Bed Chamber

It was 2 in the morning. She knew that much because her clock had blasted it when she'd picked up the sound of someone knocking on her door. Pulling on her robe and belting it around her waist, Bathilde walked out into the sitting room and pulled the door open.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ma'am. But this is an emergency situation. I'm Lieutenant Alen."
She stared at him; or past him as her tired body swayed slightly.
"What is the emergency, Lieutenant?" her first thought was that there was a problem with one of her students; but then again she was fairly certain her deputy would be there if something had happened within the school.
It was quiet for several long moments. At first she thought he may have walked away, but then she heard a nervous clearing of the throat.
"It's about your husband, Ma'am. I'm afraid he killed himself."

Apparently in auror training, Alen had been told that there was no good way to tell someone something horrible... so just spit it out like a rotten pit and it would make everything fine. Bathilde felt as though someone had put her through a meat-grinder. Everything hurt; from her head to her toes.
"Th-thank you." she shut the door in his face and backed up. All sense of direction gone, she collided into the wall and slid down it.

Geo was gone. Her comforter and provider; suddenly and without warning had abandoned her. Suddenly she felt like a little girl again, lost in the dark and wanting her brother. Wringing her hands, she leant her head against her knees and trembled. It was a dream... a horrible nightmare that any moment she'd wake up from.

She was so lost in paralyzing grief she didn't hear another knock on the door. It opened after she didn't come for it and someone entered, looking around until he spotted her against the wall.
"Idy?" he knelt beside her, pulling her hands into his.
"He's gone, Wilbur..." she whispered, loosening until he could fully embrace her.
"I know. I'm so sorry."
"Why?"
He smoothed her hair back from her face, looking into her blank eyes.
"There were those debts... you remember when he opened your vault too. It was all too much for him. I'm so sorry, Idy."

She wasn't sure of what she was suppose to do. She knew it was normal for bereaved wives to sob, but she didn't feel any tears coming. It was as if she had been frozen; unable to do anything but sit there and shake.
"Taryn..."
"I had Mary go and pick her up. She'll be fine. You two still have each other..."
Wilbur was right; yet she didn't want to acknowledge anything at the moment. "Come on, I'll take you home. You can stay with us for a bit."
She shook her head.
"No... no, I have a school to run."
He sighed, helping her stand up as she rose.
"It'll just be for a bit. Taryn needs you more than Hogwarts does. Your deputy can handle school issues, Idy."
"No, if I stop now-" she let it hang, unsure of really what she meant. Wilbur seemed to grasp her meaning better. Ironic as that was...
"You're stronger than that. Geoffrey helped you up; he didn't hold you there. Now, being as strong as you can isn't going to change anything. You need time to grieve and to set the affairs in order. Grandmother has already set to cancelling the debts; so don't worry about that; she and grandfather are giving an early part of your inheritance. Just... think about Taryn. Geoffrey was a good father and she wont understand why he's gone."

Bathilde's mind spun; feeling like those muggle toys their gardener had given Wilbur and her as children. Taryn wouldn't understand why Geoffrey was dead. Of course she wouldn't; her mother didn't even understand.
"I don't understand." she whimpered, moving back from her brother. Usually she sought comfort; feeling through the surrounding darkness until someone... anyone assured her it would be okay. It was all she knew; from the day she had woken to the never-ending night. First Wilbur had been her rock, then her healer, then the headmaster and then Geoffrey. Now, she was back to where she'd begun.
"I know. It's difficult."
He didn't know; but she didn't want to hurt him by saying so. In some clouded part of her mind, she knew he was only trying to help her.
"I need to be alone..."
"What?" it didn't surprise her that her brother asked. She'd never said those words before. It was always a question of where everyone was and why they weren't coming faster. She had no doubt that he was staring at her as if she'd lost her sanity. In point of fact; maybe she had.
"Thank you for coming. I just need to be alone. Please."
He was quiet for a moment, before gently touching her arm.
"Okay. I'll wait in the hall. If you need me; I'm here." And then she heard his retreating footfalls and the chime that sounded the door opening and closing.

The open window was easy to find. Its continuous blast of cold air made it impossible to miss as she stood against its waist high railing. She wondered what had gone through Geoffrey's mind; right before he'd killed himself. Had he considered how selfish he was being; how cowardly? She doubted it. He'd always been the sort of confident man who never doubted his actions to be correct.
Leaning forward, the headmistress felt the wind whip her braided hair back. It was icy and harsh; causing her trembling body to shake more. She reached a hand up and pulled herself onto the window ledge. Her thick nightgown twisted back from her body and tangled with the heavy robe; causing her to almost lose her balance. But that didn't matter; she planned to leave the ledge anyway. In a single breath, she leapt.

It was wonderful; the wind lifting her up as gravity plummeted her down; all in moments as her body transfigured itself into a little dove. Her wings spread and she floated fully, soaring high into the air with the occasional strong flap. Her eyes opened and she looked out into the darkness, spotting the bright lights that highlighted the bird's natural prey. It was hardly all she'd once dreamt it would be; seeing as an animagus... but she'd long since passed that disappointment. Now it was a treat.

Beneath her was the lake; she could tell by the millions of lighted water bugs on the water. She flew down, perching lightly by the shore and walking on thin legs to the edge of the waves. The cold water touched her feathers and she jumped back by instinct. The woman in her wanted to walk out until the water covered her... the bird just wanted to go back into the sky.
She transfigured back into herself and sat down in the water. It was just enough to wash over her legs and waist, chilling her to the bone; numbing the radiating pain.
"What did I do to fail you?" she asked the unseen ghost. At first she whispered the words; but then anger seized her and she screamed the question again. It wasn't ladylike, dignified or suiting of her position as headmistress... but that didn't matter at the moment. Sitting there in the water, she finally began to cry.