It's been far too long since I updated this. I took down the earlier notice. I've decided instead of taking down my story or leaving , I'll keep posting this here, until the end. Sorry for the scare :( Depending on how things work out, I may do a sequel later on which I leave no guarantees to where it goes.
This chapter was pretty fun to write. It's a bit choppy, but that's because I didn't want to get into the over-emotional aspects and leave it as a brief and quick brush on things. That, and descriptive paragraphs just weren't flowing well.
So, er, yeah. Tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: NOT MY CHARACTERS. JKR TAKES CREDIT FOR THOSE. And some other stuff.
Memorial Day Part Two
Ginny watched the crowds surging by in awe as she sat on the lower right stage. People were laughing and talking, shaking each other's hands, and smiling. Her family seemed to be the odd ones out. Her family was looking at the crowd in silence, their faces sullen, and a sense of unease in the air. All over the grounds, people were decked in bright reds, and golds, a few silver, a few pinks, moving together like flowers in a garden. Her family was seated on a stage at the edge, in their fine, morose looking robes, looking elsewhere.
An elderly woman, dressed in a dark ermine brown coat came up the steps to the stage, passing them. She wore a large brown hat, with simple, dark roses bordering it. A mesh covered her face. She wore tall black heels and carried a golden fancy, bag. She too, blended in with her family, looking dark and sad, unlike the crowd below. Ginny was fascinated by the old lady, and stared at her so.
"Augusta," said her mother, rising from the top of the stage, and coming to kiss the formidable lady on both cheeks. Her mother looked pale and sad, and hadn't spoken a word all day.
"Molly! It's been too long," said Augusta, taking her mother's hands between her black-gloved hands.
"Boys, come say hello," said her mother, and her brothers rose reluctantly. The each politely shook hands with Augusta who said some pleasantries in response.
"Ginny, you come too. You haven't met my daughter, Ginevra, have you?" asked her mother, bringing the elderly lady forward to see Ginny.
"Hello there, Ginevra," said Augusta, and now Ginny could see the formidable lady's face.
Her old face was lined and weathered. Her hair, tiny wisps of snow white, framed it. She looked nearly a hundred years old and dark circles were under her eyes, similar to the ones under her mother's. Her lips were done in a bright red, as though begging attention to be drawn away from her sad eyes.
"Hello ma'am," said Ginny squeakily in response.
"Molly, let's take a seat, I'm sure you must be tired," said Augusta, leading her mother away.
Ginny watched the two ladies go, both clinging to each other. The two both took the seats assigned to them on the right side of the upper stage. Neither spoke a word to each other, just stared vacantly at the crowd. The old lady seemed so strong, yet so sad, like her mother.
"That's Augusta Longbottom," said Percy, pulling Ginny back to her seat on the lower side of the stage, away from the spotlight.
"Who?" asked Ginny, sitting down beside Percy again.
"She lost her entire family in the last five years," said Percy quietly.
"What do you mean?" asked Ginny.
"She had a husband who used to come with her, but he got very sick sometime last year. He passed away only a few months ago," said George, tuning into the conversation.
"That's terrible!" said Ginny, "But she's so old, doesn't she have children?"
"She had a son, but he and his wife, they turned really loopy after the war, they're in St. Mungo's permanently," said Fred.
"What?" cried Ginny in horror, "But she's here because she's an important official right?"
"No, her grandson became a hero, like Ron," said Percy quietly.
"So, she's all alone?" asked Ginny, suddenly feeling a strange sadness and tears in her eyes for the old lady.
"Pretty much yeah," said the twins in synch.
Before they could continue, an important looking woman dressed head to toe in dark purple robes ascended the stage. She nodded to her brothers and smiled. The woman too had the same dark bags as her mother under her eyes. She looked much younger, and had a pretty sort of face. She continued on briskly, and took a seat at the top of the stage.
"Who's that?" asked Ginny, still staring at the woman.
"That's Amelia Bones, she's a pretty important lady in the ministry," said Percy quietly, with a slight sense of awe. His cheeks were a slight pink after she smiled.
"Percy fancies her," whispered Fred audibly.
"Is she related to a hero too?" asked Ginny with a sense of dread.
"Yes. She's related to a hero. She has no family either," said George.
Ginny sat quietly for the next few minutes. Her eyes darted up to the pretty lady, Ms. Bones. Ms. Bones kept her hair primly back in a neat bun. Her face had a no-nonsense look about it. She moved to look at a paper in her lap, before exchanging a few polite words with her mother. However, her concentration was broken as a raucous laugh was heard behind her.
She turned to see a tall, handsome man climbing the stairs. Beside him was a taller, leaner, wearier looking man. The handsome man had dark hair, and striking blue eyes. He had a hip flask in one hand. His clothes were elegant, fine dark green robes. The man beside him had shabbier looking brown robes. He had sandy brown hair, and warm amber eyes. He seemed to be friendlier looking as well. The handsome man looked slightly scary, and he seemed too tense for his laugh to seem kind.
"Weasleys! Nice to see you here!" said the handsome man, and he clapped Bill on the shoulder.
"Hello Mr. Black," said Bill with a grin, the first smile of the day. Ginny decided he wasn't too bad after all if Bill liked him.
"I've told you, it's Sirius," said Sirius with a grin.
"Who's this?" asked the second man, looking directly at her with those kind eyes. She blushed in response and ducked behind Percy, feeling oddly shy.
"This is Ginny, Mr. Lupin," said Percy, nodding towards his sister.
"Nice to meet you Ginny," said Sirius loudly, extending a brazen arm towards her. She peeked out in front, only to get a pat on the head.
"Let's get up on the stage, it looks like they're starting," said Mr. Lupin, pulling Sirius away.
"Who's that?" asked Ginny, staring at the two men in awe.
"That's Sirius Black and Remus Lupin," said the twins together.
"Are they both related to a hero too?" asked Ginny.
"They're related to the main heroes of the event. They're best friends with the Potters. Mr. Black was godfather to their son," said Percy.
"They're also a couple," said Fred.
"What?" cried Ginny in surprise.
"That's just a rumor," said Percy, glaring at Fred.
"But they live together and neither have dated a woman," said George.
"So, they're married?" asked Ginny, struggling to understand.
"Would you two shut up? What if they get upset if they hear us?" asked Percy, looking highly horrified at the idea.
"All of you, just shut up, the main event is starting," said Charlie, pointing to the stage.
Sirius stared at the minister. Bagnold was such a bitch. Up there in her elegant silver robes. Going on about the greatness that had come out of the war. And the public was just eating it up. Fuck the world.
"And now, to begin our grand event of the day, in remembrance of the story we live to tell, let the play begin!" said Bagnold in that annoyingly grating voice of hers.
"Play?" asked Sirius to Remus, whose normally calm face was twisted into a grimace, and his fist clenched.
"Didn't I tell you?" said Remus in his evasive voice.
But before Sirius could say anything, the stage parted, and the play began.
Ginny was finally grateful that all the speeches were over. She perked up as the play began.
"A long time ago, a dark decision was made, for all the children across the land, to be taken from their mother's hand," began an eerie voice.
A scene showed up as a picture of her mother holding her brother, Ron.
Then the scene parted, and she saw a red-headed witch appear on the scene, holding what looked like a baby. The baby had red-hair and gurgled back up at her.
"Today's going to a be wonderful day," babbled the red-headed witch to the baby
Ginny stared in confusion, only to see all her brothers looking at the scene in horror. Bill had his fist clenched, and Charlie was pale. She looked over to where her mother was. Her face was one of fear and shock. Her eyes wide and open, her jaw dropped.
"Not so fast, give us your child," said a man, entering the scene in a hooded cloak.
"Never!" said the red-headed witch, who Ginny now realised was her mother. And the baby in her arms she realised now was her brother.
"You can't escape me!" said the hooded man.
The mother-actor ran from the cloaked man, brandishing her wand. The fake-baby began to cry. Music began to play. The music fit the mood, and grew louder and louder as the man approached her. He then grabbed the baby out of her mother-actor's arms, and the music ceased. Only the wailing of the fake-baby sounded. In the audience, people were sobbing into their handkerchiefs. She felt sick.
"At last, I have done it!" said the hooded man and he began to laugh, and he exited the stage with the baby, and Ginny began to cry.
Selene had wanted to leave the entire time the Bones were shown. A green light was cast from the actor's wands to show the Bones parents murder. The baby was taken. Amelia hadn't flinched. Her face was pale, but otherwise, she had seemed so strong. Selene looked to Xeno. He was ashen. They knew what was coming next. Selene had a strong suspicion they ministry didn't want them to look pitiful. They had too much anger with the Lovegoods anyway.
"Let's go out tonight, my love," began a blonde, ugly looking actor on the stage. He had a large pot-belly and unlike the Bones's actors, didn't look anything like Xeno.
"Oh, that's a wonderful idea! We can leave Luna with a sitter," said the blonde lady actress, who was far skinny to remotely resemble her.
The two actors skipped gaily off the stage, leaving one the baby-dolls used for the presentation on the stage. Selene wanted to vomit. Every nerve of hers wanted her to get up and leave. But she couldn't. She was paralysed in shock.
The baby laid in the basinet on the stage, presumably sleeping. The sitter appeared. Just an ordinary eighteen year old girl. She was shown sending off letters to her friends, for the last time. And then the hooded actors arrived.
"No, please!" screamed the girl.
"Hahaha!" laughed the Death Eaters meanly. They fake-killed the sitter and took the baby from the bassinet, who was now awake and shrieking. Selene was shaking.
"Waaa!" wailed the baby, as it was carried off the stage. And Selene got up, and left.
"But the final crescendo took place the night of Hallows Eve," said the narrator. Almost all the audience was weeping openly now. Sirius was horrified, even alcohol couldn't numb this shock.
"When two horrors left. One was the Dark Lord himself, and the other, his most dangerous followers. The Death Eaters descended upon the house of the Longbottoms, the Dark Lord to the Potters," said the narrator.
The scene opened. It began as an actor to play James and Lily appeared with a dark haired baby. Sirius's throat constricted. No! He didn't want to see this, someone, halt the play.
"Harry's just an angel, look at our sweet baby," said Lily-actress, holding the baby doll for the audience.
"Our family is perfect, nothing can ruin us now," said James-actor loudly to the audience.
Sirius clenched his fists, and bit his lower lip until it bled. This was cruel. It wasn't fair. Not James, not Lily. They were so happy. They never deserved what they got.
"Maybe I can!" said the Voldemort-actor theatrically as he entered. Some ninnies in the audience started to scream.
"No! I won't let you!" said James, brandishing his wand. Lily removed hers, and baby Harry started to cry.
Both parents began to duel the Voldemort-actor. Sirius was horrified as he watched. His anger slipped away to sadness. Even a mockery of what happened that night hit too close to home. He watched as the Potters dealt heavy blows, until finally, Lily fell first. The James actor cried out, only to drop dead a moment later. Baby Harry had fallen from Lily's arms onto the floor.
"At last, it is my moment," said the Voldemort-actor, as he descended upon the baby.
"And he dealt the blow, only for moments later," said the narrator, and Sirius felt some relief enter. He couldn't bear to watch the curse being attacked at his godson, even in mock.
The stage fell, and the Voldemort actor disappeared, most likely via apparition.
"No! My Lord!" said a squeaky voice. Sirius felt hot-white rage as a Wormtail-actor showed up on the stage, looking distraught.
"This can't be! I'll take the baby!" continued the actor. He descended over baby Harry, and took him. Then the two popped away, and the scene closed.
Ginny was openly sobbing now into Charlie's arms. She'd have gone to Bill, except he already had Percy in his arms. Percy had jumped up immediately after the attack and into Bill's arms. He had his angry face on. Charlie had picked her up, looking so broken, only to fuel on Ginny's tears. The twins were clinging to each other in the way only they understood. Ginny just wanted to hug her mother.
Molly Weasley was openly flustered and distraught. Her head was buried into her husband's shoulder and she was crying. Her father didn't seem much better.
"But the final blow, happened at the Lestrange manor, on November First. The Final sacrifice, the descent our five little heroes took to Elysium," said the narrator.
And Ginny watched in open horror as a large house was erected on stage. Half the house was cut away to reveal a bottom floor and a top floor. Instead of hooded men appearing to the house, a wild looking man led a team of Aurors onto the scene. The actor who had taken the last baby was shown inside the house. Upstairs she saw her brother-baby with the other fake-babies.
"Incendio!" cried the actor-man, and the house began to burn. The fire spread quickly, and the Aurors evacuated.
Ginny watched as the babies, who had been sitting up in the top floor of the house, turned into five little angels. They hovered on the stage, as everything around them turned to smoke. A calming, soothing song began to play on the stage as the babies hovered. The song was soft and a singer's voice came on.
And we watch the fire burn
We watch the evil die
Slowly the tides shall turn
Let us no longer cry
The fear has come to end
The night has turned to dust
Rejoice and celebrate
We were there to defend
No more the years of mistrust
Rejoice and celebrate
And we watch the fire burn
We watch the evil die
Slowly the tides shall turn
Let us no longer cry
Wizards gather here to see
The end of war gone by
Rejoice and celebrate
We now watch as we fly free
Free to never cry
Rejoice and celebrate
And we watch the fire burn
We watch the evil die
Slowly the tides shall turn
Let us no longer cry
The song began to fade out. The five little angels upon the stage began to fade away, taking the smoke with them. The stage was clear, and the curtains dropped. Everywhere loud applause began. Ginny stared in horror at the crowds. How could they cheer that? Ron was dead! He was gone like the fake-angel.
A man came up on stage to collect an award for designing the music, and people waved brightly. She jumped from Charlie's lap, and began to run away. She didn't want to see this anymore. Charlie didn't move to come after her. He simply brought his legs up and wrapped his arms around them. Bill watched her go. She was headed towards the graveyard area. There were Aurors stationed around it to control the crowds, she'd be fine. Besides, he knew his Uncle Fabian was stationed there at the moment on purpose.
Sirius stumbled around; he'd downed his entire flask of whiskey. The angel Harry still stuck in his mind. Remus had told him to go before he created a scene. Ever the calm one. Dammit all to hell. He'd left the grounds and moved backwards toward the graveyard. Aurors were stationed to block visitors from entering in floods. No one was here anyways. The show was too good.
"S'not fair," he heard a little voice sniffle. Looking around, he saw a red-headed girl tucked behind a bush and crying. Definitely a Weasley brood. He vaguely remembered being introduced to her earlier.
"Isn't it?" asked Sirius, approaching her, dimly wondering how she got here.
The girl jumped up to see him. She looked terrified at being caught.
"How'd you get here?" he asked curiously.
"I ran and ran until I couldn't see anyone," she responded in misery.
"Well, I'd ask how you escaped your mother, but considering she's probably dead to the world at the moment…" he trailed off.
"Why is everyone so happy?" asked Ginny miserably.
"Because everyone's a moron kid," said Sirius, taking a seat.
"Amen to that," said a voice. The two turned to see Selene Lovegood, looking highly upset.
"Selene, join the party!" said Sirius loudly, calling her over. She took a seat on the other side of Ginny.
"Ginny!" cried a voice. The three turned to see the entire Weasley family approaching.
"There you are!" cried her mother, picking her into her arms and squeezing her tight.
"It was horrible mummy," cried Ginny back to her mother, burrowing into her shoulder to cry.
"I know sweetheart, I know," said Molly, holding her tightly.
"Is everyone here?" asked Xeno's tired voice as he appeared out of nowhere.
"Looks like it," said Remus, following behind him.
"What are all of you doing here?" asked Selene in surprise.
"They let us go. We're allowed to visit the graves early. I'm sure a reporter is stationed there to get some pictures," said Amelia, August following right behind her.
"Just once, I wish we could mourn in peace. Not have our faces displayed on the newspapers," said Arthur bitterly, as he clasped his young twins sons shoulders.
"Wishes are meaningless. They enjoy twisting today into some kind of fiesta," said Augusta solemnly.
"Let's just get on with it," said Remus, nodding towards the gates.
"By next year I probably won't even be here to enjoy the festivities with you," said August soberly as the large group began to move.
"Why is that?" asked Amelia to the elderly lady.
"What do I have left? I'm old and alone in this world. Maybe it's time for me to just rest," said Augusta.
"Oh, Augusta, don't think like that!" said Molly in horror.
"Why shouldn't I? Don't tell me none of you haven't thought about your loneliness. Of course, you have all your children Molly. Sirius and Remus have each other. The Lovegoods have each other. Amelia has her work. What do I have left?" asked Augusta, as though discussing the weather.
"So you'll just take your own life?" asked Amelia quietly.
"Please, I would never stoop to that level. But Death has a way of finding the ones who have nothing left to live for," said Augusta, her own voice cracking.
"At least you took your children to adulthood," said Selene, and Xeno's face darkened.
The entire group was now paused in an empty area in front of the gates to the graveyard. A loud celebrating noise was heard from the valley below where the stage and audience were packed to celebrate. They stood in the silence.
"Nothing's the same when you're alone anymore. Even being in the house is lonely," said Amelia heavily.
"Holidays are the worst," said Remus, "You just wish they could celebrate too."
Everyone stood in silence. Selene bent her head towards Xeno, as the Weasley kids shuffled uncomfortably.
"Come for Christmas," said Arthur suddenly.
"What?" asked Sirius.
"Me and Molly aren't too lonely on Christmas with all the kids, it hurts less. Christmas is just around the corner anyways. Augusta, you shouldn't be alone on the holidays, and neither should you Amelia. Besides, Molly's the best cook around. The kids are plenty entertaining," said Arthur firmly.
"We insist. Xeno, Selene, you two just live around the corner anyways, come along. We can open presents, light fireworks, and just, be together," said Molly, still clinging to Ginny tightly.
"Does that invite extend to us as well?" asked Sirius, nodding to himself and Remus.
"Always," said Arthur.
"Besides, I doubt any of you want to go anywhere public to celebrate," said Molly bitterly.
"We're just fitting into the perfect stereotype for the ministry to exploit," muttered Amelia.
"I wouldn't want to impose," said Augusta.
"Especially you. No more of this negative thinking. We all deserve happiness," said Arthur, "Especially after today."
"Alright, let's celebrate together," said Sirius cheerfully.