Forever Young

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera Potter sat on the couch in her New Zealand home, waiting on two of her very best friends. Her face was blank and her honey eyes were slightly on the puffy side. She stared at the light blue color of paint on the wall. The young brunette was still in shock. One very important friend had been absent from her life for several years now but that did not make her miss Andromeda any less. Every meeting she had with Kat and Cyndi, Andy's absence was void in the dorm room four girls. But never had Kiera imagined that her friend would have turned so dark.

Now, after her death, Kiera had found out what her young friend had been doing since she vanished from Hogwarts. Andromeda had become a death eater. Kiera was still in disbelief that her friend could have changed so much. Though, life had never been kind to the young girl who had been turned into a werewolf, suffered so much death, and been tortured at Durmstrang. But still. Kiera remembered braiding her red hair at one of her very first meetings with Andy.

Kiera looked at the clock on the wall as it chimed. The other two girls should be here anytime. Kiera picked up her ash wand and pointed it at the wooden coffee table. Thinking of beautiful, colorful flowers, Kiera created a flower arrangement to lay on Andromeda's grave. Finishing, she laid her wand back down with a sigh.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

Donning a pair of sunglasses to cover her red and puffy eyes, Cyndi Kingsley made her way down the lane from the castle to an area where she could apparate. She moved quietly and although several people stopped to bid her good morning, the young professor barely acknowledged the kind words. She hadn't been her normal cheerful self since the day she'd opened the Daily Prophet to discover that her youngest roommate, her sister, her best friend was not only a death eater but also very dead.

The news had shocked her so much that she'd dropped the cup full of orange juice that had been traveling to her mouth. The tears hadn't come until later once the shock of the news had worn off, but when they had, only Cameron had been able to console her.

With a sniffle, Cyndi pulled herself out of the thoughts of when she'd first heard the news and turned on her heel, with a crack apparating to the gate of her Kiera's house. She stepped slowly to the house, pulling her wand out of her bag as she did and using it to conjure a bouquet of flowers. Putting her wand away, the young woman lifted her hand and knocked just once on the door. Taking a deep breath, she was rather reluctant for the door to open. She'd messaged her friends but hadn't actually seen them since finding out the news.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera heard the soft, single knock on the door. Knowing that it must be one of her friends, she got up off of her sofa and went to the large wooden door. Slowly, Kiera swung it open to reveal Cyndi. Her best friend and sister-in-law. Kiera tried to offer Cyndi a smile though she didn't feel like smiling at all. "Hey, c'mon in. Kat's not here yet." the petite brunette said as she stepped a side. Kiera closed the door behind her friend. "Would you like anything? Are you hungry or thirsty?" she asked, her voice not having its normal bouncy, friendly tones.

 

[Professor Cyndi Kingsley]

As the door opened, Cyndi tried to force a smile onto her face. It didn't fully succeed, and she was left donning a half smile, complete with eyes on the verge of breaking into tears. She stepped inside, not at all surprised to hear that Kat had not arrived. With the shake of her head, Cyndi finally spoke. "No...I'm fine" she replied, knowing that Kiera would realize that her answer was to the request and not to her overall state. She wouldn't be fine for a long time.

Taking off her sunglasses and placing them onto the coffee table along with the flowers she'd brought, Cyndi took a long look at her sister-in-law before speaking. "How are the Harpies doing?" she asked, looking for a distraction, anything to not have to speak about why she was here.

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera could see the same reflection of grief in her sister-in-law's face that was in her own face. They both had smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes. Kiera nodded her head as Cyndi refused food or drink as she sank back down onto the couch. She understood that neither girl would be fine for a long time. One of their best friends had been ripped out of the world. Andromeda would be forever young.

Kiera almost missed the question Cyndi had asked her. "Hmm?" she said before the question sank all the way in. "Oh yes, well we are doing well so far this season. Won almost all of our games though I haven't had to play James or Kat yet. Those are always the hardest games of the season because they know me too well." she said, managing another small smile. Kat and James had watched her fly too many times for her fancy tricks to fool them. Kat had even learned a few from Kiera herself back when they had been playing for Gryffindor house. "How's my brother? Do you still like being married to him?" she asked, teasing. Kiera knew that Cyndi loved Cam and that Cam absolutely adored Cyndi. She was only trying to lighten the mood and make conversation.