|
|
Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 1, 2009 0:16:07 GMT -5
Angelique was standing back quietly, and she put her hand on Riley's arm when Cara told her to leave. But then she faltered.
What was she to say? The body was unrecognizable? That he'd most likely been dead before he hit the ground? That Riley had nearly died in the fight as well? It all sounded so horrible and so insensitive. And there was something so empty and shallow about simply saying "I'm sorry for your loss."
There was nothing to say to make this better.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathieu Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 0:31:39 GMT -5
Mathieu felt cold all over, like ice had seeped into his veins and bones.
"Goodbye," he whispered numbly.
He was shaking slightly and he could only stare at Riley. Roland had loved her. Or had it been a lie? Just something he'd said to make them feel better? To give them some kind of joy? To somehow make his death acceptable to them? As if that were possible.
"Is it certain? Is there a chance he could have escaped?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 0:39:19 GMT -5
Riley shook her head numbly. "It's certain," she said, losing her will to do this with every second that passed. She supposed there was always a chance he had escaped, but the odds were against it. Blake would have checked. The explosion would have killed him. They found the body.
"I saw it happen, Mr. Ferrera. I don't think he could have escaped it. But he would died instantly. I know that doesn't help... but he never saw it coming. There was no pain."
She glanced at Angelique, a pleading in her eyes, but she didn't know what she was asking for. She swallowed, and whispered so only she could hear, "I need to sit. I can't..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 1, 2009 0:45:58 GMT -5
Angelique looked around frantically for a chair, and found a spare one, which she pulled up for Riley. The girl was nearing her breaking point, and she couldn't blame her.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ferrera, I wish I had something I could say to make this easier, but it never will be. Riley was there... the explosion was too big and she was too far away to help him. She was very nearly killed herself. I'm so sorry."
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 0:50:26 GMT -5
Riley sank into the chair. She was supposed to be stronger than this. Just outside, she'd told Angelique she could do this. She was supposed to be able to do this, but the longer she was here, the harder it was for her to breathe. She felt like someone had a hand around her heart and was squeezing hard.
She buried her head in her hands, but just for thirty seconds, just to regain some kind of composure, and she looked up to face them again.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cara Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 0:56:20 GMT -5
Cara shook her head. "Don't speak for her," she told Angelique. "She was there, she's the one I want to hear from." She didn't mean to be rude to Angelique, she was just angry and hurt in general, and it was easier to blame Riley.
"If you were there, why weren't you close enough to help him? What were YOU doing?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 1:04:36 GMT -5
"Roland and I were both fighting Death Eaters," Riley said, feeling like she was slipping into some kind of autopilot. She wasn't even there mentally anymore. Well, barely.
"I was held back by two of them, and he and one of the Death Eaters, moved away from us. I would have gone to him if I could have, Mrs. Ferrera. I swear I would have."
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathieu Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 1:12:04 GMT -5
"What was he doing there?" Mathieu said, his tone hollow. "Why was he fighting them... he should have had backup. Merlin, he comes from a whole bloody family of aurors... We should have all been there... The two of you against three death eaters.... it was suicide..."
He was staring, but seeing nothing. Roland's smile from this afternoon was fixed in his brain. It was all he could see.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cara Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 1:27:31 GMT -5
"But it wasn't really suicide, was it?" Cara asked. In her head, things didn't add up.
"Tell me, Riley, how was it that you were fighting two of them, and you made it out alive? And Roland was killed by only one? My son is a capable duelist, and he's been doing it for a year or two longer than you." She didn't say it, but the air between them definitely seemed to imply that Cara wished it was Riley instead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 1:35:52 GMT -5
Riley was trying to keep up with them, trying to field their questions and answer the best she knew how.
"Roland was worried that his family... you... were in danger, and he-"
No, she didn't want to tell them that he thought he could stop them and went to meet them head on. That wouldn't help. "I don't know, Mr. Ferrera. I wish I knew what to say to justify this to you, but there's nothing, I know. I'm am so very sorry for your loss."
Cara started in on her next, and she didn't know how to answer those questions either. "I didn't see much of his fight... I was trapped where I was, and I was lucky to get away. I was very lucky."
|
|
|
|
Post by Judah Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 6:45:12 GMT -5
Judah's heart fell as he heard the news of his nephew. LIke everyone else, he saw him today and he was happy. As Suri buried herself in his arm, he put it around her and held her hand with his other hand. Part of him felt like he was going to be sick because he was holding back sadness.
How could have Roland been dead? He felt bad for Riley, he felt bad for Mathieu, Cara, and the rest of the family. How were they going to end up dealing with this?
|
|
|
|
Post by Hayden Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 6:50:12 GMT -5
Hayden became tense as soon as Riley said that she had bad news. He didn't sit. Instead he leaned against the door frame on the adjacent wall.
Hearing and listening to the fact that Roland was gone made his jaw clench tight and unknowningly, his fists were clenched tightly as well. Why didn't Roland just ask Hayden to have helped in whatever he was doing? He knew that Hayden wouldn't mind helping him.
The rest of the conversation seemed to drown out as his eyes grew dull. The lump in his throat would remain and it burned.
What were Ama, Lina, Cyrus, and Jamie's reactions be? What about Liam and Sheena's? Hayden thought that he was going to be the one to tell his siblings at least, even if he didn't want to talk about it because he didn't want his mother or father to break down in front of them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mathieu Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 11:17:46 GMT -5
Mathieu was frozen. He couldn't process this information, not really. Roland was going to come walking through that door any minute now and say it was all a misunderstanding. That he was fine. Of course he was fine. He had to be.
His eyes glazed over, and his mouth hung open while his brain just seemed to cease functioning. He wanted everyone to be gone, to leave him alone. He felt strangled... smothered... and he couldn't even cry. His grief was like a frozen block of ice pressing on his chest, blocking the emotions from coming out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 11:26:44 GMT -5
Riley looked down at her feet. It was quiet in the room now, and she wanted so badly to leave. She still had to tell Lina... she wanted Lina to know before she heard from the papers or some other emotionless way, but she just didn't think she had the strength to do it tonight.
"I'm very sorry," she said again. She looked up. Maybe it was time to go. "If I can do anything for you, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you, and I'm very sorry." She couldn't stop apologizing to them. This was all her fault, anyway. She should have tried harder to convince Roland out of this.
|
|
|
|
Post by Cara Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 11:27:09 GMT -5
Cara met Riley's eyes, and she couldn't be angry anymore. One solid look at the girl was enough to tell her that this was all real, that her son was gone, and she was never going to see him again.
"Riley, wait," she said, sensing that the girl wanted to leave. "I... have to know, is there a body?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 1, 2009 11:32:05 GMT -5
Angelique stepped in to field this question. She didn't want Riley to deal with it. And besides, she had not actually seen the body, and Angelique had been unable to tell Riley what had happened.
She put her hand on Riley's shoulder and looked to Cara. "A body was found, but we can't be positive that it's his. I saw the body myself..." she said, her voice breaking slightly. "I'm very sorry, but I couldn't tell. They're taking him to St. Mungo's for identification."
|
|
|
|
Post by Cara Ferrera on Apr 1, 2009 11:41:55 GMT -5
"Oh, Godric," Cara whispered, a hand covering her mouth. She was trembling. Roland was gone... that wasn't supposed to happen. No parent was ever supposed to have to deal with losing a child. A mother wasn't supposed to bury her own son.
She let go of Mathieu's hand and covered her eyes as she started crying. This wasn't real. She should have been there. They all should have been there.
She wished Mathieu didn't tell her he had known. She would have known he was happy when he died, at least, instead of wondering if it was all fake.
She looked up. There was one way to know. "Did you kiss him?" She begged for the girl to say yes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 11:45:29 GMT -5
The question surprised Riley, and she didn't know if being honest would make them hate her more. If only she had known what Roland told them earlier... but it probably would have broken her heart.
Slowly, she nodded. "Yes," she whispered, hoping it wasn't the wrong thing to say. Cara started crying harder, and she wasn't sure if she'd said the right thing or not.
"Should we go?" She asked Angelique quietly.
|
|
|
|
Post by Angelique St. Clare on Apr 1, 2009 11:51:03 GMT -5
Angelique looked around at the room. The air was becoming oppressive and heavy with grief, and she desperately wished she could say something, anything, to ease their suffering.
Glancing back at Riley, she nodded quietly. "Yes, we should really be going," she said. "I'm... I'm terribly sorry for your loss."
It felt empty, hollow. It was just what you were supposed to say. And even though she meant it, she knew it meant nothing to them. It wouldn't bring him back.
|
|
|
|
Post by Riley Neves on Apr 1, 2009 11:55:27 GMT -5
Riley stood up slowly and knew she was a little shakey on her feet. It was so close to impossible to hold herself together anymore. All she wanted to do was curl up in the bottom of her bathtub and cry.
"I am here for you and your family if you need anything, or if you have any questions," Riley repeated, wishing she could do something for them to make this easier. She wished there was something that would make it easier on her.
|
|
