RP: Only the Good Die Young

[rar_susan]

Date: 29 May 1998
Characters: All surviving Hufflepuffs, fellow DA members
Location: Greenhouse One
Status: Public
Summary: Justin's friends meet following the memorial service.
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[rar_eloise]

Eloise felt worn out after having attended Justin's memorial service. She'd stayed close by Hannah's side, knowing the other girl was really very fragile right now. It had been hard, seeing Justin's family and what his life could have been like if he hadn't died. Part of her wished he'd hidden like so many others had. But he'd had no idea. He'd walked into a trap, and like her father, had died for nothing more then the accident of his birth

[rar_hannah]

Hannah was relieved when she came into the greenhouse and saw Susan and Eloise sitting on the blankets covering the floor. She had spent most of the memorial service looking for Ernie, but he was still nowhere to be seen. She really hoped that he had snuck in towards the end, when she was crying too hard to notice much except that fact that she should've brought more tissues.

She quietly sat down next to Eloise and gave her a quick hug.

"This was such a good idea, El", she said, her voice sore from crying. "Justin would have... he would really have liked this."

[rar_eloise]

"You're right, I think he would have," Eloise said, taking in the group of people, and not just Hufflepuffs, who had shown up. "He was always so enthusiastic about house relations. I think he'd like to see people coming together."

Eloise noted how hoarse Hannah sounded and felt a pang of concern for her friend. Her eyes were red from crying and Elosie knew all too well how that felt. She set her tea aside and gently reached out for Hannah's hand, giving it a squeeze.

"Alright Hannah? If there's anything..." she trailed off, knowing platitudes were useless from her own experience recently. "I'm here," she amended gently. "If you need me."

They had never been close, before this past week, but oddly, she was starting to feel like none of them, not herself or Hannah or Susan, would have gotten through this without the other two.

[rar_hannah]

"Thank you", said Hannah quietly. She knew that Eloise was trying to make her feel better, and the fact that she had so recently suffered the same loss made the words that had fallen flat so many times in the last week actually hold some meaning.

"I probably will", she added and held onto Eloises hand. "I mean... I can't believe Ernie didn't show up. I know he's... upset and everything, but... Thanks, El. I wouldn't have made it through the last week without you."

[rar_harry]

It was raining a bit, but Harry'd foregone a jacket, and could feel rain clinging slightly to his eyelashes and weighing his hair as he looked down. He loved the rain, it made the colors brighter somehow, washing away everything in the air that filtered them out.

The greenhouses seemed a fitting place to remember Justin. Harry had never frequented them outside of Herbology, but Remus' funeral at Avebury had made him really appreciate the value of remembering someone in a place where they had been happy.

When he, Hermione and Ron reached the Greenhouse, they went inside and out of the rain. It was warm in here, comfortable, and Harry felt a bit lighter as he went over to get some tea and a few scones.

[rar_hermione]

Tomorrow was the last funeral. Hermione was so glad that they were nearly done. While she wanted to remember the people they'd lost, wanted to keep their memory alive, it was just so emotionally draining that she was almost numb by now

[rar_ron]

Ron dragged his hand through his hair, tugging the Muggle tie loose before picking up two plates. "Hermione," he said, nodding his head back to where she sat on a blanket. Carefully, Ron balanced one on his arm and one on his hand, keeping the small spread of food as even as he could. "Can you get her tea?" he asked Harry as he picked up a cup of his own.

This was the funeral Ron had been most apprehensive about attending. Colin at least had been of their house, and even though plenty of Hufflepuffs had wound up living in the Room of Requirement as members of the House of DA, Ron felt as though somehow, he was intruding.

[rar_susan]

Susan excused herself as Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the greenhouse. She waited until they'd had a chance to fill their plates and get settled before approaching them.

"I'm glad you could come today," she said. "Do you mind if I join you for a while?"

[rar_ron]

Ron wiped his hands on his pants, mopping up the spilled tea with napkins and getting up. "At least I saved the scones," he smiled, nodding at Susan as she sat, avoiding the tea spot. "I'll be right back, Susan would you like anything? Tea? Coffee? Not on the blanket?" She nodded at the mention of coffee and Ron grabbed the spilled cup to refill.

He waited on the short line, grabbing a scone for Susan as well, hoping he would balance better this time. He poured Susan's coffee, reaching for the hot water carafe just at the same time as another girl.

"Sorry," he grinned, holding his hand out to her instead. "Ron Weasley. Please, you first," he said, nodding to the tea.

[rar_eloise]

Eloise had let her tea grow cold in her cup as she and Hannah had talked, forgetting about it in her concern for her friend. Eventually, once she was sure Hannah was alright, she'd extricated herself for a moment to refresh her tea and get a cup for Hannah. If there was one thing that she'd learned from her mother, it was that every situation, even ones like this, were made better by a warm cup of tea.

She joined the queue back at the tables and contemplated getting some sandwiches. It wasn't that she really was hungry, but they should eat something. Just as she reached for the tea, she was stopped short by someone else reaching for it as well.

"Sorry," she murmured back reflexively, not really looking up until she saw a hand extended to her. Her eyes traveled up and she was taken aback, first by the fact that Ron was being friendly to her, and second, although less so, by the fact that obviously he had no idea who she was. Not surprising, really."I know," she said, taking his hand and shaking it for a moment before dropping

[rar_ron]

"Eloise?" Ron asked, his smile continuing until he realized who she meant. "Eloise Midgen?"

Quickly, Ron shut his mouth as she stared back at him, clearly aware of his shock at her pimple-less face. "Sorry," he whispered. "I er, I didn't recognize you." He reached for her hand again as she checked for a burn from the tea she'd spilled, turning it over in his own. "That'll be alright," he insisted. "If it hurts though, I could get Hermione to do a healing charm on you, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

He grinned again, a little sheepishly this time. Ron gestured with his head over to where Hermione was sitting on the blanket, pouring the last cup of tea and putting the saucer on top as Harry had done.

[rar_eloise]

"It's fine. Really." Eloise stared down at his hand for a moment then back up to see him grinning as if a little uncomfortable. She pulled her hand away from his, after a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed, somewhat irritated, and a little amused all at the same time.

"It's fine," she repeated. "Not to worry, I've had worse." She blew on it for a moment, the cool air making the skin sting less and then looked back up at Ron, her lips twisting in a self deprecating smile.

"I really ought to learn I'm supposed to drink the tea. Not bathe in it. I need to get that through my thick head. Bloody uncomfortable, scalding tea."

[rar_pomona]

Another funeral (or memorial, at least) meant more flowers for Pomona Sprout's best hat. For Justin she had added bright yellow daisies.

She paused in the doorway of Greenhouse One, watching the youngsters gather together for their tea party picnic. A lovely idea, far more comfortable than the usual formality one associated with deaths and burials.

She was also pleased to see that it wasn't just Hufflepuffs who had joined together to remember young Mr Finch-Fletchley.

After taking a moment to collect herself, Pomona stepped cheerfully into Greenhouse One, and helped herself to a cup of tea.

[rar_hannah]

When Hannah saw Professor Sprout enter the greenhouse she decided a refill of her cup of tea was necessary. She had just finished the cup Eloise had brought her, and knew she would need to run to the bathroom the minute the picnic was over if she kept this up, but Professor Sprout always made her feel better, in fact just the bright colour of the flowers in her hat brought a smile to her lips, but it couldn't be helped. She needed a good helping of Sprout-isisms.

"Hello, Professor", she said and reached for the kettle. "I really like the flowers. They are so bright and cheerful. Very Justin, if I may say so."

[rar_neville]

Neville slipped into Greenhouse One quietly. He hadn't attended the memorial in Cambridge, but wanted to at least remember Justin here. The atmosphere was far and way the closest to festive he'd seen so far, which he found fitting. Justin had been one of the friendliest people he'd known. It made sense that his memorial take place in friendly surroundings.

Everyone else seemed to be gathered in private knots of conversation. Not wanting to intrude, Neville got a glass of lemonade and some shortbread from the table and sat down along the wall, well out of the way.

[rar_cho]

Cho hoped this was the last funeral or memorial service she would attend for many years. She hadn't known Justin Finch-Fletchley very well but she remembered him as a friendly and hard-working member of the D.A. When she read about his death the previous September, she'd sobbed for a moment. It was such a brave thing to do, especially for someone only 17, but as she recalled, Justin was himself Muggleborn. Had she been in the same position, she hoped she would have attempted the same thing, though it was easy to hope that when she'd been cosseted safely in Glasgow. She decided not to attend the Muggle memorial service, as she'd barely known him, but instead to remember him with his friends and other D.A. members

[rar_neville]

Neville looked up, smiling when he recognized Cho. "I don't mind," he replied, indicating the empty seat beside him. "Have you been by the buffet table? Can I get you anything? The lemonade is pretty good."

He sipped from his glass, looking at the number of people who had chosen to attend. He was pleased to see there were quite a few, many from the DA, and even a few who hadn't been members.

"How have you been? What did you do after leaving school?" he asked. He hesitated, his smile widening slightly. "I'm kind of surprised you kept the Galleon. How did you know you might be needed again, especially since the DA didn't continue your last year?"

[rar_cho]

Well, at least he didn't shoo her away. Cho half-expected someone to do that, considering she'd been the one who'd dragged Marietta into the D.A. "Thanks," she said, taking a seat. "No, I've not been there yet. I'll get something later."

She shrugged. "I've been okay. I went back to Glasgow after...after Dumbledore was killed. We didn't get to sit our NEWTs, you know; I simply left right after his funeral. Then everything went pear-shaped, didn't it?" She sighed. "I lived with my parents the past year. We were involved in the resistance. We used to listen to Potterwatch on the wireless; it gave people hope, you know?"