Silent Riot | Regulus Black

ONE

The funeral was dreadfully boring. All the high- up elite pureblood society trying to produce some tears when in reality they just didn't give a shit.

Gemma had been very familiar with Edward Rosier during the short period of time they'd been at Hogwarts together, before he left to study another form of magic abroad.

And now, rather than standing at a podium as Minister of Magic, he was lying in a coffin, while his mother wept for him and his brother and father bore stoic expressions of repressed anguish.

When she'd first heard the news, it had hit her like a bowling ball- something of a mixture of shock and grief. She'd refused food for days and stayed in bed, not willing to leave or do anything. When she'd received the funeral invite, she'd been hesitant to attend at first.

But then her father had come in and said that some people have things much, much worse, and that she should honour Edward's memory by saying goodbye for a final time. It was, supposedly, the first step to moving on.

So here she was.

She approached Evan, Edward's brother. They'd never had the best of relationships with one another, which perhaps made him even more sad.

'Hi,' she said tentatively. He nodded to her in greeting, but did not take his eyes off the coffin. They stood in silence for a few minutes, but before Gemma made a move to leave, he began to talk.

'It's sad,' he said. 'He wanted to do so much, yet managed so little.' Gemma paused for a moment before answering.

'It is,' she said quietly. They stood for another moment, then Gemma said a brief word of comfort and left him. She caught sight of Ted at the entrance.

'Hey,' he said softly, as she approached him. 'How's it going?'

'Pretty boring,' she replied. 'I do feel awful for saying that but the entire event is just mind- numbingly dull.'

'Not what Edward would've wanted at all,' Ted said. Gemma shook her head.

'Oh no, he would've loved this,' she said. 'A bunch of rich, rotten people staring down at his dead body. Real fun stuff.' They made their way to the small stage, upon which Mrs Rosier stood.

'Hello, everyone,' she began, her voice shaky. 'We are grateful that you all were able to make it, to commemorate my son, Edward Rosier. Edward not only had high hopes, and ambitions for his future, but he also-' She was interrupted by Mr Rosier, who burst into tears. Evan consoled him, while silent tears of his own ran down his cheeks.

'God,' Gemma murmured. 'I really can't do this.'

'Do you want to go inside for a while?' Ted asked uncertainly. She nodded, and they both entered the large estate. They headed for Edward's old room, which Mrs Rosier had left relatively untouched. Gemma sat on the desk chair, which she was all too familiar with.

'Is Iz planning to show up?' She asked Ted, who shook his head.

'She's still bitter about their.. um... argument,' he said. Gemma frowned.

'Actually? Like seriously? He's dead!' She said. Ted shrugged.

'Yeah well, Iz has always been a petty person,' he said, looking around at the posters on the walls.

'And Luke?' She asked. Ted rolled his eyes.

'Poor lad's stuck in Ireland,' he said. Gemma bit back a grin as she nodded. 'Play any quidditch?'

They were talking-or arguing- about whether the Chudley Cannons or Montrose Magpies would win the next match, when a boy entered the room. He had longish curly black hair and shadows under his eyes. Gemma recognised him almost instantly.