Serendipity [Book 2]

The Funeral (Bonus Chapter)

“You will stay right there, won’t you?” Her voice cracked as she questioned them. James and Sirius nodded resolutely.

“Always.” Sirius answered as Ariella’s face softened before she disappeared into the bathroom. Sirius and James waited until they heard the water running before turning to one another.

“Mum doesn’t think she should be alone. Says she might hurt herself.” James remarked softly as Sirius frowned.

“Elle would never….”

“Pads, Elle is broken. We don’t know what she might do. This kind of thing does things to a person.” James replied as Sirius’s frown deepened. They heard the doorbell ring and the door open as Mrs. Potter greeted someone.

“They’re upstairs. Go on up,” James and Sirius instantly knew who Mrs. Potter had let into the house. The quick, steady footsteps followed by slow, heavier footsteps told them it was the rest of their group. The soft knock was heard before James moved to let the other two boys into the room. Remus and Peter, like them, were dressed in black with their hair slicked back. Fresh scratches were covered on Remus’s face as Peter’s eyes shifted around.

“Hey. Where’s Elle?” Remus asked as he looked around the room, searching for the blonde.

“Getting ready. We barely got her back in the house. She spent most of the morning out by the creek,” James explained as Sirius sat down heavily on Ariella’s bed.

“Prongs thinks Elle’s gonna…hurt herself,” Sirius remarked as Remus and Peter stared at him before turning to James in shock.

“Is she really that bad?” Peter asked as James nodded.

“She won’t eat. She doesn’t say anything. I…She doesn’t even smile.  I’m worried for her,” James admitted as Sirius buried his face in his hands. Remus stared at his friend.

“Sirius, is she…”

“Yeah. Moony. He’s right. She’s bad,” Sirius answered as they heard the shower cut off and quiet rustling on the other side of the door. After a few quiet minutes, Ariella stepped out of the bathroom fully dressed. Her curls were pulled up away from her still red face and her bare feet padded across the floor toward them. She looked between her friends and sighed.  She sat on the bed next to Sirius and picked up the necklace and stuffed lion.

“I’m worrying you all, aren’t I?” She asked softly as her friends stared at her. She clutched the lion to her chest.

“I’m sorry. I just…I keep seeing their faces and I…can’t get the images out of my head,” she admitted quietly; her voice broke as she spoke.  James and the other two standing moved around her as Sirius laid his hand on her leg.

“Elle, we’re here for you. We always will be, you know that,” James remarked as the others nodded to agree with him. Ariella tightened her grip on the stuffed animal. She let out a soft sob before she buried her face into Sirius’s chest. Sirius wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders as he exchanged looks with the other boys.

“If you don’t want to go to the…ceremony, we’ll stay here with you,” Sirius suggested as Ariella pulled away quickly, shaking her head vehemently.

“No! We have to go! If I don’t go, HE wins,” Ariella retorted with a hiss. Sirius pulled a random curl away from her eyes before pressing his open palm against her reddening cheek.

“Then you should put on your shoes because it starts soon,” he replied as Ariella nodded. She climbed to her feet and disappeared into the closet. James and Remus sat on either side of the dark haired boy as Peter stood in front of them. 

“It hasn’t broken her yet. Elle will survive this and we are going to help her.” Sirius announced as James patted his shoulder.

“Always.”

**

Ariella was silent and strong as she sat in the front row with her friends by her side. She gripped the stuffed lion before climbing to her feet. She could feel hundreds of eyes on her. A soft sob erupted from Mrs. Potter as Albus Dumbledore climbed to his feet to stand next to Ariella.

“Your parents were my dear friends. I am saddened by their passing.” Albus remarked quietly to the silent blonde. She smiled softly at his words.

“And you were their dearest friend. I can only hope we find peace just as they have,” She replied as she walked up to her brother’s casket. She stared down at her brother’s face and continued to smile. Even as her heart broke at the sight, she knew he was at peace. She could even pretend he was sleeping as he dreamed of flying on his broomstick and playing quidditch. She lightly kissed his forehead before slipping his favorite stuffed animal in between his cold hands.

“Baby brother, I will always cherish you in my heart.” She whispered before she moved over to the caskets of her mother and father. They too appeared to be sleeping, but Ariella knew they would never wake from this sleep.  She kissed each of their foreheads.

“Mother and Father, your guidance and love will always light the path for me.”  She walked away from their “sleeping” forms before her sorrow crippled her again. She refused to show weakness in front of so many people, most of them strangers. As she sat down between Sirius and James, she clutched her chest as she felt her heart shatter. James and Sirius each took a hand and squeezed reassuringly as Albus finished the ceremony. The walk to the graveyard was silent as Ariella followed her family’s floating caskets to the Gryffindor tombs. She said one final farewell before she watched the caskets vanish into the tomb with only the grave-keeper following them.  A sudden whimper earned Ariella’s attention as she turned to a nearby tombstone. Her eyes widened as they landed on a small house-elf dressed in a dirtied lilac dress.

“Trixie,” she exclaimed as she rushed the house-elf. The small female house-elf’s large green eyes widened before tears poured out of them.

“Mistress!” She cried out as she hugged Ariella’s legs. Ariella dropped down in front of the house-elf, disbelief across her grief-stricken features.

“I thought you were dead like the others,” Ariella whispered as she hugged the house-elf to her chest. James , Sirius, Remus, and Peter ran up behind the blonde as they watched the two girls hugging.

“Trixie hid in your closet, Missus Ella. Trixie stayed real quiet when the people in black came. Trixie stayed until they took the Misters and Missus away. Trixie thought she had been left behind,” Trixie explained as Ariella pulled away and shook her head.

“Oh Trixie. I’ll never leave you behind. I promise.” She whispered as she climbed to her feet, holding the house-elf’s hand in her own.

“Hey Trix.” James greeted as Remus and Sirius sighed.  Peter just looked between his friend expectantly.

“Master Potter. Trixie remembers you,” Trixie replied as Mr. and Mrs. Potter came up behind the teenage boys.

“What’s going on…Oh…isn’t that one of your family’s house-el ves, Ariella?” Mr. Potter asked as Ariella nodded.

“Yes. Is it alright if she comes with me? She’s been terribly frightened,” Ariella asked as the Potters nodded their heads.

"Yes, of course. After all, she's yours isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. Thank you." Ariella replied as she squeezed Trixie's hand in her own. After one final glance at her family's tomb, Ariella led Trixie and her friends and the Potters away from the cemetery.