Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.
Chapter 10.
Molly Weasley had been to far more funerals than she cared to think about. She had lost many of her peers, seen children and infants placed in the ground for natural and less natural reasons, all taken far too early. On this occasion however, the atmosphere was quite different from any of these.
The path up of Hogwarts was busy with traffic, groups of witches and wizards were huddled against the cold. She knew that the ceremony would be well attended – Albus had had a huge impact on so many lives and there was no doubt in her mind that he would be sorely missed. And yet her sorrow was tempered by the knowledge that he'd lived and long and full life.
She and Arthur had talked long into the night about it on Christmas day, having heard the news. It had been hard to miss the way in which Albus had aged hugely over the last year and a half. Whether it was from the shock of loosing Minerva or her continued absence from his life, he had seemed to fade almost before their eyes.
Molly was wakened from her quiet reverie when Arthur placed a gentle hand on her elbow to guide her up the steps and towards the front door. She turned and smiled softly at her husband and he squeezed arm gently in response.
The Hogwarts staff were standing in the entrance hall, greeting the guests and directing them towards the great hall where the house tables had been removed and replaced with row upon row of chairs. The walls of the already large roomed seemed to have been stretched and already most of the seats were filled.
The Head boys and girls from every year Albus ad been at the school had been invited, as well as all the former staff members, members of the Order of the Phoenix, Ministry Officials and needless to say the current student body had been allowed to return for the morning.
She exchanged sombre smiles, and the odd quiet hello as the moved through the crowds until a familiar voice calling quietly over the general hubbub, caught her attention.
"Molly, Arthur."
"Remus, " she greeted, closing the space between them and pulling him into a hug. He offered her a sorrowful smile when they parted and his hand reached down to rest on Anna's head.
"We were wondering if you would mind keeping an eye on this little moppet… just until we've…"
"Of course." Molly agreed, crouching down to talk to the girl at her own height. "Would you like to come and sit with us for a little while?" she asked.
Anna didn't look convinced.
Molly was hardly surprised by this fact; it was a strange time for them all and Anna was so intuitive about so much… Seeing that Remus was obviously struggling, she gathered the girl up in her arms.
"Now Moony had to go away with Arthur for a little while, but they wont be long and you'll get to see them and Mooney again soon."
Little arms wound round her neck and agile fingers started to play with the hair at the back of her head.
"Don't worry," she whispered to Remus as they stood. "we'll be fine."
The ceremony was well conducted and provided the closure that the mother of seven was sure that everyone there needed. Anna stayed silent throughout the entire thing, her interest obviously peeking when her Daidein and Moony entered the hall, as part of the group of pallbearers. She watched proceedings carefully, as if determined to understand what was going on around her.
When at the end of the service, the coffin was carried out again so that he could to be interred n the school grounds, beneath the tree Albus himself had chosen, it was a much more select number that followed them. Molly made sure that Anna's coat was fastened and her gloves were on before they followed the Hogwarts staff and the Order out into the howling wind.
As soon as their load was taken from them, Remus and Severus both moved immediately towards them and the Slytherin picked up his daughter hugging her close. With a flick of Filius's wand the coffin disappeared behind a swirl of white and when it faded, in place of the polished wooden box there stood a shining white marble Headstone and a mound of freshly dug earth.
"Thank you." Severus said, when the group began to dissipate. "For looking after her I mean."
"Not a problem. She was as good as gold, just like always." She replied, stroking Anna's hair.
"Well… we had better head back inside." Severus suggested. "Remus?"
"Yes… coming." Came the distant response from the other man.
She and Arthur walked quietly behind the silent trio back up towards the castle, reassured by her husband's warm arm around her shoulders.
As was traditional after a funeral, the guests were all being plied with Gillywater and less traditionally, cake, when they arrived back at the castle. Molly had to chuckle, the House Elves had outdone themselves with every possible flavour and colour combination you could think of on example.
She spent the following hour talking to her children, and all of their friends and so it was only when the crowds began to disperse that she saw either Remus or Severus again.
"Hello Remus." Ron greeted from next to her, while she was deep in conversation with Harry.
"Hello boys, still up for the Quidditch next week?"
"Definitely." Harry said, it was obvious to those who knew him that he was still quite upset at the loss of his mentor, but Molly also knew that he was not slipping under and wouldn't if those around him had their way.
"Good, good." He replied slightly distractedly. "You haven't seen Anna by any chance have you?" he continued turning back towards her.
"No, I'm afraid not…"
"Oh well, I'm sure she's with Severus then…" the greying man said with a smile, "I think he was talking to Filius." He continued glancing around the room. "I'm just going to make sure though. Stay in touch Harry, you know I'm only ever an owl away." He said sincerely before taking his leave.
"Right boys, ready to head home when you are." Arthur said, rejoining them from a conversation with his ministry colleagues.
"Yeah. I think it's time to go…" Harry agreed.
"I'll join you shortly." Molly said, distractedly as she watched Remus and Severus talk in hushed voices. "I just wanted to have a quick word with Georgina."
"Well, we'll see you back home then."
"Of course, I won't be long she added with a smile." Kissing her husband briefly in goodbye.
Molly bid the trio goodbye as they left the hall and retreated back up to the common room where they had all decided to stay over the holidays this year.
He had only gone a few steps when a familiar, terrified, scream filled the air. The school's staff who had not escorted the students back to the Hogwarts express, all turned and ran towards the ante-room to the Great Hall, but predictably it was Severus and Remus who got there first.
"Anna?!" Remus called as he approached the door, from behind which hysterical sobs were now being joined something altogether more alarming.
Severus was trying to open the door but there was something in the way.
"Anna. I need you to move away from the door…" he urged her through the tiny gap he had managed to open.
The only response he received in return however was a growl. A very feral growl.
Taking a step back Severus turned towards Remus.
"I think there's a live lion in there. She must have transfigured…"
Anna screamed again.
"The other door…" Filius began but Severus was already running down the hall, his robes flapping behind him.
Remus took his place at the door, placing his shoulder against the wood and pushing with all his might, but even then it barely moved an inch and his effort was rewarded by another aggressive sounding growl.
The gap was wide enough for the younger man to get a better look at what was happening. He didn't say a word, but his face was so concentrated that it wasn't necessary.
Molly watched as Remus forced his arm through the gap just far enough to be able to point his wand at whatever was sitting on the other side of the door. In doing this however he had obviously unsettled the creature further as it got to its feet.
The door swung further open allowing them to see much more clearly what was going on inside. It was indeed a lion and quite an impressive male at that if his mane was anything to go by.
It was heading towards the terrified youngster now, but Remus was already in the midst of trying to de-transfigure it, however, without knowing what it had been originally the task was much harder.
Molly always found it strange that in moments like this, time seemed to simultaneously slow down to a crawl and speed by with alarming haste. Anna was scrambling backwards away from the advancing lion, who in turn was not being drawn away despite Filius's best efforts to capture his attention.
Even when pushed, Molly would not be able to tell which of the men succeeded in their task first, as Severus arrived through the door on the far side of the room at what seemed to be the exact same moment that the lion's shape suddenly became quite indistinct. The lion turned out to have been a bust of the first Head of Gryffindor after Godric himself but as it was returning to it's original form, both men were prevented from actually reaching their now hysterical daughter by some kind of invisible barrier.
During the course of her life, Molly Weasley had also had more than enough experience with upset children and the magical outbursts that often ensued that she had not been overly surprised at Anna's shield charm. The original transfiguration and animation of the lion was, well a stunning show of natural magical ability, but not wholly surprising given this was Minerva or rather Anna they were talking about.
For her two parents however, the fact that they could still not reach their obviously distraught daughter was upsetting them greatly.
"Anna?" Remus asked, but received no real reply and the mother of seven and grandmother of two didn't expect that he would. Anna was past the point where they were going to be able to get a rational response out of her.
She watched as the two men spoke to each other in hushed voices gesturing to each other obviously trying to figure out what it was they should try next. It made sense really, that the men were not used to having to deal with this sort of obstacle. By the time children were old enough to attend Hogwarts their magic had changed, had refined even without any real training, but at this age magic was unpredictable and unstable and thus sometimes all the more difficult to over come.
Molly took a few steps forward and after a little gentle probing of the shield managed to overcome it on her first attempt with a gentle crack. Remus and Severus looked up towards her and then back down towards Anna. After a moment there was a flurry of movement and the small family were once more united in a somewhat ungainly heap on the floor of the small room.
"Thank you." Severus said over the top of his daughter's head almost a minute later.
"My pleasure." She replied, entirely honestly. It was a trick she would teach them both later but for now she was completely happy to watch the three of them comfort each other.
A/N: Yes I know, it's been forever. I'm sorry. RL and all that. Being a grown up and having to work for a living is unfortunately not conducive to writing however, if I've learnt anything over the last few months it's that I need to do this for the sake of my mental health if nothing else…
Well, I hope you enjoy this home-therapy so-to-speak and that you will let me know if there's anyone out there still reading this.
Thank you!
Linds x
PS – Happy New Year! I hope that 2008 brings you all more than you could ask for.