In The Fight To Survive (Golden Trio Era) {4}

Big Brother Bill

Hours after his burial as the sun began to rise, Mikayla stood at the foot of Dobby's grave with silent tears rolling down her cheeks, with Peppy and Kreacher by her side. Atop the small grave laid three wreaths that Mikayla had magicked at her arrival, each containing a different message from an array of floral languages. The first had; Rosemary, Pink Carnations, Amaryllis, Edelweiss, Yellow Roses, Begonias, Dill and Blue Star, which means 'I will remember you with unforgettable pride of your courage, devotion and friendship. Thank you for your Powerful Resilience against Evil.'

The second arrangement held; Blue Sage, Marigolds, Willow, Orange Tulips, Thyme, Chrysanthemum, Lily-of-the-Valleys, Pansies, Yellow Lilies, Daisies, and Freesias, which translated to 'I think of you with grief, sadness and appreciation of your courage, strength, honestly, humility and thoughtfulness. I am deeply grateful for your loyal friendship.'  When Mikayla had magicked this wreath, Peppy and Kreacher let out quiet whines as they both vocally agreed that "Dobby was the greatest friend."

The third and final arrangement was the most important message from Mikayla specifically. It is something she knew wouldn't make up for destiny's twisted games, that she really doesn't have much influence on, but perhaps a promise to Dobby that his death isn't something she would take lightly. The flowers that made up the wreath were; Purple Hyacinths, Hyssop, Strelitzias, White Lilies, Purple Crocuses, Pink Camellias, Irises, Black-Eyed Susans, Black Roses, and Red Spider Lilies. The hidden message of the wreath was 'Please forgive me for the sacrifice of your freedom, purity and youthful happiness when your destiny was in my hands. Trust that there will be justice for the tragedy of your death.'

"Those flowers are beautiful." Bill voiced from behind her, Mikayla just gave a small nod to show that she had heard him but was not ready to talk about it. Without warning, Bill wraps an arm around Mikayla's shoulders and pulls her in tight against his side. He doesn't utter another word to distract her from the aching helplessness and grief she was experiencing, instead Bill supported Mikayla by just being there, acting as an anchor of companionship in loss. Her lip wobbled with swallowed sobs, a thick lump lodged in her throat as it felt like her mouth had sewn itself shut to suffocate her with her own tongue. She had no words, there was no explanation that wasn't selfish or manipulative for Dobby's death, it was him or Harry, and she had made a promise to the world, and herself, to make sure that Harry lives on.

Mikayla laid her head on Bill's shoulders, wanting nothing more than to throw in the towel and just go home to Fred. Why must she be forced to make such a horrible decision? There is no 100 percent right answer to the questions the universe asks of her, and she finds it harder each time to justify her choices with herself alone, how could she expect anyone else to understand? After Peppy and Kreacher say their last goodbyes to Dobby, they Disapparate to return to Hogwarts, and Mikayla slides her arm around Bill's waist. She gives him a gentle squeeze of appreciation as she tries to pull herself together enough to be able to speak. As if he could read her mind, or he is just fluent in all floral languages, Bill decided to break the silence between them before she could.

"This isn't your fault, Mikayla." Mikayla let out a barely audible huff of disagreement to his words, Bill taking this response as motivation to continue on with his argument. "It's not, you can't stop the inevitable and like it or not the future is set in stone before you are even shown each variation of it. You may see the different paths of destiny but you do not have the power to weave fate. Tragedy is a certainty in war, and the only thing we have control over is how we deal with it. It can either crush you or push you, but either way the fate of the universe is concrete and unchangeable." Mikayla took a minute to fully digest Bill's words and allow them to truly sink in. She knew he was right because she was only a Seer after all, not one of the Moirai like Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos.