Once he had ensured the door was firmly shut and Madam Pomfrey's steps had retreated, Dumbledore turned to face them all again as he said, "And now, it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius...if you could resume your usual form." Sirius gave one look at Dumbledore before he instantly obeyed, the large, black dog being replaced by a man.
With a scream, Molly jumped to her feet, exclaiming, "Sirius Black!"
"Mum, shut up!" Ron said. "It's okay!"
Snape's expression had changed to one of mingled fury and horror.
Flora was staring at him with furrowed brows. Glancing at Elwin, she saw no surprise on his face.
Softly, she asked, "Your friend you had to help?" The faintest trace of a smile curled the edges of his lips as he glanced at her.
"Him!" Snape cried. "What is he doing here?"
"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore replied. "As you are, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other. I will settle in the short term for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short and unless the few of us know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."
Slowly, and with no real show of friendliness, the two shook hands, letting go as quickly as possible.
"That will do to be going on with," Dumbledore sighed. "Now, I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexacted, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher - the old crowd. Lie low at Lupin's for a while; I will contact you there."
"But-" Harry began.
"You'll see me very soon, Harry" Sirius promised, "I promise you. But I must do what I can. You understand, don't you?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Yeah...I do."
While Sirius was saying his goodbyes to Harry and Dumbledore, Elwin rose to his feet, grasping onto the frame of the bed when his legs momentarily failed to support him. Approaching Sirius, he embraced him, holding onto him tighter than he had planned.
"I'll see you soon, cousin," Sirius promised. Elwin held on as long as he dared before he watched him go.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, turning to him, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready...of you are prepared..."
"I am," he replied.
"Then good luck," Dumbledore said, his voice curiously soft. He was silent several minutes after Snape left before he said, "I must go downstairs. I must see the Diggorys. Take the rest of your potions, you three. I will see you all later."
It was silent for a long time. Elwin had not moved from when he said goodbye to Sirius. At last, Molly turned to Harry and said, "You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry. You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while...think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"
"I don't want that gold," Harry said firmly. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's."
"I'm sorry, Harry," Elwin whispered. "I should have done something, anything..."
"It wouldn't have mattered," Harry countered. "Not really. I told him to take the cup with me."
Molly set down his potion, sitting down next to him and embracing him. A sudden snapping sound broke apart the moment, causing all of them to look at Hermione who was standing by the window, holding something in her hand.
"Sorry," she whispered.
"Your potion, Harry," Molly said softly.
Once he had taken his and gone to sleep, Molly got back to her feet, approaching Elwin.
"Time for you to sleep now too, dear," she said kindly. He started, as though having forgotten where he was before succumbing to her guidance. Once he was asleep as well, Molly approached Flora. She was sitting, leaning back against the headboard, her knees pulled to her chest. Her hair fell in messy waves now, tangled and dirty all over. Her eyes were rimmed with red. Before taking her potion, Flora embraced her mother.
Molly said nothing, holding her as close as possible as tears filled her eyes. Blinking them away, she handed Flora her potion and saw her too asleep. With a small sigh, Molly glanced over the three sleepers, her eyes resting slightly longer on Elwin as Finn crossed over from the nightstand to hide under his pillow.
"Mum...are they going to be okay?" Ron asked, keeping his voice as soft as possible.
Glancing at each of them again, she said, "Yes, Ron. They'll be okay. They've all gone through a lot in their lives. It won't be easy, but they're strong in their own ways. They'll come out of this, stronger and braver than before. We just need to be there while they learn to live with what happened tonight."
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Blooming in the Dark (Flora Weasley and Elwin Malfoy romance)
फैनफिक्शनHaunted by the memories of their respective pasts, radiant Flora and gentle Elwin connect through their mutual love for magical creatures, potions, and reading. Through the light in their lives, however, weeds are beginning to wriggle their way thr...
