Rosabella's Point of View:
Black Manor had never been so quiet. The usual laughter that filled the halls was replaced with eerie silence. The usual thundering foot steps as my brothers and I chased after each other around the house. Usually one of us would of stolen someone else's stuff and they would chase us to get it back. There were no occasional shout of surprise as one of us would of usually jumped out from one of the passageways to scare the others.
Everything was silent. Empty. Only the occasional sound of Roseanna's crying filled the house, like it was now.
I started to walk towards Roseanna's nursery, with Winter walking by my side, knowing I would find who I was looking for there. I had kept to myself since we came back from Hogwarts. I couldn't bare to be in the same room as Fiona or Roseanna. The guilt of Lucas's death weighing down on me. The shame of my own weakness on the night Lucas died. But I couldn't avoid this any longer. I owed Fiona more then this. I arrived outside Roseanna's room. I took a deep breath and entered the room.
Fiona was swaying with a crying Roseanna.
Fiona gave me a sad smile as she saw me enter. Roseanna smiled despite the tears streaming down her face. It was hard to believe that Roseanna was one years old now.
"Sorry. Did she wake you?" Fiona said as she wiped away the stray tears that escaped her eyes.
"No I was wake. I just . . . want to talk to you." I said in a shakey voice.
Fiona placed a now sleepy Roseanna in her cot and placing the bottles of half drunk milk on the window sill.
Roseanna didn't have formula milk anymore but she know drank normal milk warmed up. It calmed her.
Fiona gave me a sad, kind smile and she gestured for me to follow her.
I followed her, wishing instead of being kind, she would glare at me with hatred. I followed Fiona to the guest room closest to Roseanna's room. Fiona couldn't bare to stay in Lucas's Room when she knew he would never return to it. Fiona held the door open for me as I followed her into one of the many guest rooms.
Fiona and I sat on the stool at the end of the bed.
"Are you okay?" Fiona asked me.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" I said.
Fiona chuckled sadly and then let out a shakey sigh.
"Honestly, it seems like I mostly just cry these days. What did you want to talk about Ro?" Fiona said softly.
"Fiona . . . I wanted to – to apologise. Lucas is – gone – because of me. You're husband died saving me. Roseanna – no longer has a father – because I was too weak. I'm so sorry Fiona. I would give – anything to bring him back." I said and tears that I had been holding in flowed freely down my face and my voice broke as sobs escaped my chest.
Fiona placed her hands on top of mine.
"Oh, Ro, is that why you've been so distant? I don't blame you. I would never blame you." Fiona said soothingly.
"I – I just can't forgive myself!" I sobbed.
"Well, I forgive you. If that's what you need to hear from me, I forgive you, Ro. Lucas was his own man, who made his own choices. If he had to choose a way to go, he would of always chosen to die protecting someone he loved. I'll miss Lucas everyday for the rest of my life." Fiona said and we both hugged each other tightly. Fiona mumbling comforting words.
"Thank you. I think I needed to hear that." I muttered feeling a weight lift off me.
"How are you, Fiona? Really?" I asked seriously, squeezing her hands reassuringly.
Fiona started to tear up.
"I loved him, Ro. Now it's done and I loved him. I can't believe he's gone. I still expect to see him walk through the door." Fiona said as tears fell from her eyes and she shook with sobs.
It was my turn to hug her tightly and comfort her.
We stayed together for the whole night, bonded in shared grief. Lucas's funeral would be the next day. I wore a simple black dress.
My hair hung loosely around my shoulders. I looked at myself in the mirror and let out a shakey breath. Winter whined by my side and nuzzled her head against my leg, attempting to comfort me. I knelt down in front of her and stroked the ruff on both sides of her neck.
I smiled sadly at her.
"Who's my good girl?" I said quietly.
Winter barked and licked my face and I laughed softly.
I sighed sadly and wrapped my arms around Winter and buried my face in her neck. I felt a few tears fall from eyes. I took a deep breath and wiped my eyes. Reluctantly, I left my room with Winter walking by my side, I meet the others downstairs. Somberly, we departed for the funeral.
It was pouring down with rain as we watched Lucas's body be lowered into the ground. My face streamed with rain mixed with tears. I held Michael's hand as we watched our fallen brother be laid to rest. We couldn't have a big funeral because Bellatrix was more determined to obtain at least one of my brothers considering the most capable of us Black siblings is gone. The only people there were my brothers, Remus, Tonks, Andromeda, Ted, Fiona, Roseanna and I. Fiona held Roseanna as tears ran down her face. Fiona clutched Roseanna to her. Roseanna looked bewilderedly as the coffin was lowered into the ground. The twins stood shoulder to shoulder and they looked down at the ground, eye squeezed shut, not being able to watch as Lucas is laid to rest. Remus watched somberly with his arm around Tonks's waist as she let tears fall down her eyes. Uncle Ted had his hand resting on my shoulder, his other arm around Andromeda.
The evening after was solemn. Remus and Tonks had to go and help the Order arrange for Harry's removal from the Dursleys. Fiona was with Roseanna in her room. My brothers and I sat around the kitchen island, each of us holding our own bottle of firewhisky. Winter lay by my feet. None of us spoke for a while. I was the one who eventually broke the silence.
"He wouldn't want this." I muttered.
My brothers looked at me.
"Lucas. . . he wouldn't of wanted this. Wallowing in self pity." I said as I took another gulp from my half empty bottle of firewhisky.
Michael smiled without humour.
"He'd snatch the bottles out of our hands and throw them out the window." Michael said.
We all chuckled a little.
"Do you remember when Lucas stopped us going into Knockturn Alley a few years ago? I've never understood how he managed to drag Fred, George, me and you away from Knockturn Alley." Jason said with a sad chuckle.
Jacob joined him in his small sad chuckle.
"Remember when he'd had enough of us always pranking Mikey so he pranked us back for him? Glued our asses to some chairs and left us in a locked classroom. We were stuck in there for hours. McGonagall was the one to find us." Jacob said and we all joined in on the laughter.
"He was the one to help me with my first prank at Hogwarts. Remeber at the welcome feast? It was my idea but Lucas did the magic behind it. He told me not to tell anyone he helped, he enjoyed watching you knuckle heads try and figure it out." I admitted with a laugh.
Michael burst out laughing at the gobsmacked looks on the twins faces.
"That's how you did it?" They exclaimed.
We all laughed hysterically as we recounted some of our fondess memories.
"I remember when I was struggling to learn how to read. Lucas stayed up with my all night helping my read the whole book. The teachers were so confused at how advanced I became. Classic Lucas. Always there. No matter what it was he was just always there." Michael said and we all took more large gulps of firewhisky.
"I miss him." I said with a shakey voice.
"Me too." Michael mumbled.
We all then drained the last if out bottles.
The twins then got up to get us all another bottle.