div id="chapters" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 19px;"
div id="chapter-2" class="chapter" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"
div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.625px; float: none; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The Daily Prophet sits there, innocently. Around it, the inhabitants of the house stare in horror at the heading on the front page: DEATH EATERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A man with thinning blond hair is the first to break the silence. Running his hair through his hair, he whispers: "No. No, no, no… They wouldn't. They wouldn't."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"An older man, in his seventies, Edward Tonks sighs. Rubbing his temple, he says quite simply: "Let's go to the living room." Under his breath he mutters, "You know Ted, maybe if you didn't turn out to be a wizard and didn't get involved with a bunch of incestuous bluebloods, then maybe I wouldn't be knee-deep in this world."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You know Ed, now is not the time! You can complain about your dear unfortunate brother later!" Draco Malfoy's cross tone did not do the old man any favours./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Sighing, the old man enters the living room. Sitting down, he eyes the newspaper. The tension is the room is so thick, that you could cut it with a knife. "Draco, why don't yo-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""There is no way, that they would want to escape. There is no way that would be somewhat possible. This has to be a ploy of some sort. A conspiracy. A… a… plot to rid of the Death Eaters." Draco stops pacing the room, stops running his hand through his hair. "This wouldn't be possible… not for a long shot. They would have no reason to even want to escape; most of them wouldn't even have a place to go. They'd be so lost…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Draco's voice trails off as he sits down. Grasping the armrest, he looks faint, nauseous. Shaking his head, he continues "There's no way… no way that's possible. I can't accept this. I just can not accept this…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Slowly, the old man moves next to Draco. "That's because you don't need to; not right now. I'm sure there's another explanation for this, okay? Maybe the ministry just had a mishap, maybe they just made yet another mistake. I'm sure there's another explanation for this."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But what if there isn't? The article doesn't say where they are, Ed. It just says that they escaped. Nothing more." His last sentence is barely above the sound of a whisper. "It means that they could be on the run, living; it also means they could be dead. They could be anywhere, everywhere. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know where they are, Ed. I know exactly where they are." At this point, Draco's face has paled, and he looks like he will be sick. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know exactly where they are." The old man, Edward Tonks, knows exactly what Draco is implying. He knows it well, better than he knows himself. He knows exactly what it means. "Does it hurt less, if you share no biological relations? Does it?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Yes, and no. It hurts less, because technically, it shouldn't. Because technically- they aren't your family. They're family by choice, not blood. By choice. But choice hurts more… It's the fact you chose these people- you trusted them enough. It makes it worse, because by blood you have no choice. You have no choice in that matter whatsoever. They're going to be there, no matter what. Through thick and thin, you never stop caring. They're always going to be there for you, no matter what. By choice, no. No. You trusted them; you loved them enough to call them your family. It only makes it worse. It only makes it worse Ed. At least with Ted, you had no choice in deciding whether you cared for them or not. I did… look what happened. Look what happened." Even though Draco is not crying, his despair does show. He whispers now. "The last time I remember the mark burning this bad was when he fell. When he finally died. It was like my arm was on fire. It burned this morning, near dawn. My arm didn't burn that bad, then, but there's a difference. When he fell… I was happy that he was gone. I celebrated… Now? I feel like someone tore my heart out and shattered it. Like they took my heart, destroyed it with a hammer, took a few pieces of it; then they returned it. Now I have to reassemble it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What did you do? When you heard about Ted's death?" The look in Draco Malfoy's eyes is desperate, frantic. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The old man closes his eyes. "I don't think you remember, but I had a friend, who I co-ran the bar with. I think I must've told him to hit me up with everything he had, and I honestly don't know how many drinks I had that night." Grimacing at the memory, he continues. "I don't remember anything from that night, except waking up a horrible hangover the next day."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Does drinking... drinking, help with grief?" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Edward Tonks shakes his head. "No, it never does. I think you should know that by now, with how much time you actually spend with it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, but still. Has it ever helped you?" His breathing is shallow and inconsistent, and he looks like he's about to cry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""No, it never has. It allows you a few hours to forget it, but that's about it. All it gives you is a few hours of peace, then you go through the shock again." Shaking his head, he tells Draco. "In the long run, it just makes grieving more painful."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Draco nods and closes his eyes. Tilting his head back he whispers, "They were my family. They were my everything."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, Draco, I know."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"~~~~~/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What does he mean, uncle David? That they were his everything?" A fourteen year old is asking his uncle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What it meant…" Grimacing, he asks. "You overheard your dad's conversation didn't you? There's a lot more to this, if that's what you mean."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""There's a lot more to what? I'm not a kid, uncle Dave!" His tone is impatient, and annoyed; yet he waits for an answer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, but you have to understand that prior to your birth- the Death Eaters were his family." Making the fourteen year olds bed, he tucks the blankets in and places the pillow at the head of the bed. Then, he sits down on the bed and pats the space next to him. "Come here."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What?" The fourteen year old scowls, but nevertheless sits down on the bed. Crossing his arms, he asks: "Why did he call them his family? I'm his family, and I always will be his family. Why?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The man, David Tonks, replies with a frank answer. "Because it was the Death Eaters who he truly trusted for the first time. It was them, who he loved. They were the family he never had, and they were what rebuilt him-" Turning around, he faces the fourteen year old. "I don't know if Draco told you about his years in Azkaban, or not. Did he?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old nods. "He did."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Did he tell you any specifics, or just the dates?" The thirty- something man asks, and receives a firm 'no' in response. "Of course. Of course." He mutters under his breath, and says in a louder tone: "Well, you know that Draco-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""-Dad-", the fourteen year old corrects./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""-spent around seven or eight years in Azkaban the first time around. I'd say he spent all his time talking to the Death Eaters. To all the ones that were there, because partly no one else understood and that they were at the top of the food chain in Azkaban. I'd say the Death Eaters genuinely were the most powerful, most elite of the people that lived there. As a result, they only had themselves to talk to. Which, in all likelihoods, is probably why they Draco started calling them his family- at the time." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The older man gives the fourteen year old a nod, and then continues. "You have to understand, they only had each other for those years. They only did have each other… and with the way Azkaban is set up, you have to have a support group of some kind. Otherwise, you're doomed." Shaking his head, he continues. "That's why Draco calls them his family. It's not because he doesn't consider you his family- he does and he never shuts up about it- it's that they replaced the family he lost faith in."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old stands up, and peeks down the staircase. His dad, and granddad are still sitting there. "Will dad be alright? I've never seen him this upset."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"David Tonks sighs. "I hope so… I need Draco at work tonight. It's a Monday, and I'm going to need all the help I can get. Especially with dad getting older, and all you kids… But he won't let the grief show, if that's what you mean. He'll act like he's okay."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But why?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He's never been taught to show weakness." David Tonks shrugs, and elaborates. "It's the pureblood ideology of not showing weakness, or something like that." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Leaving the room, he goes to catch a glimpse of Draco. He returns only minutes later, and grimaces. Closing the door, he confesses. "I have never seen Draco this broken. I have to this day never seen Draco is desperate." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Opening the door, he tells the fourteen year old: "C'mon, let's go get the three sleepyheads up. It's already ten; they've had enough sleep."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Cracking a smile, the fourteen year old grins. "Am I allowed to do whatever I want with Viv?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Yes, whatever you want. I'll get Ethan and Ben up. In the meantime, I'll tell them about it. It'll get better, slowly, but it will get better. It may not seem like it, but it will. We just have to wait."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old nods, then walks down the hall¬ to the bathroom. Grabbing a bucket from a closet, he fills it up all the way. Grinning, he whispers. "Morning, Viv…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Holding the bucket in one hand, he opens the door next to his bedroom. In the bed is a girl with veela-blonde hair, her limbs flopping all over the bed. Her head is rested in the center of the pillow, which is located on the edge of the bed. He tilts the bucket, and the water lands all over the girl's head. Almost immediately, the girl stirs. However, due to her sleeping position, she ends up falling on the floor. "SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY, I will castrate you if it is the LAST thing I do."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Aww Viv, I love you too." Poking his tongue out at the girl, he watches her untangle herself from her blankets. Laughing, he continues. "You know, the last time I checked I went by a different name; one that wasn't my full name."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Groaning, the girl replies. "I know; but being named after a balls-less stalker vampire that sparkles in sunlight isn't exactly what one would consider better."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You're forgetting that it's the name of your granddad." Forcing a smile, he continues: "Besides-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl narrows her eyes, and asks quite sharply: "Ed, what's wrong? You're acting weird, and something must have happened. What happened?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Dad got some bad news… Some really bad news…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl pales. "Where is uncle Draco?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He's downstairs… Viv… I don't know what to do. I saw him earlier, and I've never seen his so… so…" His light brown hair starts to change colour, abruptly. It ranges from colours from black, all the way to yellow. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl sits on the floor next to him. "It's okay to lose control, Ed, it's okay. Breathe… It'll be okay… Take deep breaths…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The boy starts sobbing, and no amount of control can stop it. The girl lets him, as he uses her as a tissue./p
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div class="afterword preface group" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 15px; font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'GNU Unifont', Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.5em 3em 2.5em; padding: 0.643em 0.643em 0px; float: none; color: #2a2a2a; line-height: 19px;" /div
div id="chapter-2" class="chapter" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"
div class="userstuff module" style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 1088.625px; float: none; word-wrap: break-word;"
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The Daily Prophet sits there, innocently. Around it, the inhabitants of the house stare in horror at the heading on the front page: DEATH EATERS ESCAPE FROM AZKABAN./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"A man with thinning blond hair is the first to break the silence. Running his hair through his hair, he whispers: "No. No, no, no… They wouldn't. They wouldn't."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"An older man, in his seventies, Edward Tonks sighs. Rubbing his temple, he says quite simply: "Let's go to the living room." Under his breath he mutters, "You know Ted, maybe if you didn't turn out to be a wizard and didn't get involved with a bunch of incestuous bluebloods, then maybe I wouldn't be knee-deep in this world."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You know Ed, now is not the time! You can complain about your dear unfortunate brother later!" Draco Malfoy's cross tone did not do the old man any favours./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Sighing, the old man enters the living room. Sitting down, he eyes the newspaper. The tension is the room is so thick, that you could cut it with a knife. "Draco, why don't yo-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""There is no way, that they would want to escape. There is no way that would be somewhat possible. This has to be a ploy of some sort. A conspiracy. A… a… plot to rid of the Death Eaters." Draco stops pacing the room, stops running his hand through his hair. "This wouldn't be possible… not for a long shot. They would have no reason to even want to escape; most of them wouldn't even have a place to go. They'd be so lost…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Draco's voice trails off as he sits down. Grasping the armrest, he looks faint, nauseous. Shaking his head, he continues "There's no way… no way that's possible. I can't accept this. I just can not accept this…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Slowly, the old man moves next to Draco. "That's because you don't need to; not right now. I'm sure there's another explanation for this, okay? Maybe the ministry just had a mishap, maybe they just made yet another mistake. I'm sure there's another explanation for this."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But what if there isn't? The article doesn't say where they are, Ed. It just says that they escaped. Nothing more." His last sentence is barely above the sound of a whisper. "It means that they could be on the run, living; it also means they could be dead. They could be anywhere, everywhere. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know where they are, Ed. I know exactly where they are." At this point, Draco's face has paled, and he looks like he will be sick. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know exactly where they are." The old man, Edward Tonks, knows exactly what Draco is implying. He knows it well, better than he knows himself. He knows exactly what it means. "Does it hurt less, if you share no biological relations? Does it?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Yes, and no. It hurts less, because technically, it shouldn't. Because technically- they aren't your family. They're family by choice, not blood. By choice. But choice hurts more… It's the fact you chose these people- you trusted them enough. It makes it worse, because by blood you have no choice. You have no choice in that matter whatsoever. They're going to be there, no matter what. Through thick and thin, you never stop caring. They're always going to be there for you, no matter what. By choice, no. No. You trusted them; you loved them enough to call them your family. It only makes it worse. It only makes it worse Ed. At least with Ted, you had no choice in deciding whether you cared for them or not. I did… look what happened. Look what happened." Even though Draco is not crying, his despair does show. He whispers now. "The last time I remember the mark burning this bad was when he fell. When he finally died. It was like my arm was on fire. It burned this morning, near dawn. My arm didn't burn that bad, then, but there's a difference. When he fell… I was happy that he was gone. I celebrated… Now? I feel like someone tore my heart out and shattered it. Like they took my heart, destroyed it with a hammer, took a few pieces of it; then they returned it. Now I have to reassemble it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What did you do? When you heard about Ted's death?" The look in Draco Malfoy's eyes is desperate, frantic. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The old man closes his eyes. "I don't think you remember, but I had a friend, who I co-ran the bar with. I think I must've told him to hit me up with everything he had, and I honestly don't know how many drinks I had that night." Grimacing at the memory, he continues. "I don't remember anything from that night, except waking up a horrible hangover the next day."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Does drinking... drinking, help with grief?" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Edward Tonks shakes his head. "No, it never does. I think you should know that by now, with how much time you actually spend with it."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, but still. Has it ever helped you?" His breathing is shallow and inconsistent, and he looks like he's about to cry./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""No, it never has. It allows you a few hours to forget it, but that's about it. All it gives you is a few hours of peace, then you go through the shock again." Shaking his head, he tells Draco. "In the long run, it just makes grieving more painful."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Draco nods and closes his eyes. Tilting his head back he whispers, "They were my family. They were my everything."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, Draco, I know."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"~~~~~/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What does he mean, uncle David? That they were his everything?" A fourteen year old is asking his uncle./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What it meant…" Grimacing, he asks. "You overheard your dad's conversation didn't you? There's a lot more to this, if that's what you mean."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""There's a lot more to what? I'm not a kid, uncle Dave!" His tone is impatient, and annoyed; yet he waits for an answer./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""I know, but you have to understand that prior to your birth- the Death Eaters were his family." Making the fourteen year olds bed, he tucks the blankets in and places the pillow at the head of the bed. Then, he sits down on the bed and pats the space next to him. "Come here."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""What?" The fourteen year old scowls, but nevertheless sits down on the bed. Crossing his arms, he asks: "Why did he call them his family? I'm his family, and I always will be his family. Why?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The man, David Tonks, replies with a frank answer. "Because it was the Death Eaters who he truly trusted for the first time. It was them, who he loved. They were the family he never had, and they were what rebuilt him-" Turning around, he faces the fourteen year old. "I don't know if Draco told you about his years in Azkaban, or not. Did he?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old nods. "He did."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Did he tell you any specifics, or just the dates?" The thirty- something man asks, and receives a firm 'no' in response. "Of course. Of course." He mutters under his breath, and says in a louder tone: "Well, you know that Draco-" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""-Dad-", the fourteen year old corrects./p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""-spent around seven or eight years in Azkaban the first time around. I'd say he spent all his time talking to the Death Eaters. To all the ones that were there, because partly no one else understood and that they were at the top of the food chain in Azkaban. I'd say the Death Eaters genuinely were the most powerful, most elite of the people that lived there. As a result, they only had themselves to talk to. Which, in all likelihoods, is probably why they Draco started calling them his family- at the time." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The older man gives the fourteen year old a nod, and then continues. "You have to understand, they only had each other for those years. They only did have each other… and with the way Azkaban is set up, you have to have a support group of some kind. Otherwise, you're doomed." Shaking his head, he continues. "That's why Draco calls them his family. It's not because he doesn't consider you his family- he does and he never shuts up about it- it's that they replaced the family he lost faith in."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old stands up, and peeks down the staircase. His dad, and granddad are still sitting there. "Will dad be alright? I've never seen him this upset."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"David Tonks sighs. "I hope so… I need Draco at work tonight. It's a Monday, and I'm going to need all the help I can get. Especially with dad getting older, and all you kids… But he won't let the grief show, if that's what you mean. He'll act like he's okay."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""But why?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He's never been taught to show weakness." David Tonks shrugs, and elaborates. "It's the pureblood ideology of not showing weakness, or something like that." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Leaving the room, he goes to catch a glimpse of Draco. He returns only minutes later, and grimaces. Closing the door, he confesses. "I have never seen Draco this broken. I have to this day never seen Draco is desperate." /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Opening the door, he tells the fourteen year old: "C'mon, let's go get the three sleepyheads up. It's already ten; they've had enough sleep."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Cracking a smile, the fourteen year old grins. "Am I allowed to do whatever I want with Viv?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Yes, whatever you want. I'll get Ethan and Ben up. In the meantime, I'll tell them about it. It'll get better, slowly, but it will get better. It may not seem like it, but it will. We just have to wait."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The fourteen year old nods, then walks down the hall¬ to the bathroom. Grabbing a bucket from a closet, he fills it up all the way. Grinning, he whispers. "Morning, Viv…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Holding the bucket in one hand, he opens the door next to his bedroom. In the bed is a girl with veela-blonde hair, her limbs flopping all over the bed. Her head is rested in the center of the pillow, which is located on the edge of the bed. He tilts the bucket, and the water lands all over the girl's head. Almost immediately, the girl stirs. However, due to her sleeping position, she ends up falling on the floor. "SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY, I will castrate you if it is the LAST thing I do."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Aww Viv, I love you too." Poking his tongue out at the girl, he watches her untangle herself from her blankets. Laughing, he continues. "You know, the last time I checked I went by a different name; one that wasn't my full name."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"Groaning, the girl replies. "I know; but being named after a balls-less stalker vampire that sparkles in sunlight isn't exactly what one would consider better."/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""You're forgetting that it's the name of your granddad." Forcing a smile, he continues: "Besides-"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl narrows her eyes, and asks quite sharply: "Ed, what's wrong? You're acting weird, and something must have happened. What happened?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""Dad got some bad news… Some really bad news…" /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl pales. "Where is uncle Draco?"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;""He's downstairs… Viv… I don't know what to do. I saw him earlier, and I've never seen his so… so…" His light brown hair starts to change colour, abruptly. It ranges from colours from black, all the way to yellow. /p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The girl sits on the floor next to him. "It's okay to lose control, Ed, it's okay. Breathe… It'll be okay… Take deep breaths…"/p
p style="border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; list-style: none; margin: 1.286em auto; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.5;"The boy starts sobbing, and no amount of control can stop it. The girl lets him, as he uses her as a tissue./p
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