Challenge #98: The Day After
Title: Ridikkulus
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Andromeda Tonks
Summary: Andromeda receives the message of her family's death.
Challenge: #98 The Day After
Word Count: 760
Registered purchases?: Both.
The letter fell down to the floor. Andromeda Tonks closed her eyes, just to open them again, just to feel how tears started to stream down her face. She seemed unable to realize what had happened. Unable to believe what the letter had told her. No. No, this was not true, this could impossibly be true! They must’ve been mistaken, it must’ve been a mistake, just a mistake…
It’s not, Andromeda, a voice told her in her head, loudly, almost shouting at her, They’re dead. It’s not been a mistake.
Dead. Dead, they were all dead… Dora, Ted, Remus… Dead! No… No!
Slowly she sank down on her knees, he entire body trembling. She’d not wanted to let them go, had begged them to stay, especially Dora, especially her daughter... But they’d not listened to her. Had smiled at her, had promised her to come back, promised her they’d be alright, had not wanted her to come with them…
She started to scream, screamed as loud as she could, rose, just to fall down to the floor again, crying, sobbing, covering her face with her hands…
“Why?” she whispered, over and over again, almost hysterically gasping for breath. Why them, why her family? Hadn’t it already been enough for her to lose her sisters, many years ago, hadn’t it been enough already to be forced to choose? To choose between love and family?
This could not be true… No… This could impossibly be true, she was dreaming, only dreaming… It’d be just one of her nightmares, she’d wake up again, would wake up to find everything alright, to find her husband lying next to her in their bed, embracing her, comforting her…
“Let me wake up… God… Please… Let me wake up again!”
Again she gasped for breath, carved her fingernails deeply into her skin until she felt blood billow from her wound, closing her eyes, opening them again only a second later… But she’d not wake up.
Andromeda could hear the baby’s cries from upstairs, quickly rose, heading for the staircase, dizzy, so incredibly dizzy… The baby. Her grandson. He’d never know his parents, he’d never know his grandfather…
Carefully she took the child into her arms, cradling him, looking at him, whispering to him, forcing herself to remain calm, forcing herself to smile until he fell asleep only a few minutes later. He was beautiful, so beautiful, so pure… Wouldn’t know anything about his parent’s fate, about what had happened only a day before. About the pain that seemed to flood her, to drown her, how much blood had been shed, about how many people had died, fighting, fighting for the good. No. No, he’d not know anything…
Gently she placed a kiss on his tiny forehead, laying him back down in his bed before she turned around, before she left the room, her face wet with tears. She’d have to go on, for her grandson’s sake. Would have to go on, to always go on, not looking back, not falling into despair. Had to be strong, strong enough to rise him, to give him anything she was able to give, always smiling, even if she were dying inside.
Again, she wanted to scream, to sob, wanted to toss objects across the room, wanted to watch them break into a thousand pieces… But she’d remain calm. Wouldn’t want to wake the baby again.
Slowly, heavily breathing, she headed for her bedroom. Closed the door behind her back, quickly turning the key in the lock, even if she knew that no one would be able to enter anymore.
She’d lost everything. Had lost everything within only a few hours, had lost any hold, any…
Andromeda sighed when she heard the noises from the attic. She’d gotten used to it over the years, had gotten used of the noises, probably caused by a boggart, had almost forgotten about them…
Boggart. Was it just a phantasm? Was all this just a phantasm, just an illusion? She’d had to kill a boggart only a few days ago, had been forced to experience all this, had been forced to… Quickly she withdrew her wand, pointing it against the door. It’d be her last chance, her last chance to…
“Ridikkulus!” she screamed, as loud as she could, but nothing would happen. For only a second she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying to keep her thoughts in order, trying to think of something funny, something…
“Ridikkulus!” she shouted again, over and over again… “Ridikkulus!”
Nothing.
Her wand fell down to the floor.
Avi//Hufflepuff
760/30 = 25,3 = 25+10 = 35 points for Hufflepuff!
Rating/Warnings: PG
Characters/Pairing: Andromeda Tonks
Summary: Andromeda receives the message of her family's death.
Challenge: #98 The Day After
Word Count: 760
Registered purchases?: Both.
The letter fell down to the floor. Andromeda Tonks closed her eyes, just to open them again, just to feel how tears started to stream down her face. She seemed unable to realize what had happened. Unable to believe what the letter had told her. No. No, this was not true, this could impossibly be true! They must’ve been mistaken, it must’ve been a mistake, just a mistake…
It’s not, Andromeda, a voice told her in her head, loudly, almost shouting at her, They’re dead. It’s not been a mistake.
Dead. Dead, they were all dead… Dora, Ted, Remus… Dead! No… No!
Slowly she sank down on her knees, he entire body trembling. She’d not wanted to let them go, had begged them to stay, especially Dora, especially her daughter... But they’d not listened to her. Had smiled at her, had promised her to come back, promised her they’d be alright, had not wanted her to come with them…
She started to scream, screamed as loud as she could, rose, just to fall down to the floor again, crying, sobbing, covering her face with her hands…
“Why?” she whispered, over and over again, almost hysterically gasping for breath. Why them, why her family? Hadn’t it already been enough for her to lose her sisters, many years ago, hadn’t it been enough already to be forced to choose? To choose between love and family?
This could not be true… No… This could impossibly be true, she was dreaming, only dreaming… It’d be just one of her nightmares, she’d wake up again, would wake up to find everything alright, to find her husband lying next to her in their bed, embracing her, comforting her…
“Let me wake up… God… Please… Let me wake up again!”
Again she gasped for breath, carved her fingernails deeply into her skin until she felt blood billow from her wound, closing her eyes, opening them again only a second later… But she’d not wake up.
Andromeda could hear the baby’s cries from upstairs, quickly rose, heading for the staircase, dizzy, so incredibly dizzy… The baby. Her grandson. He’d never know his parents, he’d never know his grandfather…
Carefully she took the child into her arms, cradling him, looking at him, whispering to him, forcing herself to remain calm, forcing herself to smile until he fell asleep only a few minutes later. He was beautiful, so beautiful, so pure… Wouldn’t know anything about his parent’s fate, about what had happened only a day before. About the pain that seemed to flood her, to drown her, how much blood had been shed, about how many people had died, fighting, fighting for the good. No. No, he’d not know anything…
Gently she placed a kiss on his tiny forehead, laying him back down in his bed before she turned around, before she left the room, her face wet with tears. She’d have to go on, for her grandson’s sake. Would have to go on, to always go on, not looking back, not falling into despair. Had to be strong, strong enough to rise him, to give him anything she was able to give, always smiling, even if she were dying inside.
Again, she wanted to scream, to sob, wanted to toss objects across the room, wanted to watch them break into a thousand pieces… But she’d remain calm. Wouldn’t want to wake the baby again.
Slowly, heavily breathing, she headed for her bedroom. Closed the door behind her back, quickly turning the key in the lock, even if she knew that no one would be able to enter anymore.
She’d lost everything. Had lost everything within only a few hours, had lost any hold, any…
Andromeda sighed when she heard the noises from the attic. She’d gotten used to it over the years, had gotten used of the noises, probably caused by a boggart, had almost forgotten about them…
Boggart. Was it just a phantasm? Was all this just a phantasm, just an illusion? She’d had to kill a boggart only a few days ago, had been forced to experience all this, had been forced to… Quickly she withdrew her wand, pointing it against the door. It’d be her last chance, her last chance to…
“Ridikkulus!” she screamed, as loud as she could, but nothing would happen. For only a second she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, trying to keep her thoughts in order, trying to think of something funny, something…
“Ridikkulus!” she shouted again, over and over again… “Ridikkulus!”
Nothing.
Her wand fell down to the floor.
Avi//Hufflepuff
760/30 = 25,3 = 25+10 = 35 points for Hufflepuff!