Cast Aside

Epilogue 1

A/N If this chapter seems like it's coming out of nowhere, that is because it literally did. I was laying in bed one night while working on the other ep chapter and this scene came to me and I had to add it. I considered making it a stand alone, connected one shot but decided against that. Anyway, as its not really the proper ep I will post both today. 

Epilogue part 1

22 August, 1978

They were celebrating little Percy's second birthday and the mood at the Burrow was as celebratory as could be expected. Hermione had done all of the cooking for Molly, even baking the chocolate cake. Between mourning the death of her brother and caring for four month old twins, Molly was struggling to keep up. Arthur had to work. So, in order to help, George and Hermione had moved in temporarily.

That afternoon, Percy—ignorant to the lingering sorrow of the adults and older children—was positively delighted to be the center of attention. He made an absolute disaster of his piece of cake and enjoyed ripping into his presents. Now that the party was winding down, he even got his parents undivided attention. Molly, having miraculously gotten both twins down for their naps at the same time, had pulled her brand new two-year-old onto her lap on the sofa beside Arthur to read one of his new books. It was a rare peaceful moment.

Deciding it was the perfect time to start cleaning up, Hermione sent George outside with the older boys and set to work. She had the kitchen to herself for all of five minutes before George and the boys were back. She tsk'd, propping her fists on her hips and turning away from the sink. "It's much harder to clean with all of you..." They weren't alone. "Kingsley."

The Auror smiled sheepishly. "Helen. I apologize for interrupting your afternoon. The boys here tell me you were celebrating a birthday."

"Yes." Hermione tossed her dish towel over her shoulder and smiled weakly, her eyes frowning. "Why are you here, Kingsley? Has something happened?"

He chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I hope my visit will be friendly one of these times."

George, having shooed the boys into the living room, clapped Kingsley on the shoulder. "He said he's here about something from Dumbledore's estate."

"I can't imagine what that would have to do with us." Hermione frowned deeper, turning her nose up slightly.

"Well, I thought you would be the best people for it. Where are Molly and Arthur? Why don't we all sit down and talk?"

After a reassuring nod from George, she smiled and followed them through to the living room. Arthur stood and greeted Kingsley, Molly nodding warily from where she sat with Percy.

"Hullo Kingsley. What can we do for you?"

"Well..." He clapped his hands together, looking around the room as Hermione sat on George's lap in one of the chairs. "We've been sorting through Dumbledore's family estate since shipping him off to Nurmengard. Nothing too shocking—loads of old books, a few valuable heirlooms, the typical amount of restricted dark artifacts for an old pureblood family.

"But, the reason I'm here... Albus was, besides his equally childless brother, the last of his line." Kingsley shrugged. "Aberforth didn't want anything to do with any of it, of course. So that leaves me with a bit of a problem."

"Won't everything be sold off, the money going to the Ministry?" Arthur frowned up at the other man. "What does this have to do with us?"

"Well, the Dumbledore family, as an ancient mostly pureblood family of some means, had a generations-long bond with a family of house elves."