A/N: For Haylis' A-Z challenge. I received Emmeline Vance for my character, and "Halcyon" for my prompt :)
It was over. Impossibly over. By the hand of a baby. But as perplexing as it was, it wasn't what she was thinking about.
Owls and shooting stars were flying through the sky like Halcyons. Tidings of the tranquility that was surely expected to follow the violence of the war.
And she couldn't care less. Lily and James were dead. Sirius was in Azkaban. So many people were gone. And what should have been a time of peace and rejoicing became, for Emmeline as for so many others, a time of mourning.
Her heart felt shattered. Gideon and Fabian were gone—her closest friends—, Marlene was gone, the Potters were gone, Sirius was—. Tears streaked down her face. She'd loved him. She loved him still. Her fingers lifted to her lips, as though reaching for their last kiss. She couldn't believe he'd do such a thing. Kill Lily and James? She wouldn't believe it. But there was to be no trial. No chance to defend her fiancé. She twisted the ring on her finger as if by doing so she could turn back time. But it wasn't a time turner and the date remained the same and her heart retained the pain.
A hand settled on her shoulder as Remus lowered himself to the grass beside her. He didn't speak. The doubt in his eyes said all he needed to, but she didn't shove his hand from her shoulder. She hurt too much. So she rested her head on his shoulder and he pulled her into a hug, and she let her tears soak his shirt.
