Inglorious Bastards [Theodore Nott]

Chapter Fifty-Two

The following days, Tom and Sirius ignored each other and only acknowledge each other when needed be. Carina felt awkward in the house as she believed it was her fault why the two men were avoiding each other, while Charity and Maisie tried their hardest to ease the tension. When Dumbledore came back to tell them that it is time for the Order's meeting, Sirius had Carina pack her things as they were leaving come midnight. Tom didn't bother to argue but he was not happy about the arrangement. While packing, a part of Carina didn't want to leave as she knew her uncle was against the decision, but her want to be with her father was greater, so each clothing she folded, each book she put in her trunk, the guilt ate her.

The sudden presence of Tom in her room had Carina pause from her packing, it was obvious that her uncle was trying to get time with her alone, to avoid Sirius. He brought with him a milkshake and a narrow box.

"Hope I'm not intruding," Tom said.

"Not at all," Carina replied.

Tom made his way to Carina's side, each step he made was careful and hesitant. He handed her the milkshake before sitting down beside her on the bed.

"I know that things between me and your father are not good," Tom began. "And I've noticed that you've been quiet for the past few days... Carina, I want you to understand that whatever this is is between me and Sirius, and it's not about you."

"But I feel like it is," Carina muttered. "I didn't want to upset anyone – that's the last thing I wanted to do – but Uncle Tom, I want to be with Sirius, I want to get to know him more."

"And you should because he is your father," Tom slightly frowned. "And it's not your fault if you want to... it's mine, actually... for trying to keep you by my side."

There was silence between the two. Carina stared at her milkshake to avoid Tom's gaze.

Tom sighed as he tried to formulate the words, he was to say to her, "Can I tell you something?"

"What is it?"

"The night when Sirius came back and you called him "Dad", I got jealous."

"Why?"

"Because for seven years, you used to call me "Dad", but after learning who your real parents were you stopped calling me "Dad" and Charity "Mum"... I know it's selfish and immature, but since then, I've been hoping that you would stop thinking about our complicated arrangements and just go back to how things were because I miss you so much. The little Carina who would wear mustard jumpers and overalls, who would greet me "welcome home, Dad" after work."

Carina turned to her uncle, and for the first time in years, she saw tears falling from his eyes. She placed down the milkshake on the bedside and took her uncle's hands.

"Uncle Tom, I didn't know that you felt that way," Carina said. "I'm so sorry... I just... I just thought that I was – that day when you told me about who my parents were, I saw how angry you were towards Sirius... I thought it was for the best that I stopped calling you "Dad" since I remember people telling me that I look so much like him... My eyes, especially."

"Oh, Carina," Tom ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Why would you even think that?"

"Can you tell me this Uncle Tom, if I hadn't found out about my father all those years ago, would you still have told me about him?"

Tom sighed, "If we hadn't learned the truth, we would've kept the truth hidden, but I guess it has to come out someday... and I know that that's the most selfish thing we could do – I could do, but, I just don't want to lose you."