Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Forever and Always	By : cls2256 Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 6832 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Harry Potter or any of its characters or details, nor do I make any money from this fanfic.

Chapter List
- 61
- 62
- 63
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry this chapter took me a bit longer than normal to get out!! It's a tad long, and was a bear to get down on paper. There might be a couple elements in this chapter that divert from canon details.

There were eyes on the back of her head as Mia poured her morning coffee. She looked over her shoulder; Remus was watching her intently as she moved about the kitchen, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly. She’d caught him staring a few times over the last week or so; he would always look away the moment she saw him, as he did right now.
“Why are you staring at me?” she asked, with a small laugh
“I’m not staring.”
“Yes you are,” she rolled her eyes “if you fancy a shag, all you have to do is say so.”
He chuckled lightly, and then paused. After a moment “You smell different, that’s why I keep looking at you.”
She felt self-conscious all of a sudden; she lifted her shirt collar out and sniffed herself. “Well, I haven’t had a shower yet today—“ she said slowly
“No, it’s not that,” he said quickly, shaking his head “You’ve smelled different for a week or so— the mark, I mean.”
Mia once again sniffed herself, knowing very well she couldn’t smell what he smelled. “What do I smell like…?”
“I don’t know, just different,” He waved his hand, as if to wave off the thought “never mind, forget I said anything— did you see the prophet this morning?”
“No—“ Mia walked over to him and took the newspaper out of his hands. She scoffed incredulously as she read the headline and first few lines of the front page.
GRINGOTTS ROBBED!
Ministry officials say that Gringotts bank was broken into yesterday, May, 1^st 1998. Aurors believe this to be the work of undesirables Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley…
“Those little shits broke into Gringotts?!” Mia laughed “I should’ve had them get into my vault while they were there.”
“I have no idea what they were thinking,” Remus said, seemingly not as amused as Mia was. “What could they possibly need to break into a bank for?”
“You know them, so secretive about whatever task Dumbledore left them,” Mia said “As Arthur said, Harry is the best hope we have, trust in that.”
Trust a 17 year old boy. We’re so fucked. Mia thought.
“I’m a little short on hope these days.” Remus admitted
Mia sighed, leaning back against the dining room table and tucking the newspaper under her arm. “You and me both.”
Mia stood in her usual post in the middle of the cabin’s adjacent clearing, huffing in frustration.
“Can we please try fire now?”
There was no politeness in her tone. Every morning after breakfast, they would go through the series of elements that Mia had learned to manipulate, skipping fire each time.
“No. We haven’t tried wind in a while, why don’t—“
Before he would finish his sentence, Remus was knocked onto his back by a large gust a wind, produced from Mia’s palms.
“I don’t need practice with wind, I need to practice fire.”
Mia started casting barrier charms around the area she stood, sealing herself inside a protective dome.
“What are you doing?” he asked sharply, brushing the grass of his clothes.
“If the fire gets out of control, I will be the only one who burns to a crisp.”
“Mia, no—“
“Remus just shut up and let me concentrate!” She snapped.
She closed her eyes and flicked her wrist. When she opened her eyes again, a patch of flame ignited before her. She took a few minutes to enlarge and diminish the flame while Remus watched nervously from the sidelines. He remained quiet, letting her focus. Every minute or so, she allowed the flame to grow a little bit larger than it had been before, until she felt she was in control of a bonfire twice her height. She extinguished the patch, and then with a grandiose wave of her hand, a roar of flames took the shape of a wolf, running circles around her for a few minutes before it dissipated with a wave of her hand. She smirked at him, crossing her arms and popping her hip out pretentiously.
“I told you I was ready for fire.”
“Alright Susan, just a couple more steps…”
Susan was now able to go up and down stairs virtually unassisted. Her gash across her stomach was now healing— slowly, but surely.
“Mum, your doing so well.” Mia said
“Oh sweetheart, there’s no need to get into a fuss about going down a flight of stairs,” Susan said “this recovery has been much longer than I thought.”
“Progress is something to be proud of,” Remus said with a small smile.
Susan’s feet hit the floor at the bottom of the stairs, and she immediately sat down on the first step, breathing heavily.
“When I see Antonin Dolohov next, I will make sure he is the one who cannot walk.”
“Or I’ll just kill him.” Mia muttered, crossing her arms.
“Azkaban is a worse fate than death;” Susan said “killing him would do him a kindness.”
Remus and Mia stayed for dinner at Muriel’s, enjoying a wonderfully prepared roast by Molly. The conversation was lighthearted until someone brought up the Daily Prophet in which Harry, Ron and Hermione were accused of breaking into Gringotts the previous day.
“I just don’t know what in Merlin’s spell book they have gotten themselves into…” Molly said, red faced and shaking her head.
As the sun was setting, Remus and Mia were getting ready to leave for the cabin when a silver streak shot through the wall into the kitchen. A silver hyena materialized on the table, opening its mouth and speaking in Fred’s voice.
Snape driven out of Hogwarts, You Know Who coming to attack, Reinforcements needed.
Another silver streak shot through the wall, a coyote materializing in the place where Fred’s hyena had stood. The coyote spoke with George’s nearly identical voice.
Apparate to the Hogs Head Inn, directly inside the pub. There’s a tunnel from there to the castle.
“Oh my…” Molly whispered, staring at the center of the table where the patronuses had been.
“Well, you heard them— let’s go,” Susan said, struggling to stand.
“Susan, you aren’t strong enough—” Arthur said
“The Order needs me!” Susan cried
“The Order needs you to take care of yourself,” Mia interjected “Mum, stay here, we’ll go.”
Susan stared at her for a minute before sighing in defeat and sinking back into her chair.
“Mia, you be careful— Remus, you make sure she comes home to me.”
“Of course,” Remus said with a nod “Molly, Arthur, you have your wands?”
The Weasley’s nodded and the four of them grabbed hands, disapparating with a soft pop. A moment later, they were standing inside a deserted, grimy bar.
The Hogs Head Inn was certainly no inn Mia would choose to stay at. Everything was coated in thick dust, floorboards weren’t in the best repair, and the place had a certain unwelcome-ness to it. She wasn’t sure what was dustier— the Hogs Head Inn, or 12 Grimmauld Place the first time she stepped inside.
“Upstairs!” the bearded barman gruffed, much in the style of Alastor Moody “upstairs, quickly!”
There was something about the barman’s eyes that seemed familiar, as if he had been an old friend she hadn’t seen in a long time. Mia stared at him for a moment before Remus leaned in and whispered in her ear.
“That’s Dumbledore’s brother— Aberforth.”
They climbed up a set of rickety stairs to a long hallway. Aberforth ushered them into a large, plain bedroom with a portrait of a young woman hanging on the wall. Aberforth pulled the frame open like a door, revealing a large tunnel.
“Climb through— this’ll take you to into the castle.”
“How…?” Mia began
“Magic, you silly girl—“ Aberforth snapped “Now go— quickly!”
The Weasley’s, Remus and Mia climbed into the tunnel, using their wands to illuminate the darkness. The tunnel was shallow, both Remus and Arthur had to crouch significantly.
“Aberforth is a real peach today, huh?” Remus asked rhetorically.
The tunnel was quite lengthy; it took them nearly 15 minutes to walk the entirety. When they finally arrived at the castle, they appeared in a large room— half the size of the Great Hall— filled with sleeping bags and hammocks. They were greeted by a slew of people; Fred, George, Ginny, Kingsley, Bill and Fleur were all congregated in a knot together, while Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan and Luna Lovegood formed another group. Mia made her way straight to Kingsley, curious as to Tonks’s absence.
“Kingsley, where is Tonks?” she asked “Do we know what’s going on?”
“Not yet,” Kingsley replied “Dora is at her parents, with Reggie— I asked her to stay put.”
Harry entered the room, and a silence fell across the crowd.
“Harry, what’s going on?” Arthur asked
“He’s coming, and we’re fighting. We’re meeting in the Great Hall for further instructions.”
The crowd roared; many started charging out of the room, wands drawn and in the air. As the crowd filed out, Remus and Mia stayed behind with Harry, the Weasleys and Kingsley.
“Ginny, you need to go home,” Molly ordered “Susan and Muriel are back at the house—“
“I’m not leaving, my whole family is here!” Ginny cried “I’m in Dumbledore’s army, I chose to fight!”
“A teenager’s gang!” Molly snapped. “You are sixteen, you cannot risk your life to—“
“Molly—“ Remus interrupted “What if Ginny stayed here, that way she’ll be on the scene and can know what’s going on, but she is out of the thick?”
“That sounds fair to me,” Arthur said
“Arthur, but—“
They were interrupted by a person falling out of the passageway, stumbling and making a ruckus. The room fell silent as Percy Weasley got to his feet, adjusting his horned rimmed glasses clumsily.
“Did I miss it? Am I too late? I only just found out…”
The silence was deafening as Mia slunk behind Remus, feeling awkward to be intruding on such a personal family reunion.
“I was a fool!” Percy roared, “I was an idiot! I was a pompous prat! I was a— a—“
“A Ministry loving, family disowning, power hungry moron.” Fred finished for him
Percy shifted awkwardly, looking down at his feet. “Y—yes, I was.”
“Well, you can’t say fairer than that.” Fred shrugged, outstretching his hand to shake Percy’s.
Molly burst into tears, sobbing as she ran towards Percy, pushing Fred aside and throwing her arms around him. Percy patted her back gently, his eyes on Arthur.
“I’m sorry, dad.”
Arthur blinked at Percy a few times, then ran over and joined in on their embrace. Mia stood on her tip toes and whispered in Remus’s ear.
“I’d rather not intrude of this rather personal moment…” she whispered “meet me in your office in 5 minutes.”
She took off for the door, no one else but Remus realized she was leaving.
“Mia—“ he sputtered “Mia, what are you—“
“Five minutes,” she said, turning back “your office.”
The Defense Against the Dark Arts office looked vastly different than when Remus had taken the post. The emerald couch was gone, replaced with a large set of tufted oxblood leather chairs. Dark artifacts were littered all about the office, replacing the spaces where Remus would keep dark creatures in cages or tanks. This office felt cold, uninviting, something that Amycus Carrow probably loved. Mia ran her fingertips across the desk— this seemed to be the only familiar piece of furniture left.
“Wow, Amycus redecorated.”
Remus now stood in the doorway, looking around the room. She frowned at him, leaning back against the oak desk.
“I was hoping the couch would still be here.” she said softly.
“Why, you were hoping we’d have a shag while everyone else is preparing for the impending battle?” He asked teasingly.
She shrugged, smiling mischievously “I wouldn’t’ve minded.”
He made his way over to the window that oversaw the quidditch pitch. He spoke to her with his back turned as he looked out the window and observed the dark grounds.
“There is a good chance one of us isn’t going home today.”
“Remus—“
“Let me finish,” He said, now turning to her with a serious expression. “If it comes down to one of us, it will be me. I need you to promise me that if it comes down to it, do not get yourself killed trying to save me. Save yourself, make sure you get home to your mother.”
Mia’s heart started to pound as a lump formed in her throat. “Don’t talk like that, both of us are going home—“
“Promise me,” he interjected “Promise me you will abide by my wishes?”
Tears prickled her eyes, “I can’t make that promise,” she shook her head “I can’t lose you.”
He stepped over to her and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“So much that you would get yourself killed to save me?” Mia asked, her tone laced with venom.
“Exactly.”
He kissed her firmly before she could protest. She wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her up by her waist and set her down on the oak desk. Her legs wrapped around his torso as she worked quickly to undo his shirt buttons. They tore each other’s clothes off with the grace of inexperienced teenagers, throwing the garments every which way around the office. He pushed her onto her back and pulled her hips to the edge of the desk.
“You are even more beautiful than the first time I laid you against this desk.”
He ran his hands up her scarred thighs and gripped her hips, pushing his cock firmly into her. The desk rattled underneath her as Remus fucked her with enthralling passion, her moans echoing noisily off the stone walls. She finished in a back arching, toe curling climax that could’ve woken up the whole castle. Remus was right behind her, squeezing himself against her as he stifled a deep grunt.
“Seriously…?”
Kingsley’s deep voice came from the threshold. He was avoiding looking at the two of them in the buff, Mia spread out across the desk for all to see. Mia wrapped her arms over her breasts to cover herself, flashing a guilty grin at Remus.
“Guess we should’ve locked the door…”
“And put up a silencing charm,” Kingsley said “I could hear you two all the way down the hall. Get dressed— we have a battle plan in place and everyone is meeting in the Great Hall in five minutes.”
They were dressed and out of the office just a minute later, Kingsley shaking his head disapprovingly as Remus fidgeted with tucking his shirt in. They started for the Great Hall; Mia had to nearly jog to keep up with Remus and Kingsley’s long strides.
“You and Mia will lead a troop out on to the grounds,” he began “So will Arthur and I…”
Once they arrived at in Great Hall, they took their up behind the Headmaster’s podium at the teacher’s table as Professor McGonagall addressed the students.
“Madam Pomfrey and Mr. Filch will be overseeing the evacuation of underage students—“
Cutting her off, a high cold voice boomed all around them as if it were coming from the walls itself. Mia grabbed Remus’s hand from under the table, gripping tightly.
“I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile.”
Screams and squeaks of terror erupted all through the Great Hall as the voice of Voldemort continued to speak.
“You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood.”
“Could’ve fooled me…” Mia muttered to Remus in a whisper.
“Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.”
“Potter’s right there!” Pansy Parkinson, seated at the Slytherin table, cried out as the pointed furiously at Harry. “Someone grab him!”
The Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws all stood and turned towards Pansy and the Slytherins.
“Alright, alright!” Professor McGonagall called, “Enough— underage students or those not willing to fight need to file out quickly!”
Kingsley now stepped up to the Headmaster’s podium, addressing the people still remaining seated in the Great Hall.
“We only have a half hour until midnight,” He said “We need to move quickly, The Order of the Phoenix and Hogwarts staff have decided on a battle plan…”
They stood with wands drawn, waiting for the initial attack. Mia and Remus held hands with their free hand, anxiously waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Mia wasn’t sure exactly when hers and Remus’s bracelets had started vibrating; in the chaos of getting their troop out to their section of the grounds, she had just now become aware of the gentle hum against her skin.
“Alright everyone, the Death Eaters are prepared to kill every last one of us, so fight with all you have. Shoot to kill, or at least stun if you can’t bring yourself to kill. This is not the time to play nice.”
Remus now turned his head and looked down at her, squeezing her hand reassuringly.
“Fight with everything you have. Wand, no wand, water, fire, air— give ‘em hell.”
Mia nodded “I love you,” she whispered, a slight twinge of nervousness in her voice.
He gave her a small smile “and I love you,” he leaned over and kissed her forehead “forever and always.”
“THEY’RE HERE, THEY’RE HERE!” one of their troopers shouted.
The sky looked as if it were illuminated by shooting stars as curses hit the magical barrier surrounding the castle. More and more jets of light hit the protective dome with each passing second, until the barrier began to splinter and crack.
“Wands at the ready!” Remus shouted back “Stay alert!”
The barrier shattered and the grounds were swarmed with Death Eaters, creatures, and giants. Remus and Mia released their hands and stared firing spells every which way, overwhelmed by the action and chaos around them. Mia spotted Fenrir Greyback off a few yards, and sent a few hexes in his direction, pleased when she caught him off guard and sent him flying through the air. Take that, you vile, carnivorous piece of shit.
It could’ve been ten minutes or ten hours of fighting, she wasn’t sure. It took all her focus to keep her attention on blasting various creatures and Death Eaters aside as well as keep track of where Remus was in relation to her. She made sure to stay just a few feet from him at all times, not wanting to leave his side. Through all the chaos however, she was painfully aware of the vibration against her wrist, her tether and lifeline to him.
She locked eyes with Dolohov a few paces in front of her, feeling immediately angry at seeing the triumphant, smug look on his face.
“Well well well, Mia Roswell, what a pleasure!”
He shot a jet of pink at her, but she had already thrown up a shield. She started shooting any and every spell she could think of, stepping backwards until her back pressed up against Remus’s. He was in a duel with his own Death Eater, and with a few strategic flicks of his wand, the man went flying backwards, hitting his head on some nearby rubble and crumpling to a heap.
A jet of green was now flying directly at Mia; she was about to duck when she felt Remus’s large hand on her chest, shoving her down to the ground. She fell clumsily, twisting her ankle as she collapsed. The jet of green zoomed just over her head, and just past Remus.
“No!” Dolohov shouted angrily.
He started shooting spells at Remus, firing at alarming speed. Remus was doing well, until Dolohov cast another killing curse, this time the jet of green hitting him square in the chest. His eyes glazed over and he crumpled to the ground. The vibration against Mia’s right wrist had ceased, and Remus was motionless.
“Remus?!” Mia shrieked “REMUS?!” She turned her head; Dolohov was smirking at her, amused by what he had just done. “Dolohov, you fucking piece of shit!”
She tried to stand, but collapsed as she placed weight on her rolled ankle. Dolohov shot a few hexes at her that she was able to shield, but Professor Flitwick came to her aid, distracting Dolohov in a magnificent duel of his own. She crawled a few feet over to where Remus lay, shaking him gently.
“Remus, Remus, wake up— please…”
She shook him harder. Nothing. She knew nothing would happen, but the irrational part of her brain thought maybe if he just heard her voice, or if she shook him hard enough…
A strong arm wrapped around Mia’s waist and pulled her away from Remus’s body.
“No!” She kicked and flailed, trying to throw her body weight back towards him, but the arm was stronger. “Remus! Remus!!”
“You can’t help him, Mia. He’s gone.”
Kingsley’s low, stately voice did nothing to make her feel any better. He fought against her wild flailing, dragging her back to the castle.
“Kingsley Shacklebolt, you put me down!” she hollered “Take me back to him, take me back!”
Kingsley dragged her kicking and screaming all the way to the Great Hall, throwing her into a seat and holding her in place.
“Mia, he’s gone— you can’t help him.” he repeated
“He’s all alone out there; I need to be with him! I need to help him!”
“You are going to get yourself killed!” Kingsley cried “I’m sorry—“
“Let me go! Let me go!” Mia screamed at him, seething with anger.
“You need to relax!” He hollered. “Your fight is over— you’re staying in here, Molly!”
She struggled against him until Molly ran over; she started struggling harder when Molly attempted to hold her back.
“We lost Remus.” Kingsley told Molly quietly.
“Oh, oh my…” she said, “Mia? Mia, honey stop struggling…”
“I need to be with him!” Mia screamed, tears now streaming down her face “He’s all alone out there, I need to— I nee—“
She couldn’t speak anymore. She collapsed forward into Kingsley’s arms, burying her face into his shoulder, and spilling every tear she could possibly shed.
“You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery, but you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die one by one. I do not wish this to happen, every drop of magical blood spilt is a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately. You have one hour; dispose of your dead with dignity, treat your wounded. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than you face me yourself. I will wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest; turn yourself into me or the battle resumes. This time, I will enter the fray myself, and I will find you. I will kill every last man, woman or child who has tried to conceal you from me.”
Mia sat on a bench in the great hall, wrapped in a blanket that was not warmed by the comfort of Remus’s heating charms. Her throat was raw, her eyes puffy, she felt like she was in a daze, a trance, a terrible terrible dream.
The well-off were carrying the wounded and the dead, lining up the dead shoulder to shoulder in the middle of the Great Hall, and treating the injured off to the side. As Kingsley and Arthur carried in Remus, Mia leapt to her feet, as they settled his body amongst the rest.
“Mia, why don’t you go sit out in the corridor…?”
She didn’t listen. She kneeled down next to his lifeless body, now pale yet peaceful. She reached out and touched his hand, brushing her thumb across his knuckles. His skin was cold to the touch, his blue eyes staring off to the side, frozen in place. She reached up and gently pulled his eyelids down, closing his eyes. At least with his eyes closed, he didn’t look so dead, just like he was sleeping— just pale from a recent full moon transformation.
“Oh my, no, no NO!”
Molly’s shrieks filled the Great Hall as Fred Weasley was also laid down amongst the dead. She was numb to the sight, feeling no emotion running through her. She was detaching from the scene around her, separating herself from the feelings too painful to feel. She jumped when she felt Kingsley’s hand on her shoulder, both of them watching as Arthur ran to his wife’s side, dropping to his knees with her and sobbing over their son’s body. As a few more bodies were carried in, Kingsley’s grip tightened as he gasped.
“Dora?” he asked, mostly to himself at first “Dora!”
He sprinted towards a pair of wizards carrying in Tonks’s limp body, setting her down gently amongst the place of the dead. Mia watched as Kingsley dropped to his knees, clasping a hand over his mouth in disbelief. She didn’t even feel her feet on the floor as she followed Kingsley over to Tonks.
“She was supposed to be at her mother’s, with Reggie,” He said, his voice an octave higher and strained “She wasn’t supposed to be here— she didn’t stay put like I told her to…”
Mia wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to lean his weight into her and sob into the crook of her neck. She stared off aimlessly at the black Hogwarts banners that hung around the Great Hall as she held onto her friend, feeling nothing. She was emotionless, detached, numb.
Hours had passed. Tears had been shed over the bodies lined up in a neat row across the floor of the Great Hall. The bodies all had a shimmering gold aura— a preservation spell, to keep the effects of rigor mortis from setting in. There were at least 50 bodies lined up— some beaten and bloody, some pale and peaceful.
“Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself as you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof you’re hero is gone. The battle is won, you have lost half your fighters, my Death Eaters outnumber you, and the boy who lived is finished. There must be no more war, anyone who continues to resist will be slaughtered, as well as their family. Come out of the castle and kneel before me, you shall be spared, your family shall be spared— and we shall build a new order together.”
Everyone inside stood and walked towards the castle entrance, muttering and murmuring to each other nervously. (“Could Harry really be dead?” “No, he’s bluffing— there is no way!”). Mia rose, subconsciously linking her arm with Kingsley’s as they shuffled out onto the front steps. The Death Eaters stood in a line with Voldemort in the center, his large snake Nagini draped around his shoulders. Hagrid stood off to the side, cradling Harry in his arms.
“No!” McGonagall shrieked.
The Hogwarts crowd started jeering, shouting insults at the Death Eaters.
“Silence!” Voldemort hissed.
The crowd fell silent. Voldemort chuckled softly as he took a few steps foward. “Harry Potter is dead, as you can see. He was just a simple, silly boy. You were all foolish to follow such a child.” He drummed his fingertips together and smirked “Join us! Join us and you will be forgiven.”
Neville stepped forward, his fists clenched in his hands. “We’ll only join you when hell freezes over! DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY!”
Voldemort’s cackle cut through the crowds roars as he flicked his wand towards a broken window. A brown object zoomed from the castle and into his hand; the sorting hat.
“What is your name, boy?” Voldemort asked.
“That’s Neville Longbottom!” Bellatrix interjected “The boy that has been giving the Carrows such trouble.”
“Ah, Longbottom— you are a pureblood, aren’t you?”
“So what if I am?” Neville shouted contemptuously
“You would make an excellent place amongst out ranks,” Voldemort said “join us, or be an example as to what happens to those who deny Lord Voldemort.”
Neville flipped Voldemort a crude gesture with both hands. Voldemort gritted his teeth, flicked his wand, and the sorting hat flew at Neville, forcing itself onto his head and down over his face. Neville screamed and flailed as the hat burst into flames; he fell to the ground and rolled around to attempt to extinguish the fire.
Anger flooded through Mia as she watched Neville helplessly struggle with the burning hat stuck over his face. These people were responsible for the death of so many that she loved, and the injuries of many more. His followers and their agendas took the lives of her father, Sirius, Tonks— Remus. Now, they make fools out of her friends, using Harry and Neville as sick spectacles. She felt her palms tingle as she gritted her teeth and took a step from her place amongst the crowd.
“Mia? What are you doing?!” Kingsley hissed
Mia didn’t listen. Her brain went on autopilot, her entire mind and body numb as she stepped in front of the crowd, standing in the front of Britain’s most infamous dark wizard.
“Ah, I know this one…” Voldemort said, eyeing her curiously “Amelia Roswell, isn’t it?”
“It’s Mia Lupin, actually” She said, holding her chin up “and I’d like to say something.”
“Go on,” Voldemort said, narrowing his eyes “I’m sure we’d all be… fascinated to hear what you have to say”
“Your people have killed so many of ours tonight. We’ve lost friends, family, loved ones, Harry…” She clenched her hands into fists to keep them from shaking “But we have not lost our minds. You have to be undoubtedly insane to think that we would join you.”
Voldemort let out a bark of laughter “You must forget who you are talking to, ignorant girl— some nerve you have, to give such cheek to Lord Voldemort.”
“I know exactly who I am talking to” She said “Your people are responsible for the deaths of my loved ones— my father, my best friend, my husband” Her chin quivered as Remus’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. “To slay a beast, you must cut the head off. You, Lord Voldemort are the head that needs cut off.”
“You dare speak his name, you filthy little brat!” Dolohov shouted
“Dolohov!” Voldemort scolded as he held his hand up “Has anyone ever told you that your mouth would get you into trouble, girl?”
“Every day of my goddamn life,” she muttered, drawing her wand and shooting a stun at Voldemort “Stupefy!”
He threw up a shield, his red eyes glaring menacingly as he bared his teeth at her. They began to duel, spells flying all around them as he ordered his followers not to attack—(“She’s mine, do not attack! I am to be the one to kill her!”) The spells flying all around them weren’t enough to defeat the dark wizard. With a flick of her wand, boulders from the rubble raised, launching the giant rocks at him. With a wave of his wand, he blocked the boulders and they shattered into a fine-grit powder against his shield charm.
She started throwing spells wandless, Voldemort’s face twisting in amusement. He raised his wand, a large fire-y serpent swirling around him and launching at Mia. She spun a hand above her head; a tornado formed and vacuumed all the flames up the shaft, suffocating them until they extinguished. Mia sent a gust of strong wind, knocking back the row of Death Eaters except Voldemort onto their backs. They exchanged a few more stuns and hexes before a flash of green erupted from his wand, headed straight for her.
“Mia!” Hermione cried, her voice jutting out from the crowd.
The world seemed to slow down, everything around her seeming to move at snail pace as her mind recalled the very first lesson Remus had taught her.
“Can anybody tell me what spell you would use to shield yourself from an attack?”
“The Protego charm, which either absorbs the attacking spell or defects it”
“Excellent Miss Roswell, you’ve been paying attention! Now, can anyone besides Miss Roswell tell me the only spell the Protego charm cannot block?”
She had known the answer, despite not being the one to answer his question. The killing curse, avada kedavra, the very spell headed right for her. She knew she couldn’t block it, and it was too late to jump out of the way. Knowing full well it was useless, she threw up a shield charm anyway, closing her eyes and bracing for the curse to hit her.
Remus’s face flashed in her mind’s eye; his graying, sandy hair falling in his bright blue eyes as he smiled at her— that smile that always made her weak in the knees. She could be with him again, to see him again the moment the curse would hit her and take her life. In this moment, she didn’t fear death— she craved it.
The impact never came. Despite feeling as if hours had passed, Mia opened her eyes a split second later to find Voldemort staring at her, dumbfounded.
“She blocked a killing curse! Mia can block the killing curse!” Someone behind her shouted.
Before she could even process why she wasn’t dead, Neville yanked the singed sorting hat off his face, his skin red and blistered. He pulled a glinting silver sword from inside the hat and charged. The rubies on the hilt sparkled in the red gleam of daybreak as he swung the sword at Voldemort. Rather than hit the dark wizard, he sliced Nagini’s head off clean. The large snake’s head hit the ground with a soft thud; the Hogwarts crowd cheered from behind, and spells started firing from both sides. The battle resumed, some of the fights shifting slowly inside the castle’s entrance hall. Mia threw every spell, hex, and curse she could think of; she sent fire-y wolves charging after Death Eaters, and erected stalagmite structures to block or trap Death Eaters from nearing. She fought with everything she had; willing to jump into any duel, fighting with no fear as she felt there was nothing left for her to lose.
The battle halted as Harry appeared in the center of the entrance hall, standing alive and well with his wand facing Voldemort. The crowd was silent and in awe as they watched the boy they thought dead circle with Voldemort, as if they were two wolves about to tear into each other. Harry jeered, mouthing off to the snake-faced wizard as he explained all the mistakes he had made that would lead him to his demise— at Harry’s hands.
Mia felt nauseas, woozy, and ill as she stood watching the scene before her. She might’ve overdone her magic today; she wanted to sit down, close her eyes and rest, but she fought against it. She watched silently with the others as Harry and Voldemort dueled. It appeared Voldemort’s wand backfired on him, killing him. The crowd roared as he fell backward, motionless and still as stone.
“He did it! Harry did it!”
“He’s dead!”
“It’s over!”
Mia took a few steps back and leaned against the cool castle wall, and sunk down onto her bum slowly. She felt so ill, so weak, but now at least she could take a breath. The war was over. Voldemort’s regime was over. She thought this moment would bring her great joy, but sitting alone on the outskirts of main corridor, she felt nothing. No joy, no relief— just numb.
“There are things worth dying for.” Remus had said to her periodically over the years, mostly when tasks within her duties or the Order were difficult. She had understood this statement— dying for this moment, the moment that would change the wizarding world forever, would have been worth it. The fight for freedom would’ve been worth death, but a question she had continuously creeped into her mind.
Why did everyone she loved have to die?

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry I killed Remus... I went back and forth with it, I really did.
There is one more chapter and then an epilogue. Thank you so much for reading and sticking this out with me until the end! Stay tuned for the final chapter.
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Forever and Always