I'm sorry I couldn't get to you -- December 2018

I walked with Molly and George, Molly looked like she needed to fix things. It is just who molly is. She lives on helping people and she and Arthur just lost a son. Arthur hasn't said much of anything other than nodding when he was spoken too. I took a look back as he was walking behind us slowly.

We had gotten to Shell Cottage where I could hear Dora tending to everything. She had to be hurting but she was getting this settled and whatnot. It sounded like someone was making tea or something. The go to drink. I looked around the room where everyone didn't know what to do with themselves. I sat by George, he needed all the strength I could give him. When Molly went into the kitchen, I peered over to Arthur who was sitting at the kitchen table by himself.

Naturally, Fred and I were near George and Lenni.  I could see how everyone just came in and sat, seemingly frozen.  No one was really speaking that much.  I took a deep breath and decided to speak.  "Has anyone heard from the kids still at Hogwarts -- Hermione, Seth, Lauryn, Charlie...?" I questioned.  Desi was Charlie's aunt, too.  I knew they would all want to be here as soon as possible... and I was getting a bit worried that they had not been here yet...

Rory Pettigrew wrote:For once, I wished I was blind like Constantine -- I did not enjoy seeing Mr. Weasley sobbing into Professor Weasley's shoulder.  I felt like I was intruding on something so personal, but I was not going to leave Stan here on his own.  I kept a hand on my mate's shoulder, feeling him shaking beneath it.  I squeezed it, hoping to be reassuring to him.

I let go of Aunt Hermione.  "We need to get Lauryn and Charlie there.  And we need to go," I said to her, trying to take a leaf out of my dad's book of being stronger than I felt.

I took a deep breath adn said, "You do need to go."  I kept getting flashes of everyone's pain.  I put my face in my hands.  "They need all the support they can get..."

Quinn Weasley wrote:THey were wanting me to leave them?  I moved and stood next to my Uncle Bill.  "I'll stay here with Uncle Bill for as long as possible," I said simply.  I did not -- could not -- leave my parents.

I did not want Quinn to stay, but there was no way I was going to force her to go.  I put my arm around her to help keep her warm and to hold what was left of my brother and sister.  I held her so tightly that I was sure that I would be crushing her by now.  I was so close to breaking when the St. Mungo's people got there.  I left Quinn for a moment and continued to speak with the officials about what had happened and what would need to be done. 

When they left with Charlie and Desi's bodies -- something that was so difficult for me to watch because Quinn did not want to let them go -- I steered my niece towards my own home.  I held her tightly, supporting her as we walked because it seemed like she was going to collapse on me.  Something I definitely did not want to happen.  We made it back to the house and I got Quinn into a chair.  I saw everyone there -- except for my kids and a couple other of the kids who were still at Hogwarts.  I took a deep breath and had no idea what to do.  I felt the panic of not having my best mate with me.  I felt my heart tighten because I lost a brother and sister today.  My mouth went dry and I felt my heart pounding in my chest.  My breaths were starting to come to me quickly.  I knew I needed to stay strong for everyone.  I did a quick run through to make sure everyone that was there was as okay as they could be before I walked out of the room again.  I stayed in our yard, though I wanted to go back to Charlie's... down that path... back to where they had taken him and Desi away... I wanted to find something of my brother's to have right now.

I ended up nearly collapsing onto the swing that was in our backyard, sitting in the pile of snow that had stayed there.  I buried my face in my hands and wept.  I hoped that no one would end up coming out -- I needed them all to think that I was handling this.

I watched Bill bring Quinn inside and she looked terrible.  With one quick round through the downstairs, Bill left again.  I figured he went into the kitchen to find Dora... but I heard the door to the backyard open and close.  I was not sure if anyone should go see him or not.  I looked over at Jada and said, "I know they know.  They'll be here as soon as they can leave, I'm sure."

Nymphadora Tonks wrote:I had been going from Sleepy Hollow to Shell cottage. I couldn't believe my brother in law and his wife were gone. My best friend and his wife. I had gotten a room ready for Quinn with things she may want to look at and things I wasn't sure she would want to look at. I found one of Charlie's old sweaters and I folded it up on the dresser. The kids were around the house doing what they needed or wanted to do. Tears clouding my vision as I was trying to act like myself. I walked into the kitchen to find Molly and Penny. To which my tears fell freely. I have not seen my husband yet to see how he was holding up. I knew he wouldn't let anyone see him hurting. It was as if on instinct, taking three strides to hug Molly and Penny as I let my tears fall.

We all held onto each other for... I did not know how long.  I finally pulled away and looked at Molly and Dora.  "I thought that I heard the other two finally come back," I said, wiping tears from my eyes.  "Dora... you ought to find Bill...  Molly and I can handle things for a little bit..."

I did not know waht to do.  I looked over at Quinn, but I barely recognized her.  I was leaning against the wall and I could not just stand there doing nothing.  I was not sure how the rest of them would be getting there, but I figured it would either be by Portkey or by Floo.  I went up to the front yard to keep watch for any sign of people arriving by Portkey.  It was something to do other than sit in that stifling quiet and sadness.

I looked at everyone and could see that no one knew what to do; I was right there with them.  I took a deep breath and stood up.  "I... I think we need to... get warm," I said, my voice so quiet I was not entirely sure if anyone heard me.  "And then... fill this silence... they wouldn't want this."  My voice caught at the end and tears filled my eyes again..

I nodded.  "Right... I will go to Gyrffindor Tower and get Lauryn and Charlie," I said to Aunt Hermione and he other two.  "You two should... well, get back to the Slytherin common room.  Try to rest... there's nothing else you can do right now."

My niece was right; Charlie was always the life of the party -- Merlin, it was rough thinking in past tense about my big brother.  Desi had fit in perfectly beside him.  They always kept each other calm and steady -- well, Charlie moreso than Desdemona.  I stood up and grabbed a blanket, draping it around Quinn.  "She's right you know," I said to the group, my voice thick with my sadness.  "Quinn... do you want to stay out here or be by yourself?"  I was not sure if this would be a good thing for her or not wiht the way that things had happened.

I walked in, after having been at Sleepy Hollow looking at the destruction, later than everyone else.  I had been there alone, sort of waiting to see if Seth would turn up.  I knew that he was at Hogwarts -- at least, I assumed he had still been there.  I walked in and saw everyone inside -- except those who were still in school.  I saw my cousin and embraced her tightly.  I could not believe that this had happened!

I held onto Rosalynn, grateful to have my eldest cousin -- well, one of them -- there with me.  I did nto even bother fighting back the tears.  "Go outside; your dad might need you more than me," I whispered into her ear.  She pulled away and nodded, leaving me.  I looked at Uncle George and answered him, "I would really rather be out here with everyone.  I don't think... I can't be by myself... I'll just see..." I started to break down.  They needed to keep me busy.  I did not want to see anything that had happened replay in my mind.

I did not want to leave my cousin, but she was right.  Dad was probably really hurting, too.  He was the one sending the Patronuses and whatnot.  I went out our backdoor and saw Dad sitting on the swing, almost like he was frozen.  The look I saw in his eyes... it scared me a little bit.  I went up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Daddy?" I asked hoarsely, wondering if he would prefer to be alone.

I came out into the living room and passed out some more tea.  Everyone needed to warm up.  And we needed to try to get everyone as comfortable as possible.  I was so numb from the fact that I lost my family, just like everyone else in the room.