Gene stepped back, blinking as a small smile formed across her lips. She glanced about, raising her wand as light seeped into the woods, ensuring she was still alone before returning to the lake.
She heard a sound, causing her head to snap up, only to realise it was much closer than she first thought. Gene slowly looked down to her chest, finding the Horcrux began to twitch, as though it was aware of its fate. She was so close.
Clearing her throat, she aimed her wand at the lake.
"Accio Sword." she said.
It trembled beneath the surface, but stayed in its place.
"Diffindo." she tried again, watching the ice crack, echoing in the vastness of the forest, but nothing came of it.
Gene inhaled sharply before exhaling, giving herself a quick nod as she stood back on steady ground, preparing herself for her next completely idiotic move.
She unravelled Hermione's scarf from her neck and hung it over the large tree trunk, while she took each shoe off, before pulling her sweatshirt over her head, followed by her inner layer, leaving her in her bra.
Gene tugged at her jeans by the waist, shrugging them off as she kicked her ankles free, standing in just her undergarments. She had gotten so used to the cold at this point, that she was almost numb to it, feeling nothing as she stepped to the lake's edge, taking a deep breath before plunging into the icy water.
It was as though she had been shocked awake, electricity jolting through her body as she kicked down to the glimmering sword. Her hair shifted in the water like black ink, blocking her vision for a moment before she sunk to the bottom, grabbing the hilt of the sword successfully and she began to to kick to the surface.
Suddenly, the chain of the locket around her neck began to almost coil, tightening like a snake around her neck. Gene gasped, her eyes widened as she released the sword, thrashing about as she struggled to pry her fingers under the chain.
Her eyes pricked with tears as she realised there was no use, before reaching for the edge of the ice, her fingers desperately trying to grip on, but she was slowly losing consciousness, and she was beginning to feel her body go limp.
Gene was ready to give in, her hands slipping from the ice as she sunk deeper into the water, her body drifting slowly down. A slow trail of bubbles escaped her mouth, her lips turning blue as her eyes began to flutter shut. The surface of the water grew calmer, peaceful as she stopped fighting it, until she caught sight of shadows, passing over the ice.
Her eyes had almost fully shut until a pair of hands shattered the glassy surface of the water, and Gene was brought back with a shock, face-down on the ground, choking and retching, water passing her lips as she gasped for breath.
Then, she turned onto her back, eyes still shut with her elbows pressed into the frigid ground, feeling a hand tear the locket from her neck and she finally felt as though she could breathe again.
"Harry–" her lips moved to say, her voice hoarse in her throat.
"Are you mental?"
Though it wasn't Harry's voice, as her eyes shot open, feeling a sudden warmth over her front.
Standing a few steps before her, fully dressed and fully drenched, clutching the sword of Gryffindor in one hand and the locket in the other– was Ron. Her mouth went dry as she scrambled to her feet, glancing at Harry beside him, also soaked, and they watched her with wide-eyes.
And then, she pulled the jacket from over her body and threw it at Ron, just missing his face to her annoyance. He jumped back, flinching though he didn't dare say a word as Gene stood before him, brows pulled together, in one of her frowns that stopped her from crying. He knew better.
"Just let me–" Ron began, grabbing his jacket from the floor and stepping closer, though Gene took a step back. "Gene–" he tried again, and she shook her head, her bottom lip trembling now.
"Don't." she muttered, her voice laced with venom as she glared at him.
The wind nipped at her skin, only worsened by the fact she was drenched from head to toe, and she began to grab her clothes, rushing to pull them on to hide the numerous bruises that marked her skin, and the large bite mark, courtesy of Nagini. That, and to avoid the embarrassment of looking at the two while she was half-naked.
As she pulled her jumper over her head, (though it was really Ron's), she heard a chittering sound again, her eyes shooting to the locket that dangled close to the sword.
"It knows." Gene said.
Harry turned to Ron, "You have to do it." he said breathlessly.
"What? No, Harry." Ron's eyes widened, "That thing's bad for me. I can't handle it." he said. "I'm not making excuses for how I acted, but that thing affects me more than it affects you three. It made me think stuff– stuff I was thinking anyway, but it made everything worse." he went on to explain.
Gene watched him intently, but he did his best to avoid her stare.
"All the more reason." Harry argued, positioning the locket on a tree trunk.
"No. I can't–"
"Then why are you here?" Gene's voice rose, much louder than the deafening silence of the forest, causing Ron's head to lift, looking right at her now, "Why did you come back?" her tone was harsh, with the intent to wound and he swallowed hard.
Ron stepped backwards, gripping the sword with both hands as Harry nodded to him. Gene stepped toward Harry, opposite Ron as they prepared themselves.
"I'll have to speak to it in order for it to open. When it does, don't hesitate. I don't know what's in here, but it'll put up a fight. The bit of Riddle that was in his diary tried to kill Gene." Harry went onto explain, nodding encouragingly to Ron who nodded rapidly. "On three– one, two, three–!"
Harry murmured the words in Parseltongue, sending chills down Gene's already half-frozen figure, before the twin doors of the locket snapped open and black smoke billowed out with such repressed force, that it sent Gene flying backwards.
"Stab it, Ron, now." Harry called over the gust of wind, watching as Ron raised his trembling hands, poising the sword above his heads until a voice hissed from the locket.
"I have seen your heart and it is mine."
Gene gasped as Voldemort's voice filled the forest, taunting Ron and he hesitated.
"Don't listen to it." Harry yelled to him.
"I have seen your dreams, Ronald Weasley, and I have seen your fears."
"Ron. Don't listen to it!" Harry cried, and Gene felt her throat close up as Voldemort continued.
"Least loved, by the mother who craved a daughter. Least loved, by the girl who prefers your friend."
Gene's head shot up, eyes glazing over as she caught a glimpse of Ron's face, pale at hearing those words.
"Ron!" she found her voice, "Don't listen to it! Please!" she begged.
With a sudden blast of wind, blinding lights burst forward causing Gene to avert her eyes for a moment, squinting before glancing up, finding the light had left two figures in its wake, floating in a cloud of darkness– Gene and Harry.
"We were better without you, happier without you." the figure that was Harry said, walking hand-in-hand with the false image of Gene.
"Who could look at you beside Harry Potter? What are you, compared with the Chosen One?" Gene heard her voice say, though it wasn't her.
She looked past the smoke, blinking rapidly as she watched Ron standing transfixed by the image, sword in hand.
"It lies! Stab it! Ron, stab it!" Harry's voice pulled Gene from her gaze.
"Your mother confessed that she would have preferred me as a son." the figure of Harry spoke.
"What woman would take you? You are nothing. Nothing. Nothing, beside him." her image spoke, taunting Ron.
Gene watched on in horror, her and Harry's ghostly figures entwining around one another, her hair running like silken thread across their faces, blending into the plume of black smoke as they leant forward, the figure of Gene covering Harry's mouth with hers.
"Kill it, Ron! Please." Gene cried out, clambering to her feet as she watched Ron's head turn to her, before Harry.
She watched a trace of scarlet flicker in his eyes, raising the sword high, and for a moment, Gene held her breath, just as he ran forward, bringing the blade down hard and cleaving the locket.
Another rush of wind sends Gene flying backwards, her back hitting a tree trunk as a scream echoed throughout the forest, sending their ghostly figures to dust.
Quiet.
Gene pulled herself to her feet, using the tree for strength as she stepped closer, eyeing the shattered locket and taking it into her trembling hand carefully. It was over.
She dared to look up now, her eyes on Ron as he fell to his knees, the sword hitting the ice, swallowing hard as he looked back at her. Harry walked over, sitting beside Ron as they panted for breath. Gene figured that was him being forgiven. But not by her.
"Just think– only three to go." Ron breathed out.
Harry nodded, breathing heavily as he took the sword in his hand, standing to his feet. He gave Gene a nod, almost reassuring, before walking ahead as light began to stream through the canopy.
He had left them now, Gene and Ron, alone. They stared at one another, not a single word being uttered. It was the way it had always been between them, it seemed. Words remaining unspoken. Gene decided it would stay that way, at least until she didn't feel like strangling Ron every time she looked his way.
Gene turned on her heel when Ron began to walk toward her, following Harry's figure through the forest instead. She only made it halfway when realisation dawned on her, her chest feeling cold and not because of the Horcrux.
She stood outside the tent, by the dwindling fire she had forged hours before and began to kick the debris aside. Her brows were furrowed as her hand lifted to her chest, glancing down to see why she had felt so cold. Her locket, the one from Sirius, the one that had belonged to her mother, had gone.
"No." she whispered, her breathing quickening as her eyes pricked with tears. She glanced around herself, hoping to spot the glimmer of light reflect from it, to no avail.
"Gene, what is it?" Ron asked, stood behind her and she fell to her knees, clawing at the dirt, digging through leaves and sticks, as she began to truly cry.
She ran a hand through her hair frustratedly, looking past Ron to return to the pool of ice, realising it must have fallen somewhere there. She went to brush past him hastily, and she might have made it, if Ron hadn't pulled her back, his arms wrapped around her tightly, as much as she tried to resist.
Gene cried, tears falling in rapid succession now as she realised she had lost the very last part of her parents that she had. She sobbed, her attempts to pull away from Ron had soon slowed and she gave in, her body going limp in his arms as he held her closer.
Her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, her hands grasping for Ron's for some kind of support, until she remembered. She remembered that he had left her, even though he promised he never would, and she pushed away from him.
He barely stumbled back a step, finding Gene was weaker than she was letting on. She stepped forward again, and shoved his shoulder back once, and then a second time, then a third. And Ron let her, because he figured that he deserved it.
"You left me." she muttered, her voice wavering as she still cried.
Ron stared at her, his throat closed up at the sight of Gene crying because of him. And when he said nothing, Gene turned away, walking back to the tent as Harry and Hermione were brought outside due to the noise.
"Look, I wanted to come back the minute I'd left." Ron called after her, "I just– didn't know how to find you." he said, and Gene scoffed at this, her jaw tensing as she continued to walk away.
Hermione darted back inside the tent, returning seconds later with a large, heavy-weighted blanket and slung it across Gene's shoulders. She looked up at Ron, lips parted in surprise at seeing him, just as they had been moments before.
"Exactly how did you find us?" Harry asked.
Gene turned around now, facing him with a stern glare. He had a half-smile pulling at his lips and she felt a sudden urge to punch him again.
"With this–" he reached into his pocket, pulling out his Deluminator, "It doesn't just turn off lights. I don't know exactly how it works, but Christmas morning I– I was sleeping– in this little pub. I'd given some Snatchers the slip the night before, me being a blood-traitor and all–" he stumbled over his words, "I was sleeping when I felt it–"
"Wait– Snatchers? What is that?" Gene asked.
"They're everywhere, gangs trying to earn gold by rounding up Muggle-borns and blood traitors, there's a reward from the Ministry for everyone captured. I was on my own and I look like I might be school age, they got really excited, thought I was a Muggle-born in hiding. I had to talk fast to get out of being dragged to the Ministry." Ron explained, seemingly giddy that Gene had spoken to him without swinging at him afterwards, but she glared at him all the same.
"Anyways, I felt it one day, Christmas morning, I think, while I was listening to the radio, listening for your names–"
"How generous of you." Gene muttered. Ron stared at her helplessly for a moment, as though he was close to giving up. She almost wished he would have.
"You felt what, Ron?" Hermione asked, her voice kinder than Gene's had been.
"Well, I saw it, first." he said, "This little ball of white light, and it touched me– here," he said, lifting his hand up, presenting the back of his hand, curling into a fist to show his knuckles, "and then, here–" he pointed to a spot on his chest, close to his heart, "Like a– well, like a kiss. And then, I just knew." he said.
Gene swallowed hard, blinking a few times as though she had heard him wrong. But she hadn't. She stood perfectly still in her place, feeling her cheeks flush fiercely, the only source of heat for her now.
"Knew what?" Harry asked, his eyes drifting to Gene, though her stare was fixed on Ron.
Ron shrugged, "Just knew. And sure enough, it floated toward me, the ball of light and went straight through me, right here. I could feel it inside me. It was warm, like the first sip of a good cup of hot chocolate–"
Gene scoffed at this, unable to stop herself and she felt Hermione nudge her in her side.
"– and I knew it would take me where I needed to go. So I Disapparated and came out on this hillside. It was dark. I didn't have any idea where I was. I just had to hope one of you would show yourselves in the end. And you did." he almost smiled, if not for the look on Gene's face.
She felt tears prick at her eyes again, only this time, she kept her eyes trained on him, so he could see.
"Where have you been? This whole time, I mean." Harry asked.
"Bill and Fleur's new place. Shell Cottage." Ron answered.
"You didn't go home?" Gene said, astonished and he appeared to be just the same as she addressed him once more.
"Course not," he returned, "You think I'd go back and tell them I left you? Yeah, Fred and George would have killed me if they knew." he muttered, and now Gene felt a faint smile pass her lips at their names.
"Shell Cottage," Hermione murmured.
"Bill's always been decent to me. He– he wasn't impressed when he heard what I'd done, but he didn't go on about it. He knew I was really sorry. None of the rest of the family know I was there. Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren't going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married." he explained further.
Gene left it at that, tearing her eyes from Ron as she sat outside the tent, reigniting the small fire that had died out, welcoming the wave of heat that washed over her now.
Harry and Ron stepped past her, quickly entering the tent while Hermione opted to stick with Gene, sitting close at her side. She began to tell her everything that had happened, the Patronus, the sword and the Horcrux.
"... it was me, except it wasn't really me, and I was saying all of these cruel things– things I would never say to Ron, not in a million years." Gene muttered, her brows furrowed in frustration.
"He's back." Hermione said softly, smiling, "You can smile now." she said, lifting a brow.
Gene glared at her and she backed down, only the mischievous smile never left her features, to Gene's annoyance. She sighed, glancing to the side and catching a glimpse of 'The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore', covered by some leaves and debris.
She reached over and brushed away the dirt as Hermione left the tent, silently taking a seat at her side in front the fire. She pushed all feelings of distrust and anger toward Dumbledore aside, her brows furrowed as she skimmed through the book, hoping there might have been something to tide her over, as she tried to get Ron out of her mind, though it proved impossible as she could still hear his voice inside the tent.
"When are you going to tell him?" Hermione asked.
Her voice broke the silence that the forest gave them, only for it to thicken around them, almost suffocating Gene as Hermione's words repeated in her mind.
"Right now, I don't think he deserves to know–"
"Oh, don't, Gene. Don't be cruel. It's not you." Hermione cut her off sternly, catching her off guard.
"I need time, Hermione." Gene mumbled, her hands beginning to tremble as the realisation that her best friend was right, was beginning to catch up with her.
"In case you haven't noticed– we don't have time." she returned.
Gene shook her head a little, her gaze returning to the book to avoid the conversation again, skipping through the pages until she could find something useful. And, low and behold–
"Merlin." Hermione muttered.
Gene shifted the book for Hermione to see, both staring at the symbol of the triangular eye, only this time, it was a part of Dumbledore's signature. They looked at one another, just as the sound of a blast came from inside the tent.
"What's going on in there?" Hermione yelled at them, before helping Gene to her feet as they entered, finding a flustered Harry and Ron.
"Nothing." they said together.
Gene didn't have time for this, narrowing her eyes at them before clearing her throat, glancing at Hermione with a sure nod.
"We need to talk." Gene said, looking between Harry and Ron.
Then, to her confusion, Ron began to rise to his feet, nodding, "Yeah, alright." he said with remorse, beginning to step towards her.
"Not you." Gene frowned, "We want to go and see Xenophilius Lovegood." she said to Harry.
"Sorry?" he said.
Hermione stepped forward, book in hand, "See this? It's a letter Dumbledore wrote to Grindelwald. Look at the signature. It's the mark again." she turned the book in Harry's direction.
"It keeps coming up. Here. In Beedle the Bard. In the graveyard in Godric's Hollow–" Gene explained, before noticing a particular look on Harry's face, "What?"
"It was there too. Outside Gregorovitch's wand shop. On the alley wall." he explained.
"But what does it mean?" Ron asked, his brows furrowed together as Gene looked down at the symbol once more, etched in Dumbledore's fine hand.
"Harry, we don't have a clue where the next Horcrux is." Gene began with a sigh, once again avoiding the obvious, "But this– this means something. I'm sure of it." she nodded, hope lacing her voice.
"Gene's right." her head shot up as Ron came to her side, "I think we ought to go and see Lovegood. I say we vote on it. Those in favour–" he said, his hand lifting into the air.
Gene looked at Harry who shrugged his shoulders gently, appearing half-amused and half-irate, before looking at Hermione who was evidently struggling to bite back her smile.
She ignored Ron as she walked back to her bed, her hand pressed to her lower stomach as she felt the delicate flutter of wings, deep within her.
And then, Gene smiled.