𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖊 | ʙ.ᴡᴇᴀꜱʟᴇʏ

chapter twenty .

zoisite.

✧

MATILDA FELT LIKE A GHOUL BACK IN EGYPT, a mere drifting, wallowing spirit with no set purpose. Her mind replayed the third task like a broken film, with the soundtrack of Amos Diggory's cries. And, as much as Vivian told her to stay away from work to try and feel better, it only made her feel worse, and she refuse to stay away for more than two days.

She was thankful, when she walked back into her office, to see Bill there as well. It appeared this was also his first day back, and, when they entered mere moments after each other, were welcomed by stunned faces and wide eyes that darted between the two of them. Clearly, the news of Cedric Diggory's tragedy had spread. Matilda hated the attention, she hated the looks of pity, even though they weren't new to her.

Bill and her hadn't spoke in the few days they'd been back at work. Not about the incident, which it seemed the whole wizarding community knew about, not about each other, nothing. The absence of the eldest Weasley in her life hurt Matilda more when she started reading letters from Charlie that arrived at her home while she was away.

All of them stacked on her kitchen countertop in a messy pile. The latest one was only a day old, and ink spots smudged against the paper told her he wrote it in a rush. He was concerned, questioning how she was holding up, if she could give him any news on Bill, because his eldest brother wasn't returning his owls and that scared him. She made haste with her reply, and the letter of comfort to the wizard in Romania was heading out in less than fifteen minutes after she finished reading the letters he sent.

"I hate this, this gross feeling," Matilda muttered into her warm mug of tea, which now tasted bitter on her tongue. Vivian nodded, her eyes darting from her lunch to Matilda with growing worry every few seconds. "Amos was such a happy man, and for his world to be ripped away like that..."

"You shouldn't dwell on it, Tilly," Vivian spoke softly to the woman. "Nothing you say is going to change what happened."

Matilda despised the way Vivian said it. Even though her cousin was trying to be nice, trying to comfort her, there was nothing that made Matilda feel worse. Matilda didn't feel guilty, which was how Vivian made it sound, but she desperately wished there was a way for her to change it, for her to somehow fix what had happened.

"Matilda." The woman barely looked up from her mug. "Can I talk to you. In private?" It was Bill. He looked like he hadn't slept. Matilda wasn't surprised.

"Of course," Matilda nodded.

She got up, not with the usual energetic nature that came whenever the red-haired man was around, and followed him out of the room. There was no air between them for idle questions wondering how the other was doing. They already knew thae answers to all those. They stepped into an empty room.

Matilda closed the door behind her and turned to the taller man with a confused expression. "What is it?" Bill took a deep breath, which was already making Matilda nervous.

"You're the first person I'm telling, because I know I can trust you, okay?" Matilda frowned at him but nodded. His tone was serious, enough to keep Matilda quiet. "Just don't get upset. I'm planning on moving back to England."

"What?" Matilda let her disbelief slip out before she even realised it was coming. Bill gently grabbed her arm and pulled her further away from the door, afraid someone would hear.

"Dumbledore has an organisation prepared, they're called The Order of The Phoenix. They fought in the First Wizarding War against You-Know-Who, and considering that he's back, so are they," Bill admitted. "I'm planning on joining them this time, becoming a member of The Order, to fight."