For the Hogwarts Forum
Assignment 8
Charms, Aparecium, task 2: Write about someone who doesn't want to be seen.
Writing Club, Days of the Month (Love Your Red Hair Day: Write about Bill, Charlie, or Percy Weasley)
Bill isn't prepared for the chaos when he comes home from work. The moment he walks through the door, he hears a loud thumping as someone bangs on a door, mixed in with the unmistakable sound of his youngest daughter wailing.
With a sigh, he pinches the bridge of his nose. Normally, coming home is a beautiful thing after spending hours upon hours breaking curses. He's used to being greeted by Fleur and the kids' smiling faces and the smell of something cooking.
"Dominique, darling!" Fleur calls, and there's another round of frantic knocking. "Open 'ze door!"
For a moment, Bill considers walking back out the door. No one has seen him come in, and they wouldn't notice him slipping away. Surely Fleur can handle whatever is going on.
He doesn't, of course. It's tempting, but he reminds himself that he's a father now, and fathers can't just run away when there's a problem. Taking a deep breath, he follows the noise until he reaches the hallway. Fleur stands outside the bathroom, her expression tired. She turns when she hears him, offering him a frown.
"She 'as locked 'erself in 'zere," his wife reports, pushing a hand through her silver-blonde hair and letting out a weary sigh. "I 'ave tried for 'ze past hour. Your turn."
Before Bill can even ask, Fleur walks past him, pausing only to offer him a quick peck on the cheek and a whisper of luck. Bill stares after her for a moment, wondering what on earth he has gotten himself into.
He doesn't get to think for long. From the other side of the painted white door, he hears a pitiful sob. His confusion doesn't matter. Something is wrong with Dominique, and he has to act now.
"Dom," he says, pressing his cheek against the door and listening. "What's wrong, honey?"
He hears a few small thumping and scraping sounds and assumes his youngest daughter is moving around in there. "Go away!" she cries. "Please, Dad; just go."
"Whatever it is, we can talk about it," he assures her.
He knows a locked door isn't actually a problem. He could easily cast an Unlocking Charm and force his way in, but he has always believed in letting his children have privacy when they need it. It's tempting to go back on his belief now, but he values the trust he and Fleur have set up with them. He will not do anything to jeopardize that trust now.
"Go away!" Dominique cries again.
"Dom, come out and talk to me."
His daughter lets out a scream that cause Bill to stumble back. For someone as short and lithe, Dominique can unleash some ferocious sounds. Even Charlie has said she reminds him of an angry dragon. "Leave me alone! I don't want anyone to see me!"
Bill closes his eyes, breathing deeply. He tugs anxiously at his red hair. It shouldn't be this hard to get through to her. Once again, he feels the urge to cast a spell and get the door open, but he resists the temptation and approaches the door again. "I'm not leaving until you come out and talk to me," he tells her. "Your mother and I are worried about you, sweetheart."
There's a softer sound behind the door now— sobbing. While he's glad Dominique has lost her anger, knowing his daughter is crying breaks his heart. "I don't anyone to see me, Daddy," she says with a pitiful sniffle. "I'm hideous."
"No. You could never be hideous," he assures her.
For a moment, there is only silence. Several seconds pass before he hears shuffling, followed by the lock clicking. A smile pulls at Bill's lips as he turns the knob. "See? Everything is fine. Now, why would you think you're hid—"
His sentence fades into a gasp when he sees his twelve year old daughter. Her eyes are puffy and rimmed red from crying. Tear tracks are still visible across her freckled skin. But it's her hair that causes him to really stare.
Dominique has always had such beautiful strawberry blonde curls. For years, she had been like Victoire and refused to cut her hair. Now, it's clear that she has changed her mind and decided to cut it herself. The job is sloppy and uneven. Some spots have been hacked off right at the scalp, leaving bald patches scattered throughout, while other strands still fall past her collarbones.
"What did you do?" he asks, holding out his arms.
Dominique wipes her eyes before rushing forward, throwing her slender arms around him and burying her face in his chest. "I don't wanna be like Victoire anymore," she answers, her voice trembling; Bill is afraid she might cry again. "I wanna be different, but now I'm just ugly."
"No," he assures her, gently rubbing her back to calm her down. "We can fix your hair, sweetheart."
"Then I'll be like Victoire again," Dominique groans. "I don't want to be like her!"
Bill doesn't know what's brought this on, but he'll deal with that later. He's managed to get through to Dominique, and he plans to keep her attention before she can decide to hide away again. "We'll fix your hair different from hers," he assures his daughter, pulling away and taking her hand. "Now, come on. I'm an expert at growing hair back out."
Dominique looks up at him, tears still swimming in her crystal blue eyes. "Really?"
"As much as your grandma would cut my hair? Of course."
"And I don't have to be like Victoire?"
He wraps an arm around her, holding her close as he guides her through the hall. "You never have to be like anyone else but Dominique."
Though she doesn't reply, she snuggles closer to him, and he can feel her slowly relax. Now he knows that Dominique is working through some serious personal issues, and he will work with her until she feels okay again. For now, he is grateful for this small victory, and he prays it won't be the last.