ATHENE {remus lupin}

FIFTY SIX

Athene returned to the Burrow the week after her twenty third birthday to apologise to Molly. The older woman was understanding and forgiving, just as Athene knew that she would be. She told her that she ought to write back to Remus, but the witch refused, saying that his apology came far too late for her to take it seriously.

The two witches pondered over the potential identity of the writer of the letter. Molly was convinced that it was Narcissa, but Athene thought that that was just the woman clinging to any hope that her old friend was still good. She didn't think that there was any way that it would be her mother. The witch was evil, as far as Athene was concerned. She focused on Draco, now. Perhaps he wasn't too far gone after all.

"Bonjour! Bonjour!"

Molly and Athene stood up to see Fleur stood at the front door with her hands up. There were bags at her feet. Athene's bags.

 The two witches jumped up with their wands outstretched.

"I, Fleur Isabelle Weasley, formerly Delacour-"

Molly smiled and kissed the witch quickly, before looking over her shoulder to see if her son had come to surprise her.

"William is not here," Fleur said bluntly. "I need to speak to Athene."

"What's going on?" Athene asked cautiously, eyeing her bags on the floor.

"William and I, well, mainly I. Have decided that you are to move back in here, into the Burrow." She glanced at Molly, "if that is okay with you of course."

Athene's mouth dropped open, "I- what have I done?"

Fleur smiled and glided over to her friend and cupped her face, "you, my darling, have done absolutely nothing, and that is entirely the point!"

"What?" Athene exclaimed.

"I have given you a couple of months to mope, now it is time to stop. Shell Cottage is not good for you, it is too isolated."

"That's rubbis-"

"Athene, it is... alive here. You don't get the chance to be alone all day, and that is precisely what you need. All you do is patrol, get depressed by the grimness of Hogsmeade, and then come back and read depressing books, on the depressing winter beach. I will not watch my best friend fade away."

"I am not fading!"

"The decision is final," she said, planting a kiss on her cheek.

"It's not your decision-"

"Actually, 'theney, it's my house, so it certainly is."

"Fuck you," Athene grumbled, ignoring Molly hitting her over the head with an old paper.

"You will thank me for it," she said with a smile and a wave, before vanishing from the house with a wink.

At Shell Cottage, Ronald Weasley sat in the kitchen with his older brother and a woman whom he had once obsessed over. 

"You just... left?" Bill asked, looking shocked.

"I didn't have a bloody choice," Ron grumbled.

"How so?" Fleur said sharply, as bad at subtlety as ever.

"They just- I was holding them back. They moved on together. They let me leave. She let me leave."

He had his head in his hands and Bill put a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head at his wife.

"I did the wrong thing, didn't I?" Ron asked glumly.

"Yes." Was all Fleur said.

Bill ignored her, "I think, that it wasn't the wisest decision..."