Armilla II

Chapter 5

Mother's body? A strange, chilling sensation swept through me upon registering these words. Dumbledore's announcement was met with silence from both Severus and I. I was wondering if I had misheard; perhaps Severus' silence meant that he was thinking the same thing.

"There is no mistake," Dumbledore went on, his eyes moving to me and then back to my brother. "I identified the body myself."

Finally, Severus spoke. "How?" he said softly. "How is it possible?"

Dumbledore looked at him gravely. "The condition of Hazel's body makes it appear that her death occurred only a short time ago. We, of course, know better."

Severus nodded curtly. "Yes, seeing as I received notice from the Ministry fifteen years ago informing me that she was dead; her property was magically transferred into my ownership. That can only happen upon death." He frowned. "She couldn't have been fooling the Ministry all this time."

"No," Dumbledore agreed. "I don't believe she was. I believe the body appeared at the same moment that her spirit left the ring in June."

This brought me out of my silence. "So where would her body have been all this time? Some sort of limbo?"

"A sort of magical limbo it would seem," Dumbledore replied, his blue eyes fixed on mine, "controlled by the magic of the ring your mother's spirit inhabited for so long."

Severus sighed. "I assume Mother had no idea that her body would reappear. She told us that her body simply vanished upon her death. I suppose she thought it was gone for good."

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "You did say, Severus, that Hazel admitted to not carrying out thorough research on the ring."

Severus nodded, his face paler than usual. "She wasn't aware of all the magical properties it entailed. I carried out tests myself after her spirit vacated it, but nothing of significance came up."

"Where was she found?" I asked quietly.

Dumbledore looked back to me again. "The same place she died," he said softly. "Nottingham. Her body was found not ten metres from the spot where you were found as a baby."

Though this seemed logical to me, I couldn't help the eerie feeling that started to build up inside me. It was weird to think that Mother's body had turned up in the spot where she had died. I had never been back to the area where I was born. The idea of going there had always seemed creepy to me. Mother had gone into hiding in a muggle-populated area when she had been pregnant with me. As Secret Keeper, Emiliana McGonagall had been the only one who had known our location.

"Why has it taken all this time for us to know about this?" Severus asked, frowning. "Mother's spirit was released about a month ago. Surely someone would have spotted the body fairly quickly. The massacre happened in a muggle street after all."

"Yes, the street was in ruins after the Death Eater attack that resulted in Hazel's death," said Dumbledore, nodding at my brother. "However, with the protection of Hazel's bracelet, Armilla was the only resident who survived. The people who inherited the ruined properties of their deceased relatives viewed the street in a negative light from thereon, particularly because the muggles authorities could not explain how the incident occurred. No one wanted to rebuild there. As such, I have learned that the local council ended up purchasing every property on that street. The ruins were cleared away, but even the council never planned to put it to use. To this day it remains unused, full of wild plants and trees." Dumbledore sighed. "The local community seem to have run away with their superstitions. They won't go near the street; it seems to have earned itself a reputation for causing bad luck to those who step on that street."

This piece of news greatly unsettled me. It was disturbing to think that stepping onto the street that had been my very first home was now considered a bad omen. I supposed I couldn't really blame the muggles for thinking along such lines; their ignorance of the existence of magic would naturally have caused them to be very disconcerted at not being able to explain how the massacre occurred.

"Apparently," Dumbledore went on, "the only people brave enough to venture into the street are generally the more exuberant muggle teenagers, pressured into accepting dares from their peers."

"Naturally," Severus scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Dumbledore inclined his head. "It was fortunate that last week a couple of vulnerable young lads accepted the dare and ventured into the so-called dangers Riverwood Street had to offer."

"And so their juvenile little jaunt gave them quite a result," said Severus dryly.

"So it would seem." Dumbledore paused for a moment, his eyes locked with my brother's. "At least they were sensible enough to report what they had seen. A search for a missing person yielded no results, which is quite understandable considering that the person they found had died fifteen years earlier."

"I assume the Ministry became involved at this point?" said Severus, his gaze still firmly on Dumbledore.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, well you are aware that the Ministry always investigates suspicious muggle cases for evidence of the misuse of magic. The Ministry immediately found evidence that the person had ties to the wizarding world."

"She wasn't sporting muggle attire?" said Severus dryly, raising an eyebrow. "I doubt she would have worn muggle clothes, even in the presence of muggles."

"Yes, I remember," said Dumbledore, chuckling a little. His smile reached his eyes, and there was no sign of the grave expression he had been wearing. This was the Dumbledore I was used to. "Hazel's abhorrence was not for muggles, but for the fashion of muggle ladies."

The tiniest smile appeared on my brother's lips.

"However," Dumbledore went on, looking serious once more, "the evidence was not merely from Hazel's attire. A silver oval locket was found in an inside pocket. It had a photo of Emiliana McGonagall on the inside. The back of the photo clearly states her name. Naturally, the Ministry thought to alert Minerva McGonagall for further investigation. Realising who it really was, Minerva came to me early this morning for advice on the matter. She didn't tell the Ministry that she knew who it was because there would be more investigation into how the body of a woman who died fifteen years ago could suddenly reappear."

Severus nodded. "I am thankful she thought along those lines."

Dumbledore's lips twitched. "Yes, it would seem some Gryffindors do consider the repercussions when considering their next move, Severus."

Severus narrowed his eyes. "Pity it's such a small minority."

"It was quite a feat," Dumbledore went on, politely ignoring the slight against his House, "but I managed to remove the body from the Ministry, as well as any trace of the case in both the wizarding and muggle worlds. The body is currently in the Secret Wing at Hogwarts. Identifying the body as Hazel Snape would have brought on a full Ministry inquiry, not to mention a great deal of unwanted media attention."

"Indeed," Severus murmured, frowning slightly. He met Dumbledore's eye. "It was quite a feat to remove all traces of the case," he said quietly, "one that must have taken a great deal of trouble. Thankyou."

Dumbledore held a hand up. "It was the only thing to be done. Hazel went through enough during her life; it certainly wouldn't do to put this in the spotlight." He paused and looked at each of us in turn. "Hazel deserves to be laid to rest in the home she loved, away from Aurelius, away from the nosy public eye."

"And so she will be," said Severus. "I would have it no other way."

Laid to rest. Those words made me uneasy inside. Before, we had only been planning on burying the ring Mother's spirit had inhabited; now we were actually going to bury Mother. I didn't remember Mother when she had been alive; I only knew her personality from the spirit in the ring I had become acquainted with. Even so, the thought of burying her body renewed the sense of loss, if indeed it could be called that, I had felt upon the departure of her spirit.

Dumbledore nodded. "It is up to the two of you, of course, if you want a proper, private funeral, considering Hazel didn't receive one the first time."

Severus shifted slightly. "I don't know, a full funeral for someone who died so long ago? I think I would rather have a small, short ceremony with few people present; the less people who know about this the better."

Dumbledore addressed me next. "What say you, Armilla? It is your mother too, of course."

I had been fairly quiet for the past few minutes. The idea that mother's body was actually being back in existence greatly disturbed me. Having a proper funeral unsettled me further. I missed the spirit version of my mother. It would be strange to say goodbye to the actual form of my mother, the one I had last been in contact with on the day she died. I had been to a funeral less than a year ago. Merle's funeral had been hard enough. I never thought that I would have to go to another for my real mother.

These thoughts made me feel a little selfish. My mother had been a good, kind woman; she deserved our acknowledgement of that in a decent funeral. But then, I had the impression that Mother had been the sort of person who preferred minimal fuss in everything. I didn't think she would want a lavish funeral, no matter how small.

"Armilla?" Severus said, looking closely at me. I realised that I had been taking too long to answer the Headmaster's question.

"Something small," I said quietly. "As few people as possible." It didn't matter that Severus and I didn't want a crowd of people there. It wasn't the number of people in attendance that determined a person's worth.

Dumbledore nodded, turning back to Severus. "As you wish. I assume you will bury her in the same place you planned on burying the ring?"

Severus nodded. "We will do it as soon as possible." He sneered. "After all, we can't put Potter off too long, can we?"

Dumbledore frowned. "Severus, you and Armilla will naturally need time-"

"With all due respect, Headmaster," Severus interrupted. "This is not quite the normal grieving experience. Mother died a long time ago. Armilla and I saw her spirit leave the ring last month. Though the reappearance of her body was most unexpected, I do not want to put a halt on our lives so that we may grieve for a third time. I feel that it is quite unnecessary and I am sure Mother would too." He gave Dumbledore a significant look and Dumbledore didn't push the subject further.

"Very well, Severus. When would you like to have the ceremony?"

"Sunday," Severus answered, "in the afternoon. Then Armilla and I shall come to Grimmauld Place on Monday morning as planned."

"Sunday afternoon is fine," said Dumbledore, nodding in agreement. "But I must object to you coming to London on Monday. You will come on Tuesday."

Severus looked irritated. "Headmaster, there is no need to-"

"No, Severus," said Dumbledore firmly. "You will come on Tuesday. I merely ask that you come a day later in some effort to make amends to Armilla. It is my hope that you will not be called on Monday and so you may spend the day with your sister."

Severus considered this, still frowning at Dumbledore. He didn't like to think that the Headmaster was giving him time for emotional reasons. It was tactful on Dumbledore's part to use me as the reason. After all, if Mother's body hadn't been found, I wouldn't be getting this extra day with my brother. It was expected that I would accept the fact that Severus was needed for Order business, and I did. I was not about to put myself before the Order's needs.

"Very well," said Severus finally, not looking at me. "Tuesday then."

Dumbledore nodded his approval and stood up. "I will leave you two alone," he said. He looked down at my brother. "I shall arrange it myself to bring Hazel's body here on Sunday."

Severus nodded, as we stood up too. "I would like to come to Hogwarts beforehand, Headmaster."

I looked over at him. I understood his disguised request to go to Hogwarts. He wanted to see Mother's body.

Dumbledore nodded again. "I thought you might. I shall carry out the necessary procedures beforehand. When shall I expect you?"

"First thing in the morning." he answered.

"I shall meet you in the Secret Wing then," the Headmaster said, extending his hand to shake my brother's. "I am sorry to be the bearer of such troubling news." He turned and held his hand out to shake mine. "I shall see you on Sunday, Armilla, if your brother will permit my attendance."

Severus inclined his head. "Naturally."

I disguised my annoyance at Dumbledore's words. He said he would see me on Sunday. Was he assuming that I would not go with Severus to Hogwarts in the morning? She was my mother too.

"I'll show myself out." With that, we watched as Dumbledore swept from the room. A moment later we heard Docky's voice out in the hall, bidding the Headmaster farewell.

"Well, there's a piece of news," said Severus dryly, sitting down heavily.

I sat back down next to him, offering no comment. I was still comprehending the whole conversation that had just passed. It was as if Mother's death had come about in three stages.

"One thing after another, isn't it?" he said, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose."

"Yes." I couldn't disagree with that. A lot had happened in our lives in the last year. This time last year, Merle had been dreadfully ill. That had only been the beginning of what was to be an extremely challenging and emotional year. I didn't want to think about Merle and I didn't really want to think about Mother either. Usually thinking of them didn't really bother me. I had accepted Merle's death...as well as I could anyway. Maybe it was this new piece of news that made it harder to think of Merle.

Severus opened his eyes and looked over at me. "You have no objection to burying Mother sooner than later?"

I shook my head. "Not at all. What about the ring?"

"What about it?"

"It's still significant I think," I said quietly, "even if there is a body to bury now. Can't we bury it with her?"

Severus looked closely at me, his face expressionless. "Of course," he answered. "I do not believe the ring has lost any of its significance in light of this new discovery. It has been our key to communicating with Mother; we shall not treat it lightly."

I nodded. He understood my attachment to the ring then.

"You're going by yourself tomorrow," I said simply. It wasn't really a question.

He frowned. "You resent this?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. I didn't know if I actually wanted to see Mother's body. Perhaps being given the choice to would have made a difference.

"I would rather that you didn't see her body," Severus said quietly. "Though you have no memory of her in humane form, I think seeing her body would distort what memories you have of her spiritual existence."

I frowned. "Wouldn't it distort your memories of her?"

His expression gave nothing away. "I don't believe so."

"I don't think it would make a difference to me," I said honestly. After all, I had been with Merle when she died. I had seen death.

Severus seemed to guess what I was thinking. "This is different, Armilla. Mother's body reappeared awhile ago now. As he said, Dumbledore will carry out the necessary procedures, but it still may be disturbing for you to see."

I knew what the necessary procedures were. There were spells that were used to make the deceased look like they were merely sleeping. They were temporary spells, designed to wear off after burial. Such spells had been carried out for centuries, particularly in cultures that displayed their deceased relatives in the family home in the days leading up to the funeral. Having been exposed to the elements for a significant portion of time, Mother's body would not really be in the best state. As he said, Dumbledore would carry out the spells to remedy this, but it might not be as effective as when used on someone who had just died.

"I've never seen her," I stated, still not entirely sure what I really wanted to do. Did I really want to see my mother's dead body? A part of me did; I hadn't been near her in so long. I didn't remember being near her. "At least," I murmured, "I don't remember seeing her."

"Seeing her in death will not justify the memories of her you deserve to have," Severus reasoned. "I understand that you have just as much right to see her, but I'd advise you to think better of it."

I looked at him in surprise. "You're not saying no then?"

He sighed. "As I said, you do have the right to see her...I would rather that you didn't though."

"You want to see her though," I said.

He nodded. "I feel a need to...an unexplainable need."

I looked down at my hands, my mind buzzing as it considered all the reasons for and against going to see Mother. A moment later, my brother's hand closed over mine.

"I've given you my opinion on the matter," he said quietly. "You don't need to make a decision now. If you are still uncertain in the morning, you may accompany me to Hogwarts and wait outside if you decide against it."

I nodded, leaning in as he held out his arms to hug me. "Mother wouldn't judge you either way," he whispered in my ear. "If you decide to go, let it be for you only."

o o o o o o o o o o o

I stifled a yawn as Severus and I made our way towards the front door of the castle the next morning. I had barely slept the night before, simply unable to make a decision. Severus had offered no more advice on the matter; perhaps he didn't want to influence my decision any further; I knew he didn't wish for me to see the body.

I had gotten up early that morning, feeling a bit grumpier than I had been the day before. I hadn't made a decision by the time Severus was due to leave, so I accompanied him to Hogwarts. I wanted to make a decision once I was there in the Secret Wing. Though we were on our way to do something morbid, my slightly irritable spirits had lifted at having the opportunity to leave the house for an outing with Severus. It would probably be one of the last times that summer.

I smiled as I looked up at the castle. I always adored seeing Hogwarts again. Though the place was huge and was full of draughty corridors, I still associated a homely, comfortable feeling with it. My living arrangements with Severus in the dungeons had made me reassess my thorough dislike of that part of the castle.

We entered the castle and made our way to our quarters in the dungeons. Severus performed the charm that made one of the bookcases vanish to reveal an opening to the wing. We followed it and before long we were in the familiar corridor outside the room I had stayed in the previous October after Merle's death.

We followed the passage and made a number of turns into separate corridors. I vaguely remembered following this path when I had secretly visited Mother's ring. The visits had stopped after Severus had caught me.

I was a little surprised that we ended up outside the very same room in which I had first discovered Mother's ring. Dumbledore was waiting outside the door, wearing robes of dull silver with maroon trimmings. If he was surprised to see me, he certainly didn't show it.

"Good morning Severus, Armilla," he said, nodding at each of us. He turned to Severus. "I have done all that is necessary, but she may not appear exactly as you remember her."

Severus' face remained expressionless. "I did not expect that she would be exactly the same, Headmaster."

"I shall leave you to it then," said Dumbledore, taking out an unusual watch from an inside pocket of his robes. He glanced at it before putting it away. "Take as much time as you need. I am off to meet with Hagrid; so I will be out on the grounds if you need me; otherwise, I shall see you both on Sunday."

"Yes," said Severus. "Thankyou."

We were left alone, and as Dumbledore's footsteps faded away, Severus turned to me.

"What is your decision, Armilla?"

I looked at the closed oak door, subconsciously waiting for it to miraculously provide an answer.

"Would you like me to go in and assess the situation first?" he offered.

I shook my head. My answer had come from no where, but I knew what I wanted to do. "No," I said decidedly, "I want to see her."

I waited for my brother to ask me if I was sure, but he simply nodded and pushed open the door. He stood back, allowing me to enter before he did.

I slowly walked in, a slight feeling of trepidation circling through me. My eyes were immediately drawn to the centre of the room, where an ornate chaise lounge was positioned. Upon it was a woman with a very familiar face. Mother.

My focus remained upon her face as I edged further into the dim room. Unlike Merle when she had died, Mother did not look as if she was merely sleeping; the colour of her skin portrayed that any sign of life had long since vanished. However sunken her face appeared, it not deter from her peaceful expression. She was not smiling, but then she was not frowning either. Her long brown hair, significantly lighter than mine and Severus', was not shiny and thick, as it had been in the ring. Even so, she still seemed beautiful to me. Here was my mother. She was lovely.

Severus hadn't made a sound, but I knew he was close by. I wondered what thoughts were running through his head. Was he thinking too that Mother was beautiful? Was he thinking about when she had been alive? A pang came in my heart. I couldn't do that. I didn't remember.

Having only studied her face thus far, I turned my gaze away to look at the rest of her. She was wearing blue and silver robes, very new, clearly not what she would have been wearing when she had died. I thought her robes for quite suitable for a former Ravenclaw.

Her hands rested one on top of the other just below her chest. She had long, slender fingers, just like Severus and I. I hadn't seen her fingers in the ring. I smiled at having learnt something new about her.

Severus stepped closer and I followed behind. As I did so, a flowery scent reached me. I looked to my left and saw a large wreath of violets and daffodils on a table nearby. I stared at it, shock registering through me at the sight of it. Violets and daffodils?

"Armilla," I heard my brother's voice say quietly.

"Yes?" I whispered, still staring at the flowers. I noticed that one of the violets had fallen to the floor. A daffodil was hanging out from the wreath; the slightest nudge would make it come loose and fall as well.

"Armilla," Severus repeated. I broke my gaze on the wreath and looked up at my brother. "Come here."

Pushing away the uncomfortable lump that had formed inside me from the sight of the wreath, I stepped closer so that I was at Severus' side. I was now merely inches away from Mother. I was surprised that being this close to my mother, who had died fifteen years ago, didn't make me as anxious as I had thought it would; rather, it felt right...in an odd way.

Severus reached out and touched Mother's right ankle. "See that mark?" he said softly, pointing at a tiny, wriggly mark. "That's a birthmark. She said that her mother had had the same mark on her right ankle."

I frowned. "I don't have a birthmark."

He smirked. "You have her bracelet. Let me claim the right to inheriting something from Mother's side."

I smiled up at him. "You have the same mark?"

He nodded. He reached out and picked up Mother's left hand. He absently stroked it with his thumb.

"Was Mother left-handed?" I asked. I was looking for things that I shared with her.

Again, he nodded.

"Left-handed women are more likely to have left-handed children than right-handed women," I said quietly.

Severus looked amused. "That's useful information, Armilla."

I smiled again.

"How do you feel?" he asked, looking serious once more.

"Okay, I suppose," I said, gazing at Mother's hand, which was still in my brother's. "I'm glad I came."

He nodded. "Then I am glad."

I looked over at the wreath again. The sight of it brought tears to my eyes, especially the sight of the loose daffodil and the violet on the floor.

"Did you want to take her other hand?" Severus asked. I turned to see that his gaze was focused on Mother's face. Thankfully he hadn't seen my face.

I blinked back the tears and looked at Mother's other hand. I had restrained from touching her so far. Perhaps it was due to a silly desire to pretend that it would feel warm if I touched it.

"You don't have to," he said softly.

I looked at Mother's other hand, which Severus was still absently stroking. "Isn't it cold?" I whispered.

He looked away from Mother and focused upon me instead. "It was," he answered. "It's a little warmer now since I have been holding it."

I reached and took hold of Mother's right hand. It was very cold, but I didn't loosen my hold of it. It was nice to feel her hand in mine. I placed my other hand on top, hoping it would create some warmth.

"You know, if her spirit could talk right now, she'd tell us to get on with it and bury her," said Severus. "She'd think being placed in a room like this was pretentious."

I smiled. "I don't know if that would be the first thing she's say."

"No, you're probably right," he agreed, sneering slightly. "She'd make some comment about my marital status first."

I laughed. "At which point you'd make a sarcastic or scathing comment. Then she would glare at you and tell you not to be impertinent."

"You knew her well then," he said.

I looked down at her peaceful face again. "I'm glad I had the opportunity to, however strange it was."

When I had been very little, I had often asked Merle what sort of person she thought my mother might have been. Merle had always said that since no one had any idea, I was free to imagine my own idea. I had never imagined a face in a ring, but I had imagined many of the traits that Mother really had. I had never lingered on it long; I had always created a notion in my head that was very close to Merle's personality. Merle had been my mother in those days. My eyes lingered on the daffodil that had come loose on the wreath.

"A strange combination of flowers," Severus commented, following my gaze. "I understand the reason for the violets, but the daffodils?"

We both knew that violets had been Mother's favourite flower.

"Would Dumbledore have chosen those flowers specifically?" I asked, looking from the daffodil to Severus, "or was it a charm performed for what suited?"

There was a charm for arranging flowers for the dead; it had been used for Merle's funeral. The wand produced flowers that had either been preferred by the deceased person or contained some symbolic meaning to the family.

"I would say it was the charm," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"It's an unusual combination," I said quietly. I placed Mother's hand back, walked to the wreath and reached for the daffodil that had come loose. I stared at it in my hand for a few seconds before bending down to pick up the violet on the floor.

"I want to go to see Merle," I said quietly.

Whatever he had expected me to say, it certainly wasn't that. Severus looked incredulously at me. "You never like going to the cemetery, Armilla," he said, looking closely at me, as if wondering if it was really me. "It's a struggle to convince you to go and you don't like being there when you are."

"I know," I said distractedly, looking back down at the flowers, "but I want to go. I haven't put flowers down there."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure Merle would have overlooked not having put flowers on her grave. However, if you wish to go, we shall." He folded his arms looked expectantly at me, which was my cue to cease my annoying vagueness and explain myself.

"At Merle's funeral," I said slowly, looking up from the two flowers in my hand, "The same charm was performed and Merle had the same floral wreath."

Severus frowned. "That's interesting."

I nodded. "Merle's favourite flower was the daffodil, so I understood why daffodils were in the wreath." I looked down at the violet in my hand. I hadn't known I was related to Severus at the time Merle had died. "I had wondered why the violet was paired with it."

Severus was silent. His eyes were now fixed on the two flowers in my hand.

"I had thought it was a strange combination at the time," I went on, "but seeing it again now seems like more than a coincidence." He looked up and I met his gaze. "Don't you think so?"

He considered me for a moment before answering. "It would seem so," he said slowly. "Magic is so multilayered and complex. It is like the brain in many ways; we like to think that we control our thoughts, but at the same time our thoughts are controlled by our minds in dreams. We learn to control our magic, but often our own magic knows more than our minds realise. Though magic can be controlled to distort the truth, it can be relied on to reveal the truth in an uncontrolled sense."

He paused to let me sink this in. He had reverted into full professor-lecture mode. "Take your Patronus for example," he continued, his black eyes fixed on mine. "Though you cast the spell, you cannot control the form it will take because your magic knows you well enough to form the shape for you. Sometimes people are surprised by the form their Patronus' take; their magic knows them better than they do." He inclined his head. "In this case, as I said, the charm used to conjure the flowers assesses what was important to that person and anything else symbolic. Your own magic knew who your mother was, but it also recognised that you had another mother. This has been expressed in both wreaths."

"But why would the wreaths take on something symbolic to me?" I asked. "Mother died not knowing Merle and Merle died not knowing Mother. A daffodil would mean nothing to Mother, just as a violet would mean nothing to Merle."

"Ah," he said, smiling slightly at my willingness to find flaws in the charm. "But you need to take into consideration what was important to these women. Mother died worrying that you would be left to fend for yourself. You know that; you discovered this worry of hers when you met her spirit form. And who put that worry to an end?"

"Merle," I answered.

"Indeed," he said, gesturing to the wreath. "All this time later, the charm has recognised who put an end to the worry. As for Merle, magic reveals the truth in its own uncontrolled sense; it knew who your mother was, hence the presence of the violets at Merle's funeral. Merle had died hoping that you would find out your identity one day."

I shook my head. "It's so complicated."

"Certainly," he said, placing Mother's hand back upon the other. "That's what I love about magic. There's never an end to interpreting it and developing it." He moved towards the wreath. I joined him to have a closer look at it. The daffodils and violets were entwined together and though unusual, looked rather effective. Something bright that I hadn't noticed earlier suddenly caught my eye. A different flower was sitting between a daffodil and a violet; a single white lily, just starting to bloom.

"Look at that," I said quietly, pointing it out to my brother. "A lily."

He nodded, his eyes fixed intensely on it, but said nothing.

As he had just said, magical was open to interpretation. The presence of the lily could mean many things, but I believed I knew exactly what it meant.

"I presume you would like to take those flowers to Merle?" asked Severus, nodding down at the two flowers in my hand.

I nodded. "Mother wouldn't mind, would she? They're her flowers after all."

He shook his head. "I'm sure, could she speak, she would have suggested it herself."

He moved back over to Mother and I followed. We stood in silence for a moment, just watching her, taking in every last detail. Finally, Severus bent down and kissed Mother's cheek. With the flowers still in my hand, I moved forward and did the same.