ATHENE {remus lupin}

FOURTY FIVE

Since Albus Dumbledore's death at the end of June, the order had tried to continue normality for as long as possible. Perhaps they would have usually found it difficult, to pretend and push any dark thoughts to the back of their mind, but with Fleur Delacour's constant optimism and need to keep people busy, the occupants of the Burrow, and indeed other order members, found themselves scarcely thinking about June 30th.

The Burrow was full, as always.

 With the usual Weasley inhabitants the house felt small, but with the added occupants of Fleur, Athene, Hermione and Celine (and usually Tonks), it felt ready to explode. Athene enjoyed it, in a way. When she had first begun living there it had been suffocating, but now she was seeing the people who she had grown to love constantly. Fleur of course had been keeping her busy with wedding tasks as her parents were due to arrive in a few days, and the French witch had done nothing but blab about how everything had to be perfect. 

Poor Molly was constantly flustered. 

Harry Potter had been at the Dursley's for the first month of summer. Ginny had told Athene that she had begged him to stay, but Harry said that Dumbledore wanted him to go, so he did. He was due to be moved from there at the end of July.

When July 27th finally came, there was no wedding talk. There was scarcely any talk at all. Not until the evening, when Remus returned from underground, accompanied by Kingsley and Mad-Eye. Kingsley went over the plans  to retrieve Harry and paired people off, Athene was to go with Fred. He grinned stupidly at that.

"I am fantastic on a broom, Miss Malfoy," he said to her, with a sly grin. "It's all in the hip action, and well, I am fan-"

Molly hit him over the head, before aggressively kissing him and telling him to be safe. No one said much to each other before they left. Molly cried a little, she worried too much. And Celine and Tonks kissed each other briefly, behind the door to the stairs. They were so private, but their love for each other was clear to anyone with eyes.

They landed at the house in Surrey at around 10pm. Hermione and Ron rushed to their friend and embraced him. Hagrid landed beside the group minutes later, he eyed Athene suspiciously, he never had trusted her.

"Ready for the off, Harry?" Hagrid said, beaming down at the boy.

"Definitely," was his response as he looked around him. "I wasn't expecting so many of you, though..."

"Change of plan," Mad-Eye said, making his way past Harry and into the house. He pointed a bulging finger at the boy, "you, you still have the trace. The death eaters'll know about it. We have to travel on things that can't be tracked." He gestured to outside, "such as brooms, thestrals, Hagrid's motorbike."

Athene zoned out as Mad-Eye spoke. Tonks stood to the side of her, her hair seemed to be brighter pink than ever. The woman was always smiling. 

She looked to Remus, he looked awful. He always did when he had been underground. 

He met her eye and she put a hand over her mouth and mocked a yawn.

He grinned at that. She smiled back slightly.

Remus' time underground had been good for him. It was a distraction. From Dumbledore. From Harry. From... From everything. Dumbledore's death had made him think more. Think about everyone he'd lost. James. Lily. Sirius. Marlene. Dorcas. Even Peter. He felt as if he was doing good though, being there. He felt as if he was doing right by Dumbledore.

 Harry snapped him out of his trance. 

"No!" The boy shouted. Remus looked at him. "I won't let any of you risk your lives for me."