Disclaimer: I own nothing in the Harry potter word, except for Casey. He's mine.
War is a funny thing, friends become enemies and enemies become friends and sometimes family members can become strangers. A young man of eighteen was finding this out very quickly as he packed his belongings into an old tatty backpack that was on his bed.
"You're not going to listen to reason then?" came a female voice from behind him
The man turned so quickly that his long hair whipped him in the face; he winced and tucked it behind his ear. He looked at the woman waiting for her to continue, when she said nothing he turned his back on her again.
"There's clearly nothing left to say" he said quietly
"Oh there's plenty I'd like to say!"
"Then say it" he snapped as he stuffed a shirt into the bag.
"Fine," she took a breath "I don't want you to go, Casey. You'll be killed and for what, a world that may never exist?"
Casey turned to face the woman and regarded her coldly, as if she was a stranger to him, and right now she might have been. "So you would rather I did nothing? You'd rather I hideaway while my friends fight?"
"It'd be better than me losing a son" Andromeda said quietly
"You wouldn't be," he said coldly, hoisting his bag up onto his shoulder "I'm not your son, remember?"
She faltered and looked away ashamed, clutching the wooden doorframe as if in pain. "I should never have said that" she whispered
"But you did. Now if you could move out of the way, I have to meet the others"
Andromeda suddenly threw herself at the man, clutching his shirt. "Please, Casey. You don't have to fight in this war. I've already lost Ted; I couldn't bear to lose you or Dora"
Casey pried her hands off of him and walked past her. "I'm doing what I think is right, the same as Dora"
Andromeda watched as her son walked towards the stairs and fell to her knees, tears falling down her cheeks. Casey looked over his shoulder and had to fight the urge to go over to her, to hold her and tell her everything would be ok. He shook his head and continued down the stairs and out the house. Once he was in the garden, he looked back at his childhood home.
"I'll be back" he said to the night air, mainly to convince himself.
Turning on the spot he thought of his destination and with a loud crack, disappeared.
Andromeda watched her son vanish and looked up at the sky as if hoping to find a sign. "Please," she said quietly "let both of my children come back to me unharmed"
A cry coming from the room opposite her startled her but she quickly went to the source of the noise. She smiled softly as she picked a baby up from his crib. He had bright blue hair at that moment and his cheeks were bright red from his crying. "It's ok, Teddy," she said softly "Mummy and Daddy will be home soon" and she hoped with all her heart that she was right.