To Fight
Isilarma
This was written for Round 11 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, which had to focus around a Muggle-born witch or wizard and their siblings. I hope you all enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and am not affiliated with Bloomsbury or Scholastic Inc.
Dean stuffed another jumper into his rucksack and sighed. Normally by now he would be trying to work out how to fit all his books, clothes and other equipment into his trunk. Or rather writing to Seamus to moan about it while his mum actually sorted it out. Not this time. Unlike some people he could think of, he didn't think books would be much use where he was going.
Not that he knew where he was going. Seamus and Neville had both written to him warning him not to try going back to Hogwarts and, though it grated to run and leave them to deal with that lot of trouble, he knew they were right. Staying at home wasn't an option either; despite his parents' pleas he wouldn't risk putting his family in any more danger. He knew he would be fine, he knew he could take care of himself.
Of course, that didn't necessarily mean he wanted to.
Dean sighed again and closed his eyes. Sometimes it was so tempting just to give up. To stop running and fighting. To just...
"Dean?"
Dean blinked and looked up. "Oh, hi Jake."
His younger brother shuffled his feet in the doorway. "I knocked, but I don't think you heard me."
Dean shook his head. "Sorry. Wasn't really concentrating." Which was a mark of how distracted he had been. Despite being three years younger than him, Jake was only a couple of centimetres shorter than he was, and even more solidly built. Jack rolled his eyes as he stepped properly into the room.
"I could see that." His smile faded as he looked at the half-packed rucksack. "Mum said you weren't going back to Hogwarts this year."
The reminder sent a now-familiar pang through this heart. "Not this year." He attempted a smile. "Not sure I'd want to go anyway with Snape being headmaster."
Jake's eyes narrowed. "But you don't have a choice."
Slowly, Dean shook his head. "No." He was quite proud of himself for not letting his voice shake.
"Because that bad wizard is an idiot and doesn't like Muggle-borns."
The explanation was almost enough to bring a smile to Dean's face. "Yeah. Pretty much."
Jake folded his arms. "Mum said that you might be a half-blood."
"She told you that?" It hadn't exactly been a secret but he always felt uncomfortable discussing his real father with his siblings. A faint blush suffused Jake's cheeks.
"Kind of." Dean raised an eyebrow and his blush darkened. "I heard her talking about it with Dad." He hesitated a moment. "Is it true?"
Dean sighed. "I don't know, but even if it is it wouldn't matter. I can't prove anything." And the way things were looking, no one would take the word of someone who had grown up with Muggles. Dean gave himself a mental shake. It wasn't like it was the first time his biological father had let him down.
Jake nodded. "It doesn't matter to us either. You're still our brother. Even if you do play crazy sports."
"Quidditch is not crazy," Dean protested.
"You fly around on brooms while lumps of lead try to knock you out of the sky."
"Iron," Dean corrected.
"Yeah, that's so much better."
"Oh, shut up," Dean muttered. But he was smiling so hard it hurt. Jake grinned back, but after a moment his expression turned serious again.
"This man, You-Know-Thingy-"
"You-Know-Who," Dean corrected automatically.
"Yeah, him."
"What about him?"
Jake was silent for a long moment, so long in fact that Dean wondered if he had changed his mind. His voice when he spoke was very quiet. "What will he do if he catches you?"
Dread settled in Dean's stomach. Of all the questions he had expected, this was the last one he had ever wanted to hear. "He won't."
"But-"
"Jake," Dean interrupted firmly. "It's not going to happen, so there's no point worrying about it." The last thing he needed was for Jake, or any of his sisters to find out exactly what was going on. From the look on Jake's face though he had a horrible feeling that his silence had said just as much. "Jake?"
Jake looked away. "Never mind."
Dean didn't believe him. Not in the slightest. "I'll be back soon enough. It'll all be fine."
"Right." His voice was completely flat. Dean frowned and moved closer.
"Come on, what's up?"
Jake's hands closed into fists. "This is so messed up!"
"Jake," Dean began, but Jake didn't even seem to hear him.
"What's the matter with them? You haven't done anything wrong, so why do you have to leave when a murderer's allowed to be your headmaster?"
Dean couldn't answer. After all, he'd been asking himself the exact same question. Jake paced up and down, his tone rising with his temper. "People shouldn't be allowed to do stuff like that! Who cares what sort of wizard you are; you're all magical, aren't you?"
"Some people don't see it that way," said Dean quietly. "Merlin knows why."
Jake shook his head. "Wizards are stupid."
"Some of them," Dean agreed. "But not all of them." Seamus had never cared about his status. Neither had Harry or Neville or Ron, or anyone else with any sense. It was just the idiots like Malfoy who wouldn't shut up about it. Jake looked away.
"They're not the ones who matter at the moment though, are they?"
Dean reached out to grip his shoulders. "It'll be all right, Jake. They won't find me."
Jake stared straight back at him. "You said they were powerful."
"They are," Dean admitted. "But you said it yourself."
"What?"
Dean smiled. "Wizards are stupid."
A ghost of a smile touched Jake's lips. "You got that right."
Dean's smile widened. "There you are then." His grip tightened momentarily on Jake's shoulder before he let his hand fall to his side. "Promise me you'll look after the girls. Don't let them worry too much."
Jake swallowed. "I'll try."
"Thanks," said Dean softly.
Jake hesitated a moment then, before Dean could move, he darted forwards and flung his arms around him. "Promise me you'll come back," he whispered.
Dean felt tears prick his eyes as he hugged his little brother back as tightly as he could. "Count on it."
This was why he wouldn't stop running. Wouldn't stop fighting. He had trained for this for years, had defied Umbridge and Malfoy and all the other idiots because he knew they were wrong and because it was the right thing to do. He was a Gryffindor.
And he had people he needed to fight for.
Any feedback would be very much appreciated.