Typical Disclaimers Apply
--
"I can't do this, sir," Snape whispered, his voice hardly audible. He was in Dumbledore's office. Several gold instruments whizzed and whirred around him. It was sunny, but the curtains were shut, shutting the room in a ghostly darkness. "I'll never be able to face her again. She can't come back."
"She has to, Severus," sharp and cold, Dumbledore's voice seemed to sound from out of nowhere. "You don't understand what could happen with her gone."
"You're right!" Snape growled. "I don't understand why she needs to be here because you won't tell me!" Dumbledore stayed silent. "I mean, she's no one important. The fate of the school doesn't rest in her hands. She's nothing special."
"She's special to you, Severus."
--
"Sooo, Harry's birthday party's tonight," Esme said, nervously twisting the black armband on her bicep. She wasn't sure why she kept it on; she and Mad-Eye hadn't been close, hell, you could even say they hated each other. He'd been one of the few who couldn't forgive her for her lineage, and she couldn't forgive him for that. However, once Tonks heard the news she'd collapsed into silence, and knitting the armbands had been her way to cope. She didn't need any more stress, what with the baby on the way.
"You have a gift for him, right?" Sirius looked up from the large pile of papers that he was dealing with to smirk at his wife.
"I do, in fact, have a gift," she smirked back.
"Oh really? And it's not just the admittance that you two are siblings, right? Because I believe he already knows that."
"No, it's something that will give him hours upon hours of happiness!"
"It's not porn, is it?"
"We never had this conversation." Esme wandered around the room and collapsed dramatically into a worn, brown armchair. "I had the oddest dream last night."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. It was about Sev—Snape. He was arguing with Dumbledore, he didn't want someone to come back." She shook her head, trying to remember. "The weirdest part was that he was actually in Dumbledore's office."
"Well, dreams do tend to mean things. But it's probably just a memory of some sort." He shrugged, "I doubt he could get into Dumbledore's office; the gargoyles wouldn't let Umbridge in…"
"True." She thought for a moment, what was the strange thing about the dream? "Oh, and it was weird. It was like I actually was Snape, but I couldn't see Dumbledore, like I had my back to him, you know?"
"Ooh," Sirius cooed. "Did your scar hurt when you woke up?"
Sirius laughed as Esme walked over to his table and smacked him in the back of the head. "What's all this then?" she said, eyeing the stack of papers littering his desk.
"Just some paperwork."
"Looks like deeds." She thought for a moment, "Giving Harry the old Grimmauld place?"
"I don't want it. He and his little friends will need a place to stay while they're out killing Voldemort."
"You're giving him almost everything," Esme whispered as she picked up one of the papers.
"You and he are the only two people in my will. You get my money, he gets my house. He needs my house now. You, on the other hand," he said, turning about and kissing her hand, "do not need my money."
Esme laughed and sat down on his lap, giving him a hug around his neck. "What money? We live with my parents."
"I have a secret stash under my mattress."
"What mattress? We sleep in Charlie's old room during the summer and we spent all of last year living in that man's old room."
"We never had this conversation."
--
"Happy birthday!" Esme sang, rather off pitch, as she galloped down the stairs, holding a poorly wrapped gift. She raised an eyebrow at the golden, spherical cake.
"We've already finished the birthday song," Tonks laughed, pulling out a seat for her friend, "fortunately."
"Sorry, just wrapping my gift—Hello Hagrid!"
"'Lo Esme," he nodded vaguely in her direction. The group chattered for a few minutes until a streak of silver rushed into the room, forming into a weasel.
"Oh, a weasel. That's original," Esme muttered as it spoke to Molly.
"If he's bringing Scrimgeour we have to leave," Remus said, standing up immediately.
"Scrimgeour?"
"You really have to listen during plot points, Esme," Remus snapped as he pulled Tonks to her feet. "Sorry to leave so fast, I'll explain later…" Then they left. However, their presence was quickly replaced by Arthur and Scrimgeour.
"Hate to gate-crash, but I do need to speak with Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Seems they've been left some…odd items in Dumbledore's will."
"Well yes, I suppose there's no harm in letting three teenagers go to speak privately with an elderly man…." With a nod, Scrimgeour and the three teens left the room.
Arthur turned sharply towards Esme, his expression livid, "I know it's not in your personality," he growled, "but in times of war, it's best to be polite to the government so that you may have them on your side."
"I suppose that depends on what the government is doing," she replied coolly. The rest of the table looked uncomfortable. Times were hard, and tension had been high, but Esme and Arthur were close, and no one had seen them act this way before, especially not to each other. They glared at each other for nearly a full two minutes, until Molly finally said, "Enough of that. Sit down. It's better to have family on your side rather than government."
Both of them turned to stare at her for a moment, and Esme snapped, "I don't know, Mum. Seems Percy's doing quite well for himself by just siding with the government."
Without batting an eyelash, Molly replied, "Esmeralda, you're fighting both sides of the argument." Without a sound Esme sat down. An awkward silence filled the room, until Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed into the room.
"He tried to get us to betray Dumbledore!" Ron gasped.
"Did you?" Sirius inquired.
"Well, no."
"Alright then. Harry, you haven't opened mine or Esme's gift to you yet." The three sat down at the table. Harry reached for the gift nearest to him, the one from Sirius. He opened it to reveal a leather folder filled with papers.
"What is all of this?"
"Deeds." When Harry continued to look confused, he added, "You own my house and all that is in it. You also own my elf."
"Kreacher?"
"Trust me; you'll need the house and you'll need the elf."
"Alright." He opened Esme's gift. "Playwizard Magazine?"
"Four Playwizard Magazines." As everyone at the table raised their eyebrows at her, she chirped, "I know what boys like."
--
"Esme," Sirius sang softly in her ear. "It's time to get up."
"No it isn't!" she yelled. It couldn't be before two in the morning.
"Esme," he sang again. "If you don't get up; your mother will kill us."
"Nnngh," she muttered, rolling out of bed. She stretched and began to pull of her pajamas and pull on her dress robes. "Lace me up," she muttered. Her robes were a deep green. The top was strapless and designed like a corset, and they flowed into a wide skirt.
"Where did you get these?" Sirius asked as he tightened the strings on the back of the top.
"Sirius," she said, sounding strangled, "lace me up so I can breathe." He loosened the strings. "It's quite a long story, but let's just say that Tonks and I got them when we were fourth years."
"And they still fit you?" He'd finished with her and was now buttoning up his own dress robes.
"I haven't grown since I was twelve, love."
"Oh, that's disturbing." He glanced at the clock on their bedside table. "Um, Esme? What time were we supposed to be downstairs to greet the guests?"
"Ten. Why, what time is it?"
"Ten-thir—" Before he could finish, Esme was dashing downstairs yelling "Shit!" "Esme, wait! You're not wearing shoes!"
--
"Lovely wedding," Esme said cheerfully, lifting ice back up to the spot where she'd hit her head running into a wall. "Too bad I wasn't conscious for most of it."
"Ah yes," Tonks laughed. "Now, what have you learned about jumping on the banister and attempting to slide down it."
"Don't."
"Wise advice," Sirius laughed, bringing Esme a wine flute of something. "Here, drink this. It'll make your head feel better."
"I don't know, drinking alcohol after I was unconscious for nearly an hour doesn't seem like a good idea."
"You were unconscious?" Bill asked, looking curious as he walked up behind her. "Mum didn't tell me that."
"She didn't want to ruin the ceremony, so she just propped me up in a chair. It's too bad, though. I really wish I could've seen my brother get married."
"You have five other brothers," Tonks laughed, "plus Harry and Draco. I'm sure you'll be able to see at least one of them get married."
"Yeah…"
"And didn't you hear what Mum was saying to Charlie last night?" Bill said smiling. "If he doesn't find a fiancée in the next year, Mum's finding one for him."
The group of young adults laughed and carried on, knowing that this may be their last time to do so. And, like usual, they were right. When the lynx galloped into view, their heads turned and their smiles faded as it spoke, deeply and slowly, "The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."
"Who does he mean by 'They'?" Esme muttered.
"Um, Esme?" Bill slowly turned her around.
"Oh. I suppose that would be them."
--