Cold Skin

Thirty-Eight: The Worst Goodbyes

Gia didn't expect Theo to leave when he did. She sat in her pajamas with her children on her bed. Morning stories. Regulus loved a quick read before getting ready in the morning and Theo relished the mornings where he got to stay in with his family late in bed. Today he was called abnormally late to Malfoy Manor.

Gia sat in bed for hours. Folding robes only to have the elf magic refold all of them. Watching Juliet lay on the floor with her older brother. Regulus was growing more and more accustomed to his little sister in her growing age.

"Jay!" He shouted at her. "Stop grabbing at my parchment!"

Gia walked over to her children and sat on her bedroom floor with them. Juliet was attempting to take one of Regulus' markers and make her own masterpiece. "Reg, share please."

He scoffed at his mother. "She doesn't share her toys."

Gia felt the blush rising in her cheeks. She was not good with this side of parenting. She was the stern one, Theo was the playful one. "She doesn't understand sharing. She will learn if you share with her." She tried. Regulus saw that she was making up what she was saying on the spot.

"Liar. She doesn't understand." He grabbed his stack of parchment and stomped to the door. "I'm going to daddy's study."

"Reg," She sighed. "Love, we can go down to the library and you can have a table alright?"

He perked up slightly. "Can we go out to the gardens? It looks like it might rain today and I want to paint the clouds."

She nodded and picked up her oddly calm daughter. Over these last few days, Juliet had not been calm. Theo had not been allowed to hold her. Gia was the only one allowed to touch her, bathe her, put her to bed.

Her children were undoubtedly more unhinged than usual.

***

She heard the crack of apparition and his shadow followed in the fog that had begun to cover the lawn of the estate. Juliet had fallen asleep and was tucked in the pram on the far side of the gardens where Gia sat with a book.

Regulus saw Theo as soon as the crack hit his eardrums. "Daddy! Are you home early?"

Theo sent a frantic look at Gia. "Inside." He said to his freckled, red-headed boy. "Now Regulus!"

She sat up at her husband's unusually raised tone, especially at her son. She gave Regulus an apologetic look as tears glazed his eyes. "Run along, dear. Push your sister inside and have Leppy take her up to her room."

Theo gritted his teeth as Regulus took a sleeping Juliet inside. Gia held out her hand to keep him silent until both children were inside and both doors were closed. "Gia,"

"Don't you ever shout at him again! Do you hear me!? He did nothing-" He silenced her with a bone-crushing hug. She couldn't breathe with his arms constricting her lungs and the Black Magic attached to his robes. "What?"

"Potter and his band of goons made an escape from Gringotts on the back of a dragon. He has something." He paused. Gia felt like the world was coming down on her and the walls were caving in. "Something that the Dark Lord wants."

She didn't do anything. She didn't say a word. She stood in silence a foot in a half away from the 18-year-old who she married almost 3 years ago to the day.

"Say something."

"I need to get the kids to my dad's. They have safe houses-"

He shushed her with his hands. "My occlumency isn't that strong. Don't tell me this. You'll have to Obliviate me if the Dark Lord wins. Promise me you'll do it, Gia?"