Written for the Quidditch league fanfiction competition. Round 3
Team: Puddlemere United
Position: Beater 2
Prompts:
(word) fair
(sound) screaming
Task: Write about a Truth that is found by the next generation OR write about a Dare that is carried out by the next generation.
Word count: 1319. (without the AN)
If Only
There was no fanfare. No blazing lights. No spells flying around. He didn't die saving someone. He wasn't tortured by evil wizards. He wasn't even down with an illness. It was just the sound of flesh hitting flesh, the flesh hitting the glass table, glass shattering and the pitiful cry of a child.
That was James.
He never suspected anything wrong. Not when he would have mysteriously broken a bone. Not when his father would have a black eye, a split lip and various bruises on his arms. He never suspected anything that would lead to this. Yet there were signs. Signs that he–all of them, so blissfully ignored. They were just a happy little family. He sees the glitch now.
James just wishes that he had seen it before.
That night was just like the others. Albus had just wished his parents goodnight and he and his siblings were off to bed. He hadn't known that it would be the last time he would kiss him goodnight.
Albus still remembers his funeral. It was the worst. His coffin was laid down and for the last time in his life he saw his face. Eyes closed and giving him a clear expression of sleeping–if only you could ignore the dried bruises on his cheeks and head. His face was paler than usual. He looked calm. Almost asleep and Albus held his breath as the coffin was closed and lowered down. Deep... deep under the ground, far from his sight, away from his reach. There were wizards and witches all having solemn expression as they bid a final farewell to their saviour, to their hero. His Grandmother Molly was sobbing. Aunt Hermione was crying. Uncle Ron was whimpering. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina were comforting Grandma Molly. Uncle Bill supported a sobbing Aunt Fleur. Teddy stood with his fiancé Victoire, having a regretful and angry expression on his face. Grandpa Arthur stood with Uncle Charlie and with the rest of the Weasley Family. All of them were there except her. She didn't deserve to stand with them not when she was the reason they all were gathered there today. Albus hated his mother from that day on.
…
Aurors.
That's what Lily remembers from that day. Men walking in and out wearing the same uniform her Daddy used to wear. Sometimes giving her these smiles of pity and then asking her questions. Questions that left her befuddled. It was her Aunt Hermione who came to her and told her that Daddy was with his parents now and then Uncle Ron walked in asking about Teddy. Apparently Teddy had 'gone into shock.' It had been five days since thier Daddy was murdered. James refused to talk or eat. Albus hardly came out of his room. It an utter chaos. At that time Lily had build up her own story that her Mum was out there trying to catch the murderer and the sooner she would come the sooner they would go back to normal. As normal as they could be without their father. But Teddy kept telling her repeatedly that Ginny wasn't coming back. They thought she was young. So they kept the truth from her.
Lily knows the truth now. They are hidden inside her drawer. The newspaper cuttings with words like 'Domestic abuse', 'Spousal Abuse', 'Murder' all filled in her bottom drawer along with a sharp piece of glass that was a part of taking away his life.
...
It's still feels like a dream. It happened so suddenly. Not to mention the fact that it was she who killed him makes it feel so unrealistic. Teddy Lupin never thought he would see this day. After all–the war was over. His Godfather was supposed to get his happy ending. But it wasn't a fairytale. Everything had to be bloody hard for him.
He loved her. Teddy loved Ginny Potter. Not as much as he loved Harry but he still looked up to her. Teddy doesn't think anybody could've seen the flaw in their relationship. They always seemed perfect. Perfect and madly in love with. But the truth was hidden. Hidden so diligently that no one ever noticed that it was taking way a life.
'Life isn't fair.'
Teddy always thought he knew and understood this sentence perfectly. He thought he understood it as soon as his parents were taken away from him in the war, when his grandmother died. Only–he hadn't realised just how harsh the reality could be; how unjust it could be.
It feels like a dream–a nightmare he is living into. He clenches is first tightly as he sits on one of those benches and listens as she defends herself, screaming and shouting about her husband. Her husband who she murdered. He wants to shout back and tell everyone the truth. The truth he found out just only minutes before he died.
He was at the Auror office when he found out about the horrible reality. He had his Auror exams within minutes and he was waiting in Harry's office for him, just so to claim his nerves. The papers at the top desk caught his attention. There were questions littered on the pages with answers written in small crawl which he knew was Harry's handwriting. The first few questions had just 'No' written in front of them
Denies you the right to meet your basic needs, such as food and sleep. No
Breaks your belongings or the things in your home, such as throws your dishes, punch holes in the walls. No.
Makes you drink alcohol or take drugs. No
Preventing you from spending time with friends or family. No
At first he didn't see this as something important. It wouldn't have been lying on his desk otherwise. But further the questions went, the answers seemed to have changed from no to something much more unpleasant. And he didn't like it.
Physically abuses your children. She would never hurt them.
Makes you feel that things are your fault. They are my fault.
Makes you feel that there is no way out of this relationship. Why would I want to leave?
Tells you that you are nothing without her. I love her.
Blames you for everything your child/children do? It is my fault.
Tells your that you are lacking behind in the relationship. I'm getting better
Acts jealous and suspicious of your friends. Isn't that normal?
Teddy had desperately hoped that it was all for a case. That his godfather was just trying to understand the victim. Going further he saw more questions which had 'X' marked in front of them. He interpreted them as a 'No'. He hoped that they meant no.
You're afraid that this abuse will hurt your loved ones. You worry that your partner will get custody of your kids. X
Pulls your hair. X
Punches, slaps, or kicks you. X
Bites or chokes you. X
Tells you that he/she loves you after hitting you. X
Threatens to kill you. X She doesn't mean it.
His hands were shaking. His brain was coming up with excuses and reassurances that they weren't his. But the last line that was scribbled at the bottom of the page confirmed all this.
I can't share this abuse with my friends and family.
Teddy had immediately taken the paper and rushed towards the floo to call Harry. When he didn't get any reply, he flooed over to the Potter household. If he had just reached ten minutes early. If only he had learned about of the truth just a little earlier he could've saved his godfather. But all he saw was James sobbing over his bleeding dead father, the kitchen in a wreck and Ginny nowhere in sight. And Teddy knew that the papers that had just revealed the truth a few minutes ago were a evidence against Ginny Potter for the murder of his godfather.
...
There is a side story to this one-shot named A Faux Fairytale. I've written James, Albus and Lily's point of view in that story.