The sun beat down, glazing the black lake like a smooth sheet of glass. Aquila had never even conceived the idea of a funeral ever being held on Hogwarts Castle grounds, but if she had, this would have been what she had pictured. It was a send-off worthy of the man. She had sat in silent dignity with Oliver on one side, and her esteemed grandmother on the other. The two Valentine women wore old French lace covering their faces as a sign of mourning. Many people were whispering about the family behind their backs, but that was to be expected. They also whispered about her Keeper, questioning why he would be associated with such an esteemed and ancient family. It would seem that the word of their relationship had not spread very far. Aquila observed the proceedings in silence, taking it all in. She found it to be incredibly surreal that such a great wizard was gone. When she had arrived with Oliver, a number of people had gathered around the Astronomy Tower. When Aquila had broken through the circle of silent onlookers, she had fallen to her knees. The image of his broken body was still seared into the backs of her eyelids.

The funeral happened before her very eyes, with many people standing to speak of the greatest wizard of their time. She couldn't find it in her to shed anymore tears. Her arrival back to the wizarding world had been so bitter sweet. Her moment of joy had been ripped from her hands. She wondered if she would ever be allowed to feel joy again. She knew what Dumbledore's death meant, and she was fearful. She reached out and took Oliver's hand. He squeezed her hand gently. In her time away she had forgotten just how big his hands were around hers. She enjoyed that thought for a while, knowing that she would have to cling to what little joy came her way in the time that was left. The time before everything would change.

The ceremony was at an end. Dumbledore had been laid to rest in a gleaming white tomb, and the mourners milled about to see his tomb, to speak to one another, to share their stories, to gossip about who was there and what had happened. Aquila's eyes locked on Harry Potter. She let go of Oliver's hand, and went to him. He looked up at her with sad, scared, determined eyes.

"Don't be a hero Harry. Please. Stay safe. If there is anything we can do, come to us." He knew that she was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. She just prayed that he would let them help him. "We'll always be a team, Harry." He nodded, but before he could say anything, she was swept away by her grandmother, who had a surprisingly strong grip for a woman her age. She clearly hadn't noticed who Aquila had been speaking to.

"Darling, that dreadful Skeeter woman is assaulting Oliver." her grandmother said, clearly sounding partly amused, and mostly outraged.

She saw the blonde reporter with a firm hand on Oliver's bicep, fluttering her eyelashes, and taking down every word Oliver said with a quick-quotes quill. Aquila glared at the woman.

"So would you say that you knew old Dumbledore well, ? It's a well known fact that he was a Puddlemere United Fan." Oliver just stared sullenly at the reporter and remained silent.

"Miss Skeeter. What a terrible day it is to be meeting like this." Aquila said, politely, but there was an edge of venom to her voice. She pushed back her black lace veil, to fix and icy glare on the woman.

"Aquila Virgo Valentine. Now what could you possibly be doing here?" She slowly dropped her hand from Oliver's bicep, and turned to squint at the Valentine girl.

"Where have you been living, Skeeter? In a glass jar? I used to work in the castle." Aquila smirked smugly at the reporter, whose face curdled right before her eyes. "We need to be leaving now, but it was so lovely seeing you." Aquila, put a hand on Oliver's back, but he didn't need the hint. He was grinding his teeth.

"I hate that woman. She wrote such awful things about Harry…" he said.

Aquila's grandmother was staring off into the crowd.

"I think I see Archibald Finch! I simply must go and speak with him! I will find you again later, my darlings." She smiled warmly at Oliver before leaving. It was very reassuring to her that she approved of him.

"We should go for a walk around the lake. While we can." Aquila said quietly. Oliver sighed heavily, the tension melting out of his shoulders.

"We should. Make some final memories here in case…" He couldn't finish his sentence. She took his hand and walked with him towards the mirror-like lake. They walked for a time in silence, until they were far away from the funeral-goers. "Nothing will ever be the same again." Oliver said, his voice strong and sure. "It will be war. Won't it?" He looked at her, his gaze steady. To them, this had been something they had been bracing for for a year.

"It will be war." she replied, gazing out towards the sunny horizon.

"You're going to fight, aren't you?" She turned to face him. He didn't look like he disapproved, but he didn't look happy either.

"I have to. I won't lie down and let this happen." Oliver nodded.

"I'll fight beside you then." He said it as simply as though they were deciding what to eat for dinner.

"What?" She was surprised. Oliver wasn't in the Order, he had not been a part of this up until now.

"If he's back, and if he's killed Dumbledore then… I can't let him hurt my friends. We have to fight him." He sounded determined, and he had a decided look about him.

"We might die, Olly." she whispered, as she took up his other hand.

"I know… We. We have to be together. As much as we can while we can." He took a moment to look out at the horizon. "Marry me, Aquila. If I am to die, I want to die as your husband." Aquila gasped in a breath and staggered back.

"What?" She stared at Oliver. She hadn't been expecting this. At all. Her heart was set to racing. They were so young. But time may be short for them now.

"I… I don't know what to say!" He smiled down calmly at her, but she could see the anxiety in his eyes. It looked as though he could scarcely believe what he had said. He took her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"All I know is that there would be nobody in this world I would rather spend my days with."

She looked up at his face, remembering just how keenly she had missed him in the years she had spent away with the fairies. She remembered all the times they had laughed together, all the times, they had comforted each other, and all the quidditch in between. She smiled, tears coming to her eyes at long last.

"Oliver…" She wiped her eyes, smiling blearily at him still. "Yes. I'll marry you." He held her all the tighter.

"I suppose it had better be a big wedding. One last hurrah." Oliver said, dryly.

"It had better be. I have to have a better wedding than Fleur Delacour." Aquila answered back, jokingly. Oliver grinned.

"It'll be the wedding of the century."