Using the prompt "Talking to myself"
Chapter Two
When they returned to the Headmaster's office twenty minutes later, Rose found all her cousins who still attended Hogwarts seated quietly. Each looked as confused as she had been when she had first stepped into the office. Professor Gimp sat opposite them all in silence.
Albus was the first to see them enter and he got to his feet. "What's going on?" he asked. "First you and Hugo were taken out of class, then Nev – Professor Longbottom came to get us as well." He looked around the room. "You've all been crying. What's going on?"
"Al, something has happened involving all of us," Ginny replied kindly. "Just sit down and we will explain it to you."
Albus walked uncertainly back to his chair. The Headmaster conjured four new chairs.
Rose sat between Albus and Lucy, refusing to look at either of them. She wiped away a few stray tears.
Hugo sat in between James and Lily, still as white as he had been when they had left. The walk around the grounds hadn't made him speak. He had walked along in silence, only nodding or shaking his head when someone spoke to him.
Her other two cousins, Molly and Louis, were watching everyone else with curiosity. Molly – being her usual, self-centred self – was slumped in the chair with her arms folded. She probably thought they were all in trouble for something.
Rose wondered if she would even care once she heard the news. She didn't seem to care about much when it came to family; not even her younger sister, Lucy. Louis just sat silently, waiting for the news, while Ginny and Harry sat on either side of the Headmaster, wearing the same sombre expressions they had when they had broken to news to Rose and Hugo.
Harry was the first to speak. "Now, before I begin I ask that all of you hear me out before you say anything. This will be shocking and upsetting for all of you and you will probably have a million questions. But please keep them to yourself until I've finished explaining."
It felt like they were in class and Harry was their teacher.
Albus shifted uncomfortably beside Rose.
"This morning, your aunt and uncle – Ron and Hermione – were found in their home... dead. Neither of them showed up for work and when I went over there to investigate, I... f-found them."
Rose heard him choke on the last words. She knew how close her parents were to Harry – she knew they were his best friends and had been since they had started Hogwarts themselves. And he had been the one to find his best friends. She didn't blame him for being upset.
Albus sat up a little straighter and opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny shook her head at him and he closed it again.
"At the moment, all we know is they were killed by another witch or wizard at approximately five AM. Muggle neighbours saw a stranger leaving the house at that time. We have a few descriptions which have given us a pretty good lead, but at the moment we are uncertain about what exactly happened." He looked at Rose and she could have sworn his eyes were glistening a little. Part of her wanted to walk over to him and put her arms around him, but she didn't. She didn't want to have to see him cry.
"Now," Harry continued. "I know you want to know who it was and would like them to be caught, but it takes time and patience. These things cannot be rushed and we need evidence to charge them..." he paused. "Any questions?"
No one said anything. Even Albus was silent and he had seemed so desperate to say something just moments ago.
Rose just sat there. It wasn't any easier hearing it the second time around. It didn't change anything. Her parents were still gone and she and Hugo were left orphans. Sure, she wouldn't be living in some Muggle orphanage – as Ginny had put it – but she wouldn't be going home either.
She had lived in that house since she had been born. It had so many happy memories. She remembered playing with her cousins in the backyard, her mum complaining about the Quidditch pitch her dad had made, the Quidditch games with her family.
Now, when she set foot in there again, she knew all she would be thinking about was where it had happened and what they had been doing. It was no longer her home because a home wasn't supposed to have bad memories.
The first sound anyone made was Lily, who had broken into loud sobs. James patted her awkwardly on the shoulder and Ginny came over to engulf her in one of her comforting hugs.
Of course Lily would be the most upset – she spent a lot of the holidays at their place with Hugo. It was like her second home.
"I know, I know," Ginny said soothingly. "I know." She cupped her daughter's face in her hands and kissed her forehead. She was obviously trying to be strong for Lily's sake, but her expression said otherwise. A few tears rolled down her own cheeks and she rubbed her daughter's back. Who was there to comfort her?
Rose looked around. Everyone else was sitting there in shock. Even Molly was paler than usual. Harry watching them all. It looked like he too, was about to break down.
"I-I have a question," Albus began shakily. "W-why did they do it?"
Yes, Rose thought. Why? Why did someone want to kill my parents?
Harry hesitated. "We're... we're not sure, Al," he answered and once again Rose got the feeling he wasn't telling them everything. It seemed to her he knew who had done it and he had a fair idea as to why. Something must have happened that would encourage someone to kill.
What had her parents done?
"I also think someone should tell Scorpius," Albus added, surprising even Rose. It was a well-known fact that the Malfoys and the Weasleys didn't get along – not in their parent's generation. "He-he would like to know. He was peeing himself with worry when Rose got taken out of class."
Rose didn't miss the look her cousin gave her. She blushed despite herself.
"Al, this is a family matter," Ginny said, her arms still around Lily. "It doesn't concern him."
"When Rosie is involved, it always concerns him," Albus replied.
"He'll find out soon, anyway," Ginny replied firmly, making it clear the matter was to be discussed no more.
Albus went to argue, but Rose stopped him. "I'll tell him later, Al," she said. "They're right, Scorpius isn't family."
"So, I guess we'll have to leave Hogwarts for the funeral then?" Molly asked.
Rose didn't know if she did it on purpose or it was just Molly, but she always managed to make it sound as if she didn't care.
"You don't have to come," Rose answered spitefully. "If you'd rather stay here, of course."
Molly gave her a look. "I was just asking!" she replied harshly.
"When will the funeral be?" James asked, directing his question to Rose.
Rose shook her head, looking at Harry.
"That hasn't been decided yet. If you and Hugo want to be involved in the organising of it... we would like you both to be."
Rose nodded. She wanted to be; she wanted to give her parents a funeral they deserved. No one knew them like she did, not even Harry.
Professor Gimp got to his feet. "You are all excused from classes for the rest of the week – and more if any of you require it. Go back to your common rooms and take it easy. I will send your Heads of Houses in later to check on you all."
Rose got slowly off her chair and walked to the door. Ginny still had her arms around Lily. Her cousin had stopped crying, but her eyes were still red and her cheeks were tear-stained.
Rose held out her hand to her brother. "You okay?" she asked him.
Hugo nodded solemnly. He wasn't okay, but she wasn't going to push the point. They would have plenty of time to talk later. Right now, she just wanted to go to her dormitory and sleep before Jasmine and Georgia and the other girls returned.
Molly placed a hand on her shoulder. "If you want me to tell Scorpius for you, I will. I'll probably see him before you do... you know, we're in the same House and all."
If Molly hadn't had a crush on Scorpius since she had been in her second year (Scorpius and Rose in their first), Rose would have thought she was sincere in her offer. It was common knowledge that one of the main reasons Rose and Molly didn't get along was because of Scorpius. Molly resented the fact that Rose was better friends with him and that Scorpius was more interested in her cousin.
Rose just nodded. She was in no mood to get into an argument. Scorpius couldn't stand Molly; she knew it didn't matter.
Molly gave a small smile of victory and was the first to leave the office, probably to give him a sob story of how much she had loved her aunt and uncle and how terrible it was to see them die.
Rose left with Hugo, following Lily and Ginny.
Albus appeared beside her. He didn't say anything; he simply slipped his hand into her free one and they walked in silence back to the Gryffindor common room.
Harry had disappeared in the opposite direction, probably to take Louis back to Ravenclaw and Lucy to Hufflepuff.
Once inside the warm common room, Rose let go of her cousin's and brother's hands. She turned to face Hugo, placing a hand on each shoulder. "Go upstairs and sleep," she told him warmly. "We'll talk more in the morning."
Hugo shook his head. "I don't want to sleep," he said. "I can't. Did you know I have the same dormitory as Dad did? And the same bed?"
No, Rose had not known that. No one had bothered to tell her.
James came over to them. "I'll swap you beds, Hu," he said. "I don't mind sharing with some second years for a while."
Hugo nodded. "Thanks," he said. Rose could tell he was very grateful.
"Thank you, James," Ginny said to her son. "That's very thoughtful of you."
James shrugged and then glanced down at his watch. "Quidditch practice is in ten minutes. I'll just duck down to the pitch and explain to Tippet why I can't make it."
"Word will get out soon, anyway," Ginny said. "I'm sure he will understand even if you just don't show."
James shook his head. "No, the fresh air will do me good. I'll see you back here soon. And I'll tell him for you too, Al."
Albus nodded his thanks.
Lily finally let go of her mum. "I need some fresh air, too," she said. "Mum?"
Ginny nodded. "In a moment, sweetheart. I'll just make sure the others are okay." She looked to where Rose, Hugo and Albus were standing in the middle of the common room. "You will be alright if I take Lily for a while?"
The three of them nodded and Ginny smiled sadly. "I'll be back soon to check on all three of you, okay?"
They nodded again.
Lily and Ginny climbed back through the portrait hole, leaving the three of them with two seventh years. The older students paid them no attention, despite their red eyes and an ex student being in the common room.
"I'm going to go to bed too, I think," Albus mumbled.
Rose nodded. "Me too."
"I'll see you at dinner?"
Rose shrugged. "Maybe." She wasn't really in the mood to eat right now.
Albus looked at Hugo. "Come on, Hu. I'll show you which bed belongs to James."
Hugo followed willingly and Rose made her way up the girl's staircase. Like she had hoped for, the dormitory was empty, save for her owl, Quinn and Georgia's owl, Sweettooth. Both chirped happily when they saw her, her owl holding out his leg to remove a letter.
She detached it, saw the handwriting belonged to her mum and immediately threw it into her trunk. She wasn't ready to read a letter from her. It only took a day for letters to arrive from home – her parents had still been alive twenty-four hours ago.
Quinn fluttered his wings and nipped her finger.
"They're dead, Quinn," she said, lying on her bed in her school robes. "Gone. That will be the last letter they ever write to me. I'll read it when I want to."
The owl flew to rest on her bed post, hooting loudly.
"Maybe in the morning," she said, closing her eyes.
It was the next morning when she woke again.
Here is chapter two and once again, thank you Pam for beta-ing it for me. I hope you enjoyed this too and you don't feel it's moving too slowly. I do have to write 50 chapters hehe. I forgot to mention before, that every five chapters, I'll be switching POVs so we can see bits from Hugo's as well. I hope I have set it out nicely so it won't get too confusing. And, also, most of the prompts will be very loosely used.
Please leave a review :) Thanks.