GOLDEN || T. NOTT ✓

thirty | cup of coffee

PAZ AND LUNA limped into the Great Hall, not ready for what they were about to see.  Paz only knew of two deaths, Tonks and her own sister, she was hoping for no other casualties. 

Paz left Luna off near Madam Pomfrey before turning to face Blaise and Theo, who were still deep in conversation.  Over Blaise's shoulder, she noticed Ginny breaking off into a run once she entered the Great Hall. 

Her eyes followed Ginny, watching as she ran over to nearly the entire Weasley lot, who were hovering over someone who Paz had guessed was dead.  Without saying anything to Blaise or Theo, she slowly began to walk over towards Ginny.

As she was making her way over, she looked down towards the ground where all the dead were being laid out.  Her gaze landed upon Tonks, feeling her heart sink.  Paz nearly fell to the ground when she looked to the right of Tonks, seeing none other than Remus Lupin, his eyes closed and his chest still.

The small bit of bread she ate early that morning seemed to be making its way back up.  Remus and Tonks looked so peaceful, almost as if they were napping.

She had finally reached the Weasley's, who were right beside Remus and Tonks, a look of confusion spreading across her face when realizing they were all in fits of tears.  Pushing past Percy to get next to Ginny, she finally understood why.

Paz never thought she would see the day that Fred and George were separated.  But there, laying motionless on the ground, was George's other half.  Paz's breath got caught up in her throat, causing her to cough several times before finally calming down.  She did her best in remaining strong near the Weasley's, wrapping Ginny in a tight hug from the side.

The two girls crouched towards the ground, Paz stroking Ginny's hair in comfort as Ginny sobbed into her shoulder.

Another body was soon set down on the other side of Fred.  The black hair and pale complexion looked all too familiar to Paz.  She excused herself from Ginny as she crawled over to her sister's side, grabbing a hold of her hand.

Paz hated when people witnessed her crying.  It was a form of weakness, and if there was one thing Paz wasn't, it was weak. 

Words could barely form as the Weasley's expanded their circle, now surrounding both Fred and Pansy.

"Oh, Paz, dear- I'm so sorry," Mrs. Weasley cries softly, kneeling beside Paz with pity in her eyes. 

"It's alright, thank you though, Mrs. Weasley." Paz says quietly, her voice breaking as she attempted not to cry.

Theo and Blaise soon took a seat next to Paz.  Theo had wrapped an arm around her while Blaise was staring at Pansy, almost as if waiting for her to sit up and ask why everyone was staring at her.

Everyone was so preoccupied in mourning that no one had even realized that Theo was there, which Paz did not mind.  She was in no mood to defend him right now, all she wanted to do was sit beside her sister and wait until she finally woke up.

"Fucking Dolohov," Blaise spits, slamming his fist into the ground, "He's dead- the moment I lay my eyes on him he's dead."

Paz stays silent, letting her head fall onto Theo's chest.

Neither of the two knew what to say.  Theo didn't want to say that everything would be alright, because he knew it was a lie.  After the events of today, nothing would ever be the same again- and the day didn't seem to be close to over yet.

Paz, on the other hand, just seemed to be at a loss for words.  Death was surrounding her, quite literally, yet she was still alive?  Why was she still alive?  Part of her had wished that Theo never stunned his father.  Her pain would be over, she would be beside Pansy once again.