Book 4: Astoria Greengrass and the Curse of Quennell Park
Song rec: "10,000 Days (Wings Pt. 2)" by Tool
The morning post brought a letter from Mrs Ciel-Greengrass's parents in France. It was in French, obviously, so Rhiannon couldn't read it. But after a long, confusing night in the family, they had confirmation: Astoria was alive. Not only did the Ciels report the good news, they included a copy of Astoria's letter for them! Even though the only things Rhiannon could read were "Hogwarts," "Parque du Quennell," and Astoria's signature, she held the letter closely and looked at each word on it. The perfection of the quill's pressure. The dainty handwriting. Astoria had been alive! What had she done all this time?
Once she was forced to end her turn with the letter, Rhiannon handed it to Mrs Ciel-Greengrass who translated it for everyone. Rhiannon listened intently. Before the translation, she wished it said all kinds of things that it actually didn't. It carried no word of Hestia. Rhiannon wanted it all, but what information the letter did carry would carry Rhiannon back across the Atlantic. It was time to go home. The Greengrasses could figure out what to do with their Boston house later.
Unlike the fashion in which they had departed England, the Greengrass family was returning with roughly two suitcases to a person. Rhiannon carried three. One for the things she owned, and two for Astoria's most prized possessions, because only she knew what Astoria's favourite stuff was. Astoria had informed her maternal grandparents that she'd been staying with Andromeda Tonks. By the time Rhiannon would arrive, Astoria would be at Quennell Park with said grandparents. Rhiannon was amazed that Quennell Park still stood. She was brimming with questions. To start, who had rescued Astoria from the burning house?
Well, knowing Astoria, she might have saved herself.
Rhiannon and the Greengrass clan arrived at the Wizarding port in Mers-les-Bains on the fourteenth of May and took the magic ferry to Bexhill-on-Sea. There, everyone Apparated or Sidled Along to the place with all the answers, Quennell Park, off a little lane in Penhurst.
In spite of all the good news that awaited her, it was jarring for Rhiannon to see the façade of the house again, because it had been the last image burned into her mind before leaving Britain. She thought her best friend had died there. Its damaged shell and all of its lavish insides showed up in her dreams even more than Hogwarts. Off to the side of the front garden, there was a disturbed area where many trees had been cut. Nobody else seemed to notice.
Mrs Ciel-Greengrass, Mr Greengrass, and Daphne entered first, since they had always lived there, and they were fluent in the language of the current occupants. Astoria's paternal grandparents waddled in behind. Then there was the sea of relatives. Rhiannon found that she was one of the last people to scramble in. Rhiannon heard the name Astoria in mouthfuls of French dozens of times within one minute. The entrance hall, for as big as it was, was extremely crowded. There had been one less loss, and everyone desired to see Astoria alive. Eventually, in the confusion, word spread that Astoria was out for a walk on the grounds. Rhiannon laughed and shook her head. What bad timing. The message of Astoria's whereabouts got more muddled each time it travelled to the next person, and there were now the words "boyfriend" and "baby," being tossed about, followed by "babies" and "over that way." Nobody was able to make sense of any of that. Rhiannon couldn't see Astoria's parents and sister in the crowd anymore; they were the only ones with the real message.
Being at the edge of the scramble made it easy for Rhiannon to wiggle her way back towards the door. She was surprised to see Mrs Tonks, who was speaking French with one of the Ciels. Rhiannon waved at her unassumingly so as not to interrupt. Then she went back outside. Whilst everyone else was trying to ask which way Astoria had gone, Rhiannon figured she'd just mosey round till she found her. Whenever Rhiannon and Astoria had gone for walks, they usually started on the east path, so that's where Rhiannon disappeared to.
The day was fairly warm but breezy. In some way, the grounds felt different. Rhiannon didn't know how. Maybe it was knowing that her friend was here somewhere. Well, Rhiannon had more luck than she anticipated. She stopped right at the spot where the view of the mansion disappeared, and it was from there that she saw Astoria, sitting on a bench that they had sat on many times. Rhiannon saw Astoria's long brown hair annoy her in the wind and smiled. She wore a sunny yellow and white striped dress, and her light cardigan hung over the back of the bench. In front of Astoria was a large twin pram. Above the pram were bright squiggles of airborne wand-writing, cast by the wizard sitting next to Astoria. His other arm stretched behind her across the seat. He was all dressed up, and his hair glowed in the sun. Rhiannon tried not to think about him too hard. She was on this walk for one reason, and it wasn't him. But what would Rhiannon say to Astoria when she approached? "Hello?"
Malfoy looked away from the pram and leaned way back in the seat. He found and faced Rhiannon. Then… he smiled?
Malfoy wrapped his arm tight over Astoria's shoulder and squeezed her, nodding towards Rhiannon's direction. Astoria turned her head. Then her eyes went huge, and she jumped up, and before Rhiannon knew it, Astoria had run the whole length of the distance between them and dived into her arms. Rhiannon had hardly been able to catch her embrace without getting her toes stepped on.
"Rhiannon!" Astoria cried. "Rhiannon!"
Rhiannon squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears. Astoria stank of a perfume she didn't care for, which made it all funnier. Everything was funny with Astoria.
"My God, you're alive," Rhiannon squeaked out. "Astoria, you've no idea. You've no idea… Oh my God."
"I missed you so much. I'm so glad you're back. Oh, Rhiannon," Astoria cried more. "Oh, Rhiannon, Hestia's fine…"
"You reading my thoughts?" Rhiannon sniggered.
"No, Rhi, I just know. Hestia's fine; she misses you so badly. Flora's fine. And Tracey and Montel and Max. And Alexa and Horatio and Curtis and Heather, they're fine. And Ginny Weasley, and Professor Sinistra, and Professor Flitwick," Astoria sputtered eagerly.
They couldn't even let go enough to look each other in the eye, but Rhiannon felt a large bandage on Astoria's back. When they finally loosened, Rhiannon realised that she was looking at a different person than the girl she had left. Astoria's eyes were a little wet, but they were sharp and knowing. Come to think of it, she had a small, raised scar under each eye. They matched enough for it to be strange. What had happened?
Astoria had evidently planned to wear the cardigan round other people, because she started to shy when Rhiannon saw her arms. Her wrist had a scar around it. Something had discoloured a loop all round the top of her wand arm. Not to mention that arm was marred from the crook down; her veins were all showing through her skin in a nasty grey, like she had welded a spiderweb to herself.
"Who did this to you?" Rhiannon demanded, because she had already made it obvious that she was looking.
Astoria opened her mouth, but no sound came out, and her eyes glassed. Rhiannon hugged her again.
"Sorry, you don't have to say anything. Are you okay now?"
"I'm okay now," Astoria affirmed.
Rhiannon nodded into her shoulder. She was alive. It was a miracle. Rhiannon knew once Astoria's family found her, she would be bombarded with questions, so she decided not to ask any. Astoria would tell Rhiannon everything she needed to know when she was ready and comfortable. Because they were best friends. They were there for each other.
"I have the cardigan… for when my parents…" Astoria spoke. "How are my parents?"
"I mean, they're better now, you know?" Rhiannon said honestly. "They'll probably be here soon."
"Yeah… Rhiannon, I'm so sorry I couldn't contact you all sooner."
"Astoria, that's not your fault! Merlin! No more apologies, all right? You're flippin' alive! That's all I wanted!" Rhiannon said emphatically.
Astoria nodded.
"Look, I got a tattoo for you!" Rhiannon said with a laugh, showing it off. "To remember you every day!"
"I remembered you every day, too, Rhiannon," Astoria peeped, her eyes wetting again. "Say, do you suppose Asenath could cover these marks on my arm with a tattoo? I was thinking of perhaps dressing it to look like cherry blossom branches and flowers… I'm not very artistic, so hopefully I can just describe it to her."
"I think that's a great idea, Astoria," Rhiannon said warmly. "What're your parents gonna say when you sneak a tattoo on?"
Astoria sighed, "Oh, I can only guess, but it will be better than… this."
Rhiannon looked on sympathetically, and then her eyes wandered back to Malfoy and the pram. The Ciels must have let him on the property because they had no idea who he was. Wait till the Greengrasses found out.
"Oh, yes! Here, come meet the children!" Astoria said like she had suddenly remembered there was a pram and a Malfoy back there.
She scurried ahead of Rhiannon. When Rhiannon arrived, Malfoy stood up and — wait, was any of this real, or was it just a vivid dream? Malfoy was offering her a handshake. Rhiannon made a show of pinching herself.
"Not a dream," Malfoy drawled in his farmy little accent. "I want to apologise to you. I'm sorry for being a racist prat to you… for five years straight."
Rhiannon took Malfoy's soft, pale hand and shook it with some force.
"Mm!" was what she managed to produce in response.
Glad you aren't dead, Malfoy, but what the hell is going on?
Rhiannon looked into the twin pram, and indeed there were two whole babies there.
The one on the left was clothed in a babygrow with little teddy bears on it, had very blond fuzz, and was already back asleep. The dark-haired one on the right was still excited about the wand writing, and was clothed in stars. Rhiannon had a really big feeling boiling in her stomach, and she had no idea what kind of feeling it was. Fear? Delight? Disgust? Anger? Love? Gas?
"Whose… er…" Rhiannon stammered.
Astoria gasped, "Oh, no, Rhiannon! Goodness!"
Then she erupted in giggles. She must have read Rhiannon's mind.
"Oh, ha, sorry," Rhiannon said.
Astoria stopped laughing and encouraged Rhiannon to sit down with her. Malfoy sauntered away along the path, seeming to expect a private conversation. Astoria removed the bracelet she was wearing over her scar. The bracelet was not set with a charm, but a piece of Foe-Glass. The piece Rhiannon had lost in the house. Wow. Astoria had kept and made use of it this whole time. Rhiannon stammered something and took the bracelet. She looked into the shard. There wasn't a single figure in it, and even the fog was gone. It was, for once, as clear as the sky above.
"The baby girl is Andromeda and Ted Tonks's new baby," Astoria revealed. "Her name is pronounced Del-fee-nee, and we call her Delphi. The boy is Professor Lupin and Nymphadora's son. His name is Edward, and we call him Teddy. He has blond hair right now, but it changes all the time, like Nymphadora's."
Rhiannon's whole world expanded with joy.
"That's wonderful! You've been babysitting? Where is—?"
Astoria placed a hand on Rhiannon's shoulder.
"Rhiannon, we have a lot to talk about."
She had said it differently, in a way that made Rhiannon know something was wrong. Astoria must have known she had produced anxiety, because she let it out at once.
"Rhiannon, I'm so sorry. Professor Lupin, Nymphadora, and Ted Tonks were all killed in the war."
It was the worst news to have, but Rhiannon wouldn't have wanted it delivered to her by anyone else but Astoria. Her burning eyes found Astoria's parents and other relatives cresting the hill, eager to reunite with their loved one. So Rhiannon nodded at Astoria, and Astoria nodded back. With one last look at the babies, Rhiannon turned and left, running down the path. She turned onto another path before reaching Malfoy, whom she ignored. She kept going. She ran and ran and forgot to breathe, and ran some more, away from everybody and everything. She went past the stables, the rosarium, the sporting fields, and a pond she never knew was there, and she kept going until the paths dissolved, the grass was unkempt, and she had reached the very end of Quennell Park for the first time. Rhiannon was far enough away to be more alone than alone. She sat down in the grass, and her laboured breathing degraded into sobs.
It was all too much. Rhiannon had been hiding away when Astoria had reunited with her parents and family. They were so happy, but Rhiannon couldn't bear to see their miracle. Even though Rhiannon was practically part of the Greengrass family, it was more situational than emotional, wasn't it? There was no family here for Rhiannon to embrace. There was no more tatty jumper and gentle voice.
Rhiannon awoke the next day in a room at Quennell Park she had never stayed in before, and she couldn't get up for a long time. Her excruciating grief over Professor Lupin had led her to ask Astoria "who else is dead," and the answers were all terrible. But she could only let the morning draw on for so long because people would probably try to come talk to her. She didn't want to talk. She worked right out of her suitcase to get herself ready. She was clothed as best she could be, and she knocked on Astoria's door. She would visit Hestia, she said, and would Astoria like to come.
Well, Astoria indicated to Rhiannon that her parents would both have aneurysms if she left the house anytime soon, so Rhiannon decided to go by herself.
"Where are they at, exactly? You said they're staying in Diagon Alley?" Rhiannon asked.
"421 East Carkitt, Building Two. With their father, Aban, who's, er, recovering. Er… would you like the short version of the story before you go?" Astoria offered.
"Yeah, Hestia can tell me the long version, but I'd like not to be clueless."
So Astoria gave Rhiannon the short version of the Carrows' story, which was already bad enough.
"I think I'll go by Floo and then walk," Rhiannon said.
"Well, er, we're not yet on the Floo, and the twins don't have a fireplace there."
"Oh. I'll take the broom."
"Do you know how to get there by broom?"
"I need the broom ride either way."
"Okay, Rhi. Please be safe. Do you need me to Disillusion you?"
"Nah, I learnt the spell. Thanks, Astoria."
"Tell them I said hello."
Rhiannon kicked off for a long broom ride. It seemed like there was nothing out there for hundreds of klicks… well, because there wasn't. It was all grass and pastures. But she knew London whether she was on foot, in a taxi, or way up in the sky. She touched down in Diagon Alley, which had loads of boarded shops and missing persons posters. Rhiannon made herself visible again, even though she suddenly felt like she wasn't much to look at. What would Hestia think when she saw her? Was she still interested in rekindling what they had?
"Astoria said hello," Rhiannon spat out when Flora opened the door.
"Merlin's moobs! Get in here, you dolt," Flora laughed. "Hestia! Guess who!"
Rhiannon stepped into the shabby flat and started to wonder if the twins were squatting there instead of renting. She passed absolutely no judgment; she just wanted better for them, and fast. She heard Hestia's footsteps clunk against the damaged wood floor somewhere.
"Is Astoria—?" Hestia asked, and then she dropped the tea towel she was holding.
"It-It's me," Rhiannon said.
If Rhiannon were the sun, Hestia's smile was solar-powered. She shimmied round a stack of cauldrons in between them and pulled her silken, dusty brown hair back from her elegantly slanting shoulders. Hestia hadn't changed a bit. She was fiddling with her hands in front of her gently breathing chest, and her fingernails were all caked with potions ingredients. Her grey-green eyes were bright as morning light reflecting on a lake.
"Rhiannon," Hestia tasted the name, overwhelmed. "Oh, Rhiannon, I can't even start! I'm just — I'm just so happy you're safe! I mean, she said you got away, but… Oh my gosh. Thank you for coming back."
Rhiannon drew her into a big, warm embrace.
"You're the best surprise ever," Hestia cried, breathing her in. "Life's been awful without you."
"The same without you, Hestia. Tell me everything."
Hestia scratched the back of her head, and then spread her arm across the flat.
"Well, erm, this is where we are for now. Er, just for now. We were concerned that any Death-Leftovers were gonna come looking for us. But, er, we've already had our big court date. They might call us in again, but it's no big deal. Amycus and Alecto are dead, so. Er. Once we get everything in order and the Ministry says it's safe, we'll get a better place. Dad's getting better; he was Imperiused all this time, actually. I thought he was just Imperiused during the battle, but turns out… Well…" Hestia started to describe, but she became suddenly sad. "Well, sometimes he still hears commands, like, in his head, but he's doing okay. He's in his room just sort of sitting and staring, so, er, I might wait till he's up and about to introduce you… I'm sorry… It's a lot, a lot happened…"
"Hestia, it's fine," Rhiannon insisted.
"Shall we sit?" Hestia asked ashamedly, for she had to transfigure chairs out of overturned cardboard boxes.
She, Flora, and Rhiannon all took a chair. Flora spoke up to try to help Hestia piece the story together.
"Amycus and Alecto were deputy headmasters, and they tortured us all."
"Y-Yeah, Astoria said that. She said it was pretty bad," Rhiannon remarked.
"It was, because they were terrible people," Flora said. "They actually tried to kill Hestia and Dad. But they got what was coming to them. It's like a new life, isn't it?"
"It really is," Hestia agreed. "I'd like to say that we can do anything we want, like it's some great fun thing, but honestly, just being allowed to live in peace, y'know? We aren't even doing anything special. It's just daily life. Daily life is so much nicer."
"I'm so glad to hear it."
"Oh, Rhi, there's so much to say, really. I don't know if I can right now. But on another note, Pariah was banned from the wireless during the war, but we heard it on the Witching Hour again just recently… was it Saturday?"
"Yes, Saturday," Flora said. "Oh, it was wild. They played some stuff from Fed Lines, believe it or not. I'm surprised the Death Eaters hadn't stormed the W.W.N. to burn all the copies. The jockeys must have saved a copy accidentally by using it as a coaster or something. When I heard it, it made me realise I couldn't fill for shit."
"We were like, fourteen, Flora," Rhiannon smirked. "You know how to fill now."
"Or I did. It's been so long."
"We should have a jam session," Hestia suggested spiritedly.
"You can't be serious," Rhiannon smiled. "The war just ended, and you wanna play?"
"Hey, we owe Infinite one more album, remember? I've got no ideas, but if I don't play an instrument sometime soon, I'm going to get Umbridge-itis," Hestia said. "We should play together again, no pressure."
"I think you're right, Hestia," Flora conceded. "It's not like we're busy anymore. I can feel the depression coming on, so I'll need something to make me move. Do you think Astoria will have us over her place now that we can go?"
Rhiannon pursed her lips, "I think her parents would be thrilled to have any callers besides Malfoy, yeah."
"Oooooh, yeaaaaaah, they're totally still datiiiiing," Hestia said through her teeth comically. "Don't ask us how that happened, Rhi. We had no part in it. Those two are like magnets."
"I believe you," Rhiannon chuckled. "So is his dad in prison again or what?"
"Er, no, actually, they just came down with the verdict the other day. Draco didn't really do anything, so he's got no charge in the first place, but Lucius struck a deal to give out information. Well, believe it or not, it's his information that the Ministry's using to help us. They're following all the leads he gives. Sooner or later, we won't have to worry about stragglers."
"We're working on what to do with Amycus and Alecto's stuff. Anything magical we're trying to sell in Diagon Alley, and anything ordinary, we're giving to Muggle charities and clothes drives," Hestia said with a firm nod. "Make 'em roll in their grave."
"What's been on with you? Where did you stay?" Flora asked.
With all that Hestia and Flora had been through, Rhiannon felt guilty talking about herself. After all, she had been safe the whole time, whilst they had spent the last year in danger. Hestia was leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands, and her physique was so pleasant to study. Did Rhiannon really have to talk about life in Boston? Rhiannon was home again, with Hestia here. But Hestia was both curious and concerned, so Rhiannon figured she'd cooperate.
It was then, though, that their dad came out from his room. From what Rhiannon remembered of her brief encounter with Alecto, he looked very similar to his sister. Actually, they all looked pretty similar, but Flora and Hestia had a different facial structure than their father and aunt. Aban Carrow was probably in his mid-thirties, but he had a gut and thinning hair. His grey-green eyes went all over the room, like he couldn't decide where to look. Flora stood up to draw his attention and ask him if he was ready for breakfast.
"Ready for breakfast," Mr Carrow said, then stared at Rhiannon. "How'd she get here?"
Hestia stammered a little and looked from Rhiannon to the floor.
"Dad, this is our friend, Rhiannon. She's from school and the band," Hestia said, standing up and rubbing her arm.
"School and the band? What? Who is she?" Mr Carrow asked, blinking rapidly.
"Rhiannon Clarke, Dad."
"Rhiannon. Oh, that's good," he said.
He didn't get round to saying "hello" or "nice to meet you," but Rhiannon couldn't care less. He'd been Imperiused for over a decade. Flora led him into the tiny, dirty kitchen and wiped off the table before sitting him down.
"I can feed myself, Miss Flora," Mr Carrow grumbled.
"You'll drop everything," Flora remarked. "We only have a few plates and goblets here with us."
The pair argued a bit over breakfast, which Hestia was not taking part in.
"Can I help you two go through the stuff to give away?" Rhiannon offered, since the boxes that were here already looked overwhelming.
Hestia looked at her thankfully, but whispered, "Flora won't even let me help her half the time."
Rhiannon half-nodded, since she only half-understood. The sound of Flora clinking plates in the kitchen wasn't enough to stop the silence from becoming awkward.
"You can go eat," Rhiannon said. "I ain't going anywhere anymore."
"Oh, I'm not hungry yet. It's just porridge and yesterday's ham anyway," Hestia shrugged.
"Well, you gotta eat eventually."
"I will, I will. Er, I wanted to say, er, well, erm…" Hestia stammered. "I told Dad that erm, you were our friend because, well, er, you are. I mean, I wanted to introduce you as what you are to both me and Flora. Erm. I mean, if you didn't want me to say, er… or if you felt like it wasn't… I didn't want to say something that you didn't feel anymore, but I still… er… I still…"
Rhiannon smiled and announced, "Well, I was hoping you'd take me back. I meant what I said during the O.W.L.s."
"I did, too," Hestia responded eagerly. "I just wanted to be sure."
"Yeah, I mean, you can tell your dad I'm your girlfriend, if you think he'd be okay with, er, that sort of thing," Rhiannon said.
She had never thought she'd get to this place in life.
"Yeah! I mean he probably won't know either way tomorrow, but yeah! He's never been… he's not like them at all, you know? He never minded Muggle-borns. He's just a bit befuddled after the spell," Hestia said. "But he's still Dad. Or, I mean he's Dad now… Or, no, he was always Dad, but like, well. Point is, he's free."
"That's good news."
"Yeah! Erm… and… what else… Well, we've er, been taking care of the Gringotts vault. It was sort of a weird situation. Turns out Amycus and Alecto had completely got their affairs in order when we were little and left everything to Flora, outlining that nothing would go to Dad or me. It's stupid. So now Flora's been doing paperwork longer than her Arithmancy homework to get us our cut based on need and Dad's disability."
"Huh. Glad you'll finally get your royalties, at least, once she's done with paperwork," said Rhiannon.
"Hardly," Hestia sighed. "They blew through the royalties so quickly that they needed me to keep making money with potions. Because, you know, they were both unemployed except for Knockturn trading and the occasional bounty. Their parents left them out of the will, so they stole what was left for Dad and squandered that, too."
"That's my mum and money, too," Rhiannon said. "Seems like the way things are."
"Innit?"
"But things will turn round."
"Yeah, I'm ready to start fresh. Well, would you like some ham? We're out of tea. And pumpkin juice."
"And coffee," Flora called.
"So we have water and… er, water," Hestia said.
Rhiannon brought her chair and Hestia's to the small round table. She hadn't come here to take their food, but since Hestia was already so embarrassed about her hosting conditions, Rhiannon let herself be fed, and said that water was what she wanted anyway.
"So, where did you go?" asked Hestia. "You never got round to saying."
"Well, after the explosion — did Astoria tell you about that? Okay, yeah. After that, we Apparated south and took a ferry to France. Then we took a ship to the U.S. Their new mansion was in Boston. There were lots of people there, so at least it sort of made sense that it was a mansion. We ended up going to Ilvermorny. I don't know if you remember Sally-Anne Perks from the year up, but that's where she transferred."
"Ilvermorny?" Flora repeated. "Well, that's not bad. This whole time, I had a suspicion you were stuck unfolding the sculptured serviettes at Beauxbatons."
"I mean, it was different," Rhiannon said. "They number their floors all strange, and they have a school counsellor I was seeing, but you can only see her during the year."
"School counsellor? We could really use that!" Flora exclaimed.
"Yeah, I thought so, too," Rhiannon snorted. "But you can't get certain foods there, especially round breakfast. And the classes are named in really stupid ways. They put Potions and Herbology in one class at Ilvermorny, and they call it 'Herbology and Brewing.'"
"Brewing? Oh, that's unforgivable," Hestia giggled.
"M-hmm. And I was Sorted in Wampus because… I dunno. The body."
"What? The body what?" Flora asked.
"The body. Full stop," Rhiannon said. "Wampus is the House of the body."
The twins were beaming and scrunching their noses.
"I don't get it," Hestia said.
"None of us did. Flora, I think you'd be in American Ravenclaw. It's called Horned Serpent. For the mind."
"Oh? That's neat," said Flora quizzically.
"Do you know what House you'd be in, Hestia?" Rhiannon asked.
"Wh- No, I don't know anything about Ilvermorny!"
"You'd be in Pukwudgie."
"I what? Is that like Slytherin?"
"No," Rhiannon laughed even more. "It's the heart."
"The heart?"
Rhiannon brushed the soft, blushing cheek of her long-lost girlfriend. Then she started doing their secret handshake, which had never had a pattern anyway, so they made it up all over again.
"I love you, Hestia."
Hestia's joy lit up the whole room.
"God, Rhiannon, I love you too."
Godric's Hollow was one of the most famous or infamous places in Wizarding Britain depending on how one looked at it. But Rhiannon wasn't there for anything to do with Harry Potter or the Dumbledore family.
The Tonks family had a plot there, a grave plot. Rhiannon had been visiting Professor Lupin and Tonks's spot along with Astoria, Mrs Tonks, Mrs Ciel-Greengrass, and the babies. But she had always been in the company of others on these visits to the gravesite, and understandably, Mrs Tonks was always in pieces. But right now, Rhiannon had a few moments to herself. She felt she should have come with more things to say, even if she didn't say them out loud. Instead, she just stared at the headstone.
HUSBAND
REMUS JOHN LUPIN
10 MARCH 1960 – 2 MAY 1998
—
WIFE
NYMPHADORA ANN TONKS
12 DECEMBER 1972 – 2 MAY 1998
—
THE BODY SERVES AS SOIL FOR A BETTER WORLD
THE SPIRIT LIVES TO TEACH, LEST WE FORGET
It hurt so deeply. Rhiannon crouched down, reached over the many knickknacks left there, and touched the grave. The headstone was cool and grainy. It felt sort of nice to make contact, even if they were six feet apart. She had already racked her brain fifty times over to remember the exact words Professor Lupin had last spoken to her. She had scribbled it down in her spiral notebook when she was in the U.S., but maybe Astoria could use Legilimency or something to pick the words out of her. He said something like "there are more important lessons than what goes on the O.W.L." and "you're the witch to teach that when your time comes." Rhiannon wanted to do exactly what he was suggesting, but she didn't understand it. She really didn't want to be a teacher herself, even though he had been her number one role model.
"Rhiannon, dear."
Professor Sinistra was standing behind her, probably about to tell her that she was late for her place at the Christening. Professor Sinistra looked really nice for the ceremony, even though neither of them could figure what good splashing clueless babies with water would do. Rhiannon had put on nice clothes, but that didn't make her feel like she "looked nice." Rhiannon stood from the grave and conjured some colour-changing flowers on the bed, in mind of Tonks's hair.
"Is it time?" Rhiannon asked.
"Not yet. I realised how stressed you were. You're thinking too hard about what Remus said, Rhiannon. He meant that your story, your experience, is a lesson for others, and you are the best person to share it, whether that be talking about it or even creating music. You didn't ask for it, but your Sorting serves as a signal of changing times. Your name is already being mentioned in the paper. Tom Riddle intended to reform the whole school in honour of Salazar Slytherin. But the House of Slytherin had already been reformed because of you. Keeping what you're comfortable with in mind, Remus believed that you were bolder than him, and that your story could make a difference for others. The stigma surrounding lycanthropy kept him silent. You don't have to be silent. Yours is a voice that needs to be heard."
After Professor Sinistra said that, she walked away. As much as Rhiannon wanted to spend the remaining time before the ceremony sitting in the grass by the grave, she couldn't afford to be the only one with wrinkled clothes. She also had her beautiful bring-along guest waiting for her in there.
Rhiannon was not Teddy Lupin's only godparent, but she was the only one who wasn't Christened herself. The vicar of St Jerome's had carefully turned his eyes away from that fact since Rhiannon had no personal records from her early life, and Teddy's parents had specifically nominated her before their deaths. Rhiannon wanted to be helpful in some way to this baby so badly; maybe the vicar picked up on that, too.
Teddy's godfather was Harry Potter, and he had another godmother who was Tonks's friend, Hestia Jones. Of all three godparents, Hestia Jones seemed to know the most of what was going on, and Rhiannon knew the least. She did know that she had to stand in a few different places during the ceremony, light a candle with her wand, pray for the baby, and say "with the help of God, we will" each time the vicar asked the godparents a question.
"With the help of God, I'll remember my cues, eh?" Rhiannon joked with Professor Lupin, patting the headstone. "Well, I'll do my best, Professor."
She knew Professor Lupin had a mixed relationship with church, since she had gone to Astoria's church with him before. It wasn't religiousness that bothered him. It was knowing that there was so much suffering in the world. It was the social aspect of churchgoing, too, because everyone knew he was a werewolf.
And oh, was it social in here! When Rhiannon walked into St Jerome's, the whole place had filled up with Greengrasses, Weasleys, and Order members. The church would have been beautifully peaceful if there weren't so many people milling about the pews, but it was great to see that Mrs Tonks had so much outpouring support.
Rhiannon hadn't had a clue of what to get Teddy for his Christening gift, so she had consulted with Astoria, who was one of the godparents of Delphini Tonks, along with Professor Sinistra and Lyall Lupin. Astoria was clever about such things, and she suggested a copy of the Book of Psalms, saying, "psalms are songs, and music is a wonderful way to communicate." Rhiannon liked that idea for her gift to Teddy, even if it would be ages before he could read, and even longer before he could understand the words. (So Rhiannon had also got him lots of toys he could grow into first).
Mrs Tonks looked awesome carrying a baby in each arm. The hold she had on them flexed her muscles and let everyone know that she was the world's toughest, coolest, and most determined grandmother. Rhiannon took her seat in the front pew next to her Hestia, who had wasted no time in getting her hair chopped off. Rather than a punkish (and somewhat accidental) Chelsea style like she had before, Hestia now sported a classy pixie cut that framed the roundness of her cheeks and made her look fabulously mature. Not to mention that when they got back to school, their teachers would be able to tell her apart from her twin. Rhiannon had always had that ability regardless.
It was taking a lot of effort not to play with Hestia's hair during the ceremony. Sitting in the front pew felt super vulnerable, because there was nowhere for Rhiannon to hide her tapping feet. She tried her best to pay attention to all the things the vicar read, but if she paid too much attention, she'd look like she was staring, wouldn't she? Maybe Professor Sinistra was right; she was thinking too hard today. Hestia took her hand, and Rhiannon's nerves calmed. Rhiannon was really there, in the front row of a church, holding hands with her girlfriend and about to start being a part of little Teddy's life! It wasn't so bad after all. Delphini was Christened first, and she made a pretty bizarre noise when the water hit her head, but she was a brave baby and didn't cry. When it was time, Rhiannon stood in the correct spots at the front of the church, and she said the right words, and then Teddy got his colour-changing head all wet and started crying. But he didn't cry for long, and then it was all done.
"Good job, Rhi," Hestia said brightly once everyone started mingling in the aisles after the service.
"I didn't really do anything," Rhiannon shrugged, now that she thought about her very small part in a very long ceremony.
"Well, you showed your support. Now you're a godparent! We can watch him grow up!" Hestia said.
"Yeah, I guess that's the point — you don't really have to be family to be somebody's support," Rhiannon said, trying not to choke up. "Like Professor Lupin was with me, y'know? So I'll help Teddy any way I can."
"That's right."
Rhiannon and Hestia made their way through any open paths in the crowd they could find. Mrs Ciel-Greengrass had insisted on the reception being at Quennell Park, which was actually a good idea in order to hold everybody. Rhiannon wanted to get there first, to get Hestia a spot towards the end of the table where her claustrophobia wouldn't act up. Hestia said it wasn't that big of a deal, but either way, Rhiannon knew Hestia liked to be led by the hand. They weaved through all the people gushing that "Delphi looks just like you, Andromeda!" and "Teddy's hair's changing again!"
"Oh, wait, Rhiannon, can we stop by Lupin and Tonks?" Hestia asked as they were walking down the stone steps.
Rhiannon had planned to go back to their grave anyway to prove to them that she had actually managed to find someone special. They made their way through the maze of headstones easily because Rhiannon knew the exact spot. When they got there, Hestia reached deep in her dress pocket and got a handful of seeds.
"These'll last longer than conjured flowers," Hestia said, and she started planting them on either side of the headstone.
Everything that Hestia planted always sprouted and grew.
She circles mashed strawberries
beblooding a sun
round a chopped purple umbel:
Eryngium maritimum
"This is an old family ritual"
comes her big, warm welcome
"Breathe first, then swallow"
And then with her thumb
she presses a floret
to the mid of my tongue
I breathe then I swallow
Love, what have you done
There are sea hollies growing
so deep in my lungs
- "Nocturne 10," personal collection