Bill put down the letter in his hand and turned to Fleur. They're alone in the kitchen—Victoire and Dominique were upstairs, Louis in the adjoining room. Bill sighed heavily, leaning against the countertop. "Ginny said James got his letter today."
"So he's not… Louis, he's not a wizard." Fleur let her eyes close for a moment, taking a breath. "I suppose we shouldn't be surprised. He hasn't exactly shown the signs. But still, he'll be so disappointed."
Louis waited in the sitting room. He knew his parents were talking about him even though they didn't know he knew. He sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, picking nervously at the edge of the cushion. The door leading into the kitchen was closed; Louis couldn't hear what they were saying. He didn't have to.
He's going to be eleven in a month. He's supposed to be getting ready for Hogwarts, getting his letter and making a trip to Diagon Alley. His cousins James and Fred would be in his year—they were all so excited. And Louis could've sworn that he'd done at least some accidental magic before. He must've. His parents often told outrageous stories of Vic's and Dom's outbursts of magic as children. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't ever heard a story like that about him.
Louis got to his feet, ready to go into the kitchen and ask what they were talking about. Just as he pushes off the sofa, the door swings open, and his parents come out into the sitting room. He falls back down to his seat, and they each sit down on either side of him. Uh-oh.
"Hey, bud." His dad wrapped an arm around Louis's shoulders. "I'm afraid we've got some bad news."
Louis took a breath, meeting his mum's eyes, then his dad's. "I'm not going to Hogwarts, am I?"
His voice sounded so broken, so desperate. Fleur met Bill's eyes over Louis's head. "I'm so sorry, darling."
"It's not fair. I—I have to be a wizard. The whole family's magic! I have—I have to go." Tears were welling up in his eyes now. It was a heart-wrenching feeling for Bill and Fleur as they watched their youngest child cry. They leaned in together, wrapping him in a hug.
"This isn't the end of the world, Lou. I know it feels that way." Bill wasn't sure exactly what to say. He couldn't imagine his own life without magic. But he needed to support Louis right now, more than anything. "You're going to be alright. You're ok." He didn't know what he was saying anymore, but it seemed to be enough. Louis curled up into his side, shaking with sobs. It wasn't going to be easy, he was sure. But it would be okay.
.
A/N: Written for Advent Calendar Day 11: (Character) Bill Weasley;
Writing Club – Disney Challenge C4: Write about someone being surprised by a rejection;
Cookie's Cooking Corner 3: Write from the POV of a child under 11;
Showtime 9: (relationship) Parents;
Writing Month and Dragons: wc 498