Coral

**SPOILER WARNING** Spoilers are most likely possible after chapter 25.

Welcome, brave souls! Thanks for taking a chance on something different. I am so pleased, that for the next month, I will try to review anyone who is kind enough to review or critique this story. Sorry that I am only qualified for Harry Potter, LOTR, and Peter Pan fics.

FairlightMuse



Authors Warning!!!-

This is a May/December romance. That means an older man with a younger woman. If you are not into alphamegamia, then well, you know it's time to run. For anyone else who is interested, or just curious, this is an involved fiction, that I have been working on for well over a year.

A friend and I were dicussing Ollivander's disappearance, and trying to figure out why he would have left the shop without a struggle. Well, either he is a villain, or he had a good reason.Right?

Well, in this story I sought to invent that 'good reason'.

I hope a few of you enjoy it. I'm sure it's riddled with cultural mistakes. Since it involves an original character, a lot of background for her is given before it gets to the actual Wizarding World.

Loosely inspired my the Marriage Law, Olive Anne Burns, D.H. Lawrence, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jane Austen, and Guillermo Del Toro and his damn umbrellas.

I'll be glad to answer any questions, if needed.

Thanks in advance!

FairlightMuse


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Amanda, light of my life,
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife.
Amanda, light of my life,
Fate should have made you a gentleman's wife.-Don Williams


----

You sheltered me from harm.
Kept me warm, kept me warm
You gave my life to me
Set me free, set me free
The finest years I ever knew
Were all the years I had with you
I would give anything I own,
Give up me life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own,
Just to have you back again.-Bread


---
Met my darlin' in the springtime
When all the flowers were in bloom
And like the flowers our love blossomed
We married in the month of June
Our love was like a burning ember
It warmed us as a golden glow
We had sunshine in December
And threw our roses in the snow
Now God has taken my darlin'
And left me with a memory
A memory I will always cherish
Are these last words he said to me
Our love was like a burning ember
It warmed us as a golden glow
We had sunshine in December
And threw our roses in the snow
My darlin's buried on the hillside
Where all the wild spring flowers grow
And when winter snows start fallin'
On his grave I'll place a rose
Our love was like a burning ember
It warmed us as cold winds blow
We had sunshine in December
And threw our roses in the snow-----

PROLOGUE


A pearly grey mist was lingering sadly, clinging to the mossy headstones. Not heavy enough to be a concealing veil, it merely dimmed the outline of the small group of mourners, until, at first glance, they could easily be mistaken for ghosts themselves.

There were perhaps, twenty five persons present, besides the grim, man presiding over the solemn ceremony. Most of these stood a respectful distance from the wet grave, huddled under black umbrellas, and consulting their watches from time to time.

Nearest to the grave, stood a lone woman. Petite. Her back was impossibly straight against the troubles of the world, yet her head was bowed low, and her shoulders shook with emotion. She wore a black dress; plain, stiff, and coarse. It's collar was puritanically high, the skirt unfashionably long. A matching hat, and veil obscured her hair and face, yet it was suggested that she might be lovely. Occasionally the wind would blow the veil back, and reveal glimpses of her pale skin.

Every so often she would lift a trembling hand to wipe away her tears with a lace-edged, black handkerchief.

Behind her, in a small clump, stood four women. Three of them were so similar in size and stance, that they seemed to be the same person repeated by some trick of the light. They stood formidably, shoulder to shoulder.

Behind them, the fourth woman was much shorter. Near to her stood two children, a boy and girl, each shivering with bowed heads. She rested a hand on the girl's shoulder. The boy held onto the skirt of the woman directly in front of him.

The last words of the service were uttered. Bitten off by the grim man with a static finality.

The silence that followed rang eerily across the dampened cemetery. Many of the mourners turned to leave with a attitude of relief. The woman in the veil, with what seemed to be a great effort, began walking slowly toward the gleaming mahogany casket, where she tenderly lay the coral rose that she had been clutching desperately to her breast.

It's vibrant orange hue was garish, almost indecent, yet it was with great tenderness that she placed it on the carved lid, allowing her fingers to caress the cold wood briefly. Smearing the beaded droplets of mist that had accumulated there. She bent suddenly from the waist, and pressed a kiss where her fingers had rested, lingering just long enough to whisper something that know one could hear. Not even the wind.

This done, she turned, swaying on her feet and and her children ran to her side. They led her back towards the waiting women, their pink faces innocent in the manner of children. Hoping both to comfort, and to be comforted. When they saw her tears, they compulsively began crying as well, and clung tightly to her hands.

A man stepped suddenly into their path. He had been watching the service from behind a sickly yew tree, leaning into it's patient trunk for support.

The lady halted, startled by his appearance. He was quite changed. His once dark hair was now greying and thinning. His skin had a pinched grey pallor, his once condescending blue eyes were now wide and wild, sunken into the bruise colored sockets.

Her veil remained down, but he saw that copious amounts of tears streamed down her cheeks, and dripped unbecomingly from her chin. He flinched with disgust at the sight of her, and the children at her side.

" Elias..." she said, sympathetically, and held out a hand to her stepson. He pulled away violently, and his sour expression turned to a frown laced with hatred. When he spoke, his voice was cracked and accusing.

" It did you no good, Amanda." hissed. " Father left me everything. He's dead, and you get nothing. Do you hear me?"

Amanda felt the strong hand of her own mother suddenly resting on her back, and she swallowed the hysterical tears that threatened to spill over. A twisting stab of agony wrenched through her stomach, and she wanted to be ill.

But it was Elias that sank to his knees, clutching his chest and gasping, his face red and perspiring even in the chill. She reached for him, but he slapped her hand back.

" Leave me alone! You've done enough!"

" What have I ever done to you, Elias? " she asked coldly.

" This." he said, indicating the cemetery. Another spasm of pain struck him, and he had to lower his forehead to the ground at her feet.

She resisted the sudden urge to kick him.

" The house is yours. You can move in tonight if you please." she said, bitingly. " But he left the shops to Lionel, and so help me, if I ever see you so much as look in the window of one, I'll have you arrested. You're cordially invited to never set foot near either place, nor to ever speak to any of us again. Good day."

She stepped around him, flipping her skirt far away so that it
wouldn't accidentally touch him as she passed.
He groaned.

" Am...Amanda?"

She paused, but did not turn.

" Amanda...are you...going to be...all right?" he forced the words out as though they had sharp edges.

There was a pause.

" No, Elias. I'll never be ' all right' again. " she answered, and began to walk on. " Will you?"

" Where will you go? I...don't want you begging from me."

" Perhaps you forget, Elias...I came with my own inheritance. Maybe I should be concerned about you begging at my door. " when she walked again, she only increased her speed, ignoring him behind her, calling her name.

It grieved her terribly that it had to be this way. And it grieved her even more that she had to desecrate this day, this place, with such harsh words and anger. Looking briefly to the marbled grey sky, she pleaded silently.


Forgive me. Forgive me.

------------------------------------------------
Lyrics:

Amanda-Don Williams
Everything I own-Bread
Roses in the snow-Emmylou Harris