But You Have to Get Back Up Again Solo

It had been three days since Rose had received the letter telling her that her mother had almost died because of her actions, as well as her sister's wrath because of the same thing. Rose and her siblings were going to visit their mother at St. Mungo's, the Wizarding Hospital, and it would be nothing but the truth to say that Rose was terrified. She wanted to see her mother, but she didn't want this meeting to go the exact same as her last one with her siblings, where she had tried to clear things up but instead ended up doubting herself even more than before. The four Moon children old enough to go to Hogwarts were waiting outside of their mother's room, waiting to be told they could go in. They had gotten in early for visiting time.

Rose didn't know what had happened to her when she had first gotten the news. It was like she was out of control, not able to command her own body in the way she used to. That had almost been more horrifying than the fact that she had almost caused the death of her own mother. She had been shaking, and she felt- she felt like she had been dying. Her heart had been pumping so fast, her lungs burned from every gasp of air, her hands had been shaking like crazy, and Rose couldn't even see straight. It had been horrifying to think about and she was so scared, every moment, that it was going to happen again. She thought about going to the Hospital Wing, because it could have been a serious medical condition. But she didn't want to bother anyone if it was really just her overreacting, which she felt like it was.

Faith turned to Rose, startling her younger sister out of her thoughts. Rose tried not to flinch at this sudden attention, but she had anyway. "I'm sorry for overreacting," Faith said honestly. Even though Rose had been expecting for the blonde girl to snap at her or tell her again that this was all her fault, her voice was kind and quiet. "I know it was really mean of me to say that, but I was..." she bit her lip, forcing her eyes to Rose's. "I was scared. I've relied on mom for a lot of things, and it was so scary to think that she could have been gone."

Rose smiled weakly at her sister, the best she could muster at being so anxious at seeing her mom. "Thank you. I know it's my fault anyway, though. I deserved it."

Faith didn't say this wasn't true, but instead reassured the redhead, "I'll defend you if she overreacts like I did. You didn't mean for it to happen, and you only had good intentions." Faith was right, of course, and Rose appreciated her loyalty. Faith only wanted to do the right thing, and Rose knew she was constantly trying to find out what that was.

"Thank you," Rose repeated, the smile less forced this time. She was about to tell Faith that good intentions don't cancel out horrible consequences, but they were told they could come in at that moment.

The children filed into the room, and all of Pearl's blonde children rushed over to their mother, sitting on the chairs next to the bed and reaching for her hands, just to make sure she was real, this was real, and it wasn't all a horrible dream. Rose lingered a little behind, not sure of her mother's attitude towards her yet.

"Mom! How are you?" Faith asked.

Their mother seemed overjoyed to see her children, sitting up as they came in. "I'm doing alright, for somebody who spend several nights being doted on by her own colleagues," she joked. Oh, always sarcastic, the Moon family.

"Yeah, must be pretty weird being the one being taken care of instead of taking care of others, huh?" Gabe asked, addressing that their mother was a healer at St. Mungos. She came here almost every day and spent most of her time in her emerald robes, healing people here, not being healed here. Oh, how the turns have tabled.

They laughed, a bright sound that warmed the room, and Rose smiled, removing her hands from where they had been knitted together in front of her and putting one hand on the end of the bed.

"But how are you feeling?" Faith persisted. Their mother was never one for vulnerability, due to her pride, and it didn't surprise Rose that she hadn't mentioned in any way that she wasn't okay.

"As good as new. I really was fully healed yesterday, but they kept me today too just to make sure I was really alright," she explained, then waved her hand, saying, "Maybe they just like spoiling me, though."

She would look at her children then, looking them all in the eye. "How are you all?" She would get a chorus of uneven "good"s all around, even if they weren't genuine. Pearl would look in the eyes of each of her children, and then Rose's. "Rose, honey, come here, I wanna talk to you." She patted the side of her bed in emphasis of this. Rose's stomach twisted, and her siblings pulled back as Rose sat where her hand had motioned just before.

Her mother's expression was soft, though. Rose wasn't about to be scolded. "I'm so sorry we fought," Rose's mother would say. "You're right- I was looking past who really needed me the most when I was out having fun and all that stuff."

"No," Rose shook her head. "No, you were right- you deserve to do more than work and support us. You get to have days off, and you get to have fun with your... fiance."

There was a couple of seconds of silence between them, and then Pearl said, "I know I don't deserve you, my flower." Rose's heart melted a little. Her mother hadn't called her "my flower" since she was a little kid. It had been her nickname to her as a reference to her name. Actually, she had stopped calling her "my flower" as soon as her husband had died. "You're so kind and good, and you are smart beyond your years. All of you are," she added, not wanting to leave Rose's siblings out. "You are truly your father's daughter," she whispered. "He was exactly like you are, my flower. He had beautiful auburn locks. He was strong and powerful, yet reserved and quiet. He could create beauty with words and pictures- he could create beauty with his very hands. He worked his hardest with all of his heart and loved with even more. He could peek inside your soul with just a glance at your expression, and he protected those he loved without question. There isn't a day I don't think about him, and there isn't a day I don't thank my lucky stars for you." Her voice was thick with emotion, and she brushed some of Rose's hair away from her face. "But he would have wanted me to move on."

Rose reached up to hold her mother's hand. "I really am happy for you. I know Luke is trying. You don't have to worry about us, Mom, you really don't. We loved Dad, but he would have... He would have wanted us to move on, too. And I promise to try my best to bring together our new family."

Frankie moved forward, putting his hand on Rose's shoulder. "Me too." Rose remembered how he had bonded, in a way, with Annabeth, their future step-sister. They had talked throughout dinner and had overall been each other's refuge and comic relief during the awkward night.

Both Faith and Gabe nodded at their mother, sealing the promise between all four of Pearl's children. "And I promise I will try my best to give you all the love you deserve." She held open her hands, inviting Rose into a hug. "Come 'ere." Rose accepted the hug, smiling at her mother.

Maybe they were a broken family with a big gaping hole in its center where half of all of their major support should come from. Maybe they weren't exactly perfect in the way they fought sometimes, or the way they sometimes didn't get along like they should. Maybe they were unprepared for what was ahead, or what would result from trying to integrate their family with another one, and another broken one at that. Maybe they had something coming that would crush them all. But the most important thing was that they loved each other, no matter how sappy it sounded. And if they loved each other, they could stick together even when everything got really hard. They could stand side by side in the storm, helping each other up as they stumbled, and supporting each other when they got weak.

Rose whispered something under her breath, inaudible to anyone but herself.

"I know I don't deserve you."

As the world crumbles, the world might never be the same, but you have to get back up again.

As the World Crumbles | The World Might Never Be the Same | But You Have to Get Back Up Again