Scratches (Fred Weasley)

(139) Isolation

Florence had shut herself in her house days following her mother's death. She did not go out to participate in her wake, nor did she want to go and see her funeral. She refused to go to anything that confirmed the reality that she had lost her mother.

Several people had tried to get her out of her room, but it had seemed less and less possible to get her to come out, as she had bern unresponsive for days on end, refusing to open the door for anyone. Even Fred, who had spent a night camped right infront of her bedroom door the night before her mum's funeral service.

Sloan, Julien and Remus had decided to accompany her in the Price family manor. Sirius had so desperately wanted to stay in the manor with her, but Dumbledore's strong orders kept him in Grimmauld Place.

Mrs. Weasley had decided to visit one afternoon, upon a worried Fred's request. He didn't know how Florence had been eating or drinking. It had been almost two weeks since anyone has seen her.

"Poor dear," Molly tutted as she gave her son a hug, "I can only imagine what she's going through. She's never gotten the chance to even talk to her mum before this all happened... Is she upstairs?"

"Yes, since Sloan's picked her up from Hogwarts apparently. No one's seen her come out of her room."

"Has she talked to anyone? Through the door?"

"Nothing." Fred scratched the crook of his neck, "I hear her every night, though. Her crying. It breaks my heart, mum. I don't know what to do."

"I'm sorry, dear." Molly put a hand on his shoulder, "But there's nothing you could really do at the moment. She needs time and space to grieve this terrible, terrible loss." she said, "No child should have to lose their mother."

"I know... George will be here later. We're almost done with the shop but we were thinking of delaying the opening until Florence is okay."

"I don't think she would want you to put your life on hold for her, Fred. Go on with the opening, dear. Who knows? Maybe that will be something that will get her out of her room and lift her spirits a little bit."

"I know you're right, but after we open I'm pretty sure business will be busy as ever. I just want to be here with her incase she needs me. I don't want to leave her side just yet, but then I don't think George will be able to manage on his own."

"Oh yes he will. If you really want to stay with Florence then I'll help your brother find a way to manage things around the store."

He gave her a small smile, "Thanks, mum."

"Florence always brought out the best version of you, dear, and I'm glad to see you supporting her unconditionally during these tough times." Molly said, touching her son's cheek fondly, "It makes me happy to know that you've found someone like her, and she's found someone like you."

True to his word, George had dropped by the manor to bring Fred some clothes that would last him a couple more days. Alexander and Nicolai also visited, the four of them sitting around in the living room quietly, not really sure of what to talk about. Florence had always been their glue, and with her not there, it was a little awkward to sit through.

Sloan had been out the whole day, running through Florence's Auror papers that had been in need of processing. Her N.E.W.T.s had arrived flawless, therefore securing her a slot in the new recruits for the year. He wanted to take care of the papers incase Florence still wanted to pursue the career as soon as she got herself out of the funk she was in.

Julien, as usual, was in Auror training, as well as presumably participating in Order functions.

The sun began to set outside, and Alexander decided to take charge of food since no one seemed like they wanted to go home yet. He wasn't terrible in the kitchen, managing to whip something up that everyone liked. Nicolai cleared her throat after swallowing her food, set on initiating small talk.

"So..." she began, unsure of what to say, "Any new updates?"

Fred shook his head, "Same thing, unfortunately."

"I wish she'd talk to any one of us," said George, "How is she even eating in there? When no one's seen her in weeks? She must be starving."

"No, one of the house elves brings her food in secret. I heard her voice once." Fred explained. If Florence had been starving herself, Fred would have already charged in to the room to stop her. Grief was understandable, but he would never just sit around and watch her develop self-destructive habits because of it.

"Mrs. Price was so lovely," Alexander mumbled, "I don't get how something as horrible as death could happen to someone so good... And Florence... well, when she lost her dad all those years ago it didn't really have as much impact because she barely got to know him, but now it's different. She's lost the only family she's had for most of her life."

"Flo didn't deserve this," Nicolai sighed.

Silence washed over them again, Alexander and Nicolai reminiscing all the happy memories they had in the manor, from their first sleepovers to holidays with their families to their last sleepover during the summer before seventh year. They knew that the house would never be the same again.

                                         ——————

There was barely any light in the room, with the blinds shut and the curtains draped over them. The only thing Florence could hear was the faint ticking of the clock, reminding her of the minutes that has passed since the most important person in her life had been taken away from her by death.

Death, the dark, devastating cloud looming over everyone's existence. It was an inevitability, she knew, and she was aware that one day she would have to face the death of her mother. But she didn't think it would be as soon as it was.

Her light, her anchor, gone.

She didn't know how she could go on without her at this point.

A tear slipped from her eyes at the thought of her mother's lifeless body, laying in the casket. Though she did not attend the funeral, she could still paint the vivid picture of her mother's once vibrant blue eyes, now lidded forever.

For several days she had heard the same people knocking on her door. Sloan and Julien in the morning, before they went to the Ministry for the day. Fred, later in the afternoon, and sometimes during midnight. She hated that she was putting him through this, though she never asked for him to camp outside her room and wait for her indefinitely.

She also heard Alexander and Nicolai, who would hold whispered conversations by her door, and Florence would press her ear against the door to hear them reminisce about all the times they had shared in this house together.

Emmy had been bringing her food, and was probably the only one she allowed to see her in the mess she was in. The house elf had been grieving as well, as seen from her bloodshot eyes and faint sniffling whenever she apparated into her room to replace the old food tray with a new one.

Some time around evening, when the sun had just set under the horizon, she heard both of her friends bid her goodbye, with a promise of returning the next day. Sloan and Julien arrived home a few minutes later, the sound of the front door shutting close indicating their arrival. Remus would come up before dinner to talk to Fred, presumably to give him food, as she usually heard the faint noise of silverware. He always tried to convince Fred to go home and get some sleep, but the same stubborn answer was given every night.

Later in the night she would hear Fred's light snoring by the door, and she would crawl over to be closer to him, feeling the comfort of his presence through a wall.

She wished that she could engulf herself in his arms, where she knew she would be the safest in. However, she also knew that being alone was the only way she knew how to cope. She didn't want to talk about it, either.

How do you even begin to explain the feeling of great loss? How do you put such intensity into words?

Florence didn't know.