"My feet will want to walk where you are sleeping

but

I shall go on living."
- Pablo Neruda

Chapter Twenty-Six – The Final Task

Ceph wished Ankaa good luck as she made her way out of the Great Hall for her History of Magic exam on the day of the Third Task. Once she had excited, Ceph joined Fleur and they both made their way through the same door they had gone through when they had been chosen to be Triwizard Champions. Their families were on the other side.

"There you are!"

Ceph was immediately being crushed in a hug by his mother, who kissed both of his cheeks. Ceph laughed and hugged her back, before accepting a hug from his father as well. For a fleeting second, he was saddened by the fact that Sirius could not be here, but he remembered the good luck card Sirius had sent him earlier that day, and the feeling vanished.

"How are you feeling?" Maya asked, attempting to tame his wild curls, but all in vain.

"A bit nervous, I suppose," Ceph mumbled, looking around at the other champions and their families. He noticed the Weasleys standing off to the side, waiting for Harry who was still absent.

Maya, noticing where his gaze was trained, took his hand and pulled him along.

"Molly," Maya smiled, hugging the witch close, "This is Ceph. Ceph, this is Molly Weasley, and her son Bill."

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Weasley." Ceph smiled, holding out his hand. Molly Weasley was hardly one for handshakes, and she pulled Ceph in for a tight hug almost immediately.

"Oh, it's so good to meet you!" She smiled widely, squeezing his sides tightly. Ceph didn't mind, however. He only laughed and hugged her closer. Over her shoulder, Bill gave him a nod of acknowledgement.

"I'll fetch Harry," Maya announced, letting her son warm up to the Weasleys. With a smile, Maya pushed open the door to the Great Hall, where Harry was just getting up from the Gryffindor Table.

"Harry?" The boy looked up at her, surprised. Maya knew he had thought no one would be here for him, seeing as he thought he had no family. "Didn't think we'd forget about you, did you, love?"

As he got closer, Maya pulled him into a tight hug, just like she had with Ceph. She could almost feel the tension leaving Harry. She ran a hand through his hair in an effort to calm him down, placing a soft kiss atop his head.

"Come on," Maya smiled, wrapping her arm around her godson's shoulder and pulling her into the room. "They're waiting for you."

"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly. Harry smiled broadly and was led over to them. Mrs. Weasley leaned down and kissed his cheek, "Thought we'd come and watch you!"

"Go on," Maya told him, "We'll see you at lunch?"

Harry nodded before leaving with the Weasleys, giving them a tour. Maya turned back to her son, who was deep in conversation with Henry. When Maya approached, the two turned to her. Ceph gave her a tense smile, and Maya returned a soft one.

"It's alright, sweetheart," She told him, caressing his cheek. "You'll be alright."

"That was awful," Blaise moaned, rubbing the back of his aching neck as they left the History of Magic exam. "I can't believe your brother elected to do his exams on top of the Tournament," He continued, "I had a hard time studying even without bloody tasks around."

Ankaa laughed, "He's one of a kind, I guess. But yeah, that was horrible." She sighed, "I'd be lucky if I was able to maintain my grade."

Pansy rolled her eyes, "Says the girl who gets nearly perfect every time."

Ankaa just smirked at the girl. When she entered the Great Hall, she spotted Ceph sitting at the Slytherin table… with her mom and dad. With a slight smile, she made her way towards them.

"Hi," Ankaa reached down to hug her father, placing a light kiss on his cheek. If he was surprised by the gesture, he didn't show it. Maya gave her daughter a smile when she turned towards her and gave her a small, hug as well, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"Wow," Maya muttered, "Did we miss something?"

Ceph laughed, "Ankaa's become more affectionate these days. I don't know who we have to thank for that."

To Ankaa's complete and utter dismay, Ceph gave a teasing glance towards the Gryffindor Table, where Fred was sitting with his family. Ankaa noticed Mrs. Weasley had joined Harry, along with Bill Weasley. They were enjoying their lunch, and even Harry seemed happier than he had been in a while.

"Oh?" Maya turned towards the Gryffindor table interestedly. "Who is it?"

Ankaa stepped in front of her mother quickly, blocking her view of the Weasley family. "No one," She snapped, "Ceph's just joking."

Maya gave her daughter a patronizing smile. "Doesn't seem like it to me," She sang, "Otherwise you wouldn't have tried to hide it so much."

Ankaa rolled her eyes. "If you're going to be like this, I'm leaving."

Maya laughed, taking her daughters hand and pulling her down next to her. The family sat together, enjoying their lunch. It was the happiest Ankaa had felt in a while. Over the last few months, ever since she had somewhat cleared things up with Sirius, she really had started to open up more.

What she had previously perceived as weakness was probably the one thing that strengthened her the most. Having a family was hardly a weakness. Ankaa sat at the table, silent and observing. Her family did not make her weak, if anything it made her feel stronger to be surrounded by the people who were loyal to her, who loved her.

"You know Ankaa," Ceph began in the most carefree tone, "You still haven't thanked Mrs. Weasley for making you a sweater."

Ankaa swallowed nervously as her mother turned to her.

"You haven't thanked her yet?"

"I was busy! And then I forgot!"

"Maybe you could do it now?" Henry proposed, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Now?!" Ankaa cried incredulously, "She's with her family. I don't want to interrupt."

"Now."

Ankaa scowled when she heard Ceph snickering. When she gave him a glare, he pretended to cough. He hid his smile behind his hand as Ankaa stood up uncertainly and made her way towards the Gryffindor Table.

Lucky for her, Hermione decided to join the group at the same time. Mrs. Weasley's expression told Ankaa she wasn't excited to see Hermione, most likely because she had read Witch Weekly's rendition about Hermione stringing Harry along and abandoning him for Krum.

"Er—excuse me," Ankaa stood behind Mrs. Weasley, waiting uncertainly as she turned around. "Er—hello Mrs. Weasley, I'm Ankaa. I hate to interrupt you while you're with your family, but I never got a chance to thank you for the sweater you knit for me last year."

"Ankaa?" Mrs. Weasley looked to the twins for a second, before turning back to Ankaa with a wide smile. "Of course! Fred and George have told me so much about you!" She got up and wrapped Ankaa in a tight hug. Over her shoulder, Ankaa saw Fred and George sit up a little, almost if they were getting ready to pull their mother away in case Ankaa decided to attack.

"Did you like the sweater?"

"Oh yes, I loved it," Ankaa smiled at the woman. "It's very comfortable, thank you so much. I'll let you get back to your lunch. See you around," Ankaa told the rest of them. "Good luck, Potter."

Ankaa finally slunk back into her seat and frowned, "Well that was utterly humiliating."

Maya frowned, "I think that went well! Molly looked so happy to meet you."

Ankaa groaned, pushing her plate away. She listened to her parents giving Ceph a few last minute pointers. Ankaa hugged her brother before he parted from them, heading towards the Quidditch Pitch with the rest of the Champions. Once Ceph left, Draco and Blaise joined Ankaa as they headed down to the Quidditch Pitch.

Ankaa watched as her mother and father sat near the front, now joined by Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Mr. Weasley.

"Your family sure seems cozy with them," Draco muttered, raising a brow at how happy they seemed talking to each other.

"It's acting," Ankaa lied, "You know better than anyone how good my family is at acting."

Draco looked at her from the corner of his eye. Humming slightly, he responded, "Of course, you Drama Queen."

He pulled her along to the top, where they could see over the tops of the maze. Crabbe and Goyle had been down early, saving them seats. Goyle had used deep green face paint to write 'RHYTHER' on his forehead.

"It's a bit unnerving to see that," Ankaa muttered, pointing to is forehead. "But thanks for the support, I guess."

Goyle just grunted.

Ankaa turned to Draco with a 'what the hell' look, and he just shrugged. Even he hadn't completely figured Crabbe and Goyle out. In another few minutes, the school band had started to play. Everyone was on their feet, cheering loudly as the champions made their way to the front.

Dumbledore made his way up to the podium. Using his wand to amplify his voice, he announced that Professor Moody had already placed the Triwizard Cup deep within the maze.

"The first person to touch the cup will be the winner!"

Ankaa cheered along with the rest of the students as Ceph and Harry got ready to enter the maze. Ceph turned around once, before the sound of the cannon, and waved at their mom and dad, and then up at her. Ankaa gave him a thumbs up, watching as he turned and disappeared into the maze.

It had been about thirty minutes since Ceph had vanished into the maze. Ankaa sat at the top, listening intently as Bagman updated them on everything happening in the maze. As he continued, Ankaa started to fidget in her seat.

"What's going on?" Blaise asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Ankaa took a deep breath. Her stomach had started hurting. Arching her back slightly, she tried to get into a more comfortable position. Maybe she had eaten something weird.

"Mr. Rhyther has now encountered the Sphinx from Egypt!" Bagman exploded, "Now, remember! If he gives the wrong answer, the Sphinx will attack. Should he guess correctly, he can pass."

Bagman recited the riddle.

Ceph stood before a great Sphinx, lowering his wand to show that he was no threat. Ankaa could see the lips of the human head moving, but she could not hear what she was saying. Ankaa took a step forward, straining her ears so she could catch something, anything.

She saw Ceph shake his head slightly before scratching the back of his neck. Shrugging, he looked to have given the Sphinx and answer. Ankaa watched with baited breath as the Sphinx stood, keeping its eyes locked on her brother's form, before turning away and letting him pass.

Ankaa blinked furiously, trying to clear the vision she had just had. Almost as if she had swum underwater, the sounds around her started to become muted. Slowly, the volume decreased until she could not hear anything but a soft buzzing in her ear.

What is going on?

The buzzing in her ears started growing louder, and louder until it was like hearing someone screeching in her ear. Flinching, Ankaa quickly covered her ears, pressing as hard as she could to stop the horrendous sound from flooding her mind.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Blaise asked her again, pulling her hands away from her ears. Even Draco was looking her over, seemingly concerned.

"Uh, yes," Ankaa muttered slowly when the sound finally vanished. "Sorry, I'm just a bit jumpy. I can't wait for this stupid thing to be over."

It's almost over.

Ceph turned a corner of the maze, squinting at the glowing blue object at the end. With a smirk, he started to race towards it. The Triwizard Cup was so close. Just as he crossed a junction, he heard a deep voice shouting a spell he had never heard before. On reflex, Ceph dropped to the ground.

Quickly, he got up to see Krum making his way over to him, holding his wand steady and snarling at him. Ceph conjured a shield in front of him, deflecting the steady string of spells that came his way.

Suddenly, saw someone run into the middle of their duel.

"Harry! Get out of the way!" Ceph warned. He dodged another spell before finally casting an offensive spell of his own, causing Krum to fly backwards ten feet and collapse on the ground, unconscious.

"He was bewitched," Harry mumbled, coming to a stop beside Ceph as they examined the fallen boy. Ceph scowled, kicking the other boy's wand away from him. The maze started to close around them, and the wind started picking up. Ceph turned and pulled Harry along with him, towards the Triwizard Cup.

"Come on!" Ceph pushed Harry ahead, turning behind him to look at the rapidly advancing maze.

In his haste to get away, Ceph tripped over a protruding root in the ground. He tried to get up when the roots started to tighten along his ankles, and two more shot out of either side of the maze and trapped his arms.

"Harry!" Ceph shouted, "GO! GET THE CUP!"

But Harry stayed where he was, watching as Ceph struggled under the weight of the vines and roots that were grabbing at him mercilessly. He tried to reach for his wand, clawing at the ground to try and get a few feet ahead.

"Reducto!"

Harry's spell hit a few centimetres away from Ceph's arms, freeing him enough so that he could grab his wand. Once the two of them fought off the remaining vines, Ceph turned to Harry, "Why didn't you go? You should have left me behind!"

Harry gave him a smile, "We're family... We don't leave family behind. Now, let's go get that Cup."

"Okay!" Blaise exclaimed finally, "You're going pale! I think there's seriously something wrong with you, we should get to Madam Pomfrey and have her check you over once."

"Blaise, I'm fine."

"No, actually, you're not," Malfoy agreed, peering closely at the sickly pallor her skin had adopted. "You're sweating, and wincing at every single second."

"I just—I'm having a really bad headache." Ankaa finally sighed, "Don't talk too loudly."

Before either of them could say anything, Ankaa was thrust back into an unwelcome vision.

"Come out and fight me!"

Ankaa turned around quickly, coming to face the owner of the voice. She stood in the centre of a group of men dressed in black cloaks, some covered with a mask while some were sneering in her direction. She recognized some of them, having seen them around Rhyther Manor. Lucius Malfoy stood behind a tall bald figure, clutching his wand tightly.

Ankaa looked in the direction they were all turned in.

Hesitantly, she walked towards the people at the other end. In doing so, she crossed the man who was standing in the centre of it all. The first thing Ankaa noticed about him was that he held his wand in the most peculiar fashion. But then, she remembered she had once seen a man hold his wand in the same way. In her mother's visions… in the pensieve… Lord Voldemort…

Except it wasn't him; Not entirely, at least. He did not look like a human being anymore. His skin looked like marble, and the veins stood out against it. Instead of a nose, he had two slits in its place. Ankaa turned away from the hideous creature, making her way towards where she could see a mop of hair peeking over one of the gravestones.

"You can't do this, Harry," Ceph was whispering. "He's too powerful. He'll kill you."

"I want to see the light leave your eyes!" Voldemort cried, pointing his wand at Potter, trying to bait him into a duel.

Almost immediately, Ankaa knew what Harry was thinking. By the looks of it, so did Ceph. When Harry tried to get up, Ceph took his hand forcefully and pulled him back down.

"Don't be stupid!" He hissed, "We'll have to do this together. I'll distract him while you fetch the cup, alright? On my signal… I'll get you out of here, Harry, I promise."

Harry swallowed his fear and nodded. Taking in a shaky breath, Ceph clutched his wand tightly in his hand and stood up.

"Ceph, what the hell are you doing!" Ankaa tried to pull him back, but her hands went right through him.

Ankaa watched as her brother stood his ground, glaring at Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Voldemort regarded him carefully.

"Cepheus Rhyther," Voldemort enunciated his name in the oddest way. "Step aside, Cepheus. I do not wish to spill magical blood."

"I can't do that," Ceph returned, oddly calm in the face of true terror. "I can't let you hurt him."

Voldemort examined her brother carefully. To her horror, Voldemort's eyes then turned to the exact spot where Ankaa was standing. For a moment, she felt like he was looking right at her. And it was terrifying to look right into those red eyes.

"Such a shame," Voldemort shook his head as if this was the single most pitiful thing he had seen. Turning to one of the men in a mask behind him, he ordered, "Kill him."

Ankaa watched, dumbstruck, as the man stepped forward. He held out his hand. Ceph held out his own wand, getting ready to defend himself. A jet of light surged forward from each wand, and there was an explosion of white light when it met in the middle.

Ankaa took a few steps in Ceph's direction, hoping to be able to see him. When the light finally faded, and her vision was finally restored, Ankaa dropped to her knees at the sight of her brother lying on the ground, staring lifelessly into the night sky.

"Oi! You lunatic, stand up!" Blaise cheered, "Your brother's here! He's got the Cup!"

Ankaa stood up shakily, breathing in deeply, trying to see over the heads of the people in front of her.

"… a boy has just been killed."

Immediately, Draco turned to Ankaa, and the two shared a look. While Draco understood what had happened, and it saddened him to know that it was Ceph, Ankaa did not seem to comprehend the news.

Slowly, she made her way down the bleachers, as if she was trying to avoid confirming the fact for as long as she could. When he heard her mumble something, he realized she was in shock. And she kept saying her brother's name, over and over again, like a prayer.

She finally pushed through the crowd surrounding the boys. Draco watched as she slowly made her way over to her brother, and dropped to her knees by his head.

"This is my brother…" Ankaa said softly as if she was trying to confirm the fact that the pale looking boy that lay dead before her was the same boy who she had grown up with. "This is... Ceph."

"I'm the only friend you've got," he had told her once, "Once I leave, you'll be alone."

"Good!" She had spat at him with all the hatred she could muster. "I can't wait until you're gone!"

He had just given her a sad smile. "You don't mean that."

Her hands, trembling, reached out for his cheek. Desperate to feel any warmth, she placed them upon the hollows of his cheeks, and then his neck, and then finally her hands settled over the spot where his heart was. She kept them there for a moment, completely sure that she would feel the steady heartbeat she had felt when he hugged her so many times before.

"I'm sorry." The words tumbled out of her without a second thought. She waited for a second, for him to respond as if he was still alive. In the back of her mind, she knew her brother was dead. She knew she would never see him again, never speak to him again.

But her shock overshadowed all reason. She could not understand how someone like her brother, someone who had devoted so much time and energy to becoming the best could be lying dead before her.

She could hear someone sobbing. It was her mother. Or maybe it was her. Ankaa's chest did feel constricted, and her face felt exceptionally warm. Her fingers ran over her own cheeks, and returned covered in her tears.

"I guess you'll really enter the Tournament then," Ankaa had said last summer.

Ceph had given her a gentle smile. "Don't worry. With you at my side, I'm sure I'll come out unscathed."

Ankaa reached forward, pulling her brother off the ground and cradling him in her arms. It was wrong, so wrong, to see him laying so still. She rocked him back and forth like she remembered him doing to her when they were both little. She rested her head against his. Ankaa saw her mother reach for his hand, desperately intertwining her fingers through his as if she expected the hold on her hand to tighten.

With her arms around her brother, Ankaa confessed, "This is not how I wanted to hug when he came back, you know."

"Don't worry little sister," Ceph had laughed, "I'll be out of your hair soon enough."

"It's all my fault," Ankaa did not bother to wipe away the hot tears that streamed down her face and fell on her brother's head. Instead, she clutched her brother's dead body even tighter, and closer. "I could have warned him… I—I've said such horrible things to him mom... and I never apologized, but he forgave me every single time."

"I'm always here if you need me," Ceph had said with a wide smile.

"I'm a—" No. She was not anything to him now. He was dead. "I was a horrible sister to him... He deserved so much better. I'm so sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry."

"You're the best little sister ever!" He had ruffled her hair in excitement and ran from the Room of Requirement when he found out he would be chosen for the Tournament.

She had done this to him. She was the reason he was dead, why he would never be able to complete that Ministry Internship he had worked so hard for, or marry the girl of his dreams. He didn't deserve to be the one that died. Not when his sister was the horrible human being.

"He didn't deserve this," Ankaa whispered, wiping at her nose, "He didn't deserve to die. I should have—it should be me."

She was pulled away from him then. Someone took her by the arms and started pulling her away. Ankaa saw her mother smoothing her hand over Ceph's curls, trying to tame them. But even in death, they remained stubborn.

Ankaa wanted to protest, she wanted to stay with her brother. But she felt too weak. She wanted to scream, but she felt exhausted. As she was pulled along, his name kept falling from her lips and she said his name over and over again.

"Ceph... my brother... Ceph."

When she woke up, she felt slightly disoriented. Slowly, Ankaa sat up in bed. Moving her curtains aside, she noticed that her dormitory was entirely empty. Ankaa raised her brows in surprise. It was rare to find peace and quiet in a girl's dormitory.

Ankaa made her way downstairs to the common room, which was once again quiet. There were only a few people on the couches, who looked up when she came downstairs. Ankaa noticed them cast wary glances in her direction.

"Where is everybody?" Ankaa asked, taking a lot around at the empty common room. She had wanted to enjoy a quiet room since she had first arrived at Hogwarts, but now that it was quiet, she hated it every second of it.

"In the Great Hall…" One of the girls began uncertainly, "For the… ceremony."

"What ceremony?"

The girl gave Ankaa a sad look, her eyes filling up with tears. "For Ceph," She choked, "To remember him."

"For… Ceph…"

It took time for her consciousness to send the memories flooding back. In the next ten seconds, Ankaa was hit once again with the hollow feeling that had filled when she sobbed over her brother's body. She was brutally and agonizingly reminded of the fact that Ceph was gone. She had forgotten, and for the first ten minutes, she had thought everything was okay, that it was all a bad dream. But in the next ten seconds, she lost her brother all over again.

The worst part about losing someone you love is that it happens over and over again, every single morning, in the first few moments when you wake up.

You're reminded of and blinded by, the fact that the person who you had deemed invincible is gone, and will stay gone for as long as you live.

"Why aren't you two at the ceremony?"

"We were told to wait for you," The other girl answered. "We… weren't sure if you were okay."

Ankaa nodded. She told them to head to the Great Hall.

"You owe him that much," she said. "I need to be alone anyway."

Once the two girls left, Ankaa did not bother staying in the common room. She slowly made her way up the stairs to the boys' dormitories, noting how her bones ached with every step. The door to Ceph's room creaked open slowly, and she slowly ran her hand over his bed.

He had a picture of the four of them on his nightstand, from the time they had visited Hawaii. Ceph had his arm around his mother and sister, wearing a flower frown on his head. He was smiling lazily at the camera and giving a playful wink.

The picture that previously brought her so much joy just brought a fresh wave of tears to her eyes. She turned away from the picture, but everything reminded her of Ceph. She sat down on his bed and looked at the door. Ankaa waited in silence for about ten minutes, just waiting. She could almost see him waltzing through the door, giving her a wide smile and announcing something odd he had seen Terence do in class. She could almost hear his voice too, him laughing just around the corner.

But he didn't. And he never would.

Ankaa lay down in his bed, curling her fingers around the fabric of his sheets and inhaling the scent. Ankaa told herself that this was the last time she would ever be able to surround herself with her brother since he was no more.

Her fingertips skimmed the edge of a rough, leathery fabric under his pillow. Propping herself up on her elbows, she pulled out a book. As she opened it, an envelope fell from the first page, and Ankaa set it aside.

The book was labelled: Cepheus Rhyther – Florence Lacomb

Ankaa closed the book with a tired sigh. She reached for the envelope, turning it over to find it addressed to Mrs. Weasley. She pulled the letter out and began reading.

Dear Mrs. Weasley,

Thank you so much for the sweater you sent me this Christmas, I absolutely love it. I also wanted to take this moment to thank you for making a sweater for Ankaa. She's probably tried to write to you, but knowing her, she either overthought things too much and forgot completely, or she just forgot to send you a thank you letter.

She's been wearing that sweater a lot. It's her favourite thing to wear around the house during the holidays or when she's studying in the dorm. She doesn't show it much, but she really appreciates it.

Thank you,

Ceph.

P.S. I'll be sending you some gifts of my own next Christmas!

Ankaa found his sweater, neatly folded and placed on the top of his trunk. Ankaa pulled it close to her and breathed in his scent. With a heavy heart, Ankaa lay between the sheets of his bed.

Her tears soaked his pillow and his sweater as Ankaa cried herself to sleep.

At the end of the term, it was odd to see people wishing each other well as they departed for the summer holidays. Ankaa sat on the first step of the Grand Staircase, looking down at the masses of students laughing and joking with each other. It seemed wrong to her that they should be so happy when she was suffering.

What right did any of them have to live when her brother had died?

Ankaa turned the leather-bound book in her hands. It was for Florence, but Ankaa did not want to give it to her. A small part of her knew that Florence was going through as much pain as she was. But Ankaa did not want to part with anything that had once belonged to Ceph. She was possessive, and she wanted—no, needed—to hold onto every last piece of him that she could. Because she couldn't hold him anymore. She would find solace in reminding herself that he had once existed, that he had been a living, breathing human being who had his life snatched away from him.

But when Ankaa saw Florence for the first time since Ceph's death, she changed her mind. Ankaa suspected she looked the same, hair dishevelled, eyes red and swollen, a dead expression on her face. Florence was dutifully wishing her friends a happy summer break, but she looked anything but happy.

With a deep breath, Ankaa clutched the book and stood up. The students parted for her the as she made her way over to the older girl. Florence turned around, her eyes welling up in tears when she saw Ankaa. Maybe because she was seeking comfort from the younger girl, trying to tell herself that Ankaa had lost her only brother and so she must need the help.

"This is for you," Ankaa told her softly, holding out the book for her. Florence accepted it gingerly, turning to one of the pages. "It's a diary. Ceph started writing it the first day he met you."

"Did you—"

"No," Ankaa wiped at her nose when she noticed it had become stuffy once more, "I didn't read it, but I know what it's about. He had a habit of keeping a diary where he wrote down all the things that made him happy in a day. For you... he got a whole new book because everything you did made him happy. I think you should keep it… He'd want you to… it would have made him happy."

Florence was trying her hardest to keep from breaking down in tears again. Her breathing was coming in broken gasps, she tried to wipe her tears as quickly and silently as they came. Ankaa was aware that everyone around them was listening and watching, but she really did not care anymore.

"I-I'm sorry," Florence sniffed, looking to the clear blue sky in an effort to keep her tears at bay, "I'm sorry you lost your brother."

"And I'm sorry you lost your soul mate."

Ankaa supposed the worst thing about grief was that it never truly leaves you. The loss she felt, the devastation at never being able to speak to her brother again, would never truly leave her. The hollow feeling that she battled, she knew it would resurface no matter how hard she tried to push it away. She knew it in the disappointment that she felt at looking around in a crowded room for her brother, but soon after realizing that she would never see him again.

That would never disappear.

"Only the people that have loved deeply can grieve with such sorrow," Mopsus told her solemnly when she returned to his portrait, giving him back the two unused bottles of his Potion. "I know you feel great pain, but do not channel your grief into guilt," He advised, taking note of how her hand tightened around the flasks before she finally threw them roughly into their box.

"I could have saved him," She clenched her teeth together. "I could have… trained more, studied more, worked harder."

Mopsus did not say anything for a long time. He let the girl mull over her thoughts. He knew she had not completely comprehended her loss yet. Losing someone, he knew, was not comprehended in an instant. She would realize over time, how much she missed her brother when she would find that his scent had faded from the clothes he once wore or the letters to his name that remained unopened.

The little things that once reminded her of him would bring back a painful rush of memories no matter how long it had been since he had passed. It's never losing the person that breaks you down, it's always remembering their presence and recalling their memories that make you realize what you have lost.

"Grief can destroy you," Mopsus said, "Or it can make you the strongest you have ever been. You have a choice now, Ankaa. You can drive yourself into the ground with ill-placed guilt, or you can use your brother's death to make yourself the strongest and most capable Seer and witch this world has seen."

Even though Ankaa lived most of her life in black and white, she knew the moment she lost Ceph, the world had lost its colour. Even the black and white seemed dull. All she did was sit in silence and reflect upon every memory she had of Ceph, the good and the bad, the happy and the sad.

Relationships, no matter what kind, take a lot of energy. And when you lose someone, someone whom you had once been close to and spent your entire life with, letting go of them takes as much of the mental energy it took to forge those relationships in the first place. You reassess your place in the world, your identity. Because when you've spent your entire life with one person, you become one; wrapped up with certain elements of each other, that when one dies, it's impossible to differentiate what left with the dead, and what stayed behind.

"I'm sorry," Harry said to her one night, as sat next to him the Hospital Wing, waiting for Madam Pomfrey to give her some Dreamless Draught. Harry did not look at her in fear that he would start crying again. "I'm sorry he had to die for me."

Ankaa did not rebuke his claim. She was trying to pin the blame on someone, and candidates were in no short supply. She was angry, at herself for letting Ceph compete without giving him the guidance. She was angry at Harry, for letting Ceph jump in front of him, to try and protect him. She was angry at Dumbledore, for letting something like this happen in the first place, especially when he had vowed to protect his students.

After all, anger was easier to process than grief.

"Thank you," Ankaa muttered after a moment. "Thank you for being with him when he—when he… Ceph didn't deserve to die, but he sure as hell didn't deserve to die alone… Thank you for letting him be with his family when he did."

When she stepped off the Hogwarts Express and onto platform nine and three quarters, the bitterness she had been surrounded with for the past few days resurfaced once more. The laughing students, the happy parents, and the oblivious porters made her aware of one thing. No matter how broken your soul may be, the world does not stop living on because of your grief.

And perhaps the biggest reminder of that, for Ankaa at least, were Fred and George.

She had seen them, mourn for her brother, and shed a few tears. But she also saw them smiling, something she thought she was not capable of doing anymore no matter how hard she tried.

Ankaa remembered the letter she had in her pocket, intended for Mrs. Weasley, that seemed to be weighing her down like an invisible anchor. The woman had, in her own way, tried to comfort the young girl by sending her some homemade cakes. They had gone to waste though, as Ankaa had lost her appetite almost completely following the Third Task.

Ankaa spotted Mrs. Weasley standing with her husband, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her children. She spotted her mother as well, standing with her father off on the opposite side.

"Mrs. Weasley," Ankaa pulled the letter out of her pocket before the woman could say anything. "This is for you, from Ceph. He had meant to send it…"

"Oh, of course," Mrs. Weasley looked as if she wanted to wrap Ankaa in a hug, but she refrained. Ankaa did not notice her cast a saddened look towards her husband either.

Ankaa did not stay for long. She gave the letter, and she moved on. She wanted to tie up all his loose ends for him, knowing that he would not want to leave without letting the people around him know that he loved them beyond words.

The world kept turning, and the seconds kept ticking by. Ankaa had no memory of it. It all mattered very little now anyway. She lay in Ceph's bed, at the Manor, looking up at his ceiling. The windows showed the night sky, shining bright with stars. She idly wondered if he had turned into a star if he was happy wherever it was he had been sent to.

Sent to.

Because he did not choose to go. He had been ripped away from his family, from his friends. He was murdered. A sweet and caring boy who had done no wrong, murdered for standing up for what he believed in, for those he loved.

She did not realize when she started crying again for it had become a habit these days. When the stars all blurred into one big cluster, she wiped at her eyes. Her mother settled herself next to her, running a comforting hand over her forehead.

"He was so young," Maya uttered softly, looking around his room. "He had his whole life ahead of him. I can't believe he's gone."

Neither could she. For the first time in a long while, Ankaa turned to her mother for comfort. She wrapped her arms around Maya's torso, burrowing her head into her shoulder. And together, they wept for Ceph. Together, they wept for a beautiful boy who had been taken from them far too quickly.

Laying in her mother's arms, Ankaa wondered how Death could be so cruel, how he could have let someone so pure and beautiful have a life so brief.

Notes:

"Death must have death."

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