•stay-jily fanfic•

Chapter 41- Rose Potter is Dead.

they have done it. the gods have finally broken him.

Lily POV

I hear a knock at the door. James pales, as he opens the door to Dumbledore, looking grave. I slowly turn to my friends. Peter left early. Bella looks at me with a look of shock, and sorrow. Remus and Sirius are shocked, Alice and Mary are worried. I hear back to James. "Where's Rosie?" He repeats, getting angrier. Dumbledore looks anxiously around the corridor before turning back to James. "I TOLD you James, I would rather if you came into the comfort of my office, I would explain everything to you-" "Let me repeat myself. WHERE IS MY SISTER?" He roars. Dumbledore raises his eyebrows. "I prefer you wouldn't take that tone with me, Mr. Potter. I am still your headmaster." "Sorry sir." He says grudgingly. I slip behind James and take his hand. "We'll come to your office, but still would like to know what's going on. 

I think Sirius's company would be appropriate as well, because the two have also been very close over the time he's spent living there." I say softly, and James nods. "If anythings happened, Sirius should know." I motion for Sirius to join us. Bella shoots me one last look as we walk out of the door. It's the three of us, walking behind Dumbledore. I hold James's hand in mine, and slip Sirius's in my other. Not out of love, but out of reassurance. He needs it. Sirius is like family to James, and me. If you had told me 2 years ago that Sirius Black would be like a brother to me, I would've laughed in your face. 

Just the 3 of us, like family, waiting like for news that we all knew was true, but was like a ticking time bomb over out hearts.

Waiting, waiting to explode.

We reach his office. He sets inside, and motions for all of us to sit down. "Your parents are on their way, if you prefer I can wait until sharing the news about your sister-" James shakes his head. "Just tell us now. Get it over with, what's wrong?" Sirius said, his knee bouncing like it does when he's nervous. Dumbledore sighs. 

"Rose Potter is dead."

James POV

"Rose Potter is dead." Dumbledore's voice continues talking, but my brain doesn't register what he's saying. I stay still. Tears start flowing down my face. I feel Lily slip her little cool hand in mine, but I pull away and start pacing in the room. "Tell me it's not true. TELL ME IT'S NOT TRUE!" I scream, sinking against the wall. "I never got to say goodbye." I whisper, rocking my head in my hands. 

I didn't know it was possible to cry this much. I feel Lily slide herself down next to me, and she engulfed me in a hug. I let myself crumble against her touch, and cry into her shoulder. My body wracks with sobs. It's only until I feel her shoulders shaking is when I realize she's crying too. I should be the one comforting her, I think. 

But for once, I let her take over, and let myself crumble all of the walls I so carefully built to protect myself from getting hurt- which obviously had a crack. 

"Shh....it's alright to cry, James. Let it all out." She says as I try to pull myself together. I look up and wipe the tears from her cheeks with my thumb. "I should be the strong one." I whisper, running a hand through my hair. She scoffs. "You just lost your sister, James. You're allowed to be upset. Let me take care of you. I certainly owe you the favor." I mange a weak smile before slipping into a torrential downpour of tears. I look up. "Where is she?" I croak out. Dumbledore looks up, and his blue eyes were glistening. "The hospital wing." He says softly, straightening his glasses on his nose. I slip out of Lily's grasp, and Sirius and I, together, sprint down to the hospital wing, tears falling faster than they ever have been before. When I see her limp body on a hospital bed, my heart breaks in two. I sink to my knees at her bedside, clutching her hand that was much too cold. There are still streaks on her cheeks where her tears had last ran.  "No Rosie, please no......." I whisper, looking up at her eyes. Sirius slowly closed them, and wordlessly I pull him into a tight hug. "She's gone, she's really gone....." He whispers, wracking with sobs. I turn to Rosie. Slowly, I pull her hair out of a ponytail, and let it fan out on the pillow behind her. "It wasn't right." Sirius said, standing behind me. "She never liked it up." I said, smiling as well as someone could will crying their eyes out. "A princess always has her hair down, so that's the way mine will be." We both said, remembering what she always recited to us. "She was an amazing little sister." I say, kissing her cheek. "It should've been me." I sink into a chair, placing my head in my hands again. The doors burst open, and my parents run in. Their eyes widen. They see me, heartbroken and tears and all. My mothers eyes widen, full of tears. She places a hand over her mouth. "Oh Jamsie..... tell me it's not true." She whispers. I shake my head. "I wish I could." I whisper, my voice cracking. My dad is still standing in the doorway staring at my sister's dead body.  My mom is holding her hand, crying. I wrap my arms around my mom, and we cry into each others shoulders. My dad soon joins us, and together we cry, a trio, once a family of 4.