truth and reconciliation (family)

[calcetines]

Angel had hired a babysitter for the twins so she could attend the funeral, she had spent the entire time at the back, as far away from her father as she could get. It was probably for the best that they didn't see each other at the event. She dabbed at her eyes with the handkerchief she had brought along as everyone else left. Making up her mind right then and there, Angel waited for everyone to go out into the reception room until the only remaining head had the familiar unruly black hair. Taking a shuddering sigh, Angel stood up and walked over to it.

Her blueish eyes filled with tears all over again as she caught a brief glimpse of her mother's corpse, but turned her head away. Angel bit her lip, her knees shaking. She bit her lip a moment, trying to muster up the courage needed to do what she was about to do. Finally, she made up her mind and briefly cleared her throat. "Daddy," Angel said very quietly.

[dudelsack]

Harry's throat tightened at the voice, he would recognize it anywhere. Slowly, he turned around to face his eldest daughter, physically the closest he had been to Angel since February. He swallowed forcefully. "Angel," Harry said hoarsely. His voice sounded strangely, as if it belonged to someone other than him. Harry felt like turning and practically running from the room, but he also felt compelled to stay. He wasn't sure what to do other than stand there stupidly.

[calcetines]

"I'm so sorry I disappointed you, I know I messed up, but I'm hurt, alone, and scared, and," Angel began gushing, unable to contain the tears and the splashed over onto her cheeks. She lapsed into quiet sobs, finding it quiet impossible to complete her sentence. She felt so stupid for not even being able to talk straight, but she just couldn't help herself. She took a moment to calm down. "And I just want my father to love me," Angel finished, looking down at her feet like an ashamed child.

[dudelsack]

Harry bit his lip, looking down at his oldest daughter. Her actions weren't easily forgotten, it was because of them that he was the grandfather of twin boys that he hadn't even met. But in looking at her crying, it sparked his paternal instincts, all he wanted to do was hold all his children, stroke their hair and tell them everything would be all right. Wordlessly, Harry wrapped his arms around Angel, letting her cry onto his shoulder.

[calcetines]

A sense of peace settled into his heart through all the mourning as she was embraced by her father. Angel felt like a small child again, being protected and comforted by her dad. Words could not come to her throat, it was near impossible. She took this as a sign of forgiveness, she could only pray that it was. It had been torture, not being able to speak to her parents. Now Angel felt incomplete, she had never been able to speak to her mother before her death.

[dudelsack]

Harry stroked his daughter's hair. It was going to pain him, seeing her and Alexandria, they looked so much like Ginny. Not like him at all. He kissed her forehead, wishing that this had happened over a more pleasant occasion. But the reconciliation with his daughter had brought him a mild sense of tranquility, though his grief was much stronger. Harry released Angel, his own eyes stinging. He blinked forcefully, trying not to let any tears come to his own eyes.

[mrpotter]

James had not moved since the service was dismissed, but rather stayed in his seat, staring at the casket that held his mother. But when he had heard the voice of his older sister he looked over at the scene unfolding. He could not help the surge of relief when he saw his father hug Angel, although their family was missing a link, at least it wasn't entirely broken. James bit his lip, then looked away from his father and sister. He had been wandering around in a bit of a fog for the past few days, he wasn't quite sure what to do with himself.

[calcetines]

Angel placed a kiss on her father's cheek, gave him one last hug, and then went to sit beside her only brother. Only fourteen, he was the closest in age to her. She took his hand and squeezed it tightly, though not too hard, in her own. They would have to get through this together, the five of them. They were family, they needed to stick together. "You holding up all right?" Angel asked quietly through her tears, voice trembling ever so slightly.

[mrpotter]

James merely shrugged in response, he had not spoken a word in hours, he had probably not said more than a few sentences since he was summoned to the office back at school to be told of his mother's death. He felt a bit more confused than anything else, as if he were lost in a foreign city without a map, and everyone there spoke an odd language he had never heard before. James momentarily held eye contact with his elder sister, but looked away after a moment, his gaze fixing itself on the legs of the chair a few spaces over.

[dudelsack]

After Angel went to go and console Albus, Harry followed, taking up the seat opposite of his son. It would be up to him to continue the Potter lineage now- Harry could only hope that Albus would have sons. But now he wasn't quite as concerned with it. Harry kept quiet, he didn't want to mess things up after righting a wrong. He bit his lip, wondering where Evangeline and Alexandria had gotten off to, though he did not have the motivation to go and find them. His daughters would come to him eventually.

[calcetines]

Angel could only nod once, words were far too difficult to conjure at the moment. She continued to hold her brother's hand as she kissed the top of his head in a motherly fashion. This wasn't supposed to happen, this war had gone far too long, and it had not even begun yet. They were going to have full-out battles on their hands, Isabelle just couldn't be predicted, tracking her was like trying to catch smoke. Angel squeezed James' hand again before letting it go, he was a teenager now, he probably didn't want to be smothering by his older sister.

[hungergames]

Evangeline stumbled into the room then. Her hands were shaking in the pockets of her dark pants. She had never been one to wear dresses to funerals. Her eyes didn't pick up from the floor as she walked along the aisle, slowly, uncomprehending. Her eyes only lifted to see her mother's form in the casket. A fresh wave of tears sprang to her eyes, but she didn't sob. Her sobs were wasted on her cuts, which now were freshly healing scabs on her right wrist.

[calcetines]

When Angel saw Evangeline come back into the room, she immediately stood up and walked over to her sister, eyes still streaming tears. Wordlessly, she wrapped her arms around Eva's skinny shoulders, embracing her younger sister. She didn't think that there was anything left to say, what else could be done? Their mother couldn't be saved now.

[hungergames]

Evangeline wanted desperately to run away, as she had done many times. But, if Angel were here, then she must have solved things with Daddy. Evangeline hugged her sister back in utter silence. No tears came as Evangeline stared blankly ahead. She unwrapped her arm around Angel, placing her left hand instinctively over her right wrist. It stung a bit, but she didn't care. Evangeline missed her mother terribly, and no doubt she would cut more. Dean was the only one who knew she had cut. And she didn't care.

[calcetines]

After a moment, Angel released her sister, then quickly dabbed at her eyes with her crumpled handkerchief. Life was so hard for her at the moment, caring for two infants on her own plus a full-time job were difficult enough, but now she had to cope with the loss of her mother. The mother that she had never had the opportunity to reconcile with. "W-we should go f-find Alex," Angel said quietly to Eva, her voice shaking.