Three

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She stood in the storm
and when the wind did not blow her away,
she adjusted her sails.
- Elizabeth Edwards








The words that tumbled from Harry's mouth seemed to knock the wind from her chest. Sirius was dead. Athene's heart hammered in her chest. Though she hadn't known the man long, he had become a friend. At least, he was her parents' friend and that was a connection she would never be able to take advantage of again.

She didn't dwell on the pain for long, for when she looked back at the young man sitting beside her, his entire demeanor had crumbled. The weight of Voldemort's return and the death of his only true remaining family was taking a toll on him. Athene wrapped her slender arms around the child and pulled him into her chest. His lanky body fit awkwardly into her embrace, but he seemed to melt into her touch.

"I'm sure you've heard a lot of condolences and things of the such," Athene said, "but I want you to know that I'm here for you." Harry made no move to respond, but his arms tightened around her. His shoulders began to shake and, though Athene could not see his face, she knew tears were gathering in his eyes.

They stayed there, grasping each other; neither moving, neither speaking. The silence was comforting to both of the room's occupants. They had both lost something in this war. Perhaps not in the same manner, but it left a similar gaping hole in their chests.

The silence was only broken when Harry's stomach began to growl. It was a low, moaning sound and could have passed as the sounds the house made when it was settled. It was nearing supper time, seeing as Mrs. Weasley had busied herself in the kitchen. Athene pulled Harry from her embrace and held him at arms length. She said nothing, only watching his expressions.

"I, uh," Harry's voice was broken from sadness and tears, "should probably go get something to eat." He avoided looking into her eyes, despite her knowing stare, and he stood.

Before he could leave the vicinity, Athene reached out a pale hand and rested it on his shoulder. "Harry." He did not turn to look at her. "If you ever need anything, anything at all, my home will always be open to you." She let him go, not expecting a response. Her words were true, Athene would always look out for the young man, but her home would not always be open.



"You know," Athene huffed, "I am more than capable of protecting myself." The woman stood at the front of Epeolatry with a bumbling Charlie following behind her. He had been playing the overprotective guardian and Athene was, quite honestly, sick of it. She was more than capable of going home all on her own. Charlie shot her a look that said 'we've been over this a thousand times, Athene. I'm here and there's nothing you can do about it.' His hands jiggled with the key, which was completely unnecessary, before swinging open the door itself.

Unlike the first time Athene had been back in her shop, she was greeted with cleanliness. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere to be seen, except on the welcome mat, and it was a welcome sight. Athene heaved a sigh, her shoulders finally relaxing. It was a nice feeling, being home.

The two weaved their way through the shelves who seemed to lighten at the return of the woman. "It's as though it missed you," Charlie stared at the shelves around him, noticing the change of the mood.

"Strange, isn't it?" An airy laugh bubbled from Athene's chest, though she didn't turn to look at the confusion on his face. She said nothing else on the subject, leaving Charlie's mind to wander and her own to focus on her work. It had been far too long since she'd been there and even longer since she had printed something for Veracity. High time for that to be fixed.

Athene sat herself in front of her typewriter and released a breath. It felt almost right to be sitting here. After all, she had been to hell and back to get there. Her mind took her back to those horrid moments and her fingertips began to move, pressing into the keys with a delicate rage. Words formed on the magical parchment and sentences began to take shape. As each second passed, another scene played out on the paper.

And suddenly, she stopped. Tears were pooling in Athene's eyes, her heart ached, and she wished that what happened could be changed; as if rewriting it for the Wizarding World would change the fact that her closest friend had betrayed her. She could see Enya standing before her in all her glory, a smile playing on her lips and laughter floating through the air. But this memory was tainted by a woman wearing a black cloak and a silver mask that couldn't keep her identity hidden from the world.

The pain subsided and she continued writing. Each word was like a knife cutting into Athene's flesh, but she didn't mind. She accepted these feelings as they pushed away the guilt. She knew that it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have kept Enya from making those mistakes, but it didn't stop the guilt from gurgling in her heart.

By the time her fingers had calmed, a four foot article on the attack sat before her. The ink, still wet, glistened in the light of the setting sun. It was getting dark now; the sun had set and a sliver of the moon could be seen through the window. The room was lit by candlelight; something Charlie must have done while she was in her daze.

When she looked around the room, however, the man was not to be found. Athene untangled herself from her desk, blowing out the candle that was sat next to the typewriter. Her legs screamed in protest when she stood and her feet began to tingle. "Of course," Athene groaned.

"What's going on?" Charlie suddenly appeared in the stairwell. His hair was pulled back into a messy bun and his eyes swept the room in frantic worry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She gestured to her foot, "My foot, on the other hand, lacks blood circulation." Charlie's posture immediately relaxed. He was quick to worry, Athene thought. She had noticed how his hand was wrapped securely around his wand, his knuckles almost turning white.

"Oh," he chuckled. "You've been working for a long time. I haven't heard a peep from you since you..." He trailed off, but Athene could piece together the sentence: since I broke down. It wasn't a flattering thought to think of. "Are you okay?"

His words brought tears to her eyes and the elated feeling of completing an article evaporated. "I don't know." Charlie didn't hesitate. He reached forward, pulled Athene to her bed, and draped his arms around her. Athene's head was positioned in the crook of his left shoulder and the steady thrum of his heartbeat accompanied her sobs.

Gone was the strong young woman who could comfort a young Harry Potter. In her place sat a broken little girl who missed her parents and longed for a life free of pain or misery.







Author's Note:
I have returned! Thank you all for your patience. I'm hoping for a somewhat consistent update schedule, but we'll have to see how consistent my summer plans end up being. Please let me know what you think!

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