Flora And Fawna [HARRY POTTER]

29

Rosie didn't return to school the week following her sister's death. Instead she cared for her nephew, who had taken an instant liking to her, and helped Petunia plan Lily and her husband's funeral. The sisters knew from Vernon and Sebastian that the fall of the Dark Lord had made a big ripple in the wizarding community. As such they were sure Lily's funeral could turn into mayhem if they opened it to the public.

So the sisters decided to have a small gathering, just family and the few remaining members of the Order of the Phoenix, where James and Lily could be put to rest in Godric's Hollow with the respect they deserved

*******

Funerals were somber affairs, and Rosie hated them. She had hated them when her parents died, she had hated them when her grandparents died, and she especially hated them now that her sister was dead. It was a small affair, as Rosie and Petunia had intended. In fact, there were only twenty or so people gathered in the small chapel. Twenty-one people.

Half way through the ceremony the back doors burst open and a woman with the most hideous purple coat strolled in as if she owned the place. She had a photographer behind her and he was snapping pictures of everything he could focus his lens on. Rosie stood from her spot beside Petunia, and handed Harry over to Vernon when the photographer tried to snap a shot of 'The boy who lived'.

"This is a private service," Rosie strode over to the woman, who was obviously a reporter. "And the press are not welcome here."

The woman gave Rosie a wide smile, showing her teeth every one if which was capped with gold. Rosie didn't smile back.

"Well I'm sure your mummy and daddy will make an exception for me, little girl. I'm Rita Skeeter, only the most popular writer for the Daily Prophet."

Rosie could feel the magic inside of her reel back and poise for an attack at the woman's gumption. Behind her, she heard several people shift and could only assume it was several of the other wizards in attendance moving to stand behind her.

"I was in charge of who was and was not allowed into the building, actually, and I distinctly remember that your name was never even a passing fancy. I wouldn't allow you to write a trashy gossip piece about my sister if it was the last thing I did. Now I'm asking you kindly to leave."

Rita blinked, before her face changed only slightly. She was determined.

"Well the minister of magic himself sent me to document this occasion and to get a photograph of the hero of the wizarding world, so if you could step aside," Rita and her photographer went to step around Rosie, only to be roughly rebounded by the invisible wall that appeared in their path. They tried again and got a similar effect.

"You are not welcome at this funeral," Rosie repeated sternly. "And you will be getting no pictures of my nephew."

The photographer's camera snapped open and the film inside it exploded. He nearly dropped the thing in shock.

Rita's eyes went from Rosie, to whoever was standing behind her. Rosie knew that none if the witches or wizards had their wands drawn. Rosie knew that she had let her magic run wild for just an instant. She decided she didn't really care.

"Furthermore, if I see you near my family ever again you can be sure your days of writing for the Daily Prophet will be over," Rita's quick quill and pad, which had been floating by her ear, burst into flames to make the threat clear.

Rita let out a little shriek, before her eyes moved back to Rosie as if she was seeing the third year in a new light. Rita huffed, spun on her heels, and flounced out without saying another word.

Rosie returned to her seat where she took Harry once again into her arms.

*******

Rosie knew that her sister didn't want to go to Lily's home, the place she had made her life, and pack that life into boxes for storage. She knew that somewhere, perhaps very deep inside, Petunia was mourning their middle sister's death in a way Rosie could hardly understand. So Rosie left Harry in Petunia's capable hands while she and Vernon, who had begrudgingly agreed to help the thirteen year old move the heavier boxes, went to Godric's Hollow once more.

The house that Lily had made her life in would have been pretty, if it hadn't almost been demolished by the last fight. The roof of what had been Harry's nursery had caved in and it was a miracle that Harry hadn't been hurt worse when he came to them. The front door had been blown clear off of it's hinges and there were holes and scorch marks all over the plaster on the walls.

"I can't imagine Harry would want to come back to this house even if we fixed all the damage," Rosie muttered, eyeing the structure as if it was going to collapse on them at any moment. "His parents died in this house, and he was only one when he left it."

It was an ongoing debate in the Evans-Dursley house whether or not they would keep Lily and James' house for Harry to have when he was older. Rosie had been arguing in favor of keeping the house and Petunia had been in favor of selling it, and putting the money into a fund that Harry could use when he was older. Rosie had decided to withhold judgement until she saw the true extent of the damage and now that she had, she had made her decision.

"We'll clean out what we can and sell it. Harry can use the money to buy it back when he's older if he'd like, but there's no use in keeping an empty house and spending money on repairs on the chance that Harry might want to return to it. Another family can make it their home."

So the two of them set to work.

*******

Rosie felt like an intruder, going through all of her sister's things. She was looking through pictures of events she'd never been invited to, glimpsing the smiling faces of people she'd never met, and watching her sister grow up in the years they had been apart.

It made her feel nostalgic, realizing how much of Lily's life Rosie and Petunia had missed. Rosie knew it was, in part, because Lily never seemed interested in including her sisters in the magical parts of her life. And as Lily grew older those magical parts began to take over a majority of her life. But that still didn't change the fact that Rosie and Petunia hadn't been there for Lily's wedding, or the birth of her son.

Rosie had become so engrossed in catching up on her sister's life several years too late, she didn't notice the large orange tabby creeping up behind her and preparing itself to pounce. The large orange feline paused, it's orange fur sticking up in all directions and it's bum wriggling. Then it happened.

The large beast landed on top of the box Rosie was packing pictures away in with a loud yowl. Rosie screeched and leaped back, knocking another box over that she thankfully hadn't put anything into yet. Vernon, who had been in another room packing away some of Japes Potter's things, rushed onto the scene wielding a coat hanger.

He froze. Rosie froze. The cat, if it was a cat, froze. They all stared at each other for a long moment before the cat broke the silence by tilting its head back and letting out another loud cry. Then Vernon began to cackle.

The room dissolved into laughter.