𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 68

A week rolled by slowly, and on the day of the funeral, no one spoke. They all got dressed silently, apparating in couples, landing on the grounds of their old school, where alumni and staff alike were all dressed in black, though the students were in their uniforms out of respect.

Natasha spotted Lauren, one of her old Gryffindor friends, as well as Alicia who was already there with Lee, and went over with Fred, her hand resting on her slowly growing stomach. "Wow Nat didn't take long," Lauren gushed with a smile, hugging Natasha and kissing her cheek.

"Fred and I weren't really expecting it yet, but we are already married so it was bound to happen," Natasha explained. Lee shook Fred's hand before laughing and embracing him, clapping his back.

"Felicity Pearce is here mate, and boy is she sending your wife death glares," he said with a small chuckle. Fred looked over to where Felicity was standing and rolled his eyes.

"She's like a sour pickle that girl," he remarked, as Natasha took his hand in hers, kissing his knuckles.

"I'm pregnant and jealous, stop looking at her," she grumbled. Fred obeyed her orders, bringing her to his side so that she was nestled against his shirt, just in time for Grace and Barnaby to approach them.

"Didn't think I was going to be back here for a very long time," she huffed, her engagement ring being fiddled with by Barnaby as he held her hand. She was dressed in a black pant suit, fitted out with black sunglasses and matching clutch, whilst Barnaby had a simple button-down shirt, the top two buttons not done up in his usual style.

"I'm just hoping to not run into any of the old crowd Merula and I used to be with," Barnaby said nervously, his hands glistening in sweat. Grace lay her head on his shoulder, kissing his neck softly, as Merula came up to them, followed by a woman Natasha and Fred had never met before.

"Barnaby if you just jinxed me, I'm going to murder you," she seethed. The other woman frowned and hugged Merula's arm, stroking it affectionately.

"Darling, I don't think that's legal," she whispered. Her strawberry blonde-hair covered a majority of her face, but as she lifted her head just slightly, the small group of people were met with coal-black eyes.

"Sorry, this is my wife Pearl. Pearl this is Barnaby and Grace, who attended school with me, and this is Fred and Natasha. Fred is Charlie's younger brother, the man we just spoke to," Merula introduced. Natasha shook Pearl's hand and smiled.

"Lovely to finally meet you Pearl. I've been waiting to meet Merula's wife for so long." Merula blushed as Pearl beamed, and it was clear that the fondness between the two was met unconditionally, as even their eyes sparkled when they looked at each other.

More and more people began to arrive, and Fred and Natasha walked over to their respective seats, where Sirius and Aurelia were already sat with Adrian and Oliver. Filius Flitwick was in the row in front of them, and he smiled as he saw the rings on Fred and Natasha's fingers, the smile widening as he saw Aurelia.

Other teachers filed in the first few rows, though some were scattered to provide comfort for students, who for the second time in three years, were grieving a lost member of Hogwarts, though more of the muggle-borns were crying, realising hope of their return to school was gone.

Minerva stood up the front, dressed in formal black robes, her pointed hat the only source of colour containing a few silver streaks. Everyone quieted in their seats, and Sirius wrapped his arm around Harry, who had been silent the whole week.

"We are gathered today on the grounds of the school many of us attended under the care of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, who passed away last week. He was the epitome of wisdom and talent, with an often-unique wardrobe, and a love for sweets."

Some laughed at this quietly, and instantly the mood was lifted. Many were seeing this as a celebration of one's life, even though darker times were coming. As some children and adults cried, others who didn't even know them came to their sides, engulfing them in warm hugs and consoling them.

The only students who didn't show much emotion were the Slytherins up front, were Draco was sat quite rigid, his blonde hair covering his once bright eyes. His father was nowhere to be seen, having recently escaped Azkaban, but his mother was right beside him, her comfort necessary for him.

Sirius' heart ached at the sight of Narcissa, who, apart from Andromeda, had been one of his favourite cousins as a child. She was as bright as the sun when she was younger and had only turned as cold as she was now when she met Lucius, whom she married the day she turned 17.

Andromeda had also turned up today, but completely avoided her sister, as she had been doing ever since she married Ted. She sat alone at the back next to Horace Slughorn and Molly and had been chatting with them both right up until the service began.

Minerva continued to speak as Fred absentmindedly rubbed his wife's stomach, his being more protective over the two then ever. Though Natasha was an auror, Fred still got nervous whenever she went somewhere with Angelina or Tonks, and spent his nights reading to her stomach, always wrapping an arm around Natasha as to almost calm his irrational thoughts.

"Now, I would like to invite Mrs Natasha Black-Weasley up to the front. She was the Head Girl at Hogwarts the previous year and has requested an audience to talk about the life of Albus Dumbledore," Minerva announced. Natasha stood from her seat and her family let her pass, her hand grazing her godbrother's shoulder for just a second before she walked down the centre aisle.

Her dress had a small waistband just above her pregnant belly, which made her look slightly more pregnant than she was. Her small flats made no sound as she stood on the small stone platform, and her hands gripped the sides of the phoenix inspired lectern, which she had seen Albus use many times during her schooling years.

"Friends, family, students and alumni, it is my honour to speak about the life of the man now gone from many of our lives. When I was Head Girl, he offered only words of advice and encouragement, pushing me and my fellow peers to strive to be better, to become the future of our world as he saw it to be."

"He always used to say whenever we had a conversation, that if I didn't become an Auror, then everything he stood for as a headmaster was wasted. He saw the promise in me long before I saw it myself, and as I stand here with you today to reflect on his life, I can only think of the times he pushed me to be the best version of myself that I could be."

"Sure, he may be gone, but the light he shone into our school and world will never be extinguished, carried on by those whom he taught and laughed with. As he once said in one of our very many feasts, 'Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.'