it all ends with us: ruins

041

A/N: The first chapter of this book I mention that Atlas is 16 but I'm making a slight change and she is now 15. This book takes place in Order of the Phoenix. 

Chapter Forty-One:

"Sleep doesn't help when it is your soul that is tired."

The Monday morning was one of the hardest that Atlas had to face. She fought with herself and won against the urge to skip class and stay in bed. She dressed slowly in her uniform and tried to make herself look more presentable. Ren and Kiera had gotten ready slower this morning to be able to accompany Atlas wherever she went and although they thought they were being subtle Atlas was quick to pick up on it.

"Here's your tie." Ren hands over the yellow fabric and Atlas leaves it untied around her neck.

"Ready?" Kiera nudged Atlas and received a curt nod in response.

Ren was quick to link arms with both girls as they sauntered through the hallways. Each girl represents a different stage of grief. Ren was acceptance, Kiera was denial and Atlas was both anger and depression. The only other one in the friendship group who took the loss as hard as Atlas was Pansy, it was obvious the two had a close bond.

The great hall was noisy as usual but the second the young Lennon had stepped foot into the room all conversations had died down. The whispers began and Atlas couldn't help but roll her eyes at the whole of the student body. She walked over to her seat and sat down so abruptly and so consumed with anger that she hadn't realised she was waiting for coffee from someone who was no longer here.

The realisation hit her as hard as ever as she stared at the table in front of her. The table lacked coffee. Coffee that would be ready for her before she could even think about wanting one. A coffee made by someone who had been brutally murdered days prior. Now that Apollo had gone, so did the coffee.

"Hey." Atlas looked up at Theo who had pushed a cup towards her softly.

"I can't make coffee but I can make one hell of a tea." He chuckled trying to lessen the tension in the room.

"Can everyone go back to whatever the hell you were doing before." Pansy shrieks from the top of her chair.

The entire hall turns their attention back to their breakfasts and conversations start back up as the focus changes away from Atlas. Pansy shoots Atlas a quick smile and she returns it with more of a thankful one before she turns back to Theo.

"Thank you." She says softly, taking a small sip of the hot beverage.

"I got you something too." Lorenzo announces and pushes a bag towards her.

"Frozen grapes." Atlas giggles before immediately tucking in.

"You mentioned they were your favourite." He adds.

"You remembered." Atlas says in slight shock.

"Of course I did sugar. Why would I ever forget?" He laughs stealing one of the grapes.

The group kept the conversations flowing and Atlas included at every possible moment. It meant that the young girl's mind was away from the gaping hole in the table and more focused on the fact that things are going to get better from here.

Atlas dreaded the thought of sitting in one of Snape's lessons but it meant that she had a chance to talk to Draco. He had been avoiding her since everything had happened but Atlas had spotted him standing at the back of the funeral and watched him place a lone flower on top of the closed casket when he thought no one was looking.