Chapter Twenty-Eight
Christmas morning was slightly chaotic, since Gid brought his family over, too. Mum was content to hold tiny Percy, while the rest of us chased Bill and Charlie around. Those two happily hid in the used wrappings, giggling as we pretended to be unable to find them.
Later that morning, we took the boys out to play in the snow, giving Mum and Molly a break from their excitement. Lily and Nic taught Charlie how to make a snow angel, while Gid and Bill "saved" me from the mad sorcerer (Arthur) and his dim henchman (Fab, so named by Gid). The boys used a few handily placed Notice-Me-Not charms all around the back garden, so we could more easily use magic in our play. But even magic couldn't keep us warm forever, so, sopping wet, freezing cold, and grinning from ear to ear, we eventually trooped back inside, where Molly had hot cocoa for us all.
It wasn't long after warming up that Bill and Charlie both began blinking frequently. And it was only about five minutes later that Molly convinced both of them to take naps, after I told them they could sleep in my nice cozy bed. Lily and I tucked the boys into my bed, then grabbed several games to play with everyone else. We introduced all the Purebloods to Cluedo, to astounding success. Arthur, of course, adored it, but the boys all loved it, as well. Molly opted out, as did Mum. The two of them happily gossiped in the chairs, while the rest of us sprawled on the floor in front of the fireplace, surrounding the board.
Gid and Fab argued over which one had to be Mrs. White for the fourth round of the game, loudly enough they almost covered up the roar of the fireplace as Lottie Flooed over. She nearly fell on top of me and Lily, but gained her balance just in time. "Happy Christmas, Lottie!" I cried, but my happy surprise was cut off when I saw her face more clearly.
"Happy Christmas," she said, clearly not feeling the holiday cheer. "I'm so sorry to interrupt, especially today, but… Will you boys come with me? I was supposed to go to Max's for Christmas dinner, but the Floo's closed, disconnected somehow. And I know the McKinnons made their fireplace private, but I was supposed to be able to use it. I'm sure it's nothing, but I can't help worrying. Will you come with me to check it out?"
Gid and Fab instantly sobered, sharing one of their very communicative looks. "We'll go, Lottie," Fab said as they stood up, gathering wands from where they'd been casually set down.
"You stay here," Gid added. "I'm sure it's nothing, but better be safe."
"I can take care of myself!" Lottie replied hotly.
Gid grinned back, but without mirth. "We know you can," he assured her.
"But you're not an Auror in training," Fab finished. "We'll be back shortly."
"I'm going with you," Arthur said, collecting his wand as well. "I may not be an Auror, but I am a Ministry official. It's my duty to help." Gid and Fab accepted quickly, but grudgingly.
Gid brushed a kiss to my hair, and all three gathered coats and headed to the door. "What can I do?" I asked, desperately trying to shove the ball of terror growing in my stomach down.
"Floo call Moody," Gid told me over his shoulder. "Tell him where we're going, and why."
Months earlier, at Gid's insistence, I'd had our fireplace connected directly to their trainer's home and office, for instances just like this. So, with a heavy heart, I grabbed a pinch of Floo powder, threw it in the fire, and stuck my head in after. "Alastor Moody!" I called out, bracing myself for the spinning and jolting that followed.
I wasn't sure how it worked, but somehow Gid had managed to tweak the spell on the Floo connection to allow me (or anyone using my fireplace) to be able to be connected directly to Auror Moody, whether he be at home or in his office. I also wasn't entirely sure it was legal, but since the Auror had been the one to suggest it, I wasn't complaining. Being Christmas Day, I wasn't surprised to see him at home, though the dressing gown he sported was a bit surprising.
"What is it, Miss Evans?" he asked, seeming utterly unsurprised to seeing my head floating in his fireplace.
"Gid and Fab need your help," I said, explaining everything Lottie had told us to the man. "Gid said to tell you."
"At least he's got some sense in that impulsive head of his," he grumbled, clumping away from the fireplace on his new and mildly terrifying peg leg.
When he didn't return after a minute, I realized he'd actually left, presumably to join the boys. I retreated from the fireplace to see Lily and Nic on either side of Lottie, silently comforting her as best they could. "Auror Moody's gone to help the boys," I said, forcing as much cheer into my tone as possible. "I'm sure it's nothing." Even I could hear the false hope in my voice, so I stopped talking.
We sat mainly in silence for over two hours. Bill and Charlie woke up in that time, but even they understood that something bad had happened. Instead of being loud and boisterous, both cuddled in, Charlie on Molly's lap, and Bill in mine, content to be held for a time. Bill even held Lottie's hand, though he did make me move to be able to do so.
Arthur Flooed in at dusk, stumbling uncharacteristically. He looked at all of us, shaking his head slightly. "I'm so sorry," he said, voice cracking on the third word. "The McKinnon home was set on fire very early this morning, with an Anti-Apparition Jinx placed on it to keep everyone in. There hasn't been an official identification as of yet, but it appears that all the members of the McKinnon family were inside when the fire was set, including Max and Marlene. I am so sorry."
…
When Arthur had told us the whole McKinnon family had been at home, he hadn't been exaggerating. It had always been a McKinnon tradition to eat Christmas dinner together, so all branches of the family had been present. The only one spared had been an elderly aunt, bedridden with a case of the dragon pox. And when the Ministry official went to inform her of the deaths, her poor heart gave out, and she joined the rest of her family.
As such, the Ministry arranged the funeral, though we, and friends of the older McKinnons, voiced very strident protests. But we were ignored, and so found ourselves at the Ministry two days after Boxing Day in our best black robes. Some weedy looking official got up and spoke, though he barely spoke of the younger generation at all. He also pronounced Marly's middle name wrong, something that made me want to strangle him. And possibly curse the whole room. I refrained, even though Marly would have cheered, had I done it. If she'd been alive.
My anger, at the Death Eaters, and the Ministry for how they'd handled everything, and for the fact that my friends were dead, was all I'd been able to focus on for the past three days. But at that thought, the thought that Marly would have laughed if she'd been alive, broke through, choking me with tears. Within a minute, I was sobbing, gasping for breath as I clung to Lily's hand. Gid tried to comfort me, but Max had been his best friend, the third in their comedic trio. It was wrong to see him and Fab without Max, much like it probably seemed wrong to see us girls without Marly.
After the funeral, we gathered without much thought at my house. Mum and Molly were there with hugs and soft smiles, but they both knew there wasn't much they could say to make us feel any better. No one seemed much inclined to talk, but no one wanted to be alone, either. We simply wandered aimlessly around the house, eating when Molly shoved food at us with a stern look.
Gid and Fab helped Molly take her boys home, then they showed up again with several bottles of firewhisky and butterbeer. "Sorry, Lily, you're still too young," Fab teased, the shadow of his usual grin hanging around his mouth.
Mum didn't say a word, simply kissed all of us on the head and went to bed. I grabbed us all glasses, and Gid popped open the first bottle. "To Max and Marly," he said, raising his glass once everyone had one.
"To Max and Marly," we all intoned, some of us more teary than others, before taking a swallow of the drink.
It burned going down, ripping a gasp from me, as well as Tina and Danae. But it seemed to burn more than just my throat, filling me with a feeling that was sort of like courage. At least, it encouraged me to finish the glass.
I wasn't sure exactly when Lily headed up to bed, but she kissed my head, just like Mum had. The rest of us sat in the lounge that night, drinking here and there, but mostly talking about Max and Marly, sharing memories and laughing at the ridiculous things we'd all done with them.
"I still can't believe they're gone," Danae whispered, very late that night. Or very early, depending on how one looked at it. "I mean, it just seems like they've just gone in the other room. I keep expecting to see one of them walking in with some big joke to tell us."
"Or arguing with each other," Lottie smirked.
We all laughed at that. "They were always arguing," Gid agreed.
Fab smirked. "But you should hear Max telling off any bloke who looked too long at his baby sister. He always threatens them, very inventively. Or, I guess- I guess, he did."
It was quiet for a long moment, as we all were reminded that we would never see our friends again. Until Lottie spoke up. "My mum and dad are moving to America. Mum already gets enough guff for choosing to practice a Muggle science, and add being married to a Muggle? Well, let's just say there's been enough threats that she's taking it seriously. She wants me to go with them."
My eyebrows shot up at that. I'd just lost one of my best friends, and now I was to lose another? Gid wrapped his arm around my shoulder in support, and I released the breath I hadn't known I'd been holding. She'd just lost her best friend and boyfriend, and now she was going to lose her parents. Who was I to hold her back? "We'll miss you, love," I said softly.
Lottie laughed bitterly. "I'm not running," she spat. "I'm staying here. And I'm going to do everything I can to help keep everyone I can safe. I can only do so much, but my article is my voice. And I'm not letting those bloody cowards running around in masks take it from me. I'm staying right here."
AN: So, that happened. It's not really the deaths you guys were expecting, and it's not quite the right timing for canon, but it happened. And it sucked writing it. But I always knew, way back when I decided to make Marly one of Pet's friends, that it was coming. Sorry for any heartbreak. But, sadly, more is on it's way. This story, in and of itself, isn't going to end happily, but that's what the sequel is for. Thanks for reading, and a big thanks to all of you who review!
