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"I'm sorry for your loss."
Eleanora kept hearing those words. Over and over from people she didn't know or hadn't spoken to in years. She hated funerals. She'd gone to all of her grandparents' as a kid and could remember holding her mother's hand and trying to avoid eye contact with everyone. Now, she was standing in front of the casket with Daisy, greeting everyone who came in and thanking them for attending. Across the room, she could see Lupin and Bill standing in an awkward circle with a couple of Eleanora's cousins. More people from the Order wanted to accompany the girls, but Kingsley stepped up, defending the Statute of Secrecy. A bunch of witches and wizards nobody at the funeral had seen before couldn't show up without questions being raised.
Bill caught Eleanora's eye from across the room and gave her a small half smile. She felt a stab of guilt in her chest. He'd been so good through all of this, but she couldn't help distancing herself. It was just what she did when things got hard.
Daisy tugged on the corner of her sleeve. "Can I go stand with Bill and Remus?" she whispered.
Eleanora nodded and watched her little sister weave her way through the crowd. She felt her vision unfocus and re-focus. She hadn't slept since seeing her mother lying dead on the floor of the inn. Moody had offered to give her time off from the Order, but she wouldn't hear of it. She insisted on taking patrol duty at nights, occupying her days with funeral plans.
"I'm so sorry for your loss." It was Eleanora's old babysitter, Penelope.
"Thank you," Eleanora said in a far-off voice. She didn't know why Penelope had shown up, she'd lost touch with Eveline before Eleanora had even gone off to Hogwarts, but she didn't really care. "There's- um- food..." She'd just looked to her left and seen someone she'd hoped to never see again.
"Eleanora!" Stephen boomed, making Eleanora flinch. "You've grown up!" Eleanora backed away instinctively, eyes darting around for a way out.
Bill had watched the man come in and had his suspicions. He'd never come in direct contact with Stephen, but as soon as he saw the look on Eleanora's face, he knew who it was. Daisy noticed just after him and took a cautious step closer to Bill's legs. "Lupin..." Bill said, not taking his eyes off of Stephen and Eleanora. "Hey- Lupin."
"The hell is he doing here?" Lupin muttered, setting his drink on the table behind him. "Daisy, stay here." Lupin and Bill started towards Stephen, leaving Daisy to stare after them, torn between following directions and following the few people in the room who made her feel safe.
Eleanora jumped a little when Bill put his arm around her and he immediately felt bad. As soon as she saw that it was Bill a wave of comfort washed over her. She took a step closer to him and he tightened his hold on her. "What are you doing here?" Lupin asked, eyeing Stephen carefully.
