Dirge for a Child

Despite their best efforts at keeping the family tragedy under wraps, the brutal attack on the Harpers in Ireland found its way to the front page of The Daily Prophet. The newspaper lay on a coffee table across from which they were all sitting on a plush sofa in the palatial family estate, staring dumbfounded at the story splashed across the page.

No one spoke for a few moments as they all stared, some reading the accompanying article, others simply mesmerised by the full color photo which showed the Irish estate, alarms glaring and being cordoned off with crime scene tape by a group of harassed-looking officials. Calixta was one of those staring at the photo; she could practically hear the screeching alarm blaring off of the page. She turned to look at Percy and knew he was doing the same, tears rolling silently down his cheeks. It was all too much to bear, and yet the reason they were gathered now.

The public had been surprisingly vocal about this attack, being the first to be reported on, and now they were supposed to be planning a memorial service for Rian and Eileen, though of course the funeral and wake for the pair would be very private. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of their grief, which made Calixta
alternately hopeful that there were still good people out there, and horrified that someone had grossly betrayed their right to privacy in this time.

The article, now a day old, could not have come at a worse time. Little Rian had slipped away right around the time a discovery was made at the house, a message which had not been seen in the dark on the night of the attack. One word, splashed ominously against a wall near the rear entrance in red -- BLOOD TRAITORS. Mercifully, that bit hadn't made it into the papers, and although it was noted that Eileen was a Muggle, no direction mention was made of previous attacks. It was all suggestion and insinuation, courtesy the pen of one Melinda Skeeter, a woman whose neck Calixta's hands itched for.

Finally, it was Melania who broke the silence, tearing her eyes away from the page.

"I think we should have it at the green in Diagon Alley. If we're keeping the gravesides quiet, I can't think of anyplace else large enough other than here," she pointed out.

"That'd do well for a candlelight vigil," Calixta agreed, nodded. "Large, public space, and I'm sure we'd be allowed. We'd just have to check with the Ministry first, I think, and then put the date in the paper. Is anyone planning on going?" she asked, mostly directing her question at Percy, who shook his head.

"Someone from the family has got to. I'll do it," Melania offered with a shrug.

"Then I'll go with you," Calixta followed, sighing. "No way you're going alone. I don't think any of us should go anywhere alone, now that we've been marked out like this. It's not safe."

"Which is exactly why I think you should leave after the services today," Laeticia chimed in, and James nodded his head in agreement. Calixta opened her mouth to protest, but her mother carried on determinedly.

"You'll be safer far away from here, and you know it. There'll be nothing left to be done now that Innis has come home. We'll all just be here, taking turns looking after her, and there's enough of us." That had been the only ray of sunlight in the past few days -- she still wasn't speaking, but Innis had become slightly more responsive, waking up and blinking and breathing on her own, even though she didn't do much more than that. Soon they'd try and see if she could eat on her own again, but for the time being it looked like she was out of the danger zone and on the path to recovery.

"How could I leave at a time like this? My job is dangerous, I can't be distracted, worrying about you all here. I'm here now, I might as well stay. They can find a replacement for me, I'm sure, and I can work from Gringott's for a little while just until things settle down." Laeticia sighed, seeing that her daughter was going to be stubborn about the issue.

"We'll talk about this later, then." She stood up and folded the paper over so that the article was covered. "It's time to head downstairs for the wake."