SIXTY SIX

RORY WISHED FRED'S AUNT Muriel's soul was as nice as her house. And her house was quite beautiful. Rory thought if she was going to have to go into hiding, it wasn't a bad place to do it.

Yes, hiding. It started one early April afternoon. What appeared to be another day, eating the twins leftover birthday cake from their exclusive party (just the small staff of the shop was in attendance), turned into being sent a Patronus from Arthur that they needed to get to the Burrow immediately with as much of their belongs as they could carry and then being shuttled to Aunt Muriel's home with the help of Bill.

A crazy day, to say the least. However it wasn't quite over.

When they all had arrived at Muriel's, that's when they finally learned what had happened. Ron, who had gone back to Harry and Hermione not too long prior, had been taken by a group of Snatchers (along with the two others). This caused the Weasley family to go into hiding. Luckily Ginny, who had returned from school for Easter, was able to join them and no longer was forced to endure the terror of Hogwarts.

Andrew, Cory, and Emily came too. Bill decided it would be a good idea with Andrew being so... well known for his opinions and their closeness to Rory and the Weasleys. On top of that, Death Eaters knew of their location already so hiding away was the best bet for their safety (since it was known You-Know-Who wasn't impartial to babies).

Muriel had more than enough room, although she wasn't a fan of an infant living in her home. She wasn't a fan of a lot of things. Especially Rory and especially her relationship with Fred.

But Rory felt safer, which was definitely more important.

The first night at Muriel's was going peacefully. The anxiety and energy from earlier in the day died down and they were settled in, sitting by the fire. Ginny was sitting on the floor as Fred braided her hair. Rory was talking to her parents as Cordelia held a sleeping Emily in her arms.

They were discussing the state of the Quidditch league and how different it was going to be after the war. Cordelia was optimistic (no surprise there) that it wouldn't take long to rebuild.

"Once this is all over, people will be itching to do something fun! What better fun is there than Quidditch? Not to mention the sport itself employs thousands of people. The second they can get back to work, they'll want to go in full force. At least I will." The blonde woman beamed.

Andrew shrugged, "Don't you think people will be scared? Hesitant?"

Cory waved a limp hand in front of her, "Doubtful. Sure maybe a month or so after it all ends, it'll be a bit strange but after that initial shock... the hunger in everyone for some sort of distraction will awaken and it'll be more popular than ever!"

"I know I'll be front seat at a match if we ever see the day," Rory sighed. A thought tugged at the back of her mind telling her what if they win, what if things never go back to how they were. However, she pushed it aside as quick as it came.

Just then, there was a knock on the door causing everyone to freeze. Arthur stood up, being the secret keeper for the home, he was the protector for all of them.

He went to the front door which wasn't visible to anyone in the sitting room. Rory held her breath as the muffled — yet distinct — voice of Remus Lupin filled the quiet house. Why would Lupin need to be there? Was he staying with them as well? He couldn't though, it wouldn't make sense. After a few brief moments of hearing Arthur and Remus' mumbling from the foyer, the two men walked into the sitting room. Everyone looked around, worried by their solemn faces.

Remus' gaze danced around the room then landed on Cordelia... Andrew... and Rory.

"I need a word, with the three of you. We can go into the dinning room if that's alright Muriel?" Remus said softly.

Molly stood up, "We'll all be fine in the dinning room, you lot can stay. I'll take Emily." Muriel shrugged in response and the Weasley family left them alone. Rory exchanged a worried glance with Fred as he left. A million possibilities rushed to her head. However only one she knew was plausible.

She had felt it, days prior she had felt something inside her change. She assumed it was just general war-induced-anxiety but with Remus in front of her, sitting in an arm chair across from her family, she knew what it was.

"I just got back from Shell Cottage, Bill sent me a message not too long ago, told me it was urgent. Ron and the lot are alright. They came to Bill and Fleur, along with a few others who'd been taken. Luna Lovegood, Ollivander, Dean Thomas —" Remus paused and looked up at them. Rory felt a strange, sinking feeling in her stomach.

Remus continued, "They were held at Malfoy Manor. The one's who'd been there for a bit, they said Aaron was there with them too."

Was.

"Remus just say it already," Rory spat, "Please just fucking say it."

Then man nodded, "About a week ago, they brought him up for another round of questioning. He'd been there for months, Ollivander said. They had all gotten their fair bit of pain, but none like Aaron. He fought as hard as he could until the very end —"

There it was. The small golden piece of string holding up all her hopes and optimism her entire life, had snapped. She didn't have time to register the screams escaping her lips, the shaky sobs. The tears blurred her vision, but she could still see as Andrew stood up abruptly and left the room, slamming shut the door to his bedroom.

Rory looked around, her vision becoming clearer as her tears fell. She stood up, her body now more in control than her mind, but Remus stopped her from following her father.

Cordelia shook her head, "Don't, Rory. He isn't... he likes to be left alone when he's upset."

"Left alone?" Rory furrowed her brows, "His son is dead!"

"I'll go speak to him," Remus said in almost a whisper, leading Rory's body back to the couch. She collapsed into Cordelia's arms, sobbing as Remus went to talk to Andrew. The woman held Rory close, crying harshly herself but putting Rory's comfort first. It was the closest thing she had ever felt to a mother's love. Because it was a mother's love.

Rory knew that no matter how hard she cried, Aaron wasn't coming back. He was gone. Her younger brother was gone and there was no chance she'd ever see him again. They didn't even have his body, they didn't know who killed him, there was absolutely nothing of him but memories.

Memories of nights spent huddled next to the radio on full volume, accidentally falling asleep in Rory's bed. Memories of quickly wiping tears away when he comforted her after a fight with their mother so he would never see her as weak. Memories of teaching him the piano, hoping he would be just like her one day. Memories of giving him sweets in exchange for his approval. Memories of the comfort he brought her, always random but always necessary. Memories of watching him grow into a bright and intelligent boy, finding himself and expressing himself despite what anyone else said.

Aaron was a part of Rory. A part of her that represented all the innocence she had left. All the innocence left in the world. He was so good and so pure. Without him, the world was a darker, dirtier place. Corrupt. Evil.

What kind of good world let souls as sweet and pure as honey like Aaron die while the darkest, most vial souls get to live? Perhaps Aaron was too good for the world.

Remus came out of Andrew and Cordelia's room, softly shutting the door behind him. He looked at Rory and walked over to her. She stood up and threw her arms around him. He wasn't expecting it and stumbled a bit, but caught himself and hugged her back. Remus had been like a father to her when she had none. He was someone who always encouraged her to be her best self. They matched on an intellectual level as well. He understood her, truly. She wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be the bearer of bad news.

"Thank you," she said softly into his wool jacket which was now wet from her tears. He nodded in response, but she knew what he meant. She pulled away and dried her face with the edge of her sleeves, but what was the point? She was just going to keep crying.

"I've got to get going soon," Remus said softly, "go talk to your father, dear. You're very strong, remember it."

She nodded and gave him another hug before slowly walking to Andrew's room. She didn't knock, it didn't seem right. She just opened the door. Andrew's back was facing her. He was sitting on the bed, looking at the bare lavender wall in front of him.

"Dad," she said softly. She sat next to him on the bed and looked at his face. It was completely emotionless, but there was anger in his eyes.

"This is my fault," he said, not moving his brown eyes from the wall before him, "I killed my son. He's dead because of me."

"Dad... Dad you know that isn't true."

He looked at her sharply, "It is. You bloody told me so! You warned me and I didn't listen to you... and look, I was reckless and selfish and stupid and I killed my son. I'm the reason Aaron is dead."

Rory stayed quiet. He was right in the sense that she had warned him about watching what he said, but she knew other factors contributed to Aaron's death. It could have happened any other way, it just didn't.

"For twelve years," Andrew went on, "I suffered, waiting for a fucking glimmer of hope. Waiting for my children back. And then finally... I should have known it was all too good to be true. My kids back, the perfect wife, a daughter I can actually see grow up... and I fucked it all up. There isn't anybody to blame but me. If I didn't write that article, they would have never taken him."

"You don't know that —"

He turned back to the wall and shook his head, "You know it's true."

She watched as his eyes began to soften and suddenly fill with tears. She watched as his floodgates opened and he completely broke down in front of his daughter. Andrew cried harder than Rory had ever seen any man — or any person cry, for that matter. She wrapped an arm around him tightly and he collapsed in her arms. She cried with him.

The father and daughter shared many things. The same appearance, the same humor, the same music, the same interests, the same fierce nature, but in that moment all they shared was grief.

Never in her life had she seen him cry. She could only assume he had cried as hard as he was on rare occasions. The death of his father when he was a teenager, the separation from his children, and the death of his mother. But maybe sometimes, in those twelve years, he looked up at the ceiling and cried without any sort of provocation.

She wasn't sure how long they cried together, but eventually, he slowed down his loud and aggressive sobs, and looked up at her.

"How am I going to forgive myself, Rory?" He asked in a shaky voice.

"You aren't alone this time, Dad. You have so many people around you who know it isn't your fault. Please, you can't let this... put you back in that dark place again. Not now that Emily is here," she said. "You can't blame yourself."

He shook his head, "How can I be a good father for her? How can I possibly be any good at raising a child? I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm reckless... and-and I'm just going to fuck things up. Get kicked out again or lose Emily or Cory or you."

"You won't. I promise you won't. Dad, those five years you raised me... without them I would be so lost. I wouldn't be so strong if it weren't for you. You are a great father. We just happen to be in the middle of a war right now. That doesn't take away from anything you've done for me and Aaron. When you came back into his life, he become a new person almost. A new person who had nothing but love in his heart. He loved so many people and so many people loved him... nobody is going to forget him. You're going to be the best father for Emily."

"It's going to be a while before I'm ever going to be alright with myself. But I can't let Emily take the fall for it. My kids need to stop paying for my mistakes," he said, with just the softest of jokiness. "We have to win this war, Rory. I have to win this war for my son. I need to make the world the place he saw it as. Bright and safe."

Rory began crying again, "He really was a walking sunbeam. There wasn't a bad bone in his entire body. This fucking sucks. He was sixteen. When I was sixteen, my biggest concern was what to wear to Hogsmeade on my first date with Cedric Diggory. He was too young. Sixteen is far too young. He should have been concerned with what type of sweets to get at Honeydukes and cheating off someone's Potions essay... not locked in some dungeon and used as a toy for..."

"If I ever find out who did this to him, who pointed their wand at my sixteen year old son and took the light from his eyes, I'm going to fucking kill them," Andrew said. She knew he was serious.

"D'you want me to get Cory?"

He took a heavy breath, "I don't want her to see me like this."

"She's the only person who's going to make you smile, even just a little," Rory said.

He nodded, "Yeah, you're right. I love you, Rory."

"I love you too, Dad," she said, getting up. She left the room and noticed all the Weasley's had returned to the living room and Remus had left. Molly was speaking to Cordelia, but aside from that everyone was fairly silent. Cordelia stood up when she saw Rory and without speaking, nearly ran into Andrew's room. Rory just stood there as the family looked at her with the look of condolence, one she hated. Except George and Fred. They weren't looking at her in any sort of special way. It was nice. Ginny wasn't looking at Rory at all, she was looking at the ground, tears softly sitting on her freckled cheeks.

No one said anything, not even Rory. Fred stood up after a few short moments and hugged her. She took it in, accepting the comfort. There was no speaking needed, his touch made her feel just the slightest bit alright, even if it was short lived.

A/N:

aaron reminds me sm of my little sister who's currently sixteen :-( i really cried while writing this it hurt

and pls i know this is sad but refrain from leaving death threats to me or yourself thanks