Author's Note

Hey guys! I don't know how long this story will turn out… oh, and I don't know how long I'll take to update, since I'm not using my computer (it's broken). So…yeah…well. Here it is. Hope you like it, please leave a review.

Rose was asleep in her bed, it was morning in her summer before her fourth year. She was dreaming about playing Quidditch on a pencil instead of a broom, and it was actually a pretty funny dream. Ron opened the door quietly, he glanced at his sleeping daughter. He sat next to her. "Rosie?" he whispered, to wake her up. Rose's eyelids fluttered. "Dad?"

"Rosie. It's Grandpa Arthur." Rose looked at him confused. "What about him?"
"He… he's dead." Rose nearly choked. "No…no…" she shook her head, a tear glistening down her cheek. "He…he can't be! I talked to him! Just yesterday!"

"I'm sorry, honey." Rose broke into sobs. "No…no…" Ron held her tight. "I know. Harry is telling James, Al and Lily right now, we'll floo to the Burrow together. I spoke with Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur, they're going now. Uncle Charlie is coming back from Romania." Rose felt a knot in her stomach, she wanted to throw up and she felt this inexplicable pain… knowing she would never, ever, ever see her grandfather again, knowing that the kind face with the horned, lopsided glasses, the faded, gentle blue eyes, the patient smile… all of it was gone, forever. She got dressed, numb. She couldn't feel anything or understand, she just knew she had to get dressed, and go to the saddest Weasley reunion ever seen. And she dreaded that. She went downstairs. Her mother had a few tears running down her face, she looked rather pale. She smiled sadly at Rose. "Good morning. Breakfast?" Rose shook her head. Hermione put down the jar of cookies she was holding and hugged her tightly as Rose started to cry again. "I know, sweetie, I know." She soothed. Rose let go of the hug and wiped her eyes with her sleeve, biting her lip. The doorbell rang, just when a very pale Hugo came downstairs. Hermione opened, revealing Ginny, who had, for once, succumbed to tears. Harry was holding her tight, looking strained. James had an expression of pure shock on his face, he looked as if he had no idea why he was there in the first place. Albus was next to Scorpius, who had joined the Potters. Al was crying, Scorpius patted his back. "It's alright." He muttered. "It'll be alright." Lily was clutching to her father's arm. Ron and Hermione hugged Harry and Ginny tightly, Rose, instead embraced her best friends, Al and Scorp. They were a bit surprised, especially Scorpius, but hugged her back.

"Are we going immediately?" Harry asked Ron. Ron shook his head. "I want to leave Mum some space, Merlin knows she needs it… and Bill is going there first, he should be there by now. And Charlie's coming back… we'll go for dinner, tonight. I just thought… well. Rosie and Hugo needed their best friends, and I'm sure Al and Lily agree… why did you bring Malfoy's boy?"

"Because Al needed his best friend, and so did Rose."
"I still can't believe she befriended a Malfoy…" Ron grumbled. "Stop it, Dad!" Rose exclaimed. "Scorp, Al and I will be in my room." She announced, pulling their arms, they followed her. They sat in her room. Al and Rose started to cry again. Scorpius looked at them, biting his lip, not sure of what to do. Eventually, they stopped. "I'm so sorry." Scorpius told them, quietly. "Thanks."

"Thanks, Scorp." They stayed in silence for a long time, only the occasional sob or sniff to disrupt it. Rose didn't know what to feel, it made absolutely no sense, and there was a weight on her heart, the sick feeling didn't leave and she wasn't sure what to do, either to cry her heart out or to stay silent and do nothing. "It isn't possible…Grandpa can't be dead." She whispered, her voice broke. "It's not possible. It can't be."
"Rose, you'll be fine, this hurts right now, but it will stop, I promise." Scorpius said, softly. "No! I don't want to be fine! I don't want this to hurt! I want Grandpa back!"
"But it's impossible, and you know that…"
"I don't care! I want him back!"

"I want him back too." Al said, quietly. "But we can't. And it's not going to help… not Mum, not Uncle Ron, not Uncle Percy, not Uncle Charlie, not Uncle George and not Uncle Bill." Rose was forced to agree with that, she knew it would only make things worse. "Besides… he's happy now, isn't he? He got to see Uncle Fred, after all this time. And his brothers and sisters, and his parents… his grandparents too, Merlin's beard! He's probably more happy now than he was here, he knew he was dying, he was sick… and it hurts, but it'll get better." Rose nodded, trying to hold back the tears again. James opened the door, for once, not with one of those mischievous grins they all knew so well, but with a sad expression, as white as a sheet, it made his very red eyes stand out even more. "You guys alright?"

Al shrugged, Rose bit her lip, Scorpius stayed motionless. James closed the door behind him and sat down, back to the door, burying his face in his hands. Rose sighed, trying to gather her feelings and bottle them away, she didn't want to cry, she had already cried enough… she glanced at James. He had started to cry softly. Rose sat next to him and took his hand, holding it tightly, a few tears finding their way out of her eyes. Al positioned himself on the other side. Scorpius looked away awkwardly, not knowing what to say or do. After a while, James stopped crying. "I'm going to floo to Uncle George's, I want to know how Freddie and Roxy are." Rose nodded. "Okay." Al answered. James got out of the room and went downstairs. Rose couldn't believe this was happening. 'He's alright. He's alright. He's at the Burrow, with Grandma, and Grandma is fussing over Fred and James' OWLs next year… it'll be alright…it has to be… Grandpa is trying to get her to calm her down…' she thought desperately. Lunch came, and they ate rather slowly, no one really hungry. The afternoon passed uneventfully, just the three of them, silent, with tears and sobs and murmured comforts. And then it arrived. The moment to go to the Burrow. Ginny opened the door. "Rose, Al, Scorpius. It's time." They nodded, numb. And they got on their feet and walked out of the room. Rose knew that once they arrived at the Burrow, her doubts would be settled. He'd be dead, and the somewhat sweet oblivion given by her rejection of the truth. She'd be left with the sour, painful truth of his death.

Author's Note

Hope you liked it, it's a bit sad, obviously. Please leave a review!