𝖘𝖆𝖑𝖛𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 | 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖒𝖎𝖔𝖓𝖊 𝖌𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗

xlv. goodbye, dumbledore

"Where will you be going anyways?" Hermione asked in curiosity.

"Just a place." Deanna cupped Hermione's face and placed a kiss on the Gryffindor's jaw. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Smiling softly at her, Hermione leaned in but stopped for a moment. She thought it wasn't appropriate to do it so she started moving back, but to her surprise, Deanna pulled her in for a kiss. Hermione was frozen for a moment before she started kissing Deanna back, her arms around the Hufflepuff's waist.

"I like you, Hermione Granger." Deanna whispered in a delicate voice.

"You have me, Deanna Dumbledore." Hermione whispered back, just as delicate. The tender moment shared between them was enough, enough to give Deanna courage for what she needed to do.

"I'll get going now." Deanna smiled and gave Hermione's hand one last kiss before she turned around with her bag in her hand.

"Stay safe!" Hermione called out as she watched Deanna walk away. Deanna raised a hand to tell Hermione she heard her and Hermione smiled at her walking figure one more time before she too went back up the castle.

Deanna walked through Hogsmeade with her head down, ignoring the whispers as she went. She knew why they were all here. They were here for her father's funeral, and she did not want them to recognize her so she had her head down all the way.

Finally, Deanna arrived at Hog's Head and she stopped at the door. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes. Aberforth and Ariana probably knew by now what happened to Dumbledore, but she felt like she had a responsibility. A responsibility to tell them what happened that night.

Deanna raised a shaking hand and knocked on the door. It took a few minutes before the door finally opened. There was Aberforth, his hair looking disheveled and his eyes so red it was clear he had just cried.

"Little Ari, love?" Aberforth croaked out. "What are you doing here?"

"Uncle Ab. Pops is dead." Deanna couldn't help herself from breaking down in tears. Aberforth quickly took her into the empty inn, closing the door so they would not be attracting attention. He gave her a tight hug, crying silently. Ariana watched them from her portrait, covering her mouth so she wouldn't be disturbing the intimate moment between uncle and niece.

What people often forgot was Albus Dumbledore too had a family. He had a sister in a portrait, a brother in a barman and a daughter in the heir of the phoenixes, and his family had their regrets. Ariana for not being able to spend much time with him and for despising him when all he wanted to do was to help the world. Aberforth for never forgiving him and for always thinking badly of him. And Deanna... Deanna had lots of regrets, but what she regretted the most was not being to express her love as much to Dumbledore.

When they calmed down, Deanna and Aberforth sat down at the bar with Ariana, all of them silent as they stared at their own drinks. All of them were too lost in their own thoughts about Dumbledore.

"Snape. Snape killed him." Deanna spoke up after a while. Aberforth and Ariana exchanged glances before the former simply nodded. Moody came to tell him about the news the night before, and he kept his calm until the former Auror left, but as soon as he was alone with Ariana, he couldn't keep himself calm.

"I'm trying." Aberforth said shakily. "It's hard to do so, but I'm trying to forgive him. I hope you understand me, love. He's my brother, but the pain... The pain would never go away, and now, he's..." He couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence. He felt bad for what he was saying. Dumbledore was dead, but he couldn't bring himself to forgive him just yet.