Roommates

Twenty Seven

The Funeral

Monday dawned and Blaise woke up to a sunny and clear morning, depicting the emotions that he did not feel. As he dressed, he glared at the sky and wished for thunder clouds to cover it, to boom out the anger he could not unleash on people that had not earned it. His wish, however, went unheard and he stomped down to the dining room to find that Dumbledore, Snape and Hermione were seated already, quietly eating their breakfast.

"Good morning," Blaise said, nodding to everyone. They responded in kind, dipping their heads.

"You are still accompanying us back to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked. Blaise nodded.

"I really had no intention of staying longer, or at all, when I came. But as the...events...unfurled, it became clear I was needed for the weekend. I intend to come back over Easter, but until then I believe everyone will be all right here, especially with Roan to watch over things."

"Your uncle is capable, then?" Snape asked. Blaise looked sharply at the Potions Master.

"You know only the traveling, immature side of Roan," he replied, his voice hard. "A few years ago, something happened to him, I know not what, but he's changed. He's more mature now, more capable. So yes, I trust him to take care of my father." He picked up his hard-boiled egg and broke the shell, eating it by hand and occasionally putting bits of salt and pepper on it.

There was silence for a long time before Blaise spoke again, hesitating for a moment. "There's- There's a memorial service for mum before we go. You don't have to come if you don't want to, but I think it would mean a lot to dad." He looked at Hermione. "It would mean a lot to me, too."

"Of course, Mr. Zabini," Dumbledore said gravely. Snape nodded, agreeing and equally as grave.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, of course," she told him, smiling sadly at him.

"Thank you," Blaise said, more to Hermione than Dumbledore or Snape. They went back to eating their meal in silence.

~*~

After breakfast they followed Blaise out to the gardens and through some confusing twists and turns in the shrub-lined path. They got glimpses of exotic patches of flowers. Hermione exclaimed once, sure that she had seen a wall covered in Venomous Tentacula. Blaise paused only once--to pluck a blood red rose from its bush--and then he continued on without speaking a word. Finally they reached a small gated section of grass with headstones littering it.

"The Zabini family graveyard," Blaise whispered. There was a small area to their right that had a fresh grave dug, with a casket sitting next to it. Surrounding the casket were House-Elves, with Roan and Zachary Zabini standing behind them. On the opposite side was a cleared section of grass. Blaise walked over to his father and tapped his shoulder and Zachary turned around to hug his son. "Dad, what's the grass over there for?"

His father frowned for a moment, as if not understanding Blaise's question, but then his face cleared. "Zel and Eduardo are Portkeying in," he said. "Roan wrote them yesterday. They should be here in a moment or two. Ah. Here they are."

Zelphinia and her husband appeared opposite them on the previously empty stretch of grass. Zel immediately rushed over to her father and brother and hugged them. "Oh, Blaise. Oh, Dad!" She gulped and sobbed a bit as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I know Mum wasn't good to us, Blaise, but I never- I never wanted her to die!" She burst into heavier sobs and Eduardo came over to comfort her as someone else arrived by Portkey.

June stumbled a bit as she let go of the tin can used for her Portkey; Luc, her boyfriend, caught her. She stared at her relatives and took a hesitating step towards them before breaking into a run to fall into her fathers' arms, her body shaking with emotion as she spoke. "Daddy, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry! I never meant to be so awful. I'm so sorry! Please- Please forgive me. Please, please forgive me." Zachary patted his daughter's head as she sobbed into his green dress robes. Once she calmed, she lifted her head and asked, "How did it happen? And where's Lilithe?" Zachary looked towards Blaise.

Blaise sighed and took his younger sister from his father and helped her over to a bench. Luc hovered, not knowing if he could be helpful. Blaise motioned the Frenchman to come to sit with June as he started to explain. He decided to start out bluntly. "Lilithe killed Mum," he said.

"No!" June breathed, shocked. "Lilithe- She would never, never do that!"

"Lilithe's a Death Eater," he continued mercilessly, reaching out for his sister. "She killed Mum for lying to her about being pureblood. Lilithe's a murdering, conniving bitch, who would-"

June flinched from his touch. "So- So much anger," she whispered, her amber eyes filling up with tears. "Why do you hate, Blaise? It's such a powerful thing. Eventually it will eat you away, you know that, don't you? And I know we're not close, but after loosing Mum, I can't loose anyone else. I can't. Don't let it eat you away, Blaise. Don't become your hate."

Blaise nodded. "I won't," he promised. "But I can't let Lilithe become something that will destroy us all. I can't let her aid someone who would destroy millions of people just because they can't perform magic; of people who have never done anything to him. I'm going to fight them, with everything I've got."

"But Blaise," June said, turning away, "what have you got?"

Blaise watched her turn to Luc and curl into his arms and he pressed his lips into a thin line. "More than you realize," he whispered. "More than anyone realizes."

He walked back to the large group with his hands shoved in his pockets and received condolences from his other relatives, most of which were on his mother's side, Roan being the only uncle he had left from his father's side. Eventually he made his way over to stand with Hermione, away from everyone else. After about twenty minutes, the service was conducted and Zachary stood up to say the eulogy.

Zachary cleared his throat, looking around. "My wife and I were not close," he began. "At least, not for many years. But she has done her share of great works in this world, including making tombs of all natures safer for Muggle archaeologists to go into, whether she knew that or not. She never intentionally injured anyone, neither physically nor through magic. She loved her children.

"Frances grew up in a poor home in London, but she grew proud with the years. Her death is something I shall mourn for the rest of my life. I loved my wife, no matter how much came between us. I wish I had gotten to know her more, stayed close to her, even through the hard times, but no amount of wishing will bring her back now. I can only say now that I do not blame myself for her death, however much I blame myself for other things. The blame for her death can only rest in the hands of our oldest daughter, Lilithenial, who has unveiled herself as a Death Eater and is now cast out of our house." His steely gaze raked the whispering mourners.

"I have said for years that I will not tolerate Death Eaters activities, though I never said it publicly. And now that I discovered my daughter has pledged herself to them, I formally--and publicly--disown her from this family, never to be taken in again. May her memory be stricken from these halls and her presence from these buildings. And for the murdering of my wife, I bestow upon Lilithe this final parting gift. May she be unsuccessful in whatever task she embarks upon. May her death be as inglorious and demeaning as her mother's and may her power come back to be her doom." He sat back down and the mourners stared at him in shock and awe.

Blaise smiled at his father, who smiled back at him vaguely, a glint in his eye shining in a dangerous way.

Blaise moved to stand up and coughed to get everyone's attention. "I won't take up much of your time," he told them, soberly ."I didn't know my mother very well; but even after years of her seemingly hating and despising me, upon her death I found that I still love her. So rest in peace, Mum." As the casket was lowered into the grave, Blaise threw the rose onto it and turned away, wiping the tear that fell from his eye.

By ten o'clock, Blaise, Hermione, Snape and Dumbledore had Apparated to King's Cross to catch the Express back to Hogwarts. Hermione had asked why they weren't Flooing or Apparating back, and Dumbledore told them that the Floo Networks were being watched by Death Eaters. Once they had boarded the Express, Dumbledore and Snape went to talk with the engineer, leaving Blaise and Hermione in a compartment alone together.

Blaise was staring out the window blankly. Hermione licked her lips nervously before asking him, "Blaise, when we were talking about your sister's power, you mentioned something about her having a vast amount of power stored away somewhere, or in someone. You said you knew what--or who--she'd put it into." Blaise nodded. Hermione pushed onward. "Blaise, where is this power?"

Blaise looked at her as if he didn't believe what he was hearing. Tapping his chest with one finger, he said, "Me, Hermione. Her power is in me."