A Dark and Stormy Afternoon
Good old England. Only here would it be rainy every other day of the week, but sunny for Mum's funeral. Lily shook her head, an involuntary smile coming to her lips. O'course, Mum would approve. Bet Dad does too…wherever he is. She sighed softly, her thoughts circling back around to the problem at hand, as they had been doing for most of the service. It was hard to pay attention anyways, with all of the reporters and photographers trying to get into the chapel to snap a picture or two of the grieving family. Ginevra Weasley had been a celebrity, after all, because of her marriage to the Boy who Lived.
Lily reflected with a grimace that the reporters would just have a field day with the news that her father had been missing ever since the night her mother died, and not even the Aurors he worked with had been able to find him. Of course, that was hardly surprising. Her father was the most powerful wizard of his generation, in her opinion. If he didn't want to be found, he wouldn't be found, and that was that. Wouldn't have killed him to at least show up for the funeral, though, she mused.
A sharp poke to her ribs brought her back to reality. Her brother Albus was staring at her with a concerned look on his face. She glanced around, and realized that the service had ended, and the rest of the family had already Apparated to the cemetery.
"Something wrong, Lil?" She pulled her mind out of the clouds to smile at Albus. Now wasn't the time to make her brothers worry about her…any more than usual, anyways.
"No…well, Mum. But there's not much I can do about that, is there? I was just thinking."
"No, really? I never would have guessed." Albus shook his head. "C'mon. They'll be wondering what happened to us if we don't get going."
Lily drew her wand, and the two Apparated to the cemetery where their mother was being put to rest. They appeared at one end of a row of headstones, and passed a series of familiar names as they headed towards the cluster of people at the far end.
Mad-Eye Moody. Severus Snape. Fred Weasley. Nymphadora Tonks. Remus Lupin. All of the war heroes who hadn't survived to pass their stories on to Lily and her brothers and cousins. Lily felt like she knew them anyways, since every bedtime story her father had ever told had been about them. She said a silent 'hello' to all of them as they passed, brushing her fingers over the tops of their tombstones.
Lily had to blink back tears as a sudden thought came to her: It shouldn't have turned out like this. It's not fair! Our family had to live through so much during the war…so much loss. They shouldn't have had to lose Mum too. They deserved better. Especially Dad. She came to a sudden halt, and Albus turned back to look at her questioningly. "You go ahead," she mumbled, her voice full of barely-suppressed emotion. "I…need a minute."
Albus nodded. "I'll come get you when it's over," he said, before going on to join the rest of the family. Lily sat down, leaning against one of the tombstones, and was startled when hands reached around it to pull her into a tight hug. She squirmed around, wand half-drawn before she realized it was her Uncle George.
"Hey there, flower," he murmured gently. "Couldn't face the crowd either?" Lily nodded wordlessly. "Well, happens I might just have something to take your mind off it. Your mum asked me to give you this." He reached over the headstone to drop a thin notebook with a cover of burgundy leather into Lily's lap. "Now, don't thank me, I don't know what's in it. But I'd better get going, before your grandmum decides I've scarpered. I'll leave you to keep your uncle company, shall I?" Without waiting for a response, he got up and went to join the rest of the family in saying their farewells to Ginny.
Slightly puzzled, Lily glanced down at the stone she had leaned against, and a sad smile formed on her lips.
Fred Weasley
Beloved Brother, Son, and Friend
You took a part of us with you when you left.
"Hey, Uncle Fred," she said softly. "Fancy meeting you here." From what she had heard of her uncles, she was sure he wouldn't have minded her joking if he had been there to listen. She gave the headstone a familiar pat before turning her attention to the notebook in her lap. It was tied shut with two thin lengths of black ribbon. Pulling them apart, she flipped the book open and immediately recognized her mother's flowing script. Biting her lip to hold back tears, she started to read. There were only a few pages inside the leather volume.
"My darling Lily," the letter—for that was what it was—began.
"I know I don't have much time left to live, and there are so many things I won't have a chance to tell you. Things you need to know. I trust you to keep this to yourself, until the rest of the family needs to know. I'm sure your Uncle George will read this, no matter what he tells you, but I trust him to keep it a secret as well.
"First and foremost, you must understand that I loved you and your brothers very much, and if it were my choice I wouldn't be leaving you. But that is out of my hands now, and as hard as it is to accept it, it will probably be for the best.
"I'm sure your father is taking this badly. I had very good reasons for waiting as long as I did to tell him I was dying. I'm sure you've noticed how he always puts the well-being of others before his own. It's one of the things that makes him such a good Auror, but I know he hasn't been happy with me. I was always more like his little sister than his wife, and I realize now that everything I wanted for him was wrong. Now, I don't have time to make it right again. But I hope you can.
"If your father has not done it for himself, I ask you to send an owl to Draco Malfoy. Yes, I know. Weasleys and Malfoys hate each other. I've taught you that since you were little. But right now, your father needs Draco, more than you or he know. I promise you, it will work out for the best if you do this for me.
"Tell him that I'm gone, and that I leave Harry in his care, if he'll still have him after all these years. And…tell him that he was right after all. He'll understand.
"It will be harder for your brothers than it will for you. I expect you to keep them in line, as always. You were always better at that than I was.
"Here's a hug and a kiss from me. Love, Mum."
Lily closed the book with shaking hands. "Send an owl to Draco Malfoy? The Draco Malfoy? I don't get it, Mum," she muttered to herself, keeping her voice low. "But…if you say so."