warrior | sirius black

twenty

Her concerned friends turned to watch Rosie and McGonagall exit the Great Hall -- Rosie's legs shaking and McGonagall's arm around her shoulders. Peter looked down at his hands, twiddling his thumbs anxiously.

"Will she be alright?" asked James, bringing everyone's attention to him, his eyebrows knotted with concern. Lily opened her mouth to answer, but couldn't say anything as she reverted her eyes back to the newspaper. Tears stung her eyes as she saw their picture. They were dead. Her second family and her second home were dead.

"We'll see..." Remus said quietly, his own eyes turning to the newspaper article. A rogue tear fell out of his eye. He'd met Eliza and Alexander many times and he treated them as second parents. To them, Remus was like their son. They knew about his condition and were incredibly understanding about it -- Alexander even made Wolfsbane for Remus when he had spare time.

James and Sirius were the only ones that hadn't gotten close to the Winters. While they had met them before during the previous winter break, they didn't get the chance to become friends with them. But despite that, they were still heartbroken over their deaths as it was no question that the two were incredibly kind and their daughter was proof of it. 

As for Peter, he was the only one to have never met Rosie's parents at all.

"I-i'll read the article," Sirius coughed. "Elizabeth and Alexander Winters were found dead in their home in Barnton village. Their only child, Rosaline Winters, was luckily still at school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, when the attack took place. Alexander, a renowned Potioneer and head of the Potions Association at the Ministry for Magic, and Elizabeth, a distinguished Mediwizard at St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, will definitely be missed. More news to come. It is currently suspected to be connected to a series of Death Eater attacks found in nearby towns," Sirius read, his voice wavering with each word.

Their solemn faces stared at each other, concern weaved in all of their expressions as they sat in silence.

It seemed that they weren't the only ones upset as Severus Snape choked back a sob at the Slytherin table as he read the article over Mulciber's shoulder. He glared at Mulciber, who was laughing at the article and mocking their deaths, before gloomily standing up and exiting the hall, sick to his stomach.

--

"Here's a nice cup of tea." McGonagall handed Rosie a steaming mug of chai tea -- Rosie's favorite. The distraught girl sat still in the armchair, her tear-stained face void of any expression. McGonagall sat next to her, eyeing the letter on her lap.

"May I read that?" the Professor asked carefully, not wanting to be intruding. Rosie nodded and handed McGonagall the letter -- the last things her parents ever said to her. McGonagall took the letter and read it silently, her own eyes watering. McGonagall had gone to Hogwarts with Rosie's mother and father. They hadn't been too close, but they did admire her like many of her other schoolmates. She graduated when they were in 1st year and trained them to be wonderful Prefects when she returned to Hogwarts as a Transfiguration Professor and Head of Gryffindor House. Her eyes landed on the ciphered message.

"Rosie, could you tell me what this means?" asked McGonagall, looking up from the letter. 

Rosie nodded, figuring that she was talking about the code. "It means Check my jewelry box underneath my bed. I love you," she answered, her voice stumbling and her eyes watering again. 

McGonagall nodded, wondering what was in the mentioned box.

"It's their memories box. They've put their entire lives into it. Their first date, wedding, anniversary, my first birthday... They had me when they were a bit older, y'know? They were always so busy and then they had problems having me because mum was already getting pretty old. They spoil me for it. Well, spoiled..." said Rosie, trailing off as tears began escaping again.

"Oh, it's alright." McGonagall comforted her, bringing her arms around Rosie's shoulders. Rosie lightly cried again, her emotions taking over.

"Would you like to go back to your home? You're already well past your school level and you can be excused from school for the rest of the week," McGonagall offered, her and Rosie both knowing that she had learned enough to graduate already, so a few days off would be nothing. 

Rosie shook her head, not taking the offer, giving a bull excuse, "My mum and dad always told me that...education is key, and to never stop no matter what happens." A part of her also knew she couldn't go back home and see their dead bodies. She wasn't ready and she wasn't sure if she ever would be. Her parents, the people she loved most in the world, were gone forever.

McGonagall nodded, her eyes tearing up again at the brave girl in front of her.

"I'll go back for winter break, then I can ask Cordelia what happened," said Rosie, determined to know why her parents were attacked and how it happened.

"Who's Cordelia?" McGonagall asked, not remember a Cordelia on their family tree.

"She's my neighbour, has been ever since I was born." 

McGonagall nodded at Rosie's answer. McGonagall folded her hands in her lap and turned to Rosie.

"Are you ready to go back to the Great Hall? You must be starving." she smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling at Rosie.

Rosie nodded a small smile coming to her sad face. The two stood and exited McGonagall's warm office. Together, they walked back to the Great Hall. Rosie's black hair and McGonagall's gray and brown hair flowing from the cold wind. 

When they reached the Great Hall, Rosie's worried friends and others surrounded her with concerned faces and hugs. McGonagall smiled warmly at the scene and departed from Rosie's side and walked to the Professor's table. Dumbledore and the other Professors all nodded with sad smiles at the scene but were comforted as Rosie looked much better.

"Are you ok?" Marlene asked. She had learned about the news only a few moments ago while Rosie was in McGonagall's office. Rosie nodded in response and immediately turned to Sirius, surprising him as she was only a few centimeters away.

"Sirius, we're going to Hogsmeade this Saturday, and Lily, I'm going to need to borrow your camera," she ordered. Everyone, although confused at her sudden change in mood, cheered and Sirius grinned with flushed cheeks. Rosie smiled inwardly -- she was going to document her memories like her parents had, and she was going to do it with who she loved. And even if Sirius didn't end up being the one for her, she was going to enjoy her time with her friends.

Life on Earth is finite -- Rosie learned that today when she found out her parents were taken away from her forever -- and every minute that a person spends alive is valuable. A person's life span is a ticking time bomb that no one knows when it's going to detonate. Sometimes it explodes when the time is right and sometimes it ignites when everything is falling apart and the world is already shattering around you.

Rosie was taught that death is not the end, but the next step in existence. It is merely the expiration of their physical being, but the soul would remain alive forever. Rosie used to claim that that was idiotic and that death was the end. The "muggle scientists figured out evolution," she would argue. However, her mother would shoot back, "but they didn't figure out magic." Now, after going to Hogwarts and learning that actual ghosts existed, she believed in what her parents said.

Oddly enough, it felt as if her parents were pushing her to move on and take the next steps forward in life. It broke her heart that her parents wouldn't be there to see the next steps of her life -- her first boyfriend, her graduation, her wedding, her children. But Rosie knew that they would want her to be happy. 

She was going to do the things the way they did. She was going to love her friends and her family. She was going to find whoever did this to them and give them hell. She was going to raise her children the way she was raised -- with compassion and heart. And she was going to honor her parents. Always.

✯

it's cold and rainy where i live right now, i love it

happy sunday! or monday, or any day of the week that you're reading this.

edited: 06/03/2020