"ACCIO NEVE!"

Back up I was flying, my entire body screaming in objection in its fight against gravity.

The next thing I know, I'm slamming into Draco; arms catching me as we both toppled backwards to the ground.

"Neve," Draco murmured with relief beneath me, having cushioned the landing, holding me tightly to him as he peppered my face in frantic kisses; kissing away my tears and kissing away my heartache. "Merlin, don't fucking do that to me again."

I let him help me to my feet as I struggled to get my breath back, my racing heart still right up in my throat as the adrenaline coursed maddeningly through my veins.

"Draco, you're okay, you're here and you're okay," I gasped as soon as I could speak, throwing my arms around him and clinging to him with everything I had, never wanting to let him go ever again.

"What were you thinking of, taunting an army of Snatchers like that?" Draco spluttered, "they could have killed you!"

"Turned out Neve killed the lot of them instead, though," Colin piped up proudly. "That's our Neve."

I let go of Draco to turn and beam at Colin. Lupin and Tonks were standing directly behind him, both looking white as sheets.

"Thank Merlin for my cousin," Tonks breathed, a hand shakily leaving her chest as she turned to look at Draco. "Wotcha cuz, you're doing us all proud you know."

Draco just nodded, looking vaguely embarrassed. I realised he and Tonks had probably never really spoken before.

"Neve, be brave but please don't be cocky with it!" Lupin implored, his voice clearly shaken. "I thought we were going to lose you then!"

"Hey, if it wasn't for Neve, we'd be fighting off a whole load of Snatchers right now!" Colin said indignantly, a proud pink tinge rising to his cheeks.

"Neve," Draco said, interrupting the moment as he urgently spun me back round to face him, "listen to me, do you know where Potter is?"

"He's in the Room of Requirement looking for something." I said, touched by his concern for him. "Don't worry, he's perfectly safe there. We're all holding the fort."

Something flickered in Draco's eyes before he pulled me to him, giving me a fierce kiss. "I love you, Neve, you know that don't you?"

I nodded, feeling a bit bewildered by his behaviour. "I- I love you too, Draco, so much."

"Get yourself somewhere safe, please," he implored, his face looking pained; almost desperate. "They'll all coming inside the castle now."

"Where are you going?" I asked feeling panicked as he started to walk away. I'd only just got him back.

"To end this madness before you get killed," Draco called back just before he disappeared around the corner. "Just stay out of harms way in the meantime, please, Neve."

But fat chance I was doing that. I was there to fight.

I tried not to let whatever Draco was doing worry me as Lupin, Tonks, Colin and I kept our positions by the entrance, ready to zap the enemy who tried to enter. We managed to stop a good few as they came at us, unprepared for our quick spells and remarkable defensive work.

After a while, loud bangs sounded around us and I felt the ground tremble beneath my feet and the walls of the castle shake behind us.

Colin and I exchanged a glance, not being able to disguise the shadow of fear we both felt.

"We'll be okay, Neve," he assured me, "don't you worry. You're the bravest witch I've ever known."

And just as he reached out a hand to touch my fingers, a loud explosion rent the air and I suddenly had no idea where I was or what was happening.

My body was being tossed like a rag-doll and I clung onto my wand with my life as pain tore literal strips through me as I was hit with stone, glass and other unidentified debris.

And when I landed, it was with an agonising thud; and for a moment, as an eerie silence fell, I wondered if I was dead.

But then the stomach churning sounds of terrified screams and shouts filled the air, and I thought that if I really was dead then this surely must be hell.

I slowly staggered to my feet after pushing wood and stone off of me, coughing as dust and debris billowed thickly all around.

I couldn't see a thing at first, and I found myself having to swallow back the great tide of panic that threatened to engulf me as I tried to search desperately for any sign of Colin.

I tried calling out, but all I could do was splutter and choke as my mouth filled with the contents of the air.

As the dust started to settle I could make out a huge mound of rubble where only moments before Colin, Lupin and Tonks had all been stood.

My heart hammering in my chest, I sank down to my knees as I clawed frantically at stone and wood; cutting my hands on glass and splinters but only caring about getting to them.

"Colin?!" I managed to choke, as I continued to desperately throw rubble aside. "Lupin?! Tonks?!"

But there was no answer.

*****

I eventually found a hand; fingers sticking out through bits of wood.

My entire body shuddered in relief as the fingers grasped around my own. Whoever it was was still alive.

"Don't worry! I'm getting you out of there!" I cried, working more furiously than ever, ignoring the searing agony my own body was screaming in.

I had no idea how hurt I was. All I knew was that I was alive and my friends must be alive too. They just had to be.

And when I uncovered the body, I wept in utter relief when familiar eyes looked up at me, clearly still alive.

"Professor Lupin!" I breathed. "Oh thank god!"

But my relief was short lived when I realised he was struggling to draw breath. And as I looked down his body, I realised with horror, a ragged piece of wood had staked him right through the middle of his stomach, going all the way through.

"T-T-Teddy," he rasped shakily, his voice barely recognisable as he used the last of his strength to speak.

"Shhh, it's okay," I breathed, gripping his hand tightly in mine, trying to stay calm. "We'll get help, I promise you. Just hang in there."

"No t-time," he spoke, my heart breaking in its entirety as his terrified eyes looked up in mine, pleading with me to listen to him. "L-Look after our s-son, N-Neve. P-Please. T-Tell him w-we're s-sorry."

I nodded, tears coursing down my cheeks. He was talking as though Tonks was dead. Perhaps he already knew.

His once trembling fingers slackened in mine and I watched, trying to hold back the wail that had caught in the back of my throat, when his eyes flickered and eventually died.

He was gone.

*****