February of 1996

58

At the flat, George, Fred, Irena, and Alek were getting ready to attend Dumbledore's funeral. It was quiet; Fred and George didn't talk much.

Irena finished getting Alek ready; he was wearing a black onesie. Irena was wearing a knee-length black dress, and the twins were wearing jackets of black dragonskin.

Walking closer to Fred and George, Irena watched how they stopped talking once they saw her coming. She didn't know what they were talking about, but George had a small smile on his face when he saw Irena.

Once they were ready, they were going to the Burrow, where they were going to go to the funeral together with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

Once everyone was ready, they left. It was the most beautiful summer day Irena noticed as they arrived at Hogwarts.

Bill was being supported by Fleur; his scars were bad and noticeable. He had been staying at the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey's care.

Irena took a seat next to Fred, sitting Alek on her lap. A lot of people were already at the funeral; some she knew, others not so much.

She was surprised to see Dolores Umbridge; she had an unconvincing expression of grief on her face. After everyone was seated, she heard music strange music. Alek didn't like it and started to make a face. She bounced him around on her lap, not wanting him to start crying.

The music was coming from a chorus of merpeople singing in a strange language.

Ron looked white and shocked. Tears were falling thick and fast into both Ginny and Hermione's laps. Irena was filled with sadness, with tears starting to gather in her eyes. Irena saw that Harry and Ginny were talking about something soon after Harry got up, turned his back on Ginny and on Dumbledores tomb, and walked away around the lake.

She knew that Harry and Dumbledore were close. Irena was sad for Harry at such a young age he has lost a lot of people close to him.

After Dumbledore's funeral was done, people started to leave some stayed behind to talk to one another. She didn't want to talk to anyone seeing all the sadness and people whispering to each other.

Irena realized that this was no place for Alek, but she didn't know who could stay with him and watch over him. "You alright," Fred asked, placing his hand on Irena's shoulder.

She blinked a few times, making some tears fall, "Yes," she said, looking at Fred. "Come on; we are going to the Burrow mums cooking."

Cooking in times like this was therapy for Molly. She could focus her mind on making food for her family and not the bad things that were happening around her.

They arrived at the Burrow, and quickly Molly went to the kitchen.

Irena sat Alek on the floor; once he was sitting down, he didn't wasted any time and started crawling.

He looked around, trying to see anything new. He crawled around the living room twice until he noticed that his grandmother was in the kitchen.

Irena watched Alek as he was making his way to the kitchen. Molly saw Alek crawling closer to her. "You want to help grandma make dinner," Molly said with a smile picking Alek from the floor.

She watched his hand; she moved to where she already had some vegetables cut "here you go," Molly said, giving a small piece of carrot for Alek to hold.

Alek held the carrot in his hand and quickly brought it to his face, "Oh, no, no, it's not for you to eat," she said, moving Aleks hand away from his mouth.

"You need to drop it here," she told him, pointing at a pot.

Alek looked at the carrot in his hand and to where his grandmother was pointing. After a few seconds, he dropped the carrot into the pot.

Molly smiled proudly "good job, now do this one," she said, handing him another piece of carrot.

"Looks like dinner will take a while," Fred said, standing next to Irena, both of them looking at Molly and Alek in the kitchen. "Seems like it," she said, looking at him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"This is great; Alek will be cooking for us in no time," George said, appearing next to Fred. "We do all the cooking," said Fred to his brother.

"Correction, I do all the cooking," Irena said, looking at both of them.

"Mhm, no, I'm pretty sure I do the cooking," said George. "That's a lie, and you know it, Georgie," said Fred.

The three of them continued to bicker about who does most of the cooking while Alek continued to help his grandmother out.