One Shot for carley9

This was written in honor of the winning video in the Multi-media section of Potter Place's Variety Challenge. The video, titled "In Memoriam," can be found at the site under the penname of carley9. Please view it and enjoy. It's quite touching.

Thanks go to lyn_f for reading this over for me! I appreciate it.

In Memoriam

"It were right nice o' 'em ter invite us in like this," a tiny, older wizard with flaming red hair said to a slender, tall witch on his left.

"Indeed it was," the woman replied curtly, bringing a dainty, gloved hand up to cover her nose.

Rita didn't have to guess that the sulking blonde could be anyone other than Narcissa Malfoy, and it was also apparent that she was desperately trying to ignore the little man who'd intruded upon her space.

Smiling slyly, Rita strode forward. "Mrs. Malfoy, good of you to save a seat for me." She pointedly looked down towards the man's disappointed face. "I do believe you're about to take my seat, sir." She held her breath as the stench of whisky rose up to her nostrils.

"Rita Skeeter!" he said, eyes alight with pleasure. "I get me daughter ter read yer articles ter me."

"Your daughter?"

"Can't read meself, see."

"Ah," she said with a nod. "Thanks for your support then. Good day." She'd never turn away someone who paid to read her articles, not when there were Galleons to be made, but she had a bigger fish to fry...a much wealthier one.

After the man moved on to another unsuspecting guest, his bright hair springing up with each step, Narcissa coolly said, "I hope you don't think I've changed my mind about granting you an interview."

"Why, Narcissa, dare you think me so presumptuous? I merely saw a fellow witch in need of rescuing and did what anyone else would have done."

"I do indeed find you to be quite presumptuous, yes...especially using my given name without permission. Now, if you'll excuse me..." The words were meant as dismissal, and the elegantly arched pale eyebrow challenged Rita to do otherwise.

Always one for accepting challenges, Rita sat down. "You'll not get a better seat than this." She patted the seat beside her and watched with a smirk as the blonde looked around for any other vacant seats. The only one available had just been vacated by a distinguished looking fellow who'd made the mistake of sitting next to the pesky short man.

"Oh, very well." Narcissa sat down with her back straight and her chin jutting upwards as she smoothed out her robes.

"Have you had the chance to speak with your husband lately?"

Narcissa glared at her. "I told you I will not give you an interview."

"My quill isn't out, my dear, so you've nothing to fear. I only mean to make conversation until this... moosvie starts."

With a curl of her lip, Narcissa looked around. "It's called a movie." Indignantly, she added, "Imagine! Muggle contraptions at the Ministry!"

Knowing that she'd finally found the line of conversation she needed to get her companion to speak freely, Rita sighed heavily. "I almost didn't come in protest, but I suppose I do want to see what's being presented...for future conversation filler if nothing else."

Nodding, Narcissa said, "I couldn't decline an invite."

Not with your husband sitting in Azkaban, you couldn't. Anything to make the Ministry think that you've changed, eh? "They say a group of Muggle-born students put this together in honor of the dead."

"So I heard," Narcissa replied dryly.

"They even figured out a way to show this at Hogwarts! Imagine, electicsy at the castle!"

"Draco says they did not install that Muggle technology. Granger figured out a way to convert some machine that can work at the castle... like that little bloke who always went round taking pictures."

Rita's smile faded. That would be young Colin Creevey. She'd met him on several occasions, and he'd never failed to ask for her autograph or to snap several pictures. The boy could have had a great future in journalism... if only he'd not been killed.

The lights dimmed before she could comment further, and the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt himself, stood to greet everyone. "Thank you all for coming. We were so pleased with a project that a group of students completed for their History of Magic class at Hogwarts, we thought we'd invite family members and friends of those lost in the war to join us in viewing it." He nodded to an attractive witch, who in turn nodded back while flicking her wand, and then the large square box at the front of the room suddenly lit with sound and pictures.

"My boy," she heard a man whisper over to her right. She found the speaker and noted that it was Amos Diggory. Her eyes moved back to the screen before them, and she saw clips of young Cedric playing out. Rita remembered him fondly, having interviewed him a few times during the Tri-Wizard Tournament at Hogwarts. It was a shame that such a handsome lad had lost his life at so young an age.

The next person whose image appeared on the screen was Sirius Black. Rita saw her companion stiffen slightly. Ah, that's right. Sirius was her cousin, though not acknowledged. The last time Rita had spoken to Sirius privately had been a few nights before the Potters had been murdered. She'd wanted to take him back to her flat, but he'd been too far into his cups and was moaning how he'd hoped that he'd made the right decision. When she'd found out what she'd thought to be the truth...that he'd actually betrayed the Potters' location...she'd thought that he'd been wondering if he'd made the right choice by betraying his friends. She now knew that he'd been wondering if he should have traded Secret-Keeper positions with that horrid rat, Peter Pettigrew.

Rita idly wondered if the rumors she'd always heard about Sirius had been true...that he was well endowed in certain areas and knew how to show a witch a good time. It was something she regretted not finding out.

Many people began to weep openly as the face of the late Albus Dumbledore graced the screen, his eyes twinkling merrily as he plopped a sweet into his mouth. The man had infuriated her so many times in the past, but she'd hated when she'd learned of his fate. How could one so powerful succumb so easily? It still seemed unreal that Dumbledore was gone from the Wizarding world. There was a rumor going round that when Harry Potter had been knocked out by one of Lord Voldemort's hexes, the old headmaster had found a way to speak with him from the afterlife, encouraging the boy to return and finish his duty.

Oh how she wished she could get the Boy Who Lived to validate that rumor!

A series of pictures of Auror Moody flicked onto the screen; some had been taken before he'd lost his eye and a part of his nose. "I had no idea he used to be handsome," Rita murmured to Narcissa.

The blonde simply shrugged indifferently and continued to watch the screen. Before Rita could see what had been shown next, she saw Narcissa's expression change to one of shock and then sadness.

Rita followed the woman's gaze and saw that pictures of Nymphadora Tonks Lupin were now playing, some with her husband and child, some of her alone. Near the front of the room to their left, she could see Andromeda Tonks, who was holding a small baby with bright blue hair. She felt a pang in her heart as she thought about the poor child growing up without a mother or father in his life.

"I never realized how much she looked like Andromeda... and poor Bella," Narcissa said sadly. "Of the three girls in our family, I was the only one with blonde hair."

Without thinking before she spoke, Rita blurted, "One of your sisters is still alive and well. Perhaps you should end the estrangement."

Narcissa's eyes moved to gaze in the direction that Andromeda was sitting, letting on that she'd known where her sister and her nephew had been all along. "I think the time for that has passed."

For the first time, Mrs. Malfoy's voice was a bit unsteady. Rita wondered what it would take for her the woman to stop equivocating and lose the façade. At that moment, Narcissa sneered, causing Rita to snap her head around to see what picture graced the screen before them.

It was the face of Remus Lupin, haggard and worn looking as always. She didn't have to ask how her companion felt about the man. The loathing was evident on her face.

"Bella would never have gone after her if it hadn't been for him. I'm sure of it," Narcissa whispered, almost to herself. "Disgusting beast."

"And yet you had Fenrir Greyback into your home often?" Rita said, oddly feeling the need to defend Lupin. "How was he any better? At least this man didn't prey on children!"

Narcissa's narrowed eyes met Rita's, but before she could say anything, a new face graced the screen before them and caught her attention. And that's when it happened. Rita needn't wonder what it would take to make the woman show feeling. It was the face of Severus Snape that had done so.

"Oh, Severus..." Narcissa said sadly before tears began streaming from her artfully made-up eyes. One of her gloved hands reached up to wipe them away, missing most. "He al... always tried to take care of Draco for us."

Heart-wrenching sobs came next, as did the stare of several pairs of eyes from the guests around them. Uncertainly, Rita put her hand on the woman's back, feeling how fragile she truly was beneath her robes. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"It's a l-loss for all of us," Narcissa managed.

"Some people say his body was never found."

This made Narcissa cry harder and lean into Rita a little more.

Emboldened, Rita rubbed Narcissa's back soothingly. "And there's still no portrait in the headmaster's office." Her voice lowered a little as more people turned to look at the spectacle of the loudly crying woman.

The blonde continued to cry for a few more moments, finally commenting, "And why are they playing this sad music? How can one not be affected so!"

"Maybe... maybe he lives yet, Narcissa."

At this, Narcissa looked up. "I could only wish for it to be so. He deserved better than that."

And then a transformation took place before Rita's eyes. Narcissa's spine stiffened, and her tears were wiped away quickly, as if she'd not been crying at all. Unable to concentrate on the flashing pictures of Fred Weasley...or the loud chatter and laughter of the short, slightly intoxicated man ("He'd want us ter laugh, he would," said he) who'd tried to befriend them earlier, Rita contemplated Narcissa Malfoy and what she'd just witnessed. There was a heart beneath that cool exterior. She'd just seen proof of it, as did most of those in the room, including Andromeda Tonks, who gazed compassionately at her sister from across the room.

There was much she could write about all she'd just learned. She almost couldn't wait to get back to her office so that she could start dictating her next story to her quill. But then, her excitement faded. It wouldn't be right, would it? Perhaps she'd learned something in the end.

Her favorite quote from Lord Tennyson's poem, "In Memoriam," came to mind.

I hold it true, whate'er befall;

Than never to have loved at all.

And she didn't believe there was a truer statement that could be found. These people all gave their lives for the greater good, and here their most cherished friends mourned their loss, but each person was better for having known them in the first place.

No, she would not be writing anything or profiting from the grief everyone had shared today. Not now.

AN: "In Memoriam" is my favorite poem of all time, so any chance I get to pimp it out, I take it! Hehehe... I hope you've enjoyed the story that I've made for your video, carley9! It was so beautiful. Thanks for posting it and congratulations on the win!