When the news broke in the paper of the family's slaughtering, most ignored it. It was just another unnecessary death in a war against a horrible man. Most continued on with their day, only mildly perturbed it was a pureblood family's death, but they were known blood traitors.
But to those who knew them, to those who knew their youngest girl. A dishwater blonde girl, who had smiled often, acted on impulse more than reason, was unfailingly loyal, and had deep brown eyes. A girl that found affections in the most closed off of people, and brought the completely broken girl she hardly spoke to before fifth year back around to herself. A girl who sought out and cursed three Slytherins who had attacked her friend. A girl who loved the way the snow would cling to the trees before inevitably melting away. A girl from Dundee, Scotland. A girl with two older sisters and one older brother that all resembled her quite closely. A keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
A girl who died at too young and age, and yet, only a week before her best friend.
Some thought she might be invincible. Lord knows in school she survived enough falls from her broom or down the stairs to kill her. She never did get anything worse than a broken arm. After a fall she would laugh, signaling to all those who had seen her she was alright.
She was not invincible.
The paper held the smiling image of her in her Maid of Honor dress, taken at the wedding of her two closest friends. Her hair was shorter than when she died, falling just below her shoulders, and the lines of worry and scars from battle were not present.
They were when her body was identified.
A small family of three, living in hiding in a small cottage mourned her death only after being informed three days prior to their own.
Lily cried for the majority of those three days, cradling her son to her chest, like he might bring her back.
James was quiet. He flipped often through the last photo that had been taken of the team, seventh year, holding the cup in glory. She held the trophy.
The rest of the Order had found out the day of, or the day after, depending on if they were part of the Aurors searching through the wreckage.
Sirius saw her first, and was enraged. How dare Voldemort. How dare he take yet another person from him? She was wearing the necklace he had gotten her for her twenty-first birthday.
Peter was in shock. He ran from the house, unsure as to why. Well, maybe a little sure. She had figured out where he went so quickly after Order meetings.
Remus ignored everyone for the entire day following. He regretted every minute he hadn't spoken to her. She never inquired about his lunar absences, though he was sure she was curious.
Alice reacted very much like Lily. She cried to her son Neville, telling him stories about her. She used to charm mistletoe to appear above Frank whenever Alice was within ten feet.
Frank's heart broke to see Alice react the way she did, but it broke even more knowing he couldn't confide in her about it. She had been his closest confidant.
Mary woke up every morning after hoping she had only dreamed it. Hoping everyone she had lost would simply turn up the next morning because, surprise, it was still seventh year and Lily had yet to admit her feelings for James. But that never happened. She was her best friend, even if Mary wasn't hers.
She was probably the most shocked of all. It was her dead family at her feet before a flash of green rocketed towards her and then... nothing.
Marlene McKinnon was dead.