Chapter 58
AN: Sorry for the delay in this chapter. I have a lot going on. Also, this is going to be the last update for a couple of weeks as I am going on holiday on Tuesday and won't have time to write. Hope you like this chapter.
A week has passed since Mie and her friends graduated Hogwarts, since the Bones's parents, and James's parents were killed, and the day of their funerals has come. Just they have been for the past week Mie and her friends have been staying at the Hogshead. It's early in the morning and because she barely sleep Mie is already up and getting dressed for both funerals that are going to happen. First the funeral for Prentiss and Theodosia will happen in Montrose, and then an hour after that one ends the funeral for Fleatmount and Euphemia will happen in Godric's Hollow.
As Mie stares at herself in the mirror she knows, even though Regulus hasn't been able to find out something, that chances are Voldemort won't let either funeral happen without an appearance by him and his Death Eaters. As she can't look at herself any longer Mie picks up both her bag and wand before heading downstairs.
Even though Mie knows that her uncle, just like he has everyday for the past week, would have set up breakfast in the back-room Mie doesn't head there rather she just sits at a table in the main bar area. For a few moments Mie sits, internally running through everything that could go wrong today, until she hears the door to the other room open and Aberforth walks into the room.
"You're up early," Aberforth says to his niece.
"Yeah," Mie confirms, looking distracted.
"Breakfast is in the other room," Aberforth says, though he assumes that Mie already knows that, so he is watching her for how she reacts to that.
"Am I the first one up?" Mie asks curious.
"No, James, Sirius, Remus, Lily, Amelia, Edgar and Isaac are all awake, picking at their breakfast," Aberforth explains, and while Mie nods, she makes no effort to go join them, so Aberforth pours a cup of tea which he brings over to his niece. "You know, I think they would appreciate you joining them," Aberforth informs his niece, as he sits down across from her and hands her the cup of tea.
"I know," Mie responds. "I just….need to go check to make sure there's nothing going on out in the village," Mie tells her uncle. "Thanks for the tea," Mie says, before heading out of the bar.
"You didn't touch it," Aberforth mutters, a concerned look on his face as he watches his niece go.
After leaving the Hogshead Mie starts to walk around the village, searching for any sign of danger, prepared to attack if necessary. For a few minutes Mie walks around the village, and while she sees no sign of danger she continues to be on edge as she passes the Three Broomsticks Mie sees Hagrid walking towards her and while she cares about him just as much in this time as she did in the other timeline she doesn't feel up to talking about someone who is going to worry about her, but unfortunately for her she sees no way to disappear before he sees her.
"Mie," Hagrid says, waiving broadly at her.
"Hi Hagrid," Mie responds forcing a smile, as she would never want Hagrid to think she Is not happy to see him, in any timeline.
"How you doing?" Hagrid asks.
"I'm fine," Mie says, it being such an instinct that she says the words without even thinking, and Hagrid gives her a sympathetic look.
"It doesn't get any easier, knowing that good people die," Hagrid says to Mie.
"No, it doesn't," Mie admits, looking down at the ground.
"You thinking of your aunt and uncle?" Hagrid asks, and for the briefest second Mie is confused about what Hagrid is talking about, due to her lack of sleep, but then she remembers her cover story.
"Yes," Mie lies. "There's just been a lot of loss, and now my friends… I never wanted them to feel this," Mie admits, and in response Hagrid walks forward and hugs her.
"We can't prevent pain Mie, what we can do is be there to help people we love through it," Hagrid says to Mie as he hugs her, and for a few seconds Mie allows herself to imagine that it is the Hagrid she knows from the timeline she is from who is hugging her.
"I should get back to the Hogshead," Mie says as she breaks apart from Hagrid. "I'll see you later," Mie tells him.
"Of course," Hagrid says and Mie takes several steps away from him before turning back around.
"Hagrid, thanks," Mie says to him, knowing that Hagrid will have no idea how much he just helped her.
"Anytime Mie, anytime," Hagrid responds, giving her a smile, and after forcing herself to return the smile Mie heads back to the Hogshead where she joins her friends for breakfast, but none of them really eat too much.
A while after Hagrid and Mie talked the recently graduated seventh years, members of the Order, and other ministry officials have travelled to a cemetery in Montrose where Prentiss and Theodosia Bones funeral is going to take place.
While most of the people who arrive head into the cemetery, Mie, Albus, Gellert who is once again under disguise, Moody, Minerva, and Aberforth all stay on the outside the cemetery.
"Dad?" Mie asks as she notices that he is going to move.
"Both funerals today deserve to happen without interruption," Albus says, as he feels that those who have died deserve the respect of that, as do the people who have experienced losses.
"Agreed, what do you need?" Mie asks her father, as she would much rather help make sure everyone is safe than deal with the emotions she is feeling.
"Gellert, Alastor, Aberforth and I will be in each corner of the cemetery, we will cast protective spells," Albus explains to his daughter, it being clear that the plan has already been discussed with the four of them. "Annemie, I want you to be with the funeral attendees," Albus tells his daughter as he knows that that would both be good for Mie and her friends who she truly cares about who would appreciate her company.
"I would rather be on the permitter," Mie admits as she is pretty sure that that would be so much easier.
"You need to be at the funerals, for both yourself and those who you care about," Albus tells his daughter. "Annemie, you might not be able to see it now, but this is something you need to do," Albus tells his daughter, giving her an encouraging look.
"What's Minerva going to do?" Mie asks, realising that she is not going to get her father to agree to let her do something else.
"I will be walking around the cemeteries, making sure no one breaches the protection," Minerva tells Mie, who nods.
"I… I don't know how to do this," Mie admits, as between the guilt she is feeling, the fact that she didn't experience comfort in her early life, so she isn't great at giving it, and the fact that she isn't great at relating to people she isn't sure how to act at a funeral for people who mean so much to people that she loves.
"You just be there Annemie, that's all your friends need," Albus tells her in a gentle voice, forcing himself not to look at Gellert as after Ariana's death that's what he needed, he needed Gellert to be there, and he wasn't.
Taking a deep breath and pulling herself together Mie takes a few moments before walking away from her father, uncle, Gellert and Minerva and into the cemetery. With every step she takes Mie wants to turn and run but instead she just keeps walking, and walks over to where the group of people who are attending Prentiss and Theodosia are. As she gets closer to the group Mie sees that there is a space next to Amelia and as she has become such a good friend to Mie in the time she been in 1978 Mie walks over to her and stands next to her, knowing that she needs to help her friend no matter how difficult it is for her, as that is what Amelia has done for her, and as the funeral begins Amelia reaches out and takes Mie's hand it being clear that Amelia appreciates her presence.
Hours later both the funerals for Prentiss and Theodosia Bones, and Fleatmont and Euphemia Bones have occurred without, mainly because of the protections Albus put in place, and the recently graduated teenagers, members of the Order, and a few ministry members are at the Hogshead, which once again has protections around it, having their version of a wake.
While there are a lot of other people around James, Sirius, Amelia, Isaac, and Edgar are sitting at a large table with their friends as right now that's all they want to be around the people who care about them.
"I want to propose a toast," Sirius says standing up. "To Fleatmont, Euphemia, Prentiss and Theodosia, four incredible, loving, supportive parents," Sirius says. "Fleatmont and Euphemia opened there home to me when I had nowhere to go, they gave me love and support I never had, and I'll always be grateful for that," Sirius says, and as tears come to his eyes Remus reaches out and takes his hand. "I didn't know Prentiss and Theodosia as well as I would have liked, but they were always kind to me, and I know, because of the way you three always talked about them, that they were incredible parents and this already dark world is a little darker without them in it," Sirius says.
"It is," Amelia confirms, giving her friend a grateful look as it is clear that she is grateful for her friends words.
"To Fleatmont, to Euphemia, to Prentiss to Theodosia, loving parents who will be deeply missed," Sirius says toasting and once he speaks everyone takes a drink of their drinks.
"How about I get another round," Mie says, noticing that a lot of the glasses are empty and wanting an excuse to get some air, and so she stands up.
"Do you need a hand?" Marlene asks curious.
"No, I'm good," Mie says, walking over to the bar. "Hey Uncle Ab," Mie says, and Aberforth turns to look at her.
"Yeah Mie?" Aberforth asks.
"Can we get another round?" Mie asks her uncle.
"Of course," Aberforth responds. "You can head back, I'll bring them over," Aberforth says to her.
"Thanks," Mie says, and she turns to head back to her table, but she finds her path blocked by Crouch.
"Miss Dumbledore, I have been wanting a chance to talk to you," Crouch says to Mie.
"Do you really think now is an appropriate time?" Mie asks the ministry official as she really, really doesn't want to talk to him.
"Not necessarily, but I do think that it is important that we talk," Crouch responds.
"Well, I think that it is important that I get back to my friends, excuse me," Mie says to Crouch, but rather than returning to the table where her friends are Mie slips into the back room and goes out the backdoor and into the village.
After leaving the pub Mie walks over to a nearby bench and sits down, once she is sitting on the bench Mie closes her eyes, and takers several deep breaths focusing on the feel of the wind, the sounds of the village. For a few minutes Mie focuses on what she can hear and what she can feel and as she is doing that Mie hears footsteps so she quickly gets to her feet, opens her eyes, and points her wand at where the sound is coming from.
"It is I, your father," Albus, who is standing with Gellert, say to Mie, and she lowers her wand.
"Sorry," Mie says and her father and Gellert walk over to her. "How'd you know I was out here?" Mie asks her father and Gellert.
"Aberforth saw you leave, he told us," Gellert explains, and Mie nods, realising that she should have realised that, but also knowing that it says a lot that Aberforth told Gellert anything.
"I just… needed some air," Mie admits.
"Understandable," Albus says to his daughter. "I know you likely don't want to talk to about what is bothering you, but it will likely help," Albus tells his daughter.
"I thought you might say something like that," Mie admits.
"Glad I am so predictable," Albus responds, looking amused.
"And you're trying to avoid talking, Annemie," Gellert says.
"Can't get one passed either of you," Mie says, not overly surprised by that. "Today was a lot," Mie admits. "There are so many people in that bar, and I can't help but wonder, how many of their funerals am I going to attend because I couldn't save them," Mie admits.
"Annemie, we do our best, we will do our best, and we have certain advantages, but as hard as we try we can't save everyone," Albus tells his daughter.
"I don't think I can accept that, I need to try," Mie tells her father.
"I'm not telling you not to try, I am telling you that even when we do everything, we can there are things we can't control, as hard as that is," Albus tells his daughter.
"I don't think I'm there yet," Mie admits. "I'm not ready to just let people die," Mie admits, being pretty sure that she will never be ready to do that.
"Annemie that's not what your father is saying, he's saying that you fight as hard as you can to save everyone you can, and you feel the losses, but don't let the pain, guilt, and anger of not saving everyone consume you, don't spend your life wondering what if," Gellert tells Mie. "Take it from me, you do not want to go down the road that leads to," Gellert tells Mie, and Albus gives him a grateful look as he can tell that his words have an effect on Mie.
"I volunteered to be the one who came back here for a lot of reasons, one of which, which I didn't even realise, being that I thought learning to live without a war would be too hard, I didn't think it would be just as hard to be here," Mie admits.
"It means you still care, and that heart is something I never want you to lose," Albus tells his daughter, putting his arm around her, and the three of them drift into silence.
For a few minutes Albus, Gellert and Hermione sit in comfortable silence it is more than clear that Albus and Gellert are doing what they can to be there for Mie.
"There are a lot of Ministry members inside," Gellert comments, while it seems like a random thing to mention he has a point.
"I know, Crouch already tried to corner me," Mie admits.
"What happened? What did he say?" Albus asks concerned.
"He wanted to talk, I told him it wasn't an appropriate time," Mie tells him. "It's okay, Dad," Mie assures him as she can tell that he is concerned. "But I'm thinking Gellert brought that up for another reason," Mie assumes.
"I did," Gellert confirms. "It might be a good time to put our plan into motion," Gellert says, looking between Albus, who looks like he is ponding Gellert's idea, and Mie.
"No," Mie says, shaking her head. "Today is about the Bones's, and The Potter's, we should give them that, not use the opportunity to put our plans into action," Mie tells Gellert, who nods in understanding.
"If today is all about them, then I think they would appreciate you being there," Albus tells his daughter.
"I know," Mie says and she once again closes her eyes and for a few moments she feels the wind and listens to the sound of the village, before opening her eyes once again and standing up. "I'll see you both inside," Mie says before heading inside.
As Mie heads inside Albus and Gellert watch her go, it being perfectly clear that Albus is very concerned about his daughter.
"Albus? What's going on in that head of yours Mein Schatz?" Gellert asks his love concerned.
"Annemie is strong, so strong she's survived so much," Albus says.
"But?" Gellert asks, knowing that there is something Albus isn't saying and feeling incredibly concerned about that.
"But I'm worried that she is taking the weight of the word on her shoulders and that is going to lead to self-destruction," Albus admits, and that terrifies him.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing she has us to recognize the signs and help her," Gellert says.
"I just hope it's enough," Albus admits, pain in his voice.
"It will be, we'll make sure of it," Gellert says, needing to believe that almost as much as Albus does.
A few hours after Mie talked to Gellert and Albus most of the attendees of the wake have left leaving just the recently graduated teenagers in the bar with Aberforth.
"I don't know what to do," James admits.
"Prongs?" Remus asks concerned.
"They're gone, they're really gone," James says, pain in his voice. "What happens now? Do I just go on like nothing's happen? Like there isn't a gaping hole in my life? How do I do that when I don't even want to go back to that house?" James asks.
"I know what you mean," Edgar says and James looks at him. "The ministry fixed the house, but I don't think I ever want to go back there, let alone live there," Edgar admits, as he is sure that if he were to set foot in his childhood home again all he'll see is where his parents should be.
"Maybe you don't have to," Aberforth, who has been listening to everything, says.
"Uncle Ab? What do you mean?" Mie asks.
"Look, from where I'm standing you lot need each other right now, need to be close to each other," Aberforth admits. "And you're welcome to stay here, but there might be another option," Aberforth reveals.
"What kind of option?" Lily asks interested.
"As you know there have bene a lot of fights in the village lately, people have gotten scared, decided to go somewhere else, so there are a few empty houses. I'm sure one of them would be suitable, and the owners would be happy to let you stay," Aberforth explains.
"That's actually a really good idea," Marlene comments, and several other people around the room nod in agreement.
"Really is," Severus confirms as he is sure that it will allow them to protect each other and others. "Can you help us with finding a place?" Severus asks.
"Of course," Aberforth confirms. "But right now, I'm going to help you with food, you all need to eat more," Aberforth tells the tees as he conjures the food he has already made, and together the group eat, it being clear that after everything that has happened no one really has an appetite.