Chapter 1: forward is the only way on

Percy sighed and tried to take another deep breath. Instead of relaxing, he burst into fresh tears. It was too soon! It was impossible! How could this ever be true? He had only just seen his brother again for the first time in years...and now he would never see him again. Tears ran down his face as he watched his family, a few feet away, hugging one another and sobbing into each others shoulders. Percy couldn't bare to go over to them. Fred had died as he laughed at something Percy had said. Something Percy had said. Percy choked at the thought that Fred may still be alive now if it hadn't been for Percy distracting him.

Percy felt a hand on his back, and assuming it was a member of his family, he tried to shrug the hand away. He was still choking though, and couldn't do much else. The person pat Percy on the back, helping him regain control of his lungs and breathing. Percy looking to his left and saw a girl sit down on the step of the Great Hall beside Percy. "Shhh," she said. She patted his back a moment longer then stopped and just let her hand rest on his back, occasionally, rubbing his dirty, sweatered back in comfort. After a few minutes of silence, she held out her hand in greeting, "Audrey Rosier." She had a very light French accent, like she was originally from France, but had not lived there in a long time.

Percy looked at her blankly for a moment, then, "Rosier? That's a Death Eater name."

She winced at his comment, "A connection I 'ad 'oped you wouldn't make." She looked him in the eye, gravely. "Mon uncle," she nodded her head in the direction of the part of the Great Hall that dead Death Eaters had been lain, "raised me. 'e is a Death Eater...I am not. 'e always thought 'e would be able to force me onto 'is side." She sighed, "But in the end, I was the last person 'e dueled before someone elses killing curse missed its intended target, killing 'im." She looked up a Percy, "I should be sad to see ze man who raised me die, but 'e was so cruel and so many innocent people 'ave died from the cruelty 'e supported, I would 'ardly call 'im family– only a man that I am unfortunate enough to share a name avec." She frowned.

"Hmm." Percy couldn't talk. His brother was one of those innocent people.

Audrey looked at Percy and saw it in his eyes. "Which one?" She asked quietly. "If you don't mind me asking..."

Do you ever stop talking? Percy thought, annoyed, can't you see i am perfectly content with being alone? Percy didn't say that out loud, though. He couldn't be rude, so instead, he lifted a shaky hand toward Fred's body, surrounded by the red haired, sobbing family. New tears fell to his cheeks. Audrey looked where he was pointing and felt her heart drop lower than it had already been. Most of the bodies in the hall had a only a few people around them at a time. This body was surrounded by close to ten people, all with flaming red hair. "Oh la la," was all she said. "Zut!" She added under her breath as the scene in front of her sank in.

Percy sat there on the steps in the Great Hall for over an hour, calming down, then breaking into fresh tears, then calming down again and repeating the pattern. Audrey sat by him the whole time, occasionally rubbing his back in comfort. Why shouldn't she? She had no family except for her uncle, she new none of the students here because she had attended Beauxbatons, and she had no-one to mourn because quite frankly, she didn't care that her uncle, her last remaining relative, had died.

After a little over an hour, a middle-aged, plump witch with curly, red hair approached them. Her face, tear streaked and puffy. "Percy, dear," she said, and Percy looked up from his hands, "w-we-we're going to move h-his b-b-body n-now." The women began to sob again and embraced Percy. Audrey moved away, giving them time, and now knowing the man was named Percy.

Audrey watched as the red haired women embraced the younger, distressed man. Audrey assumed they must be mother and son. They looked very similar. Et ze one who died must be the guy's, eh, Percy's brother, Audry thought, 'ow awful! Audry now watched the family from a distance. Harry Potter entered the Great Hall with his two friends, together they made what everyone called, The Golden Trio. The three of them approached the red-headed family. One of the three was obviously another brother to the deceased. Someone around the body shifted, allowing the other three into the circle and embracing them. Audrey saw for just one second, the body of a young man, probably around her age. Her eyes filled with tears at how young, handsom, brave, and peaceful he looked. 'ow is it possible to look so...well...d'accord...almost blissful...après un war? She thought. Her heart gave another jolt when she realized the man who was sobbing the most and holding on to the body was identical to the dead one. Twins, she thought, 'ow terrible!

Audrey saw Percy finally join the family. First he embraced the one who had been with Potter, then the twin stood up shakily and flung his arms around Percy causing fresh tears to spill from both of their eyes. Just as they began to get ready to transport the body, Audrey was interrupted from her people-watching.

"Uh, Miss. Rosier?" Audrey looked up. A tall ministry official stood over her, waiting for a response.

"Bonjour." she stood up.

"We are beginning to make burial arrangements. The deceased may be buried by their families, except in some cases, we realize some families may not have that interest. Would you like to make the arrangements for your deceased or shall he be buried by the ministry in the graveyard there?"

Audrey didn't even think before she spoke, " 'e is not mine. Do what you like with 'im." With that, she turned on her heal and left the hall. Her own father was killed by his own brother during the first war, almost twenty years ago. Her mother had also died then. Both her parents were against the dark arts and yet Audrey had been raised by a Death Eater. She shuddered. One thing was for sure— she would never fallow in her uncle's footsteps.