but the loss of her sister, for the loss of what never was.
Maddie fell to her knees and covered her mouth as she shook. No one said anything to her, they all knew her brother, mother, and father lay dead only a few feet away. Maddie lost everything, and she cried in peace, drowning in her despair alone.
George and Taurus sobbed over their twins' dead bodies. They didn't stop for the longest time, their other halves were gone. They leaned on each other knowing they were understood by each other. Both lost the most important person in their lives.
——————
The graves of Fred Weasley and Arabella Black lay by the lake on the Weasley property. Two small headstones. One saying,
Frederick Gideon Weasley a loved son, admired brother, loving fiancé, brilliant mind, and joyful spirit. One half of the Weasley Twin whole. "Laughter should be encouraged, Lyra. Joy is the greatest gift we have and it's the one gift no one can truly take from us," -Fred Weasley.
The other which lay at his side said,
Lyra Arabella Black a strong and courageous soul, with a loving and compassionate heart and a wise and cunning mind. A sister, a friend, a fiancé, a fighter, and a laugher. One half of the Black Twin whole."I spent half of my life pretending to believe something I didn't out of fear, but this owning what I believe and not hiding well it's the best I've felt in a while," -Lyra Black
And to this day, in moments of uncertainty or scarcity, a tale of true love, bounding courage, and fierce loyalty is told by parents to their children, and their children will tell their children, and on and on the story will be told--the story of Lye.