crashing down // Fred Weasley

loss of one close to you

Sophie and Ginny separated a long time ago, rain had started to fall again, Molly was halfway through preparing dinner, Aunt Muriel ( who hadn't left her room since they all arrived ) had visited Sophie an hour previous; something icky and green in her hands.

"Take this before bed everyday, it will help with the pain your so obviously going through." The woman had said it in a weird tone, spiky almost. She looked as Sophie with deep eyes, eying her wearily as if she was an intruder carrying a nuclear weapon.

"Thanks," the teenager responded, taking the bottle slowly out of the woman's brittle hands. "How long will it last?" She asked but as she looked back up for the answer she saw Muriel disappear down the corridor, her dark tied hair flowing behind. "Oh."

When Mrs Weasley did eventually cover the table in food Sophie decided that if she wanted to make the most of the time she had left she could start by involving herself in family, matters. Taking a seat between George and Mr Weasley she smiled politely, as everyone threw her a confused gaze.

"How are you feeling today?" Molly asked, diffusing the awkward silence that had overcome every one at the table. "Worse?"

"The same," she answered bluntly but in a sweet tone. No attitude evident. "In fact," she looked up, making eye contact with the one boy she had tried so hard to avoid. "I've decided that even though I'm going to die," she continued as everyone winced, "I'm not going to let it limit me, nor am I going to let it make me lose hope. Even Harry hasn't done that yet."

"Ah yes, well we all know your brother," the red head smiled brightly. Ginny nodded too although you could see the look of fear that came across her at the topic of the messy hair glasses wearer. She missed him; tons. "I'm sure he'll be just fine."

Everyone nodded their heads, smiling, picking up their cutlery they were about to begin eating when Mr Weasley cleared his throat. His face was pale and sweat bedded, bags under his eyes from work but also from worrying about his son; the Weasley's had gone months as well with no news; just rumours. "They broke into Malfoy manor."

"Pardon?" Molly spluttered, her knife slipping from her grip and making a clanking sound as it hit the harsh pot plate.

"Come again?" Ginny asked, Fred nodding. George noticing Sophie's sudden panic held her hand tight nodding to her as if to say everything's okay and her eyes raced the room.

"Harry, Hermione and Ron broke into Malfoy manor, they saved Luna Lovegood, Dean Thomas, Mr Olivander and a Gringotts goblin." Arthur said calmly though his facial features showed something else. "They were also with dobby however he didn't make it out; alive."

Sophie felt a wet tear escape her eye, rolling down her cheek she looked anywhere but Arthur, Dobby, the poor house elf who just wanted to be free, who wanted nothing more but to help her and Harry had died; no doubt trying to save her brother doing so. She looked across the table, ready to stand, not in the mood to eat anymore she found Fred looking right back at her, he sent her an apologetic smile and nodded; as if knowing she wanted to leave.

She didn't want to leave, she really didn't. She knew full well leaving the table meant locking herself away and feeling sorry for herself. She wasn't like that, she didn't want to be she couldn't be weak. "Are they okay?" she swallowed the pain, stopping the tears and sitting straighter in her chair she looked intently at Arthur.

"They're fine, probably grieving at the minute, who knows but were in the middle of a war they'll be on the move most definitely." He said mainly to himself, his emotions were getting in the way, he missed his son.

"How do you know all of this Arthur?" Molly asked grabbing a hold of her husbands hand.

"Everything isn't as quiet as you think at the ministry," he remarked sassily to her. Molly, ever since the war began, hadn't been too happy with Arthurs ongoing career at the ministry, it wasn't a secret that she wanted him out. As the couple began bickering about the whole deal Sophie scoffed down half her food as quick as possible before dismissing herself from the table.

***

"Sophie?" A voice whispered through the darkness. She hadn't been outside long, sneaking out of her room when she knew everyone was asleep, she ventured deep into the greens around the cottage to star gaze. "Sophie are you out here?"

Lifting her arm up into the air to alert the searcher, hurting to keep it up long she lowered it and coughed; that would work too. She felt the grass rustle beside her as someone sat, a warm hand found hers and gripped it tightly: she gripped back. Knowing who it was she smiled, lucky for her it was dark.

"He's going to be okay," Fred whispered into the night. "You know he will be fine."

"I'm scared," she breathed. "Scared I'm going to break my promise again."

"What promise?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.

"I promised him I'd do anything I could to protect him, how could I not? He's my brother, he's everything to me." She said quietly, barely audible in fact. "I made that same promise to Cedric too."

"Cedric wasn't your fault," he replied sharply, Sophie felt his arm stiffen beside her. "You couldn't have stopped the outcome."

"But I could've Fred I could've, I was there!" She argued, tears threatening to leak from her eyes. "He was right beside me, I could've stopped it."

She set herself into a pit of grief that night, from everything that had ever happened: every tragic scenario she had been involved it. She blamed herself, no matter how hard Fred tried to stop her she carried on. She couldn't stop. It burned.

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, I'm just trying to fight things at the minute. But look they're coming back!!