☽☽☽
ATHENA OPENED HER EYES SLOWLY TO AVOID the burning pain in her head getting any worse. She must have hit her head when she fell because everything was spinning and she felt as though she could throw up.
Everything was a bit of a blur, everything hurt. Athena rolled over and winced as she leant against some shattered glass lining the street floor. Taking some deep breaths, she wished that the grey sky would stay in one place rather than flashing around her vision as though she were looking through a kaleidoscope.
There were snippets of the world in the wrong places as Athena tried to sit up. Dried blood caressed the side of her face and the space on her arm where she had been hit by a stinging jinx was looking worse than ever. The burn was now blistering over her forearm and she made a mental note to get some murlap essence for that.
Shards of glass had spiked her skin like knives but not deep enough to make any actual damage. Athena blinked a few times as she looked around. People were standing around sombrely however the death eaters had gone. Athena had no idea what had happened, she must have been stunned. She thought that she could remember the red light.
Turning to find Remus, she saw what her mind had been hiding from her.
"No!" Athena yelled as she scrambled to her feet and ran towards Dorcas lying on the floor. Sirius was sat beside her with her hand in his as he cried.
Athena collapsed on the floor, shaking Dorcas' shoulders as though expecting her to open her eyes. However she remembered now, remembered why she had been running and why her legs were aching. She recalled the flash of green light before Dorcas fell in a graceful curve to the floor.
Tears poured from her eyes as she rested her forehead against Dorcas'. Her heart was being ripped apart, she could be sick with the shock of it all as she cried against Dorcas' cold skin.
"Wake up" Athena whispered, "please wake up"
"Rena" Sirius murmured as he gently lifted her back off the body of her friend. Seeing Dorcas lying there was incredibly hard. Dorcas had been her friend for ten years, she'd been the first girl from Gryffindor to reach out to Rena.
Athena leant back against Sirius and felt him wrap his arms around her. She couldn't take her eyes off the body no matter how had she tried. They were stuck trying to believe that this had actually happened.
Another piece of Athena had shattered and she wasn't sure how many more she had. She understood how Dorcas mind was working after the death of Marlene because now Athena was questioning whether she could even go on. Was it worth winning the war if by the end everyone was gone? If by the end she'd lost the people she loved the goddamn most.
She broke into sobs as she buried her face in Sirius' chest. Sure her and Sirius hadn't been on the best terms as of late but none of this mattered any more. Nothing mattered anymore except the fact that Dorcas had been murdered by lord Voldemort. She'd been killed and he wasn't coming back.
"Why didn't he come!" Athena called, "why didn't Dumbledore come?"
"He was at the ministry" Sirius explained, his voice hoarse from crying, "he's here now"
Athena turned in surprise and saw the man standing beside Kingsley and Moody. Everyone looked lost but it seemed that Dorcas was the only one not standing.
Pushing Sirius away and ignoring his protests, Athena stormed across the street with tears still streaming down her face.
"Why didn't you come?" Athena yelled. Dumbledore turned in surprise to face her. Kingsley and Moody were staring at her too but she didn't care.
"I had business to attend to"
"You could have saved her!" Athena cried out, "she didn't have to die! She didn't need to die and you could have saved her"
"Rena" Aurora's voice rang out as her sister paced towards her.
"It's true!" Athena snapped back to Aurora, "he could have done something, Dorcas lost her life. Your business could have waited!"
"My apologies for your loss—"
"Don't give me that bullshit!" Athena shouted, "she's dead! She's dead and you did nothing!"
"Rena!" Aurora called again. Athena whipped around in fury to face Aurora who's hair for once wasn't styled perfectly around her shoulders.
"Going to tell me I'm wrong?" Athena asked, "I don't care what you think! Dorcas shouldn't have died today!"
"Remus is hurt" Aurora replied simply, "he needs you"
Athena felt her heart speed up, with her mind being solely focussed on Dorcas she'd forgotten about Remus. Turning, she saw him slumped against a wall clutching his side as Dominique crouched next to him.
Athena ran over immediately and fell beside Dominique. Remus looked up through wary eyes and smiled,
"What's wrong with him?" Athena asked,
"Cruciartus curse" Remus mumbled, "hurts like a bitch"
"Oh my god" Athena gasped as she pulled him forwards and wrapped her arms around him, "how do you feel?"
"I'm fine just tired"
"Rastaban Lestrange" Dominique explained, "he was under for two minutes before we could do anything"
"Felt like longer" Remus muttered,
"Always does" Athena nodded as she held him tight to her, "Remus, Dorcas is—"
"I saw" Remus replied in a whisper, "I don't want to believe it"
"Me neither" Athena cried against his shoulder, glad to feel his arms wrap around her. Dorcas falling under the flash of green light was just one other memory to add to her filling mind of darkness. It was getting too full now. Athena wondered how much longer she was going to have to put up with this.
These memories would be with her forever, scratching at her mind like a painful itch that she couldn't quite reach. It was like torture, not being able to do anything. Now that she'd lost Dorcas and Marlene, losing Lily and James felt impossible to deal with. Before she had comforted herself with the idea that she'd have people by her side but now this list was thinning.
Now the friends she had were Remus, Sirius and Kennedy. Sometimes it didn't even feel like she had two of them. Maybe Remus would be her only standing shield at the end of all this. As he wrapped his arms around her she prayed that this would be enough to stop her falling apart however the voice at the back of her mind told her that she'd already started falling apart. Maybe there was no stopping it now.
☽☽☽
It was Athena and Remus' job to break the news to Lily and James just like it had been with Marlene. However this time was harder because they had to do it in person. Athena had been so excited to see Lily and James. It had been keeping her going through the week. Now Athena just wanted the week to end.
They knocked on the front door, seeing the enchantments around like sparkling lights. They were still strong even with visitors. Just slightly lifted for a moment before Athena and Remus entered the house. Then everything would be back to normal again.
It was James who opened the door. His face lit into a smile when he saw them. Darting forwards, he hugged Athena straight away and she felt herself relaxing slightly. James and Lily could always cheer her up, now feeling any form of happiness seemed impossible but she didn't feel as bad as she had done previously.
"Come in!" James beamed as the two of them paced through the door, "I'll make tea!"
Athena looked to Lily sitting with Harry on her lap, she was rocking him up and down slightly with her knee as the small child laughed.
"You're here" Lily smiled, "I'm so glad to see the both of you"
"We're happy to see you too" Athena nodded, "it's been too long"
"You're right it has" James called as he entered the room with four mugs of tea. Athena took hers between her cold palms and looked to Remus nervously.
She was sure that it was going to be her who told them. Athena had known this from the start but she wished this wasn't the case.
"Are you ok?" James asked as he sat on the seat beside Lily.
"No" Athena admitted, deciding it was best to get it out of the way with rather than lying.
"What's happened?" Lily murmured, the smile that had previously been on her face now vanished.
"I know we told you that Dorcas couldn't come because of order stuff" Athena murmured, "because I thought it would be better to say this in person"
"Oh please don't say she's hurt" Lily gasped, "where is she? Hospital?"
"Lily" James mumbled, it seemed he had caught on to the empty look in both Remus and Athena's eyes.
"No" Lily shook her head, "oh please don't say that she's, no she isn't, what is it?"
"I'm sorry" said Athena, "she's d-dead"
James had to take Harry from Lily as the woman burst into tears, placing her head into her hands as she sobbed. James shared a similar stare to Remus, he'd figured it out straight away it seemed however this didn't make it any easier.
"How?" He asked,
"There was an ambush on the order" Athena explained, "lead on some death eaters and there was so many and then... he showed up"
"Voldemort?" James frowned, "why was he there?"
"I don't know" Athena shrugged, "but we were nearly lost after that... Dorcas went up against him and for a while she was doing brilliantly but he caught her off guard and well..."
Athena couldn't say the rest it was too hard to put into words,
"How did they get away?" James asked, "what happened?"
"I was stunned by a death eater right after and I only woke up after the fight was done" Athena murmured.
"Dumbledore arrived" Remus explained, "after that Voldemort left and the others followed, it seems that they didn't need to do anything else and well they all got away"
"Why were they there in the first place?" James asked,
"We don't know" Athena continued, "we think that Voldemort killed Dorcas with the intention of making another horcrux"
"I thought the cup was the last one?" James asked.
"Dumbledore has reason to believe that he's trying to make his snake into one"
"Can he do that?" James asked,
"Apparently" Remus shrugged, "Lily?"
Athena turned back to Lily who was still crying. She moved over, kneeling in front of Lily and pulling her towards her so that she could wrap her arms around her. She wished that these weren't the circumstances for their visit. She'd been so excited to see her friends again and now their meeting was bitter and sorrowful.
Lily cried against Athena's shoulder and yet again Athena felt as though she had to be the strong one. Just like she had done with Dorcas.
"I can't believe it" Lily cried, "First Marlene and then—"
She didn't finish her sentence before bursting into tears again. Athena looked up to James for help and he nodded to Harry. Athena moved away and took the baby out of his arms so that he could bring his wife into a hug.
Athena saw that Harry seemed upset now seeing his mother cry had reflected on his own emotions. She sat down with him on her knee and bounced him up and down a few times however Harry just kept turning to try and see his mother.
"It's ok Harry" Athena whispered. It was easier lying to a child, he'd forget this ever happened anyway.
"Is everyone else ok?" James asked, "we haven't seen Sirius"
"Sirius is ok" Athena replied, "upset of course but he's getting there"
James nodded in satisfaction with this answer, "if you see him will you tell him to come over, I miss him"
"I will" Athena forced a small smile,
"At least she's with Marlene now... Dorcas I mean" Lily sniffed,
"She smiled before it happened, I think that's what she thought too" said Athena.
"How are we supposed to go on as normal after the war without them here?" James asked, "we were supposed to go away together"
"Yeah I know" Athena sighed. She could tell them that they wouldn't have to worry about it, she could tell them that it would be Remus and Athena picking up the pieces not them. Of course she didn't tell them this but her mind whispered the words into her ears like poison.
"I just want to be out of this nightmare!" Lily called, "how long can we sit here unable to do anything? I feel so useless stuck in this house, we should be out there fighting with everyone else"
"I'm sure it won't be for that much longer" Remus murmured, "no one can change the circumstances... just know that no one blames you for not being able to help... you're doing exactly what you need to be doing"
"But it doesn't feel like enough" Lily muttered, "I just keep telling myself that I'm doing this for Harry but well... he's spending the early years of his life stuck inside"
"It'll all be worth it" Athena lied, "in the end it'll be worth it"
"That's what I said" James nodded, "it's hard to picture an end anymore. At the beginning it was the only thing keeping me going but the beginning was more than a year ago... what if this goes on for years. What then?"
"It won't" Athena shook her head and she saw Remus turn in her direction.
"Rena" Lily looked up at her through sad tear filled eyes, "you haven't seen the vision yet have you?"
There was a burning need inside Athena that told her to tell them the truth. It hurt so bad that she could scream. She stared at Lily and James as they gazed at her with the same wondering mirrored in both of their eyes.
"No I haven't... I'm sorry I have been trying" Athena told them. The same thing that she had been telling everyone.
"Even if she does" Remus jumped in, "that might not be the end of the war, it's just a version of it".
"Yeah I know" James nodded and Athena had to bite her tongue to stop herself from telling them that they were both very wrong. "But if she saw the vision it might mean that that there is an end in sight"
"I'll tell you as soon as I see it" Athena forced a smile, "I have a feeling this war won't go on for that much longer"
"Oh I hope not" Lily mumbled, "I'm sick of losing people... I can't imagine a life without Marlene and Dorcas, I can't believe that I'm never going to see them again"
"I know me neither" James sighed, "I feel like after the war I'll still see them even though I won't"
But they will see them
Athena ignored the voice in her mind as she held onto Harry.
They stayed for a bit longer. Athena wished that she could stay forever. She didn't want to leave Lily and James again. She couldn't do it, it was too hard. Every goodbye had felt so final and in her mind, words had always sprung at her saying that this was it.
She tried to ignore them but they were becoming more overpowering with every breath. Athena hugged James first this time. She rested her head against his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him.
"See you soon Rena" James murmured, "we'll still go away after this is all done. It'll get better, you know that?"
"Yeah course" Athena replied, "I'll miss you"
"It won't be long, hold onto hope" James smiled. If only he knew that there was no way that she could hold onto hope anymore.
She turned to Lily and hugged her too. Breathing in the familiar scent of her perfume, Athena wondered what either of them had done to deserve what was going top happen to them. She blinked back tears and knew that Lily was doing the exact same.
"Goodbye Rena" Lily smiled through glassy eyes. Athena stared at the two of them, taking in ever detail from the exact colour of Lily's eyes to James' slightly sloping smile.
"Goodbye"
☽☽☽
A/n
Words - 2754
Published - 8th April 2021
I can't believe how close we are
to the end
I think there's twelve more
chapters