Skylar hated wearing the black suit, designed off of muggle clothing yet incorporated into classic wizarding clothing. It was soft and smooth, woven with cooling charms since Skylar wore it every year. At least, every year for the past four years.
The fabric was imbued with the scent of lavender and the barely there trace of poppy. Skylar never knew that poppy had a smell but now it was overwhelming.
Skylar exhaled through his nose slowly, peering at his reflection in the mirror quietly. He watched numbly as his reflection moved to button up the highest button on his shirt, leaving him composed and clean.
He walked out of his room, slowly moving down the stairs towards the front sitting room where he knew his mother would be fussing over a perfect bouquet of flowers. Icelandic poppies, thin tissue paper petals in almost every color Skylar could imagine.
"Oh," his mother exhaled while her mouth twisted into a teary eyed smile, "are you ready to go?"
Skylar nodded slightly, tugging on the worn cuffs on each sleeve.
"Your father sent word earlier, he and Sirius are just about done over there."
Skylar already knew this, but he nodded quietly as the two walked out of their safeguarded house and past the elaborate wards to the Apparation zone. They vanished in a sharp twist that was nothing for Skylar after Quidditch and years of experience.
The summer sky was unusually cold, cool and chilled from a recent rain. The ground squished slightly from under his polished shoes. He had the urge to take them off and take off the grey socks and press his toes through the muck.
Crickets and other invests chirped loudly, adding to the lively buzz of a summer field. The sky above was suspiciously clear of clouds, most likely spelled.
It didn't remove the stifling humidity, already Skylar felt sweat gather at the back of his neck. Somewhere over the grass, a red winged blackbird swooped low over the growing corn.
"This way, on the far side of the house." Lily Potter gently nudged her son forward. Skylar began trudging forward, not noticing anything else around them.
There was gentle music, heard before the many chairs and tables came into sight. On the highest rise of the lawn, a half circle of people stood under the sun in uncomfortable clothing all in shades of black.
"Lily!" Someone cried, stumbling down the slight hill to trudge in mud to her side. Mrs. Weasley's face was blotchy and red, eyes bloodshot and filled with misery.
"Molly," Skylar's mother soothed, taking the plump woman into her arms and clinging to her tightly, "I am so sorry."
Molly pulled away, trying to smile and laugh dismissively although it sounded choked and painful.
Two more people slid away from the congregation, sliding down to flank Skylar's sides.
"Hey, come with us, mate." One of the twins urged, giving him a gentle pat on the back. The other looped one arm through his arm and gently tugged him along.
It was surreal, to witness something so quiet and unsettling in broad daylight. Skylar had long since grown used to the sound of his mother crying behind closed doors. To see it in the open was something unreal.
Everything he was seeing was unreal.
The twins led him out of the thickest of people over towards the back steps of the crooked house itself. Over there in the shade, the mugginess was less stifling.
"You want to stay out of that mess, mate." One of them advised, the other plopped down to his other side on the steps, "it's just a bunch of crying. Figured you've had enough of that."
Skylar did, he had enough of that for a lifetime.
"Where's Ron?" Skylar asked, his voice sounding hoarse and croaky even in his own ears.
Fred, Skylar decided, paused and then exhaled heavily, "He's been up in his room. Hasn't come down for days since we started getting the details down."
"Blew a right fit at mum the other day, when she tried to drag him out." George shrugged, the two tricksters looking relatively normal with how depressing the entire situation was.
There was a loud snap in the air as another person arrived to the event, wading from the furthest edge of the field. The headmaster, Skylar could spot him out in a crowd of a thousand people. The aged wizard removed his hat slowly, clutching it to his chest as he bowed his head toward the many murmuring people.
"Surprised he showed up," George noted, seeing the headmaster's arrival.
"Reckon he's been blaming himself over it all." Fred ended with a small click of his tongue.
"Well, he should be." A sour voice growled out from behind the three, accompanied with the rattling noise of the screen door banging shut.
"The troll emerges from his hibernation," Fred bitterly trilled out, George lifting his hands to mimic large floppy ears.
Ron flushed angrily, the red moving all the way past his cheeks to touch his forehead for a surprise.
"How are you two laughing!" He shrieked, voice cracking and instantly killing the mood.
Skylar felt a lump form in his throat as his jaw dropped, he was speechless.
"How can you just...just…" Ron struggled for a word, his lips twisting into a grimace and tears leaked from his eyes, "How can you act like you don't care!"
"Don't you say that," Fred hissed back angrily, George hurrying over to grab his upper arm as a precaution, "Don't you dare say that."
"Well you're laughing and making jokes and and…" Ron's hands flailed, "and acting like Merlin knows-"
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