My Other Sister
Ron watches as Harry breaks the news of Snape's death to Lizzie.
Companion piece for Chapter 30, It Was A Joke?
"Where is Severus Snape!" Lizzie screeches, "Merlin help you if someone doesn't tell me something soon!"
I feel my lip twitch slightly, dealing with my own grief was hard enough but Lizzie's was suffocating. I had seen her when she saw Remus and Tonks, that was nothing compared to the look on her face now. She was a smart girl and I was sure the wheels were turning in her head.
"I'll take her" Harry tells Wood causing Lizzie to spin around angrily. She didn't remain angry for long though it only took a moment before her legs gave out and she hit the stone floor eyes void of all emotion.
"He's dead isn't he?" she questions flatly making Hermione break out into a whole new round of sobs. It was so weird seeing her like this, broken. Lizzie had always seemed to be the strongest out of all of us even though she wasn't. She broke easily but I think we all looked past that because she didn't break very often. It took a lot to get to Lizzie but death was one of the things she had never coped with well to being with.
"She'll be okay" I whisper to Hermione placing my arm lightly around her shoulder while watching my best friend comfort his sister who sat in a heap in the floor.
I remembered the first day I had met Lizzie, how confident she had been but that was nothing compared to what I saw now. When she first walked into the Room of Requirement I could barely recognize her. It probably wasn't the best of time to assess how she was but Lizzie was Lizzie and seeing her stand so quietly was just weird.
I honestly don't know who I had been happier to see Ginny or Lizzie, Lizzie was one of my best friends, she was my best friends sister and in the moment I saw her all I could think of was how happy I was that she was okay. We weren't blood related but she was more or less my sister.
"Come on, I'll show you." Harry urges trying to make her stand. Hermione sniffles into my shoulder and pulls away allowing me to stand from the bench. Almost on instinct I crouch down in front of Lizzie, noting the pained look in Harry's face as he continues to try and urge his sister to stand.
"Liz, you can't sit on the floor" I tell her softly. She looks up her eyes overflowing with sadness, muttering something that sounded a whole lot like, I don't care. It was things like this that made he seem younger then her seventeen years, it was probably why I thought of her like a sister because at times she reminded me of Ginny.
Leaning forward I scoop her up into my arms and stand grunting from the weight. Harry nods towards the door and Lizzie hisses about how she has legs under her breath. I couldn't remember the last time I had done something like this but I knew there weren't many people I would do it for.
"Put me down, Ronald" she demands weakly. I shake my head following after Hermione and Harry.
"I'll tell your Mum," she threatens. I hold back a small smirk. Yeah, defiantly a sister.