ATHENE {remus lupin}

FOURTY

"You have to be prepared for the eventuality that I will not be here-"

"Stop being ridiculous, Albus." Moody grunted.

"It is a fact, and listen to me when I tell you to trust the boy. He's our last hope."

"You aren't going anywhere, Dumbledore." Kingsley demanded.

"I am old."

"Is there something you aren't telling us, Dumbledore?" Molly asked kindly, but with a concerned expression.

"Of course not my dear," the professor responded, putting one of his shriveled hands over one of Molly's. "I just want to be sure that you do as I say and trust Harry no matter what."

"We already do everything we can for the boy, Albus." Arthur said.

"Indeed you do, and I ask that, in the event of my death, you continue to."

"You're being ridiculous," Molly said.

"Indeed I am," Dumbledore mused with a smile.

The order meeting had taken place at the almost-new Burrow. In a matter of weeks, the money provided by Fred and George had made Molly Weasley's house almost perfect again. The woman really could not ask for better children. 

This was the first order meeting that Athene had been officially present at. The first one that she had planned to sit in on from start to finish. Although no one else gave her a second look when she took her seat at the table, the witch felt immensely proud of herself. Everyone but Remus was in attendance, it was the start of his cycle and Molly had insisted that he not come so as not to stress himself out. Celine of course was upstairs, meaning that Tonks had for once ventured down. 

"Dora, I had no idea that your legs enabled you to walk this far," Fleur had said with a giggle when Tonks had appeared downstairs.

"It's my job to protect Celly- Celine-"

"Protect," Fleur whispered to Athene with her eyebrows raised. 

"Job," Athene whispered back, in mock seriousness. 

"Just because all you two do is talk about weddings," Tonks huffed, throwing a cushion at the two women. 

"You won't be moaning when you have to do no work for yours and Ce-" Tonks threw another cushion, "your own wedding." Fleur said sweetly, "Miss Malfoy and myself will do it all for you."

Fleur Delacour, despite the constant order meetings and mentions of Voldemort, was in a spectacular mood. She was to get married in four months to the love of her life. No death eaters could stop her happiness. Athene's mood too was lifted by the French witch. Normalcy had been so absent from her life that she looked forward to going to a wedding and actually enjoying herself. Her new life was odd. Just as her old life had been. But this one was accompanied by warmth and the pleasant idea of being happy.

The order meeting had been strange, Athene thought. 

Although it was her first, she had been preoccupied with Fleur's constant whispers of wedding cakes and canapes. The witch truly did seem to be immune to the war and whatever was happening around her. In a way Athene admired it, Fleur knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to be happy about it. Her ability to stay positive and look at the good side of things among so much death and loss was admirable.

 Tonks constant anxious and desperate glances at the stairs had also been a cause of distraction for Athene throughout the meeting. She would have to bite her tongue to stop laughter escaping her mouth every time the pink haired witch looked back. She was adorably clueless.