Never. We never lose our loved ones. They accompany us; they don't disappear from our lives. We are merely in different rooms -- December 2018

I looked over at Parker. "Because he knew better than to pull something like that with me," I pointed out to Parker, shaking my head at him.  Really, it was because Bill flipped out on him in addition to our mother.

I should not have been surprised when I felt arms around me:  Noah had sat down and pulled me close to him.  I rested my head on his shoulder as I listened, smiling slightly at how upset Parker was that he did not get a pet dragon.  "Parker... don't you think I should be the upset one here?  I mean, I never got my own pet dragon, either," I added, trying to keep things light.  But I could not even say their names... I could not bring myself to even mention them and something they did not do. BEcause they truly did everythign for me.

I sighed, wanting to get off of the upset aspect.  "All of us younger kids got screwed out of things," I added shaking my head.

I laughed and looked at my cousins.  "Well, I'm the oldest and the best... so I got everything," I said to them.  "But yeah... Dad was none too pleased, that's for sure."  I remembered Dad having the row with Uncle Charlie... I had hardly ever heard them yell at each other before.

I walked into the living room while they were all talking about the dragon escapade.  I sighed.  "You're right I was none too pleased," I said, startling everyone.  I had been extremely quiet all day.  "I never thought I could ever get that angry with Charlie... Desi had to step between us as to keep us under control."

I chuckled.  "You're not the best, Seth," I pointed out to him.  When Dad spoke, I looked at him and could see the pain in his eyes even though he was trying to help us all laugh and celebrate their lives rather than be sad they were gone.  "I remember that!  She was so short between you two, too... it was really funny."

I smiled slightly before taking a sip of tea.  "I wish we all could have seen this," I said.  "It sounds great."

"Well, it was best that it got figured out," I said simply.  "No one should have a dragon as a pet."  Though I knew that Charlie loved trying to get people to believe otherwise.  He reminded me a lot of Hagrid, with whom Charlie opened the reservation with.

I sighed and shook my head, pushing hair out of my face.  "Yeah, but according to Uncle Charlie and Hagrid, dragons are just misunderstood creatures," I teased, smiling slightly at the thought of them trying to convince the world dragons were safe and perfect little critters.  Aunt Desi probably had to clean up Uncle Charlie more than the animals she was there to tend to.

"Isn't that the motto of their reservation?" I teased, glad we were at least trying to be happy about things and remember them for the smiles rather than what had happened.

"It was for Hagrid and Dad," I said, finally piping up with some words.  "Mum didn't let it be the official one, though..."

I smirked at them slightly.  "But that was what they told everyone... I don't even know what the real mission statement was... does anyone else?" I asked.

I thought about that for a moment as did everyone else.  When the kids all looked at each other and started to chuckle slightly -- as much as their sadness would allow them -- it helped to fill the hole that I felt like I had in my chest.

We all started to chuckle a little bit and then the laughter grew louder.  It was as if we all just needed to laugh instead of cry, though the tears came when we all got a bit carried away.  "That sounds about right," I said once we all got under control.

I stayed by Parker with all of this.  I knew he needed me.  I saw Mrs. Weasley coming and we all kind of glanced around.  She had been tearing into Uncle Bill a lot.  Snapping at him.  We all noticed, but no one said anything.  I heard Penny and Percy talking about it while I had been there helping Parker through everything.  Uncle Bill just let her do it, too.  No one had any cue as to why, though.