Homonculous |Marauders Era

Chapter Forty-Four

[Chapter Forty-Four]

Hades could not comfort Elspeth after explaining to her what would happen after her death, mainly because he couldn't even bring comfort to himself at the mere thought of her passing. It did not settle well in his mind and for the rest of the summer, the God and his little apprentice didn't speak to one another. Instead, after her parents reassured her that her death was not something she should focus on at such a young age, Elspeth just busied herself with the idea that she was going to be a N.E.W.T. level student, a N.E.W.T. level student with zero friends going into the term.

Arriving at King's Cross Station the morning of September first, Sorcha and Caelan were keeping a close eye on Elspeth's face, trying to see if she was really as happy as the smile she had placed on her face made her look. They knew very well that Elspeth was all about keeping a strong face even when hurting on the inside, but they hoped that she would feel comfortable enough to confide in them if she still needed help. Caelan was feeling quite guilty, wondering if between the two of them and their Auror duties if they were around enough for Elspeth when she needed them. She had always come across as the independent type but perhaps as she was going through a rough patch, she needed to become a bit more dependent. But Elspeth wasn't one to really ask for her, especially if she thought it was going to make her look weak.

"I'm worried about her," Caelan whispered to Sorcha as they stood outside of the barrier heading towards the platform. Elspeth had already crossed, taking the potential plunge that she could have easily walked right into her form friends, but it didn't look like it bothered her much, at least on the surface.

"I am too," Sorcha admitted, " but I've already tried asking her multiple times this morning if she was alright and she insisted that she was. I even offered that we could drop her off in Hogsmeade Village if it would make things easier, you know, like we spoke about? She just kept shaking her head no. She's too stubborn for her own good. We should have made the executive decision and insisted on dropping her off in Hogsmeade."

"Well, it's too late for that now, sweetheart," the man sighed, "we're already here, which means we're just going to have to let her go. Maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt. I know the summer hasn't been all that great for her, but Elspeth is strong, she has always been strong."

"Yes, and that's wonderful, Caelan, but everyone has a moment of weakness, everyone has a moment where they need help. Elspeth doesn't know how to ask for help, she'll just keep trying to do things on her own and keep a tough face on for everyone around her. You saw how upset she was when she returned from talking to Hades that day. She was crying Caelan, that's a rarity we see with her, but she was genuinely upset. Now she's smiling and humming along, I don't buy it for a moment. She shouldn't have to be strong around us."

"Well, as of right now, we're all she has," Caelan reminded her. "She doesn't have her friends or even Hades right now, in her mind. She only has us."