A/N: The latin used in this is traditional church latin. If you're wondering about a translation, say so in the review (with your e-mail address) and I'll send it to you. Don't forget to...ah, never mind. You know the drill.

Never Tear Us Apart

30th June, 1992, Hogwarts Grounds, 4:21pm

"Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Dominus Deus Sabaoth. Pleni sunt coeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis..."

As the priest uttered the words, standing resolute over the coffin like a statue, Celestina Sinistra quietly wondered if this was what he would've wanted. Yes, she knew that he was a Catholic (through his mother, a muggleborn witch), but he was non-practicing, as were most other wizards of a religious denomination. But the request for a burial this way was there in the papers he'd left, so that's how it was done.

"Unde et memores, Domine, nos servi tui, sed et plebs tua sancta, ejusdem Christi Filii tui Domini nostri tam beatae Passionis, nec non et ab inferis Resurrectionis, sed et in coelos gloriosae Ascensionis: offerimus praeclarae majertati tuae de tuis donis ac datis hostiam puram, hostiam sanctam, hostiam immaculatam, Panem sanctum vitae aeternae, et Calicem salutis perpetuae. Supra quae propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris; et accepta habere, sicut i accepta habere dignatus es munera pueri tui justi Abel, et sacrificium patriarchae nostri Abrahae, et quod tibi obtulit summus sacerdos tuus Melchisedech, sanctum sacrificium, immaculatam hostiam..."

She looked around at the other, few people in attendance. Beside her, was who could possibly be her next-best friend to Wilton, Severus Snape. She could not decipher what he was thinking at that precise moment. Severus, she found, after all he had been through, was well-trained to hide his emotions.
The two of them, aside, there were not many there. The Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore was there, looking unusually somber in black robes with silver trimming, as was the Head of Ravenclaw, Filius Flitwick, trying to cry as quietly as possible. The gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, the man who'd organised the meetings that she and Wilton had with the centaurs at night was sobbing loudly.
She herself found she did not know how to react to what was happening around her, as seen from under the lace veil of her broad brimmed hat. Wilton Linus Quirrell, her best friend, confidant, fellow Ravenclaw and teacher of Defence Against the Dark Arts for four years. Taken over by the spirit of the Dark Lord, tortured, and finally left to die in a cold chamber. But what did she feel for him, really? The answer hit her like a ton of bricks. No, no, no.....she didn't love him. Absolutely not. Of course, she wasn't head over heels in love with him! What a ridiculous notion.
But it remained there in her mind, as the priest made the sign of the cross over the open casket, where his body lay for those who wanted to say their final farewells. Celestina debated going up there before the burial...and finally, she decided that she must. After the service ended, a few of the teachers stayed behind to wait for the burial. The walk up to the coffin felt agonisingly slow, but she was there, in front of it.

How different he looked to what he did just a day or two ago. In life, he had been pale skinned anyway, but in death, he was as white as snow. His warm brown eyes were now closed on the world around him, never to open again. The expression that he had been moulded into in Death was sad, serious, and nothing like the man she knew at all. But then again, she felt that she barely knew him now. She knew he was a target for bullies, and clearly the vampires would've had an effect on him, but she never expected what she was told only a few days ago, by Severus.
Speaking of her other friend, he was now standing beside her, as tall and resolute as the priest, dressed in his customary black robes. His expression, however, was a far cry from the normal serious one. Celestina hadn't seen him look like this since the day after he left the Death Eaters. It was a face of guilt and regret.
As she continued to stare down at Wilton's body, she felt Severus' cold hand slip into hers and give it a squeeze.
"I tried so hard to prevent it......but he didn't....and the dark lord succeeded. 8 years to finally kill another." she heard him murmur. "You did your best, Severus." she replied, finally wrenching her eyes away from Wilton to look at him.
"That's what everyone's said.....my best would've been if he hadn't died at all. If I'd saved him." he said in answer, eyes fixed upon his dead friend.
Then, abruptly, he pulled away from her and swept away from the coffin. Severus' pain was not evident to the untrained eye.....but Celestina knew that he was going to live with the guilt from this forever, no matter how much someone could convince him otherwise.
Her eyes once again darted to the figure, clad in black robes and the blue and bronze ravenclaw tie with the crest that was so familiar to her. For some reason, it was that precise moment that she felt her heart break. Warm tears blurred her vision, but she could not bring herself to wipe them away. In a way, they felt like the last legacy of him. He left her tears and a broken heart without knowing it. Then, up beside her came Dumbledore. He patted her shoulder.
"We lost a great mind in Wilton." he said, pushing his glasses up with a withered hand. "Such talent...all gone to waste. And you and Severus lost a friend..."
Dumbledore had been the last person to see Wilton before he died. After the Dark Lord left his body, he conjured up a stretcher for Harry and sent him away, but remained behind with the dying wizard. And it was he who told Celestina of what had happened that dreadful night.
She eyed the older wizard carefully as he reached into his robes and brought out a small slip of parchment. He handed it to her.
"Wilton wanted you to have this...he wrote this just before he died." he said.
Celestina took the parchement in her hand and carefully unrolled it. Scrawled on the paper very messily, but still legible, were the words 'Amicitia Amoris certissima pars'.
"Friendship is a truer part of love," she murmured, rolling it up and tucking it away into her own robes.
"Thankyou-" she began, but Dumbledore had already left, and was speaking with Severus off in the distance. She sighed and looked down on the body again. She'd been standing there awhile now, and she could no longer bear seeing him like this. Making up her mind to exit, she squeezed the scarred hand of her friend and her lips brushed his cheek.

"Goodbye, Wilton. I love you." she murmured and with much hesitation, walked away without looking back.

Minutes later, he was layed to rest. As the coffin was slowly lowered into the earth, Celestina made her way back to the castle, before her tears would overtake her completely.

And above the scene, a lonely ghost floated, watching what was happening below him. And he too, turned away and glided off before his tears could do the same.