"Kissing and Mourning"

Led by Andromeda, Circi and Leslie fought their way back down to the main entrance of the castle where the main battle was happening.

Breathing heavily, pulse pounding in his chest Leslie fell back as he was stupefied. Andromeda was ahead, helping a group of students against a troll that had somehow made its way to the staircase, and Circi was forced to fall back when she heard Leslie yell. The death eater was unmasked, his face spotted with hair and dirt smearing his face, he was grinning and watching Leslie with hunger in his eyes as he raised his wand again.

Circi ran back for him, yelling 'bombarda!' and pointing her wand at the ground by the death eater's feet. The floor exploded under him, sending him into the air and landing on a pile of rubble with a crack.

Turning away from the blood slowly seeping across the ground underneath the death eater, she ran to Leslie and dropped to her knees beside him.

Cradling his face in her hands, chest heaving and terrified tears pricking at her eyes, Circi searched him for any injuries. His eyes were squeezed tight in pain and his glasses were askew on his face, the bridge bent and a lens snapped. She took his glasses and muttered a mending charm before placing them back on his face. He groaned, lifting his arm to hug his body and opened his eyes.

"Where does it hurt?" She asked, helping him sit up.

"Everywhere," he saw her sneer and glance around at the danger, "I'll be fine."

She nods, pursing her lips and pulling him to his feet. They watched Andromeda and the students drop the troll before heading back over to her. As the older witch caught her breath, glancing around at the bodies piling up around them- adult and child alike. She was about to say something, eyebrows knitted in concern at Leslie's pained expression and his arm across Circi's shoulder, when her face scrunched up in discomfort.

Circi released Leslie, placing her hands over her own ears as the sound of water rushed through her mind and someone inhaled sharply. When the voice spoke she noticed Leslie look around, searching for its source, and Andromeda seemed to be listening intensely.

Removing her hands, she listened to the Dark Lord speak directly to every witch, wizard and creature fighting.

"You have fought valiantly...but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity."

As his voice left their heads, the death eaters who had come into view as he began to speak backed away and morphed into black clouds of smoke before disappearing from the castle.

Silence fell over the three of them, left alone at the top of the stairs, and they looked around at the bodies. Andromeda knelt by the body of a girl in Hufflepuff robes, her limbs twisted at unnatural angles and her hair falled over her face. Circi could see the bruise that had blossomed along her arm where the troll's club had smacked her against the wall and she pressed her lips together, wincing.

"Come on," Andromeda said in a low voice, holding the limp girl in her arms and descending the stairs.

Resuming her hold on Leslie, Circi slowly helped him down the stairs and they found their way into the Great Hall, which had been opened up to provide space for the dead to be laid down and the wounded to be nursed. Bleachers bordered the walls and students were taking seats to rest together, holding onto each other and mourning over their friends.

They passed by a Professor placing a sheet over the body of a student before pausing as Andromeda placed the Hufflepuff down in an empty space and collected one of many sheets to cover her with. Resting a gentle hand on the girls' covered forehead, she bent her head for a few moments before looking around.

Madame Pomfrey was flitting between the witches and wizards entering the hall and was now approaching the three of them with a grim frown.

"This can't be everyone," Andromeda said, dreading her own words but knowing they held true. Madame Pomfrey shook her head grimly.

"Most of the dead are in the entrance hall, but this is where the students will come first." She turned to Leslie and Circi, giving Circi a once over before turning to Leslie who was clearly more injured. "Come on, Mr Prott, let's sort you out."

He moved away from Circi but she clung to him desperately, smelling death in the air.

"I'll be okay," he said to her, "go find your family. Find Mica." He left with the nurse and she allowed Andromeda to guide her from the hall. They walked along the hall and passed students carrying their wounded and half-conscious friends along to the Great Hall.

As they turned into the entrance hall, Circi thought she might faint. There were more dead than alive here, more Professors carrying sheets and groups of people mourning others. She craned her neck to search for Mica. Hoping to see someone, anyone, she knew yet also hoping desperately to see them alive. As they slowly passed along the rows of deceased, they wanted to find their loved ones but each corpse filled them with dread.

Circi looked up briefly, needing to recollect herself and stop the tears, Andromeda moved ahead but stopped in front of two bodies. She released a strangled cry and dropped to her knees. Circi came over to watch her clinging to the entwined hands of her second-year Defence Against the Dark Arts Remus Lupin and a woman with short brown hair. She barely recognised him, having paid little attention to him during his year as a Professor, but she recognised him nonetheless. And Andromeda was clinging to them both as if her life force may vanish if she let go.

The woman's wailing echoed in her head as she tentatively moved on, scared that she would soon find Mica, or her mother, or Dexter, lying among the dead.

At the end of the hall, she looks out across the courtyard. The corridors had collapsed and crumbled in on themselves in piles of brick. By the gate a figure was hunched over what appeared to be a horse but, as she drew closer, she recognised Francis' orange hair barely concealing a snapped unicorn horn lying in a puddle of silver blood.

Retreating in horror, Circi barely heard her name being called. She stumbled as she turned around, still retreating to the castle, and the world tilted as someone crashed into her and swept her up into a bone crushing hug.

She didn't care who it was anymore, simply that she was being held. She needed to be held.

After a long time, the other person slowly released her and leaned back to look her in the eye. Mica smiled at her, tears streaming down her face, blonde hair filthy with blood and dust. She laughed through a sob when Circi placed her hands gently on her cheeks as though she may not be real.

"I went down to the dungeons to find you. They said you weren't there and no one could find you. And then we were attacked and the older students told me to go so I couldn't even check myself. I saw Leslie in the Great Hall but you weren't there and I was so scared. This is so scary-" Mica continued to speak quickly, Circi was also speaking over her.

"I was so worried about you. When I got back everything had changed and it was all terrifying and Leslie said you'd disappeared and, obviously, Myrna and Rhi knew nothing. Where were you? I've been searching for so long and you didn't answer any of my letters. We weren't supposed to fight but I knew you would and I couldn't let you do it alone..."

They both trailed off, laughing breathlessly at each other and resting their foreheads together. Their tears intermingled at their feet as a few rolled down their cheeks. Circi looked up at Mica, who was already staring.

"I think I'd like it if you kissed me now," Circi said as Mica slowly smiled and nodded.

She leaned forward, pressing their lips together gently. Circi kept holding Mica's face as she was pulled against the Gryffindor. For a moment, the battle fell away and it was just them. But, as quickly as it had fallen away, it all sunk in when their lips pulled apart.

Circi looked up and over at the castle. She saw three people, who she recognised as Harry, Ron and Hermione, entering the castle and moved her hands to hold Mica's hands.

"My mum's here," she told Mica, looking towards the doors, "they all are."

Mica tugged her along as she walked back to the castle. She didn't say anything, but her presence madde Circi feel like everything would be okay in the end. It had to be.

The hall was much busier now. Students had gathered here, away from the injured but unable to escape the dead. The two looked around for familiar faces- Leslie would still be with Madame Pomfrey but there was no saying where in the castle anyone else was.

Circi's eyes settled on Carmen as she entered the hall from the hallway she perked up. She trailed the woman, her black hair cropped around her ears, a fresh cut along her arm and an ear bleeding where an earring had been torn out. For a moment she looked as though she had fought the battle with her bare fists before her wand peeked out from the pocket of her maxi skirt.

The relief she felt upon seeing her dwindled as she took one of the Weasley twins in her arms and looked down at the body on the ground.

"That's Fred..." Mica said faintly, staring at the body of the man who had helped her train for the Quidditch team. She sucked in a faint breath, passing her condolences to the family as they passed, although Circi couldn't help her disappointment when Carmen barely noticed them and focused on George- the other Twin.

They passed into the corridor, Mica leading the way. Glancing both ways, she smirks, nudges Circi and points in the direction of the Great Hall.

Upon seeing her mother, Circi breaks free from Mica and nearly knocks the woman over. Serenity pulls her close, squeezing tightly and pressing her lips to her head.

"Oh, thank Merlin, you're alive," Serenity mutters against her head, pulling away to press a kiss to Circi's forehead.

Glancing around, Circi smiles faintly, relieved that everyone was here. Dexter, standing with his arm around Erin's waist as she hopped on her remaining foot, smiled and nodded at Mica and Circi before scowling as Théo scolded him for not holding Erin upright. Irene was fussing with her wand, glancing every now and then at the bloody bandage covering her daughter's chopped ankle, while Christian had his arm across Hayley's shoulder and limped along beside Lakita.

Circi was unsure who, exactly Lakita was, yet intrigued to learn she was her mother's twin.

"We saw Draco," Dexter alerted Circi once Serenity showed signs of backing away, "He's with Poppy." He sighed, correcting himself at the girl's confused expression. "Madame Pomfrey."

Hesitating, Circi looked down at Serenity for permission to find her brother before skirting the group and breaking into a run. She burst into the Great Hall, scanned the wounded for his platinum blonde hair, and rushed over to him. He was sitting on a bench, holding his left arm and watching as a burn disappeared from his hand.

"What happened?" Looking up suddenly, as though he was expecting to be attacked by her. His blue eyes were wide, his hair falling away from his face as he looked up. His shoulders slumped and she sat down beside him.

"You should be in the dungeons."

"Hmm," she gripped the edge of the bench, watching Madame Pomfrey work, "and aren't you on the wrong side?"

He looked down at his right arm, where his sleeve was pulled down and scoffed.

"I suppose," he mumbled, pulling down his left sleeve once the burn disappeared. Glancing around the room, he grimaced and stood to leave. Circi trailed him as she once had when they were kids. She had so many questions for him but no idea how to correctly phrase them.

In the entry hall, he paused and looked at the sheer amount of bodies covered in sheets. His mouth pressed in a thin line when he saw Carmen arm-in-arm with George Weasley but forced himself to look away nonetheless.

Professor McGonagall hurried towards the door, pausing upon seeing them and sighing deeply. She rested a hand on Draco's shoulder, pity in her eyes, and tried to smile at them both before rushing back towards the Great Hall. Circi pulls him towards a bench where Mica and Leslie had found each other and they sit in a row, looking around the hall and imagining how much worse it could have been without this free hour they had.