The news
she was only sitting at one of the picnic tables outside it was a nice day
it was supposed to be a nice day, it was before she got the letter they letter saying her parents are dead
they had died in one of the death eater raids for the potions her mother made they said as if they justified it as if that made it okay that her parents are dead and would never be coming back will never be there when she graduates Hogwarts never be able to hug her or kiss her on the cheek laugh with her tell her things only they know as if she hadn't just become the owner of her mothers potion shop as if she could run it properly as if that it it okay and maybe it is it would be better for her to join them to leave the world the same they way they did to just slit her wrists and be done with it there's going to be a war she'll properly die in it anyways and-
She can't breathe, her face is warm and tears are running down her face messing up the ink on the letter and
She Can't Breathe
She needs her brother
She needs her brother
Shes standing and running to the Slytherin dorms Before she realizes it she can hear her breath see it too it's always cold this time of year she had only stayed at the castle because Regulus had and that makes her cry harder because she would've been their she would've been dead along with her parents and Regulus would've had no idea
She shouldn't been running like this but she just wants her brother her amazing sweet brother who her parents treated as their own who had prepared a room for him in the house her brother who doesn't know Their parents are dead
she can see the dorm room door
she just barely stops before she slams into the door pounds on it until one of the other kids a older one who had stayed for Yule opens the door She pushes in before he can stop her, looks around the room until her eyes land on Regulus
Regulus in the Pajamas her parents had gotten him last yule with her hair tied up with the ribbon she had gotten him as a joke sometime around the beginning of the year
Regulus her brother and she breaks the last thing holding her from breaking is gone and she sobs her knees give out on her she can barely feel the impact of her knees hitting the ground because Regulus has rushed down the stairs and is holding her asking what's wrong and if he needs to use the things his parents have taught him to kill someone for her holding her and she's sobbing into her brother's shoulder
grabbing onto his shirt as if he's her lifeline because at this point he is
She doesn't know what to do but...
but it can get better if only a little because her parents may not be here but her brother is and Regulus for all that he has always has a plan for anything, can always make one on the spot so she lets herself drift can feel herself get picked up by her brother and placed on the couch can feel a blanket draped over her as she lays on the couch
and she smiles because through her blurry tear-filled eyes she can see Regulus get another blanket and lay against the sofa shes on wand in hand book in lap as if he'll curse anyone who gets near
and she lets a small smile onto her face because as long as she has her brother she'll be safe and she'll be okay