After Hogwarts. (Apollo LeFay Book 2)

Chapter 6.

"I'm not ready," Sirius said. "Can we stop here and pretend everything ended happily?" 

"No Sirius," Regulus replied rolling his eyes. 

"I don't see why not. Apollo won't make it to Christmas and I can't deal with that." 

"You do realize that all of this has already happened and you can't change it?" Remus said. 

"But Apollo is dying." 

"He's dead because this all already happened." Regulus cut in. 

"NO SHUT UP." 

Orion, Tom, Abraxas, Apollo, and Theseus all sat around the fire together. 

Apollo was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He looked sickly and his friends couldn't stand it. They loved him so much and they couldn't do anything but watch as his life drained out of him. 

Tonight was Apollo's last night at home before he had to be moved to the hospital.

Tom had made no discoveries with his research and was distraught about it. 

Abraxas was clinging onto Apollo's arm burying his face in his shoulder. 

Theseus was sitting on the floor leaning against Apollo's legs trying not to cry. 

Orion was curled up in Apollo's lap hanging onto the foolish hope that he'd wake up and Apollo would laugh at him for thinking he was dying. 

Apollo was trying to be brave for his friends. Tom was going out of his mind tearing through every book he could find. Orion was crying every night. Abraxas and Theseus were spending every spare minute with him. 

Sometimes Apollo had to admit he cried with them. There was so much he had wanted but knew he could never have. 

None of them said a word and Apollo couldn't stand it. 

"Let's not let my last day here be sad." He said sitting up. "Where's that muggle game. Monopoly." 

Theseus nodded wiping his eyes and rushed off to find the game. 

Orion sat up but stayed right beside Apollo. 

Abraxas gave a brave smile and went off to get food. 

Tom followed Abraxas knowing that even though they had lived here for eight years he still got lost on the way to the kitchen. 

"I just don't want the last few days of my life to be sad." Apollo defended to Orion.

"I know. I don't want them to be either."  

"I hope you're ready to be defeated in Monopoly." Apollo laughed his old self peeking through the sickness. 

"You're all talk." Orion bit back. 

"Am I?" 

Theseus set the game up and Abraxas and Tom came back with armfuls of food. 

The last day in LeFay manor was full of laughter and love. 

But like most good things it didn't last. 

"Come on Regulus put on the next one," Remus said biting his nails nervously. He needed to know how it ended. 

"Merlin alright keep your trousers on." 

"Aunt Jess!" Apollo called from his hospital bed. He gave her a bright but tired smile. 

"Oh, my boy." She said and rushed over. She had obviously been crying but was trying to hide it from Apollo. 

The eight-year-old twins trailed after her. Abraxas, Theseus, Tom, Tommo, Orion, Octavius, Fleamont, Euphemia, Horace, Nathaniel, Sara, Delilah, and Harvey were all there too. 

"I have an army of visitors." He joked. 

"You're gonna be okay aren't you?" Ben said climbing onto the bed beside him. 

Apollo looked at Jess who shrugged helplessly while dabbing at her eyes. 

"Here Bella come here." The other twin climbed up next to her brother. 

"Now I'm going away very soon." 

"Where are you going?" Bella asked innocently. 

"Oh just on a little trip. Now I want you to do something for me, all right?" 

"Uh-huh." Ben nodded. 

"I want you to look after Aunt Jess for me okay. And all your siblings. You know just while I'm gone." 

"Don't worry Apollo we will," Bella said fiercely. 

Jess let out a small sob and most of the others were wiping away tears as well. 

"Alright well, goodbye little buddies. You have school." 

"Oh, Apollo I'll miss you," Bella said tearing up.

Apollo took a deep breath willing away the tears. "Yeah. I'll miss you too Bella. Now you have to go to school." He kissed her head hoping that she couldn't see his watery eyes. 

"Apollo?" Ben said. "Will we ever see you again?" 

Octavius began to cry and Jess held him tight also crying. 

"Sure, sure you will Ben. You know goodbyes aren't forever." 

"Then goodbye Apollo," Ben said. 

"I love you," Bella added. 

"I love you too. Both of you. But now you have to get to school."

Bella and Ben both hugged him tightly before Harvey took their hands to bring them to school. 

"You really know how to make a lady cry, don't you?" Euphemia said and he gave her a weak smile before hugging her. 

"I've missed you 'Phemia." 

"I missed you too." 

"He knew my mum?" James said momentarily distracted from his crying. 

"Who cares?! Those twins think that they're gonna see him again." Sirius wailed. 

"That is a bit sad." Remus said trying to hide his tears as well. 

"A BIT!" Sirius cried outraged. "THAT IS HEARTBREAKING!"