(no subject)
Chapter 5:
Neville shook his head. Where had all the time gone? It had been six years since Voldemort’s defeat. Neville and Ginny had moved out of Hogsmeade, and had a house in London. He’d celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday a month ago, and it was a week and a half since Ginny’s twenty-fourth birthday. Neville finally had all the papers filed, and he held in his hand the most recent one. It had arrived the day after Ginny’s birthday, and was crumpled and tear-stained. Neville couldn’t bring himself to read it again, but he knew what it said.
Dear Neville and Ginny; April 12th, 2005
I’m writing to bring terrible news for the Weasley family. Molly and I have just received a visit from two Aurors, who came bearing the bodies of Fred and George. Five Death Eaters attacked the shop at around noon today, and there was only one costumer there because it was lunchtime. She said the twins took on all five Death Eaters, and told her to run. She got help from one of the Aurors that was patrolling the area (everyone in Diagon Alley was very lucky they still have Aurors on duty there after last week’s attacks, or there could have been more damage), but by the time they got there both twins had been hit by the killing curse.
I’m sorry I couldn’t break this to you both more gently, but there’s no easy way to put it. A memorial service will be held for them at 11:00 pm on Wednesday, April 31st. It will take place at the Kestrel Funeral Home. Your old friends have been invited, but I sincerely hope you have more respect for Fred and George than you do for the Christmas reunions. The twins always wanted you and your friends to come to your senses, so if you plan on not attending you should think about that first. Again, I’m very sorry you had to get the news so suddenly. Molly and I only heard fifteen minutes ago.
- Arthur Weasley
Neither Neville nor Ginny had considered skipping the funeral just to avoid Harry, Ron and Hermione. They’d both cried when they’d received that letter, and Neville hadn’t been able to shake the terrible guilt. The twins had always wanted the family back together - they’d tried harder than anyone to make them talk. And they’d never gotten to see it happen.
Neville looked at the clock. It was quarter to eleven - they should get going. Ginny had asked to be alone, so he didn’t know if he should bother her. But they had agreed to arrive early - they’d responded by owl, but they hadn’t seen Mr or Mrs Weasley since they’d received the letter. They wanted to talk to Ginny’s parents before the funeral started.
Neville had just decided he’d leave it for another five minutes when he heard the door to the attic open. Ginny, dressed in a black dress with her black veil trailing behind her, stood in the doorway. Her eyes were red but dry. Neville went to her and let her slip into her arms. “Ready?” he asked her quietly.
He felt her nod, and they Disapparated together. It was disrespectful to Apparate right into a funeral, so they materialised a block away from the funeral home. Their arms around each other, Neville and Ginny set off down the block.
They heard Hermione’s voice before they saw her. It was shrill, and it brought them harshly back to reality: “Ron, my presence here has nothing to do with you! I haven’t spoken to you in seven years! I have seen your brothers, many times. Do you know how many times I couldn’t take the pressure at work so they let me spend the night at their shop and talk to them? I have just as much right as you do to remember them, because if it weren’t for Fred -”
She broke off - everyone knew what would have happened to Hermione if it weren’t for Fred. Everyone remembered how he’d saved her life during the final battle. Neville could see her face by that time - it was red with fury and, he suspected, suppressed tears.
Ron stuttered at her for a moment, before looking up and seeing Neville and Ginny. He opened his mouth, but Ginny cut him off: “Ron, I’m not in the mood for an argument right now. Please don’t say anything, because this isn’t about the two of us.” Her voice was even, but slightly higher than usual.
“Fine,” said Ron quietly, turning away. Before he’d turned far enough to hide his face, he froze. Neville and Ginny and both looked in the direction of his gaze, and Neville’s suspicions were confirmed. Two figures were walking, quietly, towards the funeral home. One was tall, and walked with the gait of a man twice his age. In one hand, he held flowers. In the other, he had the hand of the woman next to him. They both wore black, and neither spoke.
Luna arrived joined them several steps ahead of Harry. Without saying a word, she put her arms around Ginny. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. What was there to say? Her husband stood awkwardly, avoiding their eyes.
When Luna pulled away from Ginny, she looked around at her friends. Ron looked away from her, but this caused his gaze to land on Harry. They both looked away immediately. Neville looked down. Finally Ginny spoke: “They wanted the family back together.”
The simple truth to that statement hung heavily over all of them. They were quiet for several moments, and Neville felt the guilt wash over him. Why couldn’t he have swallowed his pride and apologised? It all seemed so petty, and the twins … he didn’t want to think about twins. He’d seen them just a month ago. How could his memory of them be so clear? How could he remember seeing them so recently, and a month later they were gone?
“I’m sorry,” said Hermione quietly. “I said I wouldn’t be the first to give in … I said I was done with being the one to apologise … oh, this is all so stupid! I’m so sorry.”
Harry sighed. “After the battle against Voldemort, I didn’t even know what was happening. I’d just been fantasising for so long about winning the battle and Ginny running into my arms … it just happened to fast. I wasn’t thinking. Hermione, I took it out on you. Can you forgive me?”
“Of course,” said Hermione quietly. “I know how hard it was…”
“I’m sorry too,” said Ginny, not looking at her. “We should have told you. But if we’d had that fight before the battle, we might not have won. Keeping it a secret seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I don’t know what I was thinking. It was all my fault -”
Automatically, Neville cut her off. “It was my fault as much as yours. We both should have told them. And I’m sorry I didn’t.” He stepped back a bit and shut his mouth immediately - speaking in that serious a situation made him nervous. But he was relieved his own apology was over with.
Everyone looked at Ron. He didn’t meet their eyes, so instead he spoke to the ground: “Ginny, I … I think you and Neville make a great couple. I shouldn’t have tried to control you. Every time I visited the twins, they told me how you were doing and said I should visit you. They wanted us together again. Hermione, you were right to keep their secret. I just got sick of not knowing anything that was going on, and I took it out on you. And Luna … you’re not a loony. You’re the smartest of all of us. And I’m glad you make Harry happy. I’m glad someone did.”
A silence followed those words, and Hermione broke it: “But it’s too late. They were so loyal, and they wanted us to stay loyal to our friends, but they’re not around to see it happen. None of this matters.”
Then, for the first time since she’d arrived at the funeral, Luna spoke. “Why do you say they were loyal?”
Neville didn’t understand that statement. The twins had always been loyal, and they’d always gotten along with Luna. Why was she saying something against them? “Because they were!” said Hermione defensively. “They always defended their family … Fred saved my life.”
“So they are loyal,” said Luna simply. “How does getting hit by the killing curse make them any less loyal?”
They all stared at her. Neville was completely thrown by that statement. She was right, but … “I’m sure they’d still be loyal if they were still here,” said Hermione. “You talk about people in the past tense after they die.”
“Why?” asked Luna. Neville thought about this. Why did people talk in the past tense about the deceased? They were laid underground and suddenly all their qualities disappeared into the past?
“I don’t know,” said Hermione, sounding confused. “That’s just the way it works.”
“But they’re loyalty is still here,” said Luna. “And they do get to see us together. Look.” She pointed upwards, where clouds were slowly parting to let the sun shine through. “You’ve all made them happy.” Neville stared at the sky. Just a moment ago, all had been cloudy and grey. And, as he watched the sky, he could have sworn the sun was grinning at him. The grin looked familiar, and it gave Neville the sudden, overwhelming feeling that everything was going to be all right.