INTERLUDE VII
From the moment he awoke after their loss to Uagadou, Stepan knew their homecoming would be rough. The second defeat at the hands of the Hogwarts Triumvirate had driven the final nail in the coffin.
At least we have until Christmas before we're forced to see Father, he had stupidly thought. He had somehow forgotten the undue influence Commander Molotov had.
Instead of heading straight for Koldovstoretz, their Team Coach had dropped them off at the Moscow Citadel at their father's request. He didn't even look back at them after doing so.
"You have disgraced me!" Their father spat as he paced before his sons. The crackling flames of the large fireplace silhouetted his looming figure. "You have disgraced your school! Disgraced this Citadel!"
The Citadel doesn't care, Stepan thought rebelliously. They have greater concerns than a competition between children.
He didn't dare voice that thought aloud. It would earn him much more than the usual Stinging Hex. Despite what the law said, the Moscow Citadel remained in the control of the Molotov family for almost two centuries, so their father felt free to do as he pleased without consequence.
"You have brought shame to our family name!" Their father roared. "Shame not seen since your brother's betrayal!"
Stepan stopped himself from flinching at the mention of their older brother. Adrian vanished after revealing Azkaban's location to the Death Eaters. He was most likely dead, but their father had refused to hold a funeral service for him.
He'd long since learned to bear the brunt of their father's cruelty with silence and stoicism, but those were foreign concepts to Andrei.
"Adrian only betrayed us two years ago," he pointed out helpfully. "So, saying we haven't brought shame since then isn't all that bad!"
As though he were unused to Andrei's ridiculous comments (even though he'd been making them since he first learned to speak), their father drew his wand on him. Stepan instantly drew his own and stepped in front of his younger twin.
He could take his licks without trouble, but Andrei was soft and saw something in their father that Stepan never had.
He would sooner lose his wand arm than see that futile hope crushed.
"We'll be going back to school now." His voice was cold and had no trace of inquiry behind it. Nothing their father could say would convince him to stay, and he seemingly understood that.
"Get out of my sight then," he spat.
Stepan tugged on his brother's arm, guiding him out of the room without sheathing his wand or turning his back to their father. The possibility of an enemy attacking from behind was something he had first learned as a small child in this very room.
When they were safely out of the Citadel and walking towards the nearest Apparition Point, Andrei spoke up. "You didn't have to do that."
Surprised, as his brother rarely thanked him for anything, Stepan smiled slightly. "You're welcome-"
"Father would never hurt me."
Stepan closed his eyes. Was there anything more frustrating than the unfounded confidence of younger siblings?