The Fall of Me (an HP fanfic)

XVI

"Mum!"

Cundrie ran up to Molly, religiously squeezing their hands through the gaps of the bars, letting Molly touch them. Molly tried to subtly push Cundrie's sleeves back as to reveal their arms, trying to keep a pretend glad face as she focuses herself to look at Cundrie (not that she's not excited, she is, but she's more terrified if Cundrie harms herself like she thought. What does Molly hope as the outcome- Molly can't answer. So many questions rang through her head since yesterday).

"Mum!" Cundrie protested, pulling her sleeves down. In a split second, Molly can see the horizontal scars that decorate Cundrie's right arm and can't help but gasp. Molly's suspicions were confirmed, Cundrie cuts herself.

"Cundrie, what have you done to yourself?" Molly asked, widening her eyes at the sight of her daughter's scars. Cundrie pulled her hand away, standing a few metres back from the bars. "Cundrie-"

"It's nothing," Cundrie cuts quickly, their voice steely hard.

"It's not 'nothing', Cundrie," their mother denied. "It's a big deal. What are those?"

"You don't need to know-"

"Cundrie," her mother called. Cundrie looked up at her mother, not saying anything more. "Do you hurt yourself?"

"Yes." Molly took a deep breath in, reminding herself to keep her shit together. She can cry after.

"Why?" Molly asked, internally telling herself to keep her composure. "Can I see them?"

"It's not a pretty look-"

"I can take it," Molly assures them. Cundrie sighed, slowly pulling up their right sleeve. Molly took a sharp breath in, seeing old scars and new scratch wounds. Cundrie pulled down their sleeve again.

"Why?" Molly asks. Cundrie swallowed her saliva. "When does it start?"

"I scratched myself when I was twelve and stole your smallest knife when I was almost thirteen-" Cundrie nodded. Molly can feel her tears welling up her eyes again, damn it. Why is she so fucking emotional? "It's pretty recent, don't cry."

"That's not recent, Cundrie. You've done this for at least a year and I never noticed-" Molly shook her head. "Why don't I notice anything about you? I didn't notice you taking drugs and drinking, I didn't notice you sneaking out of the house to spray paint, and now this!" Molly sobbed. Cundrie's breath got caught in their throat, reaching out to touch their mother's face to comfort her. "I only realised when it's too late."

"It's not your fault, I always wore long-sleeved to make sure no one would notice-" Cundrie shook her head. "It went as planned, that part."

"It shouldn't have! It shouldn't have gone as planned if your plan was to keep me in the dark!" Molly sobbed. "What about the new ones?"

"I was hoping that there are still drugs in my bloodstream," Cundrie answered, looking down in shame as they pulled away their hand, only to be held back by Molly, who pressed it gently as to soothe her. "It's stupid, I know, but I need it! It- it makes me feel calm. It's not the same as the real thing but it helps."

"Just- don't hurt yourself again, ok?" Molly said, looking at Cundrie expectantly.

"I can't- I can't promise you that," Cundrie said. Molly nodded sadly.

"I'm here to talk about other things too," Molly starts. Cundrie looked up to face their mother. "Where's your friend, Marcus?"

"Why?" Cundrie furrowed her brows. "Did you do what I asked?"

"I did-" Molly nodded. From Molly's fallen expression, they can guess that the talk did not end well. "Well, you're going to have a new brother. Do you mind sharing your room with him?"

"Oh, not at all!" Cundrie exclaimed. "I'd love it! But what about-"

"It's a long story-" Molly shook her head. "Can you please get him so I can tell him?"

"Marcus!" Cundrie called, and a boy with lush black hair and a bucktooth appeared. "My mum wants to talk to you."

"Mrs Weasley?" Marcus asked, slowly walking closer to the bars, standing beside Cundrie. "Is everything ok? Is my aunt ok?"

How will she break the news without him crying? Marcus looked so hopeful, Molly would hate breaking the boy's hope. But she must.

"I talked with your aunt, and umm-" Molly bit her lips nervously. "She said you can stay with us."

"She disowned me, didn't she?" Marcus asked, his voice breaking already.

"If you want, Marcus, Venus Flint has given her permission to let you stay in our house," Molly said. "After you're free, we'd love to welcome you."

"I want my aunt," Marcus said, his lips quaking. Cundrie puts her hand on his shoulders, patting him as to soothe him. Molly pressed her lips together, it's not fair. It's not fair. The boy's been through so much, it's not fair that Venus Flint would just abandon her.

"I know- would you like to sit down?" Cundrie offered. Marcus nodded, and still with their arms over their shoulders, helped him away from the bars to his bed. Oliver also rushed to his direction, side-hugging him.

"I'll terk abart it with me parents, but I fink it's be'ah if yaouw goo ter me owse," Oliver offered. Marcus said nothing as he kept crying. "I'm an only babbi so there's mower room in me owse. Me parents woo mind anover babbi."

"I don't want another family, I want my family!" Marcus cried. Molly's heart broke, hearing how anguished he sounds. "I want my aunt! My parents are both dead, damn it! I have no one else!"

Venus Flint really lied to him about his mother. Maybe that's a good thing, Molly thought. A 14-year-old boy doesn't need to know that his mum killed his dad and ran away before he can know her.

"You have us-" Cundrie assured him, massaging his fingers. "We're here for you."

"We'll always be eya fer yaouw, we promise," Oliver assured him. There's a sound of the steel door opening and Molly sighed disappointingly.

"Your visiting session has ended."