This is just a little one- shot ficlet that I thought up while listening to
one of my favourite bands. Don't expect subsequent chapters or sequels,
chances are, they won't show up.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and the lyrics belong to Good Charlotte.
Emotionless
Bridget Weasley walked down to the club that her best friend owned. This was not anything out of the ordinary, Bridget helped keep food on the table for her younger brothers, who were still at Hogwarts by singing at the club. Although she was only 20, Bridget had seen some of the worst the world had to offer. A lot of the worst, actually. When her brothers were 4, and she was 7, their father had left them. On Christmas Eve, to boot. A few years later, her mom had gotten married to Ron Weasley. Quite frankly, Bridget was surprised that her mother ever fell in love again. Ron had been a better father than her own father had been, but it had just been too late. There were 7 years of hardship and emptiness in her life that couldn't be repaired or replaced.
* * * FLASHBACK *
It was Christmas Eve. Bridget was sitting in the small bedroom that she shared with her little brothers, playing with a set of muggle building blocks. Her father walked into the room, looking a little distracted. He picked Bridget up, swung her around, and put her back down. "Okay, Bridget, I need you to be a big girl and help Mommy out, 'kay? I'm going to the store, so you need to make sure Aaron and Brandon are good, alright?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"Bye, kiddo."
"I love you."
"I love you too." It didn't occur to Bridget to ask when he'd be back. He came in to say goodbye, so she assumed that he'd be back after she went to bed.
A little later.
"Brendan, get back here!" Bridget chased after her kid brother, trying to get him to go to bed like his twin, Aaron. Brendan ran into their parents' room and hid. Bridget ran in after him, but he was nowhere to be seen. She opened her fathers closet, and found Brendan, but she didn't find her fathers familiar possessions, his soft, fuzzy sweaters that he'd put on her during the winter, or his rough scratchy suits. "MOM!" Bridget screamed as loudly as she could, "MOM!"
Hermione ran up the steps two at a time, in response to her daughter's screams. When she got to her own bedroom, she looked questioningly at Bridget while trying to catch her breath. Bridget just pointed at the closet. Hermione looked at the closet, and gasped, for all of her husband's belongings were gone.
"Mommy? Where's daddy's stuff? Where's daddy?" asked Bridget, tears coming to her seven-year-old eyes.
"I don't know, sweetie." Hermione said, beginning to cry herself.
* * END FLASHBACK *
Bridget felt tears coming to her 20-year-old eyes at the memory. Though it had happened more than 13 years ago, the thought still hurt. She finished the short trek to the club, still deep in thought. A week or so ago, a friend had gotten her to listen to an old muggle band called Good Charlotte, and Bridget had taken a liking to their music. She'd even found a song, a song that she was going to sing tonight, actually, that seemed almost exactly like her childhood. There was a specific reason she'd sing it. Tonight she was going to see her father for the first time in 13 years. She would finish her shift, and she and her father would have a couple of drinks. She bought a butterbeer from the barmistress and sat down. Her shift didn't start for another half-hour. She looked lazily around the club, and saw him, standing near the door, looking nervous. Bridget figured that she sorely needed a firewhisky to ease her nerves, but refrained, knowing she'd need her wits about her. Looking at her watch, Bridget made her way to the stage. As the girl who was up finished her song, Bridget climbed up onto the stage, feeling more nervous onstage than ever before.
"Bridget, you look like you need a firewhisky," the girl said by way of a greeting.
"Tell me about it," replied Bridget quietly. Then, to the audience, "Hey, everyone! How are ya? Enjoying yourselves, I hope!" she paused for the cheers and applause, "Tonight I'd like to sing something a little different from my usual, and I'd like to dedicate it to someone here in the audience. His name is Harry Potter," Bridget took a deep breath, and began to sing,
"Hey Dad I'm writing to you
Not to tell you, that I still hate you
Just to ask you how you feel
And how we fell apart how this fell apart
Are you happy out there in this great wide world?
Do you think about your sons?
Do you miss your little girl?
When you lay your head down how do you sleep at night?
Do you even wonder if we're all right?
We're alright
We're alright
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I will remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
I spent so many years learning how to survive
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
The days I spent so cold, so hungry, were full of hate
I was so angry, the scars run deep inside this tattooed body
There's things I'll take to my grave, but I'm OK, I'm OK
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
I'm still alive
Sometimes I forgive, yeah and this time I'll admit
That I miss you, said I miss you
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
And sometimes I forgive, yeah and this time I'll admit
That I miss you, I miss you...hey Dad"
Bridget looked over at her father, and he appeared to be smiling ruefully, and applauding with the rest of the audience, but that could be a mixture of wishful thinking and the stage lights affecting her vision.
Bridget finished her performance, and waited, sitting on the edge of the stage for the room to empty.
"Nice job. You sing very well." Bridgets head snapped up, and she saw her father watching her. "I should probably do the fatherly thing and tell you that I never want to see you in that outfit again, but I won't. Not today, at least." He smiled. "You have lots of news for me, I expect, and you'll probably have some questions for me, too."
"Yeah, Dad, I do." Harry flinched.
"It's good to hear you call me that," Harry replied to her questioning look, then changing the subject, "What do you drink, Bridget?"
"I like coffee better than anything we can get here," said Bridget, "And there's this great little shop down the street."
And for the first time in thirteen years, all was right with the world, at least for these two.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Well, that's all there is, what did you think? Please review, and then I'll write more. Not this story, but other stories. ~~ craziness101
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and the lyrics belong to Good Charlotte.
Emotionless
Bridget Weasley walked down to the club that her best friend owned. This was not anything out of the ordinary, Bridget helped keep food on the table for her younger brothers, who were still at Hogwarts by singing at the club. Although she was only 20, Bridget had seen some of the worst the world had to offer. A lot of the worst, actually. When her brothers were 4, and she was 7, their father had left them. On Christmas Eve, to boot. A few years later, her mom had gotten married to Ron Weasley. Quite frankly, Bridget was surprised that her mother ever fell in love again. Ron had been a better father than her own father had been, but it had just been too late. There were 7 years of hardship and emptiness in her life that couldn't be repaired or replaced.
* * * FLASHBACK *
It was Christmas Eve. Bridget was sitting in the small bedroom that she shared with her little brothers, playing with a set of muggle building blocks. Her father walked into the room, looking a little distracted. He picked Bridget up, swung her around, and put her back down. "Okay, Bridget, I need you to be a big girl and help Mommy out, 'kay? I'm going to the store, so you need to make sure Aaron and Brandon are good, alright?"
"Okay, Daddy."
"Bye, kiddo."
"I love you."
"I love you too." It didn't occur to Bridget to ask when he'd be back. He came in to say goodbye, so she assumed that he'd be back after she went to bed.
A little later.
"Brendan, get back here!" Bridget chased after her kid brother, trying to get him to go to bed like his twin, Aaron. Brendan ran into their parents' room and hid. Bridget ran in after him, but he was nowhere to be seen. She opened her fathers closet, and found Brendan, but she didn't find her fathers familiar possessions, his soft, fuzzy sweaters that he'd put on her during the winter, or his rough scratchy suits. "MOM!" Bridget screamed as loudly as she could, "MOM!"
Hermione ran up the steps two at a time, in response to her daughter's screams. When she got to her own bedroom, she looked questioningly at Bridget while trying to catch her breath. Bridget just pointed at the closet. Hermione looked at the closet, and gasped, for all of her husband's belongings were gone.
"Mommy? Where's daddy's stuff? Where's daddy?" asked Bridget, tears coming to her seven-year-old eyes.
"I don't know, sweetie." Hermione said, beginning to cry herself.
* * END FLASHBACK *
Bridget felt tears coming to her 20-year-old eyes at the memory. Though it had happened more than 13 years ago, the thought still hurt. She finished the short trek to the club, still deep in thought. A week or so ago, a friend had gotten her to listen to an old muggle band called Good Charlotte, and Bridget had taken a liking to their music. She'd even found a song, a song that she was going to sing tonight, actually, that seemed almost exactly like her childhood. There was a specific reason she'd sing it. Tonight she was going to see her father for the first time in 13 years. She would finish her shift, and she and her father would have a couple of drinks. She bought a butterbeer from the barmistress and sat down. Her shift didn't start for another half-hour. She looked lazily around the club, and saw him, standing near the door, looking nervous. Bridget figured that she sorely needed a firewhisky to ease her nerves, but refrained, knowing she'd need her wits about her. Looking at her watch, Bridget made her way to the stage. As the girl who was up finished her song, Bridget climbed up onto the stage, feeling more nervous onstage than ever before.
"Bridget, you look like you need a firewhisky," the girl said by way of a greeting.
"Tell me about it," replied Bridget quietly. Then, to the audience, "Hey, everyone! How are ya? Enjoying yourselves, I hope!" she paused for the cheers and applause, "Tonight I'd like to sing something a little different from my usual, and I'd like to dedicate it to someone here in the audience. His name is Harry Potter," Bridget took a deep breath, and began to sing,
"Hey Dad I'm writing to you
Not to tell you, that I still hate you
Just to ask you how you feel
And how we fell apart how this fell apart
Are you happy out there in this great wide world?
Do you think about your sons?
Do you miss your little girl?
When you lay your head down how do you sleep at night?
Do you even wonder if we're all right?
We're alright
We're alright
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I will remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
I spent so many years learning how to survive
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
The days I spent so cold, so hungry, were full of hate
I was so angry, the scars run deep inside this tattooed body
There's things I'll take to my grave, but I'm OK, I'm OK
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
I'm still alive
Sometimes I forgive, yeah and this time I'll admit
That I miss you, said I miss you
It's been a long hard road without you by my side
Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?
You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life
It's not OK but we're alright
I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes
But those were just a long lost memory of mine
Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive
And sometimes I forgive, yeah and this time I'll admit
That I miss you, I miss you...hey Dad"
Bridget looked over at her father, and he appeared to be smiling ruefully, and applauding with the rest of the audience, but that could be a mixture of wishful thinking and the stage lights affecting her vision.
Bridget finished her performance, and waited, sitting on the edge of the stage for the room to empty.
"Nice job. You sing very well." Bridgets head snapped up, and she saw her father watching her. "I should probably do the fatherly thing and tell you that I never want to see you in that outfit again, but I won't. Not today, at least." He smiled. "You have lots of news for me, I expect, and you'll probably have some questions for me, too."
"Yeah, Dad, I do." Harry flinched.
"It's good to hear you call me that," Harry replied to her questioning look, then changing the subject, "What do you drink, Bridget?"
"I like coffee better than anything we can get here," said Bridget, "And there's this great little shop down the street."
And for the first time in thirteen years, all was right with the world, at least for these two.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Well, that's all there is, what did you think? Please review, and then I'll write more. Not this story, but other stories. ~~ craziness101
