closed there is suffering too terrible to name solo

Rose didn't remember much when she first woke up. That winter break had been different for them, moving back into their childhood home after the divorce. Rose didn't know much about why exactly her mom and Luke didn't work out, since her mother didn't really talk about it. She was sure it had something to do with how he worked so much, and how their sudden infatuation had likely faded once real life started happening. But there was something so comforting about being back in the place she had always called home, in Godric's Hollow.

When she woke up, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, looking out the window. Watching the snowy landscape outside.

And it all came back to her like a knife in her chest.

The snapping of teeth and the growls. The horrible, horrible screams. The stinging on her jaw and her arm where she scraped herself falling on the asphalt. The blood. Spells had flown from Faith's wand, the only one old enough to use her wand outside of school.

The other four hadn't brought their wands. They didn't think they would need them, just going to a little coffee shop that Faith knew about. They didn't think they would need to use them just going on a little walk in the snow afterwards.

They were wrong.

Rose opened her door. She didn't know what time it was, really. She didn't care. It was fairly bright outside when she had watched the snow fall for a moment, so she had slept in a little. So much had happened last night. The attack, St. Mungo's, hearing the news...

She hadn't even been able to think last night, overcome with grief and terror and hopelessness. Her senses had been kicked into overdrive, overcome by adrenaline. But now, there was room for more. The adrenaline had worn off, and now... now, she was just...

Angry.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw him in the kitchen.

"You," she growled. Rose charged towards him. "Who the hell do you think you are?" she yelled.

"Rose-" the redhead heard, but she didn't know who it was, and she didn't care.

Frankie stammered in response. "I-"

"Why did you just run away? You're such a coward! What is wrong with you?" she demanded, feeling tears come to her eyes.

"Rose, it was a werewolf! What did you-"

"I know what it was!" she screamed in his face, her vision blurred. "I was the one being attacked by it! I was the one who didn't leave when it showed up! I was the one who watched Faith-"

She looked away, her throat catching.

"Rose, I'm sorry. But- if I'm being honest, it was the most logical-"

She almost punched him. She thought about it, but turned away, finding Jess in front of her. Taking her little sister into her arms, Rose held her tight. "Logic. Of course, Franklin. Logic is more important than your sister. Logic is more important than your brother."

"Gabe is fine-"

"Just because he's alive doesn't mean he's fine," Jessica whispered, sniffing. After a moment of holding each other, Jess pulled back and her head. "He's upstairs. Mom is watching him. His wounds will heal, but..."

He was a werewolf. Her brother was a werewolf.

"Rose, please don't be mad at me," Frankie said. "I never meant to..."

"I'll be mad at whoever I want to," she said, her gaze meeting his again. "My sister is dead."

"Rose, it's not his fault," Jess whispered, wiping her eyes.

Rose shook her head. "Of course it's not. He wouldn't have been able to save her if he was there." She pushed past him, opening the fridge and taking out a container of leftover pizza. "But I guess it's better you showed your true colors now. Now I know not to trust you. When it comes between me and logic..." she scoffed. "I might as well be dead."

"Rose..." he started, but had no rebuttal. She hated that he didn't even try to defend himself. He didn't even care enough to try and prove to her that he knew he was wrong. That he knew that he made a mistake. He didn't even seem to feel guilty about it.

He left, going up the stairs into his room.

Was she being fair to him? Probably not. But she had learned very quickly in the past few hours that life wasn't fair. And, honestly, even though she liked to consider herself a kind person, she didn't have it in her for the brother who didn't even care enough to stay and try to save his siblings. The brother that ran and hid inside. He could have gotten help. He could have come back. He could have called the cops or something.

But he just ran. Just saved himself.

And that wasn't fair.

"Do you want some?" Rose offered Jess.

"You're going to eat it cold?"

"Yeah."

Jess shook her head. "I've already eaten."

Rose took her little sister- and now, her only sister- into her arms again.

"I wish we could have saved her," Jess whispered.

Rose sobbed. "Me, too, Jess."

She didn't even have it in her to say something positive right now. It wouldn't have helped, anyway. Something like "it's okay" or "maybe there's a bright side" when it wasn't okay and there was no bright side.