Incredible Girl
Leigh took a breath.
Dust and debris entered her system, burning her lungs. Despite the scorching feeling she barely noticed it. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, chapping her breathing and making her chest rise and fall in short, ragged movements.
Her gaze frantically shot around her surroundings, eyes bloodshot and wide with fear.
The world was going up in flames around her. The world as she had known it for the last seven years crumbling to dust and rubbish; the corridors she had hurried through, arm linked with friends; the stairs she had ran down on her way to her favourite classes; the big, grandiose doors leading into the great hall, which had become an unmistakable aspect of what constituted her home. All crumbled to pieces right in front of her eyes.
Her heartbeat thumped in her ears, as if adding rhythm to the chaos which surrounded her. Wands raised in combat, bodies being flung through the air, cloaked figures hiding in the shadows, seeking the protection of the solid stone walls behind their backs.
There was an urgency which rose in Leigh's chest, a power pulling her forward, making her take one step in front of the other.
Sensing a darkened silhouette by her side, she immediately defended herself as a spell was shot her way; her head snapping to the side as she averted the oncoming attack with the flick of her wand.
Normally she would feel scared, petrified, about the prospect of defending her own life against the unforgivable curses being cast her way, but the last few days had blunted her nerves. She had somewhere to be, and her wand swiftly snapped through the air time and time again as she rushed through the bustle of the chaos, delivering counter-curses where she could.
Her insistence ascended in her chest, rising in her throat like sickly bile threatening to force its way up.
Pushing through the bodies, bloodied and beaten, her gaze kept searching for its target. It always seemed to be just out of reach – just hiding in the shadows or having just slipped behind an obstacle.
The strain in her gaze only grew, her movements tense. Nothing in her mind mattered except getting there - getting to him. Getting to Evan.
Her throat burned, her sore body carrying her across the stone floors. Her head immediately snapped to the side as she saw the familiar head of hair moving in a flurry on the other side of the corridor - the wonderful head of dark fluffy curls whirling in the air before it disappeared around the corner.
Leigh's breath hitched in her throat, and she clambered her way through the tumult and towards him. In that moment nothing else mattered.
She heard his name leave her lips, the rushed yet relieved sound echoing across the stone walls, or what was left of them. She scrambled desperately through the blocks of stone and ruins before she turned the corner and set her eyes on him again.
"Evan," she breathed out, for a second standing static as she relished in the feeling of seeing him again – knowing he was there. Although her voice was too quiet to be heard by anyone, perhaps even by herself, the boy in front of her somehow sensed her presence and started to turn on his heel.
His face, normally clad in wide, childish grins was serious and focused as it entered her view. Dust stretched across his skin, extending up his jaw and cheek and disappearing into his hairline. The dark curls were tousled and messy – streaked with dirt and falling unpredictably in his face. Yet he looked so absolutely perfect.
She couldn't help it as his name again fell from her lips – relief washing over her at once. Her eyes quickly scanned over him, taking in the dirt on his clothes and the splotches of blood every here and there, seeing the bruises which were starting to form. He didn't look worse than anyone else – she hoped her suspicions were right.
"Leigh," his voice pushed through the mix of chaotic sounds surrounding them, the corners of his lips curving out into one of those familiar, charming smiles. His eyes shone, the dark brown gleaming like treasure in the greying surroundings.
No time was wasted before the two of them engulfed each other, arms wrapping around each other's bodies tightly.
"Oh my God, I couldn't find you," Leigh breathed out against his neck, the hand with her wand pressing against his back with the other firmly placed on the back of his head, nestled in his curls. "Scared the shit out of me."
His chest rose and fell as he let out a soft chuckle at her words, yet holding her just as tightly. His arms had encircled her waist, his hands grasping her so tight his knuckles were starting to turn white.
"I'm here now," he spoke against the skin of her neck, and Leigh could finally feel her heartbeat calming down in her chest at the touch of his lips. "I was looking for you everywhere. Figures you would find me first." He pulled away, revealing his wide grin. His eyes travelled across her face, taking in every bruise and crevice as she had done with him just moments before. His hand extended to guide a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Golden Girl."
A chapped laugh escaped her lips and she looked at him with a suppressed smile. "Stop calling me that. It's stupid."
He rose his brow, nodding in agreement, curls flying around his head. "I know. It's very fitting."
A shriek echoing between the walls snapped the two of them out of their bubble, and their gazes shot out to take in the commotion around them. The chaos was still ranging, and the mixture of colourful light shooting from wands around them told them they were lucky to have had that simple moment of peace.
No time was wasted as he hurriedly grasped onto her hand, pulling her behind him in the turmoil, his other hand tightly holding onto his wand.
"We need to get closer to the great hall," he mumbled. "It's too many of them here."
She nodded, surveying the space for an exit route. He was right, the area around them crawled with death eaters; long black cloaks dragging against the floor and whipping through the air as the figures raised their wands.
They started moving, relying on their wands as counter-curses and defensive spells were sent off in every direction, protecting not only themselves but each other. Debris flew in the air as spells missed their targets, instead shooting into the stone walls behind them.
Managing to stun some of their opponents, and sending some of them flying into the corridors behind them, Leigh and Evan ran down the stone floors, hands locked. She kept an eye on their surroundings and immediately shot the knockback jinx towards someone pursuing them, seeing the silhouette flying backwards upon the impact.
"Nice one," Evan spoke, grin prominent in his voice as he glanced over his shoulder before continuing to tug Leigh towards the great hall, where he knew many students and teachers were concentrated.
The fragments of stone made it difficult to run, but they did the best they could, feet slipping over the pieces on the ground as they neared their destination.
Leigh's heartbeat was thumping wildly in her throat and her hand gripped Evan's firmly, making sure they didn't separate again. He noticed, holding her hand just as firmly.
Just another corner, Leigh told herself, and then we're there.
The heavy breathing scratched her throat, and she looked ahead, seeing the brown curls whirling in front of her. The wonderful boy who had gained her love little by little since the age of 11. Not once had her affection for him faltered. Every day their bond grew stronger, and she was ready to face whatever came her way with him by her side. He was everything. Absolutely everything.
Until time suddenly stopped.
In a flurry of movements Leigh felt her wand being struck from her hand, and both her and Evan were knocked back across the corridor, landing on the stone floors and skidding through the dust and rubble before coming to a halt.
Evan's wand was still firmly held in his hand, and he wasted no time before he raised it and pointed it in the direction of the assailant, who avoided the attack and quickly, too quickly, sent off its own, knocking the wand out of Evan's hand.
Leigh would never forget that moment – seeing his face fall, his hope lost in a millisecond. "Evan." Her voice was just a whisper, but he heard her nonetheless, quickly turning his head to look at her. His eyes were wide, hectic, unprepared for what would happen next. She quickly reached for his hand again. The skin was soft against her fingers and she made a vow to never let him go.
While panicked, his gaze immediately softened as it met her face, like it always did. If only fate was kind enough to let them both go and allow him to look at her every day for the rest of his life.
His hand squeezed hers, and a small almost unintelligible smile appeared in the corner of his lips, reserved only for her. "Leigh, you incredible girl. It's all going to be alri–"
His words were cut short as another spell shot through the air, knocking him straight in the chest, forcefully shoving him back into the wall a short distance behind him. The power was too much, and the cracking sound which occurred as Evan hit the wall painfully etched itself into her mind.
Leigh, whose breath stuck in her throat, didn't bother to look in the direction of the attacker, instead immediately scrambling towards Evan; towards his body which was slumped against the wall.
She froze as her gaze ran across him, taking notice of the red liquid coming from the back of his head, some of it dripping down onto his shirt. His curls were damp, and his eyes, still focused on her and following her every move, hung half-closed.
"No, no, no, no," she mumbled frantically, panic-stricken as she reached for his hand, wanting nothing but to feel his warm skin again. Her attempt of reaching him was cut short as another spell was launched in his direction, making her jump and flinch. The unmistakable green flash seemed to engulf him, and Leigh could only watch as his body fell lifeless against the stone behind him, his once shining eyes turning a cold shade of grey.
An agonising moment of shock passed before a feeling she had never experienced before took over all of her senses. A sharp, searing, excruciating pang of dread tore through her. Something snapped in her chest, a scorching ache erupting, tearing her insides to threads, and she heard her own unbearable scream in the far distance.
Leigh's body was covered it sweat as she shot out of her bed in her dorm, breathing heavily. Her wide eyes shot around the room, taking in her surroundings as she desperately tried to control her breathing and racing heartbeat. The view of him was clear in her mind - as if it had all happened a mere few moments ago. Her senses betrayed her and her skin tingled with fear, and without a second to spare she snaked her hand towards her bandage under her comforter, pressing down upon the gash to obtain that familiar stinging sensation which calmed her and brought her back to reality.
Her throat felt scratchy and painful, and a quick look towards Nova, who laid newly awake with half-closed eyes looking her way, confirmed her suspicions.
"You screamed like a lunatic."
Leigh knew Nova could be blunt, especially when tired, but damn.
"Sorry," Leigh mumbled sheepishly, chest still heaving as she tried to catch her breath.
Nova just nodded from her bed, eyes drooping more and more shut every second. Thankfully for Leigh, Nova was one of those people who could enter a halfway asleep state, essentially sleeptalking - waking up to look around and say a few words and then immediately enter sleep once more like she hadn't woken up in the first place. If Nova wasn't able to do that then Leigh would have to feel bad about waking her, which she undoubtedly didn't have any energy for.
She leaned back in her bed, cursing to herself.
Evan's final moments replayed in her mind, and she let her head fall into her hands, her nails clawing at her hair. Every time she closed her eyes he appeared. And every time it happened felt just as horrifying as the first. The sounds, the smells, his eyes. It all felt so horribly real.
Even though she had had the same nightmare time and time again it never made it any easier. In some ways she had learned to cope – in most ways she hadn't.
Like all other nights she wiped her forehead before standing up from the bed, grasping a sweater before stepping out and first heading into the common room, then heading out into the castle.
Like all other nights she made her way to the great hall, navigating to Evan's picture in the hopes that his smile would somehow overshadow the look of him in his final moments which lingered in her mind.
-
Countless hours later Leigh lay writhing in bed, her numerous attempts at falling asleep proving unsuccessful. As usual, the view of Evan slumped against that stone wall kept visiting her every time she drifted towards sleep, and she squeezed her eyes shut, in some way hoping the action would rid her of the unwanted memories hovering behind her eyelids.
The hours ticked by, and Leigh occasionally benefited from a few moments of sleep before her own mind shot her awake. Her rest was fragmented and scattered, and as usual her head felt heavy as she rose from her bed to get ready for her classes of the day.
After pulling on an oversized sweater she made her way towards the common room, having to go back to her dorm once she realised she had forgotten her quill and notebook.
"Morning Leigh," a sleepy voice spoke from the couch of the Gryffindor common room, and Leigh looked up to meet the sight of Ron sprawled out on the couch, most probably waiting for Hermione to be ready so they could both go to class.
She attempted to give him a small smile, the expression feeling fake and unnatural as it formed on her face. She managed to mumble a "morning" back.
He sat up on the couch, yawning and stretching as he looked up towards the dorms. Leigh was surprised to see him rising first instead of Hermione.
He rubbed his eye absentmindedly. "I don't think I asked you yesterday – how was your visit to the hospital wing after potions? That accident looked bad," he gave her a serious look. Leigh knew Ron was quite queasy when it came to that stuff. It was sweet most of the time.
"Yeah," she started, nodding to herself while commanding her mind to start working despite the limited sleep. "It went fine. You know Madam Pomfrey, she knows her stuff." She gave out a stiff chuckle, starting to fiddle with the edge of her sleeve. Ron nodded sleepily from the couch.
"You looked really put together. I would probably faint if that happened to me," he admitted. Leigh gave him a smile, hoping this one looked more real than the last one she churned out.
Just as Leigh was about to disagree, knowing similar and even worse things had indeed happened to him and he was just trying to make her feel better, steps were heard from the stairs leading up to the girls' dorms. Soon enough Hermione appeared in the entrance to the common room, Nova rushing down moments later, putting on a necklace as she went.
Hermione quickly delivered a kiss to Ron's cheek, and a small hug to Leigh, before urging them all to get to class. Leigh complied, standing up with her notebook and quill and starting to follow through the painting. However, a hand grasping her arm held her back.
"Maybe you should skip today."
Leigh blinked once, twice, as she attempted to register Nova's words, the two of them now the only ones left in the room.
"Sorry?"
"I said maybe you should skip today." When Leigh's face didn't look any less puzzled, Nova continued. "You look tired."
Leigh rolled her eyes, pulling her arm gently from her friend's grasp. "Gee, thanks Nova."
"No, I'm serious. You need sleep." Her friend's demeanour, usually shallow and absentminded, seemed otherwise. A wrinkle appeared above her nose as she furrowed her eyebrows. She gestured towards the exit of the common room. "They would say the same if they knew – if you didn't put muffliato on our door every night."
Leigh looked away from her, pretending to ignore her last comment and wondering when Nova had started to notice that she placed the spell nightly. As a precaution.
"I don't know if you have noticed but sleep doesn't really get rid of my problem," Leigh mumbled. Rather, it made her feel uneasy. The images and sounds from her nightmare still lingered on her senses and she subtly fiddled with her sleeve, pressing her fingers against the bandage, craving the familiar distraction.
Nova looked at the ceiling for a second before returning her gaze to Leigh. "Then go for a walk, or to Hagrid, or, or something. You don't need to be here right now. Take a break."
Leigh bit her lip. She shouldn't need to take a break. Everyone else was managing so well.
But somewhere deep down she knew Nova was, surprisingly, right. A rare occurrence. Leigh averted her gaze but nodded curtly after a moment, signalling she'd follow her advice. Skipping classes – Leigh would never have even considered this a few weeks ago. Now, on the other hand, it didn't feel like a big deal.
Nova gave her a final sad smile of encouragement before she disappeared through the exit, leaving Leigh agitated, but mostly exhausted, standing left in the middle of the common room.