The Deathly Hallows legend (The tale of the three brothers)

[G]

Ava gave a small sigh of surprise, a sudden chill crawling down her arms and settling in the small of her back, causing her to shudder and pull her arms closer in around herself, trying not to meet her beloved's teary eyes. She knew he'd hate her to see him like this.
She almost didn't register that Ignotus was addressing her, but realised it at the last moment, turning sad eyes on him. "Freeze time? For how long, Ignotus? We all know there is no cure. We are no closer to finding one than we were when the first muggle was struck down."

Giving in, she craned her neck to look into Cadmus' eyes, trying her best not to let the misery she already felt at having to leave him show. "My darling, do not weep. You are young. Don't give up hope. You will love again."

She tried to put as much conviction as she could into the words, though she did not completely believe them. If what Cadmus felt for her was even a shadow of what she felt for him, (and she had no reason to believe it was any less) then it was impossible to imagine him, finding a love that was equal. Still, she hoped he might. She did not wish her only love an eternity of the same sorrow she felt.

Her throat seemed to tighten now, her breathing becoming ever more shallow, each intake of breath seeming to take an eternity... it was taking hold of her, she could feel it. She had ignored the small symptoms she'd felt these last days, refusing to even contemplate the possibility. "I... I feel I'm growing weaker," she told the two, "I confess, I've.. been feeling ill for some days now, I just... I thought it a cold, or some other triviality. I didn't think..." she trailed off. How long did she have? It seemed to be building quickly, in her system. How long before...

[Uncertain]

Symeon laughed good-naturedly at Antioch's jest and made no more of it than just what it seemed to be; a jest.

"A fool who knows nothing about anything? You underestimate yourself, dear friend. As for my own newfound love I'm afraid it's just another convenient match between two wealthy wizarding families." He scratched his chin and frowned a bit, but his eyes lighted up again immediately.
"But Emilia seems to think she's in love with me, and I believe I will come to love her too, in time. As for right now... Well, I'm still young. Enough about me though, you should not be so pessimistic yourself, Antioch. You seem to have many beautiful women among your fans, and I'm sure you will eventually end up in love's blinding embrace yourself someday soon."

He thought about several of the pretty ladies he had seen just leaving through the main entrance, making the two wizards the only ones left in the room. Some of the girls had obviously been very moved by the concert, and Symeon imagined they wouldn't have been very hard for the skilled musician to woo through his music, had he wanted to.

When Antioch asked whether he was heading back to Cadmus and Ava's house, Symeon nodded solemnly.
"Yes, I'll ride back there now. Even though I might be of no help I still need to apologize for leaving so quickly earlier. I'm not going to force you to come with me, friend, but I think your brothers need you... Well, whatever you choose to do: I'll see you again soon, Antioch."

And with that he was out the door, saddling up Ribbon for the ride back.

[Ladybug]

Cadmus' sorrow suddenly turned to impulsive rage. He banged his boney fists against their breaking old coffee table and screamed "My darling I will never love again it is only you. You. YOU! I can't bare the horrid thought of you..... no, I will not let it happen, even if we have to freeze time. I will not let you go." He grabbed her hand and squeezed. His still teary eyes looked into hers and he knew that she knew he loved her and that would never change.

When Ava told Ignotus and Cadmus about how the disease started a while ago in her system, he flipped out. Rage, confusion, love, and very much sorrow confused poor Cadmus even more. "My darling don't close your eyes, for I fear you may never open them. I fear your body will not awaken. Never to lie with me by the old oak tree. Never to feel our sweet kisses. I know your weak, but try. Please. For me." Cadmus trailed off for he knew that his wife would probably not last the week or even the next few days. He knew what he had to do. For them both.

Ava, he could tell, was fighting to stay awake and strong, but it was extremely hard on her. Cadmus reached down and picked his sweet wife off of their worn sofa, and ran out the door, leaving poor Ignotus all alone. Once outside Cadmus dashed to the oak tree and laid Ava down in her usual spot in the shade. Cadmus shed a few more tears before saying, "This is where I said 'I love you' for the first time. The place where I asked you to marry me because I wanted us to be together forever and share our love until death do us part. Well, we are not wed quiet yet, but I will refuse to let death part us because I love you and only you." Cadmus leaned over to where she was sitting and kissed his sweet on the head. "I love you, now and for always." he said while tears rolled down his red puffy face, and he really meant it.

[SQJPure]

Anitoch hated ridding by horse. It bothered him how boring the ride itself was, the way it his legs numb and getting off was a nightmare but the last thing he needed was the stress of riding on a carriage.

He already knew the home of his brother and his wife and apparating appeared to be a quick task when the woman in red ambled her way up to him. Her eyes low, her lips pouty her shoulders pushed back over so slight.

From the moment he'd seen her he knew that in the battle of self control greed had won out to family obligation. He pressed his finger to her lips the moment he saw they were about to open, cupping her chin in a fluid movement. "What's to happen now. Words would spoil it. Whatever you had worked out to say to me would spoil it. All of the buzzing that floats around in your mind at this moment would spoil it. You already know what you came to do, I know it too and I commend you for taking such a risk against your natural instincts, which told you to flee. Now take one last risk, do not allow yourself words, speaking would be the enemy of reason which would put out the bright glare of enlightenment that you've come seeking." He pulled her face up to his and touched his lips to hers.

----

His brother didn't live far and if Symeon kept his word he would undouptably be there soon. He was behind if he was to catch up. But firstly he needed to find his mother's violin and secondly he needed to find his clothes. As free of clothing as the day he was born he began a frantic hunt for his socks, shoes pants everything he'd come with before apparating just as Symeon had arrived.

He grinned at his old friend, a wild man's grin, a wolf's grin. "What could I ask kept you so long?" Anitoch said with a laugh. "It would be safe to assume that I would get little cheer from my brother the moment we pass through those doors. I can only hope you do not mind I try break free what little cheer I can."

[Uncertain]

Symeon jumped, startled from a crack of apparition right next to him. Then he took one look at Antioch's ruffled clothes and sly grin; and laughed out loud. His broad chest and stomach jumped in time with the guffawing. Then he patted his old friend on the back, thinking that only Antioch would have the sense to do such a thing at such a time.

"What took me so long? Surely my horse isn't faster than apparating, now." he said jokingly. Symeon appreciated that Antioch was as impulsive as he was at times. Another person sulking around was the last thing he would have been able to handle right now, so he was in fact glad for the distraction. Even though he had hoped that Antioch would have already arrived and fixed all of his brother's problems.

"Of course I don't mind," he said with a smile and then straightened his face back into a serious scowl to go inside, back into the gloomy atmosphere. The door was open, as it had been when he had left, which seemed strange. When he carefully stepped inside, he could see neither Cadmus nor Ava, only Ignotius, looking slightly forlorn by the spellbooks.
"Ignotius. I must apologize for my behaviour earlier. Where have Cadmus and Ava gone?"

[Leonie]

Ava could feel the sincerity in her lovers' words, and her lips curled into a tender smile. She kept her eyes focused on his, her head resting on his sturdy arms; supporting her.
"Darling, you know I love you too..."

Death was now standing right next to the fragile woman and her dear fiance.
Oh, how very fragile she did look.
Death was able to see the almost translucent silvery haze of life draining out of her. It put out it's hand to touch it, but it drifted out of reach.
She was still stuggling to stay alive.
But Death could wait a little longer.

It had all the time in the world.

"...but you've seen this thing at work before. You know there's nothing to be done. I feel as though...." Ava paused, not sure if she should speak her mind.
She felt as though her time was drawing to a close; the air seemed freezing cold against the bare skin of her face and arms, and a little stale to the taste. Her vision seemed to have narrowed, just the slightest bit. All she could focus on was Cadmus' face, looking down on her.
"Everything ends, my sweet. It's alright." Ava managed a smile, lifting her hand to cup his cheek, stroking her thumb across his skin. She leant her head against his chest, and closed her eyes. She didn't want him to watch the life go out of them.

The haze now broke away from the girl at a faster pace, rushing out of her chest with every sound beat of her dying heart. Even Death itself could see the exceptional beauty of this particular individual. The life draining out of her was strong and pure, but the thing that really caught Death's undevided attention was the way it clung on to the young wizard beside her.
Death drew a mark in the air in front of him and a wand emerged in his hand. Whispering a spell as old as time, in a tongue long ago forgotten, he took with him the last whiff of the woman's life.

Turning around to face the man that was now holding the lifeless body, Death could see he was infected just like the others. The disease was growing steadily in his blood, eating it's way forward.
It was not yet his time, nor of his brothers'.
Soon it would be

[Leonie]

.

[Ladybug]

Cadmus felt his wife's life leave this earth for good. His eyes stung with the constant rushing of tears. He clutched her lifeless body and kissed her on the head for the last time. Cadmus picked up his sweet life with all of the sorrow in the world and carried her into the house. Their house.

When he arrived in the tiny house, he saw it full of his brothers and friends. He walked up the stairs as if they were non-existiant and laid Ava in bed. He laid next to his beloved wife as tears snuck down his face. His wife was gone. Ava was dead.

Cadmus made a vow that day, the same vow he made on his wedding day, that he will never love another, that they will carry on, death never to part them from their love. No temptation could ever fall upon Cadmus, for he knew that he could never love another woman as much as he loved Ava. His wife forever.