Using the prompt 'the harder they fall'
Chapter Fourteen
"Rose! Come on! Uncle Harry wants us to go with them. It'll be fun. Victoire and Dominique will be there. And Fred and Roxanne."
"I don't care!" Rose responded from the other side of her bedroom. "The only time I want to see Uncle Harry is when he tells us he's getting off his lazy arse and finding the person who killed Mum and Dad. And, Victoire hates me. Why would I want to see her?"
"She doesn't hate you, Rosie. That was –"
"Don't call me that!"
"Sorry. But, seriously, Victoire hated you when she was seven years old because you annoyed her all the time. She doesn't hate you anymore."
"Well... I don't like her."
"Yes, you do."
"That was where the funeral was. Why would I want to go back?"
"Because it's better than here and we won't have Uncle Harry on our backs all the time. We can play with Fred and Roxanne – no one will talk about it in front of them. They're too young."
There was a long pause until Rose eventually unlocked the door, standing before her brother with what she knew was an ugly sight. She hadn't bothered to brush her hair for two days, nor had she changed out of her clothes from the day before. After getting back from Sunbury, she had found herself not caring. What did it matter when her parents were dead? What did it matter when no one but her seemed to care?
"Sometimes, you can be really smart, Hu," she said.
"Don't call me that!" Hugo mocked. "And, I'm not smart. I'm just thinking logically."
"You're smart."
"So, are you coming?"
"Do I have a choice?"
Hugo shook his head. "Not really. Uncle Harry said that if I couldn't get you to come, he was going to come up to your room and Apparate you there anyway. But he really didn't want to have to do that."
Rose sighed. "Fine... give me a moment, though." She closed the door on her brother's face, giving him no time to respond. She waited until she heard his footsteps echoing back down the hall before she moved.
Her wardrobe was a complete mess. Clothes were poking out from the drawers and her coats lay sprawled across the floor. Her shoes had been thrown across the room numerous times and were now hiding in places Rose didn't care to look.
She didn't care about anything much, actually. She didn't care that both Harry and Ginny had knocked on her door countless times in the past day, begging her to speak to them. She didn't even care that they had tried George as well in the hope that she would talk to him. She had told him exactly the same thing as she had told Harry and Ginny – go away!
The only one who she had allowed into her room at all was Hugo, and that had only been because he had knocked on her door relentlessly until she had opened it.
She just didn't feel like talking to anyone. Was it really that hard to understand?
"You ready, Rose?"
Rose was snapped out of her reverie by Ginny's voice. She didn't know how long she had been standing there, staring at her wardrobe, but it must have been some time.
Or maybe it was just them being fussy again.
"I have to have a shower," she called. "I'll-I'll be fifteen minutes." She opened the door again and was greeted by her aunt's concerned face. Ginny looked her up and down, seeming to take in her revolting appearance.
Rose had covered up her mirror days ago so she didn't have to look at herself.
"Be quick," was all she said.
Rose nodded, grabbed the first clothes she found and hurried down the stairs to where the bathroom was.
The warm water over her unclean body was refreshing. She remembered the days where she was able to stand in the shower for ages, just thinking about everything and anything. She'd think about Scorpius and then scold herself for thinking about him in ways that her dad would disapprove of. Then she would tell herself it didn't matter what he thought, because she was old enough to make her own decisions.
And then her mum – or another Gryffindor if she was at Hogwarts – would come knocking on the door, telling her that she had been in the shower long enough.
How she longed for that to happen again. Part of her even stayed in there for as long as she did because she wanted to hear her mum's frustrated voice, saying how she needed to go to work.
Of course, she knew it wasn't going to happen, but she would have given anything to hear it just one more time. At least that would have meant she was still there.
"I'm sorry." The words had left her lips before she even knew what she was saying. Who was she even talking to? Herself? Or her parents? Could they even hear her?
"I'm sorry," she repeated. "I'm sorry for being such a... bitch."
Because, that was what she was. To her parents, to her brother, and to her cousins. She was moody, selfish, and had a temper that even she couldn't control. It was amazing they hadn't demanded she stay at Hogwarts every holiday. It was what she deserved.
There was a knock at the door and Rose felt her heart leap to her throat. Just maybe...
"Rose?"
Ginny. Of course it was.
"I'm almost done!" she called, dipping her head under the water one more time and then turning it off. She dried herself quickly, got dressed and met the three of them downstairs. She could see on their faces that they were frustrated, even if they tried not to show it.
She only met Harry's eye for a moment before turning away. She was still angry with him for doing nothing. He was the one who should have been doing to most. If anyone could find someone who didn't want to be found, it was Harry. She had heard the stories and she knew what he was capable of.
Why was he not doing the same thing for his two best friends – his family? It didn't make sense.
"It's amazing what a shower can do." Ginny gave her a weak smile – one that Rose didn't return. In a few hours' time, when her hair dried, she would go back to looking how she had before her shower.
But at least she felt a lot cleaner.
Ginny held out her arm and Rose accepted reluctantly. She wasn't going to get out of going to the Burrow – she might as well accept that.
As expected, before she even had time to readjust to her surroundings, she had three people fussing over her. There was Molly, who commented on her appearance and then accused Harry and Ginny for not feeding her. Next was Fleur, who patted her back in a way she seemed to think was comforting, and last, was two-year-old Roxanne, who flung herself around Rose's legs.
From the corner of her eye, she saw her brother was getting the same treatment.
"Oh, it's wonderful to see the four of you again," Molly said, now directing her attention to Harry and Ginny. "We've missed you."
"Sorry, Mum... it's just been... busy, you know?"
"Not to worry, dears. The fact that you're here now is what counts."
Rose gave them all a weak smile, before being distracted by a tug on her hands. Fred and Roxanne had each taken hold of one and were pulling her in different directions.
"Come play!" Fred said.
"Come play!" Roxanne repeated.
"How about you leave your cousins alone?" That was Angelina, trying to drag her two children away.
"No, it's fine," Rose promised her, remembering what her brother had said before they had come. If they stayed with the younger ones, everyone would be less inclined to talk about what had happened. She looked down at the two youngest Weasleys. "Who wants to play hide-and-seek? I'll count. Ready? One... two... three..."
Their small hands let go of hers and as she counted, she could hear giggles, a shuffling of feet and the back door being opened as Hugo directed them into hiding spots (if anyone was good at finding places to hide, it was her brother).
"You really don't have to, Rose..."
Rose pointedly ignored Angelina. "Ready or not, here I come!" And she hurried out the back before anyone could stop her.
Playing hide-and-seek with Fred and Roxanne was like a Defence Against the Dark Arts class. It was loud, noisy and who she was seeking was always made easy by heads poking out from behind trees or bushes and quiet giggles when she walked straight past them, pretending not to see them.
She found Hugo first (something she always did when playing this game with them). He didn't look too happy about it, though.
"Stop being nice to them," he grumbled.
"They're four and two," she replied. "You're twelve."
"Now... where could they be?" she asked, which was greeted by a stifled laugh from behind a nearby tree. She knew Fred was hiding there – she had seen his head three times already. "I think they beat you at being the best hiders, Hugo," she added, which was followed by another giggle – this time from behind a small shrub.
They 'searched' for another ten minutes until Fred seemed to get bored of hiding and revealed himself.
"I'm the best hider ever!" he exclaimed.
"Me too!" Roxanne appeared from behind the shrub, covered in dirt and mud.
"You're too good for us," Rose replied, smiling at them.
Both of her cousins beamed.
"My turn to count now!" Fred said. "One... two... three... five..."
"Four."
"Seven... eight... nine..."
Rose sighed and began making her way to the same tree Fred had just appeared from. Roxanne followed.
"You go and hide over there, Roxie," she said, pointing to her grandfather's shed. Roxanne could hide anywhere in there and Fred would never find her. He probably wouldn't even think to look in that direction.
"Okay!" Roxanne replied and ran off.
Fred had reached twenty and was still counting, so Rose rested her head against the trunk and waited. He would probably find her easily, but she didn't care. She was only playing to keep them entertained... and to keep her mind off everything else.
"Ready or not, here I come!"
Surprisingly, it took her cousin a good ten minutes to locate her and that was only because she got sick of waiting and made herself visible to him.
"Found you, Rosie!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "You have to keep your legs hiding."
"Sorry," Rose apologised. "I didn't think you'd see me here."
She helped Fred locate Hugo, who was hiding behind a large rock and then directed him to the shed she had told Roxanne to hide in.
Once they reached it, Rose saw that the door was locked and there was no way her two-year-old cousin could have opened it.
"She's not in there," Fred stated.
"No... she's not." Rose looked around, but there was no sign of Roxanne anywhere. "Roxie?"
There wasn't even a giggle, which was unusual.
"She's really good at hiding," Fred commented, peering under an old bench.
"Hm... she is."
"Where'd she go?" Hugo whispered.
Rose ignored the small amount of fear that had appeared in the pit of her stomach and shook her head. "I told her to hide in Grandpa's shed... but it's locked."
Where had Roxanne gone? She was only small and the Burrow's yard was huge. She could have been anywhere.
"You do know you're supposed to look out for them, don't you?"
Rose nodded. "She normally does everything I tell her to do."
"And Grandpa normally keeps the shed locked when everyone's here."
"Well everyone isn't here, are they?"
"Roxie!" Fred called, seeming undeterred by his sister's disappearance. He just thought it was part of the game, that she had found a really good hiding place. "Roxie, where are you?"
"Maybe up there, Freddie," Hugo suggested, pointing up the small incline. Rose had spent many days sitting on top of the hill with James and Albus.
Fred ran up the hill which looked over the Muggle village below. "Not here," he said. "Maybe she's down there?"
"I don't think she would go that far," Rose replied.
"It would be a really good hiding place."
"Yes, but..." Rose didn't want to think about what else could have happened. What if Roxanne had gone down to the village? She could have been anywhere, and it would be all Rose's fault. She had been too concerned with her own problems to even check to see that her young cousin had actually made it to the shed. If she had just glanced back to make sure, she would have seen that it was locked and seen where Roxanne had gone.
"Let's go!" Fred said excitedly.
"We can't," Hugo replied.
"But Roxie's down there."
"Not necessarily, Freddie," Rose told him. "We still haven't looked over there." She pointed to another mound and the four-year-old instantly ran over to it. She and Hugo followed.
"Not here. Roxie!"
"What's all this yelling?"
Rose spun around, repressing a sigh. Of all the people who had to come out, it just had to be George. Sure, he was fun and could tell a good joke when he wanted, but he was going to be furious once he found out they had lost Roxanne.
"Roxie is hiding really well and we can't find her," Fred announced, causing Rose and Hugo to glance uneasily at each other.
"I'm sure she's around," George answered. "Have you checked inside?"
Rose wasn't sure how well she disguised the relief on her face at her uncle's words. Of course Roxanne would have been inside! George had probably seen her. In fact, he had probably given her the hiding spot.
Fred beamed. "Roxie!" he called, running towards the building. "Roxie, I'm coming to find you."
"I'd suggest you tell him where she is after five minutes," Rose said. "He took a long time to find me behind that tree."
"I actually have no idea where Roxanne is hiding," George replied. "But she is quite sneaky. No doubt she's found a comfortable cupboard in one of the bedrooms to hide."
"But you didn't see her?" Rose asked.
George shook his head. "Why?"
Rose glanced at her brother again. He looked just as concerned as she felt. "Nothing. I just... never mind... I'm sure Fred will find her eventually."
"I doubt it. Lunch will be ready in a few minutes anyway. We'll find her then. You two wanting to come inside?"
With one last look at the village below, Rose followed her uncle back inside. She hoped with all her heart that Roxanne really was somewhere in there and that they would find her quickly.
But it seemed that her hiding spot was even too good for the grown-ups, as Fred had put it after everyone had spent a good twenty minutes searching for her inside the Burrow.
From experience, Rose and Hugo (and George and Ginny) knew every single good hiding place there was, and Roxanne was in none of them. They searched high and low – inside and outside – and couldn't find her anywhere.
By this time, Rose was panicking. She had lost her little cousin. She was the oldest; she had been responsible for her. And she had lost her.
"I'm sure she's around," Rose heard Ginny say to a now distressed Angelina. "I bet she's somewhere really obvious and thinks it's all just part of the game..."
"Roxie, we're not playing anymore!" George called from atop the mound that overlooked the Muggle village. "If you can come out now..."
Nothing.
"I'll have a look down in the village," Harry said calmly. "You keep looking for her here." He began the descent down the hill, not appearing to have much confidence that she would actually be there.
"I'll-I'll look that way," Rose said, pointing in the direction of the Burrow's boundaries. The grass was long over there – perhaps Roxanne was hiding between them.
"You better find her."
Rose had never heard Angelina so angry before. Not at her.
"Roxie!" she called after she had jumped the fence. "Roxie. Are you here? Roxanne!"
Not a sound.
"Come on, Roxanne, this isn't funny anymore. Everyone's really worried... Mummy and Daddy are really scared." And no one could handle another death in the family.
She had trekked so far out that she could even see Mr. Lovegood's house in the far distance. It was growing darker by the second and she knew she would have to turn back soon, except she didn't want to have to. What if they never found Roxanne? Everyone would blame her – like she deserved.
It was her fault. It was all her fault. She should never have come today. She hadn't even wanted to.
"Wosie!"
Rose spun around. "Roxie? Roxie, where are you?"
A small head of dark hair appeared between the grass. "Here!" she said, her teeth chattering. "I hided all this time."
"Thank goodness you're okay," Rose said, scooping the two-year-old into her arms. "Everyone was really worried."
Roxanne was shivering uncontrollably in the afternoon coolness. It was coming into summer, but the late afternoons were still rather cold.
Rose walked back to the Burrow as quickly as she could and the moment she appeared back over the fence, Roxanne was snatched from her arms by a furious Angelina.
"Where have you been?" she cried, hugging her daughter to try and warm her up.
"Hiding... got scared, Mummy..."
"I bet you were," Angelina responded. "Come on, let's get you inside and all warmed up." She didn't even look at Rose as she headed back into the house.
Rose followed, keeping a wide distance between herself and her aunt.
Molly had found a blanket and had put it around Roxanne's small body. She was still shivering from being outside and by herself for so long.
Rose watched from the doorway. Neither woman paid her any attention.
"I'm really sorry," she said.
Angelina's eyes bore into her. Rose had never been more afraid of her aunt than she was in that moment. "She was your responsibility," she said bluntly.
"I-I know. I didn't think she'd go that far. I –"
"You're supposed to keep an eye on them," Angelina continued. "They're only little."
Victoire appeared beside her, holding a hot water bottle.
"The point is, she's safe and well," Molly interrupted, seeming to sense Angelina's anger. "That's all that matters."
Angelina didn't look at her again, and Rose felt ridiculous just standing there, not doing anything. Her presence clearly wasn't wanted, so she found Ginny, Harry and Hugo in the living room, and the moment she saw them, her tears came. She had tried not to cry, but the day had just gone from bad to worse.
"I didn't mean to," she sobbed. It was Hugo who came to comfort her, which she appreciated. "And now they hate me."
"They don't hate you," Hugo assured her.
"She could have died!"
"But she didn't," Harry said. "You found her."
"You made a mistake, Rose." That was Ginny.
"And I was there too," Hugo added. "I should have been watching her as well."
But all Rose could think about was how disappointed her parents would have been in her. There had been times when she had acted immature, but never had she done anything like that before. Of all the times she'd cared for Fred and Roxanne, she'd never let anything happen to them.
George and Angelina had always trusted her with them and she'd let them down. What if something had happened to Roxanne? There were snakes in that grass – she could have been bitten.
Part of her was glad her parents hadn't been there. She couldn't bear the thought of seeing their disappointment. Why was she constantly letting them down – even when they were gone?
"Come on." Ginny was the first to get to her feet. "Let's go and eat lunch-turned-dinner now that Roxanne has been found."
Rose shook her head. That would mean she would have to face Angelina and George's disappointment. That was just as bad. They'd never trust her with their children again.
"Come on, Rosie... please?"
Rose looked to her brother. Wasn't she supposed to be the one looking out for him? Yet, he had been the stronger one ever since it had happened.
With a sigh, she nodded. For him, she'd do anything.
I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I have so far! Thanks to the lovely Joanna for beta-ing this for me once again, and... and... I've actually finished writing this! All 50 chapters are done! This has an ending, so it's safe to say that this fic will not be abandoned :) I feel accomplished.
Please leave a review! I'd love to hear what you have to say! Thanks!