Confirmation

The day had started normal. Hallie had shoveled herself out of Cooper Cottage and then apparated to the Leaky Cauldron where she spent half the morning shoveling snow from the pub until it was shallow enough that people could move their chairs in the stuff. Naturally there weren't very many customers in the pub to move their chairs across the snow-covered floor as the majority of the population were trying to figure out how to rid it from their own home, which mean't the dingle of the bell caught the attention of Hallie instantly.

'Miss Cooper?' A goblin wearing a Gringotts uniform asked.

'Yes?' She replied across the bar, a puzzled look on her face.

'I've been asked to escort you to Gringotts.' He replied ominously. 'There's been a situation.'

----

Whatever situation Hallie had painted in her head the scenario before her hadn't been one. The blonde had thought maybe that there had been a break in and her gold had been stolen, or that one of her friends (Maura) had collapsed when withdrawing some gold. The last thing Hallie had expected to see upon her arrival was a couple of aurors and an employee from St Mungo's standing outside one of the vaults, a vault that wasn't hers in the first place. What was she doing here? Had the goblins forgotten that Hallie no longer worked as an auror? Did they-

Hallie's entire body froze at the sight before her eyes. The employee from St Mungo's was stooped over a chalk-coloured body. The man's hair was wiry and all colour had drained from the lips. A pair of dusty eyes loomed up at her, eyes that she once would have recognised but now they resembled nothing but a fearful look that could have been found carved onto a stone wall. The panic in the mans face was fresh yet the colour, the smell and the few flies suggested otherwise. Henry Yewbeam had been dead for a while.

'Oh God!' Hallie gasped as one hand covered her mouth and the other clutched her neck. The man who had abducted her, tortured her, threatened to hand her over to the death eaters; the man she had once loved, sneaked into the boys bathroom with and skived potions with was dead. The caring feelings were long gone but she certainly wouldn't have wanted him dead and to be brought to such a scene without a warning wasn't exactly a dream come true either.

'Miss Cooper?' One of the aurors, who must be a new trainee for Hallie didn't recognise her, asked. 'I'm sorry to call you to a scene like this but we believe that this is a Henry Yewbeam, your ex-boyfriend. I'm sorry to bring this on you suddenly but we need you to confirm that this is, Henry Yewbeam. If you could for us.'

'What happened?' Hallie asked, not taking any notice of what the witch had asked.

'The goblins found him dead inside the vault of Henry Yewbeam earlier this afternoon and we..' She paused. 'We need you to confirm if this is Mr Yewbeam.'

Hallie gulped. Henry had been murdered in his own vault. When had this happened? Why had this happened? Why was she being forced to answer this idiots questions. Hallie no longer was in a relationship with him, heck she'd cut all ties with him back in Hogwarts upon their breakup but evidently her past was coming back to haunt her. The blonde wanted to flip out, demand why they'd decided to ask her. She wanted to storm out Hallie Cooper style but Hallie Cooper also had a heart, much like Henry had a family. A Mother. A Father. A Brother. Whatever reasons the auror had for calling Hallie she needed to bite her tongue and step forward.

Her blue eyes fell once again to Henry, a tear attempting to escape from her eye. Who would do such a thing? The death eaters? Had he tried to disassociate himself from them? Or had he failed at carrying out a certain task? Hallie no longer cared for Henry but she remembered his Mother. She had been fond of Hallie, sent her Easter Eggs and made her hand-knitted jumpers for Christmas and now she would have to bury her own son. This wasn't fair. Death hadn't destroyed Henry, death didn't destroy those it killed but those around and Hallie wasn't going to let whoever did this get away with that.

'Ma'am?'

'Yes.' Hallie replied, a slight crack in her voice. 'That's Henry Yewbeam.'

Lily typically was not the curious type. But how often did a scene unfold from a neighboring vault? Not often.

Lily had opened her own account shortly after moving in with Stewart, as she really could not imagine continuing to share an account with her family. Teddy had offered on a continual basis to add her onto his account, going as far as to send her a key to the vault, which she had left under his doorstep when she knew he was at work - she had not seen Teddy since she moved out and, while that sort of broke her heart, she had a feeling that it was for the best.

She had donned a sweater for the trek into the bank. Her new vault was not as low, nor as protected as her first. The goblin leading her seemed incredibly bored by the entire task and yet, somehow, still seemed to like her. So as he worked on closing the vault up, her money pouch feeling just a little bit heavier (she wasn't exactly loaded anymore), she could not help but stare at the swarm of people around the vault just across from her. "Hopkin," she said, and the goblin shuffled over to her. "Is there anyway I can go over there?"

A roll of the eyes and quick cart ride, and Lily was deposited off in front of the vault. She looked around as an Auror stepped forward.

"I'm sorry, miss, I can't-"

"I'm just curious to know what has happened."

"That's Henry Yewbeam."

Lily's head snapped to look beyond the Auror and into the vault. She stepped forward and he gripped her shoulder. "No, I know him - I know him."

She pushed past and hurried into the vault, her legs freezing when her eyes came on the sight. Blank, unseeing eyes. The flies, the stiffness, the lack of light. Everything ended, and everyone died. Most likely, she and Henry would have fallen out of contact, would have forgotten about each other, and that would have been it. But that wasn't an end, that was a fade. This, this was death, and it didn't change, it didn't undo. She would never run into the man again. And though his role in her had not been positive, nor long, it was over.

She stared at him, her mouth tipping open. This was what death looked like.

Hallie was quickly distracted from her sudden urge to start questioning the aurors for all their information. No doubt they would do a fine job but, Hallie being Hallie, believed that she could do a better job. It wasn't that she was arrogant or thought highly of herself she simply didn't trust people as easily as she once could.

The distraction had been a girl, or a young woman may have been a better description, pushing through to get inside the vault. The girl had dark hair and pale features, features Hallie recognised. Perhaps if the body before them wasn't Henry Hallie would have recognised the girl at all but the memories of being tortured in the attic of Borgin and Burkes were deeply burnt at the front of her skull. And the girls face only filled the foggier ends of that time.

'Miss, you can't go in!' The auror called after the girl reaching out an arm to stop her.

'No.' Hallie said quietly, her own hand intercepting the aurors and allowing Lily to enter the vault. 'She's his friend.'

Hallie may have hated Henry but she never wanted him dead for this exact reason. Nobody deserved to lose a friend.

Lily was still unaware of exactly what sort of company she was currently keeping. Her attention was fully absorbed into the being that had once yelled at her, once accused her, once been the springboard from which she had jumped from her life of apathy and abuse, to one full of fresh starts and hope. She had not been close to Henry Yewbeam - but he had been a kindred spirit. She had gripped his hand, rescued him, felt the bonds of desperation. They had spiraled together, had wallowed in pity and denial together. And now he was gone. Maybe he had been saved.

She approached slowly, feeling as though her legs wobbled with ever step even though they remained firm beneath her. She lowered herself next to his face, knowing she shouldn't touch - but who the f*ck was going to stop her now? She reached out, holding her breath so she could not smell the waste, not taste the decay. She put her index finger and her thumb over his eyelids and slid them down, closing his eyes to the world that had never given him the opportunity for redemption. She was certain it would have come - but after how many more months of self loathing, and confusion, and hurt? Henry Yewbeam was gone, and it was going to haunt her, but she was sure he would enjoy the rest.

She shuddered a breath and slowly stood, lifting the heel of her palms to her eyes as she tried to keep in tears. They wouldn't come here. Not in front of Henry, not in front of Aurors. Truthfully, there was the chance that they would not manifest into liquid form. But she would grieve for him, mourn for herself, and the world would continue spinning. She swallowed, a sizable lump sliding down her throat, and she dropped her arms, lifting her head. Another shuddery breath and she turned and... her eyes fell on a familiar face.

The blonde girl. She had been at Borgin's. Henry had never explained to Lily what exactly had happened there, but Lily had seen the tortured expression on Henry's face where that woman was regarded. She blinked, having no idea what to say to the woman. They knew each other by face, and perhaps the blonde knew her name, but that was all. There link was gone.

"What happened?" she asked hollowly.

And she meant everything. What had happened the night they met? Before that? After? Now? What had happened to Henry Yewbeam in his short, tragic life?

It was painful to watch the young girl fight back her tears, the auror perhaps didn't feel the hurt in her voice but Hallie, having grieved many times before, recognised that only too familiar sunken tone. The sadness Lily displayed only made Hallie realise how impacting the death of Henry was. To her it didn't mean't anything, death wasn't a punishment for it only punished those who loved him. To Lily it was a punishment to him for he had the right to breath the air a little longer, he had a right to happiness.

'He-'

'He was found dead by the goblins.' The auror interrupted, taking control of the situation. 'What was your relationship with Mr Yewbeam? Do you know how he could have ended up in his vault dead?'

Hallie's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at the auror. Where was his compassion? Sure his badge read trainee but hadn't his parents taught him how to be a decent human being. The girl before him, the girl whose name he didn't even know yet, had just seen a friend dead and his professional tone with a nonchalant rasp wasn't going to soothe her at this shocking time.

'I think that's enough questions.'

This time it was Hallie's turn to interrupt.

'What's your name again?' Hallie asked to Lily whilst ignoring a rather stunned auror who seemed to be have been taken off guard.

'Miss Cooper, I need to find out the cause of this crime.'

Hallie rolled her eyes.

'I think the questions are necessary.'

Clearly he'd found his words.

'Well you wont find any answers from us, especially with that sort of tone.' Hallie replied before turning to the St Mungo's employee.

'I trust that you'll take Henry to the hospital and contact his parents?'

Then, she focused her attention once more onto Lily. All Hallie wanted to do was embrace the girl, tell her everything was going to be okay although Hallie had a feeling that she wouldn't take it too lightly.

'May I remind you that you're no longer an auror-'

'Yet I'm still doing a better job than you.' Hallie bit back cooly. 'Instead of bombarding the poor girl with questions you should at least let her process what has happened here rather than streaming along a list of questions from A Dummies Guide To Forensic Investigation.'