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Nerezza Lupin-Black
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"I'm gonna put you in your place
You've got the queen; I've got the ace
I'll light you up and smoke you down.
This is war"
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"Harry, you're underage so you've still got the trace on you" Mad-Eye began, leaning against his cane.
I was running through the plan over in my mind. I was to take some polyjuice potion along with the twins, Hermione, Ron and Fleaur. We were each to be flown to the Burrow with a designated protector-I was going with Remus, Fred was going with Arthur, George was going with Mad-Eye, Harry with Hagrid, Ron with Tonks and Hermione with Kingsley.
"The trace?" Harry questioned, his brows knitted in confusion.
"You sneeze and the Ministry will know who wipes your nose. Point is we have to use means of transport the trace can't detect: brooms, thestrals, Sirius's bike and the like. We'll go in pairs, that way, anyone out there waiting for us won't know who the real Harry is" Mad-Eye explained. "And they won't be able to spot the Lupin girl" He added.
Remus smiled to himself sadly when Mad-Eye had called me Lupin, most likely remembering that Sirius's death meant I was the last trickle of the Noble house of Black legacy...aside from Bellatrix and Narcissa but they didn't count to me.
"The real Harry?" Harry repeated.
"I believe you're familiar with this particular brew." Mad-Eye wiggled his flask in the air and I was reminded of when Barty Crouch Jr. was impersonating him at Hogwarts.
"No. Absolutely not." Harry refused angrily.
"I told you he'd take it well" Hermione sang.
"No, if you think I'm gonna let everyone risk their lives for me, I-" Harry glanced around at us all, seeming torn.
"Never done that before, have we?" Ron scoffed jokingly.
"Besides this isn't just for you mate" George reminded him, "Nezza is in danger too" he said with his lips twisted in worry.
I stroked his forearm with a reassuring smile, trying to let him know with just a look that we'd both be okay. I was more focused on Harry getting to the Burrow than myself to be honest.
"No. No. This is different" Harry exclaimed, his gaze landed on me and I stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Little Brother, we've come this far, just let us do this for you? Besides, I'll probably be safer going out there as you, the Ministry are looking for 120 pounds of sarcasm, black hair and scars. Think it sounds scarily like me" I winked and returned back to Fred's side who frowned at the thought of the Ministry hurting me.
"That's different Nezz. I mean, taking that, becoming me...No." Harry sighed.
"Well, none of us really fancy it, mate" George remarked.
"Imagine if something went wrong and we ended up a scrawny, specky git forever" Fred teased, his eyes widening in mock fear at the idea of becoming Harry forever.
"Everyone here is of age, Potter. They've all agreed to take the risk." Mad-Eye shrugged off Harry's refusal like it was dust on his overcoat.
Harry rolled his eyes in irritation. Remus rubbed my back comfortingly as he could see I was beginning to get nervous about all this; this plan would put everyone I loved in danger. I didn't care about my safety but what if something went wrong and someone got hurt?
Hermione ripped a strand of hair from Harry's head and carefully placed it in Moody's flask. Mad-Eye mixed it around with keen eyes that made him look a bit crazed.
I gave Fred and George a hug each, telling Fred that I loved him and also maybe threatening to kill them if they got hurt.
"For those of you who haven't taken Polyjuice Potion before, fair warning: It tastes like goblin piss" Mad-Eye warned as he passed the flask over to Fred.
"Have a lot of experiences with that, do you, Mad-Eye?" Fred asked sardonically. Mad-Eye looked him in the eye unironically, "Just trying to diffuse the tension." He quipped before taking a swig of the potion.
He made a disgusted face before passing it to George who sipped and made a retching sound. Eventually, we all had a sip of the disgusting potion that made my eyes water. I felt my body...moving...morphing. My skin was almost-rearranging itself and I shrank down to Harry's height.
Silence ensued as Harry cast his gaze at us all, I could see myself in the reflection of his glasses. I was bloody Harry Potter.
"Wow, we're identical." The twins said looking at each other.
"Not yet, you're not." Moody emptied the sack of clothes on the floor and everyone began stripping, putting them on to look the same as Harry.
"Haven't got anything a bit more sporting, have you?" Fred requested.
"You really don't have a good dress sense little brother" I smirked.
"Well, fancy this, you're not you. So shut it and strip." Moody ordered.
"All right, all right!" I said, throwing on Harry's shirt.
"Bill look away. I'm hideous." Fleur whimpered as she took off her bra.
"Harry, your eyesight really is awful." Hermione squinted as she put on a pair of Harry's glasses before passing a pair to me.
Everyone filed out the house and onto the street.
Bill helped Fleur up onto the Thestral whilst Harry jumped into the compartment of my Dad's old flying bike with Hagrid driving, I stood next to Remus and gathered energy in my hands preparing to fly. Fred hopped on a broom with George in front of him-I only knew which one was which because Fred blew me a kiss. Arthur was on a broom next to George at the front and Ron was on a broom next to Tonks whilst Kingsley helped Hermione onto a Thestral.
Everyone was ready and raring to go. Mad-Eye stood at the front of the long line of Harry's whilst counting up to three-I cracked my neck readily and felt the energy in my hands pulsating as it waited to be used.
"Go!" Mad-Eye yelled gruffly.
Everyone took off. I flew up in the air with Remus next to me, the night air was cooling against my skin as my hair whipped wildly behind me-Remus fly slightly ahead so he could lead me in the right direction.
Remus and I kept on ascending until we broke through the clouds. Lightning flashed as Death Eaters attacked our friends.
One saw me using my powers and pointed to me, five Death Eaters soared towards me with hungry eyes. Remus fired spells left and right as they kept on coming-I slowed down, gathering some energy and creating a wave of red that made five different Death Eaters drop from the sky.
"Nerezza!" Remus yelled worriedly.
I concentrated and weaved in between the bloodthirsty death eaters. I glided beside Remus who had a terrified expression as he was most likely freaking out worrying for me.
As I looked at Remus, I was distracted for a split second and that was a big mistake. A Death Eater pummelled into me, we began falling downwards at an alarming rate; I punched him with a fist full of energy but he blocked it with a protective spell. He laughed manically before pulling out a small dagger and plunging it into my shoulder.
I let out a strangled cry of pain as I felt the sharp, searing pain of the wound spreading through my shoulder like fire.
The Death Eater fell off my body as he was hit with a spell and Remus flew under me. He caught me in his arms and I managed to shift so that I was behind him. The thunder rumbled loudly as laughter, fighting and swearing could be heard from all around us. At first it was deafening but as I continued to bleed-the noise seemed more echoey.
I was growing cold, shivering in the harsh winds that sliced past us.
We finally landed in the tall grass of the Burrow. Remus practically fell off his broom as he scooped me into his arms as I clutched my shoulder in pain, he carried me into the clearing outside of the burrow.
There was Harry and Hagrid there. Harry was talking with a worried looking Ginny.
"Here!" Remus yelled, "Quick!" Harry saw us and ran to my side.
I was taken inside where the commotion began. Molly saw me and cried out my name, she began moving things off the table in the living room-telling Remus to lay me on there as she needed a flat surface. He gently placed me onto the blanketed table and I hissed in pain when my shoulder hit the back of it.
"Oh! My boy!" Molly gasped.
I wearily turned my sweating head to see who it was. For a moment I thought it was Fred being dragged inside by Ron and Hermione but when I squinted I realised it was George: his ear was singed off, blood poured down his neck and stained Harry's clothes.
"Georgie" I muttered weakly.
"Nezz?" He called, looking at me with confused and scared eyes.
Molly lay him on the sofa and instructed Arthur to watch him. She then briskly came to my side, pulling out a first aid kit which Ginny had fetched from the kitchen. I groaned as another wave of pain hit me, more blood leaked from the wound as I wiggled around uncomfortably.
"Oh my Merlin" Molly breathed, "is that..." she whispered, staring at the wound on my shoulder.
"What? What is it!" Remus hurried over, cradling my limp hand in his two.
"It's mercury metal" Molly informed him, "it's inside the stab wound" she said in a horrified voice.
"Nezz! George!" Fred's panicked yells sounded as he bounded into the living room. "What the hell happened?!" Fred gasped in fear for us.
He knelt in the space between George and I, he grabbed George's hand and stroked my face. I could feel sweating dripping down my cheek as I shivered and jolted-I was so cold. Why was I so cold? My fingers felt numb and I couldn't stop shaking.
"R-R Remus" I jittered, "w-w what's happening?" I shuddered.
"Mercury Metal is extremely poisonous to Kenesis Witches" Hermione explained in a rushed and worried voice.
"Nerezza, darling" Remus said, his face hovering over mine, "you're going to have to lie very still for us okay? I'm so sorry but we're going to have to take the metal out" Remus told me in a clear voice, kissing my forehead.
He moved so that he was behind my head, holding it in place. I could feel Fred's hands pressing down on my arm and ankle whilst my other arm and ankle was held down by a mournful looking Bill.
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Fred Weasley
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Nerezza let out a piercing scream as mum sunk into the wound, trying to get ahold of the piece of metal.
Hermione threw herself into Ron's arms, crying as Nezz pleaded for mum to stop. Harry was leaning against the chimney for support, his eyes spaced and terrified whilst Ginny rubbed his shoulder, Fleur was also crying next to an uncomfortable looking Hagrid.
Remus had tears streaming down his own face as his daughter begged for her Fatehr to make it stop.
I winced in pain, just hearing her scream and cry was killing me. I buried my face into her stomach, disguising my sobs as she writhed and cried out for Remus and I. She jerked wildly, trying to get away from the cause of the pain until mum finally pulled out a slim piece of red metal.
"It's done, darling" Remus cooed into her ear, "it's okay, it's over" he soothed, stroking the hair that was stuck to her face out of the way.
Her crying quietened and her breathing began to slow down. There was blood. So much blood everywhere, she was covered in it-luckily for George, he'd fallen asleep and hadn't had to witness any of that.
It was a few hours after mum had bandaged Nezz's shoulder and had moved her to a makeshift bed that was in the floor. Nezz lay sleeping, sweat still lining her forehead and neck as she lay in a loose fitting tank top.
Dad had ushered Hermione, Ginny and Harry from the room and to their beds and everyone else had either left or gone to bed after the sad news of Mad-Eye's death. Remus was asleep on the armchair in the corner whilst I sat by Nezz's head-gently caressing her cheek.
"I know you can't hear me Nezz" I started, "but...when I saw you lying there, I thought I'd lost you. It was the worst moment of my life" I whispered to her still form, "it just made me realise how much I love you. I want to marry you, love. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I'll always protect you-even if I've done a right shoddy job at it so far" I laughed through my tears.
"Mphm, Freddie" Nezz moaned sleepily, turning her head to the other side with a wince.
I smiled softly, kissing her cheek.
"Are you okay Freddie?" George said.
I was startled by his groggy voice and realised I must've woken him. He slowly sat up on the sofa, his head bandaged and his face looking less peaky.
"Yeah, are you?" I chuckled.
"Saint like" he quipped.
"Come again?" I frowned, maybe all that blood loss had made him a tad loopy.
"Get it? Saint like? I'm Holey Fred" he said, pointing to his ear.
"All the ear related humour in the world and you choose Holey?" I said incredulously. "Pathetic."
"Shut up" he smiled, "how is she?" He said, gesturing to Nezz with a concerned frown. I didn't answer for a moment because I didn't know how, "it wasn't your fault Fred. It could've been any one of us. Nezza is strong, bloody strong, she'll be okay" he reassured me.
I smiled with a faint nod, thanking Merlin that my twin always knew what to say when I didn't.