The fading sun was brilliant as we walked towards the old, familiar house. Rays of red and orange bounced from over the trees, fading into oblivion above our heads. As our steps brought us closer to the Burrow, a feeling of comfort washed through my body like hot water, warming my senses, and allowing a gust of air to escape my lips. This place always had that affect on you. The front door was unlocked, as always, but out of courtesy, my friend raised her hand from her spot beside me to knock. Almost immediately after her knuckles had wrapped on the door twice, a bustling, short, red-haired witch threw the door ajar with open arms.
“Welcome, welcome girls! Just in time! Everyone is getting ready to sit down,” Molly Weasley announced as she ushered us through the door.
As we stepped into the kitchen, there was a loud chorus of greeting from a rather motley and mismatched group. Neither of us minded though, and we called out cheerfully back. Tonight was not about sadness and the past; it was to celebrate life and what we still had. Claiming seats of our own at the large table, for all the quick chatter and good moods, the empty seats told of what we did miss, despite the rest.
“Teddy, stop playing with Molly’s wand,” Andromeda Tonks scolded, her grandson dropping the object in question with a guilty look. He was almost four now, and needed constant attention from all.
Molly glanced at Andromeda as she chided Teddy while absentmindedly patting her apron pocket where the wand should have been. With a simple shake of her head and a delighted chuckle, she went back to preparing the meal. Just as she began to arrange the ham on a silver platter, Hagrid clambered up beside her, his head slightly cocked to accommodate for the low ceiling.
“I can help ye if ye need it, Molly,” Hagrid offered.
Molly looked up at the tall man, her smile bright. “If you could just take these platters over to the table it would be rather helpful,” she replied, gesturing towards the already prepared food. Hadrid nodded with his lopsided grin and proceeded to fit most of the platters on his trashcan-lid-sized hands.
As Hagrid precariously balanced his way to the table, Bill Weasley jumped up, his long ponytail swaying with the movement. “Let me grab some of those for you, Hagrid! Don’t want any of Mum’s lovely food spilling to the floor…”
“Now I wasn’t abou’ ter spill anythin’,” Hagrid mumbled as Bill took two of the platters from Hagrid and set them on the table. As everyone settled around the table, we looked at each other and grinned. There was no place like the Burrow surrounded by our good friends.
“Of course not, Hagrid; Mum just taught us proper manners, that’s all,” Bill responded with his quick cheeky smile.
As everyone grabbed plates and piled them high with Molly’s always delicious food, the conversation lulled. The room was filled with little more than the clink of silverware and thuds as plates were placed on the table. A sudden burst of laughter from the other end of the table interrupted the quiet, and we turned to look. It didn’t seem to be much to look at, until we leaned closer for a better look.
Ron had pulled out a little silver object, hardly more than the Muggle version of a fancy lighter. Little Teddy, his hair a pinkish shade of purple was reaching for it with eager hands, his eyes wide.
“Lemme see! Lemme see!” Teddy squealed, heard even over the adult laughter.
“Teddy, hush. It’s not yours to play with,” chided Andromeda, trying to push the toddler back into his seat. Another burst of laughter came from the table as the little boy’s hair turned a dark red, a tell-tale sign of his anger.
“What is that, Ron? It looks like a lighter,” stated my friend as she leaned further onto the table. Her curiosity was evident on her face as she tried to get a better look at the object in question.
“It’s a Put-Outer,” Ron replied quickly. “Dumbledore willed it to me. It kind of sucks the light away, then you can flick it and it will all go back.” Ron looked up at us, a sheepish grin on his face. “I always thought it was pretty wicked.”
The chuckles from around the table quieted considerably at the mention of the late Headmaster and mentor. Ron turned the Put-Outer over in his fingers, allowing them to slide smoothly over the surface. Everyone had settled down around the table, most with full plates, others had been too distracted by the lively conversation to take head of the fine meal in front of them. All was silent now; the Put-Outer had effectively taken the center of attention.
“Molly, what was he like when you knew him?” Hagrid’s question cut through the ringing silence, and slowly all turned to look at the older woman. She looked slightly affronted for a moment, the sudden change of focus seemingly taking her off guard. However, as we watched with rapt attention, her features softened as the memories began to float through her mind.
Wiping her hands on the apron she still wore even though she was seated, she looked at Hagrid and a sad smile shifted her features.
“Well, naturally he still had auburn hair when he was my Transfiguration teacher. Much shorter as well, but still far beyond anything that is normal.” She shot a look at Bill, but continued tranquilly, her voice that of a feather, “I had never seen a person so passionate about magic.” Her voice became fuller. “He knew all sorts of tricks that any other teacher in their right mind wouldn’t have dared teach us.
“I remember one day in particular in my seventh year. Arthur and I sat in the back, and on this day we had been seeing each other for a year. Naturally, we weren’t paying rapt attention and naturally Albus noticed.”
“Ah, yes of course,” Arthur chimed in. “I will never forget this moment.”
At this point, Molly had received a knowing chuckle from Andromeda and some very red ears from Ron. Bill’s arm was draped comfortably around Fleur’s shoulders, the latters’s upturned face smiling brilliantly at the former. Hagrid and McGonogall were both watching the speaker with shining eyes and reminiscent grins, and even Teddy had quieted down for the monologue. George kept sneaking bits of ham as if he felt this was the pre-meal blessing and it was rude to eat. I watched in rapt attention, my own memories leaping through my brain, clouding my senses and causing the emotions to swirl in my stomach.
“Any other teacher would have put us in detention or singled the two of us out, but not Albus. Instead, and I remember this exact moment vividly, he walked to our desks, perching himself on the front so he was turned facing us. He leaned down close to us so no one would hear, except for prying ears of course, and whispered, ‘It’s not St. Valentine’s Day today, nor is it either of your birthdays, so that must mean today is a special day in the, how may I put it, course of your rather apparent relationship.’”
“I was instantly miffed, cowering down away from the apparent scolding, and Arthur looked as if he were about to explode from embarrassment. I remember Albus paused, his merry eyes bouncing between us, and then he dismissed us from class.” Molly turned and grinned at Arthur as a few of the guests let out bursts of laughter and others uttered phrases like, “Oh, of course,” and, “Only Albus!”
“He told us days of love should not be wasted learning trivial things like transfiguring a live baboon into the perfect bed-side table. Said it was too important to be hidden as we had been ‘desperately’ trying to do in the back of his classroom,” Molly finished, her eyes glowing at Arthur.
A sigh escaped the mouth beside me, and it seemed as if everyone had been satiated and calmed by this happy story.
“What about you Andromeda? You followed me by only a few years, but he was headmaster then,” Molly prodded, handing the spotlight off to someone else.
At that precise moment, the doorbell rang. Molly jumped up immediately, the conversation seemingly halted.
“Oh, that must be Narcissa!” she cried as she headed out of the room. “She mentioned she might be a few minutes late. Something about Astoria getting a check up at St. Mungo’s,” Her voice faded as she left the kitchen. “I just can’t believe they’re pregnant!”
My closest friend and I exchanged delighted glances. We had been so out of the loop with the rest, trying to tie up what loose ends we could. Tonight was possibly the first time we had seen any of our old friends in several months. It was simply astounding to find out this tiny bit of information.
“Pregnant?” burst out my friend, never one to keep her enthusiasm quiet.
Appreciative laughter followed her exclamation, and immediately voices leaped to fill in the gaps of our knowledge.
“Well, you see Nar”” started Ron in his usual slow storytelling way just as George, Andromeda, Hagrid, and Teddy all spoke on almost on the same cue.
“They’ve joined th”” That was George, his excitement obvious in the words.
“Cissy changed dr”” began Andromeda, her still lovely face shifting into a warm and contented smile despite the sadness that still existed in her eyes.
“Aunt Cissy! Aunt Cissy!” was Teddy’s chant at the very mention of his pale relative.
We simply laughed at them all and held up hands as if to fend off all the conversation.
“All right, all right!” said I, as my friend shook her head playfully. Slowly, the three adults fell silent, while little Teddy sat and chanted quietly to himself.
“One at a time, please,” she added thoughtfully, pausing before speaking again to the general group. “Dromeda, why don’t you go first?”
“That’s a good idea! You probably know the most,” I stated, flashing a quick grin at my friend for her fast thinking.
However, before the last Tonks could speak, Molly came bustling into the room, fussing over the tall, thin figure of Narcissa Malfoy. Narcissa, though paler than usual and looking exhausted, gave Molly a smile. We could tell she still wasn’t used to this company, and she brushed off Molly’s warm comments with a few kind words of thanks before she took a seat next to her sister.
Everyone piped up with cheerful greetings while I exchanged a look with my friend. This look did not go unnoticed, as proved by the father of seven who leaned towards with a conspiratorial whisper.
“Ah, yes. The mystery of Narcissa. None of us can truly figure it out, though she and Andromeda have tried to explain. We’re just as baffled as you two. Be kind though; she’s family now.”
We shared a secret grin with each other before Molly chided the three of us for whispering in company. Contritely, we all bowed our heads and murmured apologies none of us meant. She only shook her head fondly, patted our heads, and pressed a kiss quickly to her husband’s hair.
Meanwhile, everyone else was looking at Narcissa as she told of Astoria’s appointment. We too listened eagerly, wanting to know just how this old enemy of the Golden Trio came to be such a part of the ‘family’.
“Astoria is doing so well with the pregnancy,” Narcissa said with pride, a smile on her lips. She seemed delighted with her family’s fortune, though her husband’s misfortune had been a slight blight on it all.
“What about ol’ Malfoy?” asked Ron.
“Narcissa turned her eyes on Ron and gave a little chuckle. “Draco… is less enthused. I don’t think he’s ready to be a father, though he tries to hide it.”
We all gave a little laugh at that, for deep inside, I’m sure each of us was thinking that Draco Malfoy was not someone we had pegged to be a parent. Falling into a lull of thought, each person seemed to drift into his or her own world. Today was strange, a gathering of all from different ends of the spectrum to convene over a common feeling and emotion: love.
We sat here with ease, even as an old enemy joked about the birth of a Malfoy, even with a semi-werewolf, and the Mother-in-Law of a deceased. The air held holes that would never be filled, holes in families and hearts, but now we had each other, and the holes were beginning to fill with new lives and love. It was easy to see that no one here would ever be what they had once been.
We were pulled from our thoughts by the motherly voice of Molly. She had once again asked Andromeda to replay her memories of Albus Dumbledore. Shaking her head, Andromeda let out a soft sigh and began.
“He was as he has always been. Electric, really. I think that’s the best way I can describe him. Don’t you think?” She laughed.
Fleur chimed in, “In my short time knowing ze man, I can defineetly agree vith you zere. Eelectric. I vill never forget ze first time I saw heem, standing een front of ze entire school, arms spread wide, giving ze warmest welcome I have ever received from a mere stranger. However, at zat time, I was a bit sceptical of hees boots. Very out of fashion at ze time.”
At the last comment, her husband rolled his eyes. “You noticed his boots! Only you, my dear, only you.”
“Are you saying heez boots were stylish?” Fleur cried, her eyes locked on Bill’s scarred face. A small chuckle escaped his lips and he shook his head, fang earring swinging with the motion.
“His boots never once crossed my mind,” he said, his tone ringing with finality. Those around us chuckled at the shallow argument.
“You know, I always wondered where he bought those boots,” Ron said, his brows creased with thought. “Never seen anything like them in stores I’ve been in.”
“Probably came from secret elfin workshops that make only the finest,” my friend uttered conspiratorially from beside me.
I retorted, “Right! Like Dumbledore would ever buy anything that came from an elf sweatshop.”
“The man probably wouldn’t own a pair o’ dragon hide gloves at the notion o’ no ‘arm to the animals,” Hagrid chortled. “Great man, ‘e was.”
“And he gave Harry the Invisibility Cloak!” Ron added between bites of food. “I mean, I know Harry’s Dad asked him to, but come on! It was like he wanted us to break the rules.”
“Honestly, Ron, chew your food before you speak. You’re twenty-five years old! I shouldn’t still be telling you how to act,” Molly stated.
“Yeah, Ron, Mum shouldn’t still have to do that,” George added, leaning forward on his elbows to purposefully take a bite of food, and chew silently with his mouth locked closed.
“Oh, shove off,” Ron replied, digging his fork into his food again.
“I have one memory, if you don’t mind,” Narcissa offered, looking around the table as if she were seeking acceptance, lingering on Molly as if that is where she found the most comfort. Molly returned the look with a nod and a smile of curiosity.
Narcissa looked down at her hands, the action reminding me of a shy teenager. Then she glanced up at her sister, seeming almost apologetic. Andromeda met her look with a smile, nodding as if to encourage Narcissa.
“Well,” she began slowly, “we all know what I was like when I was younger. I’m not exactly proud, but I don’t regret it either. I did do what I thought was right.” She gave us all a considering glance, measuring our reactions to her words.
“One of the most profound moments I had with Dumbledore was probably one I brushed off as him being nothing more than an old, meddling Muggle-lover. It took me a long time to realize what he meant, and sometimes, I wonder if he didn’t plan it exactly so…
“It was after I left Hogwarts, and Lucius and I were close to becoming engaged. Andy was close to becoming married. We were at a dress fitting, and it was my turn to have my dress robes adjusted. My back was to the windows, but I was talking to Andy about Lucius. She really did seem bored with that conversation, but I was so absorbed I barely noticed. I did notice when she rose up from her comfortable pose in her seat, a rather shocked expression on her face. She basically ran out the store and into the busy streets of Diagon Alley.”
At this point, the sisters exchanged amused glances, making it obvious to the rest of us how close the two were despite the years they spent apart. Molly sent a rather poignant look at her own sons, who all artfully managed to avoid each other’s and their mother’s eyes. The few of us not involved chuckled quietly, which quickly sobered when Narcissa picked up her story.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but Ted had proposed to Andromeda in their first year after leaving Hogwarts. Andy, scared to be with him and be cut off from the family, had run away from the proposal and him.
“I’m sad to say she managed it quite affectively as a past Slytherin and daughter of the cold Black family. On this day, not long before her marriage to long time beau, or so I assumed, Raphael, Andromeda had seen Ted Tonks passing by the shop windows, completely oblivious to Andy inside. Without thinking, she ran out into the street after him. Well, of course I was sent to follow her.”
A look of shame crossed her face, and she looked at Molly again, as if Molly’s opinion was one that meant the most to her. It was as if Narcissa was fearful of what was to follow in reaction to her words, and needed encouragement. Molly Weasley went to stand behind Narcissa, letting her hand rest on the woman’s thin shoulder in response to her silent plea. That seemed to be all that Narcissa needed to continue.
“This is one of things I’m not proud I did. I threw my sister to the wolves because she loved a man so completely, she was willing to ignore their differences. You see, when I finally caught up to her, she was hovering outside of a bookshop waiting. I could see Ted Tonks within. I yelled at Andromeda, told her what a fool I thought she was being. For once though, she stuck up for herself and went in to confront Ted Tonks with her shoulders squared and her chin up. I couldn’t help admiring her pride and strength, even then.
“I too was proud, and so I turned away from her. Waiting behind me was a very patient and serious Dumbledore. Though I wanted to run in the other direction, the look in his eyes was enough to keep me in place. He smiled and spoke to me quite seriously. ‘Narcissa,’ he said, ‘your sister is a courageous young woman; I almost thought once that she should have been in Gryffindor. However, I’m quite late as it is and must bid you good day Miss Black. It’s been lovely talking to you.’
“As he walked away, whistling to himself, I stared after him. I couldn’t understand what he could possibly mean. My sister was being ridiculously stubborn and foolhardy in my good opinion. Courageous? I could only laugh at that. Courage had nothing to do with it, or so I thought.
“And Gryffindor? That place of even more foolhardy and pigheaded people? Andromeda was a daughter of the Black family. All Blacks belonged in Slytherin. What self respecting Black was in Gryffindor? Sirius certainly didn’t fall into that category, but Andromeda did… So I walked away. I just left her and returned to my mother to tell of my sister’s ‘betrayal’. All the while, I couldn’t help thinking over what Dumbledore said. Before long though, I brushed it off with a degrading comment against a man who was truly great. The rest is simply, as they say, history.”
Narcissa finished with a half-hearted shrug. She smiled at the silence that followed before everyone leapt into comments and questions quite surprisingly.
“Why was he there? Do you know?”
“Were you two yelling? I doubt your mother would have liked that.”
“Oh, Narcissa. At least you finally learned.”
“Do you think that Dumbledore’s words helped you reconnect with Dromeda?”
“You brought up Sirius!”
This last comment was uttered quite uncomprehendingly by a shocked Ron, who stared at the blonde with wide eyes and a slack mouth.
“It’s so obvious what Dumbledore meant. She really doesn’t need to explain herself.”
Narcissa looked taken aback at the complete chaos that had erupted, and looked up at Molly for some support. Molly, the mother of seven, was quick to restore order with a few authoritative words.
“Quiet! One at a time!”
The place fell silent, and I couldn’t resist a laugh. It was so like them all to burst into speech at the same time, especially to express an interest in a former enemy. I saw eyes shift towards me as I laughed, and I blushed as the attention came to me. Oh no, what have I done? I thought, feeling slightly panicked.
“What about you? Do you have a Dumbledore story?” asked George, looking interested and slightly mischievous.
“Well, I did have this dream once…” I trailed off, flashing a teasing smile at the waiting group.
A collective groan rose from the younger few, and the adults all chuckled and exchanged amused looks. I glanced at little Teddy and couldn’t help thinking how Tonks and Lupin would have been the best story tellers of all. It was shame they had to go, but then we all lost someone.
We lost mentors, lovers, children, friends, and family in this past war. Perhaps the greatest was the man who had dominated the conversation so fully since we arrived.
“You know, it seems that Albus died on his own terms,” remarked my friend thoughtfully. No one was surprised by her use of the grand wizard’s name; they all knew her intense reverence for him.
“You’re right. He protected Harry for so long…” added Molly.
“Dumbledore was a great man, ‘e was,” interjected a slightly tearful Hagrid’s contribution.
“I miss him.”
I looked at my friend, who seemed close to tears as she said this. Looking around the table, I could tell everyone did, expect little Teddy who was unfortunate enough to never get to know the great people who died.
Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was perhaps the best man and wizard I have ever known. It would have been just like him to die when he planned it. This thought was a comforting one, and as I met the eyes of the others, it was easy to read the same idea on their faces.
“Too bad he couldn’t sell that particular formula to me before he died. It’d make millions!” joked George, and we all gave a little laugh at his slightly awkward way of breaking the silence.
“George!” exclaimed Molly.
He didn’t look abashed at all as he responded. “Mum, wouldn’t you feel better knowing the day you died? I bet others would too!”
Following this, there was another outbreak of overlapping speech, and I exchanged a glance with my friend. Her eyes glanced up at the clock on the kitchen wall without thinking, and she laughed at her mistake. It was Molly’s old family clock. Instead of two hands, there were several at various places around the clock face. She shook her head and turned to the group at the table.
“We really must leave. It’s late, and I promised Mum we’d stop by for some tea before going home,” she said.
“Buh-bye! Buh-bye!” chanted Teddy, his enthusiastic farewell getting the attention of the still arguing, laughing, teasing people.
“Leaving so soon?”
“Narcissa just got here!”
“Oh, do stay a while and have a chat,”
Narcissa smiled as she threw in “Feel free to drop by anytime, dears.”
“Tell you mum hello for me.”
“It was lovely seeing you girls.”
“Don’t forget to stop by the shop sometime!”
The chorus of goodbyes and farewells was a reminder of what we still had. We still had friends, family, children, lovers, and mentors. We just had to look around us, at this small sample of the people we knew, to see it. Offers and promises were called out, and affectionate embraces followed before we managed to get to the door. Molly made sure our cloaks were secured tightly with a smile. Her eyes were bright as she looked at us, her smile quivering.
It was easy to see the loss and age on Molly, but it was just as easy to see the gain and love she carried like a brand. She was the new emblem on our shields; a protector, mother, force of strength that we all drew on with Dumbledore gone. Molly was something different and the same as Dumbledore, but she was perfect for this new ordered world.
She gave us a last, hard embrace and sent us off into the night. I glanced over my shoulder at the door as we stopped to Disapparate. The last thing I saw before I left into the night was a crying Molly wiping her tears on her apron. The mix of family and friends could be seen through the dining room window, and it crossed my mind again that this was comfort. As I turned, I met my friend’s eyes and I smiled to see the slight sheen on her eyes in the moonlight. It was hard to leave this place and those people. However, we would always come back knowing it, the people and the love lived on as long as we remembered.