Near the back of the slowly gathering group, Stephen lingered. It felt a little wrong to approach the memorial shrine when he'd barely known Mandy when she was alive. When his reasons for being at the service were, for the most part, political. Leave the space around the altar for those who were grieving.
Not to mention that he felt the slightest bit awkward. Stephen was not, by nature, an activist, and so the simple act of being there for the reason he was felt disrespectful in and of itself. Still, his eyes were drawn to the collection of odds and ends that had belonged to the deceased. He stood, hands in pockets, and took in each item one at a time from a distance, trying to imagine the kind of person that had owned them. Trying to put a human face to the event made him feel a little better.
Percy, too, lingered near the rear of the gathering. He wasn't sure of his welcome, being a Ministry employee - and truth be told, he felt a little uncomfortable attending a gathering that was, for all intents and purposes, strongly anti-Ministry. Years of making rabidly sure that his loyalty to the Ministry was never in doubt were difficult to shake off.
But his loyalty was in doubt now, whether he liked it or not. The powerful unease he felt about this whole situation lingered. Mandy Brocklehurst's death had only forced him further from the straight and narrow path he'd always envisioned himself walking, and it was a troubled Percy Weasley who gazed over the heads of those assembled and wondered when he had so thoroughly lost his way
( ... )
Stephen was startled out of his trance by the other man, who he recognized in turn as one of the Weasley brothers. "S'alright," he mumbled, shifted a bit on his feet, then cracked a small ingratiating smile. "Wasn't payin' much attention myself."
Continuing to stand around staring at the shrine in silence did not seem like the most appealing idea. Looking sidelong at the red-haired fellow, Stephen asked the obvious question: "Did you know her?"
Percy's eyes were drawn from the shrine, instinctively scanning the crowd for his siblings. A few heads of Weasley red caught his eye; he couldn't be sure the whole tribe was here, but the Weasleys were more than adequately represented. The younger man was speaking again, he realized, and turned his attention back politely.
"No," he answered quietly, "not at all." She, too, had been at Hogwarts when he was, but he scarcely remembered her. One of Penny's, he thought, and felt a subdued grief that had little to do with Mandy Brocklehurst. No doubt Pen would have been beside herself, if she were here. He pushed the thought aside. "You?"
Fred and George closed the shop an hour early, to give everyone who wanted to go to the memorial a chance to go home and change. Zak had, originally, been given the day off, but he insisted on staying for at least half a day, rather than go home
( ... )
Hermione was trying to blend into the background, become invisible, just for now. Everyone's faces... The sadness, misery and loss imprinted across them made her stomach churn
( ... )
George was the first to spot Hermione making her way towards them. She looked like she was going to cry any moment. "We wouldn't have missed it," George replied, hugging her. He sureptitiously handed her a handkerchief, just in case. "It's not pranked, I swear."
"Good evening, Hermione," Fred smiled... as brightly as he could manage, given the situation. Both twins were unusually solemn. Appropriate for the situation, yes... But still, they could usually manage to dredge up some humor. Unfortunately, there was nothing funny about the whole situation. Fred had even dressed in subdued colors (without any nudging from Tori). "It's been ages. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
She nestled herself under George's arm, casually dabbing the corners of her eyes when she was sure no one was watching. "Thanks." Hermione managed after a moment.
"Hey, Fred." His smile was more appreciated than he'd probably know and easily the most cheerful thing he'd seen since this whole thing started. "Yeah, same here, I've missed you boys." There was something about the twins, even in a time like this they just made you feel better just be being them.
"I'd forgotten how devastatingly good looking you both are. Clearly that's a sign we should make sure we see each other more often. Because that's just a crime against nature." Hermione looked up at George with one of her best smiles.
Medea fought not to pluck at her collar. Since being put on a registry, it had become an almost constant gesture when she was nervous. Which was not good, she was still a politician even if cut off from the game she so loved at the moment. She must remember the rules of that game for when she rejoined it, and one rule was, never let them see you squirm
( ... )
Most of the people present, Severus knew. Colleagues or former students and the like. Having taught at Hogwarts for the better part of the last twenty years, that was to be expected. Not that he gave a Kneazle's arse who was present and who was not. Dark eyes flitted through the crowd, not to register the presence or absence of random guests, but to monitor what remained of his family.
Especially Remus.
They'd arrived together and then drifted somewhat apart as Remus greeted people and assumed the required role of gracious... host? 'Thank you for coming' was hardly a phrase that would flow smoothly past Severus' lips, and June was quite distraught enough. Probably, Remus felt it was his duty.
Which meant that he was putting himself at unnecessary risk, greeting scads of strangers who might be concealing potential enemies. After their conversation yesterday, when Remus informed him that Greyback was behind all of this from the start... Well, Severus did not completely trust Remus not to go off and do something reckless in
( ... )
Severus looked at her piercingly as she spoke. Contrary to popular belief, he rarely used Legilimency during the course of 'normal' conversation. If he suspected threat or lies, of course, then he had no such scruples, but it was not something he practised routinely.
Nonetheless, his reputation for being able to 'see through' lies among the students served him well even when he encountered former-students beyond Hogwarts.
He supposed it was probably very much like how he still felt around Minerva McGonagall at times - half fearful of his Marks on his next exam
( ... )
It was dreadful. Seamus could think of no other word to describe it. The hideous nature of the crime committed against this young woman by the Ministry of Magic had been unconscionable. There was no other way he could describe it. They had not even bothered with evidence, a tribunal, nothing. The Ministry had simply collected and killed her
( ... )
Charlotte buried her face into Seamus' shoulder, weeping. It was so hard to not remember the smell of dirt, of a graveyard. It was so hard to deal with someone leaving life in such a harsh way. There was such injustice of Mandy being taken away from her life before she'd really got that chance to live it. The end of the war hadn't brought her any freedom
( ... )
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Not to mention that he felt the slightest bit awkward. Stephen was not, by nature, an activist, and so the simple act of being there for the reason he was felt disrespectful in and of itself. Still, his eyes were drawn to the collection of odds and ends that had belonged to the deceased. He stood, hands in pockets, and took in each item one at a time from a distance, trying to imagine the kind of person that had owned them. Trying to put a human face to the event made him feel a little better.
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But his loyalty was in doubt now, whether he liked it or not. The powerful unease he felt about this whole situation lingered. Mandy Brocklehurst's death had only forced him further from the straight and narrow path he'd always envisioned himself walking, and it was a troubled Percy Weasley who gazed over the heads of those assembled and wondered when he had so thoroughly lost his way ( ... )
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Continuing to stand around staring at the shrine in silence did not seem like the most appealing idea. Looking sidelong at the red-haired fellow, Stephen asked the obvious question: "Did you know her?"
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"No," he answered quietly, "not at all." She, too, had been at Hogwarts when he was, but he scarcely remembered her. One of Penny's, he thought, and felt a subdued grief that had little to do with Mandy Brocklehurst. No doubt Pen would have been beside herself, if she were here. He pushed the thought aside. "You?"
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"Good evening, Hermione," Fred smiled... as brightly as he could manage, given the situation. Both twins were unusually solemn. Appropriate for the situation, yes... But still, they could usually manage to dredge up some humor. Unfortunately, there was nothing funny about the whole situation. Fred had even dressed in subdued colors (without any nudging from Tori). "It's been ages. I just wish it was under better circumstances."
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"Hey, Fred." His smile was more appreciated than he'd probably know and easily the most cheerful thing he'd seen since this whole thing started. "Yeah, same here, I've missed you boys." There was something about the twins, even in a time like this they just made you feel better just be being them.
"I'd forgotten how devastatingly good looking you both are. Clearly that's a sign we should make sure we see each other more often. Because that's just a crime against nature." Hermione looked up at George with one of her best smiles.
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Especially Remus.
They'd arrived together and then drifted somewhat apart as Remus greeted people and assumed the required role of gracious... host? 'Thank you for coming' was hardly a phrase that would flow smoothly past Severus' lips, and June was quite distraught enough. Probably, Remus felt it was his duty.
Which meant that he was putting himself at unnecessary risk, greeting scads of strangers who might be concealing potential enemies. After their conversation yesterday, when Remus informed him that Greyback was behind all of this from the start... Well, Severus did not completely trust Remus not to go off and do something reckless in ( ... )
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Nonetheless, his reputation for being able to 'see through' lies among the students served him well even when he encountered former-students beyond Hogwarts.
He supposed it was probably very much like how he still felt around Minerva McGonagall at times - half fearful of his Marks on his next exam ( ... )
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