Seven Day Lament (Drabble)
Title: Seven Day Lament
Rating: PG
Warning: Character death
Word Count: 499
Notes: Written for June 2010, Week 3 at dyno_drabbles. The drabble was to be inspired by, "I can see the loneliness in you." I won Mod's Choice.
Seven Day Lament
Fred watched from the hallway.
On the first day, he watched her hair become frizzier, as she was constantly pulling the ends and running her worried hands through it. He knew she’d regret it later.
On the second day, she turned to her left, grabbed a rubbish bin, threw up, set it back down and resumed her vacant staring, as if her vomiting had never happened.
On the third day, he watched as her eyes suck into her too-thin face, her cheeks hollowed out and her lips thinned. She slumped further down into the chair she refused to vacate and she looked so small. His heart was breaking with hers.
On the fourth day, he watched as Ginny came in with soup and his mum to gently scold her about joining them for supper.
On the fifth day, Fred observed the way her she could easily ignore the sympathetic looks and kindly words Harry and Ron had for her. Fred wondered if she even heard them.
On the sixth day, he waited for her reaction when George came in the room. Fred saw her flinch slightly when he made a lame crack about his missing ear, a last-ditch effort to make her smile, but George didn’t see it. Moments later, George left, his own grief threatening to overwhelm him. Fred watched him go and sighed sadly, wishing he could do more.
On the seventh day, she doubled over and a sob tore from her chapped lips, wrecked and heartbroken. It came from deep within her belly and up through her parted lips, keening against her knees and hoarse from her lack of speaking. Pain seeped out through her tears and soaked the floor at her feet. He watched her body heave and noted the outline of her spine was prominent through her thin and unwashed shirt. She cried and screamed and begged, crushed and full of despair.
It may have only been minutes, but to Fred’s shattered heart, her lament lasted a lifetime.
And at last, when her sobs were finally reduced to a whimpered moan, Fred swiped at his own tears and stepped inside. He crossed the room quickly and gently placed his hand across the small of her back, rubbing soothing circles into her skin. She stiffened.
“I’m sorry, Hermione,” Fred choked out, his tears falling freely again. “I’m so very sorry. I love you.”
*****
Hermione went downstairs later that day, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, though a vast improvement from before. She heard the collective sighs of the family and felt the overwhelming tension flitter out the open windows. When she was seated at the table, eating small bites of Mrs. Weasley’s kidney pie and holding George’s hand in comfort, Hermione looked toward the fireplace and could almost see the green flames.
Fred - poised, invisible and ready to finally move on - smiled over his shoulder and blew her a kiss. Hermione didn’t see him leave, but felt him go.
“I love you, too,” she murmured.
Rating: PG
Warning: Character death
Word Count: 499
Notes: Written for June 2010, Week 3 at dyno_drabbles. The drabble was to be inspired by, "I can see the loneliness in you." I won Mod's Choice.
Seven Day Lament
Fred watched from the hallway.
On the first day, he watched her hair become frizzier, as she was constantly pulling the ends and running her worried hands through it. He knew she’d regret it later.
On the second day, she turned to her left, grabbed a rubbish bin, threw up, set it back down and resumed her vacant staring, as if her vomiting had never happened.
On the third day, he watched as her eyes suck into her too-thin face, her cheeks hollowed out and her lips thinned. She slumped further down into the chair she refused to vacate and she looked so small. His heart was breaking with hers.
On the fourth day, he watched as Ginny came in with soup and his mum to gently scold her about joining them for supper.
On the fifth day, Fred observed the way her she could easily ignore the sympathetic looks and kindly words Harry and Ron had for her. Fred wondered if she even heard them.
On the sixth day, he waited for her reaction when George came in the room. Fred saw her flinch slightly when he made a lame crack about his missing ear, a last-ditch effort to make her smile, but George didn’t see it. Moments later, George left, his own grief threatening to overwhelm him. Fred watched him go and sighed sadly, wishing he could do more.
On the seventh day, she doubled over and a sob tore from her chapped lips, wrecked and heartbroken. It came from deep within her belly and up through her parted lips, keening against her knees and hoarse from her lack of speaking. Pain seeped out through her tears and soaked the floor at her feet. He watched her body heave and noted the outline of her spine was prominent through her thin and unwashed shirt. She cried and screamed and begged, crushed and full of despair.
It may have only been minutes, but to Fred’s shattered heart, her lament lasted a lifetime.
And at last, when her sobs were finally reduced to a whimpered moan, Fred swiped at his own tears and stepped inside. He crossed the room quickly and gently placed his hand across the small of her back, rubbing soothing circles into her skin. She stiffened.
“I’m sorry, Hermione,” Fred choked out, his tears falling freely again. “I’m so very sorry. I love you.”
*****
Hermione went downstairs later that day, her eyes bloodshot and puffy, though a vast improvement from before. She heard the collective sighs of the family and felt the overwhelming tension flitter out the open windows. When she was seated at the table, eating small bites of Mrs. Weasley’s kidney pie and holding George’s hand in comfort, Hermione looked toward the fireplace and could almost see the green flames.
Fred - poised, invisible and ready to finally move on - smiled over his shoulder and blew her a kiss. Hermione didn’t see him leave, but felt him go.
“I love you, too,” she murmured.