A/N:
Written as an assignment for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)
Task: Write about a father doubting the legitimacy of his partner's children being his, and looking for a means to prove his paternity (or lack of).
Chocolate Frog: Silver – Walden Macnair – Challenge - Write about Walden Macnair
Gringotts: OC Name: Female – Eve Lawrence; Instead of Ran – Hurried; Instead of Looked – Gazed at; Instead of Pretty – Attractive, Glamorous; Sex and the City Season 1: Episode 1 – (Word) Unmarried, (Word) Bachelor, (Action) Snuggling with each other; Sex and the City Season 1: Episode 2 – (Word) Womaniser; Said Words – Divulged, Exploded, Wailed, Offered, Greeted, Blurted
Is He Mine?
It was an average Friday night at the Macnair house, until there was a loud rap at the front door. Walden Macnair unwrapped his arms from around his wife, who he had been taking a few precious moments he had spare to snuggle with.
As he hurried towards the door, he internally cursed whoever it was that had interrupted their alone time. He had had high hopes for where this evening could end up.
He flung the door open to find a woman he had had a fling with a several years ago back when he was an unmarried bachelor, and something of a womaniser. Eve Lawrence still looked as attractive and glamorous as she had done when he encountered her. The only difference he could detect in her appearance was that she now had a few wrinkles under her eyes, and though she tried to hide it, Eve was starting to get grey hairs. All in all, she was looking pretty darn good for a single mother.
She had her hands placed on the shoulders of a young child who couldn't be more than seven years old. As Walden gazed at the young boy, be couldn't help but feel as though he was a toddler again and looking in a mirror. To his horror, he realised that the child in the arms of his one night stand was undeniably his, and he was going to have a lot of explaining to do when his wife found out.
"Eve, what are you doing here?" he demanded in a quiet voice. "And who's the kid?"
As much as he tried, Walden couldn't hide the edge in his voice as he pleaded with his eyes for Eve to tell him the child wasn't his, and that she was just paying him a social visit.
"Walden this is Brodie, your son. I need you to look after him," Eve divulged in a pained voice, giving the young boy a nudge towards his father before disapparating right before his eyes.
Walden looked down at the child, who could very easily be a clone of his younger self and sighed. He was going to have a lot of explain to do to his wife.
In the few weeks that had passed since Brodie had been living with him, Walden had discovered that Eve had been diagnosed with an incurable disease. She had left her son with a letter explaining everything, and try as he might to deny it, Walden experienced a pang of pain.
His wife had not been impressed with the idea of another woman's child coming to live with them, but she had taken it in her stride, and after a massive argument had conceded that there was nothing that she could do about it.
Walden had also taken note of the striking differences between both of his children. Brodie was pretty much a carbon copy of him in every way possible, and he had formed an instant bond with his newfound son, but Walden Junior was his polar opposite both physically and mentally.
He had always put it down to Walden Junior taking after his mother in more ways than one, but now that he saw him side by side playing a game of junior Quidditch, he had to concede that Walden could not possibly be his son.
He had blonde hair and blue eyes, neither of these physical traits ran in his or his wife's family. He had a short and stocky build, whereas every male child born into his family had been broad shouldered with a relatively muscular build which developed before the age of six, an age that Walden Junior had turned only a month ago.
He pushed off the window ledge. "Penelope, I'm going out," he hollered loudly so that his wife would hear him, before he apparated to the only man's house who would be able to provide him with what he needed.
Walden drew the hood of his cloak closer as he approached the professor's house. He couldn't quite believe that he was about to ask for this man's help, in fact he couldn't quite believe that he was about to ask for anyone's help. His father had instilled in him the teaching that a Macnair never asks for help, not even in their darkest hour, and that it was something that they as a family valued to the core.
"But needs must, father," he muttered quietly, as he rapped on the front door as Severus Snape's house.
A few moments later Walden could hear the telltale sounds of shuffling feet behind the door, and no more than five seconds later the door opened to reveal the hook-nosed man that he had once served the Dark Lord with.
"Macnair," he greeted him with a curt nod. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Without bothering to answer the question, Walden pushed past the man and briskly entered the living room.
"Oh please, feel free to make yourself at home," Severus offered sarcastically as he turned to find Walden seated in his chair, with his feet up on the coffee table. "So to reiterate my original question, why are you here Walden?"
Walden was never a man to beat around the bush when it came to telling someone what he wanted, but in this moment he found it difficult to form the words and request what he required from Severus. He knew that the man would no doubt give it to him no questions asked, but he knew he would feel vulnerable and exposed to his old friend.
Rather than take a seat near his friend, Severus busied himself preparing a drink for the pair of them, knowing that Walden would speak when Walden was ready.
"I need some veritaserum, preferably today," Walden blurted out as Severus handed him a glass of Ogden's finest Firewhiskey.
"I see. May I ask why?" Severus asked, already knowing the answer as soon as Walden glared at him. "Okay then. I believe I have a vial or two in my cupboard."
Walden watched as Severus stood up from his seat and briskly entered the kitchen and exited less than a minute later, returning with a vial of what to the untrained eye would appear to be as harmless as water.
As he passed the vial to Walden, Severus grasped his wrist and said, "I hope you know what you're letting yourself in for mate. You may not hear what you want to hear."
Walden stayed at Severus' house for the next hour or so making small talk and psyching himself up to return home and discover the truth once and for all.
Once the children were settled in bed that night, Walden slipped the veritaserum into his wife's drink, before handing it to her as they settled down for their nightly ritual of listening to the Wizarding Wireless Network.
"Is there a chance Walden Junior isn't mine?" he asked quickly.
His wife's glass slipped out of her hand and smashed on the ground, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
"Yes," she gasped, as tears slid from her eyes.
Walden's grasp on his own glass tightened as he felt his heart being torn to shreds by that one single word.
"Is. He. Mine!?" he seethed through gritted teeth.
He watched as his wife fought the inevitable. Her lips pressed tightly together as she tried to deny him the truth, but Walden knew it was only a matter of time before she cracked, and the fact that she was fighting so hard against the serum only confirmed what he already suspected.
"NO!" she wailed. "I'm so sorry Walden. Please forgive me."
"Never!" he exploded, as he threw his glass at the woman who had betrayed him in the most devastating way. "Get that bastard child and get out of my house you filthy whore."
His wife stood there transfixed to the spot, looking so meek and mild. Did she not compute what he had just told her?
"NOW!" he roared, startling the woman. "Before I drag you out by your hair."
Something in his facial expression must have made her realise that there was no use fighting him on this. She turned slowly on the spot and exited the living room. The only sounds that could be heard were her feeble whimpers, which got quieter and quieter the further she got up the stairs.
A few minutes later, Walden heard the door creak open. Rather than look up and acknowledge the woman who had made a fool out of him, he stared into the fire in front of him.
"I will fight for us. I know you're mad now, but I won't give up. I never will. I love you Walden," she whispered, before closing the door quietly behind her, leaving Walden alone with his thoughts.
A/N:
Thoughts, Feelings, Opinions.
Let me know in a review.
Any and all feedback is much appreciated
xoxo