Adele Black: The End

They Never Thought You'd Make It This Far

WARNING: There's a (very) small smutty scene, and I will mark where it begins and ends with an * so that if you are uncomfortable reading it you can just skip it!

It was reckless of me to be walking alone in downtown London. It was reckless of me to be in downtown London period.

My first day alone in Grimmuald Place was boring. I did some cleaning to keep my mind off of things, did some reading, and played with Achilles. I also found myself digging back into some case files. My second day alone was the same. The third was me attending therapy by myself for the first time, with nobody in the waiting room waiting for me. By the fourth day, I was getting cabin fever.

So, I decided to venture into downtown London to do some shopping. I prayed to the Gods that everything would go well. I could get what I need, wander around, shop and go back home.

I was very paranoid as I walked around, waiting for a sudden change in the air or a scream to happen. My ears caught onto every sound, my eyes darted from place to place, yet somehow I knew that I was safe.

I walked around the mall and went into various different shops. I took my time trying on clothes and shoes, trying to figure out what looked best and what I liked. I had one huge paper bag that I put some of the other bags in so I could save space on my arm.

I bought a series of lamps— all different shapes and kinds— and lightbulbs. I ordered an electric oven and had it be delivered to Harry's house. I'd bring it over to my own home later after it arrived. I would've sent it to Grimmuald, but 12 Grimmuald Place didn't exist in the eyes of mortals.

I went into random drug store and on a whim, grabbed a box of teal blue hair dye. While I was in there I got stuff to update my first aid kit. I also got stuff to put on burns.

Once I was satisfied with all my purchases, I made took the long walk back to Grimmuald, looking over my shoulder and keeping my eyes and ears open the entire time. Eventually, I made it back to 12 Grimmuald Place. Once I walked in, I hurriedly closed the door behind me and breathed out a huge sigh of relief.

I quickly wrote out a letter telling Harry about the oven and ran to the end of the street to put it in the mailbox— I didn't have access to an owl at the moment, and Harry had a Muggle address. I then put all my new clothes and shoes away and added my new items to my first aid kit. I then went around the house and put in the new lamps and put lightbulbs in them. The lamps ranged from modern-looking to having a vintage feel to them; it was a real mismatch of styles, and any profession interior designer would insult it. To me, however, it was perfect.

I then went into the bathroom with the box of teal blue hair dye and decided to dye the ends of my blonde hair teal blue. I had to spice things up a bit. Perhaps this was a bit reckless and done on a whim, but it wouldn't last forever. After I was finished, I took a good look in the mirror and smiled. It looked good.

I washed my hands and then went to my room and brought Achilles down the stairs with his basket. I sat the basket on the floor next to me as I sat down. Achilles hopped out of it and began to play with a piece of fuzz that he found on the floor. He squealed with excitement and happiness, bringing a smile to my face. While he did that, I grabbed the notebook and pencil I had sitting on the floor. I opened it, leaned down, and began to sketch a possible model for a table that I could build.

Eventually, I finished the model and went out to the shed to get a bunch of wood that was just lying there. While outside, I grabbed a hammer, saw, nails, and everything else I might need. I then sat on the grass and began to work.

I'm not sure how long I spent making it, but I did notice that the sun disappeared from the sky and it became dark. I simply used any wand to create light so I could see. Eventually, the sky began to lighten again, and the sun was back in the horizon as I brought the table into the living room and positioned it in it's place. I grabbed a knife from the kitchen and carved my initials in it. Satisfied, I smiled and fed Achilles and made myself some breakfast.

I then looked at the calendar on the wall.

Happy birthday to me I guess.

"Well, Achilles, it's about 7 o'clock, and you and I both need to clean up," I said to him as if he could give me an intelligent answer back.

I gave Achilles a little bath; he squealed with happiness and excitement with all the bubbles. It brought a smile to my face. Afterwards, I took a shower myself. Thankfully, the blue coloring in my hair didn't seem to fade with the wash.

I slipped into a new pair of black jean shorts with rips in them and my new My Chemical Romance T-shirt. I picked up Achilles and put him on my shoulder and went down the stairs, making sure to ignore looking at the doors of the now vacant rooms of my friends as I did so.

I sung random lyrics to random songs under my breath as I poured myself some cereal. After pouring milk into the bowl, I got out my anxiety medication and put it in my mouth. I brought the cereal bowl up to my lips and drank the milk, effectively swallowing the medication.

My thoughts raced as I ate my cereal, my mind full of ideas to renovate Grimmuald Place. I had managed to vanish the rest of the fireplace from the wall, so now I just had a blank wall in the living room. Maybe I could make a bookshelf, or maybe I could fill the wall with paintings or pictures.

"What do you think Achilles? Should I make a bookshelf?" I asked him. He squealed in response, so I took that as a yes.

I sat at the table after I finished my breakfast and began to sketch out plans for a bookshelf. I then began to doodle on another sheet once I was finished. I sang as I did so and my leg bounced repeatedly. That'd be the ADHD making it's appearance.

I glanced at the clock. It was 9am. I had kept the kitchen window open, because I selfishly was hoping that there would be something sort of communication from my friends, but nothing had come so far. It sucked.

"Adele! Happy birthday!"

I glanced up and suddenly saw Percy and Annabeth in an I-Message frame. I smiled. "Thanks! I can't believe I made it to 19."

Annabeth laughed. "That's exactly how I felt."

I spent a few minutes chatting with the two of them. They were cuddled up on a couch, and it was obviously dark outside where they were at.

"Wait, it's just after 9am here, meaning it's 2am in California! You guys could have waited," I stated. I was secretly delighted that they had called so early in the morning for them.

"Well, we were up anyways— I'm taking a summer course at the university in New Rome, and I got caught up in my reading, and Percy was playing on the Play Station," Annabeth said.

Percy's face brightened. "Yeah, the Hephaestus cabin managed to modify a bunch of electronics so that they don't attract the attention of monsters! And, there's an entire streaming service they developed too! Tons of movies and shows are on there. Annabeth and I have been trying to send you one of the TVs, but it keeps being sent back with the message that the address doesn't exist."

I was touched by this act. I smiled. "That's... that's really nice of you both."

"We sent it through Hermes yesterday, so hopefully you should get it by the end of the week," Annabeth added with a yawn.

I smiled widely. "Thank you so much. I'm really excited, and I can't wait to use it. We should definitely talk more. I'm going to let you guys go now— both of you need some sleep."

We bid each other goodbye, and I felt considerably more happier than I had before. My mood became more elated as a pop sounded through the kitchen and a box appeared on the table. I opened it up and low and behold, it was the TV. I grinned and brought the box over to the living room.

Achilles rolled around on the floor and played with more pieces of fuzz as I set it up. I grinned the entire time— finally I could use something normal— and felt so elated when I finished. By the time I connected myself to the streaming service, which was called DemiGod Plus, it was 10:30am.

I sat on the couch, smiling at my work, but also crying slightly on internally, because it was 10:30am and the only contact that I've had was from Percy and Annabeth.

The next few hours were spent in front of the TV, watching documentaries while also  reading books about Wizarding law that I charmed into Ancient Greek. I periodically checked the kitchen to see if an owl had made its way through, and each time I left the room empty handed.

At about 1 in the afternoon, I heard a knock on the front door. I paused the tv and put down my books and grabbed my wand from where I had flung it onto the floor and stalked to the front entrance.

Part of me was expecting a monster to have shown up and knock on my door to come and attack me. Part of me was expecting something else.

I hesitantly opened the door and came face to face with Fred.

"Happy birthday, Adele! Can I come in?" He said cheerfully.

I nodded and closed the door behind him.

"I've been trying to reach you for hours," Fred admitted. "I couldn't apparate in, the wards were all up, and I couldn't get ahold of an owl. I meant to pick up some donuts, but I couldn't decide which ones to get, so instead I brought some cookies—"

"Oh fuck, I forgot about the wards. I think I accidentally triggered them the other night when I vanished the rest of the... fireplace... and I didn't even think that the advanced magic that came with that would have such a big impact. Now that I think of it, I haven't gotten any owls since I did that. Not even the newspapers," I blushed sheepishly.

Fred smiled at me. "I promise, none of us forgot. I took a subway near Diagon Alley to get here, but I got confused with all the maps, and the stops, and the Muggle money. Everybody else is setting up for the surprise party that we're throwing for you tonight at the Burrow— shit, I wasn't supposed to say that."

"Come on, I've got to show you what I made," I smiled. I walked backwards and brought him into the living room. I went to the table, and showed Fred the woodworking I had done.

"You made this yourself?" Fred asked in awe. He set the box of cookies down on the table at my urging.

I blushed and nodded. Achilles then decided to hop off of my shoulder and hopped his way over to the kitchen, where his basket was. I saw him cuddle into it out of the corner of my eye and heard light snores.

"It's beautiful," Fred breathed. He wasn't looking at the table though— he was looking at me.

I blushed and stepped closer to him. Fred stepped closer to me, and once I got close enough I wrapped my arms around his neck. Fred wrapped his arms around my waist, placing his hands at the small of my back.

"Happy birthday," he said to me.

Fred then kissed me, and it was probably the best kiss I've ever had. There was passion, love, comfort and longing behind it. I kissed him back with fervor and undid the messy bun I had my hair in.

"Blue," Fred breathed as he played with the ends of my hair.

"Yeah, do you like it?" I blushed.

"It looks amazing. You look hot— you always do," Fred blushed.

*************

I grinned at him and kissed him again. I walked backwards and laid down onto the couch, my back against the cushions. I pulled Fred down with me. He kicked off his shoes.

I pulled his body close and we kissed sand kissed and kissed. Fred began to make his way up and down my jaw and neck. I grasped his hair and found myself grinding my body against his. I let out a sigh and pulled Fred's shirt over his head, running my hands up and down his chest.

"Can I?" Fred asked me, holding the end of my shirt.

"Yes," I said, "just take everything off."

And so we did, and I thoroughly enjoyed the next ten minutes or so of my life.

***********

"Okay, that was spectacular," Fred said.

I giggled and rolled off of him and put my clothes back on. He followed suit.

"I'm starved, should we have some cookies?" Fred asked. I nodded and grabbed the box of cookies he had sat on the table and opened it.

"Oh, guess what? Annabeth and Percy sent me this!" I excitedly exclaimed. I then told him all about the TV and the DemiGod Plus subscription. He looked at me with pride and happiness and love.

By the time I finished explaining it and showing him how it worked, Fred was looking at me weirdly. Not a bad weird, though— it was a good weird.

"What? Is there chocolate on my face?" I asked.

Fred shook his head. "No, it's just... it's really nice to see you smile. You haven't been this happy for a while."

"Oh," I said softly. "I... I think I'm doing better than I was. I don't spend all day in bed anymore, my panic attacks aren't as frequent... I don't always see them when I close my eyes at night anymore. I'm... really, really glad that you urged me to go to therapy. I'm not sure how much I would've lasted if I didn't. Between the panic attacks, the not sleeping, hardly eating... I think I probably would've wasted away here."

Fred held my hand in his. "Hey, I'd never let that happen. Remember, it's you, me and Achilles, right? The three of us can face whatever trials and tribulations that might come together."

I squeezed his hand and smiled. Even after months, my stomach still filled up with butterflies. I had realized back in March that I was truly, madly and deeply in love with Fred, but it wasn't until just now that I realized that I loved him with my entire being. If he asked me to marry him, I would.

"I really, really, really love you Fred," I told him.

"I really, really, really love you too."

Fred and I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around and watching TV. I curled up into his side. Fred made me feel safe. Fred made me feel loved. Fred was home.

Eventually, it came time for us to go to the Burrow. He mentioned to me that he made sure his mom didn't put any candles on the cake, and for that I was immensely thankful. The two of us walked down to the end of the street with Achilles. Fred took my hand and we side-along apparated.

We landed in the backyard of the Burrow, where I saw Bill and George trying their best to put up a big pop-up tent without magic. Fred and I stood there giggling, watching them put it together. It took a good 10 or so minutes. The two of them hadn't noticed us and went back inside.

"You know," I began, amused, as the two of us walked into the Burrow hand-in-hand, "I think next time I should be the one to side-along apparate us."

"Absolutely not!" I heard Ron's voice yell from inside the house.

"What? So I'm not the best at it—"

"It took Harry and I weeks to grow our fingernails back, Adele," Ron said as he came through the doorway and into the kitchen to greet us. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Ron," I smiled. Achilles squealed.

Soon enough, everybody came up to me to wish me a happy birthday. Teddy stumbled over to me, so I knelt down to his level. He gabbled some sort of gibberish that I took to mean that he wished me a happy birthday, and then opened up his arms. I paused, still hesitant to get near him because I didn't want to taint him. Then I realized that I was being silly, and he looked like he was going to cry if I didn't hug him. So I gently gave him a hug.

I just hoped he didn't blame me when he got old enough to understand why he lived with Harry.

Harry came soon after, his arm wrapped around Ginny's waist.

"Oh, the oven is at the house, by the way. It arrived this morning. I can bring it over tomorrow if you'd like," Harry told me after he wished me a happy birthday.

"That'd be great. Thanks again," I said.

"Oh, Adele! Your hair!" Ginny said with a smile. "Did you do this yourself? It looks great!"

I grinned. "Yeah, I went into Muggle London yesterday and I got some hair dye on a whim. Did it last night, before I built a table."

"You built a table?" Harry asked, baffled.

"Yeah, mate, she did. It looks great too. How long did it take you?" Fred asked me.

I shrugged. "All I know is that I started building it by the shed in the backyard and it was dark out and by the time I finished the sun was up. I actually didn't sleep last night, but that's only because I got lost track of time."

"Adele, happy birthday! Oh, your hair! The ends are teal!" Hermione excitedly said as she rushed up to me. "That color looks so good with your hair!"

"Where did you get those combat boots? They're bloody wicked!" Ginny asked.

I grinned and the three of us walked outside and sat down in chairs that were set up at a table that had been set underneath the pop-up tent. Achilles hopped onto the table and I picked up a blade of grass and gave it to him to play with.

"I got them on sale yesterday in downtown London. I'm not sure which department store, but I think we're about the same size, so I can just use magic to duplicate a pair for you Ginny."

"That'd be great!"

The three of us chatted for a little bit and caught up with one another. Soon the entire family— minus Charlie, who had gone back to Romania some weeks prior— was sitting at the table and the food was brought out.

"This all looks delicious Mrs. Weasley," I said to her.

"Thank you, Adele dear. Also, happy birthday!"

Before everybody could start, I spoke loudly. "Do you guys mind if I say something real quick?"

"Of course not, go ahead!" Mr. Weasley smiled at me.

"Thanks," I said. I stood up and looked around to see everybody's eyes on me. I took a deep breath and began.

"I firstly just wanted to say thank you for all of this, and for all of the birthday wishes. It means a lot to me. Secondly, I'm sure you're all aware that a few weeks ago, something awful happened not just to me, but to Teddy, to Draco, to Harry, to everybody here. Four people died. Three of them were related to me by blood, and the other one might as well have been. And I've been struggling recently, trying to grapple with it. I know, logically, that what happened isn't my fault, but I find myself having a hard time believing it.

"We've all experienced a lot of loss in the past few years. Some of us... more than others. And I don't think I've ever really processed everyone I've lost until recently. All the people just pile up over the years. Campers that were there one day when I was 5, only to be given a quest and never be seen again. Friends that fell to monsters. Siblings that've met horrible ends. Countless others.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is... when I was a child, me and the other kids at Camp would be playing soldiers, just pretending, and dreaming dreams with happy endings... In backyards, winning battles with a wooden sword, but then I stepped into a cruel world, where everybody stands and keeps score.... And I've lived much, much longer than most of those kids got to. I honestly never thought I'd make it to 16, much less 19. At camp, they never thought you'd— or anyone— make it this far. And... I'm one of the only ones that has. And I was about ready to give up.

"I haven't been the best person to hang out with recently. Everything is just hitting me now. Losing Grover, losing Luke, loosing my dad, loosing Remus and Tonks and Andromeda. Losing friends. And everybody's been walking on eggshells around me, because I know everybody's waiting for me to break down. But I already have. And unfortunately, Harry, Ron and Hermione saw what I did during that breakdown. And I know they haven't told you, because I asked them not to, and because they wouldn't say anything about it to anybody. So, I'm going to clear the air and tell you guys what happened because I think I need to, and it's something I've been working on with the therapist I've been seeing.

"I took an axe and a sledgehammer and destroyed the fireplace at Grimmuald Place. I destroyed a table, a couch, a lamp, a chandelier, an oven, lighters, and candles. I screamed and cried. And then I broke down even more and sobbed in Hermione's arms for a few hours. I cried and screamed so much that I was absolutely exhausted. That's when Hermione, Ginny and Fred urged me to go to therapy, because otherwise I was going to become even more of a ghost. So I'm going to therapy now. And since you guys are my family, you all deserve to know.

"You all deserve to know what happened that night too. I'm aware that the Ministry claimed that there was an explosion, and I was the only survivor. What really happened was that Narcissa Malfoy was a daughter of Hecate and didn't know. Andromeda knew, and Narcissa came over to confront her and lost control. Her magic— her demigod magic— went haywire because she didn't know how to control it. So, Andromeda's nose and mouth vanished from her face. Remus and Tonks were simple bystanders, and their mouths and noses vanished as well.

"She didn't vanish mine, because she had a dream— and I'll never figure out what it meant, because Narcissa's dead— that a blonde haired girl would help her control her powers. But that girl wasn't me, because my mother's Athena, not Hecate. By the time I figured out that the blonde hair girl was probably one of the campers in Hecate's cabin, it was too late, and Narcissa figured out that she couldn't fix the fact that her sister, Tonks and Remus suffocated and died. She called me a liar when I said they were gone. It was too late. And honestly, I don't know what her powers truly were like, because they were either haywire or she was using them on me because I was in so much pain. I sobbed, I cried, I screamed, because I couldn't move. And then, Narcissa burst into flames and died. And then I blacked out. And then I woke up in the hospital. That's what happened that night. That's why the caskets were closed. And I'm telling you this not to freak you out, but because you deserve to know.

"But, anyways, uhm... I've spent the last few weeks working on myself and working through my trauma, and I know I couldn't have done it without you guys. Just knowing that you'd be here for me, just knowing that you love me, it's been helping me get through the day. Because I have a lot more left to do, and a lot more I want to do. So, thank you for loving me, even when I can't love myself."

Everybody looked at me with astonishment and surprise, but no pity was anywhere on their faces. I smiled. "Now let's eat!"

Before I could sit down, and before anybody else could say anything, Fred suddenly stood up and turned to me. He then kissed me, in front of everyone, and I kissed back, not caring that everybody was watching.

"FRED WEASLEY! You can't just kiss a girl randomly!" Mrs. Weasley's voice called out, causing us to break out of our embrace.

We sat down, our faces red. Fred then smirked, "I can kiss my girlfriend whenever I like."

"Be nice," I told him, but I didn't really mean it.

"You're dating!?" Mrs. Weasley screeched, her voice a mixture of excitement and surprise.

"Yeah. Took a bit for me to realize that I'm madly in love with Fred, and that suddenly I felt like a schoolgirl whenever I was near him," I blushed.

"It wasn't while we were dating, right?" George asked. I was thankful that Angelina wasn't present, because then I would be embarrassed for her on her behalf.

I shook my head. "No. It was a few months after we split. And speaking of that, I want to clear the air. George and I were together way longer than we should have been. We fell out of love, and I felt contempt for him after we broke up. I wasn't in love with him. Maybe I was once, and maybe he was too, but the way that Fred makes me feel... well, Fred makes me feel at home."

George gave me and Fred a genuine, friendly smile, and I smiled back. One day maybe we'd become friends, close friends even.

We began to eat, and then Ginny asked, "Adele, you mentioned Grover, and I know about him, but who was Luke, if you don't mind me asking?"

I put my fork down, and I felt far away for a moment. I quickly snapped back to where I was. "I don't mind at all, Ginny. Luke... you know how James Potter and my dad and Remus were like brothers, even though they weren't related?"

Ginny nodded, and I was aware that other people were listening in, but I didn't mind. "Yeah."

"Well, Luke was the son of Hermes. He and Annabeth and Thalia all came to camp at the same time. They met on the way, and came together. Thalia never made it to camp— she became a tree, but then she later stopped being a tree, but that's an entirely different story. But, from the moment Annabeth was claimed by our mom, Luke became my brother.

"One day, he went on a quest, and he wasn't quite the same when he returned. But he was still my brother. And then, he tried to kill Percy Jackson. We found out that Luke had betrayed us, because he felt betrayed by the Gods. He felt that they had abandoned him, and he wasn't the only one. A lot of other demigods did. Sometimes, at night, I felt that way too. But, you've got to understand— there were tons of kids at camp who were unclaimed by their godly parent. A lot of those kids joined Luke, and it's understandable why they did.

"Unfortunately, Luke used the same tactics that the gods used. He used the same manipulative tactics. You see, Luke... after his quest, he became set on destroying Olympus. He got contacted by the Titan Kronos, and Luke joined his cause to dethrone the gods. He got in so deep, and it was terrifying to see the man I regarded as my brother slip into someone I didn't recognize. In the end, he made the right choice— he saved Olympus. I think about him a lot.

"His quest didn't go well. He failed, and other Campers pitied him. He felt slighted by his father, who gave him the quest. He felt humiliated, and began to resent his father. He believed that the Gods behaved irresponsibly and needed to be dethroned. He felt insignificant, and wanted validation from his father. There were a lot of things Luke did that I disagree with, such as him trying start a war between Zeus, Hades and Poseidon— a whole other story. I disagree with his methods. I disagree with every single choice he made after he came back from his quest. But, like many other demigods, I agree with some of his views."

Apparently, everybody was listening in, because Ron, who was at the completely other end of the table with Harry, Bill, and Fleur, then piped up. "But how could you agree with him?"

I gave a sad smile. "Imagine a bunch of kids in a cabin who aren't claimed by their parent. They're waiting there, some for years, to be recognized by their mom or dad, only to not be. There was so many of them. I do agree that sometimes the gods behaved irresponsibly, and sometimes the do abandon their kids. All the unclaimed kids are proof of that. Granted, after the entire ordeal was over, the Gods promised to do better, and more cabins were built to recognize other gods besides the main ones on Olympus. I don't think the gods need to be dethroned. I do think they need to take accountability, and if they can, be better parents."

Thunder loudly rumbled in the distance, despite the sky being clear. I rolled my eyes at Zeus' dramatics.

"In the end, I lost Luke. I lost my brother after his quest, and then I lost him when he sacrificed himself. He was my brother, and as much as he felt betrayed and abandoned by the Gods, I felt betrayed and abandoned by him. But every lesson forms a new scar. I've learned, I've lost, but I keep going, because I have to."

Fred took my hand under the table and squeezed it. I knew then that everything was going to be alright.