A/N: Don't own. Sorry I've taken so long, but I started high school yesterday (yay me!) so I won't be posting as often. I'm so, so, so sorry. Read and review please. Enjoy. Oh, and I'm sorry about killing off a character. The quotes were taken from "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins and "Finding Nemo" by Disney and Pixar. And I almost cried writing this chapter, because Annemarie is based off of my best friend who's going to a different high school. :, ( By the way, please tell what you think about the character.

Chapter 21

Arthur Weasley's funeral went by in a blur of tears and motion for them. Annemarie kindly agreed to come along for moral support for her cousins and their friends. She felt slightly out of place among all the Weasleys and Potters, but James went out of his way to make her feel as at home as possible. Rose clung to Dennis, more out of habit than anything else as they both shed their tears, comforting each other as good friends would.

Albus could remembering almost nothing save the sight of his grandfather's corpse in his casket and Verity clinging to him like water on a wet dog. Arthur had died of completely natural causes, as he was getting quite on in years. Albus could feel Verity's arms wrapped around him tightly as she refused to leave him, tears streaming down her face and staining his suit. He didn't care; he felt hot tears pouring down his own face. He remembered her holding her to him desperately, not ever wanting to let go of her. Strands of her red hair ended up in the most unusual places: his mouth, his nose, his eyes… but he didn't mind one bit, as long as she was with him. He heard not a word of the eulogy, delivered by some tottery old wizard who claimed to have met Arthur in his first year at Hogwarts. It was all shit to Albus. His grandfather was much more than the wizard let on. He had been extraordinary. No one could compare to him; his love of Muggles, his bravery and courage, and his love for his family set him high above all others. That was what they would remember about him: not the time he burst a slug in the middle of Herbology class.

At the reception Albus and James sat at the family table, nibbling at their food so their parents wouldn't pester them. Suddenly, Albus felt a warm hand on his and Verity whispered in his ear, "Come on."

"Why are we here?" James asked sullenly as they found themselves in the old Pierce home where the twins had lived when their parents had been alive.

"We needed to take you away from there," Dennis said simply. "And we needed to get away as well. It's so depressing thinking of your grandfather as dead."

"Don't remind me," Rose moaned, slumping onto the floor.

"We basically wanted to tell you this," Verity told them. "Yes, your grandfather is dead, and I know I speak for all of us here when I say that we'll miss him desperately." Tears sparkled in her stunning blue eyes as she struggled with her words, finally choking out, "But he'll always be with us. And he'd want us to keep living our lives." Her tears now overflowing, she sat herself on Albus' lap and his strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly to him. "Basically… let's just start over again."

Annemarie and Verity sat in Verity's old room; they had decided to spend the night in the old Pierce home. "You and Albus are…" Annemarie started, searching for a word to complete her thought.

"Obnoxious?" Verity asked, looking a bit lost.

"No," Annemarie shook her head, "so… perfect. Like, not perfect, but as close as possible. He's the guy for you, Ver. I know you well enough to know that." Verity smiled at her cousin.

"James likes you, you know," she told her with a grin. "I can tell."

"Well, that was sort of obvious," Annemarie sighed, a piece of her red hair flying up in the air as she did. "I mean, he's sweet enough and he seems to be a good guy, but you can't base love off of a two-day relationship, you know?" Verity nodded, so Annemarie added, "But I think I could grow to love him, with time and getting to know him."

"It's kind of scary," Verity said finally after several long moments of a comfortable silence.

"What is?" Annemarie asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"How much I need him," Ver whispered, looking a bit scared indeed. "It's just… I need Albus so much. If he died, I really don't know what I'd do; I'd probably die of heartbreak. He's my world, Annemarie."

Annemarie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, look at it this way- Albus obviously worships the ground you walk on and he obviously needs you just as much as you need him, Ver. So it's balanced. That's just the way life works."

"God, I've missed you so much, Annemarie. I just didn't realize it until now," Ver smiled. "Do you remember all our inside jokes?"

Annemarie scoffed, "Of course. 'Would you like a root beer?'"

Verity laughed, quoting, "'A root bear? What is it, my birthday?' Or what about 'Aw, you made me ink!' Or when we used to poke each other all the time?" The two girls collapsed in a fit of hysterical laughter, remembering the times they had spent together and all their inside jokes. They had been, still were, and always would be the best of friends, no matter how much time or distance separated them. Tears of laughter were in their eyes when a knock suddenly echoed at the door.

"Come in!" Annemarie gasped through her laughter, promptly rolling off the bed and landing on the floor with a thump, causing the both of them to laugh even harder, if at all possible. Albus opened the door, looking somewhat lost.

"Ver?" he asked softly, his bright green eyes pleading with her, "Can I steal you from Annemarie for a moment?"

"That's fine, Al," Annemarie replied. She turned to Verity, saying, "Consider yourself stolen." The two of them giggled, feeling like they were ten again.

"Of course, Al," Verity said, leaving the room with him. He brought her out to the den and sat on the couch, patting his lap, indicating that he want her to sit on it. She obliged happily, settling herself against him. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm ready to start my life over again," he said, "like you said earlier."

She turned to her, her bright blue eyes full of questions. "How so?"

"I'm ready to move past this. I'm done mourning the past and I'm ready for the future… getting married to you… starting a family… helping James woo Annemarie… I'm ready for it," he said.

She smiled, pressing her lips to his longingly. She broke off, saying, "That's wonderful, Albus."

"There's just one more thing," he added hesitantly, one hand resting against her stomach, the other running anxiously through his jet black hair.

She cocked an eyebrow at him, saying, "Godric's Hollow?"

"Godric's Hollow"