2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓇𝓉ℯℯ𝓃\

~

Over the next few days, Shell Cottage felt more crowded than it ever had before. While Eleanora had craved company beforehand, she was starting to get sick of every room always being occupied and never getting a second alone with Bill. It didn't help that she was constantly running around, getting everyone meals and mending their injuries. She finally felt like she understood what Mrs. Weasley had felt for years and she wasn't exactly sure how the woman was still sane.

The only thing that seemed to be keeping Eleanora together was how willing everybody was to help. One blustery April evening, Harry helped her prepare dinner, neither of them talking much. Harry had been avoiding the group for most of his stay, choosing instead to take long walks on the beach or huddle away in secluded corners with Ron and Hermione. She didn't blame him, but she wished she could know what they were up to. "I swear," Bill had said to her the other night, "those three are either going to save the wizarding world or destroy it."

"Is it possible to destroy it any further?" she'd said, only half joking.

Eleanora started preparing steaks while Harry chopped vegetables for a salad. "I'm sorry," he said suddenly. "I never meant you to have to deal with all of this."

Eleanora felt her face soften as she lowered her knife and looked at Harry. "We've all been thrown into it, Harry," she said gently. "None of us chose to be in this situation, but we're making the best of it. That's what Lupin always says, anyways, and he's one of the most negative people I know." This got a rare laugh out of Harry. "Anyways, Bill's moving Ollivander into Muriel's tomorrow and then Griphook can move to the living room and you, Ron, and Dean can have that room."

"We don't mind sleeping in the living room," said Harry. "Don't worry about us." And when she tried to protest he went on, "We'll be off your hands soon too, Ron, Hermione, and I. We won't need to be here much longer."

"What d'you mean?"

Before Harry could answer, the back door opened and Luna and Dean entered, their hair damp from the rain outside and their arms full of driftwood.

" . . . and tiny little ears," Luna was saying, "a bit like hippo's, Daddy says, only purple and hairy. And if you want to call them, you have to hum; they prefer a waltz, nothing too fast. . . ."

Looking uncomfortable, Dean shrugged at Harry and Eleanora as he passed, following Luna into the dining room where Ron and Hermione were laying the table. Harry grabbed two jugs of pumpkin juice and followed them, leaving Eleanora alone in the kitchen. .

" . . . and if you ever come to our house I'll be able to show you the horn, Daddy wrote to me about it but I haven't seen it yet, because the Death Eaters took me from the Hogwarts Express and I never got home for Christmas," she heard Luna saying, as she and Dean relit the fire. Eleanora had no idea what she was talking about, but she was pleased that all of the visitors were getting back to their usual selves.