Chapter 283 - Three Funerals (2/2)
”Ashes to ashes and dust to dust,” Reginald murmured. ”May we meet again in the next life in that which lies beyond.”
Tossing the ashes into the air the cool breeze carries the dust away as one by one each of them comes forth and does the same until all the ashes are gone. The Verninac cousins understood the purpose of burning the corpse to ashes. Once necromancy had been a tool to cause pain via the tomb raiding of enemies to create forbidden things included using the dead flesh of one's enemies.
Many purebloods no longer practiced the wise old tradition, but the Prince's had never forgotten their roots. And though indeed there were gravestones to visit, they were simply markers to mourn the deceased. For no, body ever lay beneath the stark ground.
The Verninac cousins muttered their quiet, tearful goodbyes as Dawn and Tadbey escorted them to the main hearth to floo back to their hotels. They understood that this was not the correct time for them to give their condolences. And the Prince's preferred to lick their wounds in private. There'd be plenty of other times for the Verninac's to do so.
Inside the Prince manor, everyone sat in the dining room. No one spoke nor touched the food that had been placed before them by Dawn. Reginald finally glanced up from his own reverie and took his silver spoon. ”Let us eat,” Reginald hoarsely said. ”Eating is for the living.”
Georgine took her cue from her brother and slowly took a sip from her bowl of soup. Rowan was next and to her utter surprise, she found that she was hungry. Seeing Severus refusing to eat, Rowan places his spoon into his lap. Severus stares at Rowan with angry eyes. ”Starving ourselves will not bring her back,” Rowan simply said.
Severus looked as though he wanted to punch her in the face, before limply falling back against his seat. ”I know,” Severus whispered through clenched teeth.
”We all do,” Rowan quietly said. ”Grandfather was her husband, Aunt Georgine was her sister-in-law, and we are her grandchildren. We all loved her in our own way, very much so.”
Severus bitterly says, ”But mother didn't even come.”
There is a long pause of silence as the dining room becomes still once again. ”She wasn't formally invited,” Georgine finally croaked not daring to glance at her brother at the present moment. She could feel the waves of cold fury pouring off of him.
Even if Eileen hadn't been formally invited to the funeral, she was more than welcome to attend. Eileen was their only daughter and would have never been stopped for attempting to mourn either of her parents. But Eileen had not come. And for that, neither she nor her brother would ever forgive Eileen. From this day forth, Eileen was as good as dead to both of them forevermore.
After a moment, Rowan softly says, ”Some things are much more complicated than they intially seem.”
Severus clenched his spoon that much tighter in his fist in response, and stubbornly digs his spoon into the soup and began to eat. They all did frankly as for better or for worse, they were all fueled by something that was not sorrow. And sometimes that is better than feeling the bleak emptiness from within.