The Spoils of War
One month after her son's death Molly Weasley finds herself dressed up to the nines at an art gallery, observing pictures taken the day after the war. A collection of black and white images taken by Dennis Creevey hangs on the walls and soft music plays through the speakers in the corners. All are titled appropriately to fit in with the exhibition title "The Spoils of War"
Resolution
Andromeda Tonks' cries fill the Great Hall, seeping into everyone's bodies, breaking hearts as she spotted her daughter's bright pink hair from across the room. Molly Weasley is the only person who turns, but finds herself unable to leave her son's side. The room goes silent apart from the occasional sob as Andromeda walks to the corner containing the Lupins. "No" she whispers to herself, sinking to her knees. She goes numb, not feeling the hard marble floor. She feels nothing until someone removes Teddy from her arms.
Teddy. She turns to confront the person, only to find her younger sister standing there.
"I thought that I could take care of Teddy while you do whatever it is that you have to" she mumbles "I can take him to someone else if you'd prefer, I just didn't think you'd want him here." Andy briefly considers telling her to go jump in the lake, but then remembers that it's Cissy making the offer. Not Bella.
"Thank you; that would be nice."
"I really am sorry. She's beautiful. I'm sorry I didn't get to see her sooner" Narcissa whispers. Then suddenly, she's on her knees too, wrapped in her sister's arms. They rock back and forth, tears streaming as they remember what they've lost. Through tears and a baby the sisters reconcile.
Love
Fleur and Bill sit side by side next to their brother's broken body. Their family is gathered around them, Molly and Arthur stand with their arms around each other, Percy and Charlie are on their knees, all the Weasleys are watching George, lying on top of his twin's body, body shaking with silent sobs, no tears coming down his cheeks anymore, almost as though he's run out of them. Then, all at once, Fleur takes George's hand in hers, and Bill's in the other. Arthur reaches down to touch place a hand on Percy's shoulder, while Percy puts an arm around Charlie as he begins to sob. Molly links her sons all together as she kneels and takes Fred's cold lifeless hand into hers. Ron and Ginny approach from the dormitory's and put their arms around each other and George. For one moment, the Weasleys are all joined together again by love.
Grief
Harry and Hermione wake in the Gryffindor boys' dormitory to find Ron and Ginny gone. The pair dress and walk down to the entrance hall, where they wander the rows. They see Andromeda and Narcissa, they see the Weasleys, and they see poor Dennis Creevey leaving his brother's side armed with a camera. They take a piece of parchment, and begin making a list of the dead, stopping only occasionally to speak to someone, offer them comfort. Hermione begins to wonder if it might be easier to just write a list of survivors, but all thought leave her as they reach the last, overlooked body. A small girl, probably only 13 lies on the ground, her body broken, eyes glassy and reflecting the sunlight from the ceiling above. There is no name, no family or friends here to lament her loss. Hermione- strong steadfast Hermione, who has yet a shed a single tear since Fred's death- breaks, her cries of pain filling the hall, making everyone turn, falling down into a heap next to the poor girl. Harry joins her, wrapping his arms around her, tears streaming down his face, dripping into her hair. All around the pair are the bodies of their friends, their enemies, their companions, their family, but they still live. They still have each other. But it's never going to be enough.
Trust
Luna enters the hospital wing to find Neville. She'd taken his grandmother to her own bed in the Ravenclaw common room hours before. She'd since wandered the hall, sitting with the people who had no one, leaving them flowers. No one should be alone at the moment she reasoned. Now, she finds him awake, looking at a picture of his parents. "They'd be proud you know" she whispers. He nods and they talk for a long while until Madam Pomfrey walks over.
"Neville, some of the injured are being transferred to St Mungos, do you mind if you are one of them?"
"Not at all; you need the space. Besides I'll probably be the easiest case they'll get."
"Ok, do you need someone to help you downstairs? I can get Mr. Shacklebolt or Professor Slughorn…."
"I'm fine, Luna's here."
The nurse took in the girl's tiny frame and expresses her doubt at the girl's ability to get him downstairs without dropping him.
"I trust Luna won't. I'd trust her with my life."
Hope
Late in the afternoon, Andromeda walks out the large front doors, cheeks still bearing the marks of her grief, and runs into Hagrid. She drops her bag, belongings scattering around the ground. Hagrid holds out his hands, a silent offer to hold Teddy. She hands him over with more ease then she felt giving him to her sister. Hagrid's eyes fill with tears as he looks at the little baby in his arms. The baby begins to squeal, face going red, hair turning red to match. He simply swings Teddy into the hair, causing the tears to stop and laughter to fill the space left behind. The sound fills everyone around them with hope.
The exhibition is filled, people looking at the photos. Andromeda and Narcissa beside the ruins of their family, Teddy squeezed between them. Beside it is a picture of the three sisters when they were younger, and a drawing of the Tonks, the way they should be.
The Weasleys, lamenting the loss of one of their own, holding tight to each other, the photo next to it showing them all together in happier times.
Harry and Hermione, on the floor beside the girl later identified as a Ravenclaw third year, Lauren Jackson. Beside it, a photo of them back in Colin's first year, smiles on their faces in the entrance hall, waiting for the Yule Ball to start.
Luna's and Neville's is simple, walking down the steps to the carriages to take them to the train. They're looking at nothing but each other trust that will eventuate into love. Beside it is one taken at a DA meeting, both standing at the front of the room, giving orders.
You can almost hear the laughter when you look at the photo of Hagrid and Teddy. All around them, there are ruins, people crying, people injured. Yet, here for a few seconds, there was happiness.
Everybody is startled in the days after the war to receive a copy of their image from Dennis. From anyone else, it would have seemed cold, that he was taking photos instead of watching over his brother. But this was his last goodbye to Colin. The photos he never got to take.
Then, the final picture, the crowning glory of the collection. It never leaves the wall of the studio, no matter how many offers Dennis gets to sell it. Taken through the crumbling wall of the Great Hall, a photo of all those that were lost. If you squint, you can spot the Weasleys, the two sisters and Hermione leaning over to close Lauren's eyes. All who see the picture stop and look twice. It's titled quite simply 'Goodbye'.
A/N: Ok, kinda sucks, and I don't actually think Dennis would just up and leave Colin. I just liked the idea of someone photographing the day after the war. Anyway….please review…..the button's just below us……:)