August | Hermione Granger x OFC

Epilogue Part 9: A Terribly Sad Affair

while i was editing this and the next chapter i was like damn this is exhausting so i split it in 2. take from that what u will and good luck

PS "oh sister" by bob dylan is what i listened to on repeat for (much of) this

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Robyn was allowed to go to her sister's funeral, which meant she wasn't going to go to Bjorn Belcher's office and punch him in the face and kick him in the balls.

Shame.

(She had a theory that Hermione had beaten her to it, though as a preemptive measure instead, and that was why she was allowed out at all.)

She wore a black pinafore over a white shirt (long sleeves to hide her Dark Mark scar) and sat in front of Molly while the woman put a plait in her hair. Just like Dylan used to.

"All set," said Molly gently with a small smile. She smoothed her hand over Robyn's hair one last time and Robyn fought hard against the lump forming in her throat. Although, she'd sort of had a permanent lump in her throat since Dylan's death, so it was pointless, really.

"Thank you," Robyn replied shakily as Molly reached out a hand to help her from the settee they'd just shared in Rosier Manor's sun lounge. The weather outside was bright, just as the day before, which Robyn didn't know how to feel about. On one hand, she wanted the weather to be dull and grey and pouring rain to match her foul mood. On the other, she knew Dylan would much prefer the sun to be shining.

And, well, this was Dylan's day.

Warm spring weather it was.

"You look lovely, sweetie," said Molly. "You're so like her."

Robyn's lip quivered. The compliment was immense. "Really?"

"Oh, absolutely. Might as well be..." Molly trailed off, releasing a sharp breath. But she put on a smile again - a tearful one this time - and finished: "Might as well be twins."

"Molly," Robyn said quickly, before she could no longer talk at all for that bloody ever-present lump. "I'm really sorry I couldn't be at Fred's funeral."

Molly shook her head and opened her arms for a hug, which Robyn welcomed readily. "I'm sorry, too," the older woman said. She pulled away to hold Robyn by her shoulders. "Are you ready?"

"No."

"Nor am I."

"I can't believe I have to do this on my own..." Robyn trailed off, staring down at the magical tag sitting snugly over her white sock. With Father dead, Mother in the hospital, and Lloyd in Azkaban, she was truly on her own today-

"I don't think you do," Molly reminded her in a whisper, pushing gently at her shoulders to turn her around. And leaning against the doorframe, waiting patiently for them in all black, stood Hermione.

"It's time," was all she said.

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"-We come together in the embrace of nature and the spirit of our departed, Dylan. As the wheel of life turns, we stand at the threshold between worlds to honour her journey. In the sacred dance of life and death, Dylan touched our lives with the gentle sway of branches in the forest. Dylan was a guardian of the Earth, a kindred spirit to the creatures of the woods."

"What a load of waffle."

"Be quiet, Robyn."

"Let us remember Dylan not as one lost, but as a seed planted in the fertile soil of our memories. Her laughter, like the bubbling of a hidden stream, echoes in our hearts. Dylan found solace and strength in the rustling leaves, the song of birds, and the whispering wind. As we stand under the open sky, let us feel her spirit in the air, the earth beneath our feet, and the warmth of the sun."