I looked at myself in the full length mirror, crying. The flowing dress that had once been white was now a mournful black. The pearls that had once seemed shiny and full of life now looked dull. The veil that had once been intended to hid my happy face from my beloved was now shielding my rear streaked cheeks from the world.
"Eleanor?" Narcissa put a hand on my shoulder, making me jump. I hadn't seen her come behind me. I shipped around, putting a hand to my chest and trying to catch my breath. "I'm sorry I scared you." She apologized before continuing ."Are you ready to go?"
"Uh-Huh..." I shakily breathed. It was now or never. I looked her over in her long, black dress and silky black gloves. Her hair, unlick my own, greasy straight mess, was in a tight bun.
"Will you come down with me? We're all going to Floo together." She reached her hand out to me. I grabbed it with my won ring clad fingers: She had given me back my engagement ring, along with Scabior's ring, that morning.
Since there was really nothing else for either of us to say, she shlowly lead me down the stairs to the parlor. There, Draco and Lucius were quietly waiting, both dressed in black. Draco eyed me.
"You really did it?" He questioned. Although the usual bitterness was gone, his tone was till dry and taunting. "You dyed yoru wedding dress. That is the most cliché thing you could have done. This isn't a book, this is real life."
"Draco..." Lucius warned. Even his usual authorativeness was goen. Never- the-less, Draco closed his mouth. A pressing silence filled the room. I bit my lip, trying my best not to start sobbing.
"Come on, Elle." Narcissa took my hand .I jerked it away and, instead, reached for Lucius's. That's when I noticed a small, black bag in his nearest hand.
"We don't know how long we're going to be there." He saw me curiously looking at it. "So I packed your Combinations for the day, clothes to change into, and some crackers. Melvin."
"Melvin?" I breathed. I didn't like the fact that he got my dragon without my knowing "You... took Melvin?"
"Calm down. You're going to get yourself worked up. I got him in case you need him." HE tried to explain. I shook my head and stuck my hand into the bag, frantically digging around. Finally, I found him and pulled him out. "Do you want to carry him instead?"
"Uh-huh..." I nodded, hugging Melvin. HE nodded.
"Alright. WE should be going then." HE walked over to the mantel and pulled the small little jar off of it. Then, he took the top off and threw the Powder into the fire, making it turn green.
Draco went through the fireplace with out hesitation. Nracissa gave me a weak smile before following her son. I looked up at Lucius, trembling.
"It's going to be hard." Eh said, pulling me into a hug. I let him, trying my best to concentrate on his body heat nad breathing.
"I miss him..."
"WE all do."
"It's not fair. Why him? Why Scabior? Why Uncle Severus?!"
"Shh...." He stroked my hair. "Don't' get too worked up. You don' want to have another panic attack, do you?"
"No..."
"Then you're going to have to calm down."
"I... I can't!!!" I sobbed. He sushed me.
"Shh... Shhh, Shhh.... It's okay. Look at me, Eleanor. I want you to take a big breath in for me, okay?" He instructed. I stared at him for a couple moments before doing what he asked. IT was hard to do with my cried, but I somehow managed.
"Now, I want you to slowly breath you so you can count to ten while you do it. Can you try that for me? I need you to concentrate on your breathing. Block everything else out."
I did as I was told, making my breath last long enough to count. When I finished, he made me do it two more times. It took that long for my chest to level and my heart to slow. HE still kept his arms around my, keeping me close.
"Doesn't that make you feel a little better?" HE asked. I wiped my face on his robes, much to his disappointment. "Please don't do that."
"Uh-huh..."
"If you start to get too upset, try doing that, okay? Or tell me, and I'll try to help, okay?"
"Okay..." I sniffed. He let go of me and brush some hair off of my face.
"Lets go." HE took my upper arm, since I was hugging Melvin, and pulled me towards the fireplace.
We went through, and came out in the Crabbe's livingroom.
The whole house seemed dark and dreary. Infact, it just seemed dead. All the life had been sucked out of it.
"Everyone's outside." Lucius explained, taking my arm again. HE took me through te house that I knew so well.
In the back yard, a small congriation of people were quietly whispering to one and other. All of them were familiar faces to me:
Charolette was sitting infront of a table covered with pictures of Cince, crying. Lovell was behind her, trying to comfort her, but was teary himself. Clarissa, Micheal, and Gregory were standing along with Narcissa nad Draco. They all looked as if they had been crying as well. His cousins and Aunts I had meet during Christmas Holdiay were there, too: The adults mourning and the children siting on the ground playing, too young to understand what exactly was going on. A man I didn't recognize and a woman, who I knew way too well were also there.
My eyes widened as my jaw dropped. I felt my blood pressure rise. The sadness was being replaced by intense anger, and quickly.
"Fuchs!" I screamed, pointing at the woman. All converstaions had ceased, and every head turned to me in shock. It was painfully obvious that they thought I had said something completely different, but I didn't care. "Why is she here?! Did you not trust me?! You didn't trust me!?'
"What? Elle, no, Listen-" Lucius started, but I cut him off.
"You brought in my Controller because you thought I couldn't control myself! I can't believe it! You-My-You don't- Why doh't you trust me!? You think I can't-"
"Elle!" Lucius yelled over me. "Breath!"
"No!"
"Eleanor! I dind't send her!"
"No! Liar!"
"Eleanor!" He yelled one more time before grabbing me from behind, the method they liked t ouse at Mungo's because it pins my arsm down, and quickly pulled me into the house.
Once in, he put me down on the sofa in the living room. I immediately stood back up.
"I can't believe you! You don't think I can handle myself!"
"If you would be quiet and let me explain, you would hear me. I dind't tell her to come. I didn't know she was going to be here."
"Are.. are you sure?" I looked down, suddenly feeling guilty.
"Yes, I am sure. I had nothing to do with it, nor di Narcissa. Now, if you don't mind, I would like you to listen to me nad try to calm down."
"I..." I breathed, starting to feel teary again. I didn't know how to respond. So, Iintead, I covered my face and cried. I felt bad for yelling at him. "...sorry..."
"Shh... I know you are. Calm down. IF you don't calm down, I will have to take you back home." I waited for me to reply, but I didn't. Instead, I just cried some more. HE sat down next to me and lfited my veil. Then, he moved my hands away, so I would have to look at him. I fought against his grip, but he kept it solid.
"Eleanor, listen. Stop fighting me. Look at me. " I didn't reply. Not to mention the restriction of my arms freaked me out, which only made things worse. "Look at me, Eleanor."
"No!" I cried out. "Let...go!"
"Stop fighting me or I will take you home right now." His voice was so stern that I immediately stopped, but cried harder. "Eleanor, I'm not going to take you back out there until you calm down. So, you can do that, or sit here all day. Do you understand?"
"Y-yes..." I sniffed. It wasn't fair that he was doing this to me, but I had to listen so I could stay. IT would just be so much easier if he would let go. "Let go...?" I quietly questioned, trying to stop my tears.
"Yes, I will let go, but you have to behave." HE replie,d and did so. I took in a deep breath, but before I could properly let it out, a new voice came in.
"Miss Snape?" It questioned. I looked in the direction it came from. Standing in the doorway was Healer Fuchs. "May I come in?"
"Why are you here?" I rudely asked. She shook her head.
"I will explain. May I come in?"
"Come." Lucius replied before I could. I bit my lip in annoyance.
"I know you weren't expecting me today," She began, "but I wasn't expecting you, either. my husband was Vincent's mentor. I knew him through my husband. HE works on the emergency Wing. They worked together. Vincent often mentioned a girlfriend, but I had no clue it was you. Had I'd know..." She trailed off. My eyes were wide and my voice was shaky.
"You knew Vincent?"
"Yes, I knew him. He was a lovely boy, and a hard worker. And by the way he spoke you you, he really loved you."
"I really loved him..."
"I know." She offered my her hand. I looked at it, unsure of what to do. "That is why we want you out there. That's what he would want."
I couldn't' believe it. IT was too much at once: Vincent knew Healer Fuchs...?
I tore my gaze away from her hand to look at Lucius, who nodded. I knew what I had to do. So, I took her hand and stood up.
She gave a weak smile and lead me outside.