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Part 3: The Best Thing…
"Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard"
~Coldplay
"I assume she is staying here now Remus." Remus nodded at Dumbledore's comment but his thoughts were some place else. He had so much on his mind he was afraid it would never make sense. But then again, things with Elizabeth rarely made sense.
"I want her well guarded Remus, she mustn't leave the house. I had underestimated the death eaters before; I shall not do it again…"
"Is this not a conversation I should be privy to?" Elizabeth asked from the doorway where she stood. Her raven hair fell perfectly on her shoulders framing her face, as usual, and Remus felt the usual twinge of desire. She had been listening the entire time.
"My dear Elizabeth. I daresay you are in good health," Dumbledore said taking her hand and examining her with a smile on his face, "I know the healer I sent was not the best but Poppy said he is one of ours."
Elizabeth nodded, smiling gently, "He was pure, and extremely hopeful. I assume he felt that I was a test for him."
He nodded, "It is difficult to tell who is on our side but we must make do with what we have," Dumbledore said, a smile still on his face. He wished that this horror had not affected the children he had known so long ago, but they were no longer children, and they knew as much as he did about the terrors of this world.
"I want to help with the order again," Elizabeth began, "I want to read people, see if they are pure. It'll be much easier than simply judging them like this," she said taking Dumbledore's hands and stared into his all-knowing eyes, "I need to make things right or at least try."
"I wish I could allow you to, and perhaps there was a time when I would have. But not now, not after what happened to you. It is obvious that the death eaters and Lord Voldemort are looking for you. Elizabeth, you must understand that having an empithimagus puts us a step ahead of Voldemort, but if you were to fall into his hands we would be at a great loss. As much as we may need your help in the Order, I feel you will be a much safer and a better help here. Possibly you and the children can finish cleaning this old house. Merlin knows this house could use a wash," Dumbledore said as he waved his wand around causing all the dust bunnies that were hidden to creep out.
"I cannot simply sit here and do nothing. I refuse to. What is the point of being an empithimagus when I am not allowed to do anything for the Order?"
Dumbledore smirked, "We can continue this later, as of now I am late for a meeting. Tell Molly I am sorry for not staying for dinner, Shepard's pie is one of my favorites but alas duty calls." And with that Dumbledore apparated. Only she and Remus were in the room but with Remus's prolonged silence, she felt all alone.
"I can't just stay here Remus. I have to help. Just like you, and, and everyone else," she meant Sirius, but she could not bring herself to mutter his name in front of a grieving man. She knew she had made a mistake, and it was time to correct it, as best she could.
"You did not seem to care when Sirius needed you. Or when he thought he was going insane in this house. He hated it as much as you did Elizabeth, and you did nothing to help. And now, now when it's too late you feel obligated by some memory of Sirius to help," he had not meant to be so harsh but he could not bear to hear her talk of helping when the time was too late. It was too late for the man he considered to be a brother. It was too late for a soon to be sixteen year old who had lost the person closest to a father to him. It was too late.
And yet he regretted his words immediately once the tears formed in her eyes and they became a darker blue. But there was still some truth in his words. He hated hurting her. He always wanted to protect her, but it had been a long time since he had cared for someone in such a deep way. He almost forgotten how to, and the fear of being hurt kept him quiet.
She turned from him his squared shoulders, oh how she wished she could read him. But then again she did not need her powers to feel the anger which radiated from him. He had a right to be upset but somehow she had imagined him to be more understanding. Maybe it would take time. "Remus. I…I never meant to hurt anyone. I made a mistake. I never meant for this to happen. It just, it just did. And I'm sorry," She turned around to find herself in an empty room.
She sobbed loudly, it had been so long. She buried her face in her hands; perhaps it had been too long. She went and sat down on the sitting chair which was a favorite of her father. She was not allowed to go near it when she was younger.
She shivered a little looking around the empty room filled with her mother's possessions. It did not feel so long ago that she had been in this house, since she too had been a prisoner of it, since she had been set free, buy maybe it had.
~
She walked with her two fellow Gryffindors up to the doors of the Three Broomsticks. Today was her day, nothing would ruin it. Not even the fact that Remus, Sirius, James, Lily, and Peter could not come see her because they had Order business to take care of. She smiled as she reached for the door, only a few short months and she too could help them.
"Surprise!" Everyone inside shouted. She was taken back. All her friends and the little family she was willing to acknowledge, or rather what little family was willing to acknowledge her, was inside the Three Broomsticks. All around were signs which read happy birthday and at the largest table sat Remus, Sirius, James, and Lily, all of whom were wearing silly muggle birthday hats. She smiled as she felt the tears roll down her cheeks.
"I thought you guys couldn't make it, Dumbledore told me last week," she said as she took a seat next to Remus.
"We pulled a few strings with Dumbledore. You know that Hogsmeade weekends don't usually fall this time of year but I'm willing to do anything for my little sister," Sirius said leaning across the table and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Elizabeth glowed, all she could feel was the happiness of the people around her and it began to envelop her, erasing the unease from earlier.
-*-
Remus searched the crowded room, as people left more came in to enjoy the festivities and soon everyone had been lost in the rush. He could see Lily's red hair across the room and James's messy locks near them. Sirius was by the bar talking to a young witch with pale blonde hair. Typical, he thought. Elizabeth, on the other hand, was no where to be found. He quickly glanced around the room again and decided to look outside.
He stepped outside and felt the soon to be winter winds attack him. Already he could feel things begin to unwind and prepare for a long cold winter. He glanced down the street and found Elizabeth sitting on bench at the side of the road. Her expression was pained and her hands fell limply in her lap. She was so lost in thought she had not even noticed him come and sit next to her.
"Are you ok?" His question was simple, but a simple response was not what he expected.
"Yes," she whispered, lying through her teeth. It was her day; nothing would ruin it, nothing….
"You know I don't have to be an empithimagus to feel that something's wrong Elizabeth. Just tell me. It wasn't Malfoy, was it?" His last comment dripped with hatred and she could feel the wolf in him, but that was all.
She shook her head, a resounding no.
He wrapped his arms around her, protecting her from the coming cold, "Then what is it?"
She did not know where to begin. This was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, the day she would be free, the day it all ended. But it felt like it was just beginning.
"When you look at me Remus, what do you see?"
He was puzzled by her question, what did he see? Wasn't it obvious? "I see you."
She shook her head again, "Do you see something wrong Remus?"
He pulled her closer, "No, you're perfect."
"I can't be," she whispered through her tears, "I actually cared for them Remus. And I swear at times I felt like they cared for me, I thought it might even be love Remus. Love," she laughed bitterly.
"Who're you talking about Elizabeth?" He still asked though he knew the answer. Those retched people who had caused so much pain to both her and Sirius.
"Dumbledore called me into his office before I left Remus. He said all my belonging had arrived this morning along with a letter addressed to him. They have banished from their family. They packed all my possessions and sent them here. I am never allowed to set foot in their house again," she paused, trying to find words, "I spent seven summers there Remus, and through it all they hated me. There must be something wrong with me. Things like that do not happen to normal people." She leaned against his chest, allowing her tears to dry on his crisp white shirt; he had worn new robes for her.
"No Elizabeth, there is nothing wrong with you. It is they who are wrong. They spent seven summers with you and they still could not figure out what a treasure you are. They do not matter. Elizabeth, you are of age finally," he said while cupping her face in his hands, "You are free, you are no longer bound to that evil house. Do not dwell on them. They knew leaving their house would make you happy, they wanted to ruin that. They are not good people Elizabeth; they survive on the hurt of others. Do not let them do this to you. Do not let them know you have questioned your worth. That door has shut, and a new one has opened."
He kissed her gently. "It is there loss that they do not realize what a wonderful person you are," he looked deep into her eyes, banishing her fear. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me," he whispered into the crook of her neck as he embraced her on the cold park bench. The best thing…
~
She dried her tears and went into the kitchen to help Molly. She did not know if she could help, all she knew was things had changed, and her perhaps the best things in life, turn out to be the worst…
~please review
~sorry it took soooo looooonnnnggg! Ive had this chapeter written for like ever, but it feels incomplete but since im all out of ideas for adding anything to this chaper, i decdied to just post it (hopefully it isnt as bad as I think!)
~Thanks to my reviewers (Twinkle3, George is hot-MrsMoony, and Calliope Jones) who, as always, are my heroes and get brownies. Yay, this time they're not burnt!! (that's b/c their store bought, but don't tell anyone! ;)
~To: George is hot-MrsMoony, I understand that George is hot, but Fred's not? Just wondering :)
~song credit: "the scientist" by coldplay