To say that Andrew was a mess after the holidays was an understatement.
Oliver offered his friend the Campbell household until the holidays were over, but Andrew couldn't deal with his house, now filled with pain and trauma, just being down the street. So he wrote to the Hamiltons and headed over there immediately.
For the rest of the break, Oliver thought about what he saw inside Andrew's house that Christmas night. The images of the house in shambles, Sarah's body covered up, Andrew's crying and screams circled in Oliver's mind, making it difficult to sleep at night.
When he got back to Hogwarts, he was surprised that Andrew even decided to come back. However, he insisted on finishing the year, which the rest of his friends were not sure if that was a good idea, especially with the state he was in. Nevertheless, the others decided to support his choice and help him out in any way that they could.
As the days went by, Andrew dragged on with his classes. By the end of January, Andrew was still grieving, engulfing himself with books from the library, purposefully isolating himself from his best friends. Eliza suspected the "research" he started with ever since Quidditch tryouts was the only thing that kept his mind filled with anything but his family on that fateful Christmas night.
Oliver hated to see him this way, but he knew it would take some time to move on and get things back to normal. Then again, nothing for Andrew will ever be normal again.
It was on a cold afternoon in February when Eliza called for a meeting without Andrew. He was too busy having a chat with McGonagall (she had been keeping a closer eye on the Gryffindor boy ever since he got back), which was the perfect time to talk about what to do next to help their friend.
"I'm really starting to worry about him," Eliza admitted. "I mean, I know it's been a rough time for him and all, but we've tried talking to him."
"He just needs more time," Jacob said. "He lost his family. They were murdered."
"Yes, I am aware of that, Jacob, thank you," Eliza retorted. "I just miss the Andrew we all know and love before this happened to him."
"We all do," Violet said.
Oliver nodded in agreement. He wished this never happened. Death was something Oliver was familiar with. When his sister died, it really took a toll on Oliver and his parents. He understood Andrew and his pain.
"You look like you've got something to say, Ollie," Jacob spoke up.
Oliver sighed. "What if I talked to him?" he questioned.
"But we've all tried, like Liza said," Jacob pointed out.
"I know, but I mean, I know what it's like, losing a family member. Well, at least I know what it's like losing a sister." He paused. "Look, we can't just let him be alone any longer. Besides, I was there that night. He was broken. I should've done it sooner."
The other three looked at each other, giving expressions of approval. "That's not a bad idea, really," Eliza said.
"Yeah, and he trusts you, too," Violet added.
Oliver nodded once again. He wanted to help his best friend, and maybe reaching out was the way to go. After all, Oliver was there at the crime scene. He witnessed Andrew at his worst, which meant Oliver needed to be the one to do this.
"Let's hope you can get through to him, mate," Jacob stated.
The Ravenclaw boy rubbed his forehead. "Yeah, I hope so, too."
*******
Oliver waited a few days before he said anything to Andrew. It became obvious that his friends were wondering when the Ravenclaw boy would finally talk to their best friend. What they didn't understand was that he needed to figure out how to approach the conversation with him. But the more Oliver thought about it, the more he realized that there was not any easy way to go about this.
So, after dinner one evening, Oliver managed to catch Andrew before he disappeared with the crowd of Gryffindors piling out of the Great Hall. "Can we talk?" he asked him.
Andrew shrugged. "About what?"
Oliver shot him a serious look. "You know what, Andy."
The Gryffindor boy resisted the urge to say something snarky, so he merely huffed a sigh in defeat. "Fine." He followed Oliver away from the students and to a quiet spot in the corridor. "So, what is it?"
"I just wanted to check on you," Oliver replied.
"Well, you already know how I'm doing, so what's the point in asking?" he retorted.
"Because we're all worried about you, that's why," Oliver answered. "Just talk to me, mate."
Andrew leaned back against the wall, clenching his fists. "I'm angry. I think about that night and the flashbacks of what happened just occur over and over again and it makes me angry. I was the only one there with the most knowledge about magic and I couldn't save any of them. Those Death Eaters invaded my home, murdered my family, and I still get to live?" Andrew slid down the wall and sat there, his knees up to his chest. "It's not fair, Oliver, and it never will be."
Oliver gave his friend a sad look and sat down next to him. He was silent for a moment, then sighed. "You know, I blame myself for Fiona's death. Although, I can never really explain it, since I don't know what exactly happened to her, but I feel like I had something to do with it, like it was my magic that caused her death."
A weight was lifted off of Oliver's chest. He hardly talked about Fiona. It was only in his thoughts when he wondered what she would've been like now. He imagined that if she was a witch, then she would've excelled at Hogwarts, pushing to be great at her classes and even Quidditch, if she chose to play the sport (and maybe she would have given Jacob and Andrew and run for their money). He saw her in Ravenclaw with him, having study sessions and figuring out the riddle each time they went to the Ravenclaw Tower. Oliver felt robbed of his time with Fiona, so he was angry, too.
"Does it ever go away?" Andrew asked. "The pain? The anger? Any of it?"
Oliver scoffed, even letting out a small chuckle. "If only it was that easy." He paused. "But we all have to deal with it. I know it's tough and it always will be, but you're strong, Andy. You've always been strong. We all want you to push through this, and we know you can." Oliver took a deep breath. "Sarah would want you to be strong. She'll be with you, always, just like Fiona is always with me."
Andrew began to tear up, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "Yeah, she would want me to be strong." He sighed. "I miss her so much. I mean, I miss the rest of my family, too, but Sarah and I...we understood each other, you know? With Hogwarts and magic and all."
Oliver nodded. "I get it." He placed a hand on Andrew's shoulder. "You'll get through this, mate, and we're all here for you."
The Gryffindor stared at his best friend and eventually nodded. "You're right. I'm sorry that--"
"No, don't apologize for grieving," Oliver stopped him.
Andrew let a small smile creep up on his face. "Okay." The two stood up and brushed their robes from the dust and dirt that was on the cold floor. Andrew sighed. "I'm really glad we had this talk. Thanks for listening, Ollie."
Oliver gave him a weak smile. "Me, too, and you know I'm always here for you."
He nodded. "So I'll see you tomorrow, then," he said.
"Tomorrow."
With that, the boys parted ways, feeling a sense of relief that Andrew was on his way to healing. Oliver knew that everyone else would be pleased to hear that was the case.
When he got back to his dorm, he got in his pajamas and tucked himself into bed. He was staring up at the ceiling, thinking about him in another life where Fiona was thriving by his side.
He cried himself to sleep that night with the image of his sister etched in his mind.
A/N: Well, this chapter was bittersweet.
This chapter was supposed to go in another direction, but as I got writing, I knew I had to include Andrew's grief. So I think I'll write my original idea for this chapter in the next chapter.
Sorry if you think the way I wrote his grieving in an inaccurate way, but this is how I pictured it as I was writing it.
Song above is What Hurts the Most (Rascal Flatts' version). I thought the lyrics were fitting for both Oliver and Andrew.
Comment, vote, more soon!
-A